Bala Town

[Andrew P]

 

 

 

Bala Town.

There are three main reasons for this new thread;

Firstly, Seven Mills & Dore End was getting very messy, with lots of changes of plans, ideas and thinking, and also ME taking it Off Topic far too often, making the construction and the theme sometimes difficult to follow. Seven Mills Sidings will continue as its own thread set in the 80’s.

Secondly, I found trying to combine 60’s Steam and 80’s Diesel in one Layout just did not jell for me. So over the Christmas period the decision was taken to separate Seven Mills and Dore End into separate Layouts, removing the linking curved track, and drop the Dore End tag altogether in favour of Bala Town. This will be set in the late 60’s, so each new build will have a 12ft x 2ft, scenic, plus fiddle Yards and one each side of TOPS / The Old Potting Shed

Lastly, my love of doing a bucolic Rural Scene has once again got the better of me, and so I’ve reverted back to a Branch Line Terminus very much like Trebudoc, for Bala Town, and with a small, but NOT prototypical Rural Terminus set in the small farming Town of Bala, in North Wales, where I try to go a couple of times a year for some fresh air, and scenic tranquility.

 

Bala, = FACT.

Bala was originally on the GWR Route passing through Llangollen, and along the Dee Valley to both Barmouth on the Welsh Coast, and Blaenau Ffestiniog high in the Snowdonian Mountain Range, with the two destinations diverging at Bala Junction. The Line from Llangollen which is now preserved as far as Corwen, passed Carrog, criss crossing the River Dee on Route, and on reaching Corwen it was joined by the LNWR Line from North Wales, and that terminated at Corwen. The Line remained GWR only beyond Corwen as it followed the Dee Valley and close to the River Dee on its right for most of the remainder of its journey to Bala Junction.

At the Junction the Line split, and the Barmouth Line carried on along the South shore of Llyn Tegid, (Bala Lake), towards Barmouth, and today this is the Track Bed used by the Narrow Gauge Bala Lake Railway, https://bala-lake-railway.co.uk/ . Turning north at Bala Junction, the Line crossed the River Dee and into the outskirts of Bala Town. From there it went under what is today the A494 and on towards Blaenau Ffestiniog. Today the site of the old Bala Station is marked by its Starter Signal in the Car Park that now covers the old Goods Yard.

 

Bala Town, = FICTION.

My Layout will NOT be anything like the original Track Plan or even close to it.  My representation will be that Bala is now the end of the Line from the Dee Valley, and terminating at Bala Town, and assuming that the Lines to both Barmouth and Blaenau Ffestiniog were lifted beyond Bala. It will merely be a representation of a place I enjoy going to on Holiday, and where I’ve met some really great Railway Modelling friends from here on R M Web, such as Martin / Gismorail, David / Jintyman, Craig / Muddys Blues and Larry / formally Coachman on here.

 

More Fiction.

So on leaving my Fiddle Yard, a 4 Track Swiveling Sector Plate, which is situated at the end of TOPS, (see plan), you pass through a short Tunnel and enter Bala Town Station.

The small Goods Yard is to the left with a Provender Store and Loading Dock etc. Seeing as Gas has not fully reached Bala, Coal fires are still very much the norm, and so Gwillam Jones the Coal Merchant is usually busy with wagon loads to empty. To the right there is a Bay Platform and kick back to a small Single Road Engine Shed with the usual facilities such as Coal and Water etc.

I’m also imagining that the LNWR had running rights all the way to Bala, hence the use of the Jinty and Ivatt 2MT as well as the usual Ex Great Western Panniers and Prairies etc.

Passenger Services will be handled by a single Autocoach and probably hauled by my Green 64XX No 6439, but the Layout will be run predominantly as Freight for more operation etc.

Again the Station and surrounding Building are nothing like the real thing, and will be ready to plant, as I hate making Buildings.

So there we have it, this will be my take on of this once charming Station in a stunning part of Wales.

 

Edited April 7, 2019 by AY Mod
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[Alister_G]

Great!

 

I do like your rural layouts, as much as I like your Banger Blue depots, so now we have the best of both worlds

 

Look forward to seeing more.

 

Al.

[GJB]

Hi Andy,

 

I have found your 7mm work to be inspiring, so am looking forward with great interest to seeing this latest project develop.

 

Gerry

[ELTEL]

Hi Andy

 

What a coincidence I was watching some video footage this morning “Railway Roundabout 1961” on the said area.

 

I also will be following this new build with interest.

 

Happy New yea to you, and no doubt I’ll see you at our Stafford Exhibition in February.

 

Terry

[Andrew P]

Great!

 

I do like your rural layouts, as much as I like your Banger Blue depots, so now we have the best of both worlds

 

Look forward to seeing more.

 

Al.

Hi Al and thanks, I'll have some pics later on today, the heater is on outside.

[Andrew P]

Hi Andy,

 

I have found your 7mm work to be inspiring, so am looking forward with great interest to seeing this latest project develop.

 

Gerry

Hi Gerry. Thanks very much, as many will testify, I am a serial BODGER, and my Layouts are just thrown together, but with love and care, sometimes they work visually, sometimes they don't and end up being scrapped / changed or Sold.

 

Bala is laid and wired, so at least that's a start, I know this works so far.

 

Hope you enjoy Riding with the Bodger.  

[Andrew P]

Hi Andy

 

What a coincidence I was watching some video footage this morning “Railway Roundabout 1961” on the said area.

 

I also will be following this new build with interest.

 

Happy New yea to you, and no doubt I’ll see you at our Stafford Exhibition in February.

 

Terry

Morning Terry, I do love the area, and the Model that Tom is doing, Cwm Prysor, in the Layouts section really brings out the best of this once stunning line across North Wales.

 

And YES, I hope to be at Stafford this year, providing there's NO SNOW, and I'm not incapacitated again, haha.

[woodenhead]

Ah Kettles.

 

This looks like a typical TOPS steam terminus that we know and love.

 

Happy new year Andy

[Clive Mortimore]

:banghead:

 

Poor old Dore end, gone and soon to be forgotten.

 

More holes in the baseboard, more sticking plasters wasted.

 

Have fun making it......and you can now buy a Flying Banana

[5050]

If you have an interest in this area and the line to Blaenau then the purchase of the recently published book on the line from Lightmoor Press is well worth it.

[ELTEL]

If you have an interest in this area and the line to Blaenau then the purchase of the recently published book on the line from Lightmoor Press is well worth it.

I think I’ll have to buy this to go with the Ruabon to Barmouth book.

 

Terry

[Andrew P]

Ah Kettles.

 

This looks like a typical TOPS steam terminus that we know and love.

 

Happy new year Andy

Cheers mate, I hope t comes out o.k., so far so good, IT RUNS.

[Andrew P]

:banghead:

 

Poor old Dore end, gone and soon to be forgotten.

 

More holes in the baseboard, more sticking plasters wasted.

 

Have fun making it......and you can now buy a Flying Banana

I have a standing order with Masking Tape, haha

 

NO Bananas on here mate, far to early, think 60's  66 ish, although there will be an Autocoach.

[Andrew P]

If you have an interest in this area and the line to Blaenau then the purchase of the recently published book on the line from Lightmoor Press is well worth it.

 

 

I think I’ll have to buy this to go with the Ruabon to Barmouth book.

 

Terry

Thanks Guys, I'm not a Railway book worm, I did get; Exploring Britain's Lost Railways for Christmas but not opened it yet. I'm guessing the Bala Line must be in there somewhere.

[Andrew P]

Some pics from this morning.

 

The Fiddle Yard is now laid and just needs some wires on in the next few days, everything else is working nicely.

 

The Fiddle Yard is 4 Tracks, and plenty of room to store Stock on the Sector board, it just needs a front edge as well now.

 

 

 

 

 

More later.

[Andrew P]

And the rest from this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

I have a standing order with Masking Tape, haha

 

NO Bananas on here mate, far to early, think 60's  66 ish, although there will be an Autocoach.

If not a Banana then  Bubblycar  :tomato:

[ELTEL]

Should be finished by teatime ha ha

[Siberian Snooper]

Yet more 0 Gauge pannier temptation. I must resist, I must resist!

 

Nice work, I look forward to developments.

[Andrew P]

Yet more 0 Gauge pannier temptation. I must resist, I must resist!

 

Nice work, I look forward to developments.

Resistance is futile, and you know it, haha.

 

I REALLY REALLY should have got one of the 74X's in Hattons Sale to make up the set.

[Andrew P]

If you have an interest in this area and the line to Blaenau then the purchase of the recently published book on the line from Lightmoor Press is well worth it.

 

 

I think I’ll have to buy this to go with the Ruabon to Barmouth book.

 

Terry

 

 

Thanks Guys, I'm not a Railway book worm, I did get; Exploring Britain's Lost Railways for Christmas but not opened it yet. I'm guessing the Bala Line must be in there somewhere.

 

Just had a look, and sadly NOTHING on Bala, or that area of Wales.

 

That can go back onto the Bookshelf then.

[KNP]

Found it, the morphing of Dore End into Bala Town

 

That gives me an idea.....

Two double-sided scenic backscenes and I can have three layouts....!!!!

 

Little Muddle

 

through to 

 

The Valley

 

then into

 

Encombe Town junction

 

Like the idea for Bala Town and already clicked follow topic.

And to think we are only on the first day of 2019, what will the rest of the year bring?

[Andrew P]

Found it, the morphing of Dore End into Bala Town

 

That gives me an idea.....

Two double-sided scenic backscenes and I can have three layouts....!!!!

 

Little Muddle

 

through to 

 

The Valley

 

then into

 

Encombe Town junction

 

Like the idea for Bala Town and already clicked follow topic.

And to think we are only on the first day of 2019, what will the rest of the year bring?

Thanks Kevin, you can never have enough Layouts in your Shed / Room / Den, hahaha

[Donw]

Hi Andy

I dont think any books on the Line would help. You are doing an 'Inspired by' layout finding more facts on the original will only inhibit doing what you want.  I like where this is going so follow your instincts.

 

Don

[Andrew P]

Hi Andy

I dont think any books on the Line would help. You are doing an 'Inspired by' layout finding more facts on the original will only inhibit doing what you want.  I like where this is going so follow your instincts.

 

Don

Thanks Don, I think your absolutely right, every time I try and copy a prototype I lose interest, so like Trebudoc, I'll just do what I feel looks right to me, and run with it.

 

Thanks again for your input.