Our October meeting had fewer attendees than usual, for the second month running. The usual excuses were made... two members moonlighting to maintain an ageing P4 layout... 'flu bug going around ... dog ate my homework... However, Alistair, Alisdair, Alastair, Jim and Graham made their way to ESME's Almondell premises and unpacked their toolboxes. There was some discussion of the recent weekend workshop at Beckingham, enthusiastically attended by four FCAG members, who commented favourably on the spacious venue and superior catering. This was the scene on the second day.
Back at Almondell, our "Mearns Shed" project was, once again, not available, so we resorted to working on our own models. Alistair worked on backscenes. Alisdair worked on ... something ... he had his tools spread out anyway. Jim had brought along a trial motor bogie for an Underground train. The motor, temporarily located by a blob of blu-tak in this view, is displaced to one side to keep the height of the bogie within the motor coach envelope.
Jim is not happy with this iteration - lessons have been learned, components will be recovered for re-use, and the scrap man will take the rest.
Graham had 3D-printed some power car side louvres for Jim's project.
He spent the time trying to add Simpson springs to a Fence Houses J72 chassis which had been the focus of his weekend workshop endeavours.
Alastair was also busy with a 3D printer project - in his case, for a Class 04 shunter, which grew out of last year's FCAG chassis-building session. Several of us worked on Farish replacement chassis using the original Association kit design, and found its fold-up gearbox to be a source of frustration. (The design has since been changed). Alastair started to investigate a 3D printed block to take Association bearings, and ended up printing the motor mount, side rods and body as well. The project (a skill-development exercise as much as anything else) continues.
The sun came out in the afternoon. Through the meeting room window we were diverted by the sight and sound of a rake of 7" gauge Gresley coaches behind a blue diesel. It was hard not to take a closer look.
The owner generously birled all five of us us round ESME's extensive woodland circuit behind his battery-electric model of a Glasgow Eastfield diesel-electric (37408 "Loch Rannoch"), then we were all offered a shot behind the controls. The Chairman, just a wee laddie at heart, got first go. As a qualified passenger guard he was impressed by the vacuum train brakes and spent some time applying and releasing them. Finally, off he went.
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