We’d tucked up the layout for the winter in the gloom of a misty November 5th. The Nailbourne team got their last track fixed down just as our layout season ran out and are planning for the spring.
We chatted over lunch in Faversham before our first afternoon meeting of the autumn season. We began with signalling at Midford, in clips from an Ivo Peters film. Later we watched extracts from “Train of Events”, starring Jack Warner. David had searched out scenes showing dozens of LMS locos simmering in the yard as others were turned in the roundhouse, LNWR saddle tanks drawing the steam breakdown crane and railway delivery carts clip-clopping past.
On a glorious autumn’s day we had a dozen turn out for the late October working party. We lingered over lunch guarding our sandwiches from Nigel’s clockwork Marklin loco as it ran amok on the table top.
A huge oval smokebox on the chassis running on the inner circuit meant that Barry’s Merchant Navy is taking shape. Blue and maroon pacifics took to the outer line, to be followed by John’s Victorian trains. Earlier in the month we’d had a small group at the layout, where they met Garth from Australia.
September saw ballasting in full swing. Over on Cavedale John P was gently tamping and dripping dilute glue, while Ross sloshed pva on Nailbourne with a palette knife. Roger’s Dungeness nuclear flask train ran with an electro-diesel at the head.
Autumn photos by Rob M
