Oldham Goup

[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.

Bob had been busy completing a few details on his St-Trojan layout, and then photographing it with a view to submitting an article to Voie Libre magazine, and another article to 009 News.  He showed a selection of these pictures at the meeting.

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.

Charlie updated us on a number of loco projects including Indianising a Fourdees 'Windle' loco for the future Indian branch line railway project and a Fordees 'Thames' loco. The former uses a quarry Hunslet chassis, the latter the Peter Sam chassis (which was noted as an excellent runner).

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.

Darryl showed us several locos and items of road transport that he intended to use on his layout 'Boat yard 1920's'. He is also seeking information about timber storage and posed the question is it ok to lend a layout for exhibition to give a novice exhibitor a chance to test the waters? The discussion that followed was not conclusive!

[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.

Hugh had purchased a "farmyard accessory" pack from one of the traders at Statfold which he has now constructed. It consisted of laser cut wood and card for a rabbit hutch, small kennel and a shed. It has made some interesting models that will find their way onto Angst-Lesspork.

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.

Richard showed us various projects including a recently completed model of Kerr Stuart 4415. "The body is a free download from Thingyverse.  It was printed by David Malton for me and he also provided laser cut wooden screens using the printer at PECO.  I added the vac hoses from the spares box and the piping round the side is brass wire.  The radiator (in the cab) is white metal from a showman's generator kit and the hand brake from brass tube and wire.  The 3d print file doesn't include a roof so this one is brass.  Works plates from Light Railway Stores.  Runs on a Kato 109 chassis. Weight is provided by two 5g adhesive wheel balance weights stuck inside the bonnet. Couplings from Tramfabriek."

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.

Rob had been working on a modification to the landscape at the end of the turntable on Turtle Bay so that some of the larger locos – the DHR pacific in particular – could be turned after their shift. He'd also added night time lighting for use at home (full moon!) and had added several bogie vans for fruit and fish based on a model from the Westcliff Wagon Works.

[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.

Tony had added drystone walls (manufactured by Javis) to Grimbledon Down. "They really do make a huge difference to the layout. Looking forward to seeing the sheep installed."

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.

Paul T had completed a project with one of the buildings for Melton Market (and within a year of the start!) bar the downpipe. He is currently focused on progressing Clogher for NGN – the tasks seem to take longer than planned. It will definitely be a work in progress at the exhibition...

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.

David H. had sent his apologies but we did have photos of the T&D Hunslet No 4 to look at. The models were making good progress and will debut at NGN on Clogher. The loco will run as an 0-4-2T.

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.

Philip had also sent his apologies but did send photos of his latest 009 projects. He'd finished two locos that he'd purchased as 'nearly completed'. One was a Stenning L&B 2-6-2T and the other a VoR 2-6-2T. Philip passed on his thanks to Bob and Stuart for the help he'd received for piping up the VoR loco.

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[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups meeting 14th February, 2024. cont/d.


At Narrow Gauge North, Pudsey – 9th March - Charlie is exhibiting Roger Christian's South West Lancs Light Railway (009), Tony is exhibiting Grimbledon Down (009) and Paul is exhibiting Clogher (00n3).

The next meeting will be held on Zoom on Wednesday 13th March (confirmed) starting at 8.00pm. Joining details will be circulated the weekend before.

s.p.t. 17-2-24

[Hugh Norwood]

Oldham & NW groups Zoom meeting 13th March, 2024.

Fifteen group members were present for the meeting, Alan S., Andrew, Bob, Charlie, Darryl, David E., David H., Hugh, Ian, John, Paul M., Paul Ta., Stuart, Tony and Paul T.
Apologies had been received from Alan G., and Philip.

Alan S. shared some photos of the progress he'd made with his shelf layout which included a small hut and a first try out at building a tree (which was successful). His future plans were also discussed.

Andrew showed us a couple of videos of his layout in operation. This now forms a through route, with gradients from the low to high level and return, allowing trains to complete a full and interesting circuit.

Bob was making a decision on future stock for St-Trojan. Possibly a Pinguely or a loco that ran on the Portuguese narrow gauge. Other ideas included an early French battery powered railcar or a bogie saloon coach.

Charlie had built a Donegal style railcar (from M.E.W.) for operation on 'Winter Overcoats'. This involved a modification to the non-motorised end and was painted in GWR style (the line being a narrow gauge branch of the GWR). He'd also built a Roxy Cyprus 2-6-0 for use with this layout.
Other projects included Nigel Brooks stock kits that were fine quality prints and a Fourdees 'Pioneer' loco.

Darryl had had a rethink on the "Boatyard 1920's" layout and had decided to introduce a tramway using components from the 'Uni-track' system that he had in store.

David E. had completed the resin bodied wagon we'd seen at a previous meeting. It had been carefully weathered though the cruel lens of the digital camera managed to find place where a couple of touch ups were required (... and David pointed this out to us, I doubt we would have noticed otherwise).

David H. showed us 3 recently completed locos. One was based on the NCC compounds that ran on the 3' lines to Larne and Ballycastle; another was a German box tram loco; and the final loco was a rework of the M.E.W. Peckett. All ran on the Kato England chassis which suited the locos well. We also saw the 3' gauge T&D No 4 which David had printed on a filament printer, the quality of the print impressed.

Hugh had been presented with some 4mm scale 'characters' at NGN and several will find a place on Angst-Lesspork. He'd also been given a print of the Grade 2 listed tram shelter found close to Huddersfield (courtesy of David Hurst) which he is planning to start work on soon. It is an interesting structure with loads of character which is probably why it is listed.

Ian showed us a few photos that he had taken of 009 layouts at NGN. [A very successful exhibition, raising £3,000 for the Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds. The next show is planned (provisionally) for Saturday 8th March, 2025.]

Stuart had been working on a coach for his garden railway, 16mm gauge I think, and we could see the progress he'd made to date. [Definitely not 009!]

Tony had been busy working on Grimbledon Down and had added drystone walls (Javis) and sheep (various suppliers) and these two details had made a significant visual impact to the layout. It may become a home based layout in future as the baseboards are a little unwieldy.

Paul T updated the group with progress made on Clogher following some sustained work on the layout leading up to NGN.

As ever some useful discussion on the narrow gauge, both from the real world and in model form.

The next meeting will be held in Grasscroft
on Wednesday 10th April starting at 8.00pm.

A meeting is planned at Greenfield Methodist Church on a Saturday afternoon in May and once a date has been confirmed it will be circulated to Oldham group members.

s.p.t. 27-3-24

[MickT]

Thank you for posting the meeting report Hugh - very comprehensive.

Just one query please - "Charlie had built a Donegal style railcar (from M.E.W.) "

I can't find anything on good old Google to give me a clue as to what M.E.W. is, can you expand please?

Thanks

Mick

[JulienW]

Model Engine Works perhaps?

[Stan Williams]

Thats David Hurst  aka David H.  on the thread.
Garry W., had a number of his locos.

Stan.