August 16th At the layouts
Despite living there for most of the week David G and John P early. They certainly had a lot to show those who hadn’t visited for their mid-week sessions: track now extended to Edington’s limits, some of it painted; buffer stops had sprouted; several points were motored and more being prepared; while below – the bed of the first sector plate was ready. The roof, well our end of it, had kept them dry during Monday’s storm, but water dripped through the end wall, pausing awhile in the plastic tub – the one with the hole…
We had our traditional outside lunch and tea; catching up on news. David and Stuart ran saddle tanks. Ross was adding to Edington’s buffer stops. Stuart checked his glazed footbridge on Nailbourne as Colin laid pavement. Cavedale’s coal merchant now has fencing thanks to Roger.
August 2nd Layout session
We had a dozen turn up to witness the first powered loco on Edington. It picked its way along the little section of complete track as construction proceeded around it. We’d lunched and taken our tea-break in the garden. On the circuits trains were tested and a station building made a first brief appearance. Cavedale had a couple of push-rods fitted to points, while Nailbourne’s bridge was positioned and blue sky dawned behind the coal yard. We are having several mid-week sessions this summer, so do check our dates.
July 19th Layout
With fallen oaks and split ash trees in the lanes eleven of us arrived at the layout to find that both it and Alastair had weathered the storm. It was hot outside at lunch and sweltering in our loft, so it was open the windows and look out the fan. The track builders and electricians, hard at work, discussed having some midweek sessions. Out on the circuits Maurice was cleaning and soldering to get trains running. Ross ran a saddle tank with a Dapol brake van while Ron and John M tried out locos they are building. John P and David H told of their friendly reception at the Pett Show when taking our sales stand there.
July 10th Layout: Working Party
Grimy is the only word to describe John P and myself after cleaning up and re-fixing the blue plastic ceiling – very grimy in John’s case, as he spent most time atop the ladder. We studied photos of Edington with Barry and David G during our break. They’d been working as far away from us as possible, at the clean end of the loft, assembling Edington’s first point. Despite a major sweep, we’ll all need to vacuum track and polish rails before running next time.
July 5th Layout: Notes from Roger Harmer
Eleven of us met at the barn. David G and John’s primary task was track laying on Edington Junction where a significant amount was done. Barry was in the workshop grinding rails to make the point blades. Jim and David H measured up for the fiddle yard; Jim also prepared for work on the fire escape. Much fun was had moving Edington along three feet; we had exactly enough people to do it without disaster. Paul replaced the dodgy floor panel by the controllers before working on uncoupling magnets. Colin got the Nailbourne coal yard looking really scruffy before moving on to the loco stabling point. Maurice, meanwhile, replaced a point on the mainline to give a smoother run into the loop. While we (well, some) were slaving, Geoff ran a modified Lima 4F, an 04 diesel shunter and LMS 10000 in the black and silver livery. Paul ran his 14XX and Maurice a couple of red engines (of course) including a “Crimson Rambler” – Midland Compound.
O gauge stuff was loaded into David H’s car as he and John P are to take it to the Pett show on Sunday 13 July to sell.
June 21st Layout: Exhibition layout progress, modelling & running
The second rail was laid on one of Edington’s sidings and a finger powered wagon sent speeding along. David G had been impressed by the team’s progress. Sleepers, chairs and rail continued to be produced. We had lunched first; sitting in the hot sun catching up with the news. Out on the circuit was Tenterden Museum’s refurbished Austerity tank and a SR W tank was at the head of SR parcels vans. Over at Nailbourne there was preparatory work for loco sidings. With an erstwhile member visiting, we had twelve at the tea table looking at kits, tools and parts – all for sale. [More photos in our gallery]
June 7th Layout: Running and Construction – notes by John Plumpton
I arrived at the layout to find Ron already there, and with Barry on my tail. We awaited the arrival of others, boiled up the kettle and got our chairs out into the sun for lunch.
Those with nimble fingers started assembling the rails and chairs with others glueing sleepers to the baseboard template, whilst I continued attaching rail/chairs to the sleepers. Maurice entertained us by running his locos around the test tracks, whilst Colin was building coal staithes for Nailbourne yard. Others arrived from the show at Faversham. We unloaded Roger’s car and sorted through the sale items spread across our picnic table – we managed to find space to have our afternoon tea. An interesting afternoon. [photo: Barry’s SR W class -Ross S]
May 17th Layout: Running and Construction
With two fettled controllers the circuits all ran well. A saddle tank, with added nameplates (virtually straight), was first away with a mixed train, while Ron tried out the chassis of his GNR triplets on the other line. Barry ran his C class then a “Merchant Navy” who’s motor is suspect. A 2P on maroon coaches followed, but the twelve wheeler proved prone to buffer lock. A slow and steady Fowler DM joined in. Meanwhile John kept the “Edington” team happy and productive as they positioned sleepers, slid chairs onto rail then carefully applied solvent. To rest their fingers, they were allowed out for tea and biscuits in the sun. A dozen of us, and a dog, basked and chatted.
May 11th: Kent & East Sussex Railway – Ross organised for six members to visit the Carriage and Wagon works to see restorations, including the LNWR inspection saloon, a 1860s District Railway coach and the SER Edith Cavell van, used to repatriate her and other victims of WW1, plus a restored Maunsell boat train “nondescript” carriage. They met at the museum, noting models made by Peter Hingley and Richard, before the curator led a tour of the station site. Next it was a ploughman’s lunch as they rode to Bodiam behind USA tank No 65. For the return they sat in the Birdcage coach. [photo- Ross S]
May 10th:Temple Ewell Show – Nine of our people attended: Geoff Roberts, organiser, with a diorama; Roger selling items for our funds while Maurice kept an eye on his layout; Mike Perry with Tar Works; and Richard scratch building wagons. (Others attended the Reading Larger Scale Meeting.)
May 3rd At the layouts
The sleepers were down and the air heady with solvent as the chairs were slid along the first rail – Edington Junction was on its way. David G and John talked us through the processes prior to starting. Ron patiently threaded chairs for successive teams of gangers. Outside, Jim was preparing baseboard supports with Paul’s help. We were out in the garden for lunch when a Dingham coupler weight went missing! It was heads down and fetch a magnet on a rod… Ross worked on Nailbourne’s coal yard as Barnfield’s baseboard was improved and shelves added. David H’s improved controller was doing its stuff; Roger getting his R1 rolling with coal wagons and Barry following with H tank 31550. I began to run-in a Hudswell-Clarke with a SR road van in tow, before Ron tried out a GE 2-4-0. Colin’s plywood 2 BIL whizzed around in parallel with Barry’s “Sir Blamor de Ganis”. Having built up his strength with broken chocolate biscuits at tea break, Colin heaved a Class 47 onto the track to end the running session. [Photos by Rob M & Ross S]
