13 braved the frosty weather to attend our December meeting at Four Oaks.
Adrian Hall brought along a Blackstone K27, Westside K36 and Fujiyama K37. All HOn3 and fitted with DCC sound and were heard running during the meeting. Also running was a little box cab loco that Adrian had purchased from Ralph Parker’s estate at the November meeting. Adrian was also doing some modelling with stripping the paint off a brass HOn3 caboose using Deluxe products ‘Strip Magic’.
Dick Johnson had decided to leave ‘Tren Bach’ at home in the warm this month. He did bring along his latest purchases from the Warley show though. These included a Bachmann Britomart, 2 different Peco Christmas vans and an Ali-Shan forest railway diesel locomotive.
Bob Taylor had been busy building a new layout. “Blodyn Bocs” is a small circular layout built into a flower box. The centrepieces are some 3d printed buildings and slate fence made from bits of plasticard. Running on the night was a 3d printed tram loco body on a Kato chassis.
Peter Hardy brought along his test track that saw a variety of stock on the night. This included a Bachmann Brittomart and Peter’s Narrow Planet O&K. The latter was hauling the 4 wagons Peter had built on the 009 demonstration stand at the recent Warley show. These are an exercise in recycling and reusing, being made from bits left over from the Wills woodyard kit, scratch built plastic chassis and some spare wheel sets.
Also on Peter’s test track was Paul Atkin’s latest loco. This was made from a pair of Coopercraft Matador lorry cabs mounted back to back on a Kato bogie chassis. Paul had also brought along a Christmas train. This was a Smallbrook Studios 0-16.5 0-4-0 Peckett “North Star, no. 2412” with festive driver and some Smallbrook wagons.
Steve Mann had also bought a Bachmann Brittomart at Warley. This got some running-in on an oval of Kato Uni-track with a rake of Bachmann and Peco slate wagons. Britomart also had a go with a rake of Fourdees 4 wheel coaches, the loco’s blue livery nicely complimenting the brown and cream of the coaches, as did the Bachmann ‘Rusty” that Steve had also bought at the show.
Matthew Tozer was busy painting a selection of 3d printed open wagons that had been purchased via eBay. His use of paint and colour washes very effectively captured the worn and faded wood of some ‘internal user’ wagons for his box-file diorama “Brewery Stores”.
David Churchill had taken delivery of the late Gert Jensen’s collection of Darjeeling & Himalayan Railway stock. These are currently on loan to the DHRS and David is doing a little light restoration. It was delightful to see Gert’s B class 0-4-0ST, Walford diesel and Motor Rail railcar again at a meeting.
Also undertaking some model making was Joseph Jacks, who was fitting and wiring up the point motors on his Snailbeach layout. These seemed to be working by the end of the evening, but the running of trains would have to wait until the point motor pins had been cut to length to match the 6mm kappabord Joseph had used in his ultra lightweight construction. However, with his Kerr Stuart Skylark and GVT loco posed outside the engine shed the layout seems to be shaping up well.
Thanks to Peter Hardy and David Churchill on Tea & Coffee Duty, and to Paul Atkin who helped Peter with the washing up. Thanks also to Dick Johnson, John Davies, Paul Atkin and Steve Mann for the festive catering contributions – I don’t think much was left to be taken home.
