Safely back home after an exhausting but enjoyable long weekend up at Bala. More of that in a minute.
First of all, if I missed you on the mailing list, there is a meeting of the Cardi-Bach Society at the C-B Heritage Collection building at Login, 7 p.m. on Wednesday June the 5th. All are welcome, light refreshments, tea, coffee and beer available. Free, but a donation of £2.50 would be very acceptable.
Back to Bala...

Pat and Mary transported me and the Teifi Gorge layout quiet comfortably in the VW on Friday afternoon, and we were able to set up in the venue straight away - by six that evening we were settled down back in the White Lion with the Reverend James and a Merlot...

Setting -up:

The following three days were a dream - TGR ran practically faultlessly, with only a couple of minor gliches, which were quickly sorted. Points never acted up at all - something which has plagued us in the past. The star of the weekend has to be Mary, Pat's other half. She outshone all of us after only 30 minutes of handling the controller. Definitely an honoury 'ChufferDuffer'
Colin came up on Bank Holiday monday, together with Marianne, to give us a break, and to assist with the packing up.

Too many other layouts to feature here, but one outstanding one was a snow scene by Martin Hallett, a retired town crier:

Also there was our old friend from Beddgelert, Dave Roberts, who we occasionally meet when he is working on the Corris line. He had a large 009 layout, of which this is just a small section:

Back to the Teifi Gorge - a couple more images that I managed to take when there was a break in the proceedings:

And some of our fans:

Staying with the with the TGR, a video to finish:

At the close of play on Sunday, all the exhibitors were treated to a ride on the Bala Railway, from Llanuwchllyn station (and I thought Mynachlogddu was a mouthful)  to Bala and Back, a round trip of 18 miles, stopping off for a B-B Q at Llangower halt.
Enjoyable, but a bit chilly in the open carriage!

A dark and sombre Llyn Tegid on the return journey...


No matter, it was free, and a bit of fun, with a very happy crowd of people.
We were hauled there and back by the Quarry Hunslet 'Geoge B':

Safely back home on Friday evening, tired and weary, but really pleased after a great weekend. My thanks to Pat and Mary for transporting us there and back.

And to finish, I posted a couple of images a week or so ago of the motorised crane that Pat was building for 'Maes Y Gof'
Here it is on the layout:

And to finish, a short movie of it running around:

And it's goodnight from him...
Nos da.

Well goodness me what a busy week it's been!
Nothing to report for weeks, and suddenly all hell breaks loose. Not so much Chuffering stuff, but it involved the Chuffers nevertheless.
It's been all Cardi-Bach this week. On Tuesday we had the official opening of the Heritage Collection; and then today, Saturday we had a Cardi-Bach exhibition and film show in Theatr Mwldan in Cardigan.

We kicked off on Tuesday at Login - Peter and Dawn had spent days (and evenings) arranging the displays, framing photographs and sprucing up the garden. The weather was kind, and we were all there nice and early resplendent in our Cardi-Bach T-Shirts - Thomas, Colin, Patrick and myself. Roy was in attendance as well as Mike, who came all the way down from Llangadog. Emyr was meeting and greeting, together with Sue, Dawn and Peter.
Dafed Wynn from S4C was there together with his crew to record the event.
Anyhow - enough of the words - lets have the pictures...

Worth mentioning is the gentleman in the blue jumper and tan trousers - He is Dr. M R Connop Price, who wrote 'The Whitland & Cardigan Railway' book, which we consider the definitive bible on the Cardi-Bach.

The recording was transmitted on Wednesday evening on 'Heno', on S4C - available on catch-up or you can see it on the Login Station Facebook page.

The ribbon was duly cut, and the guests all walked in to see the Collection:

Afterwards the was a sumptuous spread of quiches, sausage rolls, jam and cream scones, and the usual array of Dawns delicious cakes.

We moved swiftly once all the celebrities had gone, and dismantled the Cardigan layout, moving it into Emyr's van; together with an assortment of signs, artifacts photographs and posters ready for the Theatr Mwldan show.

Anyroadup, Friday afternoon Pat, Emyr and myself unloaded the van, carting stuff through the foyer of the theatre and setting up for Saturday.
Despite not having been operated for the best part of a year, Cardigan operated successfully! (Of course, we didn't doubt for a minute that it would ...)
Everything set-up, we retired happy, having been told that attendance booking was well over 100.

Saturday (today. See how quick I am to get news to you...) saw Emyr, Pat, Colin and me putting the last minute touches to our display:

Over 200 people turned up for the film show, and many more had to be turned away because the venue was full.
A most satisfying exhibition, lots of questions and interest, and apart from two minor electrical problems the layout performed up to our expectations. Thanks must go to Thomas for helping out with the operating.
We packed up at 5 p.m., and by 7 o'clock this evening everything was back in the Heritage Centre at Login all ready for visitors tomorrow, and we repaired to the house for tea and cake
Now I'm knackered...

Nos Da.

Good evening everybody!
Gosh, I do apologise - it has been weeks since I posted on Chuffers. Mind you, not a lot has happened in the last few weeks, as Cardi-Bach Society meetings clashed with ChufferDuffers, and Both Colin and Pat decided to wander off to various parts of the country...
(Pat ventured up to the land of the Jocks whilst they were still part of the union - in the refurbished MG no less, which I am assured performed faultlessly)

Any road up, I checked the photos on my camera, and found some that I had taken at Login a couple of weeks ago, updating Pete's Lynton and Barnstaple layout.
Three control panels; the first is to select the appropriate siding on the fiddle yard -

The next one is the control panel for switching points and power for Woody Bay Station:

And the third one, over on the opposite side of the layout is the panel for Lynton. Peter hastens to add that these are all WIP ( work in progress ) (I could have just said that anyway, and bugger the acronym)

Meanwhile, moving up a scale or two, Patrick has scratch built a self-propelled crane for the 7mm narrow gauge stable. Here it is prior to going into the paint shop, plus further fettling:

Take off the roof, and you are met with this:

The new 7mm layout is still in its embroyo stage - i.e.we are still thinking about it...

Next post will be devoted to the grand opening of the Cardi-Bach Heritage Collection at Login, which took place yesterday (Tuesday 14th May). Watch this space! 

Take care,
Shaun.