queensquare

Trerice lives! A few dry joints, a new section switch, new controller socket, plus, most importantly, new bog chain to support the fiddle yard (no you’ve not misread that!), and we’re in business. Locos run over the entire layout, through the big dipper across the front and out onto the cassettes. Hoorah!! As well as Trerice, we will also have a small display of some of the stock from Iain Rice’s seminal Tregarrick and the North Cornwall Minerals, the East Suffolk Light and other Rice ephemera. Jerry

A few days on the Gower to celebrate our birthdays, (mine and Kims, not the dogs!), saw lots of walks, plenty of wine and some plasticard whittling in the evenings. Came home refreshed and with the basic carcass of the underbridge for the Windsor hill extension completed. The etched girders I already had in stock, picked up pre-loved, ready made but damaged at a 2mm event. The origins are unknown but they’re rather nice and easily repaired However, having set them up I felt they were far too wide for a country lane so I got out the slitting disc and did a cut and shut which looked much better. This evening, whilst listening to Scotland being battered by the Irish in the rugby, I added the remaining plasticard bits and trial fitted it on the layout. Next up painting - but not tomorrow as it’s my birthday!! Jerry

I’m away ( on the Gower) at the moment so haven’t got access to my photos but the 3500 tender fitted to the Armstrongs was very different in appearance to the Johnson 3250, other than having the Johnson like flare on the sides. It had no beading, very prominent rivets and a completely different arrangement of handrails at the front. I’ve attached a picture but will add a couple more for comparison when I’m home later in the week. Jerry

Unfortunately Rob it’s not quite that simple as the Bachmann model also has the wrong tender. The Armstrongs, along with a large proportion of the Midland 4Fs had the Johnson style, Deeley 3500 riveted tender. My knowledge of what’s available in 4mm isn’t good enough to suggest where you could get one of these Jerry

Great stuff John, look forward to seeing progress next time we meet up. We’ve had all sorts in Bath but never a Deltic….. yet! Jerry

Too modern for me but honoured to have them photographed on Tucking Mill. These really are stunning models. Jerry

The Armstrongs haven’t got a Fowler tender, it’s the Johnson style 3500 riveted tender. I’m not sure anyone does one of those RTR in 4mm Jerry

The Armstrongs, 4Fs, were unlined black, never blue. Bachmanns blue 4F is pure fiction - it also has the wrong tender. Jerry

John Greenwood built it and it’s on loan to the WSLR. It’s scratchbuilt with a 7mm coreless motor and 36:1 gear reduction. I’ve done a few minor mods to it which have allowed me to get a Zimo chip and stay alive in the bunker which have transformed running from very good to exceptional. I will take a couple of pictures with the lid off when I get a minute. Jerry

The S4 natives are very friendly really, one or two have already confessed to being closet members of the Association! 😏 Jerry

All set up at Scaleforum in High Wycombe for a weekends missionary work!! Jerry

Ingenious, many thanks for posting. Jerry

I will be there with Tucking Mill and William Smith's Wharf doing 2mm missionary work. Looking forward to a good weekend, Jerry

Handful of 2mm modelling friends around yesterday and, amongst other things, talk turned to the best way to convert the new EFE Austerity. Between us we managed to muster half a dozenAusterities. The front three are the work of John ‘Doncaster Green’ - untouched Farish, heavily breathed on Farish with an Association chassis and EFE out of the box (though we did whip the couplings off!) The next three are mine - the EFE EP and production blue NCB models ( these will become Ted and Archie for my grandsons), and finally Highbury, P&D Marsh tanks and cab, scratch footplate and chassis etc John’s reworking of the rather lumpy Farish original looks really good, even when compared to the rather nice new EFE model. No firm conclusion was reached on the best way to finescale the new EFE model though favourite is looking like turning down the wheels and fitting new tyres. Jerry

Very little to report on the layout as I’ve been busy knocking down walls, plastering, decorating , hanging new doors etc ….. it just goes on! Anyway, now finished, new floorings and carpet going down and trying to decide what to spend my huge stash of smarty points on before I blow the lot on one ill judged comment!! I’ve got a gathering of friends here tomorrow followed by 2mm missionary work at Scaleforum in High Wycombe next weekend then, with temperatures back down to sensible levels I shall be back in the workshop for the autumn season. On the livestock front, this morning we picked up three new girls for me to talk to through the workshop window - point of lay, nineteen weeks old so should start giving me lovely fresh eggs in the next couple of weeks. Will post some train pictures soon!😊😊 Jerry Ps. The sheds long term residents don’t look overly excited by the new arrivals!!

I’ve received lots of positive feedback about Bob’s articles in MRJ and I’ve asked if he would do a follow up to the diesels article on the 309 emu Jerry

Absolutely agree with everything Will said. This weekends Swindon show was the first time I’ve seen it complete and it is nothing short of stunning. What was even more amazing was that it continued to work really well despite the incredible heat in the big hall - mind you, the operators were wilting a bit! 😊 Jerry

I’m exhibiting at Swindon Steam this weekend so, if the WiFi in the hotel is up to it, I may join later on - mind, I’m likely to have had a couple of pints and a curry by then ……. Jerry

I think it looks very good. MRJ dont do traditional reviews but we are happy to give RTR a going over - see the Accurascale Siphon in the latest issue. I wouldnt mind having one to give a 2FS make over - it would certainly invalidate the warranty so we wouldnt be able to give it back! 🙂 Tom E said it has bearings and split axle so 2mm Association wheels could be fitted and the Association do the correct pattern. Jerry

If I drive the trains fast enough they might just make it…….. 😊 Jerry

Having completed the third and final tunnel mouth required on the layout I was up with the lark this morning to flash a quick coat of primer over them before breakfast. I think with careful painting they should look the part. Jerry

I’m on a roll, this evening I made the short , ‘new’, Winsor Hill tunnel entrance - nice quick job as there are no wing walls thanks to the rock cutting sides. When the line was doubled in the 1890s the engineers found that if they slewed the line slightly to the south they could make the ‘new’ tunnel 110 yards shorter than the old - a significant saving for the cash strapped company. Jerry

Nice, one of those double arch bridges around Cannards Grave was considered as an option but in the end I wanted a tunnel - I like tunnels! Jerry

The S&D had a fine selection of very modelable tunnels. My friend Paul Stephens has included a number of them on his N gauge layout. I built the track, bridges, tunnels and buildings but the scenics are all Paul’s work. Paul has really nailed the north end of Devonshire tunnel and the final drop down the bank into Bath. Mine will be much more compressed but then he isn’t building the rest of Bath! His Chilcompton tunnel is also excellent. If it wasn’t for the fact I’d already built it I would probably have opted for this scene for the new extension - it just screams S&D. Winsor Hill tunnel, north end. If I’d had another few feet of space I’d love to have done this, in the 1920s when the quarries either side of the line were both working unlike Paul's 50/60s period with overgrown sidings and derelict signal box. As seen a page or two back I’ve opted for Winsor Hill south end - wrong end for me really but I do get a quarry siding, small signal box and I can do it with minimal compression. Here are the tunnel mouths on a site visit at least four years ago - mother and daughter Jelly and Jazz in attendance. Jerry edited to add that the excellent model photos are the work of Andy York

A couple of evenings plasticard whittling and I have the north entrance to Devonshire tunnel. I found a really useful picture of the tunnel mouth on the web taken from the centre line of the track, inside, looking out which was perfect for getting the subtle curve right. I printed out a copy to scale (guesstimated!) and used it to make a card template. I used an old Farish coach which now sees service on the grandsons layout to test clearances. It looks suitably snug so I’m happy I’m not far out. I have several more bridges and tunnel mouths to make and they make an ideal subject for my little front room bench. Jerry