SouthernBlue80s Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 I think that pic is worthy of this thread http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67-how-realistic-are-your-models-photo-challenge/page-236&do=findComment&comment=3247418 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted July 30, 2018 Author Share Posted July 30, 2018 The Ford Cargo from Cookes explosives factory has arrived and awaits the arrival of the train bringing the VAA van for onward shipment. Phone photo taken by John Humphries at the Colwyn Exhibition. And the real location back in 1986, photo by Merfyn Jones. 14 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southwich Posted July 30, 2018 Share Posted July 30, 2018 Just caught up with this thread and I must say it really is superb modelling Nick! Stunning work all round! Will be following with interest Will Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted July 31, 2018 Author Share Posted July 31, 2018 Merfyn's photo shows the new siding built for a short-lived passenger platform, which accounts for the new ballast contrasting with the old. The photo was the day they had finished laying the siding with secondhand track and point from the Crewe re-modelling project. The siding was laid in 1986 for the explosives traffic from Cookes which lasted until 1988. The platform wasn't built over the siding until 1989 and only lasted 8 weeks paid for by the CEGB. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westernviscount Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Was googling images of the area and this thread appeared. It really is a superb piece of modelling with a few shots really making me double take. I must confess to being disappointed that this area has been modelled already as i really fancied a crack at it! Probably still will to be honest!! Having grown up in NE Wales many a sunday drive took us past the power station at traws and as a kid it held a great fascination for me. Anyway, great work. P.s. basic question but i havent read all of the thread; did the loco run round at Blaenau and propel to maentwrog and traws? Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 (edited) Was googling images of the area and this thread appeared. It really is a superb piece of modelling with a few shots really making me double take. I must confess to being disappointed that this area has been modelled already as i really fancied a crack at it! Probably still will to be honest!! Having grown up in NE Wales many a sunday drive took us past the power station at traws and as a kid it held a great fascination for me. Anyway, great work. P.s. basic question but i havent read all of the thread; did the loco run round at Blaenau and propel to maentwrog and traws? Cheers The loco did run round its stock in Blaenau Ffestiniog before propelling the train the 6½ miles to Trawsfynedd. I got up very early one morning and drove over to Blaenau to film the whole process and as much as I could along the route. It took some nifty driving, nipping across fields and a certain amount of cooperation from the train crew. Edited August 1, 2018 by coachmann 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 The photo was the day they had finished laying the siding with secondhand track and point from the Crewe re-modelling project. The siding was laid in 1986 for the explosives traffic from Cookes which lasted until 1988. The platform wasn't built over the siding until 1989 and only lasted 8 weeks paid for by the CEGB. Goodness knows why I wrote that silly sentence when I know better. Senior moment time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 Was googling images of the area and this thread appeared. It really is a superb piece of modelling with a few shots really making me double take. Thanks for your nice comments, as has been said yes the loco ran round at Blaenau. Anything else you want to know just ask. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 47290 waits for the VAA van to be loaded. This loco did work there, I am trying to only model locos that actually worked down the branch. Phone photo by John Humphries. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Here are a few that worked down the branch on the gunpowder, starting with 47147 with only the barrier wagons, seen crossing Troderavon viaduct near Betws-Y-Coed... 47281 snaking downgrade towards Dolwydellan with a loaded train... 25912 Tamworth Castle approaching Tal-Y-Cafn at 13.25hrs on 23rd July 1986 ... 47324 is in the dip below Meantwrog Road on one of the numerous check-railed curves on 24th September 1987. It was particularity wet down there and it showed..... 47144 making its way to Maentwrog Road Road along the oldest portion of the Trawsfynedd-Ffestiniog section of the old GWR. It was originally 1ft 11½" narrow gauge track and the camber is particularly noticeable here.... 47324 curving away from Maentwrog Road with a loaded train on 24th September 1987.... Gunpowder from Cooks Explosives Works at Penryndeadraeth being transferred from road to rail on 16th June 1987. The loco is 47192. Two years later, the location became te temporary teminus for the 'Sunday Shuttles' DMU service from Llandudno. It was extended to Trawsfynedd in 1990.... 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted August 1, 2018 Author Share Posted August 1, 2018 Great photos, thanks for sharing, any more? 47147 with only the barrier wagons, seen crossing Troderavon viaduct near Betws-Y-Coed... Interesting picture, first time I have seen a photo of just the barriers and brake van. I knew it obviously happened as I have seen photos of the vans left at Maentwrog Road. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 (edited) Hi Nick, The limit I have is only being able to scan existing prints, as I have not printed any negatives for years. In addition, if there is no caption on the back, I am stumped for details without matching them with a negative (they are in the attic) and then looking up the neg in a diary for full caption info. More transparencies than monochrome negatives may have been expended on the Trawsfynedd traffic, but again they are in the attic....A place I rarely venture to except for Xmas decorations! I also have movie on Video8, Hi8 and S-VHS, but technology has left me behind and I have no way of playing them back today. Some material was transferred to DVD and I tried uploading some to YouTube recently, but it failed for some reason. I think movie would be the most interesting to you with you using DCC. Maybe I have missed in on this thread, but if you run other trains past Meantwrog Road, I have photos of flask traffic, ballast, DMU's, Spinters, Engineering Saloons etc. Edited August 1, 2018 by coachmann 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted August 2, 2018 Author Share Posted August 2, 2018 Thanks, film footage sounds interesting. Maybe I have missed in on this thread, but if you run other trains past Meantwrog Road, I have photos of flask traffic, ballast, DMU's, Spinters, Engineering Saloons etc. I am building the Trawsfynydd unloading joint to add on which will double the length of the layout so interested in flask train photos. Also any photo of anything else that ran down the line I would love to see, engineers, ballast, DMU's, Sprinters etc. All adds operational interest to the layout. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westernviscount Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Thanks for your nice comments, as has been said yes the loco ran round at Blaenau. Anything else you want to know just ask. With regards to movements, would the vans commonly be left in the sidings with loco and barriers departing and returning for the van at a later time? Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 With regards to movements, would the vans commonly be left in the sidings with loco and barriers departing and returning for the van at a later time? Cheers At the similar installation at Black Callerton, near Newcastle Airport, the loco would hang around for the short while it took the van to be unloaded. The road vehicles that collected the explosives tended to be a bit shorter than the one Nick's modelled; about the length of one of those vans used to deliver money to banks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted August 2, 2018 Author Share Posted August 2, 2018 With regards to movements, would the vans commonly be left in the sidings with loco and barriers departing and returning for the van at a later time? The loco usually waited until the van or vans had been loaded from the road vehicle. On occasions the road vehicle would be running very late and the van would be left in the siding and the loco, barriers and brake van would return to Llandudno Junction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted August 2, 2018 Author Share Posted August 2, 2018 At the similar installation at Black Callerton, near Newcastle Airport, the loco would hang around for the short while it took the van to be unloaded. The road vehicles that collected the explosives tended to be a bit shorter than the one Nick's modelled; about the length of one of those vans used to deliver money to banks. I believe the loaded van from Maentwrog Road went to Callerton? Don't suppose you have any photos of that location? Yes my road vehicle is to long, it is on the list of jobs to rectify it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 (edited) As far as I know, the wagons were taken up to Maentwrog Road from Llandudno Junction sidings as required. If things were running late at the 'top', then anything could happen. There was a change of routine from 6th July 1987 when economies were effected in order to save a loco and crew. The gunpowder working was combined with the morning Speedlink from Valley and on arrival at Llandudno Junction, the loco would leave its wagons in the yard before working the Conway Valley Trip to Maentwrog Road during the afternoon. It suited me as I no longer had to make a very early morning drive to Blaenau for photos! Edited August 2, 2018 by coachmann Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne 37901 Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Hi Nick, I wouldn't say your truck is too long, one of coachman's photo's shows an articulated truck as you can just make out the rear wheel of the tractor unit. Cheers Wayne Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 (edited) Hi Nick, I wouldn't say your truck is too long, one of coachman's photo's shows an articulated truck as you can just make out the rear wheel of the tractor unit. Cheers Wayne T'was a big 'un.... Telephoto pulls Trawsfynedd Power Station into the background. Edited August 2, 2018 by coachmann 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted August 2, 2018 Author Share Posted August 2, 2018 Yes they had an articulated wagon, i need a clear photo of it so I can model it. All the photos with it in that I have seen just show parts of it. They also had some smaller wagons, photo by Alan Heywood used with permission. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick G Posted August 2, 2018 Author Share Posted August 2, 2018 Telephoto pulls Trawsfynedd Power Station into the background. Interesting photo as I have just spotted something I haven't seen before? Is it a sign? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomHolley Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 (edited) Wow! Great looking layout. I hope when I retire I can do work one-tenth as good. Regards, Tom Holley, Columbus, GA, USA Edited August 3, 2018 by TomHolley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Interesting photo as I have just spotted something I haven't seen before? Is it a sign? Or a phone. Merf will know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 I believe the loaded van from Maentwrog Road went to Callerton? Don't suppose you have any photos of that location? Yes my road vehicle is to long, it is on the list of jobs to rectify it. No photos, I'm afraid; I can't even locate where it was on Google Earth either, though I recollect it being close to, or on, the road from the airport to the A69. The bods who built 'Rountrees Siding', or whatever its' proper name was, may have some, as they have a model of the working to it. That trio of vans are the sort I meant; they tried to make them inconspicuous, so there wasn't much in the way of lettering above the statutory requirements. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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