Andrew Young

I would disagree with you considering my experience of O gauge shows. Regarding price, the expected RRP for the sound fitted Rapido J70 was £75 more than the current RRP for a sound fitted Terrier, a price I didn’t consider unreasonable considering the current rate of inflation. And small change compared to Lee Marsh or Masterpiece models. As has been said elsewhere, different companies have different levels of financial risk they’re willing to accept for projects. Plus, smaller companies tend to have smaller pots of capital and this one sadly didn’t compete with whichever other projects Rapido currently have for consideration. Andrew

Don’t know which disappoints me more, the fact that this isn’t going ahead, or that having registered my expression of interest on their website (which would’ve been converted into an order) that Rapido didn’t bother sending me a message telling me this wasn’t going ahead and I’ve heard the news third hand. I also log into RMWeb for the first time in a while (having built up my tolerance for the advertising bombardment) to be greeted by a Rapido advert saying that expressions of interest are still being taken. Whilst I didn’t need a J70, I was going to get one as a nice addition to my fleet of small Ixion / Minerva / Dapol locos. But never mind, if Rapido don’t want my money, I’m sure that Dapol will appreciate it. Andrew

Picked up a copy of MRJ 294 in Tywyn newsagents this weekend. A good read and I second the comments about hoping for an article on Brush Junction. I too found the photo reproduction standards to be less than brilliant. The double page spread of the County running on Pendon being particularly poor. Almost like a bad smartphone app converting a photo to a painting rather than good quality photography. Shame for those who’s models they are. Andrew

Thank you, glad you like it. Made it when my mates were busy Bachmann On30 bashing as something different. Shall take some more photos and write up about what I did to it in a blog post when I get chance if you’d like?

Just about recovered from Saturday’s exertions. Thank you to everyone who came and made the day such a success. A few words and photos have been posted on my blog to give a flavour of the event. https://melynvalleyrailway.blogspot.com/2023/01/making-exhibition-of-ourselves.html?m=1

Just about recovered from Saturday’s exertions. Thank you to everyone who came and made the day such a success. A few words and photos have been posted on my blog to give a flavour of the event. https://melynvalleyrailway.blogspot.com/2023/01/making-exhibition-of-ourselves.html?m=1

Should you need any more encouragement to join us at Mickleover tomorrow. My star baker wife Liz has produced Victoria Sponge, Coffee & Walnut and Lemon Drizzle tray bake cakes for us to enjoy. If you don’t come, then Annabel and I will be forced to eat them instead so please come and save us from ourselves. 🎂 🍰 🧁 🚂

Looking forward to Saturday. Think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be!! Andrew

Think I’m as ready as I’ll ever be for Saturday. Looking forward to it. Hopefully see a few people from this forum there. Do say hello if you come along, providing I’ve not got a mouthful of cake of course!! https://melynvalleyrailway.blogspot.com/2023/01/time-is-ticking-out.html?m=1 Andrew

Progress continues to be made with Wheal Ponder with Mickleover just over a fortnight away. The layout is looking far more presentable, and starting to almost look like a layout! https://melynvalleyrailway.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-layout-that-came-in-from-cold.html?m=1#more

Glad to be of service 😁 I like the view of the loco under the overall roof. Andrew

Reckon that’s their profit for the job gone with the delays and cancellations from today!

Did they get the station reopened then? Heard they lost all track circuits between New St and Proof House just after lunchtime due to a cut cable. Did the contractors start early? Some of my colleagues are heading back to their New St base in taxis. One of my colleagues got to Proof House then took his tin rockets back to Coventry and stabled them there!! Bit of an ignominious and shambolic end.

Making some more progress with the layout. Plenty of working with plywood, mdf, wiggly tin and foam board, things are starting to come together. A couple of blog posts over recent weeks show the progress. https://melynvalleyrailway.blogspot.com/?m=1

This is just stunning. As DLT says, without knowing, it’s difficult to tell from the modelling what scale this is and could easily be forgiven for O gauge. Cracking stuff.

With time marching on towards Mickleover, there’s no piece for the wicked. It helps having my modelling mojo in full working order. https://melynvalleyrailway.blogspot.com/2022/12/waiting-room.html?m=1 Andrew

With less than two months now til Mockleover, work continues…. At least I will have a working layout for the day, but still plenty to do make it look half presentable for the day. https://melynvalleyrailway.blogspot.com/2022/11/trials-tribulations.html?m=1

That moment when it works! Making steady progress with the layout. Reckon I’ll have something to take to Mickleover now…. More waffle can be found on the blog https://melynvalleyrailway.blogspot.com/2022/11/little-and-often.html?m=1 Andrew

Same here, all being well will be over today. Has any other club been as unlucky over venues as Notts MRS? Andrew

If yet to see a scruffy Azuma either. Wonder whether that’s because they’re mostly electric propelled (so no oil being spat out by engines that have been thrashed for 20 years) or whether they have better and more advanced cleaning plants? Agree that EMR are the worst presented trains. Some of the 156s on the Crewe line are vile inside!

The choice of white for a livery for any diesel powered train shows up everything that is wrong in the rail industry. Decisions that look good on paper made by paper utterly ignorant or removed from the industry they’re making decisions for! Notice there’s snow on the ground in your photo. If the temperature is going to be below 4 deg C (I think) the mechanised wash plants such as those at Etches Park and Central Rivers are always turned off as a frost precaution. Get a prolonged cold spell and neither the Meridian or Voyager fleet gets washed until it warms up. But like a car, the silver ones show it up less than the white ones. Andrew

Yes, maybe a flower bed with the station name written in whitewashed stones….?

That’s a quick growing lawn!! Liking the more overgrown nature of the layout. if you’re going for summer, you could have some flowers, dandelions or daisies perhaps?

Work on my ‘grand plan’ layout Abermelyn is paused currently. See: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/81878-melyn-valley-railway/page/18/ To give myself some experience of the scenic aspects of layout building in a smaller space to experiment in, have decided to build a small cameo narrow gauge layout. It would also have the benefit of giving me something to take along to our Mickleover Modelling Days as Abermelyn is too bulky for that. Initial progress can be found here: https://melynvalleyrailway.blogspot.com/2022/10/wheal-ponder-cornish-cameo.html?m=1 Andrew

Work on Abermelyn is paused currently. To give myself some experience of the scenic aspects of layout building in a smaller space to experiment in, have decided to build a small cameo narrow gauge layout. It would also have the benefit of giving me something to take along to our Mickleover Modelling Days as Abermelyn is too bulky for that. Initial progress can be found here: https://melynvalleyrailway.blogspot.com/2022/10/wheal-ponder-cornish-cameo.html?m=1 Andrew