PatC

Is the body white metal? Cab looks like a Chivers (now Five79) Festiniog Harlech Castle. Possibly the long bonnet is bashed from the two from the same kit?

Just one week to go until NGS 2018.

Just one week to go until NGS 2018.

It had to happen sooner or later. Well done Rails and Dapol. A good selection of the numerous possible liveries and configurations on this first batch plus the promise of many more to come with the mention of the IOW bunker etc. Ironically I have a Hornby one in pieces in the top drawer of the work bench waiting to have an extended bunker fitted! I think an order for Bodiam may be on the cards this time (might have to sell the Hornby version of same loco) until such time as we see one in Umber brown or any of the Isle of Wight locos. As mentioned above, Bodiam went to the KESR (Rother Valley Railway as it was at that time)with the condensing pipes and small bunker etc. It went through various rebuilds over the years before rejoining the rest of the Terrier fleet at nationalisation. It had an extended bunker of somewhat different design to the Isle of wight locos. Trouble is I have five of the old ones to decide what to do with now!

Yes, as Ian has posted, due to the current weather conditions the difficult decision has been made to cancel this year's Romsey exhibition. Very sad of course but given the condition of local roads and the continuing snowfall it is the logical decision. Patrick

Just a quick reminder, the Romsey Exhibition is this coming Saturday and Sunday. Not the biggest show perhaps but always a friendly atmosphere with a good mix of what our hobby has to offer. Romsey currently has a road closure in the town centre, with Bell Street (just round the corner from Crosfield Hall) closed and therefore no through route for motor vehicles into the Market Place from the south. Diversion signs are in place. This shouldn't affect those coming direct to the exhibition. It's also worth remembering that parking in Romsey is free on Sundays.

As some of you may already have seen in the Narrow Gauge Forum, Wessex Narrow Gauge Modellers proudly present: Poster NGS 2018 by Patrick Collins, on Flickr When: Saturday 7th April 2018 Where: Barton Peveril College, Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 5ZA. (Please note new venue) From: 10am - 5pm Cost: Adults: £8; Under 16 £2 accompanied by an adult; Family (2+2) £18 Catering at the college canteen Narrow Gauge South 2018 will this year be at Barton Peveril College, Eastleigh. The 2018 show will again be a celebration of all things Narrow Gauge - with a twist. 2018 sees the 150th anniversary of the birth of Colonel Stephens and in association with the Colonel Stephens Society we will be arranging a "show within a show" displaying layouts of all gauges associated with the Colonel's railway empire, including some guest standard gauge light railway models. Overall there will be upwards of 30 layouts in 3.5mm, 4mm and 7mm scale complemented by NG preservation groups such as the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, Corris & Ffestiniog Railway. The show will also play host to the AGM of the 009 Society, the worlds largest 4mm scale narrow gauge modelling group and is strongly supported by the 7mm Narrow Gauge Society. As in previous years both the 009 Society and 7mm Narrow Gauge Society members sales stands will be in attendance and PECO will also be attending with a product display. Trade presence will be significantly increased with a wide range of specialist NG suppliers. Confirmed Layouts to date: 3.5mm NG (all gauges) Sud Harz (HOm) - Braunlage, Brunnenbachs & Walkenried Oresome Aggregates (HOf) 4mm NG (009): Aldbourne Llanfair Wantage Ilfracome East Hillbrow Green Pond Mine Bottle Kiln Lane Ryedown Lane Tan-y-Llyn There's not mushroom left Bryn-Y-Felin Wickhambreux Road Fort Whiting First Vale Quarry Preservation Society 4mm Standard Gauge Lower Exbury 7mm NG (all gauges) Moreton Stanley Watchet Quay Slindon Vale Portwenn St Mary's Albion Estates Gretton The Brickworks FremOn30 Demonstration Layout 7mm Standard Gauge Light Railway Plaxtol Road Sarre 8mm NG: Dinas 1:24 (Gn15) Berger Hall Confirmed Traders: Dorset Kits Mainline & Maritime Books CW Railways Black Dog Mining & Avalon Models Narrow Planet (With Neil Sayer, Meridian &c) Dundas Models Worsley Works N Drive David Smith Books PECO Amberly Services P Levy L&B Resin Structure kits Jelly Models Smalspoor Nederlands Societies: 009 Society 7mm Narrow Gauge Association Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS) Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre Slim Gauge Circle Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway Colonel Stephens Society Eastleigh Lakeside Railway Corris Railway These details will also available on our website, together with local public transport information.

Exhibition rescheduled for Saturday and Sunday 23rd & 24th June 2018. Romsey & District Railway Modellers Society are proud to present their 39th Annual Model Railway Exhibition. For more information please see www.rdrms.com

Ever bought a pasty at the Eden project? No pint in sight for £6.00 there! Back on topic. Well impressed with my model of set 374, been a long wait but still years quicker than me trying to get round to building one. Well done Kernow, a truly splendid model.

As mentioned in the main Exhibition section of the forum at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/127421-wessex-narrow-gauge-modellers-open-day-dec-2nd-2017/ Wessex Narrow Gauge Modellers are pleased to present an open day on Saturday 2nd December 2017 at Colehill Memorial Hall Cannon Hill Road Colehill Wimborne Dorset BH21 2LS Opening times: 10.30 - 3.30 Admission £3.00 Refreshments Layouts include: Vale Quarry (009) John Bruce Hillbrow (009) Steve Fackrell Hirson Bellevue (Hoe) Howard Coulson Llanfair Caerinion (009) Andy Cundick L& B Freem009 modular project (009) Paul Steedman Woolthorpe Light Railway (009) Jim Owers Ryedown Lane (009) Patrick Collins The Brickworks (014) Arthur Budd St Mary's (016.5) Julian Evison Avalon Brickworks (016.5) Howard Martin Display of micro layouts Loco testing station and test track - bring your poor performer for expert advice Home layout to visit (009) - Imperial Western Railway (Southern Division) Brian Guilmant 009 Society Sales Avalon Line 7mm NG kits More information at http://www.narrowgaugesouth.org.uk/wp/?page_id=384

Many thanks to Paul for posting the open day information above. Plenty of info on our website but just to wet your apetites further here is a list of the layouts that are currently due to attend: Vale Quarry (009) John Bruce Hillbrow (009) Steve Fackrell Hirson Bellevue (Hoe) Howard Coulson Llanfair Caerinion (009) Andy Cundick Woolthorpe Light Railway (009) Jim Owers L& B Freem009 modular project (009) Paul Steedman Ryedown Lane (009) Patrick Collins The Brickworks (014) Arthur Budd St Mary's (016.5) Julian Evison Avalon Brickworks (016.5) Howard Martin Display of micro layouts by Toby Hollins-Jones The 009 Society sales and recycling stand will be present as will Howard Martin's Avalon Line range of 7mm kits. A mix of one or two old favourites and some new projects. Just to re-iterate what Paul said; although it's an open day rather than an exhibition it is indeed open to anyone that would like to come for a modest £3 admission charge. As well as Castlefinn's Llanfair Caerinion in 009 there will also be Julian Evison's St Mary's in O16.5 which also follows W&LLR practice. So that's two GWR NG layouts (we're not proud!)

The Selsey Tramway (later the West Sussex Railway) was originally equipped with very attractive balcony carriages. It later acquired three of the Lambourn Valley carriages as well.

Yes, it was 31325 and it was trialled on 12 June 1957. It was temporarily allocated to Eastleigh and outstationed at Winchester to cover for the normal B4 on shunting duties. Apparently it was considered under powered for the Hayling branch compared to the Terriers and was returned to Winchester.

I'd recommend that you get a pack of the Greenwich type couplings and give them a go before you give up on the idea completely. Over fourteen years of 009 modelling I've tried the standard Bemo coupling and the Paul Windle fold up type. Bemos are now very expensive IMHO, working out at over a quid a coupling. The Greenwich type still sell for about £4 or £5.00 for a pack of ten. I started experimenting with them about five years ago and have now standardised on them, gradually retro fitting all of my older stock. Once you've folded up a few they get easier and quicker to make, don't require any solder (which the Windle type do), they are unobtrusive and auto uncoupling is easy to achieve and makes operation so much more enjoyable. Definitely worth a go.

Very much looking forward to exhibiting at this show, I've heard so many good things about it. I'll be there with my 009 Colonel Stephens inspired light railway Ryedown Lane. I'm rather excited to be in the same hall as the wonderful Rolvenden, which is among the very finest Stephens based layouts. I'm also looking forward to the cake. Hope to see you tomorrow.

Still haven't seen this anywhere. I don't think it's even been mentioned in Railway Magazine (I'm a subscriber) which is a little surprising given the title.

Following on from Paul RhB's posts above, we did indeed see the first production Heljan Manning Wardle to reach these shores at the South West 009 Society (SWOONS) open day at Ilton, Somerset on Saturday. I was fortunate enough to have it visit my layout Ryedown Lane for a while during the morning. All I can say is that it looks fabulous and runs very smoothly. The couplings weren't fitted in the NEM pockets on this one yet so I couldn't test its pulling power (not that I can run a long test train on the layout) but it certainly attracted an awful lot of attention. I only have a rather poor phone picture of it I'm afraid. there are a number of much beeter images taken by others over on NGRM Online. Having decided that I really don't need on of these on my 1930s narrow gauge light railway I'm now starting to get the urge to acquire one.

Ironically, not long after I posted my message on here I received an email from Rails saying that my order had just been dispatched. I have to say that I've had various things from Rails and have never had any problem with the service that I've received from them.

Has anybody actually received a Peckett from Rails of Sheffield yet? I've had Dodo on order with them for months now and OK'd it when they put the price for pre-orders up a few weeks back. I'm not unduly worried when my model arrives, it'll get here when it gets here, but I was concerned to read Paul's comment above. I've had various things off of Rails before and there's never been an issue.

I'd pretty much decided that I wouldn't be trying to acquire any of the Bachmann SECR stock when it comes out, much as I like all things Southern my interests tend to lie more to the west and the new Hornby LSWR rebuilds and the forthcoming Kernow gate set pretty much fulfil my needs. Then I visited the KESR last weekend and both saw and rode in the truly magnificent birdcage brake. Damn it! How am I supposed to resist buying model of something that looks so fantastic? Well done KESR C&W dept.

My SR liveried pair (Set 45) arrived from the good people at Kernow yesterday. Looking over them last night I really had to pinch myself ... decent Southern coaches of any description, let alone non-corridor stock, was something we could only dream of 20 or 30 years ago, now I feel we are being really spoilt. The level of detail on these is quite astonishing, and far in advance of anything I could produce from a kit (which reminds me I have a Roxey LSWR brake that I started years ago and needs finishing off, although its likely to be put to shame by these beauties). Well done Hornby and thanks for the usual excellent service Kernow.

Well, it was a long wait but my pair of O2s arrived yesterday. I think I ordered Calbourne about two days after it was announced and, as the 1930s is more my thing really, I couldn't resist the SR green version when it was announced. Had a good look and a test run of both last night and I have to say they really are splendid models, the running seems superb at the moment so wonder how much it can improve with running in. Been toying with the idea of building the Wills/SE Finecast kit for years so will now look at building an E1 to go with Calbourne instead (already have a Hornby Terrier in the throws of IOW mods). Well done Kernow and DJ Models.

Depending on which class, I'd be up for two or three by the time I'd taken care of prototypes for light railways, Cambrian etc. Looking forward to the DJM Hudswell and the Hornby Peckett at the moment.