Minffordd (Festiniog/Cambrian Coast/Faller Car System - 009/OO)

[ian]

I had been plotting to start again with Aberflaff condensed down to 9' as an exhibition layout. The only trouble was that it really resisted being shrunk. The 9' limit is imposed by the potential home erection site which will be under a section of the Ercallbahn. 9' x 2'3". possibly 2'6" at a push.

 

I had thought of an alternative 5'x 2'3" rabbit-warren-ish scheme but it didn't do it for me - it lacked the road vehicles and main-line sections. Adding a second board with a harbour added those parts but the whole thing didn't gel.

 

Then Bachmann sprang their trap:

 

So, a 70s Festiong layout with Fest, Cambrian Coast and road - there is only one possibility, Minffordd:

 

 

The trouble is, those red squares are each 1m of layout in 4mm scale so some compression is needed.

 

 

This is the visible section - 6" square grid. The A487 runs along the back of the scene. the Festiniog Rly passing loop occupies the full length then at a lower level is the Cambrian Coast line and a token piece of the Festiniog Rly yard.

 

 

In exhibition mode the Festiniog main line runs round to four hidden loops and the road runs round in an oval with a couple of 'pit lanes'.

 

 

Given the 2'9" width of the exhibition format the Cambrian can't loop around. The DMU service will shuttle back and forth whilst the sneaky link will allow the occasional appearence of a short pick-up goods. The low-level Festiniog yard will allow a small loco to shunt PW wagons.

 

 

An alternative fiidle yard for home use will have much less by way of facilities but will fit within that 2'3" width.

 

This might just work!

Edited November 10, 2021 by ian

[Woody C]

Got to say Ian, that looks a great plan and will be a great layout to exhibit. When I see a plan like this I always wonder why didn't I think of something like this then the reality of my limited imagination kicks in and I realise why! Looking forward to your progress. 

[ian]

5 hours ago, Woody C said:

Got to say Ian, that looks a great plan and will be a great layout to exhibit. When I see a plan like this I always wonder why didn't I think of something like this then the reality of my limited imagination kicks in and I realise why! Looking forward to your progress. 

 

Sometimes I sits and thinks, sometimes I just sits. Just occasionally the stars align and everything falls into place.

 

 

I had ordered a resin kit for Upnor Castle and between placing the order and it arriving in the post the Fairlie broke cover. A Festiniog layout was inevitable and given a desire for 1970s, 009, OO and moving road vehicles there was only one place it could be. After that the plan almost drew iteself.

[Merfyn Jones]

16 hours ago, ian said:

 

Sometimes I sits and thinks, sometimes I just sits. Just occasionally the stars align and everything falls into place.

 

 

I had ordered a resin kit for Upnor Castle and between placing the order and it arriving in the post the Fairlie broke cover. A Festiniog layout was inevitable and given a desire for 1970s, 009, OO and moving road vehicles there was only one place it could be. After that the plan almost drew iteself.

 

Were did the Upnor Castle come from please ?

[Stubby47]

I thought at first you were modelling here:

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/XsNLQpoYh1EqvjhW8

 

[ian]

2 hours ago, Merfyn Jones said:

 

Were did the Upnor Castle come from please ?

It is produced by the Merseyside & Southwest Lancs group of the 009 society - £55 including Kato chassis and p&p.

 

I'll PM you the contact details.

[ian]

48 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

I thought at first you were modelling here:

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/XsNLQpoYh1EqvjhW8

 

 

Close, but no banana (well, Cambrian Coast line to be accurate).

[Butler Henderson]

On 12/11/2021 at 19:23, ian said:

It is produced by the Merseyside & Southwest Lancs group of the 009 society - £55 including Kato chassis and p&p.

There is an "early FR" version available on Shapeways

https://www.shapeways.com/product/A278KXP8Q/upnor-castle-rnad-w-llr-early-fr-condition

which I take to be correct for it as existing until its rebuild in the 1980s so would be correct to run with "Earl of Merioneth"

[Jeremy Cumberland]

27 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

There is an "early FR" version available on Shapeways

https://www.shapeways.com/product/A278KXP8Q/upnor-castle-rnad-w-llr-early-fr-condition

which I take to be correct for it as existing until its rebuild in the 1980s so would be correct to run with "Earl of Merioneth"

I've not seen any pictures of it on the FR with that cab, and I think a new cab was built when the gauge was changed. There is a picture of it in 1968 on the Festipedia website: https://www.festipedia.org.uk/wiki/Upnor_Castle

 

It was considerably rebuilt in 1971, and it is the post 1971 version that Ian has.

 

Unfortunately, 1971 is also the year that the old Earl (= Livingston Thompson) was withdrawn from service. I wonder how many people will be willing to take a scalpel to their nice new Bachmann model to create a 1970s-style Merddin Emrys?

[ian]

Well, I shall be using more than a degree of modeller's licence - as is evident from the plan. I have a Bachmann WHR 590 and a white-metal Beddgelert on hand and there will be a Prince too. The FR would have run them if they had had them (in operatbale state) at the time....

[Butler Henderson]

Finally found my copy of the "Festiniog Railway Companion", c. April 1973.

Upnor Castle arrived in 1967 from the Welshpool & Llanfair as per the Shapeways model  and was regauged in 1968. There is a separate comment concerning the cab being cut down and modified along with vacuum brakes being fitted. Possibly it ran briefly where it could following the regauging to check all was okay before the extra work was carried out.

[ian]

 

This is Beddgellert = a whitemetal kit on a Minitrix chassis that I purchased from the 009 Society Sales service a few years back. It vanished into a postal black hole and when it finally arrived had been partially dismantled en-route. Still, as I wanted to fit a coreless motor it saved me a job.

 

Having exhumed the loco I then searched for the replacement motor, gave up and purchased a replacement. It is produced by Tramfabriek https://tramfabriek.nl (despite the name they are based in Berkshire). I was keen to look at this particular loco as, being an old chassis, it was likely to have huge flanges on the wheels and that affects the question of track.

 

The track on which the chassis is standing is a length of code 40 flatbottom on 2mm Scale Association Easitrac sleepers. The flanges catch on the chairs/clips but are fine on the rail itself. Hopefully a bit of gentle work will get it to play nicely.

 

Narrow gauge tracks - even on the Festiniog tend to be far lighter than their standard gauge equivalents and Peco's 009 range using Code 80 is only a little smaller than their standard OO Code 100 - and heavier than the newer Code 75. I hope to use handbuilt Code 40 for the narrow gauge and Code 75 for the standard giving a more marked contrast.

[Jeremy Cumberland]

Dinorwic quarry double head rail is 4" high. Ffestiniog double head / bullhead rail is certainly no smaller than this, and I would have thought code 55 would be ideal. I know this is available in flat bottom, but I don't know what rail you intend using (my eyesight isn't good enough to tell the difference between chaired and flat bottom in 4mm, let alone tell how many fasteners the chairs have )

 

The 75 lb flat bottom that eventually replaced the chaired track on the Ffestiniog is just over 5" high, for which code 70 is probably close enough.

[ian]

36 minutes ago, Jeremy C said:

Dinorwic quarry double head rail is 4" high. Ffestiniog double head / bullhead rail is certainly no smaller than this, and I would have thought code 55 would be ideal. I know this is available in flat bottom, but I don't know what rail you intend using (my eyesight isn't good enough to tell the difference between chaired and flat bottom in 4mm, let alone tell how many fasteners the chairs have )

 

The 75 lb flat bottom that eventually replaced the chaired track on the Ffestiniog is just over 5" high, for which code 70 is probably close enough.

 

Now that is a suprise.  Code 55 vs Code 75 isn't going to show a great deal of difference from normal viewing distance. I could just go with Code 80 /100 and say to hell with it.

[ian]

Beddgellert's motor upgrade requires the worm to be removed from the Minitix motor so it can go on the new coreless one. Minitrix worms are hard to shift - they laugh at worm pullers so it is a case of firing up a blowtorch then wielding a hammer and pin.

(Tramfabriek have a useful worm removal video - https://youtu.be/-3RiZQwXfHM)

 

See, it worked!

 

The arrival of a Zimo MX616 decoder and a SACC16 stay-alive board allowed me to work out where everything would go. Gently pushing at the cab roof with a screwdriver revealed that it was made of plastic card and happy to unstick giving access to the cab.

 

The titchy decoder (about 8mm square) will fit in the boiler over the worm and the stay-alive mostly in the bunker.

 

Meanwhile the Kato chassis for Upnor was introduced to the razor saw and once the raised mouldings on each side had been removed it clipped neatly into place.

[ian]

Well, progress has mainly been around in circles as I decided what flavour of electrickery to use.

 

I was seriously looking at analogue track power with an Arduino microcontroller looking after the automation until I remebered that getting the various locos matched well enough to run at similar speeds, accelerate and decelerate at similar rates and stop nicely and predictably is a lot easier with DCC than DC. However getting the Arduino to do the donkey work remains a good idea.

 

What we have here is an Arduino Mega (on the left at the bottom of the pile) which is the brains of the outfit, a motor-driver shield on top of it which provides the DCC power for the main and programming tracks, an I2C 16 channel servo driver board (top right) with a servo attached and a voltage converter (bottom right) that takes the 12V DC supply used for the DCC signal and converts it to 5V DC for the servos. The Arduino has its own 5V power supply so that the electrical noise on the DCC and servo circuits doesn't cause it to have a hissy fit.

 

The Arduino is running DCC++ EX (https://dcc-ex.com/index.html) which convinces it that it is really a DCC command station. The deal clincher was that there is a layout automation facility built in (https://dcc-ex.com/automation/EX-RAIL-intro.html).

 

 

Baseboards were another area of doubt and uncertainty until, once again, my memory spluttered into life. This beastie was built from 5mm thick foamboard about 7 years ago. It has been greviously maltreated since then and is still flat. It is just over 37 inches long, 27 wide and 3.5 deep and weighs in at 973g - you can lift and carry it with your little finger.

 

That's good enough for me.

[Woody C]

You have gone way beyond my plug, replug, read instructions, curse, plug in again and if lucky play capabilities with your control system but it sounds good! Knowing your past proven abilities with making things work I am sure it will all operate wonderfully. In the meantime back at Woody Ludite Towers I am still trying to understand why you need two wires to make things work! 

The foam board baseboards are amazing - I remember you showing me one which may well have been the one in the photo and it's lightness was incredible but it's rigidity even more so. Be a breeze going to an exhibition with a couple of those although I guess a breeze is not something you want whilst carrying them.

[ian]

On 05/12/2021 at 09:57, Woody C said:

The foam board baseboards are amazing - I remember you showing me one which may well have been the one in the photo and it's lightness was incredible but it's rigidity even more so. Be a breeze going to an exhibition with a couple of those although I guess a breeze is not something you want whilst carrying them.

That is indeed the one. It has been home to about three N gauge test circuits and various other temporary setups. Once they get track, scenery and all that malarkey the weight does increase but still ends up a lot less than the traditional hunk of tree.

 

Lindarella and her two ugly sisters...

 

No self-respecting FR themed layout would be complete without at least one of the Ladies. Over time I have somehow managed to acquire three built Parkside Dundas kits comprising one Linda and two Blanches.

 

Having dragged them from their resting place it was an unappealing prospect. One Blanche was in bits, the other Blanche came to bits as it was taken out of its box and Linda waited until she was being examined before following suit. Still, at least I now knew how they came apart.

 

The chassis for the red Blanche was in bits so I looked at the other two first. Neither responded to the controller. After cleaning, lubricating and much tweaking of the contact strips both were coaxed into action. With even more of the same the third chassis was persuaded to co-operate.

 

A bit of brute force got the tender chassis of the red Blanche away from the body. This revealed a possible site for a DCC decoder and stay-alive. The green Blanche was equally obliging but Linda's tender was steadfast in its unwillingness to open up. Since Linda has by far the best paint job I was unwilling to risk major damage so contented myself with making an opening in the chassis from underneath.

 

Once reassembled and given some time on the rolling road Linda was deemed good enough to go to the ball. However I'm wavering - should I put a can motor in now, or just DCC her and fit an upgraded motor later?

 

(Yes, I know the tender isn't on the track - the drawbar isn't screwed in place and coupling the coach up moved the tender. I didn't notice until I saw the photo.)

The two ugly sisters. No, not really. Once they have got their make-up on they'll be beautiful. I only need one and originally thought that I'd put the extra black onto the green one and try to ignore the lack of lining but then I had an idea. If I add green to the red one, just leaving a thin edge of red it might be easier. Either way there will be one spare at the end of the process. Name and works plates are needed, along with the DCC gubbins. Perhaps I should re-motor one of these and the attack Linda when I have sorted out how to do it.

 

Beddgellert has stalled as the chassis had binding issues. Whilst sorting these I managed to upset the decoder so that must wait until I get another one.

 

[MarshLane]

Any further progress on this project Ian?

[ian]

On 20/05/2023 at 13:29, MarshLane said:

Any further progress on this project Ian?

 

Now isn't that wierd.

 

Having got fed up with wiring the Ercallbahn and having just ordered a bargain price Linda from the F&WHR Shop, I had started to think about this project and got some bits out of store.

 

 

The scheme had got stymied by the unavailability of the intended home for it. Plans are now being drawn up for an exhibition only version at around 6'x3'. This means the loss of the yard, but that was the least satisfactory aspect of the plan anyway.

 

Watch this space!

 

 

Edited May 22, 2023 by ian

[ian]

 

[ian]

Peco's 1970s bug boxes have arrived - and been populated. Mind you - I think the droplights should be down - it must be rather hot in there.

 

There has been progress with the technology too...

 

[Oldddudders]

6 hours ago, ian said:

Peco's 1970s bug boxes have arrived - and been populated. Mind you - I think the droplights should be down - it must be rather hot in there.

Great for incubating bugs!

[ian]

Not much has happened recently in the top left hand corner of Wales but glacial progress has been made in the C&W Department. One of the characteristics of the Festiniog is long trains which means lots of carriages.

 

The regulation Dundas Models Hudson semi-opens (37 & 38) have received their livery coat and passengers along with the recently released Fourdees Ashburys (23 & 26).

 

 

A veritable farmyard of barns (104/105, 100/106, 101/103) along with 11 and 12 all await attention. The Fourdees model of 101 needs some small modifications to make it into sister vehicle 100. Dan at Fourdees was very helpful in doing a special twin pack of 101 and 104 so that I could make up the full set of FR Barns.

 

 

I have been looking at converting a Peco L&B brake into Buffet 14 - but I think it is going to be easier to scratchbuild new sides and ends rather than hack the body. Still, it provides a useful guide to proportions and dimensions.