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North Welsh Coast Railway - Welsh Dragon Rail


Anthony Ashley
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Hi Anthony

Happy Easter to you and you family.

The bridge looks spot on. It was definitely worth the effort persevering with the wire as the result is superb.

I've just noticed your latest tower made from waste pipe. It's amazing what can be adapted for modelling. My fuel storage tanks on my layout are made from 100mm down pipe.

Really nice work.

Cheers

Marcus

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Dear PJ and Marcus,

 

Thanks for the replies. All of the round buildings are made from plumbing piping. I have used 80. 50 and 25 ml. If is sturdy while being easy to stick to and easy to cut. A great combination of properties for a modeller. Unfortunately you will no longer see the pressure pipe in tis current form once I put a layer of plasticard on it the same design as the portcullis. I am very happy with the bridge particularly given it opens at the top and allows access for emergencies. Still have to build another and do 3 more sides of wires. I bought 5 more rolls of the wire to ensure I had enough for that and my DG couplings.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

I have had a fairly good week end and finished the horizontal supports for the southern Conwy section. Photos are below.

 

I have taken a photo of the partially completed castle to show how big it is against the bus in the left foreground, but how much smaller the castle looks in the overall layout pictures.

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From left to right - hidden tracks, main line to Conwy at the top of the photo and the Llandudno goods are on the far side of the Conwy river.

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I have now cut the near bank horizontal piece but it is not fitted in this photo.

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View from the far end of the layout on the right side as far as it has been completed. I still have another 17 feet to go to get to the end of the layout at the bottom. The next board, which will be another 8 feet X 8 feet, is the main Bangor board with about 2/3 of the station on it. The station is about 16 feet by 6 feet.

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A view from Conwy station along the line castle. Mainly tankers on the mainline.

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I have had a slight change of plan. The idea in creating this layout is to allow strategic, operational and tactical operations in military terms. By this I mean the strategic is the running of an exact passenger time table set in summer 1960, with the exact rakes recreated.

 

The time table is at page 12 entry 287. No one has provided comment on it and I would like some feed back if any one cares to comment. The colour coding on the timetable is red for goods trains, maroon for parcels. Return passenger trains are colour coded with the same colour for up and down and an identifying number. The aqua colour is for suburban. The stopping trains are listed in yellow in the arrival/departure column. Each train has a specific rake formation. There are 34 Goods trains. 8 Parcel trains and 59 passenger trains. The passenger movements will be the strategic part of the layout largely controlled by computer, and mainly sticking to the main lines.

 

The operation aspect of the layout is the manual movement of the goods and parcels trains manually. They are obviously slower, but in the original scenic plan I made no accommodation for overtaking on the scenic track. This should be the operational aspect to the layout, by allowing the express trains to overtake between station. I did not have passing loops between all stations on the up and down lines. I have now remedied this by adding up and down passing loops between Conwy/Penmaenmawr, Penmaenmawe/Bangor and Bangor/Conwy. Operators will need to be aware of express trains as they are leaving a station to move into the passing loops as required.

 

The tactical aspect to the layout is the shunting operations in each station, as all have such facilities, again manually controlled. This is my concept to date, but it has changed with the development of the layout. If there is are a few requests to show the new plan I shall do so. Let me know if you want to see the amended version.

 

Thank you for your interest.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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Dear Ollie.

 

The Welsh Dragon rail is set in the 60s so not quite the same as today, but I have found apart from the station there are minimal changes to most of Conwy. decided on the location by looking at large volumes on lines in the UK and then chose from them the most spectacular scenery and combination of relatively heavy, interesting mixed traffic. Conwy has the castle and medieval town wall. Penmenmawr the granite quarry and old narrow gauge and Bangor the large goods area with spectacular hills around it. the other advantage these 3 offered was the hills around them assist in hiding the hidden track.

 

Thanks for your reply it is appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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The whole thing looks immense.  It's difficult to comment as you appear to be trying something few would contemplate.

 

I noticed you have repeated a typo with your parcel train numbers.  I believe you should have 8 not 88 (that would be even more of a challenge)

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Dear Jon,

 

I think 88 would be a challenge. You are correct the figure should be 8. I shall edit the reply above. With 60 computerised passenger movements (some suburban may be manual as I am not sure yet how many destinations the TC Gold can handle), the 8 parcel and 34 goods trains (both manual) I think there will be enough to do. I just have to complete the main line by adding another 56 feet of line, with associated base boards.

 

I have been determining where I need to put the steel rods suspended from the layout framework to minimise the amount of rods required for suspending the hidden track. I have put this into a plan if anyone is interested in seeing it.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

I am showing you the plan for the dropper support on which most of the hidden track will rest for the right side of the hidden layout plan . Plan is below.

 

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The salmon pink rectangles are the supporting timber added to provide the support for the rod. I shall need to drill holes in each support at the end of each blue rectangle. The blue rectangles are the support for the track. I have been advised to use either 12 ml ply or 3 4 ml ply sandwiched together cross graining each piece of 4 ml. I am unsure which to use but will think about it. I need to complete the supporting frame work and drill the required holes for each rod before I attach any horizontal sections. The rods will be anchored by a nut recessed into the framework. The will obviously be 3 horizontal supports per rod to hold the three tier giant loops.

 

I have also got the metal pieces required to complete the lifting frames for the final section of Conwy (including the station) on the left side of the layout.

 

Any comments on the rod support positions would be greatly appreciated. I have the supports no more than 450ml apart. I am not sure if this is the best spacing but seems reasonable.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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Dear Dave,

 

Thanks for your reply. I am happy with the castle so far and am about to recommence work on it with more Queen Bee resin having been cast and the stone finish ready for 3 more towers.

 

I got no comments on the proposed placement of the supports for the rods which will hold the hidden track under the layout. I have therefore placed these supports on the layout and am ready to start hanging the rods, supported by a 12 ml washer and nut. Another new interesting aspect of the layout which I have not attempted before.

 

Photos on the new scenic areas with boards laid are below.

 

The view through about 6 feet of tunnel followed by a valley and then a short tunnel leading onto the Conwy scenic area. 2 Foot high scenic dividers will separate Conwy, Penmaenmawr and Bangor. The sea and land in the back ground is the other side of the river Conwy.

 

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The view from the top of the layout to Bangor hills. I shall cover these in ply next. There will be a cliff on the large hill to the front of this shot. I shall make a waterfall from a sub-terrainian river coming out of this cliff. I shall put a lake at the base of the waterfall. All of the supports for the hidden track are on the layout but hidden by the scenic surfaces. You can just see the bus at the closest tunnel entrance next to the closest elevation riser.

 

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View back from the hills of Bangor to Conwy.

 

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All replies are most welcome.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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I like the view through the tunnel, and the second picture from the reverse angle looks really good; nice to see the track formation beginning to take shape - can't wait for the video of the inaugural train run ;)

 

 

David

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David,

 

Thanks for your reply. Last night I was looking at the scenic divider to go between the Conwy and Bangor sections. My mother in law will paint the divider with two scenes, one either side, so I am hoping for a view as spectacular as the current track scenes. I was thinking of making  the dividers 2 feet high, but when added to the height of the existing base boards, you cann't see over the top of it, and it completely blocks all of the Conwy section of the layout from view. Accordingly I have revised the height and decided on a total height of 300 ml, or 245 ml above the Conwy base board level. This enables the viewing of most of the the Conwy area, but obscures about 6 feet of the Conwy track immediately in front of the divider if looking from the Bangor side. This would create a sufficient gap for a rake leaving Bangor and entering Conwy to create the illussion of a different train, but gives a field of view of the greater Conwy section.

 

Do readers agree that is a better option to allow a view of most of Conwy or do you think totally hiding it from the Bangor side is a better option. If totally hidden you loose the sweep of the layout and its large scale, as the three sectioins will become 3 individual layouts rather than 1 layout with connected stations.

 

Comments on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

  Anthony Ashley

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Anthony

 

If you make it "high" you can always make it lower...

 

Probably better to make a final decision before the painting, if only to preserve family harmony, but I guess this would drive you to making it removable for painting, and this will bring its own problems, perhaps.

 

Best

Simon

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Dear Simond and I an ,

 

Thanks for the comments. To explain the board is being painted off site, as I have sketched the relevant scenery bits which will lie in front of either sides and told my mother in law to paint on and above those lines.

 

I have attached 2 photos to give the impression of the options. Option 1 is the high board. Option 2 the low.

 

With this divider you can only see the very top of the wall on the Conwy section when standing at any spot behind it. I think it diminishes the impact of the layout as a whole and reduces the spectacle of the back scenes.

 

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Option 2 the low one. You can just see a loco at the top right end of the divider. That is about 5 feet onto the Conwy bard and is hidden by another foot as it leaves the Bangor section. This seems to compromise the best in screening the moving rake for a considerable distance while retaining a panoramic view of Conwy.

 

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Any comments one way or the other on the options would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear Simon and Jon,

 

Thanks for the comments. The deed is now done as my mother in law has nearly finished painting the lower divider as of today. I have not seen it but my wife has. Perhaps they will drop it off tomorrow. I did receive advice from an experienced modeller to use the higher back scene but everyone on RM Web has confirmed my decision to go with the lower to enable the whole of the layout to be viewed at the same time rather than 3 individual layouts connected by rail.

 

I have nearly finished the castle on the rail side. There is a little more work to add scenic clay to complete the battlements and the areas below the castle stone still need completing but the effect is pleasing so far. Photos below.

 

Royal Scot with the Welshman passing Conwy castle, with a Black 5 parcel train on the other line

 

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Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

I have included a few more pictures of Conwy and some photos of my techniques for preparing the droppers to support the underneath hidden track.

 

Photos below.

 

Close up of Conwy with the Royal Scot peeking out of the portcullis and a parcel train going the other way.

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More distant shot of Conwy castle.

 

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The tools used to drill the dropper holes. A spade bit used first to recess the 6ml nut and washer. A long 6 ml bit for the rod. Sarah was an essential assistant to line up the drill as the hole need to be square ie forward a bit back a bit , no no forward again!

 

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A series of holes drilled around the frame where one end of the of bone loops back to the straight track. There will be 7 hidden tracks running along the length of the operating area in 3 levels including the up and down tracks for either side of the dog bone, 2 goods storage tracks running 17 feet on each of the levels, and a return loop.

 

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One of the recessed holes drilled and ready for the rod with nut and washer to stop it falling through the hole. I need to cut many, many 630ml rods.

 

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Hole with nut and washer ready for the rod.

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Down the operating side of the layout, showing the holes drilled in this section.

post-15340-0-76350300-1399202408.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dear Sithlord,

 

My 200 hours of work in 2 weeks has finished so I am available again for modelling activities. You may come any time. I have just borrowed a angle grinder to cut the steel rods for the droppers.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

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WELSH DRAGON RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

Steel threaded rods are in for the boards constructed to date. I have some photos below to show the effect of the supports and the track base. The pictures in the foreground show the straight section with the dogbone loop in the back ground. There all be 3 levels of support for the 3 track levels. Much cutting of ply to put it all together. I deed to complete the next 3 base boards to enable the dog bone loop to be completed.

 

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Some track laying next and then wiring. 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

  

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WELSH DRAGION RAIL - LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS

 

Dear All,

 

I have placed and cut the track for the new base boards. Photos below.

 

View from the Conwy end of the layout. Main  lines are the second and 3rd tracks from the front. The Llandudno good area are the next 3 tracks next to he river. You can just see the hidden track on the left behind the divider.

 

post-15340-0-97258700-1401011354.jpg

 

A fairly complicated point area. I have added a cross over and two passing loops to facilitate slow trains on the main line going into the siding. The outside 2 lines going through the first support are the passing loops.

 

post-15340-0-68695400-1401011371.jpg

 

View back towards Conwy

 

post-15340-0-34982100-1401011393_thumb.jpg

 

Next is to mark the position of the track and lay cork. 3 ml for main line and 1 ml for goods areas. Once cork has been cut and laid I them put the track back on and wire it.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

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