ullypug

Starting to find the time I need to make progress when I can. Since the last entry I've completed the first batch of platforms, fencing and made a start on the greenery on the up side of the station. Barrow crossings have been added too. Platform faces and barrow crossings are scribed Palight. which is a foamed pic sheet. Surfaces are generally stone dust from Atwood Aggregates, applied onto glue/paint and suitably sanded down afterwards. Fences and gates are the usual Ratio products. I'm working on the stone loading point which was added by Chelmscombe Quarry in the 1950's at the moment. In reality the siding stretched around the front of the layout but I don't have enough width to represent it, so a small cameo of one of their lorries tipping into a wagon is planned here.

Some projects just seem to take on a life of their own. The WC has been ongoing for a long, long time now and seems to have been one of those projects. I'd decided that I was going to have to paint the loco. I wasn't expecting to have to do it twice. First off was a Humbrol rattle can over Halfords plastic primer. The finish was awful so after much cussing it was stripped right back and second time round Precision BR loco green was airbrushed on. Lining was achieved by Fox transfers and cab side numbers are HMRS. Name plates and smokebox plates are Fox. There are just a couple of things to complete; screw couplings, crew and some route disks. But for now, that'll do. The layout this loco was going to run on was sold some time ago and until I build a replacement this engine is going to go back in its box so I can get on with other stuff. A quick piccy in Cheddar good yard will have to suffice.

Osborne Models do a kit for one if it helps.

Very nice. I like the safety chains on the ends too.

Thanks Mikkel I’ll leave it grey then. It’s Halfords plastic primer! But maybe I’ll weather it a little bit. Someone’s done a rather lovely 3D print of the 6 tonne crane but they’re not readily available at the moment so this one will have to do for the minute.

Wow. Nothing for 3 years then two in a fortnight. A bit like buses, but with less nutters. Or maybe not. The goods yard at Cheddar is now sporting a 6 ton crane, courtesy of the Osborne Models kit. I struggled with it if I'm honest. The parts don't seem to be a totally accurate representation of the drawings I found in GWR Journal preview issue but I think it'll do for now until maybe a replacement turns up. Anyone got any ideas what colour they were painted? In other news; I miraculously found the previously cut platform surfaces and duly extended these through the train shed. They're cut from 1mm Palight which is soft pvc sheet which can be embossed. I'm presently drawing on the coping slabs with a black biro. Once completed the Palight will be primed and painted, leaving only a shallow indentation. The surfaces were prototypically a mixture of slabs, tarmac, gravel and Staffordshire diamond patterned nosings. I'm still scratching my head on that one. Embossed brick paper is worth a go. I'm not going to scribe each brick then add a pattern. That would be mad. After all this P4 layout is being built by an EM modeller and the 3ft rule is going to apply for the sake of my sanity, which is stretched all too frequently. I've also used Palight to start to form the area around the signal box and include the barrow crossing. The back of the up platform has seen some terraforming done with craft foam. It'll be finished with my usual One Strike lightweight filler from Proper Job as I did with the surrounding areas. It was only after I'd built the boards and laid the track that I worked out the two mileage sidings behind the box actually rose up on a slight gradient to platform height, but hey we live and learn and I won't tell anyone if you won't. Still it's very nice to have the layout up so I can work on it a little when I've time and the mood takes me.

WC&PR Dübs 2-4-0T Clevedon arrives at Weston-super-Mare terminus in the summer of 1936 with the ex Taff Vale Railway brake 3rd coach no 18 and a mixed train.

Good evening. Well it's been a while hasn't it? I had a fantastic weekend at the Portishead WCPR show last weekend which has certainly given the modelling mojo a bit of a boost. This has come at the right time too, because after some 9 months in the new gaff, I've finally got to the stage where I could actually fish some bits out of their various storage boxes and put a couple of boards up in what I hope will be the 'layout workshop'. This will be somewhere I can have the boards up whilst I work on them in relative comfort. These were the two that I was last working on at the back end of 2019 and at that time honestly didn't think it was going to be almost 3 years before I'd get a chance to work on them again. But happily, here we are again! I'm happy to say that on first inspection at least, the boards seem to have survived their period in storage. Of course there are some things that haven't quite survived unscathed. The train shed roof seems to have picked up a slight warp. Not surprising when you consider it's 2ft long and a composite structure of metal, MDF and plastic. It should be easily fixed with some form of clamping. The signal box has been placed for the first time on the layout. As it was built remotely, I deliberately didn't cut the leadaway out. It was covered anyway at Cheddar so that's good. The goods shed has been plonked on too. As you can see I was in the process of terraforming the ground with a recess for all of the buildings to drop into. The motor bus shed seems to have survived unscathed. Heaven knows where the platform surfaces have gone though! They were cut from Palight. Thankfully I've still got the remains of the sheets they were cut from! So, where to start? Maybe with the platforms and possible the yard crane. These boards will take a fair bit of work to complete as I'll want to finish the signal box board before I can move to the Wells end of the station. The station master's house will also have to be built at some point. Don't know where the mock up for that ended up either! So, hopefully updates will be posted more regularly from here. Hope so, because January will be the 10th anniversary of me starting its construction. Ouch!

Home from a really enjoyable day at Portishead. Hall was busy all day, over 800 through the door. Quality layouts everywhere, no filler and so nice to catch up with so many friends, old and new. It’s been tiring taking two layouts but the lovely comments I’ve had all day have really given me a boost. I can’t thank my co-operators enough. Currently sitting with my feet up and a glass of fermented apple juice. Hope everyone has a great time and got home safely. and I only turned my back for one second!!

Just a reminder about the WCPR show this Sunday in Portishead. Looks like a great line up

As I've posted in the exhibition thread, the Weston Clevedon and Portishead railway Group are holding another exhibition in Portishead, some 5 years after the last one. Details here: https://www.wcprgroup.org.uk/exhibition2022.html It's the only time I'll contemplate exhibiting my EM Weston and Clevedon layouts simultaneously and probably the last time Weston will go out ever. It hasn't been operated since the last exhibition so I've got a little over a month to get both layouts out and dusted down. In the intervening period they've been moved numerous times, been put into storage and relocated to my new home. I've yet to locate one of the lighting rigs. It'll turn up somewhere... One of the to-do jobs that's been niggling me for some time is the ex LSWR set of 4 wheel coaches, these being numbers 15, 16. & 17. For some reason when I built these many, many years ago I painted them the wrong colour! Green instead of a darkish brown. Many exhibitions later, I've finally got round to correcting it. Nothing drastic, just hand painted with Vallejo acrylic. Transfers are a mixture of HMRS and some custom printed WC&PR lettering from Railtec. I've no idea where the colour photo came from. I think it's from a slide at the Weston museum I scanned 20 odd years ago. It is funny when you look at your previous modelling efforts. Two of the coaches are scratch built, the other is a Bill Bedford kit. All are about 20 years old. I think they've held up well. I've also increased the wagon fleet with another Slaters ex MR D299 5 plank, again with Railtec transfers. Well it would be rude not to, wouldn't it? If you're of a light railway persuasion, please do pop by and say hello. I'll be the one looking worried.

That’s what I did. I’ll have a look for the instructions when I’m back home. I did a blog of the build here on RMWEB (it’s the middle one in my signature footer) but as it’s over 10 years ago the photos didn’t survive the recent hosting change.

Just be wary that the tube supplied for the boiler doesn’t fit between the tank sides and the smoke box is wrong. I’ve built one in p4 and with a bit of work the kit makes a nice model

WC&P Railway Anniversary Exhibition Details of show here To celebrate the 125th Anniversary year of the original opening of the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway Sunday 2 October 2022 Parish Wharf Leisure Centre, Portishead, BS20 7DD 10.00 until 16.00 A special one-day event which we hope will be as good as our first one in 2017 which was a great success. There will be 14 top class layouts in a variety of scales/gauges, original artefacts, static models, historic photos, railway fine art, trade and society stands, and light refreshments. Free 8-page visitors' guide to exhibition. Venue alongside the Marina. Level access. Free nearby parking. Not to be missed! Adults: £5 ● Children 6-16: £2 ● Age under 6: free Family ticket – 2 adults and up to 3 children: £12 We accept cash or credit/debit cards Layouts: Ashcombe Road, WC&PR – Andrew Ullyott – EM gauge Clevedon, WC&PR – Andrew Ullyott – EM gauge Rolvenden – Col Stephens’ K&ESR – Robin Gay – P4 gauge River Yeo – WC&PR with bridge and wharf – Stephen Ash – N gauge Portishead – WC&PR – David Taylor – OO gauge (new layout) Ripple Road – Imaginary Col Stephens Light Railway – OO gauge Leysdown – Col Stephens’ Sheppey Light Railway – P4 gauge Bwthyn y Rhosod – Radio-controlled layout – O gauge finescale Seeohtoo Recycling Plant – Recycling carbon footprints! – 1:48 scale On30 (new layout) Wild Goose and Riddon – Small narrow gauge tramway – OO9 Holmeshurst – Col Stephens-style Light Railway – O gauge Arcadia – Inspired by the Rother Valley Railway – 1:64 scale – S gauge Ewe – Inspired by the Wisbech and Upwell tramway – OO gauge (new layout) Snowdon (NWNGR) – Narrow gauge railway at Rhyd Ddu – 1:38 16mm gauge Society stands: WC&P Railway Group – WC&PR models, original artefacts and items for sale Colonel Stephens Society Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Portishead Railway Group – campaign to reopen Portishead to Bristol branch Railfuture – campaigning for a bigger better railway Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways Vale of Berkeley Railway RNLI, Portishead Trade Stands: Art in Motion – original fine art by motoring and transport artist Stuart Booth Mainline & Maritime – large selection of railway and maritime publications Antics Models – stockist of popular scales plus WC&PR special additions 'Bits for Layouts' – second-hand N gauge Lester Harrison – memorabilia Lord & Butler Model Railways – stockist of leading brands Demonstrations: Kit building demos – Ian Roll Other Displays: Display on employees of WC&PR and other Col. Stephens railways Historic WC&PR photos slide show – Ian Bennett Static O gauge WC&PR models – Clive Thompson Light Refreshments

Hi does anyone have a set of instructions for the Kemilway class 3 tank please? TIA Andrew

Thanks Andy and to all the elves in RMWeb land. All signed up without any issues and it’s working smoothly.

At the end of the last instalment, I'd managed to get a rolling chassis without too much difficulty. The fun started when I tried to use a Markits single slide bar crosshead assembly. It just wouldn't fit. I couldn't adopt the usual dodge of widening the cylinders as their outside face is flush with the loco body. So another plan was hatched using the original Hornby slide bar and crosshead. I had to fit by trial and error, using epoxy to fix the cylinders and the slide bar assembly in place. But after a few false starts all was well. I then turned my attention to the body, which was detailed with parts from the Albert Goodall range, now courtesy of RT Models. Various pipes and fittings have been added from a mixture of lost wax cast brass and white metal and representation of other pipework and linkages added from brass wire and scrap etch. There are still a few tweaks to complete some of these. The body required a little repair, as removal of the original plastic name crests had resulted in a few holes and minor damage. As I'm modelling Watersmeet fairly late on it its life, the original tender body has been replaced with a cut down version and the cab side details removed. The body will need a respray and later box style lining to the cab side. The Irwell Press book is invaluable here for all the little details. Reuniting the body with the chassis, I can see the front end is sitting a little high, but that shouldn't be too difficult to correct. I do envy those who have managed to convert the original model to the wider finer gauges. I must have had a duff one (or been unable to do the conversion properly. Who knows... But we're on the home stretch now!

Theres an access lane from the athletics club that comes in near the back of the hall and the traditional way out if you can picture it. I’ll post any updates in the morning when I get there to open up.

Access tomorrow is from South Hill Road. The centre tells us there will be stewards on hand to direct people but we’re all in the dark about the details. Screenshot from the leisure centre website attached. Allow a little extra time and safe journeys everyone! Great day today seeing folks I haven’t seen since pre Covid. Bring your cash, the members sales is very well stocked!

We have a show! Set up pretty much complete and looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow at 10:30

A very long time ago, some 10 years to be precise, I started a conversion of a Hornby West Country pacific to P4. At the time, I was trying to use the existing chassis and had modified the existing bogie and pony trucks. I was having all manner of problems with the slide bars though and despite trying everything I could think of just couldn’t get it to run properly. After a valiant effort I reached the point where I stopped and put it to one side for a proper think. I decided to go down the etched chassis route so duly purchased a Comet chassis pack and put the lot away pending the enthusiasm to try again. I didn’t think it would take a decade to get to the point where I would pick it up again but a lot of water has passed under the proverbial bridge since then. A lot… So I built the chassis frames and fitted high level horn blocks using a CSB on the main drivers. I retained the existing wheels and dug out a high level loadhauler gearbox and a Mashima 1632 motor from the hoard. You know, the one we all acquired when Mashima declared they were going to stop production. The Comet chassis has made a few assumptions in respect of fitting to the Hornby body but I’m glad to say that there haven’t been any nasty surprises so far. I’ve made a bracket to fix the front mounting screw. Coupling rods were already made and I’ve got to the point where all runs smoothly. I just need to decide whether to try and retain the Hornby motion bracket or use the Comet one. I also am looking at the Markits single slide bar crosshead with a view to using if dimensionally accurate. It’s a bit beefier than the Hornby one.

Glad to see the site is up and running again. I'm slowly adding back the lost images to my blogs so if there's anything anyone has a query on please ask. During the site down time I finished off the engine and it's now released for traffic. First up was a coat of Halfords etch primer, then Phoenix olive green through an airbrush. I'm quite pleased with the paint job. I haven't tackled Southern livery before and I was a bit apprehensive about it but it seems to have turned out ok. The lining is a mixture of HMRS LNER lining, boiler bands are home made using black transfer sheet and white lining added with a bowpen. I've also used the bowpen for the valances and steps. I used Vallejo acrylic, thinned with their own thinner and it's worked well. The black edge banding has been brush applied with glossy black acrylic, again Vallejo. The engine was then given a very light waft of weathering. In my world this engine would only just have been painted so I wanted to keep it fairly new. At this point I plonked the engine on the layout and noticed the front end was a little low. This was quickly remedied. Coal, crew all added. Just some couplings and route disks and it'll be ready to go. It should be making at appearance at Expo EM. I have the 0-6-0T AS Harris to do at some point, but for my next project I'm turning to something altogether larger...

They have a nice outline don’t they? I’ve got some of the Hornby generic coaches which will do for a start. May upgrade later. It depends on whether I extend the layout.

I like them, though they can show their heritage. Most of them are shot down 7mm kits originally drawn by Pete Stamper under the Agenoria brand. They're not in the Mitchell or Finney stable, but do offer an interesting range of prototypes. They make up into nice models with a bit of patience. Sometimes you have to deviate from the instructions. In the past I've added CSB's or tweaked the assembly to allow the body to split. You get a load of lost wax castings and always have some left overs for the spares box! I've built their 1361, Peckett and a 1366 chassis without any difficulty. I've a couple more to do; the 0-6-0 PDSWJR Hawthorn Leslie and Cardiff Rly/GWR 1338 Kitson 0-4-0.

With the tinking table open again, I’m trying to get another loco finished before Stonehouse goes to Expo EM. It’s one of the ex PD&SWJR 0-6-2T’s built by Hawthorn Leslie. The origin of the model is a CSP kit and has been on my to do list for a while. The chassis will be compensated and I’ve got the body done. Frames are done with rods etc and next will be to fit the wheels. The high level gearbox is in the bench so hopefully not too far to go now.