Tuesday evenings meetings now back up and running!
Last night we met once more at Llechryd, ostensibly to work on new platform lights for Cardigan Station, as the original ones suffered from a voltage spike and melted...
Pat and Colin came along, with Chas' being excused.
We had to work on the board in the garage, as it was too long to take up to the new hobby/meeting room.
Putting the board on edge and clamping it made for easier access, and in the picture below the lads are working on the wiring side of things, with me pushing the new lamp standards in from the front.

An unusual view of Cardigan Station:

The operation was successful, but unfortunately I forgot to take any photos of the illuminations!!
Anyhow, the board was packed away, and we retired for a well earned drink...

This post has nothing to do with railways, but what the heck - it's Chuffer-Duffer related...
Last month Mike invited me up to the farm for the afternoon, and to attend a concert of music and spoken word in the evening in Llandeusant, Mikes' village.
It was a really enjoyable and memorable day, Mike and his wife Judith great hosts and made me very welcome, so the least I can do is give them some space on the Chuffer-Duffers blog.

Judith and Cocoa bringing in last nights lambs. (You may have seen Judith on TV with Iolo Williams and Derek Brockway on programs about the Brecon Beacons)

Mike has a confrontation with a Shetland ewe and her lambs...

and finally one of the 'turns' in the evening, four members of the Llandeilo band entertaining us on saxaphones, trumpet and bass clarinet

Thanks again Mike.

I know it's not railway related, but Mike is an honorary Chuffer-Duffer, and the view from his farm across to the Brecon Beacons is so stunning I thought it worth sharing...

Back to matters at hand. We had the first Tuesday meeting here at Llechryd, and spent the evening assembling flat-pack units to make a work area for the upstairs hobby room. couple of pictures showing progress so far. My wife Annie kindly came up with fish and chips half way through the evening, which should have been washed down with a nice cup of tea, but we had to make do with a 2013 Granache. Can't have everything I guess.
This end of the room will be the working end:

and this will be the leisure end, should we happen to have time for a break...

Colin meanwhile has been busy with his paintbrush, and finally finished the exquisite showmans engine that he built from scratch. He brought it along to show Pat and I - photos' below:

More railway matters... On Monday evening the Cardi-Bach Society had a two hour walk tracing part of the old Whitland to Cardigan railway, specifically a stretch from Blaenffos to Boncath. Several guests as well as members made up quite a party, and a very pleasant time was enjoyed by everyone.
Just a couple of pictures of the group and part of the walk:

 

Out on a photo shoot today looking at bridges and artifacts to do with the old Cardi-Bach line, when I passed this directional finger post - the last one still in position showing the old spelling of Kilgerran.
So many people doubt our spelling on our model layout. Here's proof!

Also snapped was this 'red' brick used in the construction of one of the bridges over the Cardi-Bach line.
We are curious about its origins... The moulded letters could be 'R' to the left, 'P' at the bottom, on the top what looks like an ampersand, and to the right 'Co'
The whole bridge is built with these bricks, and then slate coping slabs.

Here is a picture of the bridge in question. The cutting has been filled in, but you can still pass through the arch, which is made of four courses of the bricks. The cattle track over has worn down so much that the top of the arch is visible.

The bridge over the line at Crymych station was built in the same manner, and possibly with same sourced bricks. It is in much better repair, and in daily use as access to the farm that occupies the former station. The cutting to the North side of the bridge has been completely filled in.

Bit of a deviation from railway modelling, but historically interesting! (well I thought so, anyway...)

Greetings everybody, and abject apologies for not keeping things upto date.
My only excuse is that we decided to move house, and understandably that sort of took priority over railway matters. Also being secretary of the Cardi-Bach Railway Society, modelling seemed to take a back seat.

However, the move is out of the way - the header photo is a view from the south window of the new hobby room. Nothing in it yet, as it has to be decorated, and then the Chuffer-Duffers will hopefully spend a Tuesday evening putting together flat-pack units and worktops to make a work-shop.
When thats done, its full speed ahead finishing Login Layout, and then mods to the Teifi Gorge.

We had a good evening putting on a show at Llanfallteg Memorial Hall as part of the Cardi-Bach travelling roadshow. Cardigan, Boncath and Kilgerran layouts on display, lots of memorabilia, and Emyr Phillips' excellent film show.
 Yours truly below trying to get Kilgerran to work, and in the background the Fat Controller setting up Cardigan.

 Below is a scene of the hall set up with info boards and seating for the film show (Pat still playing trains...)

two weeks later, we were off to Carmarthen to exhibit the Teifi Gorge Rly Co. layout at the Carmarthen Modellers Club show in Carmarthen Library. Had a very successful day, and met a lot of interesting people.
Colin and Pat seen here just before the hoards arrived through the doors...

Hopefully in a couple of weeks our Tuesday meetings will start again in earnest, and I will have a bit more to report.