RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted January 23, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 23, 2018 The line was closed to passenger traffic in 1964, but Llantwit Major station was used for a Royal Train working in connection with a visit to Atlantic College at nearby St Donat's in 1965. I had been regularly used for diversion work resulting from occupations or other blockages of the SWML between Cardiff and Bridgend, presumably at least since the grouping, and full loadings and timings were available for such traffic; route knowledge was maintained amongst the traincrews concerned from a variety of sheds. It was re-opened to passenger traffic in 2005, Arriva classes 142, 143, and 152 working it, and by that time was carrying very little if any regular freight west of Aberthaw. With the closure of Aberthaw power station it is effectively a passenger only line. Diversions from the SWML in your period are completely acceptable, and might include block oil, chemical, and parcels traffic as well as the passenger trains. I like the rock faces; those in the cuttings here are quite distinctive, Triassic limestones in well defined strata about a foot thick with thin layers of shales and mudstones between them (perhaps each representing a storm that disturbed the shallow tropical seabed about 300 million years ago) (so, pre-grouping, then), and have a pleasant yellow hue in direct sunlight not unlike Bath Stone and quite different to the grey Carboniferous Limestone found further west between Southerndown Road and Bridgend. These limestones are of course the basis of the area's quarrying and cement industries. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted January 23, 2018 Author Share Posted January 23, 2018 Thanks all for the useful information. I've never been on a train over the viaduct before, it was just coal trains I remember there in the 80's when I used to visit the country park & beach below the viaduct. My plan is to get the viaduct half of the layout as near as Porthkerry as possible in the available space I have. The other half of the layout where the rock faces are will be fictional, otherwise the reality would be a baseboard full of trees! In the fictional area (all based in South Wales still) I'm going with a small Goods shed & yard with a couple of sidings, nearing the end of its days (which I should just about get away with in the early 1980's), this will allow me to have small speedlink trains, couple of coal mineral wagons & vent vans etc at the goods shed just to add a bit of extra interest. Cheers, Stu 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 For variety of freight traffic do not forget the traffic from Aberthaw Cement. In the early 1980s cement was forwarded in presflos and later in air braked PCAs. Bagged cement also went to Bristol Lawrence Hill in 12t vanwides, and then air braked VBBs in the early 1980s, cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 Hi all. Some more terraforming done on the layout. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 Then took a break from doing the scenery for a running session. Nice to be able to run a full length HST on a decent size layout for a change Cheers, Stu 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 (edited) I love the viaduct, especially the weathering detail. Well done for a wonderfully realistic structure. I travelled over that line in the late 1970s on a weekend train to Swansea which had been diverted. In fact, I had dozed off after Cardiff but happened to open my eyes and saw the sea near Aberthaw and wondered where the **** the train was. Little did I know that I would be living near there in just over a years time from that trip. I used to take the kids for a walk in Porthkerry Park hoping to witness a pair of 37s coming up the hill from Barry, and boy was it an unforgettable experience when it did happen. I am surprised the viaduct didn't collapse due to the vibrations. O/T, but On the subject of Rhoose airport, there was a pull in off the road at the Porthkerry end of the runway; where a car could be parked if one was lucky and security didn't move you on. I knew the arrival schedules and when the first 747s started arriving from Toronto and the wind was in the right direction, I parked there just before it was due and waited for it to come into land. I wish I had taken a spare pair of underpants, because when a thing of that size drones over the top of you at about 200ft you begin to see your whole life flash in front of your eyes. I never repeated that event. Edited January 27, 2018 by jonny777 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 A few videos, Cheers, Stu 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melangoose Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 Some nice video’s Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted January 27, 2018 Share Posted January 27, 2018 The more I see of this project, the more I like it and I would like to associate myself with the remarks of my cousin 88C. A long time ago now I nurtured the idea of a project based on the VoG but like most of my bright ideas nothing came of it. When the Vale of Glamorgan line was built its prime purpose was to convey coal from the valleys north of Bridgend to Barry Docks for shipment and the ruling gradient fell towards Barry. In the 1950s Aberthaw power station was built and the coal came in mostly from the Barry end, requiring a banker in steam days. Then came the era of MGR hoppers and Class 37s. It must be upwards of 30 years ago that I found myself in Porthkerry Park at about 8 pm one evening wondering just when the pair of 37s that I could hear would become visible. If you stand in the right place the echo is magical. The passenger service was lucky to last as long as it did. It remained untouched when the rest of the Cardiff Valleys timetable was recast on an interval basis and even the existence of a half hourly bus route from Penarth to Llantwit Major had little effect. Come the summer of 1962 a more resource effective service was introduced, very much as an afterthought, and the axe fell in 1964. BR resisted many attempts to reopen the line for passengers and responded to the first overtures by bulldozing the platforms at Rhoose. Chris 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted January 27, 2018 Author Share Posted January 27, 2018 Found a video of a class 37 on an MGR going over Porthkerry viaduct Cheers, Stu 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Most evocative! Now imagine that sound multiplied by two ... Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted January 28, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 28, 2018 It's nice to see another viaduct based layout, and such a fantastic one at that. The sight of the HST going over the viaduct is almost enough to tempt me to purchase one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 A few evening builds for the fictitious part of the layout, 1st a small disused lineside hut, made from card & brick papers, not perfect but will be partly hidden in undergrowth once in place on the layout Also built a scalescenes goods shed for the goods yard. It will still be in use but in it's last days so I can have some 16T minerals & vent vans in the sidings. I've made it look a bit run down with broken & bricked up windows, loose/missing slates & some grass growing out of the guttering And lastly started on a signal box build Cheers, Stu 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share Posted February 10, 2018 Hi all, some more done on the layout. It has been a bit slow going waiting for PVA & paints to dry due to low temperatures in the shed but its getting there slowly. Cheers, Stu 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted February 13, 2018 Author Share Posted February 13, 2018 Hi all, another update. All the ballasting now done, will weather it all once dry. Cheers, Stu 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 Bit more of an update on the layout. The track ballasting PVA glue has dried out & now the trackwork & ballast weathered with Railmatch sleeper grime done with an airbrush & also by paintbrush. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 Trees! I've been making these whenever I have a bit of spare time, usually if it's too cold to be in the shed or I'm waiting for glues to dry on the layout. I'm going to need lots of them! I've decided to go for a late summer/early autumn part of the season with trees just starting to change colour. I've been making my own wire armatures & also using the Woodland Scenics armatures, with polyfibre & various mixes of scatter material glued to them. I also have some seafoam to make smaller trees & to use alongside the ones I'm making. Some photos of the first batch... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 Lastly for now my attempt at making a stream & waterfall for the rock face, still work in progress on this... That's all for now, Cheers, Stu 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparxD428 Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Seriously impressive layout coming along here Stu. Cheers, Stu. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cklammer Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Hello Stu, very impressive stream! Best Regards, Christian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted February 19, 2018 Author Share Posted February 19, 2018 A few more scenic jobs done, stream & footbridge next to the viaduct.. Some walling in place & scatter material glued down in the areas the woodlands will be, also small backscene behind the viaduct in place.. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted February 19, 2018 Author Share Posted February 19, 2018 Some trees & vegetation in place either side of the stream under the viaduct.. Cheers, Stu 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk1gtstu Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 I've made a start on the static grass in the country park area & fields that are below the viaduct. It was a bit tricky getting the applicator in between the viaduct pillars but just about managed to do it. Also managed to zap myself a couple of times with the applicator As always comments welcome. Cheers, Stu 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cklammer Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 Looks very nice already! Zapping yourself may have focused and enhanced your efforts Best Regards, Christian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted February 25, 2018 Share Posted February 25, 2018 Wow that’s great ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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