Chris Chewter

Yes, its a pay on the day event. Entry can be paid by cash or cashless on the door.

Oxrail 2022 is coming! Held at Edward Feild School, Bicester Road, Kidlington on Sunday 16th October between 10:30 and 16:00 it's already looking like a fantastic collection of over 15 layouts for only £6 per person with FREE ENTRY FOR KIDS! Layouts include: Bossington - A fictitious branch line terminus in OO from the 1950s Crocklemouth - A fictitious seaside station in OO East Dock - Based on the Goole/Selby area, this layout represents a dock set in the 1930's in EM Edrom - Scottish boarders action on this representation of Edrom on the Berwickshire line in N gauge Goppingen - A Marklin Z gauge layout Hauteluce - Swiss Z gauge of a village in the French Alps Kenstadt - A winter scene in Marklin Z gauge Kleindorf - A fictional alpine layout on the German/Swiss border in Z gauge New Mexico Museum - A model of a fictitious but plausible museum in the city of Santa Fe in HO and HOn3 Pontfadog - A 009 model of Pontfadog village on the Glyn Valley Tramway Randolphs Yard - A small shunting layout in OO built by Summer Fields School Radio Times - A 2mm N gauge slice of 1950s London Schweizer Kleinstadt - A swiss Z gauge layout with 3D printed catenary Snake Bend - A mammoth "freemo" style layout in N Stonewaite and Bainrigg Railway - 1930s 0-16.5 7mm narrow gauge Swakeleys - A 16 foot long OO layout Wyken Yard - A small shunting yard in O gauge We are also holding a raffle with some fantastic prizes including: Family ticket to Bekonscot model village and railway Family ticket to STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon Family ticket to the Severn Valley Railway Standard travel ticket to the Watercress Line Family ticket to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Family ticket to the Didcot Railway Centre Family ticket to the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway and finally, the opportunity to win a Rowse honey hamper A full selection of food and refreshments also available via cashless payment. For further details, please check out our website at http://www.oxfordmrc.org.uk/exhibitions/ (Please note that layouts are subject to change)

Managed to do a bit of work on Carterton in between Ally Pally and a bit of model railway club bits and pieces. Signage has been put on the front of the layout and I forgot to take photos! I’ll try to grab a photo when I’m next in the workshop later in the week. The only one I got was a razors edge railcar in platform 2!

Tetbury is in the April 2022 copy of BRM. Looks great on the BRM stand at Ally Pally!

Test trains on Carterton

Finally some moving trains at Carterton! The station building has been reunited to the layout, and the model has been tested to see how everything is running. I also managed to borrow one of the club members railcars for size. Exciting to see things coming together!

Another view of the station building with the completed canopy. I think that looks much better than the first attempt. I’ll put it on the layout tomorrow and see how it looks.

One issue I’ve observed with the layout being moved was the large station canopy working loose. I’ve always felt the supports were too flimsy, and you could see the underside of the building sheet, so the opportunity was taken to replace it. New supports were cut on the clubs laser cutter and this time the cross bracing was fitted as per the photographs. To make sure that the corrugated asbestos looked the same when at eye level, the clear stuff was used and painted grey. It just needs weathering.

No idea. I'm just modelling what I see. About half way down the page are images of the box in use looking very much like corrugated asbestos: https://fairfordbranch.weebly.com/route.html

Unfortunately wiring below the board is never photogenic. The second board has been wired, although I haven’t been able to fit the track droppers. However it’s good to see the layout back on its legs again after it’s been upturned for a few days.

Managed to borrow one of the model railway club members workshops to get Carterton sorted. So I’ve been able to get the layout assembled to see what it looks like. But of course, the progress has been below the board.

Things have been a bit quiet on the Carterton layout. I’ve been busy assisting the model railway club with one of their projects, so my attention has been elsewhere. However the club is running an exhibition in October and have invited Carterton to attend. So now all of the non photogenic jobs need to be done. Jobs like fiddle yard assembly: And putting support legs together: They aren’t exciting jobs, and don’t make great photos, but they need to be done all the same!

Sat working from home when the Modelu 2022 catalogue arrived. Very pleased to see a short two page article on Tetbury. Always nice to see your work in print!

Yep, you’re right, the yellow loco is the RMweb limited edition. It’s by far the kids favourite loco too, especially with a train load of minions in tow. I’ve always wanted to weather it, but the kids have told me it must stay as it is.

It’s a shame that my eldest daughter didn’t want to be interviewed as she helped with some of the build. She did an excellent job with the Tetbury cliff face. However it was up to them whether they wanted to be filmed and how much.

Thanks. It’s amazing just how much didn’t make it into the final programme. That was the end product of about two days filming!

If you’re on Facebook, Hornby has released the trailer for tomorrows programme at 9pm. The link below should take you to the video. https://fb.watch/9R_Oirz4jr/ If your not on Facebook, I’m not sure how to share it! Sorry!

Its useful watching it back because it shows that I really need to raise the height of those backscenes! (And remove the track pins!)

If your interested in seeing what Tetbury looks like on the telly, then it’s being shown on the 13th December on the Yesterday channel.

The control panel started off as a Grange and Hodder split-top control panel. https://www.graingeandhodder.co.uk/product-page/split-top-control-panel I ended up laser cutting the cover, adding the holes for the switches and text.

Sorry for not posting for a while. I’ve been busy doing design work for other modellers. However I’ve been able to make a few improvements to Tetbury. Firstly the control panel. No more dodgy marker pen numbers and a turntable control box from an old layout. Now we have a far nicer panel to use. Ive still got to iron out some of the gremlins, like why the lights to Point 9 have stopped working, and the track power light needs reconnecting, but hopefully you’ll agree that looks a lot tidier than the old panel! I also wanted a sign on the edge of the layout similar to Little Burford. So I’ve came up with this: Which was great until someone pointed out that as this is Tetbury in the late 50s, it should have a BR logo. No worries, I chuckled, prised off the GWR logo and fitted a BR one.

Just taken delivery of some Marcway points and I thoughts I’d share what you get out of the box. These are 60inch radius OO bullhead points. A close up of the blades and tie bar: Shame the cuts aren’t straight, so some filling required before they are fitted to the layout. End on view: And a side on view: Now to start some track laying, but only after a spot of remedial work and wiring first.

Sorry to be a bit late to the party here. Probably by now you've already painted your model. However, these are from the research photos when I built my 4mm version of Tetbury. These were taken before the goods shed was refurbished and extended into the arts venue it is today. As previous stated, it is a mixture of blue headers with dark red stretchers. Let me know if you need anything else, and I'll have a rummage through my photos.

A promised, here’s the hut painted up. Still trying to get the finish around the chimney correct, but I think that’s more down to design and my knowledge (or lack of).