Hi everyone.
Starting with the Cardi Bach Society - as one of our members pointed out, having meetings at the beginning of the week and the beginning of the month is not the best idea, as that is the favourite time for most organisations to have their meetings - which is a fair point.
With that in mind, I polled the membership by E-mail for their views... the response, I have to say is underwhelming. Oh the joys of being a secretary.


On to happier matters.
We met here at Llechryd last night - little bit dark in the conservatory, so we put the lights on on the new layout:

It wasn't that bad really! I had the lighting gantry above the layout, and spot lamps over the work table, so we managed (after a fashion)
Starting with Colin - with his departure from the Dark Side, as 'Station Master' would have it (not sure who Station Master is, but I think he might reside in Login) he showed us the progress with his 7mm scratch build of a cabbed quarry Hunslet.

This is built completely from scratch using plasticard, brass and copper tubing and bits of wire. The only proprietary component is the chassis, which came from a Hornby 'Smoky Joe'.
The chassis cost in the region of £10... disregarding Colins time and the cost of the rest of the materials, it compares quite favourably with a commercial model, which would be in the region of £180 or more.
Here is another view:

Not only looking the biz, it actually runs!

We are impressed!

Patrick meanwhile was busy correcting the Kaydee couplings on some of the rolling stock, but he brought along the latest waggon load that he had put together:

I just hope the bumper is man enough for the restraining chains...


He also secured a bargain on Ebay of a period taxi, which we see here parked up in the station forecourt:

You have to appreciate that the layout is still in the early stages of construction, and a lot of what you see is just plonked down to create the overall effect.
The scenics have been started, but just colour-washed to give us an impression of what is needed.
We ran all the stock around the site to highlight glaring mistakes (lots) which I will have to try and corrrect before the next meeting here.
But to give you a quick preview of things, here's a short video clip :

By half past eight we had enough, so repaired to the dining room for entertainment with Youtube and a home-brewed Chicken Dhansak that I had prepared the day before, with the usual accoutrement's.

I think Patrick just bit on a clove...


No Chuffers next week, as Pat and Mary are off to Criccieth for a couple of days, with the highlight being the Welsh Highland Railway (and the Lloyd-George Museum) (He knew my father...) 

Thanks for your indulgence - all comments welcome.

All the best, Shaun.