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Cwm Prysor - 'The Bala Branch'

Tom F

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Tom F

Tom F

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Thank you both for those.

 

Seems rather sad looking at those photos. You would have no idea the line was ever there. Might have to have an investigation when I’m next down. I’ve plenty of photos of the road bridge as it was, I think the current bridge is a new one built for when the road was widened.

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Revolution Mike B

Revolution Mike B

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Thank you both for those.

 

Seems rather sad looking at those photos. You would have no idea the line was ever there. Might have to have an investigation when I’m next down. I’ve plenty of photos of the road bridge as it was, I think the current bridge is a new one built for when the road was widened.

 

Yes, I think you're correct as the original 'railway' bridge was an up and over girder bridge, long removed and filled in as part of the embankment for the new river bridge.

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Signaller69

Signaller69

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The road bridge itself was removed many years ago as part of road widening improvements but the road is still raised on an embankment, mainly I think to mitigate against flooding; as has been said, it is more or less impossible to judge the exact position of the railway where the Industrial Estate is. However there are some great modern aerial photos from which the track bed alignment can be worked out all the way from Bala Junction to well beyond the Town station here:

 

https://www.aerialphotography.org.uk/Wales/NorthWales/i-fJ9gzNm

 

Note the trackbed embankment between Town and Junction is now used as an access road (to a farm perhaps?) with a couple of bridges over secondary river courses: it ends at what looks like one of the original abutments over the main river channel near the site of Bala Junction. I'm not sure if the 2 other bridges shown are original or new build.

 

Hth,

Martyn.

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Tom F

Tom F

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I appreciate the information on this guys thank you.

 

Here’s a question. Geoff’s plan is pretty much the Bala track plan as it was. Beyond the road bridge, there were points reducing the line to single track. If a freight is coming into Bala from Trawsfynydd or Blaenau, would it have come in wrong road to acces the goods yard, or would it have reversed over the double slip?

 

post-24300-0-72158300-1541605018.jpeg

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Regularity

Regularity

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There is no double slip.

 

Do you have access to a signalling diagram? Did it permit arrivals from Trawsfynydd into the down line? A shunting disc might be provided for shunting moves, but I suspect that unless there was an arm (full size or small) on a bracket, up trains would arrive on the up line, and run-round and pull into the down platform before accessing the goods relief line, or would reverse across the single slip and then pull forward onto the goods relief line. The yard is double ended, so this latter option is probably the most likely.

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Regularity

Regularity

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To answer my own question:

 

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gww/S3282-2h.pdf

 

There is a bracket signal, plus there is a starting signal with route indicator at the up end of the down platform, so it may be that up passenger trains could arrive at the down platform.

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philip-griffiths

philip-griffiths

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According to another diagram on the SRS website, the route indicator was for 'Down sidings', 'Up main', or 'Up sidings', so it must have been an interesting item for the mechanical locking, as it must have been released and the indicate activated by the setting of the turnouts.  

 

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gww/S3282.htm.    The 'down sidings' indicator would need 7 and 8 to be reversed, locking 14.  The Up main would require 8 and 5 reversed (oh and all the locking mechanisms), with 14 locked.  While the 'up sidings' would be activated by catch point 12 (locking 8) or 14 being reversed.    Well that is my reading of the diagram, but there are others who understand signalling much better.  

 

It is difficult to tell from the diagram, but as there is an up and down line through the platforms, any train arriving from Bala Junction would approach the home signal and then turn left over the crossing into the 'down' platform.  If it was proceeding along the branch it would then depart northwards.  The platform starter with the indicator would allow a train terminating at Bala to then reverse and head back to the junction from the 'down' platform.   However, I note that on the approach from the north, there is a main and a branch home signal, allowing a train to be signalled into both the up and down platforms.  

 

It really makes for interesting moves.  All the distant signals look like they are fixed.  

 

regards

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5BarVT

5BarVT

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According to another diagram on the SRS website, the route indicator was for 'Down sidings', 'Up main', or 'Up sidings', so it must have been an interesting item for the mechanical locking, as it must have been released and the indicate activated by the setting of the turnouts.

There are three separate levers, one for each route indicator. The signal arm itself is just forced off by clearing any one of the indicators.

The 'down sidings' indicator would need 7 and 8 to be reversed, locking 14.

Correct, except I think you have your Up and Down sidings the wrong way round and I think your 14 is actually 16 (not too clear on the reduced pdf).

The Up main would require 8 and 5 reversed (oh and all the locking mechanisms), with 14 locked.

Again, ‘almost’: 5 lies for the down loop so would be locked, not reversed (it was only when I looked closely that I noticed this!) and 16 vice 14 again.

While the 'up sidings' would be activated by catch point 12 (locking 8) or 14 being reversed.

This is the fun (messy) one as the indicator reads into any of the three down sidings. Fortunately the one lever lead listed is this ‘signal’ (linked from /7 in the list above the diagram).

but there are others who understand signalling much better.

I would claim so! :-)

It really makes for interesting moves.  All the distant signals look like they are fixed.

Indeed it does, and you are right about the distant: GWR practice in single lines operated by token.

Paul.

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Tom F

Tom F

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Many thanks both of you!

Well I won't have anything as fancy as interlocking, but I will have working signals!

So with the approach to Bala from Blaenau having a main and branch signal, indicating a train can be signalled into either platforms, I presume this answers my question that a goods train would work what one would think of as 'wrong road' into the goods yard. 

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Tom F

Tom F

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Why not consider interlocking? The Scalefour Society frame is an excellent product or there is modratec product. Would really add to the enjoyment of operating.

 

 

It's something to consider, I'm also aware that Cwm Prysor was my first proper layout and has no signals! I don't want to take something on I'm going to struggle to do on my own with no help (I live almost as rural as you can get!) 

 

It's something I'll look into though! :)

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philip-griffiths

philip-griffiths

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Hi, well with places like RMWeb you will always find good advice close at hand. What i may suggest is do things in stages. Good to hear you plan working signals. Interlocking, whether it is electrical or mechanical is something you can build up to. You have a grewt talent for model making.

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Tom F

Tom F

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Hi, well with places like RMWeb you will always find good advice close at hand. What i may suggest is do things in stages. Good to hear you plan working signals. Interlocking, whether it is electrical or mechanical is something you can build up to. You have a grewt talent for model making.

Thanks Philip, well it’s something I’d certainly like to work towards!

 

Should have a layout update this evening, plus two new characters who have joined the layout....more later!

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Captain Kernow

Captain Kernow

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To answer my own question:

 

https://www.s-r-s.org.uk/html/gww/S3282-2h.pdf

 

There is a bracket signal, plus there is a starting signal with route indicator at the up end of the down platform, so it may be that up passenger trains could arrive at the down platform.

Would that also perhaps be connected to the fact that some freights ran via the 'through freight line' to Bala Jct, which was adjacent the Single Line used by passenger trains?

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St Enodoc

St Enodoc

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Would that also perhaps be connected to the fact that some freights ran via the 'through freight line' to Bala Jct, which was adjacent the Single Line used by passenger trains?

Hard to be sure from the low-res diagram, and noting that it is dated "circa 1913", but it looks as though the Down platform could be used by through trains in both directions (FPLs 9, 10 and 17 and signal 23). There doesn't appear to be a signalled move in the Down direction from the single line into the Up platform.

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Captain Kernow

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I recognised the fine fellow on the left - since confirmed by your post in another place - but not the other.

Notwithstanding the excellent advances in the likes of scanning and 3-D printing over the last few years, I suspect I might feel a little bit worried if anyone was to recognise an unpainted example of myself, prior to the model me having it's make up put on.

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