Work on the layout.

Lots of work has been done on the layout. Working out levels so that the river will flow downhill. The harbour will meet with the high tide level and that there is enough depth for the canal is great fun

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Idle hands.

There has been a lot of Quakerly work lately but the odd moment has been spent in the shed. Getting the layout ready for all the DCC control systems has meant turning it on its side so that I can wire up point motors etc. All the wood is also in the garage ready for the next building phase  

On side.

Timber.

I have also made up a little flood light to indicate when the power is on to the tracks  

Let there be a light.

   

The future is digital

Today has been a tecky day setting up the DCC (digital command control) system. It functions on the iPad and with a hand controller. 

Control panel

Control panel

 

In the shed.

Today's task was moving the the shelves and drawers to the other end of the shed and moving the layout. This also meant that I could paint the wall behind the layout so that there was better background- not breeze blocks but blue skies. 

Layout

Blue skies

 

Back to work......

After the Christmas break and the New Year rest it is time to go back to winter jobs? Which means the model railway. As I now want to built the next sections of the DCC layout I need to remove the old DC layout. I am planning on making a smaller table for young people to use with the Brio set and a battery operated layout. So the old one is gone...

Gone.

 

Christmas!

So. The Christmas break is over and after a week away we are back here again.  We went to Helen and Steve for Christmas and did many exciting things   We visited the Black Country Museum, where we enjoyed a typical lesson from the olden days - Steve volunteered to see what the cane felt like  

Black Country Museum

Black Country Museum

Black Country Museum

 We went to a Pantomine - oh yes we did!

 

 

Panto

Steve cooked up a wonderful Christmas Dinner with me working as sous-chef.

Xmas Dinner

On Boxing Day we went to visit Bella and Holly and the boys - this is a photo of their visit to Santa a few days before.

Bella, Holly and the boys

Then their was the Robertson Christmas Gathering - ten of us First Generation were there but we forgot to immortalise the event! There were 56 assorted family there  

Family Party

And today the weather has been so good we went for a walk up the hill  

Walk

Walk

 

Paaaaarp Paarp paarp......

The last post..... before Christmas. Actually that was more like the last trump! This will be the last news item before we sign off for the Christmas holiday. There has been much sitting around waiting for things to start happening which they will do tomorrow. 

Sunset

 

A pleasant day.

A quiet morning reading, then an OAP lunch ( two meals for £12! ) in Llangadog followed by a walk around Llangadog Common. How pleasant it is to be retired!

Sun on water.

Castell

The clump of trees is the remains of a motte and bailey castle. The earthworks can be seen running below the house.

Late sunshine.

         

Progress.

Nice day!

Nice day.

Nice day.

So back to work on the paving. Making a French drain along the house wall with a flower bed then paving. 

Digging

Nearly there.

 

Don't assume....

... that just because I haven't blogged that I have done nothing. But do assume that I have not done very much.  The weather outside is frightful.  

Frightful

So there has been inside work. Mainly computer stuff for Quakers but also day to day stuff.  And in between a bit of modelling- this is a lock-keepers cottage to go on the Llandovery layout.

Cottage

 

Drainage part three

Day two in the Big Ditch and work has continued. (to be read with a Big Brother voice).

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All done

But next year we are going to re-do this whole area and have more borders and gravel paths. 

Drainage part two.

When I dug the French drain across the end of the house I knew I needed to continue the drain down to connect with the drain around the conservatory. The time has come.

Before

During

End of day one.

 

The gas man cometh.

Actually it was the water man not the gas man. A leak at the stoptap - fortunately their problem not ours. 

Stoptap replacement.

  I was working at the station in Llandovery, clearing out a room full of railway ephemera.

Mending bridges.

Today I braved the cold to get some work done. Noah's bridge has been without a side rail since the accident. I have fitted a curb rather than a complete handrail. It will be enough to stop any further steering errors on the bridge. 

Bridge repair

Then I used the offcuts to renew the floor of the tree house which had rotted. 

Tree house

 

Somebody loves me!

Wine Society selection

This arrived today from two of my fans in Stroud - for which we are very grateful.  Yesterday was a Quaker Day - at The Pales all day. Www.thepales.org.uk  Arrived to glorious sunshine..

Arrival

I left in a glorious sunset....

Departure

Today was a very boring day typing up all the notes and starting some of the tasks I volunteered for!