March 2021 virtual meeting

Ten made it to the March online meeting, with thanks to Tim Williams for the electronic arrangements he apparently made from a hole in the bottom of Llangower signal box if his background photo was to be believed. We also welcomed Peter Ashby, visiting virtually all the way from Kent!

Ben Powell kicked us off for the ‘show-n-tell’ having been working on a few things for his uncle Ian. These were an A1 models diesel on a Bachmann MDT chassis with a Kerr Stuart Wren and small Bagnall saddle tank, the latter 2 running on Tsugawa Koppel chassis that needed resistors fitting (Ben had used tiny ‘surface mount’ types) and the chassis for the Wren needed a new cross head making. Ben had also been working on the the store building and its loading dock for his industrial layout, including a canopy over the dock.

Ben Powell's A1 models diesel on a Bachmann MDT chassis. (photo © Ben Powell)
Ben Powell’s A1 models diesel on a Bachmann MDT chassis. (photo © Ben Powell)
Ben's Wren Chassis.jpg - Tsugawa Koppel chassis for Ben Powell's Kerr Stuart Wren fitted with 'surface mount' resistor and replacement cross head. (photo © Ben Powell)
Ben’s Wren Chassis.jpg – Tsugawa Koppel chassis for Ben Powell’s Kerr Stuart Wren fitted with ‘surface mount’ resistor and replacement cross head. (photo © Ben Powell)
Store building and its loading dock on Ben Powell's new industrial layout, including a canopy over the dock. (photo © Ben Powell)
Store building and its loading dock on Ben Powell’s new industrial layout, including a canopy over the dock. (photo © Ben Powell)

 

Peter Ashby then gave us a tour via photos he had posted on the NGRM-Online forum of his Talyllyn inspired layout, a 10’6″ by 3′ oval including a version of the Dolgoch viaduct, and showed us his Narrow Planet Dolgoch conversion of the Bachmann Rheneas.

Peter A's layout 1-3.JPG - Peter Ashby's Talyllyn inspired layout, a 10'6" by 3' oval including a version of the Dolgoch viaduct. (photo © Peter Ashby)
Peter A’s layout 1-3.JPG – Peter Ashby’s Talyllyn inspired layout, a 10’6″ by 3′ oval including a version of the Dolgoch viaduct. (photo © Peter Ashby)
Peter A's layout 1-3.JPG - Peter Ashby's Talyllyn inspired layout, a 10'6" by 3' oval including a version of the Dolgoch viaduct. (photo © Peter Ashby)
Peter A’s layout 1-3.JPG – Peter Ashby’s Talyllyn inspired layout, a 10’6″ by 3′ oval including a version of the Dolgoch viaduct. (photo © Peter Ashby)
Peter A's layout 1-3.JPG - Peter Ashby's Talyllyn inspired layout, a 10'6" by 3' oval including a version of the Dolgoch viaduct. (photo © Peter Ashby)
Peter A’s layout 1-3.JPG – Peter Ashby’s Talyllyn inspired layout, a 10’6″ by 3′ oval including a version of the Dolgoch viaduct. (photo © Peter Ashby)
Peter A's Dolgoch.JPG - Peter Ashby's model of Dolgoch made from the Bachmann Rheneas with a Narrow Planet conversion kit. (photo © Peter Ashby)
Peter A’s Dolgoch.JPG – Peter Ashby’s model of Dolgoch made from the Bachmann Rheneas with a Narrow Planet conversion kit. (photo © Peter Ashby)

 

Tim Williams showed us developments on his snow scene diorama, where the area to the sides of the ‘cut’ now show evidence of chaps working to clear the snow with shovels. I got the impression that progress on this had been a bit slower than Tim would like, as he commented he may well get it finished in time for the next summer heatwave! He had also been working on making changed to the yard area on his HOf layout ‘Insulation Lumber’ to avoid having to shunt the 6.5mm gauge stock and run three fixed-rake trains.

Tim's snow 1&2.jpg - Latest developments on Tim Williams' Show Scene, where the area to the sides of the 'cut' now show evidence of chaps working to clear the snow with shovels. (photo © Tim Williams)
Tim’s snow 1&2.jpg – Latest developments on Tim Williams’ Show Scene, where the area to the sides of the ‘cut’ now show evidence of chaps working to clear the snow with shovels. (photo © Tim Williams)
Tim's snow 1&2.jpg - Latest developments on Tim Williams' Show Scene, where the area to the sides of the 'cut' now show evidence of chaps working to clear the snow with shovels. (photo © Tim Williams)
Tim’s snow 1&2.jpg – Latest developments on Tim Williams’ Show Scene, where the area to the sides of the ‘cut’ now show evidence of chaps working to clear the snow with shovels. (photo © Tim Williams)

 

Mac Strong had been continuing the work of a HOe shunting layout with the wiring side of things, a somewhat herculean task as it involved a total of 14 sections along with 5 point motors that left Mac wondering if he shouldn’t have gone DCC with it!

Mac's layout wiring.jpg - The results of Mac Strong's somewhat herculean task of wiring the 14 sections and 5 point motors on the HOe layout he is building. (photo © Mac Strong)
Mac’s layout wiring.jpg – The results of Mac Strong’s somewhat herculean task of wiring the 14 sections and 5 point motors on the HOe layout he is building. (photo © Mac Strong)

 

Julien Webb had been making slow progress with his pair of 2-8-0 tender locos Victoria & Matilda. He had hoped to have had the latter running on Xavier’s Creek for the meeting, but an annoying bind that was traced to a moving motion bracket put paid to that. Julien also showed his latest Shapeways purchases of an Avonside 0-4-0T body to fit his Bachmann Percy chassis (from Dave’s railway bits) and a dozen turbo generators (from Myner Models), 2 of which have had wire exhaust pipes fitted ready to go on the 2-8-0s.

Julien's Victoria.jpg - Julien Webb's big 2-8-0 'Victoria' part way through her rebuild. (photo © Julien Webb)
Julien’s Victoria.jpg – Julien Webb’s big 2-8-0 ‘Victoria’ part way through her rebuild. (photo © Julien Webb)
Julien's Matilda.jpg - Julien Webb's other big 2-8-0 'Matilda' getting closer to completion. (photo © Julien Webb)
Julien’s Matilda.jpg – Julien Webb’s other big 2-8-0 ‘Matilda’ getting closer to completion. (photo © Julien Webb)
Julien's Avonside.jpg - Julien Webb's latest Shapeways purchases of an Avonside 0-4-0T body to fit his Bachmann Percy chassis (from Dave's railway bits). (photo © Julien Webb)
Julien’s Avonside.jpg – Julien Webb’s latest Shapeways purchases of an Avonside 0-4-0T body to fit his Bachmann Percy chassis (from Dave’s railway bits). (photo © Julien Webb)

 

Charlie Forbes showed us the start of an E.M. Baldwin (Australia) bogie diesel on a lifelike SW1500 chassis, a railbus based on Modelscene Leyland bus bodies and a 3 car set made from Dapol kits based on Bernard Taylor’s Armstrong Whitworth inspired ‘Skye’ proposals with a central buffet car.

Charlie's Baldwin Diesel.jpeg - The first stages of Charlie Forbes' E.M. Baldwin (Australia) bogie diesel on a lifelike SW1500 chassis. (photo © Charlie Forbes)
Charlie’s Baldwin Diesel.jpeg – The first stages of Charlie Forbes’ E.M. Baldwin (Australia) bogie diesel on a lifelike SW1500 chassis. (photo © Charlie Forbes)
Charlie's Leyland Railbus.jpeg - Railbus based on Modelscene Leyland bus body by Charlie Forbes. (photo © Charlie Forbes)
Charlie’s Leyland Railbus.jpeg – Railbus based on Modelscene Leyland bus body by Charlie Forbes. (photo © Charlie Forbes)
Charlie's Skye set.jpeg - 3 car set by Charlie Forbes made from Dapol kits based on Bernard Taylor's Armstrong Whitworth inspired 'Skye' proposals with a central buffet car. (photo © Charlie Forbes)
Charlie’s Skye set.jpeg – 3 car set by Charlie Forbes made from Dapol kits based on Bernard Taylor’s Armstrong Whitworth inspired ‘Skye’ proposals with a central buffet car. (photo © Charlie Forbes)

 

David Churchill showed us his latest purchase, which was an unbuilt Model Loco (DJH) Saxon IVK 0-4-4-0 Meyer, and also showed us a built but unpainted N-Drive Bagnall “Central” 0-4-0T, supplied with its chassis.

David's N Drive Bagnall.jpg - David Churchill's built but unpainted N-Drive Bagnall "Central" 0-4-0T running on the chassis supplied with the kit. (photo © David Churchill)
David’s N Drive Bagnall.jpg – David Churchill’s built but unpainted N-Drive Bagnall “Central” 0-4-0T running on the chassis supplied with the kit. (photo © David Churchill)

 

To round the meeting off Andy Foster showed us the latest addition to his book collection, a copy of “Irish Narrow Gauge Album” by Michael Whitehouse using photos from the collection of his late father P.B. ‘Pat’ Whitehouse.