queensquare

Good to see you last week Andy. Here are a few phone snaps taken at Missenden. Butley Mills is really starting to come back to life with a sympathetic restoration Jerry

Thanks Don, John Greenwood built the basic loco in exchange for some of the buildings on Padstow. Being impatient I brought it home earlier this year unfinished and completed the detailing myself - as usual John’s work is excellent. it’s plain black so May get painted sooner rather than later! Jerry

In between tutoring duties at Missenden last week I managed to get all the final details on the Fox Walker finished off - brakes, shape coupling rods, lamp irons, weight etc. This afternoon, whilst the rain poured down, I chipped and fitted my first stay alive. I have to say, I’m sold. I ran her around the colliery which hasn’t had the track cleaned and she never missed a beat, starting, stopping and crawling without any hint of hesitation even when being tested without the body on. I used a Zimo 616 and a Youchoos circuit with a pair of 447uf Tantalums. The resulting package is just visible in the cab but the addition of a crew should reduce that. I could have used a smaller chip and home brewed capacitor package which would have rendered it all but invisible but I had the bits to hand and I wanted something reasonably foolproof for my first installation. I can always revisit this at a later date. I shall try a home brewed one in the future with a more challenging chip in terms of solder pads but for now I’m really pleased. I shall have the Fox Walker at RailWells next weekend for what will definitely be the collieries last outing. Jerry

Mine is the Farish, 2mm/N model - at some point to recieve new 2FS wheels and replacement motion. Jerry

Youre mentioning of 73054 was enough to set me off on a more detailed search and I have found a picture of her in filthy lined green livery on Bath shed in Hugh Ballantynes's colour Album, The S&D remembered pt1, Book Law, - page 16. 73054 it is then! Jerry

That would be useful, thanks Jerry

I have managed to aquire a farish BR standard 5 and intend to convert it to 2FS and renumber it to one of the S&D allocated examples. It has the correct type BR1A tender but is in lined green. BR seems to have started repainting them green from black toward the end of 1956 but a quick look through my collection of colour albums suggests the S&D allocated examples remained black until quite late - though often they are so dirty its hard to tell! Ive found a picture of 73051 in very smart lined green as outshopped by Eastleigh in 1963 but I would like a green one running before the end of through traffic in 1962. Any suggestions? Jerry

I had a visit from some of the 2mm D&E group last weekend and amongst the highlights were Steve Nichols prototype HST using heavily reworked Dapol parts and the 8 car western pullman which is a modified and repainted Farish model. They looked superb running over the S&D. Jerry

I will Jim. You’ll be telling me next you’ve made it work! 😊 Jerry

After lots of thought I plumped for Windsor Hill, south end. Strictly speaking it’s the wrong end for me but I don’t have room for the north end with the quarries both sides so opted to accept the compromise. I do get a small signal box and a manageable quarry siding so I’m happy with that! Jerry

This afternoon I have been mostly doing some colouring in! Jerry

I’ll order some wheels for the Peak - I feel a bit of a diesel diversion coming on for our next 2mm Queens gathering! Jerry

It’s seems such a long time ago now …. Tickets £1.30 but what a lineup - there’s only one destination in the final taxi! Jerry

Sounds like fun, have you got a Deltic John! 😊 Jerry

No Peak action Simon though I suspect Steve may have one or two in his collection! I remember lots of namers at Bristol in the early 70s on cross-country trains and 46s used to occasionally work stone trains through Warminster. I have a green 45 with split gears I picked up cheap. Drop in Association wheels would sort that out. I got it for my early 1960s Pines. Jerry

We had a superb day yesterday when the 2mm diesel group visited with representatives of both https://www.ngaugenews.com/ and Accurascale. I had hoped that the latter would take advantage of the visit to announce a comprehensive range of Midland clerestory coaches but sadly, like all the other 2mm/N manufacturers, they chosen to ignore my suggestion! 😀 What we did get was a diesel takover with some scottish traction from Pete Matcham and just a small selection of Steve Nichols fantastic early 70s Western region stud. Below are a selection of photos courtesy of Tom E. As a teenage spotter in the 1970s I was in hydraulic heaven - marvelous! Whilst I didnt get any pre-group announcments I did get a firm booking for Steve to bring his wonderful Parkend layout to Larkrail next year where we will also have John Farmers P4 version. You heard it here first, put it in your diary, July 13. Jerry Just think what might have been had the S&D remained open as a through route between the north and the south coast. Looks like track lifting has already started at Bath - thankfully its the other way round. S&D passenger traffic in the hands of DMUs. ....and still plenty of freight traffic. Rowney 1971, Steves take on the BR exhibition train. Who remembers the Stiff tours of the late 70s, Reckless Eric, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury etc Jerry

We don’t mention the C word. 🎅 Progress slows this time of year because I get to go outside to play after tea - unless it’s raining - so I’m getting stuff done at the moment! Jerry

Thanks Don, these dull, repetative, but not particularly taxing tasks are perfect for evenings in front of the telly. Jerry

I take a very similar approach with Bath, trying to do something, no matter how small, most days. .... and just to dispel the myth. The Midland 800 2-4-0 piloting this express off the Midland at Bath Junction is from Jidenco etches - reduced to 2mm! Jerry

A sunny morning, an off cut of balsa, some double sided tape and a quick blast of black….. Jerry

Several pages back, in the first big lockdown, I embarked on a bit of a marathon wagon project building thirty odd 1887 RCH PO wagons from the Association kit plus finescaling and repainting into local collieries livery a further couple of dozen Mathieson 1903 RCH wagons. Aside from a handful that are still awaiting couplings they are all finished. However, up until now, they have been destined to run as empties so my current evening project, in front of the tv catching up on the days cricket highlights, is to make a batch of removable loads. empties heading South Nothing sophisticated, just a plasticard platform that is a loose, but not sloppy, fit in the wagon with a bit of tinplate evo- stuck down on top so the load can easily be removed with a magnet. The little tinplate rectangles were beaten with a small ball hammer to give a slight dome once the coal is glued on. Next job will be flashing a bit of rattle can black over them before gluing on some coal. jerry

Brilliant as usual Callum, many thanks for posting, Jerry

Adrian's pictures have now arrived. I've only had time for a quick flick through but here are a few I picked out - more over the coming days. Richard Phipp both full size and in miniature Callum, Gordon and Maggie, quit obviously enjoying themselves. Hopefully Callum's record of the show will be along at some point. Gorgeous Kim, scrummy cakes and the team busy making sandwiches - the heart of the show! There's no way all the chatting could be sustained without vital sustanence! Another man obviously enjoying himself, Richard Barton with his delightful S scale Arcadia, ... and finally, for now, my old mate Paul Stephens giving Hepton Wharf a thorough looking at Jerry

Well, what a fantastic day. Many thanks to everyone who was involved. It’s very much a team effort so thanks to the exhibitors, traders, kitchen team, and all those who both supplied and bought cake - such is their generosity that many who baked and supplied such wonderful home made treats then proceeded to buy them back - marvellous!! I’ve not done the final figures yet but suffice to say, the charity donation will exceed last years. I didn’t take many pictures, too busy gassing, but here are a couple; The fantastic kitchen team of Edna Greenwood, Paula Martin, Kim Clifford and Yvonne Simpson with a couple of bottles of well earned wind- down juice! Dave, who also gave sterling service, had already slipped away. Laurie Griffin and Adrian Colenutt who shared duties with moi on the door. Adrian also recorded the event on his trusty camera so more pictures will appear in the coming days. Finally, a quick snap of the show in full flow with lots of tea drinking, chatting and fantastic modelling. The hall is already booked for July 13 2024 so put it in your diary, Jerry

More characters making a return visit; The Favell's with their splendid radio control marvels, .....and Bob Brown who will be demostrating all sorts of 3mm loveliness. I believe Bob has been to every incarnation of Larkrail/Camrail. Jerry