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Well....where do I start!
Cwm Prysor started life several years ago now, designed to be my first Exhibition layout. I have had a passing interest in the branch between Bala and Blaenau Ffestiniog for many years, and after researching into the line further, I fell in love!
The idea of portraying something that was far from the twee Great Western Branch Line, with the mucky pannier tanks, single crimson coach in a wild, bleak landscape struck me as the perfect place to model.
I had originally planned to model Trawsfynydd, but felt at the time it was too big of a task for me. So I settled on Cwm Prysor.....the station in the middle of nowhere. It has a single point which suited me as it was my first attempt at building track. The point represents a dead end siding which use to be part of a loop for Troop Trains to be held in the 1st and 2nd World Wars, but was removed in 1951.
Work on Cwm Prysor had been steady, as well as working on stock and wagons .....however things came to a halt last Summer. My Dad (well actually Grandad as I was brought up by my Grandparents), passed away one year ago yesterday (25th). He was my best friend, and for the previous 2 years he had begun to struggle breathing and was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis. For those two years I cared for him, and while he was able to, I drove him down from North Yorkshire to Snowdonia for some lovely day trips. He knew how passionate I was about the line, and about modelling the branch.
With his passing, my interest stopped completely in Cwm Prysor, and I've struggled to get my modelling mojo back. Back in the spring I posted about modelling something closer to home, but I felt I was forcing myself to get back into the hobby. Being his first anniversary yesterday, I thought it was going to be awful, but it wasn't as bad as I imagined. A voice in my head said 'do some modelling'....so I did.
Jonathan Wealleans of this parish, had built me a coach as part of some horse trading, which was one of types specifically used on the branch, however no kit had every been produced. E157 Brake Composites were all too familiar to be seen on the branch in the mid to late 50s. I commissioned Worsley Works to produce the sides, and Jonathan made the kit up using Comet components. It sat untouched since Easter since Jonathan handed it back to me at York Show.
Yesterday I weathered it....and once it was sat on the layout, the spark was back!
Best of all? 6 months before Dad died, Alan Buttler of Modelu came all the way up from Mid Wales to scan Dad, and my Border Collie Lass. So now Dad is always there...waiting for a train to take him on his next big adventure.
For informormation on how to get inside a Hattons 14XX/58XX body for the purpose of fitting an etched chassis, please see Captain Kernow’s detailed post here:
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/136923-cwm-prysor-capel-celyn-bala-blaenau-ffestiniog-branch/?p=3362903

My next Layout has been in the planning for a few years, I will be building the goods depot, known locally as 'The Depôts' together with the row of cottages known as 'Low Baring' at the end of the Rosedale east branch, high up on the North York Moors.The project has recently gained a bit of momentum as the first batch of stock for running in 1928 mode (the Rosedale branch closed in 1929) is now ready to go with the completion of J24 No 1860 and the near completion of 1001 class 1093 for running 1900-1908 together with a few wagons for both periods.
 
 
 
A bit of history of the railway here, here and here.
 
The site (see here) is very well preserved considering it has been closed for well over 70 years, the goods shed has been repaired in the last few years and I have traced the trackbed with dowsing rods (ok, it was a bit of fence wire I found among the rubbish that was lying about), the cottages are about gone but there are some more further up on the moors in better condition that I have taken some measurements from. What I do know from the dowsing is the exact measurement from the trackbed to the cottages.
 
The site viewed from the top of a mine spoil heap. The railway was to the right of the ruined cottages.
 
Goods shed
 
 
Coal Depôts
 
What remains of the cottages.
 
My plan is for the trackbed to be quite high maybe 4'+ with the land falling dramatically to the front to try and give the feeling of the 'perched on a shelf on the side of the valley' location. The whole layout from the end of the cottages to the road around the coal depot is about 8' - real locations don't have to be stupid big.
 
Approximate track plan on a Google Maps image.
 
There appear to be the only two period photos known of the goods yard, this is one-
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/r/rosedale/rosedale_old_small8.jpg
The tree glimpsed on the left is still there, an Ash, probably not much taller but a lot greater in girth now!
 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/uploads/monthly_01_2012/post-8613-0-32631500-1325494361.jpg
I previously had details of the Lime Street Sation project on the old RmWeb site (see http://www.rmweb.co....php?f=8&t=32466) and I thought It was time to resurrect it on this new site. For those who are new to this layout topic here are a few details of the layout.
 
The total footprint of the layout is 15 metres long and 3 metres deep. It is not DCC as work started on the layout and the stock long before DCC became popular. I am not the owner, John Holden is the owner, but I do some of the structures on the layout as you will see later in this topic. Other people contribute to the layout with their own particular skills when required.
 
The track plan is as shown below, though the size limitation of the .jpg file does not do it justice.
 
 
I would like to thank Simon for the post below showng the link to the old RmWeb layout topic.
 
So, sit back and enjoy the ride!

I thought I'd start a layout topic as a place to put some photos.It won't be a blow by account as the majority of building/trackwork is complete.Inspired by Westerners 'Wencombe' I intend to give you a flavour of it and to share my rolling stock etc.Forgive me if I repeat the same shot angles with different locos but its not a massive layout to showcase my stock.
I will start with the cattle dock area using Ratio bits and Slaters plastikard for the walls.Scenics are from Green Scene using their mats with added static grasses using a Noch puffer bottle.Done before the Grassmaster appeared !
Along here is one of my favourite locations to show off my latest creations.
The fencing is also Ratio with the added use of EZ wire. The trackwork is code 75 Peco ballasted using 2mm Green Scene ballast in a mixture of colours.