14 made it to the December meeting (pic001).
Dick Johnson brought along a Christmas themed pizza layout complete with loco (built by the late Peter Hardy) with suitable headboard(Pic002). Dick also had drawings and photos of the new observation carriage recently arrived on the Welshpool & Llanfair (pic003) from the Zillertalbahn in Austria.
Steve Mann brought along a set of baseboards and some photocopied track templates and set about designing a new layout (pic004).
Neil Davies brought along his portable test track and it got a lot of use during the meeting.
Neil brought along one of his handmade willow trees (pic005) so the test track had some greenery. He had largely finished his latest brake van – this one with a ‘bird cage’ lookout for the guard (pic006). This got a run behind a rake of Neil’s Welshpool stock and the train saw a variety of motive power. David Churchill’s Darjeeling diesel was one caught by the lens (pic007). This was a ready to run model David imported from India and is in the special livery applied to mark the 75th anniversary of Indian independence. Later, one of Ben Powell’s Kerr Stuart 0-6-2T, built from the Golden Arrow ‘Superior’ kit with a Farish 08 chassis, took over (pic008). I’m sure that other locos ran that I missed.
Charlie Forbes brought along a few things. First was a snow plough, built from an American HOn3 wooden kit with the bogies narrowed from 10.5mm gauge (pic009). Charlie also had a SAR hopper wagon, Baguley Drewry loco and Shell 4 wheel tank wagon (pic010).
Also seen on the test track (Pic011) was a selection of locos from Ben Powell that included a pair of (OO gauge) Port of Par Bagnall locos “Alfred” and “Judy” by Rapido. Ben’s kit built ‘Old Hooky’, ‘Masham and Kerr Stuart 0-6-2s along with his scratch built Sena Estates Peckett were also on show. These joined A DHR B class and Walford Diesel made by the late Gert Jensen, on loan to the DHRS and looked after by David Churchill.
Ian Willetts brought along Brandgeight (Pic012) in order to test and fettle the wiring alterations since taking the layout on from Pete Hardy’s estate. This paid off as he managed to get both controllers working. With some insight into how Peter had wired up the layout he was able to guide the group in what needed to happen to Norton Heath (Pic014). Peter’s final layout has been given to the group by his family as a new group layout. Trevor Street is currently storing the layout for us, but in the longer term we need someone to manage the project to resurrect the layout and exhibit it.
Paul Walton and Andrew Weaver brought along another test track (pic015). I suspect I missed a few things running but managed to photograph Andrew’s ‘pug bash’ on an Arnold chassis and Lledo based railbus (Pic016). I also managed to ‘snap’ Paul’s 3d printed Ffestiniog style Funkey diesel double heading with a similar Single Fairlie (pic017).
Finally Kevin Wright was working on a new diorama layout (Pic018). This continues the WW1 theme, but will represent a preserved trench railway.
