July 2023 FCAG Meeting

A smaller than usual group met this last Saturday at the Edinburgh Society of Model Engineers, comprising of Jim, James, Nigel, Andy, Alastair and Martin.  Apologies had been received from several members owing to holiday season and other such frivolous commitments which stand in the way of the progress of 2mm modelling.

I arrived slightly late to the meeting and arrived to find a huddle around one desk where discussions regarding the water tower for the Group Layout were underway.  Jim's latest sheet of etches had arrived with the windows and door and tank sides for the Water tower, and he had commenced building.

Left is the Platikard building shell, held together here with sellotape for reasons that will become clear - on the right is a paper mockup Jim made to check size, scale and position (as well as produce the etches...)

The discussion underway was regarding the colour of the brickwork and quoins, well, more the mortar, for the building.  From the prototype Jim had been working from, the mortar seemed to be very bright, so he had tried this in white when making up the texture paper, however, on printing this was far too bright, and so Jim had prepared a couple of different shades by saving the texture as a picture, opening in the MS default picture app and playing with the picture settings.

A decision from the six present was the top one - or right as you look at the photo.  Jim didn't get a chance to continue to work on the Water tower at the meeting for reasons that will become evident shortly, but at last report, the building continues, with the structure starting to be introduced to solvent and etched components ready for instillation.

The main focus of the meeting was starting on the wiring of the Group layout.  Until today, the only wires on the layout were droppers, not connected to anything but the rails above the board.  And, yes, for the pedants amongst the readership, those wires within the tubes which control the turnouts - but they don't use electric(!).

Nigel, Jim and James took charge of this operation, and the rest of us stayed mostly out the way., occasionally coming across to offer moral support and/or look on in awe at what was going on.

It may or may not be evident from the latter photograph, but significant progress had been made by the end of the meeting, with around half of the layout wired to a bus. James took custody of the layout this month (it having lived on top of Martin's for the last two months and providing an excellent excuse for lack of progress on tracklaying...)

Some other modelling was taking place around the room from the others of us not involved directly in the wiring.

Andy continued his turnout building to convert his home layout to 2FS

James, when not working on the Group Layout, was running in a newly converted Class 24.  Also of note and/or on display was his home built control station, built using MERG components for testing and programming of locomotives in both P4 and 2FS, all contained within a nifty wooden unit he'd built himself.

Alastair was working on the 3D CAD for his next 3D Print - this an NBR 3 plank dropside wagon.  It's built on the same underframe as the previously reported mineral wagons.  The finishing touches were underway here, ready to be sent to the printer next week - hopefully by the next meeting we'll be able to see these models in the flesh.

Another action shot of Nigel and Jim working on the wiring.

Saving the best for last - or perhaps I just forgot to photograph my own work again and have had to pose it at home... Martin was working on LMS 9' Bogies from the Association etches.  Building a suburban passenger terminus, it turns out, requires quite a lot of coaching stock, something I should have considered before designing the layout...

Four sets of Bogies complete since Saturday - only one set completed at the meeting and a second halfway done, reuqiring the pedestal fitting and folding into the appropriate shape.  Now to start on the coaches themselves...

Our next official FCAG meeting is scheduled to be Saturday 12th August at ESME's premises at Almondale, however there are rumours of an organised trip to the Bo'ness and Kinneal Steam Railway in a few weeks time.  Watch this space.