Well. It's been months hasn't it since the last Chuffer update. There has been a dearth of modelling, consequently that meant very little to write about.

Other things have been happening though. In July three of us Chuffers trundled up to Tywyn to visit the Tal-Y-Llyn narrow guage. We took a round trip to Abergynolwen and back, hauled by 'Tom Rolt'

and spotted 'Douglas' getting up steam at the station, still in the RAF colours.

Wandered around the museum, and had our picture taken for posterity...

August saw us exhibiting 'Teifi Gorge' at Llwyncelyn. A very successful outing, with the layout performing without a hitch. Remarkable when you think it had not been unpacked since it's previous outing.

No pictures - you've all seen Teifi before, many times!

September Pat and Mary took 'Maes Y Gof' and the 'American' up to the annual Bala exhibition, and made it into a four day mini-break. I drove up on the first day, Saturday to see how they were getting on.

I just took an overall picture of the main hall (there were two other rooms of exhibits) as it was a bit cramped where Pat was placed with Maes Y Gof. He's two thirds of the way up just left of centre.

I think at both venues our layouts were the more popular, mainly because we seem to operate to entertain, not just run trains. Very exhausting though!

 

The Cardi-Bach Museum is now up and running, we have had a couple of Society meetings there, and Pete has had it open a couple of times for visiting parties. Mentioning Pete segues on to a modelling chapter - his Lynton and Barnstaple Layout.

He has come on in leaps and bounds with some exsquisite  detailing. Starting from Lynton:

Looking back at the station masters house and garden:

Then moving further back to show the goods yard, coal storage, and the crane still in primer ready for the painters:

Turning around the corner on the way to Woody Bay, the farmer has just ploughed a field, and is in the yard unharnessing the horses.

Turn to the right and Woody Bay station comes into view:

Up behind the station sheep are being herded into the stock pens ready for the forthcoming auction.

(Every one of them painted and place individually - also the four sheep-dogs patiently doing their thing)

Still lots more detail to take in, and still more modelling to do. We think Pete is doing a fantastic job!

Thats it for now - spell checker doesn't seem to be working, so apologies for any errors!

TTFN

Shaun.

 Good afternoon. We are into July already, and although Chuffers don't do a great deal during the summer months, we did get to complete the layout at Login last month.

More of that further down the column...

In the meantime Pat found time to resurrect an old plastic kit of a thatched cottage, and put his own inimicable stamp on it. Last night we met at Patrick's, and he showed us the completed diarama.

This is the front view, with man of the house just leaving, his bicycle leaning on the wall outside:

The side view shows the well-kept back garden, with the lady of the house busy hoeing between the cauliflowers. The sun-flowers are in bloom, as are the runner beans. 

In the greenhouse the tomato plants appear to be doing well.

On the sun-lounger away from prying eyes (ours excepted...) daughter and son-in-law are getting an all-over tan.

Back to Login!

As I mentioned, we finally completed the track run from Cardigan on the left, through Cilgerran, Boncath, and Crymych:

 

 

Around the top, using the old grey original models of Glogue and Llanfyrnach, and Rhydowen:  

 

 

And then down the right-hand side through Llanglydwen and Login, Colin doing some final tweaks to the wiring at Login...

before the line carried on through Penclipin crossing, Llanfalteg station, Cardigan branch junction and finally reaching Whitland, under the watchful eye of (a somewhat distorted) Patrick.

 

 

 

The proof of the pudding as they say is in the eating, so we connected up the power, plugged in a controller, and set off from Whitland...

 

 

 

A little bit of help was required initially, but the full length of line was completed without any further hitches - albeit a little faster than the prototype, and without stopping at stations!

I feel justifiably proud of our efforts!

Cheerio,

Shaun.

 Hello everybody. We are making a quick return just to update you on some progress that we are making down at the Cardi-Bach Railway Society headquarters in Login.

AS you may recall we are having a re-vamp. All the big layouts have been removed and gone on to other homes, except the static Login layout, which is now behind glass at the back of the Museum.

A quick picture of how the Museum was last year:

Our idea is to have small representational models of all the stations going around the edges of the room. Boards and shelving in place, and duly painted by myself and Chuffer Pete a couple of weeks ago.

You may remember from previous posts that I had built small models of the stations - these we placed in the appropiate positions around the perimeter to see what it looked like.

 

Cardigan to Crymmych:

We had kept the original Crymmych layout, as it was N gauge. It just had to be butchered to fit into the shelving:

and on the other side of the room Whitland to Llanglydwen: (you can't see Whitland and the Junction, the angle wasn't wide enough)

For the last two Tuesdays, Colin and I have been beavering away down at Login (no Pat, as he decided to go waltzing off down the Danube, leaving us to do the work)

Anyhow, with Col doing the wiring and me on the scenics, we are almost there.

This is the Cardigan side running up to Crymmych:

I didn't take a still picture of the other side, instead we managed to get a train to run from Whitland all the way up to login, passing through the Junction, Llanfalteg, Peclipin crossing and on to Login. It would have reached Llanglydwen, but there was an obstruction on the line (two croc clips supplying the power!)

This is obviously still work-in-progress, but with Pat hopefully back next week, it shouldn't be long before things are up and running.

Watch this space!

Toodle-pip,

Shaun.

 Hello everyone.

After that very successful outing to Pembroke Dock, from where we returned safely, eluding the n'erdo-wells and sundry brigands that haunt the back roads South of the Lansker border, we now have an invite to another exhibition courtesy of the Carmarthenshire 0 gauge club, this time on the outskirts of Carmarthen, in the village hall of Bronwydd Arms.

Saturday April the 15th, should you happen to be over that way. We have exhibited there before, and found it to be an excellent venue - plenty of parking and good catering - always a pre-requisite!

We will be taking 'Maes Y Gof' and the American N gauge this time, as at the last visit we showed 'Teifi Gorge'. That was in 2020, and checking my files, we had the American N on display at that visit as well.

Also, checking back we were at Bronwydd Arms in 2017, when we exhibited 'Maes Y Gof' and 'Crymmych Arms'. Here's a picture of Pat and Mike, from six years ago...

Maes Y Gof has undergone some tweeking over the last six years, and when we met at Pat's last Tuesday he showed us one or two changes and editions.

The carriages used on the layout now have uprated glazing, and both have switchable internal lighting:

Lighting has also been fitted into the rail-bus:

and as you can see, just behind the rail-bus the platform shelter has been fitted with illumination as well.

The eagle-eyed amongst you may also be wondering about the mysterious bundle on the platform, half-hidden by the back of the bus.

On closer investigation it would appear to be Myfanwy, who having imbibed several port and lemons at the St Davids day concert was quite overcome...

On the shelf above Pat's work-area this bicycle was spotted:

carefully put together with parts cut from a plastic sprue of parts, from which you can make several different cycles (if you are adroit enough...)

We enjoyed a very flavourful home-made pizza, washed down appropriately enough by another fine Italian wine that Colin discovered.

Finishing this episode of the Duffers with a video of Pats permanent O gauge layout both modern and vintage three-rail, with a fine selection of tin-plate stock.

Chuffers at Colins in two weeks time,

Hwyl fawr,

Shaun.

 Good evening everyone. Yes, yet another edition of Chuffers!

This is a special one, as today the three of us ventured bravely over the Preseli Hills and across the reaches of the Cleddau into darkest Pembroke Dock.

My old workmate and accomplished bass guitarist from the 1960's, Pete Mitchell had invited the Chufferduffers to once again exhibit our layouts at his modelling groups' annual exhibition in the Heritage Museum in Pembroke Dockyard.

We set off at the ungodly time of 7:30 in the morning, and were all set up in the venue and operational by 9:30. No more waffle - here are pictures:

 

Maes Y Gof:

 

 

The American N Gauge:

And an overall view:

We had goodies to sell, and did quite a bit of business. Both layouts ran faultlessly throughout the six hour exhibition, and we had ample time to wander, meeting fellow modeller Roger Howells, also from 'Oop North', and old acquaintances Ron Weatherall, Peter Francis and Steve McDonald.

Finishing with videos of both layouts:

Thanks for watching,

Shaun.

 Greetings all. 

Last Tuesday saw three of us meeting at Patrick's, for a convivial evening of food and wine, and possibly a modicum of railway content...

Colin and myself had little to contribute, Colin suffering from over-indulgence after a night at Browns in Laugharn celebrating Chas's wedding anniversary, and me reluctantly passing my eightieth. So, it was all down to Pat.

In the last post I showed some pics of Pats flower shop he constructed from a laser-cut kit. On Tuesday I had the chance to take some pictures of the front - so here they are:

This is the overall shot, and below are a couple of close-ups, with a pound coin for comparison:

Pats son Daniel, who I believe I have mentioned before, dabbles (very professionally) in 3D printing, and he came up with some vehicles in 2mm scale for Pat's American N gauge layout.

One of the items was a steam lorry:

Again with the ubiquitous coin for comparison.

Staying with Daniel, the previous Sunday happened to be Mothers Day, and in the past Daniel has given his mother, Mary, live orchids, which don't always last for too long. This year he went one better, and found an orchid plant made from Lego... consisting of several hundred pieces, it took Mary a couple of hours to put together - but a very impressive result!

 

 

 

A short post this week - tomorrow (Saturday 25th) we are exhibiting Pats 'Maes Y Gof' layout, together with the American N Gauge, at the Heritage Museum in Pembroke Dock. It's an early start, so off to bed for an early night!

We finish with a video of the Station Masters L & B layout featuring two of his loco's in tandem.

Nos da,

Shaun.

 Whoop-de-do, hooray, and other exclamations of unbridled delight... Chufferduffers once again are able to meet at Pentrecagal!

But I am ahead of myself. Tuesday April 28th Colin hosted Chuffers at his house in Cilgerran, where we feasted on his excellent home-made soup, cheesey rolls and stuffed olives, and imbibing on an offering from his cellar, this time an Italian selection from the South, vintage 2003. Appropriately enough we watched an old DVD of Jancis Robinson, part of her series on wine! (not a locomotive in sight...)

On to last Tuesday, after a break of several months, curry was once again on the menu...

Pat had brought along a show-and-tell laser cut kit of a 4mm shop, which he has modelled as a florist.

The only commercial bits are the figures, courtesy of Preiser, and the shell of the building. Everything else has been painstakingly modelled in plasticard, paper and card - plus all the painting, except for the figures.

I forgot to include something to compare the size, but as a for-instance, the figures are less than an inch high. Herewith the pictures:

And three more:

Outside the front of the shop:

and some packets of seeds on display: 

Still work-in-progress, so more pics of the finished shop at a later date. Watch this space!

Things haven't been dormant down in the Taf valley. Although the Station Master has been unable to do much to his Lynton and Barnstaple layout due to inclement weather, he was in touch with a guy who does 0 gauge 3D printing, and who advertised the L & B crane. Pete inquired about one in 009 scale, and in due course:

Here it is straight 'out of the box' yet to be fettled and painted:

Pete's prowess with the paint brush is about on par with Pat's, so we can look forward to a worthy addition to the L & B layout in days to come.  

As we are in L & B mode, here is a video clip from our archives of one of Colins loco's running through Cilgerran onto the turntable, and back into the Gorge to do service at St Dogs.

Thats about it for this one.

Steady away,

Shaun.

 2023!! January has come and gone, and here we are well into February. I don't think we have ever had such a long break between Chuffer postings.

I have to say that its mostly my fault, as due to personal circumstances we have been unable to meet at Pentrecagal, which has severely curtailed operating layouts. We have been meeting weekly though, and had a good Card-Bach meeting in January. The dining room at Y Bont where we usually meet suffered a bit of flooding, so they kindly let us use the bar-room for our meeting - which gave the customers an opportunity to join in as well!

Last week Emyr, Pete and Dawn and me gave a Cardi-Bach film and photo show at Llanboidy - we expected about 20, and over 100 turned up... a very successful evening. 

On the modelling front, we have been a bit lacking of late, but luckily Station Master Pete down at Login station has come up trumps, and sent images of his latest endeavors in the 00/009 department.

one of the Metcalf range, Pete made this workshop, and kitted it out with workers and tools:

 

 

 Thats the outside. Open it up...

 and from John Wiffens 'Scalescenes' Pete made this mill building:

These are to go on Petes 'dogbone' layout that he has been busy with over the winter, it being too cold to work on his L & B layout in the old wagon. The dogbone has yet to be named -

 Also to go on one of the layouts, Pete has produced and painted an old GPO van, complete with postie:

 Colin meanwhile found a source of tiny electric motors from China, so he re-motored three of the Teifi Gorge locos that had very old motors, and were struggling a bit. Here they are going through their paces with their brand new power units.

 

 

 

Last Tuesday, when those vids were taken, we met at Pat's, and after a delicious curry, with rather interesting French Laughing Water ( last week at Col's we had an Italian LW, which was close to 16%...) I digress. We watched, believe it or not IVOR THE ENGINE! a full two hour DVD, and Colin was so enraptured he never nodded off. Quite a lot of chortling could heard...

 Proof:

 

Thats it for now,

Shaun.