Treemendous!

Alan Pearson, our chief arboretum chappie, has been rather busy over the last few months. Here are a few photos of Alan's work on Victoria's board (apologies for the garage lighting and background). He's also 'planted' a lot more trees and bushes etc. on the rest of the layout, so if you have only seen Fence Houses at Oxford in 2010, you are well behind!
No more prattle. I'll just let Alan's photos and inspirational work speak for themselves.

More prattle........ Alan's techniques will be explained in an article he is planning for one of the major magazines. I'll report here when it appears in print.

See all this for real at Nottingham!

Bob.

More of Victoria

Team member John Robson and his wife Rita recently made their first trip to view Victoria viaduct close up. John sent me this photo, which struck me as showing how enormous the bases are for this listed structure. John's glamorous assistant here poses by one of the north side piers, where some of the scribbling of the local idiots does not detract from Victoria's (and Rita's) magnificence.

John's photo reminded me of a rather primitive drawing I'd been sent when researching the project, from the publication 'Fordyce - A History of Durham'. This shows Victoria under construction (1836-8), with the timber staging required to support the masonry above, a couple of derrick's for moving stone blocks around, and what may be a temporary contractors railway in place for supplying the stonework to the site.

Less than 4 weeks to Nottingham now, better get a move on!

Bob.

Lambton 'D' Pit Headgear Etch

I made a posting here dated 29th March 2011, ending with the words "back down the pit" or something like that. Well here's what I'd started back then, after looking on and off at the 'Wrightscale' etched brass kit in a drawer for the previous 3 years (you may remember the kit being advertised in the 2mm Scale Association Magazine). Mr Wright also did the kit in 4mm scale, and I think they are still available.

Like many kits, there are quirks and 'incomplete' parts to the instructions. Even having to drill holes for some of the handrails in the floors (not lining up with the post centres) and some missing words on a page, I am still delighted with the kit and the efforts it took to (nearly) complete the model as seen here.
When I bought the kit I also availed myself of the additional etch that was on offer for a spare set of sheaves (wheels). These can be left lying around representing a spare set at the pit.
A long time afterwards I was looking at the kit etches and noticed that the main kit sheaves are about 2.5mm bigger in diameter than the additional etch! The axle bearings on both etches are exactly the same size, so it's not a case of the sheave only etch being 'shrunk' to a different scale. Weird, but as the sheaves are cosmetic only, it will not matter in my case.

The finished headgear will be situated on top of the roof of the colliery building next to the winding house on my little representation of Lambton 'D' pit on Fence Houses.

I'm now awaiting the latest test sheet back from the etchers any day now, and with various walkways, stairs and lots of wall and roof windows for the colliery buildings, I should be able to finish all the buildings in time for the Nottingham show in 5 weeks time...... hopefully!
Bob.

Bringing the video links together

Not sure if this is the best way to display these links, but this will do to start with, at least they are all together and accessable by just one click!
Thanks to Ian Morgan and Mick Simpson for the videos.

1st is the FHMF 2FS 9F kit 2007.
2nd is the inaugral run in and out of the garage 2010.
3rd is the first test run at the Blyth club premises prior to the 50th anniversay Expo at Oxford 2010.
4th and latest to date is the NEFG meeting at the Blyth club 2011.

Bob.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a394fqgsXVk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqxEbDtc0To
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kO6pBINLTI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qzn8BLj7Ak

AGM, Black 5 update, and a Fry-up

That time of year again, and good news from the AGM down in Aldershot for one member of the Fence Houses team.
The last posting here was about Simon's model of Wapping Bridge Signal Cabin, and guess what? Simon was awarded the Malcolm Stone Trophy. We liked the box anyway, but now Simon has the icing on the cake.
9F's breeding? Well that's what the comment was in the 2mm Magazine for August-September 2011. See the magazine photo of the two locos built by David Smith of Essex, from the FHMF kit. I hear that David won The Groves Trophy for one of them, so well done David (maybe I'll get round to finishing my own second one now!)
Talking about finishing things, we have been working on the layout (no, it's not 'finished' yet) after the Blyth show last August, but what with various illnesses in the team, plus a general slowing down due to lethargy and old age, well at least for me, we have still a way to go to where we want to get to. However, we have the Newcastle show at Gateshead International Stadium in just under three weeks now (12th-13th November) to look forward to, so no doubt the adrenaline will come pumping back in time to fire us all up again. Hope to see some of you there.
One thing I have done since Blyth is resurrect the prototype build of the Black 5 kit that had been languishing on the 'damaged' shelf, following a serious wheel slip and a bending of one of the coupling rods. I was expecting a complete strip down of the chassis to put things right, but was amazed at the fact that I just pushed all the wheels back in to 'quarter', and force re-bent the offending rod, to produce a 99% acceptable situation. I suppose my 'just go for it' attitude helped, as I was not expecting it to work, and nothing would have been lost anyway. See the attached two photos, which shows the loco still unpainted of course, despite chivvying from certain team members. Sorry, but I just like the gleaming brass fittings, nickel silver and white metal....... even at an exhibition. At least people can see the origins of the thing, and that it's not just another Chinese import (superb as they may be these days).

Finally, how not to handle your expensive DCC chips!
It's been a long time since I dismantled a Mashima motor to clean the commutator of carbon, and on re-assembling the parts, it's important to remember the insulating washers go next to the steel body, not on the outside of the wire contact strips/brush holders!

Have fun. Bob.

Simon says.......

Fence Houses team member Simon Perkins has been saying for some time that he has "nearly finished" Wapping Bridge signal box. It's been quite some time coming, but we finally got delivery last Wednesday, and all I can say is, that it's more than worth the wait! We now all need lessons from Simon in brickwork painting and weathering!
This little box is adjacent to the down main line, and controlled the southern end of the four track section junction that ultimately ends at another signal box, Penshaw North (see previous postings). There was approximately 1.5 miles between the two real boxes, but as previously mentioned in an earlier posting, our boxes are only 1.5mtrs apart. Hopefully no one will notice the lack of distance, once they see the effort and quality of the work that has gone in to the models!
These two shots show the box in position, but not finally installed, as we intend to put a retaining wall at the sides and rear, to hold back the earthworks. Simon can show us then how to create the fantastic painted finish he has achieved.

Bob.

Moving Pictures

Further to my last posting, and the still photos previous to that, here's the link to the video made by Mick at the 8th July meeting of the North East Finescale Group (NEFG). This local group comprises modellers interested in all scales/gauges.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qzn8BLj7Ak
Class 24 diesels abound as the motive power. We've spent that much time progressing the layout that steam loco servicing has taken a back seat. Something we shall be addressing shortly, with the upcoming August exhibition in mind!
As it seems a bit odd not having any photos in a posting, here's one of Black Boy Bridge at the 'exit stage left' location. Nothing to do with ethnicity, more to do with black faced coal miners from the local pits!
Bob.

Oh yes it is, Oh no it's SNOT!

No pictures this time, but today's proceedings at North Shields culminated in my previously slippy 9F, hauling 40 of Chris Mills build of the 21t hoppers! 92099 struggled with less than 20 in times past, and we actually ran out of hoppers to put behind her this time, as she could have taken more. We did have a little wheel slip on the first circuit coming off Victoria, but not on the second, so she must have been getting in to her stride!
The reason for this transformation? That wonderfully named product "Bullfrog Snot"!
I'd applied the solution to the second pair of drivers from the front, and at the second attempt (not happy with a bumpy finish first time around) I left it to dry till I could give the engine a test on a decent train length....... that was months ago, and it's taken this long to get the whole layout up and running in test mode. Well today we tried it and I'm amazed, even though I've seen the videos before (type Bullfrog Snot in to Google and believe!)
Talking of videos, Mick has taken a new one of train movements on the layout which will be appearing shortly. I'll post the link when we get it. I've seen the initial video which I think is brilliant, but Mick's perfectionist eye has spotted something he's not happy with, so you will just have to wait a couple more days for the treat!
Bob.

Fence Houses at North Shields

We've been there a week today, after setting the whole layout up for testing. It's the first time in exactly a year (since the Oxford Expo), that it's all been put together after ballasting and scenic work having been carried out, and all sorts of things have been done in an effort to get ready for the show at the end of August. It's getting near now to bringing it all back home again to finish off some other things in comfort.
Before we strip down I've taken a few photos. Compare Low Lambton Bridge with the posting on the 8th January 2011. Looking north we have the general shot of the signal box and the other station buildings behind. Note the coal drops in the right foreground. Looking south shows Alan's rendition of the pub garden, and the footbridge is now painted and populated. I should mention the fact that the buildings (with the exception of the goods shed and the coal depot office) are not yet stuck down. The signal box especially is noticeable in that the base has yet to be bedded in with ballast. However, I think we're starting to get there.

Bob.

12 Months on

Can you believe it's a year since that incredible Oxford get together?
Coincidentally we are just about to set up the whole layout again for the first time in 12 months. This will be in North Shields, where we are to spend at least a week at the substantial new premises of The Blyth & Tyne MRC, where a few of us are members. The premises are only about a mile from the upcoming exhibition venue, and we're hoping that a week or so spent tweaking, altering (Les is to fit a new power booster to electrically separate the front viewing area from the rear fiddle yards), and re-checking everything will result in a stress free (you must be joking!) weekend in August. At least let's hope it won't be as hot and humid as the Oxford venue, with all the funny/peculiar DCC chip happenings that went on there on that fateful Sunday! Both Mick and Les intend making some video footage of the time we have in the clubrooms, so look out Youtube! I might take some stills as well for posting here. The attached two posters are for the August exhibition, and note the club site at http://www.railexne.com/ where more details of the attending layouts can be seen (click on 'Layouts, demos & Traders'). If you've viewed this site previously, note that the famous and well regarded NER layout Bramblewick is not now attending until 2012. Professional Artist and layout owner Tom Harland is undergoing hospital treatment at this time, and we all wish Tom the very best of health and a speedy recovery. Fence Houses still has a long way to go, especially with regard to the 'proper' stock period etc. and stock levels generally, not to mention signalling (what signalling!) but after the fantastic progress we've made since last July, we're getting there. A great big thank you to all the team from me.
One member of the team deserves a special mention. Jean. Come September we'll have been married 45 years, and she's still here, even after TWO Fence Houses! This has to be a record for someone with no interest at all in modelling, and I can only say how lucky am I! Our FH days are usually well attended for modelling purposes, but maybe some of Jean's cakes help the other team members remember another reason for coming along?
Bob.