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Newport (Parrog) Branch Line Terminus, 1930s (OO Gauge)


petejones
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This idea came about during the early hours of the morning as I have a baseboard built ready and waiting for a small layout. The baseboard measures 240 x 44cm and as it already has an exit hole at one end of the backscene (actually near the front on the right-hand side), I think a terminus would suit it well. The other purpose of this layout is to keep my interest whilst I work on a plan for a larger layout (I'm aiming for Whitland Station in the 1930s/40s) probably in finescale. There is another consideration I needed to take into account and that is my partner has two old Hornby locos that she wants to run now and again, but she doesn't want them modified (I can't say I blame her!)... so without further ado, here's the plan. I'm going to use Peco Bullhead rail, but as they haven't released a slipswitch yet, I will put a temporary Code 75 one in place, which I already have.

 

To make it a little different, the scene will be set during the winter and will have a covering of snow. Not sure of a name yet, hence the generic GWR Terminus, but it will be set in West Wales, as I have a fleet of locos for that region/era (1930s-40s). The station building and signal box will be ready-made Scenecraft models, but will be re-painted and detailed, plus they will have snow on the roofs, so again, hopefully they will look a bit different.

 

I have sourced the Bullhead track and turnouts (luckily, as they seem to be hard to get hold of at the moment), so will start track laying once they arrive. In the meantime, I need to learn how to use Templot (or more probably, I need to learn permanent way terminology, so I know what people are talking about!).

 

Pete

GWR Terminus v.1.3.jpg

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  • petejones changed the title to Newport Terminus, 1930s/40s (OO Gauge)

I may as well make this station part of my fictitious Whitland and Newport Branch Line that I was considering last year. So, welcome to Newport Station in Pembrokeshire - a terminus at the end of the line from Whitland (branching at Crymmych Arms), passing through Pen-Y-Groes Halt and Eglwyswrw.

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  • petejones changed the title to Newport Station, 1930s (OO Gauge)
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Hi Pete,

I wonder about having two platform faces and the platform being completely bounded on both sides by track. Where is the station building? 
Is there a geographical reason why the station is hemmed in to a small area?

Edit: What I mean is, your baseboards are very restrictive even for a small single line BLT in West Wales after compression! So for the station to make sense I think you need a plausible reason why it's so small.

Edited by Harlequin
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Another option that was also proposed would be to St David’s. Eventually this was abandoned and replaced by a bus service from Haverfordwest. There was also a proposal for a narrow gauge railway from Whitland to Pendine as well.

 

Keith, formally living in Pembrokeshire now in Glos

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With other stations on the network called "Newport" the GWR would have given this one a different name to avoid confusion. "Newport Nevern" or even just "Nevern", maybe?

You wouldn't have that problem with St David's of course...

 

Edited by Harlequin
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I took inspiration for the layout from both Cardigan and Newcastle Emlyn in that both have a single platform. As to the reason why it's a small station - 'cos that's all the room I have! Probably applies to 95% of people's layouts, doesn't it? I will upload some more details later this evening.

Edited by petejones
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  • petejones changed the title to Newport (Pembs) Station, 1930s (OO Gauge)

Just measured the platform and it's coming out at 400ft (1600mm), which is about the same as Cardigan (389ft), but double that at Kilgerran (203ft), Boncath (200ft), Crymmych Arms (216-220ft), Glogue (195ft), Llanfrynach (171ft), Login (185ft) and Llanfalteg (213ft). I could perhaps do with another line behind the station, making it three, but I think that would look crowded as I like the gap between the two sidings to allow carts/lorries in to unload. There were two mileage sidings at Crymmych Arms to the south and one to the north; only two at Cardigan, plus one siding for the loco shed. I suppose I could add a shed to the right?

 

Perhaps Newport couldn't get as much land as they wanted and had to make do?

Edited by petejones
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I was thinking of putting the station building on the far left, with steps down from the back of the station or passengers could exit stage-left off the platform itself. I purchased the GWR station building from Oxford Rail as it's a good likeness of the station buildings at both Cardigan and Newcastle Emlyn. As I said earlier, I will be repainting it and will add extra detail, so it won't look like it was just plonked on the layout.

 

As a result, I've had to reduce the length of the track behind the platform.

Newport Station v.1.1.jpg

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36 minutes ago, petejones said:

Just measured the platform and it's coming out at 400ft (1600mm), which is about the same as Cardigan (389ft), but double that at Kilgerran (203ft), Boncath (200ft), Crymmych Arms (216-220ft), Glogue (195ft), Llanfrynach (171ft), Login (185ft) and Llanfalteg (213ft). I could perhaps do with another line behind the station, making it three, but I think that would look crowded as I like the gap between the two sidings to allow carts/lorries in to unload. There were two mileage sidings at Crymmych Arms to the south and one to the north; only two at Cardigan, plus one siding for the loco shed. I suppose I could add a shed to the right?

 

Perhaps Newport couldn't get as much land as they wanted and had to make do?

Apart from Cardigan those are all through stations that don't need room to run around. Some of them are passing places but that's a different kettle of fish. (I'll forgive you for leaving out the best station on the line, Llanglydwen.)

 

You've got one platform but two platform faces and you only need one face to be like Cardigan. (I'm assuming that the lines either side of the platform are both accessible to the platform in your drawing and not fenced off like Moretonhampstead, for example).

 

I guess a minimal setup would be: platform line against platform face, run round loop, goods shed line, one back/mileage siding and some basic loco facilities.

 

Edited by Harlequin
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Ah, sorry - Llanglydwen (285ft/135ft) :)

 

I can just about get three coaches along the platform, plus space for the loco at the left to run round, but two coaches would be more common I think. Re: the platform faces - yes, the line at the rear face was going to be for goods. I could move that line away from the platform, but then I would need a goods shed.

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10 minutes ago, petejones said:

I can just about get three coaches along the platform, plus space for the loco at the left to run round, but two coaches would be more common I think. Re: the platform faces - yes, the line at the rear face was going to be for goods. I could move that line away from the platform, but then I would need a goods shed.

OK, sorry Pete, that wasn't clear.

 

 

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I’m imagining the line terminating at The Parrog around where the yacht club building is now, and one siding being on the quayside for fish or a small trading schooner.  This would solve the ‘too many Newports’ issue; ‘Newport (Parrog)’. There might be a  ‘Town’ station by the A487 Nevern Bridge as well. 

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This was the plan I drew up last year, but I don't have that space available at the moment, only really half that. I could just do the left-half and maybe drop one of the lanes at the back - that would fit my baseboard. 240cm comes to just shy of the first turnout that splits the single line into two, so it's do-able.

 

Newport Terminus v.3.1.jpg

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  • petejones changed the title to Newport (Pem) Station, 1930s (OO Gauge)
6 hours ago, The Johnster said:

I’m imagining the line terminating at The Parrog around where the yacht club building is now, and one siding being on the quayside for fish or a small trading schooner.  This would solve the ‘too many Newports’ issue; ‘Newport (Parrog)’. There might be a  ‘Town’ station by the A487 Nevern Bridge as well. 

 

This is an OS map of Parrog from 1888:

 

https://maps.nls.uk/view/102188007#zoom=6&lat=4939&lon=4092&layers=BT

 

How about this for a proposed route:

West_Wales_Branch_Line.jpg

 

Incidentally, I conversed over email with a chap from Newport Parish Council last year after I asked if they had any information on the proposed line and whilst they knew about it, they don't have any written records, so I'm guessing it was just an idea floated about at a board meeting or two between interested parties.

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I've been reading about the Cardi-Bach recently and there was a reference to Newport in the Price book. He says that:

 

The board of the Whitland and Taf Vale Railway considered changing it's name to the "Whitland, Cardigan & Newport Railway" in 1876. At the time they were pushing the bill for the Cardigan extension through Parliament and they were advised to change the company name simply to the "Whitland and Cardigan Railway", which they did. That bill passed easily.

 

The Directors proposed putting a further bill forward to extend to Newport and Fishguard in the following session but that never happened.

 

Edited by Harlequin
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15 hours ago, petejones said:

Ah, sorry - Llanglydwen (285ft/135ft) :)

 

I can just about get three coaches along the platform, plus space for the loco at the left to run round, but two coaches would be more common I think. Re: the platform faces - yes, the line at the rear face was going to be for goods. I could move that line away from the platform, but then I would need a goods shed.

 You could put the goods shed on the line that runs along the rear face of the platform?

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7 hours ago, petejones said:

 

This is an OS map of Parrogfrom 1888:

 

https://maps.nls.uk/view/102188007#zoom=6&lat=4939&lon=4092&layers=BT

 

How about this for a proposed route:

West_Wales_Branch_Line.jpg

 

Incidentally, I conversed over email with a chap from Newport Parish Council last year after I asked if they had any information on the proposed line and whilst they knew about it, they don't have any written records, so I'm guessing it was just an idea floated about at a board meeting or two between interested parties.

That coincides with my imagined terminus very closely, but I reckon the line would have been a bit south of where you’ve drawn it further inland, away from the A487 and climbing the northern slopes of the Preseli on the southern bank of Afon Nyfer through Ffynnongroes and Pontglasier to keep the gradient in check.  
 

An alternative site for the terminus is on the northern shore of the estuary.  IIRC the land slopes down into the water here and the station would have been to the left of the minor road bridge shown as a ford on the 1888 6” map, towards Berry Lodge Storehouse, cut in to the slope with a retaining wall behind it.  There is water here at all states of the tide and it would have been a sheltered quay.  Cardigan is on the wrong side of it’s estuary, so there is a precedent. 
 

I doubt there would ever have been much traffic for an extension to Fishguard even before the GW developed the harbour and built the short branch approaching the town from Goodwick.  It would have been a spectacular route scenically but a long slow way round to Whitland from Fishguard, and the terrain between Newport and Fishguard is difficult; the route would have had to climb the sea cliffs as far as Ynys Dinas and terminated high above the old harbour at Fishguard.  I’ve walked this section of the Coast Path, and would not like to have had to build a railway there; once you’ve gained enough height you can come in land away from the cliff edge, but you are starting pretty much at sea level at Parrog and need to climb about 200’ to clear the clifftops.  Too expensive. 

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