Super Power Video

There were many cameras being pointed at Bron Hebog over the Super Power - Great & Small II event on the Welsh Highland over the weekend, including mine.

I managed to grab a few snaps and some small video clips which I'll be sharing with you here over the next couple of weeks.

Dinas was our first exhibition with the proper fiddle yards where we were able to run full-length WHR trains of 10 carriages, which was the reason we build such a ridiculously big OO9 layout in the first place.

So here is a shot of our black NGG16 (not meant to represent a particular WHR locomotive) climbing around the big horse shoe bend into Cutting Mawr.

Enjoy!

Sensational Super Power

We had a fabulous weekend at Welsh Highland Super Power - Great & Small II. 

Here are some snaps from our 3 days at Dinas. 

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I've got the farm house looking reasonably presentable for the exhibition this weekend.

It's a long way from finished - there are no chimneys for a start and there's a lean-to shed at the back missing - but as least it looks like a house.

The hipped roof gave me headaches as they always to - I'm hopeless whenever sloping angles come into play.

It was complicated this time by the need to leave large gaps for the lead flashing in the gullies and the considerable overhangs.

Hopefully it won't look too silly sitting in its space on the layout.

Perhaps people who don't know the area will just think its a very clean white-washed building?

Whatever, we haven't got long to wait to find out because this time tomorrow (Friday) we'll be erecting Bron Hebog and Dduallt in the Goods Shed at Dinas.

I've been looking forward to this for the best part of a year now!

The first time the F&WHR staged the event two years ago there was a lovely relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the shed and I'm sure it'll be the same again this time.

If you can't get along I shall try to post some photos on the Bron Hebog Facebook page over the weekend and maybe even a few here as well.

A word of warning though: the wifi connection is in the pub so the words may make even less sense than they usually do.

Cheers!

New For Dinas

Our model of Brown, Marshalls number is 16 ready for action this weekend.

This has been build from a Worsley Works, brass scratch-aid kit to show the carriage running in its present condition for use on Bron Hebog.

Our existing model was scratch built in styrene more than 20 years ago and is finished in all over red livery as the carriage was running in 1988.

That's fine for trundling around on Dduallt, as it will be at Dinas, but it was clear we would have to start a vintage fleet renewal for the new layout and 16 is the second to be completed after a 2nd version of van 10.

Over the winter the intention is for it to be joined by the new 11 & 12 which I scratch built over the summer.

I'm particularly pleased with the way the interior of the first class and coupe compartment show up.

The photo is a little dark so I'm really looking forward to seeing it with my own eyes when the Welsh Highland Great & Small show begins on Friday.

Finishing Touches On The Tanker

A couple of weeks ago I handed over my new WHR water tank wagon for Himself to have a tinker with.

He's stuck on the transfers.

There's lots of other tiny wee technical blurb on the real one but quite frankly life's too short!

I also left it for him to make and attach the footstep which you can see at the right hand end of the frame.

These are hangers-on (excuse the pun) from the chassis' days as a DZ wagon but strangely it only still has one at one end.

He'll give it a protective spray of varnish before it join the fleet for the show at Dinas next weekend.

There may be some squabbling about what we do with it.

His idea is that we'll leave it parked in the siding at Beddgelert where the real one spends a lot of its time as an mobile emergency source of water in the event of a major lineside fire.

I , on the other hand, would prefer to see it hung behind one of the NGG16's at the head of a full rake of SAR freight stock.

I wonder who will get their way?

Front Extension

The farmhouse is coming together steadily.

I'm hopeful that we'll at least have a basic, roofed shell to plonk on the blank space on the layout next weekend even if it will stick out like a sore thumb.

I spent one evening this week putting the window detail on the front extension.

The two big picture windows were a challenge.

They had to be fabricated with many of the right angle joints having no support other than the strength of the plastic bond itself. (In other words no strengthening pieces behind them and no large surface areas in contact)

As long as it doesn't get handled by the windows - which is unlikely - I think they'll survive ok.

With these three sides joined together and fixed in place on the front of the house you begin to get an impression of the size of the property.

All this time I've been referring to it as the front extension but I have no idea whether it was actually an original feature,  but it hardly matters.

The point is it's on now and I'll move my attention round to the back next.

Colourful Carriages

Himself is very busy attempting to finish off some more rolling stock with the exhibition at Dinas just a little over a week away now.

Carriage 16 looks a real rainbow of colours when it is disassembled like this..

He's also been putting the finishing touches to the third of the 1st generation Super Barns 108...

It isn't just carriages, either.

Work has restarted on our new Conway Castle

The main blocks of colour are all there and the challenge now is to add the rather complicated lining where they meet.