Fairlight Works

Camping at Christmas

Posted on 31 December, 2011 by Steve

After spending Christmas at my parents’ we came home a few days ago for “Christmas 2″ – or in other words the presents to each other we couldn’t be bothered to transport all the way there and all the way back again.

I can report I received a kit as one of mine, although not the usual narrow gauge or even model railway fare…

A Lego kit for a 1962 VW Camper. Containing a mere 1332 pieces, split into 15 bags of bits with 2 instruction booklets, this is certainly not a model for the impatient and in fact took two (long!) evenings to complete.

The instructions start with the engine bay so, armed with suitable encouragement I set off. The engine isn’t as sophisticated as some Lego Technic cars but it is largely hidden once complete.

Despite the complexity of the kit and the close resemblance to the original vehicle, most of the parts are regular Lego blocks although used in a variety of ingenious ways with very little “cheating”. Actually its a testament to the genius of the geometry of the system that such things are even possible.

I decided to kit-bash slightly and build the cabin as right-hand drive. Yet to go in is the dashboard which also acts as a support for the opening ‘safari’ windscreens.

The completed beast. All doors, windscreen, rear hatch and engine cover open, and the roof extension pops up (with a fabric curtain). Inside there is a folding table and convertible bed.

Now how about trying the same level of interactivity in 1:76 scale!

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I’ve been a lazy blogger

Posted on 27 December, 2011 by Steve

Pressures of work and other activities over the last few months have led to a pause in updates here – although that doesn’t mean I haven’t been up to anything of interest. Now I have a few days rest before it all starts again in 2012 here’s a brief summary…

FR Vintage Weekend

My first vist to a gala event at the Ffestiniog, and it was a great one! The weather was superb over both days (a big ask for north Wales in mid-October) and along with a few friends we had a brilliant time on the railway on the Saturday and then lineside on the Sunday – the final highlight being the quadruple headed (3 double Fairlies and Blanche) service leaving Tan-y-Bwlch late in the afternoon. All rounded off with a look around the slate museum at Llanberis before heading home.

Photos from Saturday, 15th October
Photos from Sunday, 16th October
Photos from Monday, 17th October

ExpoNG 2011

Another year and another ExpoNG. With Narrow Planet now firmly established as a custom nameplates service we had a stand at the show for a second year, so a lot of time was taken up with that. However there were a few chances to look around the rest of the show, and it felt like the quality was great with a good variety of layouts and some deserved prize winners with Garreg Wen, Corris 1930 and Landswood Park Farm all receiving trophies.

My personal favourite, pictured above, was the O14 Grossbierdorf by Escadrille St. Michel, who come over from France with an excellent new layout every year and this was no exception.

Photos from ExpoNG

And a little bit of modelling

Didn’t want to over-do it, of course, but I have found a bit of time to put together the excellent new 009 Society kit for the Hudson toastrack coach as used on the FR & WHHR. Currently in progress is a Chivers Finelines L&B bogie open, which I picked up at ExpoNG and is also a great kit with very free-running bogies.

With a hope of having a bit more time in the new year (ever optimistic, usually foiled) I’ve been accumulating a few projects via eBay and other sources so with luck there will be more updates from here in 2012!

Posted in expong, ffestiniog, kits, model railways, narrow gauge, photos, preservation | 1 Comment

Sunshine at Bredgar

Posted on 8 October, 2011 by Steve

Through the woods towards Stony Shaw with Eigiau

That freak October heatwave coincided with one of the 2′ gauge Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway‘s open days, so what better way to round off the summer than an afternoon of small trains in the Kentish hills.

A tunnel of trees on the B&WLR

What the privately owned railway might lack in length it more than makes up for in character, with sharp curves and steep gradients carefully inserted through the mature trees to give the appearance of having been there for a long time.

Eigiau waits to take the next train from Stony Shaw

The two stations, Warren Wood and Stony Shaw, are immaculately presented and the extensive sheds contain a brilliant array of machinery – as well as the railway stock there are traction engines, tractors and vintage cars and bikes.

‘Miniature’ Dholpur 2-8-4T

Not all the railed vehicles are 2′ gauge either, there were also a number of ‘miniatures’ on display. I use the term loosely as this 7.25″ gauge replica of an Indian 2-8-4T Dholpur which is a beast even at that scale and almost as big as the 10.25″ gauge Leek & Manifold tank (same prototype gauge of 2’6″) behind it. Definitely one for the future modelling file!

Limpopo running round at Warren Wood

An intensive service was running, with three engines in steam and taking turns on two rakes of coaches, and demonstration goods trains later in the day. The railway runs at least six open days through the spring and summer, you will need a car to get there but it’s well worth the effort!

More photos from the day on Flickr

Posted in 2' gauge, inspiration, narrow gauge, photos, preservation | 2 Comments

Norfolk Enchants

Posted on 6 September, 2011 by Steve

A family holiday to a fantastic art deco (ish) house on the cliffs at Sheringham in Norfolk. The standard gauge North Norfolk Railway runs from and through the centre of town, but the more interesting one to gain “achievement unlocked” on was the 15″ gauge Bure Valley Railway down the road at Aylsham.

Built relatively recently in 1990, on the former trackbed of a Great Eastern Railway route, the BVR has an impressive headquarters in Aylsham including a well-stocked model shop, and runs 9 miles to Wroxham where it meets the Norwich to Cromer/Sheringham national rail line. Although only 15″ gauge, the gradients call for powerful locomotives and a “standard” design inspired by the Bagnall ZB class built for 2′ 6″ gauge railways in India has been adopted. Except smaller, of course.

Different body styles have been used on the same basic mechanicals to differentiate the fleet. Our train was hauled by No. 8, a 2-6-2T resembling the Vale of Rheidol locos but also in service was No. 6 Blickling Hall which demonstrates much more ZB-ness.

A few diesels supplement the steam locos, including an interesting conversion of a 2′ gauge Hudson Hunslet.

The ride itself is pleasant, the scenery during the journey peaceful and bucolic although aside from a beautiful Elizabethan manor house beside the line about halfway along nothing too memorable. The locos are turned at both ends of the line, which adds some novelty value to the conventional run-round.

Perhaps due to its relative modernity and slight air of sparseness in the non-Aylsham facilities the railway didn’t really feel that characterful, although it is a slick operation and understandable to focus resources on the important part – running the trains. The ride quality in the small carriages also wasn’t that great, but since the last 15″ gauge line I rode on was the Ravenglass & Eskdale in the mid 1990s I can’t really remember enough to make a comparison.

Overall a pleasant way to spend a few hours with the kids, who really enjoyed the journey – especially “racing” the cyclists on the adjacent foot and bike path, and also the good cafe afterwards. Worth the visit, certainly, but not sure if it would stand up to many repeats.

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Jelly and ice-cream redux

Posted on 23 August, 2011 by Steve

Another August, another invite to a pleasant afternoon of model railways, chatter and desserts in rural Sussex. I dug Cranbrook out of the shed and took it along, to my surprise it a) hadn’t been eaten by mice and b) still worked. With revived enthusiasm it’s now in my office pending full installation, more updates to come soon.

Many thanks to those who organised the event and those who came along and made it excellent.

The entirety of Loxley Barton Falls (009) by Simon Cox.