The Easter weekend at last resulted in some progress on the track for the first board of my US fs160 layout. After a recent spate of projects that have not yet come to fruition for one reason or another, it was nice to get back to basics with copper-clad track and complete the trackwork over the weekend.

The first turnout under construction

This was helped by the fact that all this track is to be burried under a roadway meaning it could be done quickly with spare 2mm SA 9ft sleepers at generous intervals. The rail is Micro Engineering Code 40 rail for compatibility with the flexi track that will be used on board 2.

The nearly completed turnout - just the tie-bar to be added.

I also added the trackbed to the board but managed to resist the temptation to glue the track down – turnout actuating mechanisms and track feeds are to be decided upon first while I can still gain access to the underside of the track.

The trackwork laid loose on the track bed

But if you want to see some real fs160 modelling check out these sites:

http://www.fs160.eu/

http://stummiforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=50628

The February meeting saw us greeting Steven to the group and I don’t think we deterred him too much! Nigel had the test track out with various items running round and being given the exercise they wouldn’t get on the end to end layout.

Peter showed us the finished 4W coaches complete with lead seats and passengers. Dave had an in-build 0-4-4 chassis  for the SR H Class to show us and David had brought along some rolling stock to show Steven as their geographic and period interests have some common points.

I brought along some etches for a narrow gauge Manning Wardle running on 9.42mm track (2FS if not 2mm so just about on-topic.)  I suspect the rest of the group doubt my sanity not to mention my ability to build them – and they are probably right on both counts.

Nigel was doing some chassis weathering on some Farish wagons influenced by an article in the February Railway Modeller. Using acrylics and weathering powders allows the degree of weathering to be built up gradually and even reversed by washing if required. Once happy with the overall effect, matt varnish is applied to seal everything in.  In addition he found time to take the accompanying photographs .

Discussion centred around what the association and the group could offer to the newcomer along with the show and tell aspect that the meetings usually centre around.

Here are a couple of pictures of Nigel Ashton’s Jones Goods.  This scratch built loco was the winner of the Chairman’s Cup at the 2011 2mm Scale Association AGM.

The unpainted model

The finished locomotive on Nigel's "Llangerisech"