DCC Project layout - Scenic Update

A few days ago, I managed to scenic the new OO layout I'm currently using to test DCC operation on.



Comments as always welcome, Until next time, Jon

DCC Trio

As Blaencwm and Blaencwm Works move towards being DCC/DC layouts, its only fair that the 3 DCC fitted locos are shown. All 3 are made by Liliput and 2 of them have been repainted into freelance liveries for running on the UK based layouts.






Until next time,

Jon

Narrow Gauge South, Sparsholt

Just got back from Narrow Gauge South at Sparsholt and I must say it was a fantastic show, great to finally put some faces to names from one of the forums I belong to and great to be able to meet a number of great people. Just a selection of photos are shown below mostly of Isle Ornsay and Bron Hebog which were the two layouts I took the most photographs of. And a big thanks to Tom on Isle Ornsay for letting me play with his 'pride and joy' for an hour using the 'Works shunter', VL6 and my FR 'C' set:-













Until Next time,

Jon

Latest Coaches arrive on Blaencwm Works

Today at Sparsholt, I managed to collect the latest in the long line of 009 Coaches from Boston Largs Works. Shown below with the works shunter soon to be named 'Rhur'.

As fantastic as the rest of the coaches delievered and highly recommended.

Until next time,

Jon

Further Stock work

Lots of photos of the latest work on rolling stock for both Blaencwm and Blaencwm Works.

The works shunter formally known as Dollnitz:-

Palmerston Awaiting Nameplates:-

Linda and Coach '38' showing off the newly applied FR crests:-

The FR Victorian Set so far:- Coaches 5, 9 and 10:-

Until Next time,

Jon

BLR - Some progress at last

At last some progress on the BLR project. After a lot of thought, the line has been transformed from a out and back to a continuous loop of track. At the moment, its roughly laid on the back lawn which makes running a challenage due to the gradients involved in the line.

The line as it is atm



However, I do have plans to make this loop line longer. As shown below. Although its only adding a couple of S bends into the line, it should make things more interesting when operating it. Hopefully, I'll be able to aqquire some addition 45mm stock (see wish list) to run with the steam loco and hopefully a second engine/railcar to run on days when I just want to watch the trains run.



As usual, comments and suggestions about future rolling stock are always welcome.

Until next time,

Jon

Palmerston Update

A short update on Palmerston. The engine decided to fall apart recently (as you do) and as such has had a lot of time spent rebuilding it. All it needs now is final painting into the scheme it first appeared in after restoration:-

Front view coupled to James Spooner

Rear view

The scheme Palmerston will eventually carry (photo from the FR Soicity website)

Until next time,

Jon

The Square (and other Fairlies)

Hello all,

I'm very happy to announce that the next Double Fairlies out of Blaencwm works will be:-

Meriddin Emrys
James Spooner
Earl Of Merioneth

However, not all is as it seems.

Due to my incompetent nature of trying to fit valve gear to the Bachmann GP50 chassis, I'm taking a different approach to the extend I don't think this has been done before.

I present to you, the ambulance bogie chassis.



Basically, I managed to break the motor on the chassis for what would have been Meridden Emrys' Chassis and after some thought, removed the gears from the bogies and fitted a bemo coupling to one end creating a very effective representation of the ambulance bogies used on the real FR.

After doing the same to the original replacement for it (the chassis which was to go under James Spooner), I've decided on a rather....unconventional approach to fixing the problem. As all 3 double fairlies spare the same chassis block, I'm planning to paint DLG's power bogies black allowing the only working chassis (at the moment) to be used to power all 3 engines as and when I feel like running them. It also, allows for the chassis to be used under the soon to be built Earl of Merioneth which will run in unlined Black. Just need to fit couplings to the other 'dead' chassis and then I can have a train of double fairlies (until such a time as I can buy/get hold of a spare chassis to convert properly).

But onto the pictures:-

Meriddin Emrys on Ambulance Chassis No.2

David Lloyd George on Working Chassis No.1

James Spooner on Ambulance Chassis No.1

Until Next time,

Jon