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2ManySpams

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  1. 2ManySpams
    Staffordshire Finescale Group's Exhibition Diary
     
    About Us
    Staffordshire Finescale Group isn't and model railway club. It doesn't have a clubroom. It exists purely as a group of friends, located across the East and West Midlands, who encourage each other to improve both the quality and quantity of their railway modelling output. Most of us model in 4mm scale, predominantly in EM gauge, although the group is not intended to be scale or gauge specific. As a group our main focus is on modelling British Railways, but our interests cover a 40 year period from Nationalisation through to Sectorisation. Core members of the group include Andy Banks, Damian Ross, Geoff Cook, John Wardle, Mark Forrest and Nigel Brazier.
     
    Our Layouts
    We've all previously worked together on club layouts but work and life has moved us apart geographically. Collaborative and personal layouts we have built include:
    New Haden Colliery - EM industrial layout based on the real New Haden Colliery near Cheadle, Staffs. The layout was built by the group when we were all members of Stafford Railway Circle and was bought be Geoff Cook in 2012.
    Treneglos - OO layout set in the early 1960's BR(S) and based on a typical crossing station on the North Cornwall Railway. It was built by Chris, Damian and John in 2003 and has appeared in the Railway Modeller, Hornby Magazine and on the old version of this forum. At the age of 10, and with other projects coming on line, this layout is taking a back seat on the exhibition scene although we hope to do a show in the SW in 2014 to mark the 60th anniversary of the ACE ceasing.
    Foundry Lane - Foundry Lane (EM + DCC) is the terminus of a short freight-only branch line set somewhere in the West Midlands in the early 1970s. It was built and is owned by Mark and is due to be replaced by his next project - Wolverhampton Low Level (P4).
    Diesels in the Duchy - Damian's personal homage to the shed at St Blazey (EM + DCC). It runs 37s, 50s and loads of wagons from the late 80s and early 90s period.
    Once Upon a Time...In the West - John's personal project, a HO layout set in 1920 New Mexico, USofA. Currently on hold as he works on BCB but will picked up again at some stage...maybe.
    Black Country Blues - In May 2012 the collective won a competition to build the RMweb / BRM project layout. We decided to build something in EM, set in the 1970s Back Country. A freight only route with lots of blue locos, grubby wagons and grot.

    Exhibition Organisers Details
    Black Country Blues: tbc
    Diesels in the Duchy: Diesels in the Duchy Handout - Nov 2011.pdf
    Foundry Lane: layout data sheet_foundry lane.pdf
    New Haden: tbc
     
    SFG Layout Exhibition Diary
    Our layouts will be exhibited at the following shows:
     
    2010 - Completed
    12/13 February 2010: Diesels in the Duchy (DitD) - Stafford (Done)
    29/30 May 2010: Treneglos - Aylesbury Railex (DONE)
    12/13 June 2010: DitD - DEMU Showcase near Burton (DONE)
    21/22 August 2010: Treneglos - Three Spires / Truro (DONE)
    2/3 October 2010: DitD - Wadebridge (DONE)
     
    2011 - Completed
    5/6 February 2011: Once Upon a Time in the West - Stafford (progress demonstration) (DONE)
    9/10 April 2011: Treneglos - Trainwest Melksham (DONE)
    2 July 2011: Once Upon a Time in the West - RMweb Members Day at Stafford! (DONE)
    20/21 August 2011: DitD - Three Spires / Truro (DONE)
    12/13 November 2011: Treneglos - Spalding (DONE)
    19/20 November 2011: DitD - Warley (DONE)
     
    2012 - Completed
    Saturday 18th February 2012: Treneglos Tonbridge, Kent (DONE)
    14th &15th April 2012: DitD - Trainwest Melksham (DONE)
    26th & 27th May 2012: DitD - Railex Aylesbury (DONE)
    25th & 26th August 2012: DitD, Railex NE- Blyth & Tyne MRS (DONE)
    29th & 30th September 2012: Treneglos, Soar Valley MRS Loughborough (DONE)
    20th & 21st October 2012: DitD, Uckfield (DONE)
     
    2013 - Full
    09th & 10th February 2013: BCB - The Festival of British Railway Modelling, Doncaster Exhibition Centre, The Racecourse, Doncaster, DN2 6BB (DONE)
    23rd & 24th March 2013: BCB - The London Festival of Railway Modelling, Alexandra Palace, London, N22 7AY (DONE)
    18th & 19th May 2013: Foundry Lane - expoEM Bracknell
    17th & 18th August 2013: DitD - Midland Railex (Midland Railway - Butterley)
    19th & 20th October 2013: BCB - The National Festival of Railway Modelling, East of England Showground, Peterborough, PE2 6XE
    (we're doing fewer shows this year as we're also building BCB)
     
    2014 - Confirming Invitations
    Early February 2014: Black Country Blues - Stafford (Confirmed)
    8th & 9th February 2014: Black Country Blues - Doncaster (Confirmed)
    15th & 16th March 2014: Foundry Lane - Leamington & Warwick MRS
    Late March 2014: Treneglos - The Festival of British Railway Modelling (Ally Pally) (Paperwork received)
    31st May & 1st June 2014: Black Country Blues - DEMU Showcase (Confirmed)
    26th June 2014: Treneglos - Barnstable (Subject to operator availability)
    Mid August 2014: Treneglos - Midland Railex (Midland Railway - Butterley)
    Mid September 2014: Black Country Blues - ExpoEM North (Enquiry)
    24th to 26th October 2014: Black Country Blues - Utrecht (Enquiry)
    28th to 30th November 2014: DitD - Wakefield (Paperwork received)
    21st to 22nd November, 2014: Black Country Blues - Warley
     
    2015 - Accepting Invitations
    14th February 2015: DitD - Biggleswade (Enquiry)
    June 2015: Black Country Blues - Wigan (Enquiry)
    26th to 27th May: Black Country Blues - Halifax (Enquiry)
     
     
    Look forward to seeing you there.
  2. 2ManySpams
    Updates are added to the foot of this blog - current update is July 2011. (Note also discussion in the comments section)
     
    September2009 :
    Forgot to report (or did I?) that my EM gauge trial is one step closure. Saturday saw the purchase of a Bachmann Pannier 4666 at Loughborough show. Wheels on order with Ultrascale - so conversion work should be starting at Christmas!
     
    My plans for the 5' trial layout are here: My link

     
    Thanks to the guys in this thread for info on a foreign class: My link
     
    November update 2009:
    I'm now happy to report that a Bachmann 45XX, 4569, has joined the fleet for Nonstallan. Must get round to ordering the plates for it and 4666 from Fox.
    Ordered the plates on Sunday and received them from Fox 2 days later - fantastic service!
    12/11/09 - Plates now fitted to the WR locos.
     
    December update 2009:
    After some discussion with John it would appear that he really has his heart set on building the real Nanstallon, so it seems a bit pointless me having a go at a cut down version. To be honest i was getting worried that a layout with 1 point wouldn't hold my interest for too long. Thoughts have now moved to doing an essence of Boscarne Jct which is along the same line and so will require the same stock etc.
     
    Thanks to Geoff Cook for sending me the preformed frog and checkrail bits (common crossing?) that i need for my EM trial. Fantastic bit of work. The point will be built after my commitments for the Stafford exhibition (1st w/e in Feb).
     
    January 2010 update:
    Got a great parcel from Ultrascale last week - 2 sets of EM gauge wheels. Smashing. I've had a quick look but am resisting doing anything with them until the Stafford show is out of the way and i've built the pub, bridge and workshops that i've promised to do for Damian's Diesels in the Duchy layout. DitD is also in EM (but DCC) so I think i might take the bits with me to do there....
     
    March 2010 update:
    In a fit of boredom with the telly I rushed upstairs, got 4666 out of the display case, dug out the Ultrascale wheelset and spent 50mins putting the two together. Just need the C&L track to arrive now and I can test if the conversion went well..... Doesn't seem to be anywhere near as much side play in the wheels - I wonder what the minimum radius will be now? I suspect 1st radius curves will be out of the question!
     
    July 2011 update:
    Well it all makes quite depressing reading. Almost two years and I have 1 1/2 converted EM locos, a box full of EM track parts, some point bits kindly provided by Geoff and a plan. What I don't have is a layout. As stated in December 2099 the plan at the top of the page won't see the light of day - it's one for John to do a better job of.
     
    All the bits will get used someday but not for a while. First I have commitments to fulfill for Damian (Diesels in the Duchy) and John (Once Upon a Time), oh and a house to finish. So for at least the next 12 months it looks like a bit of tinkering on Treneglos will be about it.
  3. 2ManySpams

    The power of RMweb....

    By 2ManySpams,

    The power of RMweb - albeit the previous version to be exact....
     
    I asked this question yesterday.... Old site link and by this evening i have a whole series of photos and dimensions without having to waste a whole 500miles worth of fuel. Many thanks to Penlan for the assistance.
     
    Goes to show what this web thingy can achieve!
     
    A few of Penlan's photos:



     
    My sketches:


     
    Update 12/11/09
    Building starts....










  4. 2ManySpams
    Building model buildings.... the hardest part has to be finding the windows for them. Once you start to look you realise there is no such thing as a standard style or even standard sizes. A friend from Stafford club once gave me some sound advice... don't start building a building until you have the windows.
     
    Foolishly i put my hand up to help a fellow modeller create some buildings for his St Blazey layout. I also said that I'd size all the windows from the photos he'd taken and either find them RTR in brass or find someone who can etch them up.
     
    So far none of the windows seems to be commercially produced RTR and four etchers have either turned down the work or given very, very long delivery times. What to do??
     
    Photos and dimensions are in this file: windows.doc
     
    Just checked the Scalelink products too - nothing close.
     
    And Muswell Models
     
    And PPD in Scotland as suggested by Jim S-W and will drop them a line to get a quote.
     
    And Brassmasters do a selection for the Scalescenes range of buildings. Sent a note yesterday and got a very swift reply saying the didn't do custom etches to order.
     
    And Langley models but the images are so bad I can't tell what the frets contain
     
    And Bill Bedford has loads but.....25 pages of catalogue with two that are close... but then there's the 2-3 month wait. Interesting that he does a fret for the Padstow goods shed windows though.
     
    Turning to plastic (not my first choice but), there's a good selection here at Grandt
     
    The bespoke service from York Model Making looks interesting and so i've sent them my window photos doc (see link above) and asked for a quote.
  5. 2ManySpams
    Starting to really like the new forum, especially now I'm remembering where i left stuff!
     
    Anyway, i've taken full advantage of the new gallery feature and have added some photos back from 2003 when we built the first 4 boards of Treneglos in a year. Some good photos of the boards as they arrived from Damian. Some more of the initial rough scenery in glorious technicolour match pots! A few of the cutting extension and the making of the rock face. I know i have more so I'll keep adding them as i find them. Put it on slide show and you can build a layout in a few minutes!
  6. 2ManySpams
    Last week we had the proofs through from Mike Wild at Hornby Mag for the Treneglos article that will be appearing in their 2nd Year Book. He's done a nice job and found a few new photo angles on the old girl. Just had to submit some captions and a few minor corrections. Now all that's left is waiting for publication!
     
    October update:
    I've just spotted the first adverts for the 2nd Hornby Yearbookand it looks like Treneglos will be in pride of place on the cover. The blurb on the Ian Allan website says the book will be out in November.
     

     
    November Update:
    The Yearbook is now out in the shops and it's good to see the old layout on the front hardbound cover. The high quality paper and fantastic print quality inside really does the layout and Mike Wild's photography justice. Very pleased with the results although the layout plan graphic has the wrong layout dimensions on...
     
    December update:
    Thanks to Mike (and Katy) Wild I now have a CD with the layout photos from the photoshot used in the Yearbook. I have permission to use a small number in low res form on this forum. Watch the TG gallery over the Christmas period.
  7. 2ManySpams

    My threads

    By 2ManySpams,

    The layouts I'm involved with:
     
    Treneglos - BR(S) late 50s - early 60s North Cornwall Railway (4mm / OO)
     
    Diesels in the Duchy - BR late 80s depot based on St Blazey (4mm / EM)
     
    Once Upon a Time in the West - America, ATSF New Mexico, around 1920 (3.5mm / HO)
     
    My info threads:
     
    North Cornwall Railway - Random details
     
    Other interesting threads:
     
    Torrington
     
    What was the NCR really like?
     
    Motive power on the NCR
     
    Alterations to a Hornby T9
     
    St Merryn Book
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