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Tyn-y-coed Miniature Railway


Dragonfly
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Afternoon all,

 

So over recent years I've occasionally had a scour of the net to find anything about a little railway place I used to go to as a child, named Tyn-y-coed, in Blaenau Ffestiniog. Every search has come up utterly dry; no photos, no videos, no memory of its existence at all. But I know I'm not imagining it as I have a VHS tape with it on. About seven years ago I made a digital conversion of this video, which didn't come out great, especially with the sound distorting in tone (due to the video speeding up and slowing down), but I haven't yet re-attempted it (I don't think I even still have the equipment), so I've uploaded the video to Youtube as it is for anyone interested.

 

YOUTUBE VIDEO

 

Tyn-y-coed was located here in Blaenau Ffestiniog, in the former slate miners' hospital. It consisted of:

- a 7 1/4 inch gauge end-to-end track along the front wall by the road

- a 5 inch gauge track (the main attraction) running along from a shed and ticket office, along the side of the house, and following a balloon loop around the garden

- a 16mm (SM45 / G scale) garden railway

- a few animals (rabbits, at least)

- and maybe a tea rooms

 

The video dates from 1993, and mentions that the place had been open for six years at that point. As I recall, it didn't stay open very long after the video, as the owner passed away; certainly by 2003 all signs of its existence had been obliterated. So I'd estimate it was open from 1987 to around 1995.

 

If anyone else remembers this place, particularly if you know of any photos or other videos, please let me know? It was only a little place but it was really nice; I certainly have fond memories, and it's a shame it's apparently all been forgotten.

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If memory serves me correctly , it was owned by Graham Lamb who had been the inaugural chairman of the 16 mm NGRMA, and was opened when Graham moved from Salisbury to BF.

 

It operated until Graham's death, and as usually the case, now the driving force needed to keep it operating has gone.

 

I think it was all sold off.

 

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Thanks Richard. Yes, it was owned by Graham Lamb until his passing, then his widow sold up and moved away. I've emailed and had a response from the Rev Alan Cliff (author of Jack the Station Cat and other books, and interviewed in this video) and he's said the same. As he says, the video pretty much covers everything that was there anyway, so even in the unlikely event of any other photos or videos still existing, they probably wouldn't show anything additional. I just wanted there to be something online about it, as to my knowledge there was nothing at all.

Since then it's become a rentable (expensive, but accommodates 15, I think) holiday cottage. Might see if I can get a wander around at some point during the off-season, not that there'll be any trace left; the garden has all been re-landscaped.

 

As for the weather, Tim, it must have been an ultra-rare alignment of the planets where everything coincides such that they had an actual dry day. Or a huge tarpaulin and lighting rig. Though I doubt that second possibility, as I was there on the day of filming and probably would have noticed that. :D

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I remember it! Visited once as a child, must have been very early 90s 91-92 at a guess. We were in Blaenau for a craft fair and a guy there with a miniature railway set up suggested we might like to visit. I had always remembered it as Tan y Coed. I have often wondered whether I dreamt it all as I have never heard mention of it until this thread. I remember riding the two miniature railways, though I don't recall the 16mm stuff. I would only have been around 6 at the time though..

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On 27/02/2020 at 12:14, Bob Bullock said:

I have some reasonable quality video taken during the Autumn 1993 Heywood Society meeting in North Wales. Let me know if you would like a copy.

 

Bob Bullock. 

 

Have only just seen this; clearly I forgot to Follow the thread.

 

I'd love to see this as well, if possible, please? :-)

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