Pont Merthyr Abercwmdulais Fawr Junction Colliery Yard and Disposal Point

[marc smith]

I realise I have been rather quiet on the modelling front lately,
what with domestic duties, music, a wedding, moving my son back etc etc etc

But I aim to start building something again soon
Since buying a copy of the superb DVD by B&R Videos
"Steam in South Wales - Part 1 South Wales Industrial"
I've been dreaming up a scheme for yet another micro / min-space layout

I really like the footage of the colliery railway which ran from Pontardulais Jct
to Great Merthyr Colliery, and particularly the loco shed, small yard and disposal point there
The loco shed looks really similar to one I scratchbuilt, 
and never quite finished, some 20 years or so back
I didn't have the heart to throw it out, and never found a use for it

Yes, it's in OO again, as I still have a few bits of track left
and some stock I don't intend converting to EM
and I still want somewhere to run OO stock anyway

But I've long fancied a colliery based layout
Having seen lots of video footage, and photos of some really filthy, grotty locations
I've had something of a yearning to give it a go

As for the name? Well, it's not quite finalised yet,
and I'm sure some people will see this as a bit of a gimmick
but I wanted to build a really small layout or diorama
where the name board on the front is longer than the actual layout!
.... Just for a bit of fun really

Anyhow, I'll post pics and a plan later
But for now, re the long name
it's something I thought of a while back

As a kid, I always enjoyed the Goodies
and in one episode, they visit Wales
They get on a train where the station sign reads "Llan...."
and get off at "Go go Goch"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBEKWquwW08

Any suggestions or thoughts welcome
Happy new year all

Marc

EDIT: The footage in question starts at around 4:25
Enjoy

 

Edited January 9, 2014 by marc smith

[mason]

This sounds great marc, looking forward to another inspiring micro layout from you, your wales and rain layout was a large inspiration for werrington road.

 

Cheers

[Andrew P]

Goody Goody Goody, Marc's starting again.

 

Goody Luck Marc and I look forward to the next installment.

 

Andy

[Guest bri.s]

I like it ,Hope there's plenty of filth,grime andgrot.

Will be watching with interest .

 

Brian

[Captain Kernow]

This sounds like good news. Just how encouraged should I be by this news, then, Marc?...

[The Stationmaster]

Maybe the title could be expanded to  Pont Graig Merthyr Fach and .... Abercwmdulais etc in order to give you a bit more space Marc, just a thought.  And the idea is smashing - 'orrible mucky places were disposal points, usually a sort of black soupy sea of small coal.

[marc smith]

Ah, Captain K,
I hope my Cashmores scrapyard will be attending your annual bash?
I'm getting more & more fired up, as I think about this project
Alas, I don't get anywhere near as much modelling time as I used to

.... But I do need a nice project
Will post the plan later

Good suggestion Mr Stationmaster!
They say that most people at an exhibition stop for only around 12-15 mins at a layout
... I want them to have to take 5 mins to read the layout name

[Happy Hippo]

Marc,

 

I appreciate that as a micro layout you will not have the space for pit head winding gear etc but I thoroughly enjoyed the following book which might be of interest.

 

'Modelling Aspects of the Coal Industry' by Rob Johnson (Booklaw Piblications)

 

Regards

 

R

[marc smith]

Hello Happy Hippo / Richard,

I do like winding gear, and one day I'd like to feature it on a layout
However, this micro is tiny - at around 3 feet by a foot or so deep
and as it is based on a particular location which was not close to the pithead,
I can't really squeeze the winding gear into the scene

However, I have considered making a photo montage background,
which depicts the pit head in the distance
It's something I'm toying with for this little micro

Cheers again
Marc

[marc smith]

Here's the rough plan
I haven't yet decided on the exact track geometry
I've sketched it with a 3 way, as I have a copperclad one of mine from years back - not sure how reliable I can make it...

The plan also works with a couple of peco points, which I have lying about, unused
one was 2nd hand, but mint, the other was one my son bought,
way back when he was interested in trains
I'd need one more turnout, for the road at the back

The idea of this road at the back, is that it represents a through running line
It's a very similar track layout to the original location on which the plan is based
I have sited a water tower and huts on the right hand side
but in the original location I don't think there is a water tower
- just some huts and a shabby industrial type building
the purpose of which I don't know

On the original location, there is a loop in a cutting on the right hand side
The B&R video shows a small saddle tank loco with 2 partially loaded wagons
brakes on full, sander working overtime
but the loco still refuses to come to a halt, skidding along

Anyhow, as I mentioned earlier, the loco depot bears a remarkable resemblance to one I scratchbuilt years back
It remained unfinished, and I need to do only some remedial work to give it a home on this little plan

EDIT: I've often pondered the idea of a small inglenook layout such as this, with a through running line
I like the flexibility of this approach, as it can be used as standalone, or as part of a bigger scheme
This also applies to exhibiting of course, as an added cassette on the left allows a bit more operation & interest

Edited January 10, 2014 by marc smith

[wenlock]

Hiya Marc, I like the plan a lot! I'm looking forward to watching this one develop. It might be good to set it in winter for a change and give it a really cold bleak feel.

 

Enjoyed the Goodies clip, takes me right back!

 

Dave

[marc smith]

Hiya Marc, I like the plan a lot! I'm looking forward to watching this one develop. It might be good to set it in winter for a change and give it a really cold bleak feel.

 

Enjoyed the Goodies clip, takes me right back!

 

Dave

Actually Dave, I did consider this

I thought about setting it in snow which had mostly melted

picturing more of those puddles I used on the scrapyard layout

 

Also, I envisaged a few LED yard lamps, and again being able to set the scene at day or night

I haven't yet decided though, and I'm not sure whether I should now do this for every layout I build 

 

EDIT: I also forgot to mention earlier that in the prototype location

there is a small lean-to structure directly attached to the loco shed,

this appears to be corrugated iron clad, and I envisage some of that nice rusty weathering powder I now use

 

Edited January 10, 2014 by marc smith

[marc smith]

Re the Goodies clip
Take a look at the road sign on 3mins 30 too.... groan!

[Barry Ten]

Hiya Marc, I like the plan a lot! I'm looking forward to watching this one develop. It might be good to set it in summer for a change and give it a really cold bleak feel.

 

 

 

I've corrected that for you, Dave.

[CourthsVeil]

No mirror ?  Really NO mirror ??  Marc !!   Marc…

[Andrew P]

Cracking plan Marc, and as for Mirrors, well its almost a Mirror of Hendre Yard, AND THAT'S NO BAD THING EITHER.

 

all the best with this one.

Cheers,

Andy

[mudmagnet]

Great to see that you will be making a start on a new layout Marc.

[Wayne 37901]

Hi Marc,

 

Have just discovered this one and it's looking good. I'm starting to get addicted to micro layout schemes. Now that Dragon Steels is almost done I already have the board for the next one built and have been drawing up other schemes as well, one of which includes a banger blue shunting layout in a boxfile or something similar.

 

The latter scheme came about as I've been viewing some really good projects based around the mid/late 80s and I treated myself to some suitable stock with Christmas money.

 

Look forward to seeing more.

[br2975]

Nice choice Marc.

.

I visited Pontardulais a few times - on one memorable occasion I caught the first Cardiff - Swansea (Western Welsh) bus at Ely Bridge, then changed to a Swansea - Gorseinon bus to get to Brynlliw Colliery where they still had a Peckett shunting the pit and exchange sidings.

.

I left the bus, and walked through the drizzle (as my mother used to refer to it "wet rain") to the pit, to find no railway activity at all.

.

Unperturbed, I walked on in the direction of Pontardulais, where I found all the locos out of steam and cold, in and around the shed yard adajacent to the level crossing.

.

A local codger chatted and updated me as to the lack of activity - "stop fortnight see" ..................................

 

Probably the most atmospheric book when it comes to photos of the the South Wales coalfield railways, and containing several of Pontardulais and the Graig Merthyr line - "Visions of Steam" by Peter Cavalier & Geoff Silcock.

.

The yard area at Pontardulais contained a fair amount of light FB rail was well.

.

Will it be ready by October ?

.

Which reminds me, I must carry on laying granite setts - and get them finished by the tenth month too.

.

Good luck

 

Brian R

 

[marc smith]

More useful info from Brian R
Thanks again good sir

Re completion: I'm not in a huge hurry to finish this one
and since my "other duties" may well take over,
I doubt that I will ever again be able to achieve the modelling fervour that saw me build 4 layouts in 2 years!
How did I ever do that?
.... Perhaps your brother could advise
- he seems to be able to build 4 in a year lol

Anyhow, one thing that building my O gauge minimum space
"Poynton Sneer" brought home to me,
was that if you really search all those boxes, drawers, nooks & crannies
you can really turn up lots & lots of bits & pieces

Before their house move, my parents gave me some boxes from their loft
"your old stuff Marc" - they said - here of course, the word "stuff" could be substituted by other words
but there were a couple of nice, useable items in there
Things I'd built and forgotten about

Among them were a couple of old sheds and outbuildings
For this layout, I intend to re-use and recycle as many old odds & ends as possible - as with "Poynton Sneer"
and I've got a few grotty old huts I can use on this layout

This old hut for instance, is the sort of lineside structure we don't see frequently enough
The paint job wasn't great, and there were a couple of dodgy corner joints
but I decided to whitewash the building, and distress the paintwork,
using my usual methods, i.e. sandpaper, edge of scalpel blade etc

I also applied white to some areas, and allowed it to dry for a couple of minutes,
before attacking the paint. The doors need a bit of a repaint
but I'm quite pleased with the results

Edited January 13, 2014 by marc smith

[marc smith]

The Genesis of this layout, as I have said, was watching the B&R videos DVD
While watching, I noted a striking similarity to a loco depot I had scratchbuilt some 20+ years ago

I built it using the usual Slaters plasticard for walling, and Wills tiles
It took a good few layers of plain plasticard to build these layers up

It was based on a shed in Paul Karau's superb "Great Western Branch Line Termini" book
I think it was Ashburton shed - I stand to be corrected - I should probably have looked it up before posting

I only ever completed the windows on one side - lucky, as they took ages,
and on my chosen prototype, some windows have obviously been broken, and covered up with pieces of corrugated iron!
and I need to build smoke vents - in Paul Karau's plan
the original had a few small ones which looked rather like chimneys
the prototype I'm basing this model on, has a single, long slatted vent
- it looks a lot like a Skaledale engine shed, but I built this one - honest

[wenlock]

Hiya Marc, I remember you making that engine shed, good to see you've found a use for it!  It's a nice bit of modelling that definitely needs to find it's way onto a layout.  That white washed lineside hut is crying out for a bit of in period graffiti!

 

Dave

[br2975]

Marc

 

Something of an operational master stroke for a minimalist layout.

.

The "through line" across the top of your plan - ( if based upon / inspired by Pontardulais ) can employ empties going right to the left, fulls left to right and a 'paddy train' with some converted exGWR / LMS and even a SR van and in addition the exchange sidings would be just off stage to the right - and could be shunted along the "through line".

.

Most weekdays there were generally two engines in steam as well - you're made !

.

A Hunslet 18" or two, and a hired in Landore or Margam BR Cl.08 such as 08818 (on hire June 1980). 

.

Photo evidence (I can pass them on to you) shows 16tonners, 241/2. tonners and even several iron ore tipplers working to Graig Merthyr from Pontardulais.

.

Plenty of variety for the, builder, operator and viewer.

.

Brian R

[marc smith]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for that info, and yes please - I'd like to see those pics
Watching the B&R dvds again, I was really taken with the converted Ex LMS and ex BR vans...

I think they'd make a nice bit of variety and interest
I had to chuckle at the commentary on the DVD, where it mentions the conversion of the vans,
for the transportation of miners & workers to the more remote locations
it describes the vans as "paddy wagons" - noting that benches were added, in the middle of each,
and the van doors were fixed in an open position.....

.... apparently, for "Health & Safety reasons!"

Imagine todays' H&S boffins examining that....
Hmmmm, what do we think? - travelling along a rickety, bumpy old line
in an old van with poor suspension / ride quality,
sitting on a wooden bench, and with no doors on the vehicle! lol

Re the running / through line
this is a design concept I thought about for some time
Basically, you still have an inglenook, and the layout will work fine in that respect anyway
The through line can be used almost as standalone to the rest of the layout
and I was looking for a way of possibly extending a tiny layout into a bigger scheme

When I finish my roundy roundy in N gauge (lol)
I intend to build a roundy roundy in OO or EM, to sit on a shelf above the N gauge
my intention with this layout was to possibly use it as a sort of "plug in" module
so that I could watch trains trundling through too.....

Cheers again,
please keep commenting your thoughts folks - it'll spur me on to finish the layout, and hopefully not get too distracted

Marc

PS. I'm looking at ways of making coal wagon loads which look realistic, yet are easily & quickly removed or dropped in to the wagons
removable loads often have an all too visible gap between load and wagon sides, to my eye
I'd like to use loose, finely sieved real coal - but wouldn't that take too long to load?

[marc smith]

Hiya Marc, I remember you making that engine shed, good to see you've found a use for it!  It's a nice bit of modelling that definitely needs to find it's way onto a layout.  That white washed lineside hut is crying out for a bit of in period graffiti!

 

Dave

Yes Dave - it's taken over 20 years to find a use! lol

Re the graffiti - what were you thinking? "Manhatten transfer rule?"

 

Marc