Felixstowe Area N Gauge Group
MARCH 2024 NEWSLETTER
NEWS FROM MEMBERS
Chris - I am going to be exhibiting my German Tramway Hartenberg, at the Bury St Edmunds show on the 16th March. It is at the: Guildhall, Guildhall Street, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1PR.The Show begins at 10:00am until 16:00. It should be a good show, and it would be nice to see any of you that can make it.
David - A reminder that we are holding our first open day of 2024 on Saturday 23rd March at the Memorial Hall, Trimley St Martin. The doors will open at 11am and we will finish at 4pm.We have a total of 8 layouts currently committed in total plus the club's modules, including Sutherland, Stowley Loop and Chris's colliery, so it should be an interesting day.In addition, Orwell Models will be in attendance, and we'll have our own second-hand stall. There's a possibility Kevin may also be selling! So, wallets are essential.As always with these events we would greatly appreciate help with set up, running and pack up of the layouts and general clear up of the room. There may be the opportunity to get into the hall on the Friday evening, otherwise help on the Saturday would be appreciated.Also, anyone wishing to bring stock along to run on the club's modules is welcome. It's planned for there to be dcc running on one of the module roads if desired. Hope to see you all there.
GENERAL ROUND UP by Chris
What a busy month I've had since the last newsletter and that's busy with the day job, not busy on N gauge alas!
So, in a nutshell, my Sandite train is stationary and the two new layouts I'm working on have not progressed at all - this month I can only class myself as a N gauge failure!!
As one of my teachers at school used to bellow out at the front of the class while holding the test results, "FAILED"! You have to remember that it was a different time then, you were allowed to hurt people's feelings and get away with it. Nowadays, shouting that out in front of the class probably contravenes the data protection act and those affected would be pushed into counselling etc... Oh, and don't forget that your teacher could throw a blackboard rubber at your head (with startling accuracy!) and get away with that too!
Anyway, nothing has been achieved here, so now that work has quietened back down a little, I need to shift my butt and get moving!
'The Coalyard' will be at the Felixstowe open day, so that's currently out in the middle of the modelling room to have so more work done on it, trees, bushes etc. It could do with some people too so let's see if I can get that completed in time.
Sadly, I've not had time to even look at a book, let alone read one so no new book reviews this time either.
I'm off to the Great Central Railway 'Reunification event' this coming Saturday, I'm sure I'll pick up something to read there - just to be greeted when I get home with "not more books??!!"
NEW TOYS
A selection of our member's latest acquisitions.....a big selection this month!
While on a half-term railway day out with two of my grandsons from Bury St Edmunds to Aylsham, I could not resist, and they did not try to prevent me, buying the EFE J94 in Manchester Ship Canal livery. What a lovely model!
I consoled myself with the fact that the boys travelled free on Greater Anglia and the Bure Valley Railway, effectively subsidising the cost of the loco.
I was equally pleased when on Thursday last week, I received my N Gauge Society Hunslet shunter in the Ports Authority Blue livery.
As I already have a Dapol Terrier in New Haven Port livery and the little LMS 0-4-0 Pug I have built from a printed body using a motorised chassis
from Japan, perhaps I should look at making a Docks Railway Museum!
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Fleischmann Holcim containers on SBB flatbed
Fleischmann Holcim silowagens SBB
Fleischmann GroBraum Schiebewandwagen SBB
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As mentioned last month, news of an imminent new release reached me. When Revolution announced their new class 59 way back when I wasn't modelling model image, but by the time they said they're here I am!
Sold out at Revolution on pre-order, they said that their retailer may have some, so straight to Rails of Sheffield and stick a pre-order in…
Why the sudden enthusiasm, especially for a loco that is costing 150 quid?
Well, look at this:
I just had to have one.:)
It will look fabulous with my rake of Foster Yeoman limestone hoppers
I've also started assembling a rake of cargowaggons (formerly called ferrywaggons I believe) as these are still in use today. Having said that, you would struggle to recognise them! I have been watching a lot of modern image YouTube videos as a learning curve and all of those I've seen are one mass of rust and filth and the signage is barely visible on most of them. I'd love to have the courage to weather them to within an inch of their lives, but sadly I don't have the skills needed.
I also picked up a class 153 DMU in First Great Western dynamic blue livery from eBay at a reasonable price, nice runner.
I am now officially skint, and will have to hold fire a bit as I have a lot of expensive stuff on pre-order that could arrive at any time..
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Even though Ive not had the time to model, I do seem to have acquired some more stock, old and new.
The new Revolution class 59's are out and what a cracking loco!
All wheel drive, weighty and running like silk - superb locos indeed. They come with one end super detailed and the other end as standard with the coupling on.
This loco has far more detail on than my eyes can see, the best looking loco I've seen for a while - if that is possible to say about a slab sided diesel!
I've gone for the GBRf version, but I can see a possibility of a different branded one arriving...
I've also bought a bargain from Rails of Sheffield (well, time will tell on that!), a Dapol 'Cemex' liveried class 66 for just £89.
As many of you will remember, Dapol motive power and me have never seen eye to eye. Most locos I've had of theirs have gone back for either not working, swaying wildly from one side of the track to the other or just being generally not fit for purpose so this is a gamble for me.
As I'm writing this, the 66 is going through my 4 hour running in session, I'm just hoping it will still be running by the time I've finished this newsletter submission...
The loco is much lighter that a Farish or Revolution 59/66 and I note that the centre wheels on each bogie aren't driven, but I'll give it a fair crack and hopefully it will be a welcome addition to the modern-day fleet here.
Onto previously enjoyed models and I was fortunate to come across a gentleman who was downsizing his fleet and I've ended up with a few bargains.
One being a rake these Farish, 'Buxton Lime' hoppers, very nice models indeed.
I also got a rake of Dapol Cargowaggon vans, I never realised just how long these are! They don't like a tight radius either.
James at Smiths of Sheringham has also tempted me with some previously enjoyed stock, but they haven't arrived here yet so no photos of them this time.
Sadly, I probably won't get the opportunity to get to the North Norfolk Railway before Easter so they will be posted to me.