The wicked weather lately has slowed modelling right down. Apart from the noise from the wind and rain making shed-work unattractive, the damp atmosphere is preventing PVA from drying - so the ballasting of Login is taking much longer than expected.

However, I managed to make an engine shed for Cilgerran, on the Teifi Gorge layout, 'cos I could do that in the house. Then a break in the weather gave me the opportunity to do a quick bit of scenic work on the Cilgerran board. 25mm urethane foam covered with Modroc:

The hole in the middle is for the tunnel through the hill for the anticipated extension line to Newcastle Emlyn, which would go past Llechryd and Cenarth.
Here is the engine shed and retaining walls roughly plonked in place to give an idea of how it will look:

And a close up of the engine shed (needs gutters, downpipes, and a bit more weathering)

ATB
Shaun.

Goodness me!

After a famine comes a feast - Three posts in a week...
Tuesday Chuffer-Duffers last night. We met here in the garage/workshop and managed to get quite a bit done, making up for the last couple of weeks.
Charles had modified his belt drive mechanism for the Cardigan yard crane, and while Pat and I made some alterations to wiring connections at one end of the Cardigan board, Charles and Colin assembled the crane and its 'works' at the other end.
This is the crane in question:

(Geraint Bowen the yard foreman is keeping an eye out for traffic whilst the testing is under way.)

In the nether regions of the board we have the 'mechanism' - an exquisite example of Charles engineering skills:

And it works!
A momentary switch on the side of the layout allows the crane to turn in either direction at a convincing scale speed thanks to the tiny gearbox attached to the 3 volt motor.
Videoing is beyond me, so to see it operating you will have to wait until our next show...

After pats on the back all round, we went into the workshop and got to work on the Login layout. I had already made a start on the contouring, and given everything a basic coat of dirty green. Rail was measured and cut, wire-in-tube fitted to the points, and Pat and Colin our erstwhile gandy dancers laid track.
Next move is to paint the sleepers and rails, and then lay ballast.
Status quo:

Exhausted after all that strenuous work we repaired to the house for bowls of Cawl (made with Mikes excellent mutton), bread and cheese, and washed down with the usual beverage of choice...

I'll try not to leave it too long unyil the next post!

Still at Hermon...

I forgot to mention - also at the Hermon show, Patrick brought along his latest layout. Yet to have a name, it's an N gauge continuous loop, ostensibly in the American West.

He took us by surprise with this, building it in a fortnight!

Not the best of pictures, as I took them in a hurry at the show, so a lot of the painstaking detail cannot be appreciated - lights in the carriages, the trading post, indian encampment... anyhow, here are the snaps that I took ('snaps' - that shows my age and lack of the grasp of technological terminology) 

 

 More in a day or two.

It's been several weeks folks, and I do apologise for not keeping things up to date - though quite frankly, there has not been a great deal to report.

UNTIL TODAY!

Yes, today was the Hermon model show, organised by Roger Howells, so in thanks to Roger, we have graced our headline with his picture. An excellent show, with a really varied assortment of examples of what the local modellers are capable of - farming, war-gaming, railways, haulage vehicles, aircraft, historical warfare, and much more. I wont show pictures on here, as no doubt Roger will put some up on the Hermon website.

We ourselves showed our old faithful, Cardigan and Boncath, as the original locations would be so familiar to the public - and so it proved. We did more talking than operating!

Just a couple of pictures of Patrick setting up before the venue was opened. Here he is with Cardigan:

and sorting out Boncath:

We had a most enjoyable time, and met some fascinating people. Thanks go to Roger for inviting us, and we hope to make it again next year! 

PROGRESS ON LOGIN

 

From Wikipedia, the term 'Gandy Dancer' is a slang term used for early railroad workers who laid and maintained railway tracks before the work was done by machines...

 

Last night our gandy dancers finally laid track on the main Login baseboard:

 

 

 

 

So - watch this space! (not too closely...) 

Latest news on the Teifi Gorge -

The sawmill has had a shed erected over it to protect it from the elements, and lighting has been installed so that work can take take place outwith daylight hours.

Now the pressure is off regarding The Teifi Gorge Railway (well, momentarily, anyway) I thought it was about time a bit of thought was given to Peter Towns 'Login' layout which we had promised to build for him.
I think there was one or two posts about it at the very start of the blog, so I won't go into boring details. I resurrected the main layout board today and made a start on the landscaping.

I cut out a channel in the layer of polyurethane to represent the stream, and coated it with a couple of layers of industrial paper towels stuck down with wallpaper paste. Another picture showing a better view below:

Hopefully Tuesday evening will see the Gandy Dancers setting to and doing some track laying...

Meanwhile, I filled a bare patch on the St Dogmaels board. Still work in progress, as I am building the shed to cover it.

The siding by the side of the boiler will have to be shortened, and buffers added - but that a mere bagatelle. (he says hopefully...)
Thats it - New Zealand are just about to show the Wallabys how to play the game.

We had a very successful day exhibiting at the Woolen Mill in Drefach Felindre on Saturday - Pat and I set up late on Friday afternoon, only taking 30 minutes from unloading to setting up and operating. Mark the mill supervisor then asked us if we could move the layout 10' further down the hallway!
We took it apart and re-assembled it in the required location, and once again up and running in 30 minutes.

Patrick surveys our efforts:

Up and running the following morning. Here we see Colin making one or two fine adjustments:

And a young enthusiast takes an interest (and a small boy looks on...)

Everything worked as it should, and just to finish, here is a shot of shunting activity at Cilgerran:

And the afternoon passenger train about to depart St Dogmaels:

Still lots to do, so keep an eye out for up-dates.

Shaun.

Time for an update - it's been quite a while since the last posting...

The 'Calon Lan' had a bit more work done to it - still not qualifying for a seaworthy certificate, but it will have to do.
It's now got mooring lines, and a crew (of sorts)

The chief mate is acting as banksman down if the afterhold, with seaman Jenkins taking instructions on the winch.
(The mooring lines and springs Haven't got talurit splices - they just look like them. They are really canvas shrouds to protect the conventional rope eye splices)

One of the TGR's new locos pulls into St Dogmaels with the morning passenger train from Cilgerran.
This is one of two new locos courtesy of Herrington Locomotive works. TGR ordered them in anticipation of extending the line East from Cilgerran to Llechryd, Cenarth and Newcastle Emlyn.

Pictured above is the present stable of motive power occupying what will eventually be Cilgerran engine sheds.
Below is a quick shot of the workers arriving at the quarry - fencing has been added to the cliff top, together with a small flock of sheep, being tended by Bethan the shepherdess...

Hopefully the next update will be reporting next Saturdays show at Drefach Velindre!

Bit more work done to the coaster - it's now got a name: 'Calon Lan' sailing out of Aberaeron.
Not completed yet, and an awful lot wrong with it from the purists point of view - but what the hell - it's my boat, and I'll build it how I want it! (thats my excuse...)
Wether it will survive young poking fingers at the Woolen Mill remains to be seen.

(The water has been Photoshopped in, by the way, for aesthetic reasons... !)

Round to Colins last night, being Tuesday. Just Col, Chas and myself, as Patrick is still lost in the wilds North of the border  (in a 40 year old MG without a roof...) Don't know whats worse, being in a sports car without a roof or being in Scotland in the middle of September.

Anyway, we managed without him, but do miss him!

Colin demonstrated two new 009 locos that he has built - one already painted, and the other one is work in progress. (we seem to have an awful lot of W-I-P...)

Work in progress!!

 

Started construction this week on a small freighter to transport the slate from St Dogmaels quay. Based very loosely on the Clyde Puffer style, but a bit larger. Riveted steel hull - I guess it could have been built at Pembroke Dock in the late 19th century?

Still got a lot more to do to it - waiting for stanchions to arrive (I had to buy...) before any railings can go on. Other stuff I'm making up as I go along. Mast and derrick yet to be fitted (old paint brush handles) and various nautical 'things'.

Here it is alongside the quay:

  

Annie kindly volunteered to paint the backscenes - St Dogs is the first one to be done, so here is a shot of the board with buildings 'plonked' and all the motive power doing various things...

 

 

Mornin' all!
Constructive night last night - Colin and Charles came round with the new turntable for St Dogmaels, as I had butchered the previous one in my vain attempts to get it to work. Thankfully Colin forgave me, so I steered clear last night and left the fitting to he and Charles.
Success crowned their efforts:

We put two of the boards together and had a practise run - everything worked just as it should!

Some additions to St Dogmaels - the Abbey Hotel behind the station, and a coaling platform by the engine shed. Fencing and undergrowth added to the hillside, and a section cut away for the road to disappear around...

Charles has been busy constructing a mechanism to operate the crane that sits in Cardigan goods yard. Using a miniature electric motor and gear box, and turning aluminium on his lathe he came up with this masterpiece:

To be mounted under Cardigan layout board, belt drive will turn the large pulley wheel, with the crane above. The on-off-on sprung switch will allow momentary movement in either direction.
More pictures when it is fitted!

Saturday September 12 - little bit more landscaping done to TGR today. Some fencing added, and foliage and ground cover.

The 16:50 from Cilgerran passes the quarry as the last load for the day pulls out with the workers who have finished for the day...

A short while later the passenger train approaches St Dogmaels, with the Harbour Master hoping the tide will flood before it becomes too dark for the next cargo smack to berth.

Colins turn to 'top' the blog!

Just a couple of photos to keep you abreast of happenings on the TGR.
The new loco is back from the paint shop, and is seen here in the siding that backs on to the lane where Mr Rees's cottage and work shop are situated:

'Rosi' is yet to be painted in the company's livery, but has been put into service and seen here outside the goods depot after unloading mixed goods from Cilgerran:

Excellent 3mm Society meeting on Monday, Pat, Mike, Bill and James were members present, together with myself, and Chris - a friend of James. Colin turned up after lunch, and an enjoyable day was had. Teifi Gorge was already set up, and as it was essentially a 3mm meeting, we put up Cardigan, and half of Boncath, to exercise visiting stock.
Colin produced some of his 'work-in-progress' 009 locos, which we ran on the TGR. One of which is  pictured below:

Besides the unfinished ones, he also brought this little beauty:

This was it's first appearance actually running on the Teifi Gorge, but I did post a couple of pictures in an earlier post just after Colin had finished the coach lining.

Last night was a Tuesday meet at Chas, where a very mature Gorgonzola, together with an extremely runny French Brie were coaxed out of the garage where they had been hiding from Charles' wife, having been banished from the kitchen refrigerator.
Colin produced a couple of refurbished locos which the Teifi Gorge Railway Company had purchased from the continent to suplement the existing stable.
Here is Rosi, languishing outside St Domaels shed, yet to be painted in TGR livery:

And a jolly little Austrian steamer together with a work coach, which will be the TGR's dedicated maintenance train. Again waiting to go into the shed for  a repaint. Seen here outside St Dogmaels station:

3mm Society Area meeting here tomorrow

 

In advance I put up the Teifi Gorge Railway layout - I know it's not 3mm - but I thought the others might enjoy seeing it, and Pat and Colin, the co-builders will be here, so we might as well show off our baby...

It will be my last 3mm Society meet, as I have not bothered to renew my membership. 3mm has proved too much of a challenge. I enjoyed making Kilgerran, and Boncath, but enough is enough!

Anyhow, I cleaned all the TGR track with electrical contact cleaner, and then rubbed all the rails with graphite. One or two point problems, but other than that everything ran perfectly. Connected power to the lighting system, and here are the results:

 

one of the engines backing into the engine shed at St Dogmaels

 

 

 The goods shed - way too bright - I shall have to sort that

the workers returning late at night past the harbour Masters Office