NeilHB

Thanks. As I said in my previous post I couldn't find the latest copy of his catalogue that I had, nor have I ever heard of supplier.txt - as a 7mm scale modeller I'm not surprised as it appears to be primarily concerned with 4mm stuff.

Does anyone have an update on D&S Models, specifically if Dan is still trading? And if he is, does anyone have his contact details please? I've managed to acquire a bargain from eBay in the form of a built set of his 7mm scale kit for the W&U tramcars, but they are missing most of the castings. I'd like to try and acquire a set of the castings if possible, but I can't see him listed on the UK Model Shops Directory, and I don't have a copy of the catalogue from the last time I saw him at Guildex or Kettering. Ta muchly folks.

They were listed under Postcards on eBay Marc, thankfully a friend spotted them and sent me the link. Gives me an incentive to get on and finish off the 4-wheel one that I started building a few years ago, though I can't fit the three them plus loco in the FY! But it does mean that I can now make up three distinct passenger sets for Ffarquhar Road. Set 1 with my current scratchbuilt 4-wheel tramcars (All Third, First/Third Composite and Luggage Van) Set 2 with the Bogie and 1x4-wheel W&U tramcars, plus a van as tail traffic (or a milk van if space permits) Set 3 with 1x W&U 4-wheel tramcar, W&U luggage van and an ex-Furness Railway 4-wheel All Third: The FR All Third will get a second set of lower footboards and possibly some longer grabrails to modify it for use on the tramway.

Happy Birthday Tom. That last photo is superb.

Some new additions arrived today… A most excellent eBay bargain!

Various changes to the layout on and off over the last few days whilst I work out what looks right and what doesn’t. I’ve done away with the narrow gauge along the front as it didn’t look right in the end, and this has allowed some more room to be created at the rear of the layout by moving the trackwork forward. This has the added bonus in that I can now fit in an extra siding at the rear which will serve the goods shed for the tramway: It’ll have an open sided shelter over it, and a very low relief goods shed against the backscene. It just fits in a couple of wagons, which is all it needs to, and is accessed directly off the fiddle yard. The water tower has also moved locations, now being alongside the run round loop and opposite the platform: The exit to the fiddle yard will now be hidden by some sloping ground and a dry stone wall. The station is on the outskirts of Ffarquhar and is surrounded by moorland, so this gives me an excuse to have some scrubby moorland ground along the front edge. The water tower in its new location also acts nicely as a view blocker: I must admit I quite like this vantage point I also took the opportunity to length the front siding to hold five wagons comfortably, and to make some space for it to serve a farmers cooperative provender store (a good excuse for some corrugated iron!) as well as the coal merchants: I’m trying to avoid having too much trackwork parallel to the board edge, so the front siding now has a nice curve along its length. It must be post-1915 as ETCo No.7 is seen on passenger tram duties, and an LNWR brake van has somehow made it across to the Island!

At last some progress to report on! All three boards are now built, and I’ve set up the two scenic boards so that I can sort out how I want the layout to look now that I’ve got a bit more room to play with. With the new boards being wider than the old ones, there’s room for a slate wharf at the front of the layout, served by part of the front siding which will enable me to have a bit of narrow gauge for added fun. The siding will be longer than this when the track is laid properly, so that there is a room for 3-4 wagons in there without it looking too cramped. As well as the slate wharf, it will also serve coal staithes etc. The loading bank will remain at the end of the headshunt as I think it works nicely there. I’m tempted to add a low relief building at this end of the layout which will serve as a farmers cooperative society, enabling some added traffic variety on the layout. I’ll see how things pan out though once the track is down.

I do love those Foden locomotives Annie - they are really quite delightful and funky!

Finally some progress to report on. I took the decision to order some new baseboards for the layout, as the previous folding board that I had been using needed major work doing to it, and was just a bit too small all round. I therefore ordered myself a set of three 900x400mm laser cut ply baseboards from Grainge and Hodder (previous customer when Tim and I were building Duddon Bridge), and these duly arrived a week or so ago: Last night I cracked on and assembled the first two boards, all very easy to do with wood glue and plenty of masking tape to hold it all in place whilst the glue set: I think that the second board has sufficient weight on it? Hopefully I can get the third board built tonight and then I can sort out the supporting structure for the boards! Oh and a new addition arrived for the tramway company fleet: She’ll be getting a few alterations here and there when I build her (tramway skirts and sprung buffers for a start), and I just need to decide on a suitable name too.

Wibble, these look delightful! Almost make me wish that I still modelled in 4mm scale! Please, please, please can we have some in 7mm scale at some point?

For Custom Transfers if you haven’t sorted things out already, I can very much recommend talking to Corbs at Railway Mania. He produced my custom ETCo transfers for my goods stock. Very good quality and for a darn good price too.

Just announced on Facebook this morning, 7mm scale RTR models of the Lynton & Barnstaple Manning Wardles and suitable coaching stock to go with them: First UK outline ready to run in 7mm narrow gauge, this is all rather exciting! They will be 0-16.5, but noted in the announcement that they are fully convertible to 0-14 for those modelling the correct gauge for the L&B. Now to start saving for an L&B liveried set…

King Edward Street and Bunny Mine.

Just a little bump to add in some newly confirmed layouts for the open day. As before, if you are local to Derby and would like to come along please do get in touch.

Thanks. According to the Stoneybridge Structures website they are based on North Eastern Railway examples.

Made a start over the last couple of evenings on the water tower for Ffarquhar Road. The tank panels are from Stoneybridge Structures, and are laser cut from Rowmark/Acrylic. They just needed glueing to a 40thou plasticard box: Basic shell for the base completed tonight: Next step is to clad it in some suitable stonework. I also acquired a pair of bufferstops from the same company, which are rather nicely laser cut from MDF and Rowmark/Acrylic: Very easy to assemble in only a matter of minutes. I also managed to sort out the door into the station building so it’s of a much more accommodating height now: This also needs to be clad now in some suitable stonework.

Hi Annie, of course you can, I shall look forward to seeing it in action on your digital creation. Not long returned home after a long weekend in slightly wet mid-Wales. A much needed few days away with the husband, spending a very enjoyable Saturday at the Talyllyn Railway for Edward Thomas’ 100th Birthday Gala. Jolly good fun with Corris No.7, Stanhope and Diana visiting for the weekend: Four loco lineup at Wharf on Saturday morning. KS Sirdar “Diana”, KS Tattoo “Stanhope”, Winson Engineering Corris No.7, KS Tattoo Special “Edward Thomas”. ET and No.7 double-headed the first and third trains of the day. On the return at Abergynolwyn. “Diana” and “Stanhope” doing footplate rides on the temporary 2’ gauge track at Wharf. Falcon “Sir Haydn” in the afternoon sun at Wharf. It was oh so quiet at Abergynolwyn this morning when we called in on our way home… …the quiet didn’t last long though as “Edward Thomas” arrived with the first train of the day. All in all a very lovely weekend!

Thanks Corbs Last night I started work on the station building for Ffarquhar Road. Just the basic shell has been built so far, but I’m pleased with how it’s coming along considering the last time I scratchbuilt a building was a very long time ago! The main building will house the stationmasters office and a small waiting room for passengers. There is also a small lean to extension that acts as a goods lock up as there is no goods shed at the station. Stationmaster Porter has arrived to check over the construction work. There may need to be some adjustment to the main doorway as he won’t fit through it in his top hat…

A few months ago I ordered a new set of nameplates for the Wellsworth & Suddery locos. These arrived the other day and have now been painted and fixed to the first three locos: MW K class “Thorkell” ex LBSCR A1 “Edric” Hudswell Clarke Countess of Warwick “Ogmund”. And a little group shot of the three of them together:

Many thanks to Chris at Minerva for an excellent job - “Thorkell” has now been sound fitted. I feel like a kid in a sweet shop!

The traditional meeting place for our local group has been the Brunswick Pub in Derby. Obviously owing to covid that's not been possible so we've been having a zoom pub meeting instead where beer and other beverages can be consumed whilst we talk. It's been quite nice actually as we can see some of our more far flung members from York and Wales on a regular basis rather than the usual once or twice a year at shows.

Wellsworth and Suddery Railway Hudswell Clarke “Ogmund” arrives at Ffarquhar Road with an early evening passenger tram: Before returning to the junction it collects an empty wagon from the siding: Managed to get one side lined out this evening during our pub zoom call, and the other side and rear of the bunker will be done another evening.

The Trent Valley Area Group have taken the decision to reschedule January 2022 open day due to the current COVID-19 situation. It will now take place on Saturday 9th April 2022. We will be back at our usual venue: Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Hall 36 Uttoxeter New Road Mickleover Derby DE3 9GE The open day runs from 10am to 4pm, and entry costs £4 which covers the cost of the hall. Layouts: Ffarquhar Road – 7mm standard gauge (Neil Blair) Port Wynnstay Quay - O-16.5 (Phil Traxson) King Edward Street - O-14 (Simon Jones) Bunny Mine - O-14 (David Rae) Severn Mills - O-16.5 (West Midlands Area Group) Llanymynech - 0.16.5 (Arline Wilson) Willoughby's Garden - O-16.5 (Bob Cope) Trade: 7mm Narrow Gauge Association Modelling Goods EDM Models Port Wynnstay Models 422 Modelmaking Societies: The 7mm Scale Society Tea, coffee, bacon cobs and cake will all be available, and there is also The Nags Head pub across the road along with Tesco. If you’d like to come along and bring a layout, demonstration, whatever you like do please get in touch. Most importantly we look forward to seeing you in January April!

The Trent Valley Area Group is pleased to announce our January 2022 open day (COVID-19 restrictions permitting), which will take place on Saturday 29th January 2022. We will be back at our usual venue: Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Hall 36 Uttoxeter New Road Mickleover Derby DE3 9GE The open day runs from 10am to 4pm, and entry costs £4 which covers the cost of the hall. Layouts (confirmed so far as of 31/08/21): Hensbarrow - 0-16.5 (Chris Russell) Ffarquhar Road - 7mm standard gauge (Neil Blair) Phil Traxson will be bringing one of his layouts Trade: Association Modelling Goods EDM Models Port Wynnstay Models Tea, coffee, bacon cobs and cake will all be available, and there is also The Nags Head pub across the road along with Tesco. If you’d like to come along and bring a layout, demonstration, whatever you like do please get in touch. Most importantly we look forward to seeing you in January!

The basic track work has now been cut and laid in place to check clearances etc. This should give you a nice overall view of the layout and trackplan - nice and simple but plenty of fun. Shades of the WC&P at Ffarquhar Road as W&SR “Thorkell” arrives with one of the W&S bogie Tramcar coaches: Later in the day we see ETCo No.5 “St Machan” in the loop in the process of running round it’s good train: