New Articles from Area Group and Member Blogs

For all those folks who have been clicking on to the blog over the past few weeks agog for news of the September FCAG meeting, your agogness can now be ameliorated.First; the good news - the September meeting managed to attract record numbers. Unfortunately, this is also the bad news, as it was a new record for low attendance; only 2 stalwarts rattling around in the meeting room with Alistair and Stuart being those responsible for keeping the flag flying, albeit somewhat limply.Alisdair managed

A trio of Forth and Clyde regulars made the trip south to Beckingham village hall, near Doncaster, for the two-day Autumn Workshop organised by the 2mmSA Events team and Laurie Adams' North Mercia area group. As expected it was a great success, with participants from home and abroad, and several acknowledged experts on hand to offer advice.Each participant got a decent working area with power and the hall lighting was very effective, as you can see below. We were organised into three sections -

Since returning from the 2mm event at Derby we have now extended the width at the rear of the boards, by approximately 6 inches, and are also making some alterations to the mill board, all of which will be the subject of a separate entry. Below are a couple of photographs of the recently installed signals, which have been brilliantly etched by Jim Watt of the Forth and Clyde Group. The signals are also motorised.

The August meeting had a reasonable turnout given that it was the holiday season. James, Jim, Angus, Alisdair, Graham, Simon, Stuart and Stephen were present. Most of us worked on individual projects but final tweaks were also made to Mearns Shed before its next outing to the Edinburgh show in a month.Angus was busy with a Worsley Works etch for West Coast Joint Stock vehicles. Stuart was contemplating control arrangements for his NFine layout. He revealed that it will have a ten-track fiddle y

After some unscheduled milling about in the church hall car park, about 20 of us eventually convened for George Falkner's presentation about his 'Skeetsmere' layout, based on Laxfield on the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway.Whilst it is to 4mm scale (EM gauge), George's presentation focused on the philosophy and design behind the layout, all of which is equally applicable to 2mm scale. The layout has

 Jim, James, Alistair, Alasdair, Simon, Jack, Graham and Stephen attended the group's July meeting.Mearns Shed was brought out for testing after some remedial electrical work.The test loco was Jim's Caley Jumbo.Jim had also been working on his etched chassis for the Caley diagram 70 prize cattle van from Lothian Railway Models. The 7mm wheels are distinctive. This is a test fitting under an unpainted body. Jim also showed us some recent painting work for a commission, lining a steel-sided coac