CWMGLYN NEWS
Update 19/12/2011
LAYOUT - The time period of the layout has now been changed to the 1950's, so we have dusted off all the steam locos and
old cars. It is anticipated that this period will remain in use until at least April 2012.
SHOP - A new shipment of diecast vehicles has arrived - see the updated list on our Shop page. The new Oxford Diecast N scale
trams are particularly attractive.
FARM - We have a new cow, on permanent loan from neighbours. Her pedigree name is Aura Disney, but we call her Dizzy. Our
rising two-year old, Ivy, has gone in exchange to be a proper herd cow! We will not have any Dizzy cheese for sale until
February 2012 due to the need to mature the cheese.
Update 04/10/2011
CHEESE - We now have copies of our DVD on Making Farmhouse Cheese available for sale. Priced at NZ$40 with postage of $4.50 if required.
A downloadable Handbook giving further information for small cheesemakers has been added to the "cheese" page.
Update 04/09/2011
SHOP - We have just received our first shipment of wagon kits from Parkside Dundas. A full listing of these useful kits
has been added to our shop page. We have concentrated on kits for wagons which are not currently available ready-to-run.
We have also received further Superquick kits, so that we now stock the complete range.
FARM - Cwmglyn Farm has grown by 4 acres! We have just completed the purchase of an additional 4 acres of land adjoining our
property to the North. This includes a small hill from which panoramic views of the district can be obtained. Part of this hill
is badly eroding and will be planted in trees, but the remainder includes useful extra grazing which Molly and Holly are
currently sampling. The total farm is now 4.5 Ha or around 11.5 acres - a much more viable small property.
LAYOUT - The period of the layout has just been changed to the 1990's. This is the most modern decade that we present and covers
the first years of the privatised British Railways. It is intended to change the layout back to the 50's before Christmas and
to retain that period over the Summer.
CHEESE - We have recently presented our cheese at the Made in Wairarapa show in Masterton. A bit of a cheek as our cheese isn't actually
made in the Wairarapa district, but in the Tararua District. Our stall was busy all weekend and all comments were positive.
Update 11/07/2011
SHOP - We have just received a shipment of diecast vehicles. Mostly Oxford 1:76 models including the Rover and BMC car transporters.
Also the Shelvoke and Drewery dustcart and pre-war Austin taxi, both of which were out of stock. The new additions have been added to
the list of diecast models on our Shop page.
Update 13/06/2011
SHOP - We have just received a shipment of buildings kits, including Superquick, Bilteezi (oldies, but still useful)
other building kits and backscenes. We hope to list these on the Shop page shortly.
Update 05/05/2011
CHEESE - We hope to get the cheesemaking DVD into production soon.
FARM - We are close to purchasing an additional 4 acres of grazing land adjacent to our current
property. This will include the hill at the back of our property from which a superb
panoramic view of the district can be obtained.
SHOP - We have just received a new shipment of diecast vehicles. Please see updated list on
our Shop page. We hope to add all Superquick kits and some other building kits and backscenes to our
range shortly.
RAILWAY - The time period of the layout is now the 1980's - BR Business sector colour schemes.
Update 13/04/2011
CHEESE - Biddy submitted two cheeses to the recent Jersey Cheese competition held in Hamilton
and won second and third places in the hard cheese category.
FARM - Our three heifer calves Ivy, Iris and Isobel, are now 8 months old and looking very good. Holly (Sally's last calf)
is now 20 months old and has joined the "big girls" herd! Emily has been scanned and is confirmed as pregnant.
SHOP - A listing of all our diecast vehicles has been added to the Shop page. The new Corgi Ruston
RB19 face shovels and the Coles Argus mobile crane are now in stock. A full listing of
Metcalfe card building kits has also been added to the Shop page.
RAILWAY - The time period of the layout will shortly be changed to the 1980's - BR Business
sector colour schemes. A reminder to visitors that the railway will be operating afternoons (2-4:30) during the
Easter school holidys, in addition to our usual opening hours.
Update 18/10/2010
CHEESE - We are currently working on an instructional DVD on cheesemaking. The filming has been done professionally
and an evaluation copy has been edited. The DVD will be sold via our website and will also be available from our shop.
If you would be interested in purchasing this DVD (pricing still to be decided) please send us an e-mail
and we'll let you know when it is published.
FARM - Emily has had her calf - a lively heifer we have called Ivy. She is clearly her mother's daughter
and shows the same single-minded devotion to her goals (drinking milk at present). Molly surprised
us by having twin calves - a bull and a heifer. The calving was quite a drama as Molly got herself cast in
the process and we had to call in help to roll her back on her feet! The heifer calf (Iris) will almost
certainly prove to be infertile (the normal case with mixed-sex twins) and so will be raised with the pot
in mind. We have swopped the bull calf for another Jersey heifer called Isobel, so we now have three heifer
calves to feed. They are all doing well and growing at a frightening speed....
SHOP - We have decided to stock Peco Code 75 00/H0 track and have the first items available now -
short and medium points, rail joiners and metre lengths of flexible track. We now have new Atlas and
Woodland Scenics items in stock. Our suppliers have decided to discontinue all 00 Thomas railway items.
RAILWAY - The time-period of the layout has been changed to the 1960's - mixed steam and diesel locos in action.
We will probably continue with this period over the Summer holidays.
Update 23/6/2010
FARM - Sally and Emily have both been confirmed as pregnant - calves expected early August.
We are still milking Sally and have ordered a cover for her to keep her warm over the Winter.
We now have a large official sign to our place on SH2 reading "Model Railway & Farmhouse Cheese".
SHOP - A new shipment of diecast road vehicles has just been delivered. Models are from Oxford
Diecast (00 and N scales), Base Toys (00 scale) and Classix (00 scale). We also have a new range
from Carama of construction machines in 1:87 (H0 scale). These are very well detailed models
for adult collectors - so far we have a backhoe excavator (like a JCB), log loader and hydraulic
excavator. We have the first few colours in the Humbrol acrylic paint range, however Hornby are
slow in supplying this range and further colours will not be available until later this year.
Some Bachmann back-orders are now arriving.
RAILWAY - We are coming to the end of the 1950's period and will probably change to the 1960's
in August. This is mainly a matter of removing some of the older steam locos and adding more
diesel locos
Update 29/4/2010
CHEESE - We are currently making progress with our application to NZFSA to make and sell raw
(unpasteurised) cheese. We are the first cheesemakers to apply for this in NZ and so are acting as
guinea pigs in developing the appropriate regulations.
FARM - Sally's calf, Holly, is growing fast and is now beginning to look more like a cow than a calf.
We are trying to train her to come to see visitors by arming the visitors with appropriate cow
titbits. So far silverbeet seems to work best! Both Molly and Emily are expected to calve in mid-August
RAILWAY - The layout era has just been changed to the 1950's (mostly steam locos with a few early diesels and electrics)
Work is continuing on the Middleton industrial area scenery. Another project is to convert as many of the modern narrow
tension-lock couplings to the older wide-loop type. The reason is to reduce incompatability between the two types.
Any donations of old-type couplings would be greatly appreciated.
SHOP - We are now stocking Wills and Ratio products. Due to the insolvency of one of our main suppliers we are currently
unable to obtain supplies of Jordan, Auhagen, Atlas or Bachmann Thomas models. Also the diecast
cars and trucks from Classic Metal Works. We still have some of these ranges in stock.
Supplies of Bachmann and Graham Farish are currently restricted due to delivery problems from China.
We have had models on order for some months, but supplies only trickle in. We will be shortly be placing another order
for diecast vehicles, which will include some pre-war cars in 1/76 scale. We also hope to be able to stock the Humbrol
acrylic paint range of authentic railway colours.
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