sparky

Hi Chaps, After some gentle persuasion and arm twisting, the Penhydd and Llangunllo sagas are returning as a website https://luggvalleyrailway.wordpress.com/introduction/ Old and new content is currently being added, but for the time being comments are disabled. Best Wishes, Geoff

Hi, A quick thank you to all those who viewed my post, I have now managed to find a suitable Hornby Class 121 for conversion. Cheers, Geoff

Many thanks Pete, in my day and age it was a pleasure to kill time at Oxford, how times change! Since the article was prepared a little more progress has been made on the layout. Nothing major mind you, just the addition of a few of those smaller details that can make all the difference. Decent platform and yard lamps are sadly lacking in 4mm scale, these here are a mix of Gaugemaster posts, Langley lanterns and top castings. For the past few weeks I've been busy refining some Ratio line side fencing, the old moulds must be worn out judging by the amount of flash that needs trimming away. Some of the trees have been upgraded, and more will follow in due course. GWR ground signals are available once again from MSE, so a couple of kits were purchased to replace the old Ratio offering . The castings are lovely, and the etched disc, and counter weights are crisply etched. I've also been installing some MSE signal wire posts, which are also very fine castings. What next, well the cottage and signal box roofs will be improved by replacing the current Wills slates with those from York Modelmaking. Once that job is completed I'll be turning my attention to the first of two planned diorama's. Geoff

Thank you both for your very generous and kind comments, Llangunllo is nothing more than a large diorama really. Despite its limited operation I take great pleasure watching trains pass through my personal slice of Mid Wales. Unfortunately the article, and a couple of captions suffer from some editing, for instance my description of using Wills quoins and spraying foamboard models should read as follows. "All the walls were scribed before assembly and as much detail was added as possible. Both roofs are made from styrene sheet, as are the plinths and window sills. Once I had cut the window, and door openings out I added the lintels, and window sills from styrene sheet. Wills quoins, much reduced in width, and thickness to suit the size, and style of the building being used for the decorative stonework, and the corners of the building once it had been assembled. To provide a key for painting, and to blend everything together I spray all my foamboard structures with Halfords white acrylic primer. As for fitting window seals, I don't in 4mm scale but I did fit the window sills :-) Then there is the caption that refers to 'Filflor, which should read... " Like most country stations, the one at Llangunllo is some distance from the village that it serves. This was also true of the real station which still stands on the former LNWR Central Wales line. The village church can just be picked out in the background above the platform trolley, and as you can see its a fair walk. The back scene was selected from the 'id' range which are produced by Art printers, most of the foreground being cut away to lower the horizon thus giving a feeling of distance. Knighton, and the sweep of the Central Wales line is supposedly somewhere in the distance behind the station building. Once again I turned to Silflor winter pasture mat, and static fibres to create the sun bleached appearance of late summer, early autumn grass. A little Heki, and Noch meadow grass being added to the mix" and another which should read.. "The goods shed was inspired by a similar structure which once stood at Llansilin Road on the Tanat Valley Light Railway, and is a mix of Wills, and Slaters corrugated styrene sheets. With its end doors and rustic appearance I thought it would be an ideal choice for the small yard at Llangunllo. The ruins to the left of the shed are deemed to be those of an old tramway weighbridge, which once served a local quarry. The track was constructed from ply sleepers, and C & L two bolt GWR chairs, all three signals, which are fully working started life as Ratio mouldings, to which etched ladders, arms and other detail from MSE has been fitted". Geoff

The latest issue, complete with full page Railex advert arrived here in Cheshire at lunchtime. Geoff

Hi Paul, I had exactly the same experience myself, and eventually recovered my money through 'paypal'. Good luck, Geoff

Thanks Larry, the small details help make up for the lack of space, and track. I don't really spend a lot of time on the forum, and when I do update my thread my posts seem to disappear down the list quickly. That is why you probably haven't come across my thread before. Geoff

Thanks for your kind comments chaps, all of which are very much appreciated. The idea of using a mirror is nothing new really, and is something that I came across many years ago in the Railway Modeller. John Dormon also used the same trick when modelling his 7mm scale roundhouse, which appeared in MRJ No.113. Geoff

For this update the clock has been fast forwarded to 1963, or thereabouts. A sign of the times, the station is now unmanned and tickets need to be purchased on the train. On a late summers evening a Class 108 heads for Presteign, Titley Junction, and all stations to Leominster. Meanwhile a Class 14 shunts the dairy sidings before tripping a rake of milk tanks down to Llanbister Road. The view towards Presteign, from the trees beside the road bridge. Geoff

Hi Geraint, Thank you for your kind comments. I had intended to use a removable section of track, and also tried single cassettes, but I found it impossible to disguise their joints with the scenery when looking through the arch of the bridge. Had the layout been in an urban setting rather than rural, or the bridge been on a different angle, and just spanned one track then it might have been easier to achieve. Space was a problem for me, ideally a longer run into a conventional fiddle yard would have been better. As it could have resembled some exchange sidings with an engine release etc, etc However given my limited operational needs, and the short trains that I favour, I find my simple fiddle yard works well. I hope you can come up with a workable solution for your own scenic fiddle yard. Geoff

The photo was indeed taken from the 'scenic fiddle yard' Rich. The siding on which the milk tanks stand has been inlaid with stone sets, the one behind is of plain PCB construction. Geoff

A little more progress, work continues on both dairy buildings which have now received rainwater goods, and in the case of the new building, roof slates are being added. The 16T mineral wagons on the left are Parkside kits in various stages of construction. Geoff

All is very well my friend thank you, and I hope the same can be said of yourself. The layout continues to be developed despite my head being turned by the senior scale from time to time. Ignore the Seamoss trees, they are only there whilst I try a few ideas out, some, (hopefully) better replacements will follow in due course. The same location but from a different angle, its all very much work in progress at the moment. Geoff

Thank you, I've always been a great believer in the Iain Rice approach to layout design, Iain considers all aspects of layout planning, not just the track plan. So following his advice I have always decided what features I would like to model, including the landscape, then planned the railway to suit. The open frame method of baseboard construction is used so the land can rise and fall naturally, in harmony with the backscene. Geoff

Thank you for your kind comments, likes and whatnot, sometimes I think the atmosphere of the 50's, and early 60's era is best captured in monochrome. Anyway enough, have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year, Geoff

For the past few weeks I've been fitting Laser Glazing to a Lima Railcar, at times its been a fiddly job. But that's not down to the product, which in my opinion is superb, each piece only needing a little cleaning up with wet and dry paper to achieve an excellent fit. I also replaced the roof vents, and buffers with Comet (Wizard Models) castings, then parred away the moulded grab rails and fitted etched ones from the 'Frogmore' range. I made my own vacumn and steam heating pipes from wire, along with the missing lamp irons, and fitted a pair of Masokits screwlink couplings to complete the drawbar detail. The chassis was converted to EM using Ultrascale drop in wheels many years ago, in keeping with my chosen 50's era the drive shafts to the outer wheels has been removed from each bogie. Its been rather satisfying to take an old model and bring it up to standard, its very cost effective as well. Geoff

I'll start off by thanking everyone for their likes and whatnot, all being very much appreciated Thank you Andrew, its a funny thing is colour, we all see it differently and of course lighting plays its part. I've recently switched from R40 'warm white' Tungsten spots to their LED equivalents. Which to me has changed the colour slightly, then again I could be imagining things? I tend to use a very limited colour palette, choosing a few basic shades and adjusting them so that the slight variations blend together. I think that's all from me for a while now, thanks for your interest. Geoff

The complete layout as it is today, its almost finished now and soon I will be turning my attention to a couple of dioramas. An autotrain with a difference, Comet A44 Driving Trailer and 14XX tank Geoff

Thank you Rob, I'm pleased that my stuff inspires you. Geoff

The latest release from Shawplan is a set of laserglaze for the old Lima GWR Railcar. I've had the privilege of trying it out and can tell you that its to the same high standard as other glazing packs in the range. I'm currently detailing another Railcar and this is how its looking to date... Full spec includes replacing the roof vents, and all the moulded handrails, those below the window have already been done. New large buffers, screw link couplings, pipework and missing lamp irons will complete the job. Brian tells me that he will have stocks of the glazing available at Warley should you be interested. Geoff

Thank you, Geoff

Looks like Julie Andrews to me, wonder if she's been looking for her goatherd up in the hills?

A few more photos from the archive, the 'toad' is a new acquisition from the Hornby stable that has been converted to EM, gaining a new chimney and a coat of grime in the process. Geoff

Plenty of parcels tonight, my order has been processed believe it or not

Thanks again for your likes and comments which are very much appreciated. 4678 waits its next turn. The evening parcels gets underway from Llangunllo with 4678 in charge. Earlier in the day 2538 arrived with the pick up goods, and shunted the yard. Finally a Class 121 DMU arrives at Llangunllo with a school service. Geoff