The Chuffers met at Colins last Tuesday - no meeting the previous week as we had a Cardi-Bach meeting at Login, when the official opening of the museum/heritage centre was discussed. This will most likely be on the morning of Tuesday May the 14th. Hopefully it will be opened by the Chairman of Carmarthenshire County Council, who has intimated he would like to perform the ceremony before he retires. ALL ARE WELCOME...

Back to Chuffers. Herrington Light Industries have been busy in the interim period and Colin gave us a working demonstration of his motor powered turntable, soon to be fitted to one of the Teifi Gorge stations. Here are two shots of the said turntable, one with it seated on its temporary housing:

and the second picture shows the 'gubbins' underneath the turntable itself. It's a geared motor from one of the Chinese outlets on Ebay - £3 or thereabouts - (the exact same motor from a UK marine model dealer is advertised for £20) makes you wonder, doesn't it. Oh, and it was post free from China.

The motor is cunningly 'switched' to the layout controller, so its rotation can be controlled. When the loco is lined up to the track, switch back, and you control the loco not the turntable. All clever stuff!


Meanwhile, down at 'Chessboard Engineering' another locomotive power unit is being manufactured for the Maes Y Gof layout.
Using a donor chassis that Pete Towns gave to Pat, he is making it into a rail 'bus' similar to those that were used on various Irish Railways. Here we have two views of the embryo body section sitting on the adapted chassis and motor. This is a rear view:

And turning it around this will be the driving cab and dummy engine and radiator:

On the Teifi Gorge, I have fixed the 'White Hart' in position next to the mill in St Dogmaels, with a length of fencing in front to protect any departing inebriates from rail operations.

During our evening at Colins we were treated to an excellent thick soup and garlic bread cooked and served to us by Colins wife Marianne. Chuffers evenings don't get any better than this!

Next week the meet is here in Llechryd, and the boys are going to have to adopt their 'Gandy Dancers' persona, as the plan is to motorise the Login layout, which to date is just a static display. Hopefully we will take it on the expo circuit later in the year - but first we are going to have to build extra boards to fit around it to incorporate a fiddle yard and continuous loop.
I have made the boards - next job is track laying!
These are the three boards joined up all ready for work to begin...

Should occupy an evening or two...

(I must prune that buddleia bush)
Nos da,
Shaun.