SCOONS show and tell meeting 19th April.

[Tom Alexander]

The SCOONs group had a very successful show and tell session over Zoom on the 19th of April. 7 people had things to show and a lively discussion was had. The pictures shown at the meeting have been put together in a ZIP file. This can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sPjRugEHFqMY6lV85wW-SbRVbqf6-vDr/view?usp=sharing.

Bob Sharp showed a short video of a micro layout he has built. Measuring just 150mm x 100mm this incredibly small layout shows just what you can be done in a small space. It features a number of charming cameos and a small engine chugging around. The layout is self-contained and runs off batteries in the base.

David Chambers showed a small steam engine he is working on scratch building, and the beginnings of his layout. He is concentrating on one loco at the moment. Completely fictional in design. Chassis is plasticard, over a TU_KOPPEL motor unit. Boiler is 9mm brass tubing, funnel is 4mm copper tube, slightly flared at the top. Brass tubing at the base. Dome and firebox door are purchased castings. He is hoping to radio control the loco when finished, but will need a tender or wagon permanently coupled to the engine to conceal the radio gear.  The layout baseboard is 19mm 4' x 2',MDF with 2" x 1" frame, the legs fold up and lock in place. It will be on 2, possibly three levels. Points on the layout will be servo operated. The idea was that he would combine this with learning to code, and have the layout Arduino (or similar) controlled - but we will see!

Brian Elder presented some items of stock he is accumulating for an eventual layout, and a diorama he made for a competition on the War World Scenics Facebook page. He also showed us the proposed design for his layout. The stock has been painted and weathered by Brian and is largely based on WW1 prototypes as that is his proposed layout. The diorama is called Clava Caverns and depicts somewhere in Scotland. It includes a scene of boy scouts gathering firewood. Brian's proposed layout is called Soldier's Rest and will be 60cm x 74cm, depicting the WDLR.

Chris Hunt presented some photos of a real narrow gauge railway based at a boat yard on the canal in Stafford. He is hoping to model this rather unique prototype in the future. The line is a simple loop around the boat yard with a small turntable and engine shed and a small station. It features a working signal box and signals, including a massive signal post from the full sized railway.

Dave Chapman presented a couple of views of the layout he's working on. The coach is made from a US outline coach with added cab windows and mounted on a motorised chassis. The engine shed is an adaptation of the Wills chapel kit. It has been mounted on a short brick wall and had doors add. Leftover bits have been used to fill the large chapel windows in to give smaller windows more appropriate to an engine shed.

Graeme Dunbar presented his hatbox layout and a few Japanese locomotives he's acquired. He has provided a fuller description which is included in the Zip file with the photos. In summary he presented his hat box layout called Hatton Burn. It depicts a Scottish estate railway built at low cost with available materials. Graeme has taken much care modelling the landscape to great effect. He also presented some Japanese Hoe models he has. They are a Nanchiku hot bulb ignition oil engine (black). A freelance 'Feldbahn' engine (red). An Ashio Copper Mine Ford engine (dark green) and a freelance Deutz engine (black). Also shown were a braked and un-braked open wagon from the same source. They are all coupled using minute link and pin couplings.

Finally Ian McAlulay presented to us progress on constructing his baseboard and a train ferry he is making. The partly complete baseboard is constructed from 5mm foam cored board. The overall dimensions are 1188x1188mm and 125mm deep. The weight is a touch under 2 kilograms. It is yet to get a layer of 2mm MDF on the outside faces for neatness and impact protection. The train ferry is adapted from the Airfix landing craft kit. Wheelhouse and other detail yet to be added. The link span for ferry uses Wills girder bridge kit as starting point. (The girders have yet to be attached to the sides of the deck.) The lifting gear for the link span is a cut-down Ratio 00 gauge locomotive hoist. The dock walls are made from Wills stone sheets.

Overall a very successful meeting was had. Hopefully the first of many show and tell sessions.