SRfanJV

Set up for the show has gone well tonight. We are very much looking forward to seeing you all over the weekend.

We are sorry to announce that Great Bardfield has had to be withdrawn from the show due to poor health of the owner. This has been replaced by Woodlands in 00, by Steve Fackrell.

The next locomotive to get an upgrade is an old Graham Farish original Bulleid Light pacific. I renumbered this loco to 257 Squadron a while back as it was a Wadebridge regular and the loco that I had the privilege of my first driving turn on after passing out at Swanage last year. I wanted to upgrade one of these models to see how much I could get out of them, especially with the new Dapol models supposedly being a year or so away. The biggest issue I have with these models apart from the overall lack of detail is the bogie. the wheels are too small and it plainly just looks wrong. I looked at putting in one of the new Farish Merchant Navy bogies, which will fit, but I needed to make up a new pivot arm as the one supplied is too small to fit the older model. I therefore decided to try the N brass replacement bogie, which needed making up, but it had to pivot arms supplied and was a detailed example. Upon arrival, it was made up fairly quickly. the most challenging part was the addition of the bulleid firth etch design on to the wheels as you needed to be absolutely sure that they were central otherwise it would look like the wheel doesn't run true. After bending up the pivot arm and painting the bogie, this was then end result. I also painted the main driving wheel rims as per the T9, this makes such a difference to the overall look of the locomotive as it blends the wheels in and makes it look more of a model than a toy. Next, I decided to add the Stones generator which is seen on all light pacifics under the driver's side cab door. This provides the power to the front and tender lights as well as all of the lighting in the cab which can be seen below: This was a tricky fit as it initially fouled the bogie. I had to file of the bottom of the generator and push it up into the cab floor using the hole I had drilled as much as possible. you can see it in the photo below before painting. Finally, I have painted the top of the slide bar red which in reality holds and oil pot as well. The coarse nature of the model made it look worse, but adding the red paint has improved this area as well. The rear bufferbeam also received the same treatment. The next set of work will be to replace the coal with the real thing, add a fall plate, vacuum pipes and potentially add some of the pipework using the Farish Merchant Navy examples which I have ordered from Bachmann spares. If I can find some appropriate loco foot steps, then these will be added. SR route discs are also on order from Modelu. A photo of the two locos in their current condition. More to do on both, especially the T9, but progress is being made.

Another month has gone past. Where does the time go..... Anyway, this last couple of week's focus has mostly been the locos that will run on Wadebridge. My Union Mills T9 has been the first to get 'the treatment'. Looking at my 4mm model of 30313, I felt I could extract more potential out of the model. Union mills Models were a small company up in the Isle of Man the owner of which has sadly now retired and closed the business. Each model had great haulage capacity, but lacked the fine detail of modern releases. I set to by filing off the old moulded handrails. Once smoothed, I then drilled holes for the N brass handrail knobs and bent a 0.25mm piece of wire to the correct shape for the handrail. Next, I added the cab roof supports which are also not supplied. I filed off a little bit of the cab side and then cut the wire to the correct shape which was 0.3mm if I recall. These were then glued in. The loco also needed lamp irons and vacuum pipes, so again, I used N brass vac pipes on the tender and a Dapol M7 example on the front. LSWR lamp irons were also from N brass, these were cut down a little to make a more scale representative height. On the tender, I have added a proper handbrake stand and filed off the original moulded one. The coal door has also been drilled out. A shovelling plate will be added shortly. I have made a fall plate out of thin brass chequer plate to make the gap between loco and tender less noticeable. The vacuum and steam pipes that run along the running plate have also been added and finally, I have made a start on the brake rigging using blocks from a Worsley Works T9 kit. The job which has made the biggest difference so far is the blackening of the wheel rims. It makes the loco look so much more pleasant to look at. The next jobs are to drill out the coal and replace with real coal. I will also add clack valves and separately fitted delivery pipes. New safety valves and a whistle will be installed as well. The model will then be painted and I will attempt to line it if I can and it looks right. Next loco post coming right up.

We are sorry to announce that due to ill health, Dave Mant will be unable to run his audio/visual display this year. The society are currently working on a replacement for this exhibit and we wish Dave all the best with his health.

Hello Everyone, As noted above, Bournemouth West is now under new ownership. The layout has been acquired by a member of the Salisbury & South Wilts Railway Society. Although remaining privately owned, Bournemouth West will be exhibited by the society. A period of maintenance and familiarisation is now taking place which will take many months. We are also taking the time to ensure that we have all of the appropriate stock for the layout, including the correct numbering and weathering to carry on the high quality traditions of the previous owners. I would like to take this time to thank Roger Sutherland and his team for the handover that they gave us. All of the TSCMRDG were very helpful and a great group of guys to gain knowledge from. We look forward to seeing how their new venture of Bournemouth Central progresses. For now, Bournemouth West has been added to the society website, all updates will be put on there and on RM web when we can. http://sandswrs.co.uk/layouts/bournemouth-west-00-finescale/

Our website issues have now been resolved. All of the information on our 2023 page is now updated and accurate as of today. http://sandswrs.co.uk/exhibitions/salisbury-south-wilts-railway-society-exhibition-2023/

Sweating the small stuff. Over the past couple of days, I have made progress with building up some of the smaller items that add the finer detail to a layout. I always like to get a lot of this done part way through a layout build, otherwise it tends to get forgotten about. First up, I have folded up 2 Eckon greenhouses for use in a couple of the gardens along the large row of terraced houses. One, I have glazed with glue and glaze, the other using thin clear plasticard. I must say that I prefer the traditional use of thin plasticard as I think it gives a better finish. The second construction was a Shire Scenes cast iron victorian gents lavatory. This was a nice kit to build, the only tricky part was some of the valance on the top. I then made up what I beleive is a Severn models set of steps. It was tricky to get the steps to line up perfectly but otherwise it is a lovely kit. These will be placed just beyond the turntable where the old 12 wheel LNWR coach used to be that was used for training purposes. Next, I made up some Shire scenes LSWR platform barrows and trolleys. These are fairly simple to construct if you have a hold and fold jig. Finally, I made a a couple of LSWR platform benches. These were a real pain to make up as the slats did not want to slot into the legs. In the end I separated each slat at the ends to enable them to fit. Next time, I am going to try a different technique by separating the decorative loop from the legs first. All in all, a successful few days and more progress should be achieved at the club tonight.

The new baseboard tops for Ashlands are starting to take shape. One has been cut to the I have also been playing around with the track formation slightly. Hopefully over the next 2-3 weeks the boards will be fully built up, track laid and legs sorted. Then I'll make a start on the wiring and installation of the point motors. I'm also looking at using route setting for the fiddle yard. The curves are no tighter than 4th radius as I want smooth running, plus it allows me to keep more detail on the front of loco's if the bogie/pony doesn't swing out too much.

A very successful evening at the club last night with a number of members working on the Cornish Lines project. Keith has installed another MTB motor. This is an extra one in comparison to what we had planned to fit before its first show, but the old Peco solenoid was damaged. Therefore, it made sense to change it over. This one controls the points into the yard sidings behind the station. Neil continued re-wiring the frogs/changeover wires on all the points on board 5. The new motors were wired in but we didn't manage the reconnect the polarity changeover wires at the time. I finally managed to install the backscene on board 3. This needed blocks putting in underneath the trackbed which were made up from sections of 6.5mm birch ply. I then then drilled out the wood and glued in the threaded dowels so that the backscene could be screwed in. Finally, forward planning is very important. Once Wadebridge is exhibitable from next year, we will be moving straight on to the 'new Padstow'. Two boards have been built for a number of years as they were originally going to be used to construct Bodmin North. Sadly, that is a project that is many years away so I have donated the boards for Padstow. 2 more boards were in flatpack form ready for construction so I asked David and Jeff to put them together last night using our trusted jig. Countless boards have been made from that over the years. Another two boards of this size are still to be made and then 2 squares boards will see the subframes for the layout completed. An overall view to finish. More shortly.

Hi Andy, Yes, sadly we are having problems with our website at the moment where on word Press we can update it, but it won't go live onto our domain. We have a web designer looking into for us at the moment. Therefore, I hope all will be resolved soon. I can confirm that the venue and all associated details are the same this year as last.

Due to unfortunate circumstances the N gauge layout, Pendleton that was due to be exhibited at our show has had to be withdrawn. A replacement will be announced shortly.

Rolling stock progress time around. 3 years ago, at the start of the first Covid lockdown, I took to making up a number of 2mm association chassis'. One of these was a shark brakevan. I had plans to use the N gauge society body for this and I wanted one because I have seen a photo of a shark at Wadebridge. Having built the chassis so long ago, in the time since, EFE have released their N gauge shark. This is a lovely model, but as I had this chassis built, I didn't want to waste it. For a birthday present I asked for a second shark so that I could convert it for use on the built up chassis. The time finally came so I set to transferring the body across. There were a few tweaks needed. I was going to build my own buffer beams, but I ended up cutting the RTR ones off of the EFE one which worked well. There is a slight differnce in the chassis lengths, say half a millimetre, but I have managed to hide that fairly well. I also managed to use the ploughs off of the EFE one which was a relief as it would have taken ages to bend up news ones out of brass. Finally, B&B couplings were added, the vac pipes and a touch up of the paintwork. Im pleased with the way it has come out and will not form part of a ballast or engineers rake. Just the vac cylinder and some weathering to complete it now. A comparison of the RTR EFE model on the left and the modified one with a 2mm chassis on the right.

I am sorry to announce that my layout, Ashlands will no longer be appearing at this years show. Work has got in the way and I do not have time to make it exhibitable up to the standard that I would expect. Hopefully it can be shown at our 2025 show. Another layout in its place will be announced shortly.

Just a quick update. Richard has been putting in a sterling effort on the new signals for Wadebridge which will be operated by servos. This one is the down starter for the bay platform. He has now put the safety hoop in. The lamp bracket, signal arm, mounting points for the arm and the base plate have all been made up. Most of the post will be under the platform and baseboard as it is quite a short signal.

The start of the modifications to turn Ashlands into a tailchaser layout have begun. The reason behind this is that with DCC sound used in every loco, I did not have enough distance to get the loco's up to speed before arriving on scene. It just sounded and looked wrong. Therefore, the next best option was to make it a tailchaser which provides other obvious advantages as well. I have managed to keep it all to 6 feet wide with ample room in the middle so Im quite pleased with how things are moving along. The boards tops are being ordered tomorrow so hopefully construction can start next week. In other news, I have finally refitted sound to 34061 73 Squadron using the Locoman Sounds original Merchant Navy file. It has a Rail Exclusive boom box in the tender and a Lais dcc stay alive. I have added You choos connectors between the loco and tender to ease maintenance. It also means that I can swap the tenders if I wish to which was common practice in BR days. finally, I managed to pick up 4 dogfish wagons at Ally Pally last weekend, with Meldon quarry close by, this was an absolute must for the layout. In due course I will change the 'return to Tintern' to 'Return to Meldon' for which I already have the transfers in stock.

A quick update: The up end bridge which acts as the scenic break is now complete bar the pilasters which I will be going down to Wadebridge to photograph and properly measure next month amongst other things. The curved wood panels were tricky to shape correctly as were the girder supports of which they are 3 on each side. These needed slowly filling to create the right shape. The other progress has seen Keith complete the installation of the two point motors at the down end station throat. These have been sunk into the board using a piece of birch ply to create a bracket for the motors. Cranks and tube have then been used to put the rodding run back in with a sprung loaded adjuster in each. As the photo below shows, the building then sits nice on top to hide any evidence that they are there. There are two more motors on the town end board that have also been fitted which completes the fitting of the new MTB motors on the down end of the layout. The up end will stay as solenoid motors for now as I do not have type to change them all over before it's first show in 2024. After all, they do work.

A lot of work has taken place over the past month. More point motors have been installed. This now means that the entire down end of the layout will have the MTB point motors installed. Since this photo, the point motors have been slotted into the baseboard vertically. The building behind sits on top of the motors to disguise them. Some of the presentation boards for the front of the layout have been renewed and trial fitted. The cover for the point motors at the front of the layout is part way through construction. The servo operated level crossing gates have been tested for the first time in many years. All was well bar a minor adjustment. Gordon has been busy installing the fixings for the lights on the lighting pelmets. Meanwhile, I have been working on the up end bridge. New wing walls have been installed. I have also made a new bridge deck that is much more accurate than the original. The backscene first part of the presentation board at the up end has also been primed.

Hello to you all. The Sarum Finescale group based near Salisbury is currently taking on a new project to build a 00 finescale model of Parkstone (Dorset). The layout will be of a tail chaser design encompassing the two mainlines, the down yard and the pottery branch. We are aiming to base this model in the early 1950's when there was still a crossover between old Southern and midland (S&D) liveried stock and the 'new' British Railways early crest liveries. Considerable construction has already taken place. All of the baseboards have been constructed. The fiddle yard has been constructed, all track laid and we are currently wiring it up. Many buildings and structures have been made by various members and some of the track has been expertly made including the very complex down yard track layout. Please see below for some of the progress made so far: Baseboard construction One of the curves The front of the layout, the pottery branch heads off on the spur at the far left hand end. Jeff showing off his excellent baseboard construction. Track construction Templot has been used to sort all of the angles etc and then Chris H has constructed the track on top. Its an absolute work of art. The fiddle yard A couple of the locomotives weathered up and detailed so far: buildings and structures: Mike H has made the up end 3 arch Bridge which will act as the scenic break. I have made a start on the platform bridge structure. This one is for the up platform. More to come shortly. We hope that you enjoy following the project as work progresses over the coming months and years. You can also follow progress and find out more information about our group using our website address below: https://sarumfinescale.huskydog.org.uk/

We are sorry to announce that Shillingsford a 00 layout that was due to attend our show has had to be withdrawn due to unfortunate circumstances. However, this has now been replaced with a modular American N gauge layout Los Taminals. We look forward to seeing this and all of the other layouts and trade at our upcoming show in May.

The current exhibits booked to be in attendance are as follows: Layouts 1. Tucking Mill- 2mm finescale 2. East Quay - 009 3. Newton Heath Works - O/NG finescale 4. Great Bardfield - P4 Replaced by Woodlands - 00 5. Ashlands - 00 gauge (debut show) - replaced by Redacre - 00 6. Pendleton - N gauge - replaced by Wickhambreux Road - 009 7. Goathorn - 7mm finescale 8. Sodham Hall light railway - O gauge 9. Seven Ash - 00 gauge 10. Compton Martin - 00 gauge 11. Shillingsford - 00 gauge replaced by Los Taminals - American N gauge 12. Beckenvick - HO gauge 13. A really useful railway - 00 gauge Other Exhibits: Garden Railway Audio visual display Traders: Wheels of Southsea Portsmouth Model Shop Models U Drive Totem Signs SSWRS Sales stand The society will also be running its catering bar serving a range of sandwiches, cakes, bacon and sausage baps and much more.

The weekend of the 20th & 21st May 2023 sees the return of the Salisbury & South Wilts Railway Society annual model railway exhibition. The show will be staged at the usual venue: The Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton, Salisbury SP2 0JS The exhibition will be open from 10.30 to 16.30 on both days. Entrance is £5 for adults. The entrance for children will be announced in due course. There is a car park next to the venue and plenty of on street parking as well. Our website will be updated shortly with further details: http://sandswrs.co.uk/exhibitions/salisbury-south-wilts-railway-society-exhibition-2023/ I will post the list of layouts booked to attend shortly. We look forward to seeing you in May.

Small but important progress being made with Ashlands. The backscenes have now been primed on the front so that they are ready for my other half to start painting them. They have also been painted black and varnished on the back. Stock accumulation is continuing too with the acquisition of the last Beattie Well tank. Therefore, I now have the trio. Some of my loco's also got a run out on a very good friend of mine' layout Redacre. A southern Region Layout that will be making its exhibition debut at the Wimborne show in April. We hope to one day join the 2 layouts together and make then operate as a pair.

Lots of progress has been made over the past few weeks but most of it is not very photogenic. We had been having problems with a number of the Seep point motors that control the points on board 5 in and around the shed area. They just weren't firing with enough power to move the points across consistently which simply won't do. Therefore, I bit the bullet and with some luck on ebay, a set of 32 MTB point motors were available, (fiendishly difficult to get at the moment due to production issues) so I purchased them for an excellent price. The result is that the 6 points as already mentioned are being replaced as they were on Bodmin. Now that we have the experience of how to get the best out of them, we are confident that this is going to be a very good solution. It will also give slow moving points which is much nicer visually. Changes in the panel were necessary to accommodate these as the switches could no longer be sprung bias switches. We are now in the installation phase and in the next 2 weeks we hope to have them finished. Next, I am finally working on the cottage again. Most of the work has been on the roof structure, internal walls for support and the windows. I hope to have this complete in the next 10 days. Finally, Richard is making excellent progress with the first signal which is the down end starter for the bay platform. We intend to make these work using servo's. More to come soon.

Over the festive period there has been little time to progress Wadebridge with so much going on, but I have completed some small jobs. The first of these was to solder in a number of copper clad sleepers in the section of track between the two points that give access to the engine shed area. I then used some tacks to make the alignment right which is a reverse curve. It looks wrong, but looking at the photo's it was actually like this. Once glued in, I rewired sections of the engine shed roads, coal dock and line to the turntable. This means that all lines now laid in are now fully operational as the video shows below. Another job that I am getting towards the end of is the spraying and painting up of the vans that I have (very slowly) been making. As mentioned before, these use the 2mm Association chassis' and Parkside & Peco bodies. I have sprayed them using Precision Paints early BR bauxite. On a couple of the vehicles I added a little grey or black to some in order to give some subtle variation in the shade. Once all vehicles had been given two coats, I sprayed them with gloss varnish and added the transfers from Railtec. Next, I added BH Enterprises vacuum pipes and drawhooks, painted the bufferbeams, buffers and vac pipes. The job was then completed by matt varnishing the the whole vehicle and removed the masking tape on the roof. In time, I will finish the other vehicles, weather them all and add the B&B couplings. For now, the rake looks like this. The last job has been to add a few more sheds and garden paraphernalia to the collection ready for the allotments and gardens of all of the houses. These can be seen below. There is a range of kit built, 3d printed and proprietary sheds. I will probably need to double this number to complete the layout.