Melyn Valley Railway

[MarcD]

I have modified some so they have bigger loops. they haven't been etched up yet so I can't say if they are going to work. I will hopefully have them running by Stafford show if it goes ahead. if that works I'm going to look at the hooks to see if I can do anything about height. 

 

Marc

[Donw]

Incidently for those using three links I find some time with a file smothing the edges of the hook and shaping the point up pays dividends as does using a steel hook which can be thinner than a brass one. Good lighting is a help.  A friend modified his to make the bottom loop wider which does show up too much and is way better than some unatural bit of iron mongery.

If you have Ian Rice's book on cameo layouts it has a bit on The Linc ups in there plus his own favourite termed the Imprecise if I remember correctly.

 

Don

[Andrew Young]

8 hours ago, Donw said:

Incidently for those using three links I find some time with a file smothing the edges of the hook and shaping the point up pays dividends as does using a steel hook which can be thinner than a brass one. Good lighting is a help.  A friend modified his to make the bottom loop wider which does show up too much and is way better than some unatural bit of iron mongery.

If you have Ian Rice's book on cameo layouts it has a bit on The Linc ups in there plus his own favourite termed the Imprecise if I remember correctly.

 

Don

Thanks Don, will get my copy of the Cameo Layouts book out for another look. 
 

For the Lincs couplers I’m wondering whether they’ll work satisfactorily too on sharp radius curves (3ft 4in-ish radius) too. There’s only one way to find out I suppose. 
 

For three links, I must’ve read your comments about filing the hooks before because it’s something that I’d started doing to the hooks fitted to my stock. Should I go round the houses and go back to three link couplings, then I suspect that steel links and a magnetic shunters pole would be preferable. 
 

Andrew

[Andrew Young]

Two other items of rolling stock have also been built. A pair of cattle vans, with sheep loads as a change to the usual cattle loads. The upper reaches of the Melyn Valley being used for sheep grazing. Suspect that these will appear on Market Day as a special working. 
 

First up is a Cambrian version. One of my Talyllyn friends models the Cambrian and had converted the Slaters LMS cattle van into a Cambrian version using the converted sides and ends to produce some patterns for home resin casting. Last summer he gave me a set of sides and ends, some 3D printed Cambrian axle boxes and some surplus transfers which was most kind. Added to a Slaters LMS van kit and I’m rather pleased with the result. It’s certainly nice and different to what you usually see on layouts. 
 

 

To run with it, I’ve built a standard Slaters GWR cattle van. The number is of a van that was photographed at Barmouth in 1924 (photo in Green’s Cambrian Album) and the line wash weathering based on that photo. 
 

 

Andrew

[Andrew Young]

Five months since an update... oh dear!

 

The pandemic has meant that work wise I’ve been left with less time for modeling but as a plus, working anti social hours less often and spending more time with the family so not all bad. 
 

Plus, once we were allowed to travel, we’ve used plenty of leave going to Tywyn, playing steam engines and seeing my in-laws plus doing touristy things and generally not being locked down at home! That’s accounted for four out of the last nine weeks. But back home for a reasonable amount of time now and the modeling mojo has returned. 
 

Some photos of my recent Welsh shenanigans can be found on my Flickr page:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/pandaonetwofive/cyQF72

 

Back to the modeling... last time I was trialling Dingham couplers. Sadly, they proved to not be suitable. Whilst they look great and I would use them if I could, they require a reasonably constant coupling hook height to work reliably. Sadly, the range of height on my stock is quite sizeable. The difference in height between the lowest (Dapol Terriers) and the highest (GW Syphon) is too great to find a common height allowing for each vehicle within the constraints of the headstock/buffer beam.

 

Current thinking is to use steel links and make a couple of magnets on sticks attached to torches in the same vein as those made by the late DLO Smith and see how I get on with those once I’m operating the layout regularly. On Thursday night at our regular 7mmNGA Trent Valley Group zoom meeting, one of our members Alex said he’d designed some form of magnetic coupling that uses standard drawhooks and he would send me a sample to try so will await them and see. He currently resides in Barry (the place, he’s young, not a borrower) so will await the post and see. 
 

Layoit wise, I’ve added plywood track bases to the three station boards on which to lay the narrow gauge track. Going from standard gauge track level up to the wharf level. I’d hoped to include a line up to a granite tipping point but the gradient proved to be too steep for reliable running. So it’s now just a slate and timber wharf and I’ll have to find somewhere else for the granite in  another module. 
 

The other mojo killer was building some test track pieces for making my own narrow gauge track. However, after two attempts failed to result in a point that I could run anything reliably through the track parts have been put in a track drawer out of the way. One piece of advice I received a while ago was that as modellers, we improve with time and practice and it’s not necessarily going to be perfect first time. That’s why you build more than one layout. You do things on your second that you can’t do on your first. Currently weighing up my options and it could be that this module has more ready to plonk track laid so as to move me forwards rather than continually stalling. Get this set up running nicely, electrified and start the scenic work so that I can run trains if I want to. Then, when I move onto the next stage of the line, then take the time to hammer out (literally) the faults in my track laying and making it work properly. Hopefully the weather will cool down soon and I will progress the layout more in the attic and be able to give an update of some real progress. 
 

In the meantime, I’ve been stock building in the relative comfort of our study. One of the Mannin Models LSWR brake third coaches has taken shape and I’m rather pleased with it. I’ve changed the buffers and door handles for something more robust, but otherwise the kit is as intended and very nice it is too for a 3D print. Plus, very reasonably priced. 
 

Seen here recreating an Easingwold train as captured by Casserley who’s photos of which I find particularly inspiring. 
 

 

if this hot weather carries on. The SER kits first class saloon might get finished off at the same time and then I’ll have a complete passenger train which really will need somewhere to run!

 

 

Andrew

[Donw]

Good to hear you are coping well. I like the coach. Trackwork is something where practice helps. It is more a matter of flow and alignments rather than sticking to a template. However it doesn't help to be stuck on trackwork so use commercial turnouts and get the layout running.

 

Don

[hartleymartin]

On 24/07/2021 at 09:11, Andrew Young said:

In the meantime, I’ve been stock building in the relative comfort of our study. One of the Mannin Models LSWR brake third coaches has taken shape and I’m rather pleased with it. I’ve changed the buffers and door handles for something more robust, but otherwise the kit is as intended and very nice it is too for a 3D print. Plus, very reasonably priced. 
 

Seen here recreating an Easingwold train as captured by Casserley who’s photos of which I find particularly inspiring. 
 

 

For several years now I have been meaning to get myself a Slaters GWR T34 Brake 3rd coach kit to use as the basis for something to represent the brake 3rd coach on the Easingwold line. Have to get around to it one of these days.

 

[doilum]

One helpful cheat if the purists are not looking: using steel links, solder the end and middle link at 90 degrees. The first link is left loose attaching it to the hook. An uncoupling hook can now be inserted through the middle link enabling you to lift the outer link into position. When loose it still dangles realistically and doesn't interfere when propelling forward. Most of my stock has this modification although I am currently converting a few wagons to Dinghams as insurance against shaky hands in old age!

[Nearholmer]

If you solder all three links, to make a rigid chain, you effectively get the drop-link coupler used in coarse-0, which is absolutely superb for propelling round tight curves without buffer-lock. I think that on a finescale coupling hook you might need to solder a whisker of wire to prevent the rigid link from popping out of the hook when propelling, coarse couplers have a little upstand formed in them already.

 

 

[Northroader]

4 hours ago, hartleymartin said:

 

For several years now I have been meaning to get myself a Slaters GWR T34 Brake 3rd coach kit to use as the basis for something to represent the brake 3rd coach on the Easingwold line. Have to get around to it one of these days.

 

Have you looked at shapeways/rue d’etropal site for the GER 3D prints, if any of these will match up?

[Andrew Young]

The art of compromise…

 

Been over two months since the last update, but I haven’t been completely idle. The setbacks of earlier in the summer (couplings faff and track laying incompetence) plus the gradients on the narrow gauge not working killed the modelling mojo for a while. 

 

There were other distractions, making up for restrictions caused by the pandemic we’ve spent a fair bit of time in Tywyn which has been most enjoyable. Doing tourist and family things has been interspersed with a reasonable amount of engine driving too. 

 

Plus, sixteen months after we originally planned to go, we got our family holiday on the Isle of Wight. 

 

 

Thankfully, the disillusionment passed and the layout has progressed. 

 

First step was to firmly set my limits, I’ve got three scenic boards and that’s it for now and keeps me focused on progressing the current and not distracted by how it leads into the next board. I’ve also cut corners (literally) by taking them out of the plan. There was a Barry Norman plan where he used turntables to turn the trains round each corner thus saving space. I shall be doing this by use of cassettes. The baseboards for these have been built and I’m currently waiting for an order of laser cut cassettes to arrive from Intentio. Both standard gauge and narrow. 

 

The standard gauge will now be a through station so I can at some point go further on up the valley to where the granite lies. 

 

My dismal attempts at narrow gauge track laying were also not helping when I remembered a comment from a friend that stuck in my mind was that as modellers we improve over time where your next layout will be an improvement on your last. Having yet to build a layout of my own yet only group layouts, I’ve managed to accept some compromises and use the stash of Peco points that I’ve had since being a teenager and laid the narrow gauge in this. As the layout is modular, once this part is running and had the scenic treatment, I can then spend the time to make laying my own track an option in the future. But you’ve got to start somewhere. 

 

The narrow gauge plan is inspired by the Glyn Valley at Chirk, is all wired up and works. It’s on the verge of having too much track on it, but as I intend to have the track disappearing into the undergrowth as two rails in a field of grass, hopefully this won’t be the case. 

 

On the plus side, my knowledge of wiring a layout has gone from 0 to 100 and going forward I’m quite happy now with the wiring side of things. Was quite a sense of achievement when it all worked. 

 

There has been some testing / playing of trains, well quite a lot really. But the stock is back away and I’m back on with the build. 
 

 

Small, and far away…

 

 

More testing. 
 

 

Definitely playing trains now!

 

Once the cassettes arrive I can alter the standard gauge track to suit and ensure that the levels are all correct for docking the cassettes into. Then the track will be painted before backscene and fascia boards are to be fitted before making a start on the scenery. 

 

 

 

Whilst there has been quite a bit of frustration, I’m now quite pleased with the progress and enjoyed tackling the electrickery. In time, it should give me a layout I can operate along side building further modules. 

 

The final (yes definitely final!) plan.

 

Andrew

Edited October 6, 2021 by Andrew Young
Video added.

[sir douglas]

that perspecive is a real trickster, the 2 tracks look identical and i first thought that the Skylark was 16mm scale

[Andrew Young]

28 minutes ago, sir douglas said:

that perspecive is a real trickster, the 2 tracks look identical and i first thought that the Skylark was 16mm scale

It is rather! The chunky ng track helping to trick the mind. The Skylark is a surprisingly chunky engine plus the Hudswell is quite dainty. The Skylark is up on the slate wharf so is in actual fact about platform level compared to the Hudswell. 

[Northroader]

I do like the valvegear on that engine, the sort of thing you could watch going round all night.

[Andrew Young]

44 minutes ago, Northroader said:

I do like the valvegear on that engine, the sort of thing you could watch going round all night.

it’s quite mesmerizing! Was one of the attractions of the Fleischman Magic Train locos for me. 

[Nearholmer]

You’ve done a good job of Barclayfication on that loco; it certainly doesn’t leap-out at one as an unlikely import now.

[Andrew Young]

12 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

You’ve done a good job of Barclayfication on that loco; it certainly doesn’t leap-out at one as an unlikely import now.

Thank you, the inspiration behind the loco were Eigiau and Penlee. The story being it’s an O&K that arrived in the country on a civil engineering contract pre-Great War and once the contract was finished my railway picked up a bargain at the auction. It was done a long time before Narrow Planet started their etching services so maybe I ought to order some suitable worksplates for it. 
 

At the time, a good friend of mine had started bashing the Bachmann On30 locos and I fancied something a little more European. I removed and replaced with wire and castings a lot of the moulded on detail. The smokebox door and dart and the chimney are Wrightlines Skylark ones and it runs well despite removing the plunger pickups. 
 

My narrow gauge is staying DC unlike the standard gauge partly due to this loco and the Roco chassis under my Hunslet Mallet being most unsuitable for fitting DCC chips in light of their direct electrical connection between chassis and motor terminals. 
 

Andrew

Edited October 7, 2021 by Andrew Young

[Andrew Young]

Updates are like London buses!

 

It’s been my long weekend off work which we’ve spent in Tywyn. After the restrictions put on 2020, it’s been great to be able to spend plenty of time down there this year and to see the Talyllyn coming out the other side in such a strong position. This weekend saw my last steam engine therapy turns of the year.On Friday I drove No 7 with my daughter watching on from the saloon. 
 

 

 

On Saturday afternoon / evening I was rostered to drive a birthday party train for a group of volunteers celebrating their 30th birthdays. Being designated driver for a group who were being born the year I started volunteering on the railway is one way to feel old!!

 

 

No 4 on the ash pit at the end of the evening. Was a good evening where I was fed, given birthday cake and free beer for after!
 

One tradition of TR social dos is the recycling of soft drinks bottles by filling them with beer as a thank you to the crew for their efforts. My fireman doesn’t drink beer so I got his as well, saved me having to choose between Purple Moose’s Foundry Ale and Dark Side which were very pleasant when I got back to the flat. 
 

 

The weather was great for October too with some family fun round Dolgoch Falls and on the beach to complete the weekend. 
 

Back home, had news that my fiddle yard cassettes have been dispatched and should be here soon. In the meantime, I’ve progressed the Mannin Models coach. The a spray of main body colour having hardened, some transfers have been applied and sealed with a waft of Dulcote and is now hardening off in the airing cupboard before the rest of the colours are applied by brush. 
 

 

Andrew

[Andrew Young]

Been making very slow progress on the modelling lately, many thieves of time around my daughter’s birthday and the run up to Christmas. However, have now finished the Mannin Models Brake Third coach. I’m rather pleased with the outcome and great value too. 
 

 

Had best concentrate on the layout for a bit to give me somewhere to run it!

 

Andrew

[PMP99]

2 hours ago, Andrew Young said:

Been making very slow progress on the modelling lately, many thieves of time around my daughter’s birthday and the run up to Christmas. However, have now finished the Mannin Models Brake Third coach. I’m rather pleased with the outcome and great value too. 
 

 

Had best concentrate on the layout for a bit to give me somewhere to run it!

 

Andrew

Nice weathering Andrew. Transforms it! 
 

Graham

[Andrew Young]

Thank you Graham @PMP99 all done by dry brushing. I’ve developed a palette of colours I use in the hope that I can get consistency with my models so they sit well together. 
 

The only downside is that they’re Railmatch enamels so quite smelly. Which isn’t always popular with Liz working from home as we share the study!

 

Andrew

[Andrew Young]

A while back I was pondering couplings. 
 

Having tried Dinghams and found that they didn’t suit the vastly differing coupling hook heights on my stock thoughts turned elsewhere. One fellow Trent Valley Group member sent me some magnetic couplings that a friend of his was developing and whilst definitely an option, the cost of each unit when multiplied by the number of drawhooks I’ve got put me off.
 

One thing that attracted me to O gauge was the ability to use proper three link couplings when shunting wagons and was keen to stick with them if possible and personally, I’m not averse to the big hand in the sky.

 

The magnets gave me an idea. Apart from some of the rtr locos all the rolling stock I’ve built uses steel three link couplings and had heard of people using magnetic coupling poles and searching the forums gives the necessary information to make them. 
 

A pair of reasonably priced rechargeable pen torches were purchased off the web. I already had some 1mm diameter by 1mm long magnets (daft ideas for working hopper wagons requiring further thought…) and I had some brass tube which when split and opened out would fit over the torches. To this was added some 1mm diameter brass rod and some suitable brass tube which the magnets and brass rod would fit inside. 
 

Some basic metalwork bodging, a spot of soldering and the addition of some masking tape to stop the brass rod from moving about too much and I have a pair of magnetic shunting poles. One for myself and one for @NeilHB as a return favour after he scratchbuilt for me an exquisite open wagon. 
 

 

Andrew

[Andrew Young]

Just realised that it’s been 2 1/2 months since my last post! It’s been a busy time. Firstly we enjoyed a great Christmas, thankfully Covid didn’t scupper this one too and we had a week beside the sea in Tywyn with family and there was even time to get a day in on the Talyllyn locos. 
 

Since Christmas, has carried on being hectic. Since having our daughter, there has been little chance to partake in winter working parties on the railway. However, we timed a visit in February to coincide with one of the hedge laying gang’s visits and the Grandparents being at home ro

look after our daughter. I’d only been hedge laying once before but it’s interesting work, with some good mates and plenty of cake. Even if the weather reminded me why I’d gone over to servicing carriages in a dry shed in recent times…

 

 

 

Trying to make what’s there grow a bit better. Helps with conservation of the lineside and creates natural habitats along the way. 
 

A selection of the cakes to help keep out the weather!

 

 

#hedgegangselfie

 

Now there has been some modelling too. Aided by my little helper…

 

 

The regular zoom meetings of our local bunch of 7mm NGA Trent Valley mob have been a boon for getting back to the modelling bench when other priorities have taken over and kept you away from it. 
 

Starting at one of the zoom meetings and being finished at this evening’s (though the roof will get weathered in due course) I’ve finished off my Petite Properties low relief pub, the ‘Terminus Tavern’. 
 

I’ve attempted a typical rural Welsh rendered pub in a monochrome finish. Using sandpaper and styrene covering the walls. My first use of acrylic paints (need more practice, the weathering could be better), my first use of glass microscope slides for glazing (never going back from that one even if the small side panels on the bay windows severely tested my patience) and finished with the excellent York Modelmaking roof tiles (next time I’ll try to be neater). The gutters and down pipes are the new ModelU ones which are excellent products which have come on the market at just the right time for me. 

 

One down side of drinking beer and having a good laugh on these zoom meetings is shown in the lettering. I set up for ‘Tavern’ first, all near and central. Then poured a second bottle of beer before I did ‘Terminus’. The slightly off centre result will be a permanent reminder of how much I enjoy Titanic Brewery’s excellent Plum Porter….

 

 

However, I think it will look just the part to the rear of the layout. 
 

One of the distractions slowing progress has been the layout set up in the attic. Shuffling a few wagons about has been very enjoyable, even if it has slowed this build down.

 

Shall start my next project after the weekend (have family duties plus taking the 7mmNGA stand to the Gauge O Guild show in Kettering), will be sticking with buildings for now before turning my attention to the layout where they will end up. 
 

Andrew

Edited March 4, 2022 by Andrew Young

[Mike Bellamy]

8 hours ago, Andrew Young said:

I’ve finished off my Petite Properties low relief pub, the ‘Terminjs Tavern’. 
 

I enjoy Titanic Brewery’s excellent Plum Porter….

 

I see the Plum Porter has affected your spelling . . . . . . . . . . 

.

 

[Andrew Young]

14 minutes ago, Mike Bellamy said:

 

I see the Plum Porter has affected your spelling . . . . . . . . . . 

.

 

Thanks Mike!! Now corrected. D’oh!