4mm Cwm Caradoc

[Quintus]

Being unable to resist a Dapol mainline & city coach, some head scratching was necessary to convert to EM, and fit Sprat & Winkle couplings.
This involved complete removal of the tension lock arrangement and wheels, which are split axle in order to work the lighting and tail lamp.
Fortunately it is always daytime at Cwm Caradoc, and the tail lamp didn't really pass muster anyway.
I don't think any of these coaches reached Oswestry post war, but rule 1 applies, and it fits the bill.
Here is the coach arriving behind the 14xx, and later departing for Bala.

 

[Quintus]

Two coaches on market days.

 

[Alan]

Busy then.

 

[2996 Victor]

Two coaches on market days.

The extravagance!

Seriously, though, looks fab!

Cheers,
Mark

 

[Lankeyman]

Looking forward to seeing this at the Poole show next Sunday, 19th

 

[Quintus]

The layout performed well at the Poole show, the Sprat & Winkle couplings occasionally being reluctant to part, mainly due I think to the rather limited field of the electro magnets. I will give this some thought.
In the meantime, here is1450 again, now with slimmed down coupling rods, easing up to a 5 plank wagon loaded with pit props.

 

[46240]

Good morning Mike,

Wonderful scene and weathering on 1450 - is there a 'how to' guide on here please?

Cheers, Nigel.

 

[Bigjohn]

Fine surface texture…….abrasive wet and dry up to emery cloth used to be the old school method…..comes in the coarse as a matter of course.
Bigj

 

[Quintus]

A visit to a local show twixt Chriistmas and the New Year brought forth this Stephenson Clarke wagon for the princely sum of £4.00 from a secondhand stall. Quite a bargain I thought. The photo is as bought apart from a change of wheels and couplings.


Here is the Dean goods shunting a couple of wagons.
I am currently installing another Electro magnet on the running line at this end of the layout to make shunting a little easier .
I have also been grassing a bit more around the yard area.

 

[Quintus]

A new brake van for Cwm Caradoc.
A Rapido Toad is about to join the roster. It arrived in the post today from Kernow Models.
I've already popped in a set of Gibson EM wheels, which spin nice and freely, and removed the tension lock couplings/mounting blocks, just needed a couple of small washers when refitting the screw at each end that held the tension locks on (and, I think, chassis to body)
One of the easiest conversions so full marks to Rapido for that, but why oh why did they do the removable roof?
The handrails are very delicate and fragile, and when the model is picked up, the roof either becomes dislocated or falls off, encouraging handling the model lower down, on those delicate handrails.
Whilst the interior detail is admirable, I don't really see the point, it's not easy to locate the roof correctly, so gaps are visible twixt bodysides and roof, and I'm not running the van on the layout with the roof off!!
Next job will be gluing the roof on permanently.
Here it is along with my very elderly Ratio model.

 

[Quintus]

The Rapido toad has had some attention over the weekend, now with an Oswestry allocation, and using the airbrush to tone down the white handrails a little, I have also secured the roof with a few dabs of superglue. I can now handle it without the ******* roof coming off!

 

[Quintus]

1450 has now been backdated to GWR livery and is seen here running round a mixed train before shunting the small yard at Cwm Caradoc.
Staff shortages post WW2 results in a rather unkempt appearance.

 

[Quintus]

Also backdated to GW livery is the crane set, seen here with the little ex Cambrian tank propelling the set into the siding. As there is no permanent crane in the goods yard at Cwm Caradoc, the mobile crane is sent down should it be required for loading/unloading heavy consignments.
The crane and match truck are whitemetal kits from the 1980's, can't remember the source, maybe Cambrian?
I have ordered transfers to make up the lettering on the trucks, although prototype information is a little thin on the ground.

 

[Quintus]

Later in the week 1196 was seen on the mixed train returning from Bala

 

[cctransuk]

Also backdated to GW livery is the crane set, seen here with the little ex Cambrian tank propelling the set into the siding. As there is no permanent crane in the goods yard at Cwm Caradoc, the mobile crane is sent down should it be required for loading/unloading heavy consignments.
The crane and match truck are whitemetal kits from the 1980's, can't remember the source, maybe Cambrian?
I have ordered transfers to make up the lettering on the trucks, although prototype information is a little thin on the ground.
View attachment 260227

The crane is from an ABS kit.

John Isherwood.

 

[Quintus]

Further rummaging in the EM Drawer produced a couple more B.R. liveried Toad vans, so fast forward a decade or so, and the Airfix 04 was brought out to photograph a brake van special.The occupants seem to have disappeared, maybe they are all behind the camera!
Brake vans are Dapol (L), Ratio kit (C), and Mainline (R).

 

[Quintus]

The time machine has now taken us to the immediate post nationalisation period, here again is the "2251" on a goods turn.
Maybe a little too modern for a backwater such as this, but rule 1 applies.
Loco and tender have pick ups on all wheels.
The five plank wagon has traces of pre 1937 lettering, probably not too unusual at this time.

 

[LarryG]

While Rule 1 is handy, the MPD could have been struggling for motive power that day due to boiler washout delays and non-availability of other motive power, so the 2251 could have been borrowed from another shed to cover.

 

[Quintus]

I have now lettered the mobile crane (or at least the runner wagon).
Jim Russell's book on Great Western wagons has a photo of the crane in early B.R. days, and with photos of various runner wagons in the book, I made a best guess at how it may have looked in late GW days.
The runner still needs the tare weight on the RH end.
The photo has also highlited a wonky buffer that needs attention.