7APT7

Hi Anthony Well, 1,248 Photo's today (Don't be surprised at that...lol) I have been out to Conwy Station and Castle Area's and the building on Rosehill Street, The Guild Building it's called, as the Information centre told me, I have plenty of photo's for you, that I can upload. I did attempted to beach side the front of the Penmeanmawr Viaduct today, despite being there hour before low tide at 8:34 am (29th February 2020) but I attempted from the Llanfairfechan side, but to rocky and fair bit of rocks to climb across, and humorously slipped 3 times on the Rocks, I felt a right plonker...lol, so I gave it up as a bad job, unfortunately...sorry. I did get as far as the Engine Shed and Signal by the Hut and just past that area, and I manged to get right up close inside the Engine Shed, and there are 3 windows on the sea front side, two are bricked up and one windows still as a window on the sea side of the Shed, the Middle one was Longer, so may have been a door, rather than a window, which I didn't know was there, so that part was a bit of good news to see, if you are going to model that. Penmeanmawr Viaduct I think I will have to try it from Penmeanmawr side and try and get round to the Viaduct from that side. I need the tide to go out further I think, the next Spring Tide is 30th April at 1:58am which I also found out today to, so I may try the day before or shortly after, and as it's night time and dark, I will leave the day before or after, so leave that one with me for a bit. Spoke to a few locals in Penmeanmawr and got some good information... which may be of good use... The Car Tunnels (Pen-y-Clip and Pen-y-bach) was Officially Opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1991, 31st October, and work started in mid 1989 on both Car tunnels that are at either end of Penmeanmawr itself. Those Buildings you showed me by the two Bridges, they we knocked down the year a before the work started on the tunnels in mid 1989... The two bridges and the Narrow Bridge apparently had a conveyor belts going over that Narrow one to bring the Aggregate down to those two buildings you showed a few Posts back from off the quarry, which used to be ARC before it became Hanson Aggregate. Historians of Penmeanmawr If you are on Face Book aka FB, then search for Ron Watson-Jones (he is on FaceBook) and he uploads historic photos regularly, I was told, and the Official Historian for Penmeanmawr is Denis Robert, apparently they are getting the Electric Engine that pulled open wagons for taking workers up to the Quarry, that ran on Two Foot Gauge up the mountain to the quarry, they are getting it re-instated to open up as a tourist attraction, to bring money to the local economy for Penmeanmawr, but I'm not sure how far away that is from completion, that will be interesting as and when they do, Hansons Aggregate Speaking to another guy whose father works for Hanson Aggregates, he said they have had the go-ahead to start using the Building by the Railway Station (See the photo of the Class 66 Freightliner, I up loaded) which ties in with what Neil aka sakokid said a few days ago on this thread. The Grand Hotel and Cinema The Cinema was knocked down in 1976c and as several houses on the land now, so there was no visible signs that it ever existed. The Grand Hotel, that closed much later and became a Carpet Shop for a few years after the Hotel Closed before that got flattened and again, as about 20 houses on that land now, again I could see no physical evidence that, that ever existed,. I stopped at the local Co-op for a drink and a sandwich and a very nice man, offered to get in my car to show me where they were or existed, which was very nice of him to show me, what was there now etc,... sadly that doesn't help you I know... but he knew Ron Watson-Jones (he is on Face Book) and he said he as loads of photo's that he puts on his FB page of times gone by, so he may be a good start, sadly I am no longer on FB, so I can't look either, but if you are on FB, search for Ron...!?! And I think that is about it for the knowledge I have found just be asking the locals, I do hope that will help you or maybe hinder...Doh! to find out any further information that may help your research and find more photo's of the time period you are covering. More Photo's to Follow Shortly... Ar there photo's you want ASAP... Bangor Station and Sheds... etc, or Conwy and Castle/Bridges etc,. or more of Penmeanmawr Hanson... etc, If you have any preference on what photo's and the area you need sooner rather than later, let me know... Speak again soon... take care. Regards Jamie

Hi stovepipe Yes, and it's 370 005 & 370 006 or 370 007 (Built as a Spare) is the running numbers I want most, more than any of the numbers they have released, for the very reason you have stated... the most commonly used. I do hope Hornby release a New Second APT-P Set in 2021 or even announce it before hand, my order would be in ASAP... along with the 48#05 & 48#06 Twin Packs, that would be excellent and then Every Number Released, I just hope they have that in the Pipeline, I guess they will need to see how good or quick the APT-P fly's of the shelves, before they make that decision on a second batch of new running numbers and they could re-use the New Tooling for Second Run of New Running Numbers... Let's hope so, anyway....! Then we can buy any variants that was built in real life, well, that is if Hornby could release N-DM 49005, 49006 as well and the Spare TBF 48607 (Built as a Spare), then every number would be released, Finger's Crossed hey... My first modification, is to re-number my APT-P Set to 370 006 & 370 007 Black Fronted Ends. Its the sole reason I have ordered two sets of the same set... and I just hope, either eBay or shop will sell the sets off individually, so I can buy a Black Fronted to re-number that one to 370 005.... Unless Hornby Release it in the Pipeline, then I may wait... Regards Jamie

Is that the name the Class 800/801/802 have been given is it... SNAKES...? Interesting... that's a first for me, but then I don't get them in my neck of the woods... Regards Jamie

Hi SRman Very colourful livery, I like the SWT livery... Looks really smart... How do you find the putting the vinyl overlays on a coach, are they straight forward or can they be a bit of a pain to get right or in the correct place...? Nice Work though... Regards Jamie

Hi, My own Artist impression in adapting my photo, Excuse the crude image of... but the building would have been roughly there... Regards Jamie

Hi Below... is the looking towards second tunnel or Avalanche Tunnel.... Regards Jamie

Hi, The Photo you have uploaded Anthony, the photo below will show where I must be standing within what use to be those buildings... Regards Jamie

I guess, I can possibly take a photo of this area, looking down from the A55, if I walk towards the Viaduct from the end of Penmeanmawr end If I had have done I may have spotted those two bridges much earlier on rather than walk from Llanfairechan end of the A55 as I did, which I will the next time I go for more photos of the Viaduct. Regards Jamie

I couldn't agree more for Anthony braveness and insight to even take on such a project... I just wish WE could fly over and see the layout in person... Yes the Photo's of his work and those Rocks look superb... Anthony... have you been to North Wales many time on Holiday then...?... in order to take on such project and yet alone the distance you are, I think, it is that, that make even more interesting... for you to have the inspiration to take on the project. Regards Jamie

Wow... Anthony... That's picture says it all, I have never come across that photo before, so I was mostly correct in my photos and thinking it was a single road track way of some sort. That building or Two buildings look great, I never knew they ever existed.. funny, though I never said in my posts above, while I was walking towards the second Avalanche tunnel, I did wonder if that was all tracks at one point in time before the flyover aka A55 was constructed or a building of some kind, although I would have gone for Engine or Wagon Sheds, so It been great to see that, where did you pull that out from, Upload more if you have any, to see the comparisons of Now & Then... It's Interesting... I can see in the photo, what looks like Pylon Wires, although from the angle in the photo, doesn't look in line to pass right over the two bridges on the railway but I have thought, were the Stones sticking out between the two tunnels, were then to lower the Pylon Cables down for maintenance or installing the cables originally, funny... as there are no Pylons now over that area anymore. I wonder if they go through the Dual Carriageway Tunnel, but saying that, I have a loads of photo's of that tunnel to (no surprise there though lol) and I don't see any Electrical Cabling coming out of the Tunnel either, but I will look to see where the nearest Pylons are, I know there are some prior to the Viaduct and much further back on the approach to Llanfairechan, and way before the viaduct but they go up high in to the mountains and over the tops of, so whether there were re-directed when the A55 Tunnelling was completed, I know know... Regard Jamie

Ah Lezz Thanks very kind of you to say, and the information makes good sense to... I have plenty of photo's in the Pipeline, I just hope no one thinks I'm uploading to many lol I took 1300 Photo on Thursday, of Bangor Station and Engine Sheds, Hanson Aggregates of the Mining area and conveyor belts system and includes a fair few In the above photo's I uploaded last night. Thank you for your support in the photo's and in Anthony achieving his dream of the layout he is modelling the area on. Regards Jamie

Hi Pete the Elaner Yeah... Lets hope they don't back track (no Pun Intended) on the information they have currently put out, once the results are in on the tests hey... lol Regards Jamie

Hi Alan Very Informative Information, the wheels part, explain's it perfectly. However the last part did make me laugh, where you said (assuming Hornby don't make the trailers out of lead).... lol Thanks again Alan Regards Jamie

Hi SRman Thank you for that my friend, I guess they drop under gravity and if they weigh a ton... then, yes they will drop like a lead balloon. Interesting Link on YouTube, that was a great find, to show. Regards Jamie

Hi Lee Which livery came first out of those two Lee...? and do you know how many year of each different type of livery lasted for (Year to Year...etc...)...? Great work...., you always impress me with your detailed work. Regards Jamie