North Welsh Coast Railway - Welsh Dragon Rail

[Anthony Ashley]

Dear All,

 

It has been some time since my last post. I have been cutting ply roads and completed quite a few. After that I realised if I add the scenic layer it will interfere with my laying the hidden internal track loop around the inside of the layout. Accordingly I have been working on track support, adding cork and painting it. Work has also intervened to minimise modelling time. Photos of the new track area are below. Photos of roads to follow once I have attached all of them to relevant areas. 

 

You can see the white track support curving off to the left and joining to the main line.  

 

View looking the other way down the layout. 

 

I have painted this support green to match the left. Tomorrow I shall lay the track with droppers wired up. 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

[Bogie]

Glad you know what you are doing.

[lezz01]

Good to see some more progress Anthony.

Regards Lez.

[Anthony Ashley]

Bogie and Lez,

 

At least some progress is progress. Thanks for commenting. I have prepared a number of the roads and have some photos below.

 

 

Brown flat area in the foreground is Howard's housing area but cut off due to terrain limitations (sorry Howard). The large flat white area is the Grand Hotel grounds. I need to add a further track on the far end of Howard's housing area down to the tracks. This is not strictly in the right place but I need to fit in a couple of granite storage buildings at the end of the road. The roads up to and around the Grand Hotel are in white.  

 

 

Close up of the Howard housing area. 

 

 

 

I have added the road on the top of the photo leading to the station. It is the widest street in the town,

 

I have to add the missing road and then add chicken wire between the roads creating realistic elevation changes in those areas. I have attached the chicken wire to the housing area in the photo above. I need to add support underneath the road as well.

 

Regards,

 

 Anthony Ashley

 

 

[Howard O]

Hi Anthony

Good to see all the progress that you've made. I can just about get my head around my own little 009 layout how you deal with the complexities of your masterpiece leaves me in awe !

 

However .....

I have managed to track down a photo of the esplanade in Penmaenmawr. The image  was in a very old edition of a local newspaper so the quality isn't the best. The dodgy trackwork isn't real but results from a fold in the paper - yours will be much straighter! 

 

I was born in the end house nearest the camera. The property goes from the end of the row to the second downspout and occupied the top two floors. Underneath was an apartment.

Unfortunately the photo doesn't fit into your time frame but thought it gives some idea of the lay of the land. The houses seem to have changed little externally. As the picture shows the new A55 along the seafront I guess the photo would be early 90's although I'm sure that there are folk out there that could narrow it down to the year, day and time based on the train! 

 

The main changes to the immediate landscape of the Esplanade since the 60's are the access road along the front of the houses which originally was a gravel footpath and gardens which ran a fair way down the embankment towards the railway. The footbridge to access the beach which I mentioned in a previous post was located roughly at the camera position but obviously lower. Sorry I can't find any images for the landward side.

Kindest regards

Howard

[acg5324]

The picture will be early 2000s as the Class 221 wasn’t introduced until 2001. Not much traffic about on the A55.

[Anthony Ashley]

Dear Howard,

 

Thanks for the fantastic photo. I have no view from the perspective provided so your photo is really valuable and will help shape my layout design. Thanks again it is great. the small garden beds at the front would not have been without your photo.

 

AGC5324 thanks for the comment re the timing of the photo. It is also good to be able to date information in terms of the layout timing

 

I have done the roads and overpasses which are actually not in front of the houses but will need to be in my layout due to space constrictions. There are 2 overpasses but I need a third with the extra track I have added. Photos are below.

 

Yellow foam from the left to the right will provide a flat surface for small the road . The first overpass is for a conveyor belt and the second the continuation of the road. The crosses the tracks and then corners right. The irregular shape in front of the track will need to be sculpted from the front to form a hill slope , but the surface next to the tracks is a vertical wall. The two cardboard cut outs are the floor plans for the granite storage buildings. I need to add ply walls to the foam conveyor belt section in the fore ground.  The hill between the two track areas is made of sculpted foam and paper mache.

 

Wider view showing the track off the main road running down the hill.  The chicken wire needs to be bent of the foam and stapled top the base 

 

 

Close up of the cross overs.

 

 

I have cut the road sect leading for the existing road and will fit it once the foam sections have dried in place and the chicken wire is secured. All of the ply surfaces need stone resin covering. It would also be easier to ballast this track area before securing the remaining foam in place.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Anthony Ashley

[lezz01]

Very nice Anthony it's coming on very well.

Regards Lez.

[Anthony Ashley]

Lez,

 

Thanks for the comment. I have had a very busy 2 months with work taking a priority and the addition of a eight week old border collie puppy to the family. I can not work ini the shed while alone with the 2 dogs, as the puppy is not yet trust worthy as she may chew all of my wiring in the shed!!! I have therefore onle doen a little work while Sarah is at home as well. 

 

I tjought I needed to ensure I could fit in the buildings into the space allocated within the rlevant roads while also including a gully from the mountain down to the warf, which holds a conveyor belt to move ranite form the mountain. I cut out floor plans for each building, using google earth mapping to measyre building dimensions. I do not think most of the building would have changed much in the last 50 years. Photos are below with 2 options.

 

 

The first photo shows a steel ruler showing where the gully holding the conveyor belt will be placed. The left border of the area is a road. There are actually three buildings between the gully and the left road

 

The next building shows 3 buildings to the left of the gully. The right one is an ex chuch which has been converted into a dwelling. The next 2 are houses. The first house is very ordinary and I think I shall need to delete it to fit the other 2 in properly, leaving enough space for the gully 

 

 

The floor plans are accurate and will assist with planning them when  do the 3D modelling for them. 

  Since taking this photo I have securd the chicken wire. Next is paper mache.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by Anthony Ashley

[Anthony Ashley]

Dear All,

 

Have worked on the paper mache and manged to complete 2 layers over the area being worked on. Another 4 layers to go but it is slowly getting there. Photos are below.

 

Chicken wire is laregely secured with the gully containg the conveyor belt in place, shown by the pieces of paper in the gully. At the time of the photo I just had to secure the bottom of the wire.

 

Gluing the road base to the foam and securing the wire at the same time. Gorrilla glue is great for any foam sticking task.

 

 

Area I am working on covered i paper mache to 2 layers. Floor plans are in place 

 

Better shot of the gully area 

 

 

Showing more of the elevation changes. 

 

More work on paper mache and then maybe some scenery. I need to cover the walls on the right of this area with stone prior to sticking them down. I need the elevated roads in place with the walls to complete the cliff paper mache area. 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

Edited November 23, 2021 by Anthony Ashley

[NFWEM57]

On 20/10/2014 at 13:59, Anthony Ashley said:

I buy none of my model rail items form Australia as it is at least 1/3 to 1/2 as much again as I would pay in the UK and Germany.

Hmm, I bought a complete set of Bachmann Mk 1 Pullmans S/H in mint boxed state from Australia, set of 10, and including duty and VAT on the whole lot worked out at £33 per cooch. Would have been £50 plus each in UK  S/H and £70 new.

[Anthony Ashley]

Hi All,

 

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and new year. The acquisition of a new puppy made it very difficult to get into the train shed for at least 3 months, so little work was completed over this period. With Connie now 6 months I can go back into the shed and let her run around outside with our other Border collie Darcy.  The tunnelled area I have been building has taken ages to complete but is now mainly glued into position with all of the walls completed and the paper mache linking it to the cliff face completed. Unfortunately as previously discussed I have had to modify reality to fit it all in, but I think it look reasonably realistic. I have also started edging the road network with 3 ml foam board to give ma an edge to pour the plaster roads.  Photos are below of progress. 

 

Far view of the road and conveyor belt walled areas. Floor plans of the granite storage facilities are in card board.

 

 

There is an  arched alcove on either side of the tunnels. This is my first ballasting after 9 years of building the layout!! 

 

 

 

 

Road construction with the foam board lip being added.

 

 

I need to add interior stone sections to the walls next to the road areas and then a top to the wall. 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

[CameronL]

Give us a picture of the dogs, please!

 

Best wishes.

Cam

[Anthony Ashley]

Cameron,

 

I have taken a few snaps of the dogs and am happy to show a picture. Hope no one is offended with a few photos of Darcy and Connie on a train site!!

 

 

Darcy is a Border Collie and 2 years old. Boss dog!!

 

Connie is a 6 month old Border Collie and faithful side kick to Darcy.

 

 

 

We had to buy a second chewie toy to stop arguments.

 

I need to put the interior faces on the walls. Secure the last 2 wall sections to the layout. Paint and add rock,  dust and vegetation to the cliff face in this area. Add a road surface of gravel to the road sections on the pass overs add tops to the walls. 

 

Regards,

 

   Anthony ashley

[Anthony Ashley]

Dear all,

 

I have made some more progress, having painted the area being worked on, added concrete dust to the cliff faces, added road edges. cleaned up the walls on the over passes, added more chicken wire and paper mache to another area. Pictures are below. 

 

Looking into the enclosed area with pass overs either end 

 

Cliff area with concrete dust.

 

Housing area with road edging and painted. The edging will facilitate the grey plaster pour for the roads.

 

 

New road edging with weights to secure while drying. The edging is cut from a sheet of 3 ml foam board bent into shape. I can bend into into a tight curve to meet the road edge. The paper mache on the far left is the area recently having  had chicken wire and paper mache added. There is chicken wire on the top left section down to the train tracks.  

 

 

View looking back to the mountain.

 

View from the mountain end up toward Penmainmawr end. The cardboard cut out to the left of the cross overs is one of two granite storage facilities. 

I shall add the gravel road surface tomorrow to the over pass area and the road in front of the housing area. I need to add heavy vegetation to the cliff face in this area. I might have a go at doing more work on Conwy castle once I have finished this area.  

 

I feel I am back and making some real progress again.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2022 by Anthony Ashley

[Howard O]

Hi Anthony,

Great to see you back and enjoying making progress! I think taking a break now and again helps with life's balance. Great dogs !

Kind regards

Howard

[Anthony Ashley]

Harold,

 

Thanks for the reply and encouragement. I am happy with progress now given my endeavours in the last 3 weeks. I have a question for you as my resident Penmaenmawr expert. I am focussing on the very long block of dwellings to the south east of the station and to the   east of Paradise road. I have maps of the whole of Penmaenmawr area. The  map excerpt shows you where I am talking about. It is the area behind the large dwelling block between Paradise Road and Constitution Hill Road. The 1948 map shows this area between the two roads just behind the dwelling block as park area. In google maps online the area is now a car park. Given my date is 1960 do you know if this area was a park or car park in or around 1960. I think it more likely that it was a park but wondering if you know or can ask any one else locally. I think the park would look better but I am trying to be accurate.

 

 

 

Thanks for the help Harold.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

Edited January 29, 2022 by Anthony Ashley

[lezz01]

Have you tried this site Anthony?

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=51.99512&lon=-2.15671&layers=168&b=1

You can select which edition map you want from the dropdown menu and it overlays it on the current map, that way you can see how a given area changed over time. I think that the latest old map you can overlay is the 1956 OS but that should do you.

Regards Lez.

[Anthony Ashley]

Lez,

 

Thanks for the advice. The map I attached was from the OS site and was made in 1948 but was published in 1950, so although it is likely to be correct it may not be for 1960. I can find no similarly detailed map of Penmaenmawr later than 1948 from the OS site. I may not be using the OS tools to their optimum but I can find nothing better. Thanks again for the help as your contribution and all others are really appreciated. If you know of a later detailed may I am very interested.

 

I am now working on the next set of roads to size cut and place further to the east of Penmaenmawr. I have affixed Paradise Road in place so have the next area to add chicken wire and paper mache between Paradise road and Brynmoor Terrace.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley  

[Howard O]

Hi Anthony

 

Now you're testing me. 

I know from walking through it, there was in the 60's (and still is) a linear park in a small valley or glade with a path that criss-crossed a stream down towards the sea. The stream and park "The Dingle" is to the west of Constitution Hill - I think it just shows on your map. The park in the 60's was virtually canopied by trees. In my memory the park never went as far down as the station. When we walked down that way the footpath cut right, crossed Constitution Hill and came out by the the bowling green and the famous Sambrooks Ice Cream Parlour and gardens by the underpass onto the beach.

I've been racking my brains trying to picture the area between Paradise Rd and the row of terrace houses by the station. I think there was some rough/car parking ground by the terrace but higher up was more vegetation possibly allotments.

Sorry I can't be more helpful

Howard

[Howard O]

Anthony

I've also fired off an email to the Penmaenmawr Historical Society asking for their help. I'm hoping for a better response this time although to be fair Covid hasn't helped and I think that two long-standing leading lights have recently retired.

Cheers

Howard

[Anthony Ashley]

Howard,

Thanks for the comments above. If you can find anyone who has knowledge and have a chat with them that would be great. From an artistic perspective greening the area would look nice and does not appear to be inconsistent w the best map that I have. I will use this approach if you are unable to uncover anything else. Thanks again for your help.

 

I have cute another 2 road sections done a fair amount of paper mache and lined more roads. Photos are below. 

 

View across to the Grand Hotel.. The road in the fore ground will be gravel. The newspaper in the fore ground is temporary track cover

 

 

 

 

Looking further along the layout. The roads are more clearly defined.

 

 

The floor plan of the Grand Hotel. The major road to the left of the Grand Hotel area is Paradise Road. There is a significant down slope  with a cultivated area to the left of the Grand Hotel as shown in the photo below.  The area to the left of the Grand Hotel needs chicken wire and paper mache.

 

 

 

Temporary ply board to stabilise the roads before attaching chicken wire with a stapler. 

 

The new road sections in ply going across the layout. The paper sections are from the left the large tenement block south east of the station and the floor plan of the bowling green.

 

More chicken wire and paper mache!!!

 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Howard O]

Hi Anthony 

 

Success ! We have connected with the Penmaenmawr Museum and Historical Society and got the reply below. 

Thankfully it confirms my memories and I now know where the Dingle stream comes out once it goes underground !

 

Flushed with success I will now go back with our thanks and ask if they have any photos of the Grand Hotel, Crescent Cinema and Sambrooks Ice Cream Parlour.

 

(There should be an annotated map and a photo attached to this post but not sure if I've managed the technology - please let me know.)

 

Kind Regards

Howard

 

 

Hi Howard

I have marked on your map some different points which indicate the car park, allotments, a house that existed before the date of the map, and also Bevan's cafe which used to be at the bottom of the car park.  On the second page, using an old postcard, the 'drain' is where we think the Dingle overflow travels into is marked.  This still exists but of course the promenade has changed a lot since the date of the image.  I am not from Penmaenmawr and I asked Dennis Roberts and Mel Roberts to assist with identifying the points on both images.  

 

I do hope this helps but if you require any further information, please let us know.

 

Kind regards

Suryiah

Penmaenmawr Museum

 

 

 

Dingle and car park query response.pdf

[Anthony Ashley]

Howard,

Thanks so much for contacting the historical society and gaining further insight into the historical aspects of Penmaenmawr. I have been working on the new road sections by incorporating them and the chicken wire further to the east of Penmaenmawr.

 

The dingle creek just sneaks in at the top of the layout, curving around before disappearing under Constitution Hill road. I manged to bend the chicken wire wire to form a 3 cm wide creek bed.  The area between Paradise road and Constitution Hill road was difficult in terms of laying the wire. I followed your advice as the car park seems to have been around in 1960. The area immediately to the east of Paradise road drops very quickly in height with a very tall wall on its eastern side.  I have incorporated a vertical drop in this area, increasing as it heads south. From the current google street view there is a mound some way up to the east of Paradise road at the foot of the Paradise Road wall, running parallel with the car park. This required about a 15ml rise in the wire frame work, then dropping the 15ml to the parking area. Thankfully the rest of the area is relatively flat, as working the chicken wire into complex shapes is hard work on the fingers!!

 

The only item you have mentioned that I no info on is the Bowen's cafe. I have looked on line without any results. If the historical society has any pictures of this area I am very interested. If you are happy to ask them that would be great. Otherwise I could contact them myself. Please let me know if you are happy to continue the contact. Thanks again for the assistance it is really appreciated.

 

I shall chicken wire up to  Beach road before adding paper mache. I have drawn up the station road where it joins with Conwy Road. It is drawn but not cut. I have found a really good way of ensuring the roads are correctly angled. I put the computer with google earth on the computer screen flat on my workshop table aligning the railway line on screen and the edge of my work shop table. I use a metre ruler laid over the lap top screen aligned with the road being drawn. I can then draw that line with the correct road angle onto the ply wood and then transfer that line angle to the start point of the road and therefore drawing in the road on the correct angle. This has worked really well for the roads inserted in the last two days. I shall add some photos tomorrow, as it is 1200 at night and the shed is locked. 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Anthony Ashley

[Anthony Ashley]

Dear All,

 

Here are a couple of photos showing the stepped wire base to the east of Paradise road.

 

The paper emphasises the wall next to Paradise road a stepped area and then the car park. 

 

 

The area being worked on currently.

 

 

This area with flat ply and wall behind is the Crescent cinema, knocked down in about 1968.

 

 

I need to paint the new road sections. finish the wire between Beach road and Constitution Hill Rd and then paper mache. 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley