Erith MRS Exhibition, Longfield

Keith and Pete K set up Lightermans Yard on Friday evening and were pleased to find we had been allocated a place next to a door which was handy for unloading/loading. The setup went smoothly with everything working just right.

On Saturday “The Yard” was manned by Alan, David S, Keith and Pete K. and Sunday by Pete K, Keith, Alan and Richard. Gordon and Alan B were also in attendance.

Despite the appearance of chaos, we've done this before and it's alright in the end!

Saturday was a very busy day public wise and at times we had viewers two and three deep. There were lots of very nice comments, all of them positive. We didn’t find out until Sunday that the Saturday visitors had voted “The Yard” best in show for which we were the first recipients of The John Muskett Memorial Shield. To our delight the layout behaved itself, apart from the odd nudge of the tank locos. We will be prioritising stay alive units in these locos in an attempt to achieve near faultless running.

Day two was also well attended, again lots of nice comments, invitations to future shows and congratulations on the shield - taken away to have Lightermans Yard engraved in first place!

An enjoyable exhibition event. Thanks to Pete K for most of the words and images.

January 2019 Meeting

We start the new year with this blog returned to it's original web address, after a slight hiatus over user names and alternative locations. The December 2018 entry has is now where it should be, under this address. If you adjusted your bookmarks - please revise to 2mmkeag.blogspot.com

Our first meeting this year focused on our attendance at the upcoming Erith MRS exhibition on 26 and 27 January, and preparing Lightermans Yard for the show. Having experienced a number of little bugs, mainly electrical, in previous outings, we needed to check that the known problems were rectified. The most important being testing the uncoupling magnets and thanks to David S's investigations into the control box, these are now 100% working. A report on the exhibition will appear on the blog.

Before each outing we need to check that everything is working and that we have all the components ready to load into whoever's cars the layout will be traveling to the venue in. As access to our storage space is at our monthly meetings. Checking and loading is now down to a fine art!

Pete K and David S surveying the track board  and about to check the uncouplers.

On the way to test the magnets!

...set of vans coupled...

success! Note the white dot that marks the position of the uncoupling magnet

General feeling of satisfaction, and ready to take on the challenge of another outing.

Adding another loco to test the controllers and below - running a double header

 Three locos running coupled together!

A discussion on making scale track work drawings in Templot for Alan and Keith's Evercreech Junction project (see last month's blog entry).





We will continue the Terrier conversion. Possibly next meeting as Lightermans Yard will be 'on the road' for the Tonbridge MRS Exhibition on 16 February and Alexandra Palace in March.

December 2018 Meeting

This month's meeting was an opportunity to see the physical progress of the layout that Alan and Keith have talked about and is now beginning to materialise. Our meeting venue was a chance to set out the baseboards on the flat surface of the church hall, and to finalise accurate measurements for the completion of the non scenic baseboards.   

Kit of parts - the baseboards ready for assembly

 Alan Smith takes up the story.

The layout Keith and I are working on is Evercreech Junction. This was the hub of the Somerset and Dorset line and the subject of many books and films. The period modelled is the popular mid fifties to early sixties the line closed in March 1966. Nearly all trains stopped at Evercreech even though is was in the middle of nowhere! Freight trains were shunted in the two largish goods yards and this practice was carried on around the clock employing a number of staff. Nearly all passenger trains stopped either to take on water or add/remove pilot locos as the ruling gradients of 1 in 50 made double heading over the line a necessity.

The layout will be approximately 24 x 12 feet. and will incorporate two eight road storage yards. These will allow trains of up to twelve coaches and two locos long.

The acid test - linking the baseboards 

The immaculately constructed undersides of the baseboards

The base boards are constructed from birch plywood throughout and will be transported in ply transit cases, these in turn form the main part of the baseboard sub structure onto which the baseboards are mounted.

The scenic section is to scale with no compression of the prototype. It is only at the extreme scene ends that any compromises are taken. The main scenic boards of which there are seven in total form the main station and yard, the up main goods yard, the loco facilities and turntable, and the junction itself and the start of the branch line to Burnham-on- sea. The layout will be controlled by DCC and will incorporate some working features.

The layout has been a while in the planning with a start being made on baseboards about a year ago. We would expect the remainder of the boards to be completed by spring of next year. Some track is being laid in the fiddle yards and work has commenced on the fiddle yard throat point work.


We also discussed arrangements for our next exhibition appearance - 26 - 27 January 2019 - Erith MRS - and an additional appearance at The London Festival of Railway Modeling at Alexandra Palace on 23-24 March 2019.

The intention is to continue the Dapol Terrier conversion at the January meeting.

The loco of the month is Keith's almost complete 7f for the S&D layout above.

...and lastly - a very Merry Christmas and great New Year