Running late..

With Himself undertaking lineside clearance work at tunnel South on the FR, in between building stock for Bron Hebog and the Guru busy at his Berkshire stables, work on New Mills has been rather patchy of late. However, here is another in our series of Models of the Week..or should that be month!

46245 City of London is one of our fleet of LMS pacifics. In the early 1960s Duchess and Princess class locos began to look rather tired, if not unkempt, a sad end to what were the flaghips of the WCML. However, 46245 was an exception due to it's regular deployment on specials and contempoary photos show it in a clean and polished state right up to it's final demise in October 1964  Consequently our model is only lightly weathered to respect this and is certainly our cleanest pacific on New Mills!  

A signal intention

New Mills is now 20 years old and although it still out-performs many younger exhibition layouts it does inevitably require regular maintenance. Himself has been refurbishing the enigmatic colour light signals built originally by Phill Hutchings and each capturing actual examples on the WCML. The bracket mounted signals that control the exit from the upper cross country loop and adjacent fast line are the latest to be upgraded.

Here is the structure removed from the baseboard and ready for some TLC. Himself will improve the components where possible but work strictly within Phils original specification, retaining the design that has proved so reliable over the years.

If you can't beat them....

Our sister blog has come up with the novel idea of presenting a 'loco of the week', a cunning device that will introduce visitors to the growing collection of Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland locos that have served Dduallt over the years and soon Bron Hebog. Not to be outdone, the New Mills team are proud to present their first LOTW, our ex LNWR G2A class 49361.

Photo: Steve Gibbons

These successful eight-coupled locomotives were designed variously by Webb, Whale, Bowen-Cooke and Beames for the LNWR between 1892 and 1922 but underwent various upgrades. Interestingly these "Super Ds" as they were nicknamed, outlived the LMS built "Austin 7s" that were supposed to replace them! They could still be found on freight traffic until late 1964. I can vividly remember them clanking through Berkhamsted on lengthy coal trains. Great survivors and The Guru's model as shown above, appropriately weathered and detailed, certainly looks the part on New Mills.

Coming Out

Let's get this over with. For those of you wishing to put faces to names here is a team photo of the Cooper Hire MRC membership, just about to head off with New Mills to the recent Derby Exhibition

From left to right, The Guru, Sparky Harrison (our regular New Mills operator), the Artistic Director and Himself. Regular visitors to our blogs will note that Rob 'Two Rounds' Waller is missing, otherwise detained somewhere north of Hadrians Wall on this occasion but very much part of our team at RAILEX last weekend.

Captions please via the Comments section but keep it decent!

RAILEX

The Cooper Hire MRC team, well Himself, the Artistic Director and Rob 'Two Rounds' Waller had a great weekend at the annual RAILEX show at Stoke Mandeville. Where was The Guru I hear you say!  It was a busy weekend at his Berkshire stables but we coped in his absence.

The succession of FR volunteer drivers, firemen, guards etc..who took over the Dduallt controls on both days - shades of Fantasy Ffestiniog -  meant that we could engage with the many spectators who follow our blogs. It was great to see you all and there is much more on Dduallt at Rob's blog site http://bronhebog.blogspot.com/ 
RAILEX is now one of the top UK shows with excellent trade and super layouts. Congratulations to David Lane who puts it all together. For us it's back to Bron Hebog and New Mills!