Packing For Porthmadog

We still have the best part of a fortnight to go but today the plan is to break down Minffordd  and get it all packed away ready for the trip to the show in Porthmadog.

Over the weekend we did a last bit of test running to check a few of the adjustments which have been made since Glasgow, one of which was an overdue reset of the decoder on the green 24 to cure its tendency to unpredictable rates of acceleration, which made attempting to shunt wagons into the yard a challenge.

The show, at Y Ganolfan, just across the harbour from the FR station, looks like it will be a terrific event.  Link here.

The organisers look to have pulled together a remarkable collection of layouts of locations along the FR, or ones which have been inspired by it.

There's a few I'm particularly looking forward to seeing, and I hope the owners won't mind that I've lifted some photos from their social media.

Tan y Bwlch by Nigel Smith has captured the feel of everyone's favourite FR station perfectly.

In a larger scale, Rhiw Goch, from James and Peter Hoyle, is another exquisitely faithful representation of a real life location on the line.

And Charles Insely's Bangor looks like it oozes atmosphere, and I've been watching his Bachmann Fairlie kit bashes with interest as he documented the project, so it will be fascinating to see them close up.

Proceeds from the show will be split between the fundraising appeals to overhaul Blanche and to build a replica of the Spooner bogie ballast wagon, so that's an extra incentive to come along to the show if you are able to.

Russian Doll

If I put up a post telling you what I’ve been working on this weekend it would be very boring - casting scores of Superbarn seat and table sets for a customer.

So instead I thought a little walk down memory lane would  be more interesting for you.

Prompted by discussion on a Facebook group I dug out some pictures of a model of Rhiw Goch signal boxes - note the plural - which I made as a gift for the chap who led the rebuild project many years ago.

I don’t have many moments of genius but this was one of them.

Inspired by the way they built the new box outside the old one then did the demolition from within.

So I built the models like a Russian doll with the new one slipping on top of the old ‘70s garden shed box.

I was pretty chuffed with how it turned out, and when the late, great Steve Coulson produced a plinth and protective Perspex case it finished it off brilliantly.

Still one I’m very proud of.

The full story is in Narrow Gauge and Industrial Modelling Review number 74 - I hope the editorial team won’t mind me reproducing the images here.