Bron Effans

  I have been keeping my powder dry with kitbuilding for some time, partly due to not having time to spend on construction and partly due to lacking confidence to build something complex.  Conwy Castle is one of the more elusive diesels in the Ffestiniog fleet. I have only seen it in the open air on one occasion and was very taken with the rich history that there is behind this locomotive. It was adapted to work on the Push-pull train which is something that I am keen to try and build.  I bought the kit with a Kato Chassis which meant that I needed to make some quite hefty alterations to the frame of the kit to fit the motor into the void. It took me quite a while to heft the floor of the cab away.  I attached the side board and removed the cast axle boxes. I removed them because they don’t line up with the wheel sets so I took them off. It means that the model won’t be a true representation of the real life equivalent but I am only aiming for an approximation of Con...

  I have had a fairly productive summer break from work. My time has been divided by various jobs on the layout and catchup repairs from the lockdown period. Ultimately, I had set myself some targets for the summer period to improve the running of the layout and to sort out the ongoing issues with the rolling stock. I have managed to finish the vast majority of these jobs and have finished a few other extra things that were not in the original plan. The biggest of which is the new retaining wall at the west end of the line.  I have been trying to give the layout a more unified look and feel that reflects the location that I am trying to model. I found some inspiration from the creation of a group on Facebook concerned with modelling the Corris Railway. I took ideas from this group and set about building a retaining wall along the northern slope to disguise the poor effort on the slope. The first layer of styrene is laid. I used styrene to make thin slabs and built them up with...

I have been quiet of late with various bits and pieces related to my return to work. It has meant that I have not really had a good deal of time spare to do any building or painting. I have begun the refit of the new European bogie coaches, with a view to anglicising them somewhat.   Unfortunately, due to the lockdown, paint has been in extremely short supply. My desire to use the aerosol paints on the carriages has meant that the repainting of these carriages has been set back some time until the shops get new stock. I am still intending to use BR blue and grey on these carriages just to add a bit of variety to the stock on the line.  I was fortunate enough to be able to obtain this new example from someone on the 009 Facebook group. It has been heavily cut down and carries roughly the livery that I am intending to use on these new carriages. This example is heavily battered and has definetly seen better days. With that in mind, I shall be using...

I found some spare time one rainy sunday in June and set about the repainting of my new diesel. The intention is to repaint it into a livery reminiscent of the Romanian locomotive owned by the Corris Railway. I purchased a Liliput diesel locomotive that I wanted to convert into my own version of Number 11.  I dismantled the locomotive and followed guidance from Youtuber Mattymidland how to repaint the locomotive.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBscpi7ZVvk I made sure to remove the light fittings and set about removing the transfers using a fibre brush, using gloves to protect myself from any errant pieces of glass fibre. I then primed to bodyshell and gave it a first coat of BR black using Railmatch paints.  I als set about construction of my version of Carriage 38 which was assembled and sprayed BR Maroon.  These have both been left overnight to dry and I will set about finding some time to complete the paintwork on both of these...

After the recent success with the construction of the interior of 2080, I decided that I would have a go at scratchbuilding a locomotive to fit on one of my spare Kato chassis. I had a browse of  a well known auction site and found an A1 models brass kit that represented a Funkey diesel. I bought it without even thinking and set about deciding how I was going to build it. I wanted to adapt the kit to move the cab further towards the front of the running plate so that it represented a smaller version of Castell Caernarfon.    The kit can with a styrene running board, which did not need any adaptation to fit on either of the chassis. I chose the one on the left as the basis for this new diesel and set to work. I cut a recess into the rear of the cab to allow for the motor to remain unobstructed.  The bonnet was constructed from 40 thou thick styrene to give the structure some substance and added the brass radiator grill from the kit. If it isn't b...

When I purchased the Green Arrow observation coach off a well known website, I knew that it would require some restoration work. I have so far, strenghtened the sides of the carriage and managed to strip away the vast majority of the paintwork so that I can apply a new livery to the bodywork without concealing any of the wonderful detail that is on the carriage. It is going to dry overnight and I am hoping to begin the process of giving it a livery tomorrow. Another thing to note in this post is that I have added a picture of the Prince tender and the Banana permanant way locomotive after they have been treated with the stripper. I really was not happy with the yellow livery, it looked rather comical and the paint had not dried evenly, probably due to my bad painting. However, watch this space as I have a rough plan forming with regards to a new livery for this locomotive.

I have several diesel locomotives in my collection but there has always been one that I have wanted to build above all else. That was my very own version of 'The Vale of Ffestiniog'. This rebuilt Funkey diesel has appealed to me since the day I set eyes on the Ffestiniog as it was a glorious looking machine and it has stood out in my memory of the railway. I wanted to build one from the Worsley works kit, but was put off by the serious lack of suitable chassis for it. I found mine that had been put on sale by a friend of mine, who I have shared advice and held many in depth discussions about the railway. I made him an offer and I waited by my front door. When it arrived I realised just how much of a scratch aid kit it was. There were literally only enough parts to produce a bodyshell. I was going to have to learn and employ some serious thinking outside the box to complete this model and do it justice.  Some of the handmade detail The kit was assembled and I used brass ...

A few weeks ago, I purchased a bodyshell from A1 models with the intention of using it as Diesel No. 10. I had successfully built it, painted it and was rather happy with the results. Diesel No.10 was a solid looking locomotive for my layout.  However, something had caught my attention. I had been in contact with Simon from Slimrails about the possibility of him having a copy of Harlech Castle for sale. The Ffestiniog diesels have always been eye catching and I leapt at the chance to own my own version of one.  As a result of this, Diesel No 10 has had to be left on the wayside for now, as the chassis I have for it is a best fit for the Slimrails kit. I have built the new diesel locomotive and have yet to think of a suitable name for her. I'm away this weekend so painting will have to wait. I am going to give this lovely locomotive one of my favourite liveries which is of course BR Brunswick Green.  Mid-construction. Undercoated and running. ...

I have made some good progress on the building of Diesel No. 10. The kit arrived in the post from A1 models. I have never built a brass etched kit before and I must say that I can’t wait to build my second one during my summer break. A1 models produce simple kits but they are incredibly easy to build and alter. I will be painting this over the weekend. I am thinking a black gloss livery. The next locomotive kit is going to be a little more adventurous. We are getting a BoBo diesel!

I find it wonderful how this model railway has gotten my creative juices flowing. It has given me a real sense of purpose and direction away from the distractions that the real world throws my way.  Last week I mentioned that I was going to stop buying locomotives and concentrate on buliding the line. Well, dear reader, I have failed in that respect. In my defence, I saw on that popular buying website, that there was a revised edition of the box cab locomotive that would be compatible with a Kato Bo Bo chassis. After a trying week at work I thought that I would treat myself and I have ordered one for myself and an appropriate chassis. Curse my lack of resolve. I am sure it will be worth it though. My plan is to adapt it as much as possible to make it look like a facsimile of Vale of Ffestinog. I am strongly considering a livery of BR Blue. Just because it is one of my favourite liveries. 

After my jaunt to the Rainford, meet the other week, I procured an old Graham Farish 08 chassis. It took me a while to find a suitable kit for the chassis, as most people have beaten me to the really elaborate ones. In keeping with my railway's theme of tourism, I have elected for a loco that would look suitable pulling passenger stock. To that end I have purchased the bodyshell for a Baguley style 0-6-0 Diesel locomotive.  Picture courtesy of Ebay. My first diesel locomotive on Kato 103 Chassis. I don't think that it will be as large as the other diesel, but I am keen to show a different style of locomotive with connecting rods. I am also thinking it would benefit from a lovely BR Blue Livery. However, that is possibly destined for another locomotive down the line. For now five locomotives is enough for my layout. I must concentrate on getting it built.

I admit I am not the most confident of painters. My idea of painting consists of an item being one colour all over. This came to the fore when painting my kitbuilt diesel. It was another purchase off eBay, with a chassis and a bug box carriage. Quite a find in my opinion. It came in a grey livery, which was well done, just not really to my taste. I wanted to replicate something like Upnor Castle on the Ffestiniog/ Welsh Highland Railway. I opted of a livery of Sherwood Green with Yellow warning panels. I daren't try and do wasp stripes yet. But judging from the wonky line at the top of the cab panel, I'm going to need to go over it again. Doh! In original grey. Resplendent in its new livery.