This was reactivated by a conversation with Martin Wales and started in the Prototype section.

Going back to Caia Road Goods, as our discussion, I feel it could be compacted from the goods shed which could act as a disguise for the entrance to the fiddle yard and the other end could continue over the road bridge along the embankment alongside the river Gwenfro and McDermot's scrapyard and under the rodbridge to Hightown Halt (the second fiddle yard). It would feature 57xx and 64xx panniers, along with 14xx with autocoaches and B sets and the goods would be 5/7 planks and 16 ton minerals. You would also have the reason to run 9Fs on oil trains (around 20 or so tankers) to the Wrexham Industrial Estate and Bank Holiday Specials - I witnessed a double headed 43xx & 22xx with around 7-9 coaches! Or in a later period Class 24/25/47s, along with Class 40s for the oil trains.

I've been looking at the goods involved and there was a tannery on Rivulet Road, along with a gasworks. The cattle would be moved along the road to the nearby Smithfield market (the Beast market as it was known locally - I remember the occasional cow escaping and causing chaos!). A woodyard was alongside the road bridge at the end of the goods yard. There were plenty of breweries in the town, along with a fair number of bakeries. There was a creamery further along the line, so milk and its products would be also be involved. In those days Brymbo Steelworks was in full operation, so there might have been steel products heading in the direction of Ellesmere and beyond.

Perhaps someone, somewhere has records of freight on the line - or can point me in the right direction?

Alternatively, it could be moved in time from the 1960s to the 70/80s and have it terminating at the road bridge at a pair of buffer stops (with the bridge being removed). This would, of course, not allow any through traffic, but would be a nice compact exhibition layout with a fiddle yard to goods terminus.

I'll spend a bit of time this week planning "what can be compacted into what area" and hopefully it may well progress to a layout...

I also came across these notes I had made a few years ago:

Seen around the area (ex-LNER/GC ran into Wrexham Central station/goods yard) were J10/J11/N5 and until around 1955, C13s were an the passenger trains from Wrexham Central to the Wirral.

Ex-LNER 0-8-0 and 2-8-0 were seen on heavier freights from the CLC. There were J72s in the Wrexham area and J60s used to shunt on the Brymbo branch and colliery sidings.

So did any ever work the Wrexham-Ellesmere line?

Great potential for a layout, which would have to be in 4mm, as I have the majority of the stock needed in that scale, although it would be more practical (size wise) in N gauge... but I've just sold all my suitable N gauge to fund my 09 layout "Wetlands Light Railway" - So 4mm, 16.5mm track gauge it will be...