Traeth Mawr -Building Mr Price's house , (mostly)

[brumtb]

I remember a chap like that when I was a Civil Servant, his son had died and he was devastated. He came into work everyday and we kept an eye on him, covered his work and made sure he went home.

[brumtb]

From the History of Wales:

On 13th May 1888 Beatrix Potter, aged 22, recorded a train journey to Machynlleth in her diary, complaining how it took four hours to go from Shrewsbury to Machynlleth. She described Machynlleth as a wretched town as hardly anyone could speak English.

Beatrix was more complimentary of the countryside, which she described as beautiful, and the Welsh people who seemed to her to be a pleasant intelligent race, but she also thought they would be difficult to live with.

[Compound2632]

21 minutes ago, brumtb said:

she also thought they would be difficult to live with.

 

 

From what I've read of Beatrix Potter, the feeling might have become mutual.

[Simond]

That quip amused me, but prompted me to look her up.   The source of all truth that is wikipedia makes good reading.  She was certainly an interesting character.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter

 

I do love the way threads generate (Peter) rabbit holes...

 

keep well

Simon

[ChrisN]

1 hour ago, brumtb said:

From the History of Wales:

On 13th May 1888 Beatrix Potter, aged 22, recorded a train journey to Machynlleth in her diary, complaining how it took four hours to go from Shrewsbury to Machynlleth. She described Machynlleth as a wretched town as hardly anyone could speak English.

Beatrix was more complimentary of the countryside, which she described as beautiful, and the Welsh people who seemed to her to be a pleasant intelligent race, but she also thought they would be difficult to live with.

 

 

Cambrian trains were never quick, certainly not in the 19th century, stopping at all stations.  I think in the 20th century they had expresses but only to Aberystwyth, the coast line was I think always every station.

 

As for Welsh.  In the 1901 census they had to say if they spoke, English Welsh or both.  In one family they all spoke both, except the ^ month old son, who only spoke Welsh!  Looking again now, several young children of bi-lingual parents only spoke Welsh, so it seems Welsh was used exclusively by these folk in their homes.  There was also a Mr Arthur LLoyd a Joiner aged 37 who is down as only speaking English.  His wife, Anne, and his four sons and one daughter are down as only speaking Welsh.  'You never listen to a word I say,' has a whole new meaning.

[corneliuslundie]

Four hours is really rather slow though, unless she had a very long wait at Welshpool. In 1932 through trains were taking under two hours. I don't have the Shrewsbury to Welshpool times but in 1921 Welshpool to Machynlleth took around 1 hour 50 minutes by slow train or 1 hour 20 minutes by a fast one, though there were not many of either.

But why via Shrewsbury? Surely she was coming from the north, so via Crewe and Oswestry would have made more sense.In one of those nice Cambrian through carriages from Manchester.

Jonathan

[Compound2632]

3 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

But why via Shrewsbury? Surely she was coming from the north, so via Crewe and Oswestry would have made more sense.In one of those nice Cambrian through carriages from Manchester.

 

 

Very likely she was coming down from London.

[ChrisN]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Very likely she was coming down from London.

 

If she was she could have gone from Euston on a through coach.

 

4 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Four hours is really rather slow though, unless she had a very long wait at Welshpool. In 1932 through trains were taking under two hours. I don't have the Shrewsbury to Welshpool times but in 1921 Welshpool to Machynlleth took around 1 hour 50 minutes by slow train or 1 hour 20 minutes by a fast one, though there were not many of either.

But why via Shrewsbury? Surely she was coming from the north, so via Crewe and Oswestry would have made more sense.In one of those nice Cambrian through carriages from Manchester.

Jonathan

 

The earliest Bradshaws I have is December 1895.  Times as follows:-

 

Shrewsbury              3:40am       8:00am        10:30am     2:25pm

 

Welshpool                  4:40am                            11:25am     3:25pm

 

Machynlleth               6:10am                               1:11pm     4:59pm

 

Seven years is a long time in Victorian Britain on the railways as there seemed to be improvements as time went on, at least on the Cambrian, so Beatrix Potter may just have tried to go seven years too early.  If she had caught the 8:00am from Shrewsbury she would have had a long wait at Welshpool otherwise it is a mere 2 1/2 hours

 

[Mikkel]

On 12/05/2020 at 23:31, ChrisN said:

(see the Hood Case)

 

That was a great read, thanks Chris. I enjoy reading period court proceedings of cases like this. They give a good sense of the times (well, at least of matters of interest to the judiciary system!).  And the language is so rich! 

 

 

[ChrisN]

Modelling has been progressing slowly.  This will be a short update but I want to do it as it will be the last one on the loco for a while as I have got as far as I can at the moment.

 

 

I found on the sheet of 20 thou areas where I had cut out for the cab so it was curved in about the right way and cut out two little bits of plastic.  The bigger one had to have the corner filed to the right curve at the top.  I then stuck these to the sheet with water, (oh, alright I licked my finger and used that to dampen them), and holding them down with my nail, scored round them with a scalpel.  I then cut them out so I had two pairs of little bits, each pair nearly the same.  A dob of poly cement in the corner and they were held in place until firm.

 

 

I then used masking tape on the body when the cement was dry and sprayed with Halfords Red Oxide Primer.  I was going to spray with grey primer as well but have decided against it.  This is probably about it for the moment for the following reasons:-

 

1.  I need  taller chimney and cannot find one online, but to be honest I would like to see how tall it is first. 
2.  The valve cover jumped off my table out of a little container and ran away with the head of a young lady.  I have not found it yet and will probably have to buy another one.
3. I need to be certain that I actually have to move the filler cap before I make a new hole and fill the old one.
4. I have found on Brassmasters a reversing lever and smokebox darts but their minimum order is £10.00 and mine is only about £5.00 so I will have to wait to see them at a show.
5. I have the whistles but although I could get them out of their bag and drill holes for them they will not get fixed until I have finished painting so I am worried that they will hear about the vavle cover and make a run for it.
6. Same goes for the buffers and vacuum pipes.

 

I will/may paint the buffers beams vermillion.

 

I have searched for the valve cover, and his young lady, but without success.  They were not in the vacuum cleaner as I suspected.  (Yes I did empty out the 'bag' into the lid of an old dustbin and go through it.)  I brushed the carpet in the lounge with a small brush and dustpan and found nothing.  I week later I was doing the same at the other end when my wife has left lots of her papers and found the young ladies head, with her hat.  I have looked in the same area for the valve cover but to no avail.  I think now it went missing in the extension which has a wooden floor so probably got kicked somewhere, anywhere.  It may turn up before I go to the next show.  (The young lady and her head have been reunited with superglue.)  

 

So, I could do some painting of the cab and inside the bunker.  So, what was the colour of the inside of these cabs?  Backhead?  Gunmetal?

 

If you have been, thanks for looking.

[Mikkel]

At least you found the young lady's head! 

 

The cab interior would typically be green with a black backhead.

Edited May 16, 2020 by Mikkel
Spelling

[ChrisN]

1 hour ago, Mikkel said:

At least you found the young lady's head! 

 

The cab interior would typically be green with a black backhead.

 

Mikkel,

Thank you.  The head would be more difficult to replace without leaving someone else headless.  

 

Which green would that be?  The same green as the livery?  Floor, dirty brown?

[Mikkel]

That's my belief, yes.

 

I've sometimes wondered if/how often the floor was replaced. Newish planks like those in the Dean Goods cab at Steam look nice.

[Compound2632]

45 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

I've sometimes wondered if/how often the floor was replaced. 

 

Probably only after a particularly rough run when the coal ran out. Or after a new shed lad had used the boards for fire lighters - though I should think that only happened once per lad.

[bgman]

1 hour ago, Compound2632 said:

particularly rough run

 

A Dean Goods ? 

Never !

[ChrisN]

 

Little victories.  Modelling can be frustrating at times, and I seem to have my fair share at the moment.  However, this is modelling, not life, so I just need to put up with it, but when something works it is quite nice.

 

One frustration is things take a long time and I do not have lots of storage space and the rule is, when I look for something, I cannot find it, but when I look for something else, I find the first thing.  So, I wanted to have a token for the exchange on the platform.  I decided to put the signal lad, on the platform to receive it, then thought, ‘Why not have him holding it?’  This would mean that if he stays there it would not be too odd for him to hold it after a train has gone and is better than the fireman holding it all the time. 

 

I then spent some time looking for Cambrian tokens, on the net and in my books.  I thought I had seen a couple in a book but never found them, but I did see several pictures of exchanges which was helpful.  Now, I have a Dart castings man holding a token so I went to look for him.  I keep all my figures together, well, except a few elsewhere.  I could not find the man.  After about 45 minutes in desperation I looked inside a little box in the coffin where I keep my painted figures and in there was a little bag.  No, not the man with the token, but other Dart figures.  The reason I could not find them was I had forgotten I had taken them out of their packets.  In the bag was the top of a guard’s flag which I recognised as from a Mike Pett figure.  Back to where the Mike Pett figures were and sure enough there was the token, attached to an arm.  No figure, just the arm.  (I did find the figure of a man pushing a broom, but no broom which is difficult if I decide to make a crossing sweeper, but that is another story.)

 

 

I looked at the token and decided that I did not like it.  I showed it to Thomas Hughes who looked at me and said, “I am not holding that!  It has an arm attached to it!”  I explained I would cut it off but he refused to consider it.  So, what I needed was to make something.

 

 

Here is the Dart Castings, ‘Edwardian Lady’.  I have lengthened her skirt as she was late Edwardian.  She reminds me of ‘Granny Dryden’, but cannot be as she is Edwardian but is probably Great Great Granny Dryden, or not if that makes it a copyright issue.  You see she has the usual pole out of the feet.  I decided that if I squeezed it with a pair of pliers, I might get the correct shape.  Well, sort of.  The pole was too fat so I filed it thinner.  I then tried to make a ring out of brass and realised that it was possibly alright for 0 gauge.

 

 

I then found a piece of single core wire.  It might have been a tie of some sort.  Cut of the cover then found a clamp and squeezed the end of it.  The tokens often fitted inside the handles so I wrapped some 0.4mm brass wire around it and then formed it around the end of my glue brush handle.  Pulled it tight and glued it with superglue.

 

 

 

 

Now you have seen Thomas before.  He is standing at the back.  I had cut his hands away from his side, so bent his right arm up, and here he is holding the token.  I am sure others could do a better job, but it has pleased me.  All the pictures I have seen show the rings to be a bit battered and this looks more like that.

 

 

Mind you, having looked at the internet pictures again, I have it the wrong way round and need to shape the ring differently.  Never mind, it is still better than having one with an arm on it.

 

If you have been, thanks for looking.

[MikeOxon]

... and thanks for the accurate description of 'modelling life'

[Mikkel]

Wonderful, I laughed out loud. For a moment I thought you were going to use Great Great Granny Dryden's hat. 

[southern42]

On 19/05/2020 at 23:22, ChrisN said:

 

Little victories.  Modelling can be frustrating at times, and I seem to have my fair share at the moment.  However, this is modelling, not life, so I just need to put up with it, but when something works it is quite nice.

 

One frustration is things take a long time and I do not have lots of storage space and the rule is, when I look for something, I cannot find it, but when I look for something else, I find the first thing.  So, I wanted to have a token for the exchange on the platform.  I decided to put the signal lad, on the platform to receive it, then thought, ‘Why not have him holding it?’  This would mean that if he stays there it would not be too odd for him to hold it after a train has gone and is better than the fireman holding it all the time. 

 

I then spent some time looking for Cambrian tokens, on the net and in my books.  I thought I had seen a couple in a book but never found them, but I did see several pictures of exchanges which was helpful.  Now, I have a Dart castings man holding a token so I went to look for him.  I keep all my figures together, well, except a few elsewhere.  I could not find the man.  After about 45 minutes in desperation I looked inside a little box in the coffin where I keep my painted figures and in there was a little bag.  No, not the man with the token, but other Dart figures.  The reason I could not find them was I had forgotten I had taken them out of their packets.  In the bag was the top of a guard’s flag which I recognised as from a Mike Pett figure.  Back to where the Mike Pett figures were and sure enough there was the token, attached to an arm.  No figure, just the arm.  (I did find the figure of a man pushing a broom, but no broom which is difficult if I decide to make a crossing sweeper, but that is another story.)

 

 

I looked at the token and decided that I did not like it.  I showed it to Thomas Hughes who looked at me and said, “I am not holding that!  It has an arm attached to it!”  I explained I would cut it off but he refused to consider it.  So, what I needed was to make something.

 

.......

 

 

I do love your stories of local traditions and hope the signal lad gets the token sorted to his satisfaction.

 

Here is Hugh Tookett having just collected the token.  His problem was the balcony railing but he will be there ready to hand it over to the up train, the way he was taught by a Padstow signalman.  Oh, how he would have liked a signal lad!

 

 

Keep going with the token, rebuild is all part of railway tradition, and you will have gained that extra bit of achievement rather than an edge of disappointment.

 

________

Polly

 

 

[ChrisN]

19 minutes ago, southern42 said:

 

I do love your stories of local traditions and hope the signal lad gets the token sorted to his satisfaction.

 

Here is Hugh Tookett having just collected the token.  His problem was the balcony railing but he will be there ready to hand it over to the up train, the way he was taught by a Padstow signalman.  Oh, how he would have liked a signal lad!

 

 

Keep going with the token, rebuild is all part of railway tradition, and you will have gained that extra bit of achievement rather than an edge of disappointment.

 

________

Polly

 

 

 

Thank you Polly.

 

I have lived with, and in, Traeth Mawr for well over twenty years so you get to know the place a little!  I took a pair of pliers to the token and it is now the right shape.  Maybe not the best in the world but all my own work.  I am sure if I thought about it carefully I could make something better but it will do for now.  

 

Signal lad.  We are talking about a time when compulsory education finished at the age of twelve.  'Lads' on the railway were common and a list I looked at the other day, no idea where now, had them between 14 and 16 when they joined but there is a photo of Towyn in 1890 with a lad in the front who looks not a lot older than 12.  They were probably cheaper than men to employ as well.

[southern42]

On 25/05/2020 at 12:04, ChrisN said:

 

Thank you Polly.

 

I have lived with, and in, Traeth Mawr for well over twenty years so you get to know the place a little!  I took a pair of pliers to the token and it is now the right shape.  Maybe not the best in the world but all my own work.  I am sure if I thought about it carefully I could make something better but it will do for now.  

 

Signal lad.  We are talking about a time when compulsory education finished at the age of twelve.  'Lads' on the railway were common and a list I looked at the other day, no idea where now, had them between 14 and 16 when they joined but there is a photo of Towyn in 1890 with a lad in the front who looks not a lot older than 12.  They were probably cheaper than men to employ as well.

 

Interesting Chris. You have just brought back a lovely memory. I had taste of it at Didcot a couple of years ago, when they had two young trainee signalmen operating the signal box on a running day (under supervision!).  I know there is an age limit on preservation railways (I believe it is 16 to train, 18 to pass out) but one of the lads (who took the token down to the track) was so slight and looking so much younger than his age, and the tall one was of small build, you wondered how they ever pulled and pushed the levers.  I can just imagine them down at Traeth Mawr back in the day in the Box and down on the track!  Can you imagine a small lad passing/taking/exchanging a token to/from the man up in the cab!  Dangerous work, I should think.

 

_________

Polly

 

 

[Northroader]

Only if they forget to let go.

[NCB]

No H&S in those days. I believe broken arms weren't uncommon.

[ChrisN]

I thought I had seen a picture of the lad at Towyn on the internet.  I assume it is out of copyright but just in case here it is in Grace's Guide.  The lad I am thinking of is in front of the buffer, but there is another posing on the extreme right.

[ChrisN]

Thank you all again for following and the reactions.  Believe it or not I am actually beginning to paint the insides of the Dolgelley coaches.  No pictures, not until they are finished.

 

I have shown pictures of the mineral wagon.  Now it needs a load.  I thought that @Northroader had shared in his thread a method by which you could easily take out a load.  Now it may well have been someone else, if so please forgive me.  Any old way, as my Nan would say,  I looked  on the Washbourne thread and found how to make a load, but not how to easily remove it.

 

 

So I cut some balsa to size.  Why balsa?  I had some to use for the platform until someone suggested plywood so it has been siting around, well standing really, wanting to be used for something.. I then took some paper, making sure it was the height of the wagon and wrapped it around the balsa, gluing it with PVA.  I wanted to make it black, after all it will be a coal load.  Thinks, need a simple solution.  Ah, yes in the shed is a spray can of Citadel Chaos Black.

 

Now, I have to explain.  My sons used to play Warhammer, and make their own models.  (I know I failed in my parental duty, but at least it was modelling, if not railway modelling.)  They started before they were in their teens, and my youngest was, oh dear, 31 last March.  I do not think that the can was 20 years old, but it might have been.  Off to the garden I went with my spray tray, the lid of a shoe box actually.  I shook up the can and sprayed.

 

The aerosol came out with a hiss, and the paint dribbled.  It did not stop, either hissing or dribbling.  Fortunately it was over the lid, but I had the presence of mind to make sure it dribbled onto the balsa and paper.  In doing so it not only covered the lid but it covered the load as well.  The lid and load went into the shed to dry out and lose its smell.  The can went in the bin, once it had stopped that is.  The most annoying thing about it is that I have two more spray cans in the shed, but they are both Skull White, no use at all for making coal loads.

 

When everything, including me, had calmed down and the smell had gone I covered the balsa with PVA and sprinkled on some real coal, bought about 25 years ago.  (See, I knew it would come in handy!)

 

 

So there we have it. If you have an easy method for taking these loads in and out please let me know.   Thinking about it, it is quite big coal, Robert Parry will have to work hard to get that into his sacks.  

 

If you have been, thanks for looking.