Chris Nevard

Nice work Jim, I'm guessing it's a freshly resurfaced road with the lack of repairs? Did the driver have white socks and Keith Lemon grey slip ons?

Top selection of pubs! You've even managed to replicate the sort of double vision effect many will have after visiting so many too

The immediate environment is the sort of thing I'll be going for. I need to build my railway room first really before any further activities....... But, there agin, I'd love to model Midford .... I've produced a garage sized track plan ...... nothing will happen for a bit though other than maybe some building contruction. Chris

On the photos, if you click on the map to the right you can see the location... or go here.. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=writhlington&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=Writhlington,+Radstock,+Bath+and+North+East+Somerset,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.295838,-2.424186&spn=0.000985,0.003862&t=h&z=19

Thanks Nick - I'll update the caption

nevard_110601_writhington_DSC_2419_web, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr. This is my first post for over a week, that's because we needed a well earned break. However whilst away, we all know that a train buff will never really switch off, especially when close to such a former rich industrial area like the hilly landscape a few miles south of Bath. For some time, I've been gathering information and constructing buildings for my Mendip Colliery project, so a spare hour of so in the Radstock area which was the centre of the North Somerset coalfield was far too tempting to miss out on. Lower Writhlington along with Kilmersdon were the last working collieries in the area closing in 1973, but less that 40 years has seen the latter disappear under housing and other brownfield redevelopments. However, a glance at Google Earth shows that apart from a private house, the site of the former Lower Writhlington colliery has yet to be developed. The link below, shows what I found on Wednesday 1st June 2011... http://www.flickr.co...ith/5797145522/

Ah, I have one reader! Looks great too !

Thanks Andy - I was getting rather frustated. I wish the likes of Youhootube and others would give out the BB code as well as html. I'll be off shortly, and I hope the layout will run as well as it has been at home. Luckily I have helpers who are good with soldering irons! I keep forgetting that Combwich is 30 this year, the freshing Grasmastered and Silfored scenics tend to hid that aspect. It's like a British built classic car, looks good, but is high maint!

Click on the video below (sorry, I have no idea how to embed with wysiwyg - how about a raw html edit option?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBLo6pNjgaw With Combwich all ready for RAILEX, a last chance to knock up a quick video of Ex-Midland Railway 0-6-0 4F No. 44417 arriving at Combwich with the afternoon goods from Evercreech Junction. August 1961. After arrival, the engine runs around its train, then shunts the short rake of old wooden wagons into the goods yard. And for the smart asses out there, yup, I know that the vacuum pipe on the the loco is missing;-) This short was simply shot using the video capture facility on my point and shoot Canon G9

nevard_101106_wycrail_IMG_8338_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. Combwich will be having a rare outing at RAILEX this weekend (28 & 29 May 2011). Tim Maddocks' excellent SDJR Enginewood will be right next door, and the intention is to run occasional trains between the two layouts. To add to the excitement of this rare operational marriage of layouts, it will also be a chance to see Model Rail's specially commission Sentinel in action - at least 2 months before the production models appear in the UK. Find out more about Combwich here! Find out more about Enginewood here! Find out about RAILEX here! Find out about the Sentinel here! RAILEX 2011 Model Railway Exhibition Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Harvey Road, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP21 9PP Saturday 28th May 10.30-5.30 Sunday 29th May 10.00-5.00 Adults £7.00, Child £4.00, Family(2+2) £16.00 Sunday only - up to 2 children admitted free with an accompanying paying adult.

Model Rail Magazine's Sentinel, seen taking just under 2 minutes to traverse a mere 10 inches (that 25cm in new money). Sorry, I have no idea how to embed moving image so follow the link above

The YouTube processing makes any movement appear jumpy when the uncompressed video isn't. It compares to a Bachmann 08 on the running stakes (and it doesn't get much better than that!!). I'll post a new video shortly, showing the little beastie taking 2 whole minutes to traverse 10 inches

My wife wife keep wondering where I'd gone to, but with Combwich being set up in the spare room and the chance to play trains a bit of a no-brainer. This was a really good chance to put the loco through its paces on handbuilt track, and I must say I'm really impressed with the smooth running and slow speed control. The mechanism makes a lovely hum, as we now expect from any flywheeled modern bogie powered ready to run item. Pick up is excellent too, in the 30 minutes shunting about earlier, it didn't need a single prod. I'm looking forward to spending a little time with one of these under the weathering brush to see how the crisp detail responds - I'll be hung drawn and quartered if I attack this one, so will have to wait until August.

And here we have a 3min40 sec video shot this evening of the cute little loco shunting on Combwich Any juddery movement here will simply be the You Tube compression which tends to drop frames here and there - not the loco performance which is exemplary!

Thanks! I've now got Combwich all working and it's a little happier under feedback control and after a good blast about.

nevard_110523_planet_IMG_9983_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia. This evening saw the completion of the little Roxey Mouldings 0-4-0 Planet diesel. Brewhouse Quay has been put away for a few days while I prepare Combwich for this weekend's RAILEX, so makes as ideal background to pose the little beast on. The wagon in tow is an ex-LBSCR wagon from a Smallbrook Studios kit knocked up a couple of weekends ago. Here is a more close up view of the little loco http://www.flickr.co.../in/photostream RAILEX Combwich LBSCR Van Planet Brewhouse Quay

Halfwit, I must apologies, I've only just noticed your link. I like what you've done with the windows particularly. Oddly enough, when I was look for snaps on Google image search the other day that one pulled up!

Good idea CK Halfwit, I chemically blackened the wheels. The flanges are quite fine though.

Thanks chaps, Good idea Don - that will be my reply for the squeaky voiced brigade with dessicated dead mothers in bedroom cupboards who always point out silly things at shows! You know what it's like in bucolic industrial grotty Nevardland - nothing is really too specific, accurate, but more a rose tinted view of the past. Fleur is in fact one of our British Short hair cats, the plate is one of three I ordered with no specific loco in mind, but I did expect it to go on something bigger. Probably an ugly short chubby girl's name might have been more suitable. 'Pat' maybe, but that's my mother in laws name so definitely not! 'Kermit' or 'Frog' would work quite well. Too late now, I'll make a mess of the Halfords paintwork if it changes. Running: much as expected, it's a bit like an over active toddler on blue Smarties or a chav running out of the supermarket after a raid or a blue bottle that you want to swat. Couple some wagons to it and it is very much smoother. A little more weight (there's plenty of room) and a little feed back control will work wonders I'm sure. I hope to have it in action on the wharf of Combwich at RAILEX this coming weekend.