NAGNAG Open Day Sunday 29th July 2018

[newport_rod]

Newport MRS in association with NAGNAG (the Newport and Gwent Neighbourhood Area Group of the Scalefour Society) are holding our third biennial* open day on on Sunday 4th March 2018 10:30 to 16:00 at Shaftesbury Community Centre in Evans Street, Newport, NP20 5LD

The open day isn’t meant to be an exhibition rather an opportunity to chat with fellow modellers and share a few experiences. The layouts won’t be operating as they would at a conventional exhibition giving visitors and club members alike a chance to swap tips and ideas. Hopefully visitors will have the opportunity to run one or two of their locos too - Finescale O gauge (31.2 mm, DCC), P4 (DCC) and N gauge (DC) are all covered.

Final details are yet to be confirmed but pencilled in are:
Little Mill Junction (P4) http://www.newportmrs.co.uk/littlemilljunction.htm
Abergavenny Blackbrook (P4) http://www.newportmrs.co.uk/abergavenny-blackbrook
Bwthyn y Rhosod (O Gauge)
Brade's Siding (O gauge)
Mike Edmunds' American Roundhouse (N)
Fred Lewis, the Welsh Wizard, demonstrating aspects of loco building http://welshwizardlocoworks.co.uk
Justin Newitt and Rumney Models http://website.rumneymodels.co.uk
Ian Penberth and Penbits http://www.penbits.co.uk

The format will be similar to previous events (see http://www.newportmrs.co.uk/2013-open-day and http://www.newportmrs.co.uk/2015-open-day).

Further information and up-to-date details can be found on the NMRS website at http://www.newportmrs.co.uk/2018-open-day

* It's three years since the last one but who's counting!

DATE EDITED

[newport_rod]

Update 20th February

Richard Evans (of CamKits 4mm Cambrian Railways Transfers and Etched Kits) will no longer be able to attend as he will be promoting the modelling of Welsh railways in England with the Cardiff 4mm Group taking their superb Ynysybwl layout to Preston.

The Admiral City of Newport Half Marathon will also take place in the City on the same day. From what we can tell that although the route passes close to our clubrooms the event should not impinge directly on the Open Day but there may be diversions in place and additional traffic could cause delays.

[philip-griffiths]

Rodney,

Like the new pages. So Abergavenny..... What is history behind this line? is it going to be GWR (hateful interlopers in LWNR territory) or is it going to be a joy with blackberry and cream 4-wheeler carriages and black locos with red numberplates?

regards

[newport_rod]

Good question Philip,

In our history the good burghers of Abergavenny were dissatisfied with the N&W line being so far from the centre of the town and pressed for a town-centre station. Wishing to ward off the LNWR the GWR responded by promoting a nominally independent company to build a short branch, with the prospect of an extension along the Usk Valley to Crickhowell and Brecon. The extension never came about and the company was soon fully in GW hands but the branch did allow the town to expand and the branch survived until the mid-sixties.

Services from the Vale of Neath line were extended from Pontypool Road and the MT&A trains from Merthyr (by now BR(WR)) as well as some of the shorter mainline services to Cardiff and Hereford also work into the station. The expanded population proved beneficial on the eve of WW2 as the town provided (and still provides) a substantial number of workers for ROF Glascoed and there is a workmen's train that runs daily to Glascoed (SX), which is stabled at Abergavenny overnight. Most freight by-passes the station, but there is some freight traffic, generally house coal and supporting the locality's agricultural industry.

Know as Abergavenny with the addition of GWR most of its life, since just after nationalisation (it is now Autumn 1954) Blackbrook has been added to the station name to avoid any confusion with the other stations bearing the town's name.

So, no blackberry and cream 4-wheeler carriages and black locos with red numberplates I'm afraid, nor even grey wagons with tasteful white lozenges, but there will be a few ex LNWR locos around.

[PeteT]

Unfortunately lots of the BS4 & Glevum area group members will be at Warwick (with Clutton & Sheep Pasture respectively) - but there are only 52 weekends to choose from, & I'm free so will pop along!

[philip-griffiths]

Rodney,

Now if you open the opportunity that trains were extended from the VoN, you could try and claim that in GWR days a service was initiated from Llanastr to Abergavenny, via the curve at Maesycwmmer.

My head is doing summersaults trying to work out where Blackbrook would be in the town.

regards

[newport_rod]

My head is doing summersaults trying to work out where Blackbrook would be in the town.

If you can work that one out please let us know.

WRT the service from ABB to Llanastr, now that is a thought! Are you listening Bernie?

Rod

[newport_rod]

Unfortunately lots of the BS4 & Glevum area group members will be at Warwick (with Clutton & Sheep Pasture respectively) - but there are only 52 weekends to choose from, & I'm free so will pop along!

And you will be very welcome Pete. We tried to avoid as much as we could, even moving from our traditional Saturday to avoid a 7mm event in Kettering, but you can't avoid clashes completely.
Rod

[philip-griffiths]

Rodney,

if the plan was to go up the valley then there would have been two options, a new line on the Crickhowell side, or to use the canal. there was an option at one stage for a branch from Govilon to Brecon on the canal.

So if building a line on the north side of the Use, then I suppose according to your own history, the branch would have diverged around the Hardwick roundabout and gone over the meadows, the station would be best place next to Llanfoist bridge, but that is nearly as bad as Monmouth Road, so it may, as it approached the castle, terminated on Lower Cross Street in the shadow of the castle, near the priory.

Your problem is the height the NAH is above the town, making the LNWR route to Brecon Road station the most obvious means by which to swing in a branch from the mainline.

regards

[newport_rod]

With the prospect of inclement weather over the next few days we had seriously considered the idea of cancelling the open day but having looked at the current forecast for the 24 - 48 h preceding the Open Day and the fact that we have distributed flyers and we don't want people turning up to a closed door we have decided to go ahead anyway although perhaps with a slightly lower key affair.

We'll keep this thread updated but if you'll like an update directly please email us at

rod email.png (4.13 KiB) Viewed 12090 times

.

[John Palmer]

My ticket is to hand and I am hoping to get to the open day, but various eventualities may prevent this e.g. train cancellation or impassable roads to our station. Might be useful to know whether wellies are going to be needed to get down to Evans Street on the day!

[newport_rod]

Hi John

We're setting up on Saturday night (if we can get there!) and I'll post a note then on what we find. \

Rod

[John Palmer]

Thanks, Rod; hope I can make it, though it's getting a bit 'deep and crisp and even' hereabouts.

[PeteT]

Hi Rod,
With Warwick being cancelled there are now more Bristolites interested & available - we'll see how the weather pans out I guess!
Cheers,

[newport_rod]

Due to the weather conditions we have decided to cancel the open day planned for 4th March.

We will look at alternative dates and post information here.

Rod

[David B]

That's a shame. I was planning on coming from Devon as the forecast is getting warmer and already the snow is melting. One year, I will make it but it invariably clashes with the Missenden Spring Weekend.

[Paul Townsend]

That's a shame. I was planning on coming from Devon as the forecast is getting warmer and already the snow is melting.

Not so in Bristol.
Snow falling at 14:30 and still the wicked East wind so freezing and drifting.
Tomorrow's sleet and rain will make a nice slippy crust on the snow.

[John Palmer]

That's a shame. I was planning on coming from Devon as the forecast is getting warmer and already the snow is melting.

Not so in Bristol.
Snow falling at 14:30 and still the wicked East wind so freezing and drifting.
Tomorrow's sleet and rain will make a nice slippy crust on the snow.

Same here in Burnham an hour later: snow falling briskly and that east wind is vicious. I walked into town at midday and went flat on my back on a pavement covered with a sheet of ice. Add rain to this and conditions will be lethal, so mixed feelings about the cancellation. I had viewed with some apprehension what promised to be a challenging journey to Newport, but the open day is an enjoyable event and if you can re-schedule to a later date I shall certainly try to attend - thanks for keeping us posted.

At least this has freed up some extra modelling time, so back to the workshop. It's an ill (east) wind...

[newport_rod]

Sorry to miss you both chaps but we had planned to bring in three layouts' from peoples houses as well as set up LMJ (and ABB too but that's a doddle) on Saturday evening and it was all looking like too much. we're already looking at alternative dates and will update everyone as soon as I can.

[Bulwell Hall]

Sorry to hear that you have had to cancel Rod but entirely understandable. I was intending to attend but will now await the re-scheduled dates and hope that I will be able to get along then.

Gerry

[newport_rod]

The Newport MRS / NAGNAG Open Day has been re-aranged for Sunday 29th July 10:30 to 16:00 at Shaftesbury Community Centre in Evans Street, Newport, NP20 5LD. We hope, and early indications suggest that, the line-up will be as previously planned.

Further information and up-to-date details can be found on the NMRS website at http://www.newportmrs.co.uk/2018-open-day

[Terry Bendall]

The Newport MRS / NAGNAG Open Day has been re-aranged for Sunday 29th July

Well at least you should not get cancelled by snow. I hope it goes well.

Terry Bendall

[billbedford]

The Newport MRS / NAGNAG Open Day has been re-aranged for Sunday 29th July

Well at least you should not get cancelled by snow. I hope it goes well.

Anyone checked the tide tables?

[newport_rod]

Anyone checked the tide tables?

Well, high tide will be at 08:58 but it's all changed since you abandoned us Bill. Millions of pounds have spent enclosing Crindau Pill with the sole purpose of preventing Little Mill's baseboards being swept away on an ebbing tide.

[Tim V]

Rod

I think you need to amend the title on the first post with the new date.