Sarn (Montgomeryshire) and Nantcwmdu (South Wales) plus Montgomery Town in 7mm

[Northroader]

A while back I was doing a scenic background from a photo with pink cherry blossom in it which looked great, but then I realised that any surrounding trees would still be quite brown, and dropped the idea.

[corneliuslundie]

The cherry trees here are now in flower alongside some green trees. They only just beat the leaves by a few days. Though the bigger trees tend still to be bare, usually the big oaks, and the ash trees are only just showing some colour, not very green yet. An aspen was quivering the other day.

Jonathan

[ChrisN]

Jonathan,

Yes it is interesting.  We go for a walk in the woods near us every day, a mixed coniferous and deciduous, and it is interesting to see it change, almost daily.  You are fortunate that you live in the part of the country that you model so you can see what is happening.  Of course spring comes differently through the country so what is happening today in the south of England is very different from what would be happening on the coast in Mid-Wales.  Then translate that back to spring 1895, even if you do have the daily weather report...…….

 

You can of course get too caught up in er, primrose counting?  However, it is another area, where I think modellers do not consider, but adds to the atmosphere.  

[steveNCB7754]

17 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

...  Oh, and the sheep and lambs have suddenly disappeared from the fields nearest the town. I don't think we have many sheep rustlers in the area! Have they gone "up country"?

 

Unless lambing 'on the hill', farmers will try and have the ewes close by (on the 'in bye') in fields near the main farm (for convenience and these fields tend to be the better ones, in terms of grass and drainage).  Once they've lambed and are doing well, they will be moved on to fresh pasture, kept free of grazers, to take advantage of the first flush of Spring growth (and allow the 'in bye' fields to recover).

 

I am regularly getting out for a 'morning constitutional', from my new home here in Mid-Wales and lambing is all but over -  all are doing well, in what must be the best weather for lambing that most have probably seen in their lifetime.  Lets hope that there is a viable market (and demand) for them, later in the year, after all their hard work.

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

That's what I suspected. We do normally have quite a few around until later, as one of the more noisy periods is when the lambs are taken from their mothers.

Steve, I assume you moved so you could model the Manchester & Milford!

And I am delighted to report receipt of the transfers ordered from CamKits. Really excellent service.

I shall be very careful in my choice of varnish.

Jonathan

[steveNCB7754]

3 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

That's what I suspected. We do normally have quite a few around until later, as one of the more noisy periods is when the lambs are taken from their mothers.

 

Steve, I assume you moved so you could model the Manchester & Milford!

 

Jonathan

 

Hi Jonathan,

 

Ah yes, weaning.  At the moment, those lambs around here are starting to dash around in large 'mobs', playing 'King of the Castle' (enjoy their freedom whilst they can).  One of the fields I pass on my walk, houses a large 'mob' of rams and ram lambs -  you can just sense that, 'my work here is done', as they munch their way through Spring and Summer, before the return to work in November (or there abouts).

 

At the moment, any modelling seems a long way off.  Have large stacks of packing boxes I cannot really open at the moment (including all my modelling reference books and file system).  Problem I have, is that I need to clear some space, by getting rid of a lot of (especially, bulky) stuff that I brought with me, which is difficult under the present restrictions.  Going to need some extensive book-casing from somewhere as well (I ditched the hotch-potch of various units/shelving I had accumulated at my previous address), but I need to find time to sit down and plan it all.  Still, its not like we don't all have a great deal more time on our hands these days (LOL)

 

As for a railway modelling subject -  I am a 'confused' modeler at the moment.  No doubt about it, the property I am in now, has less space for such things than I would have liked (so I will need to scale-back what I had hoped to do).  Maybe that isn't such a bad thing (given that, at soon to be 63 yo, time is not exactly infinite).  Definitely want to do a Welsh subject (whether in 'OO' or 'O') but I think it may well be more of a 'Cameo', than a full-blown affair.  Probably also need to sell-off a bit of stuff I have acquired over the years, once I know what it is I am going to do.  Manchester & Milford?  I am more of a Taff Vale or Rhymney man myself; or 1980's NCB in South Wales; or possibly narrow gauge; and what about all that US 'HO' stuff I bought? -  see what I mean about being 'confused'?

 

Steve

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

NCB in South Wales could be interesting. Middle Duffryn? Or one of the lines the NCB took over when BR closed them. When I was young I lived in Llanishen, Cardiff, and there was still an industrial line we used to pass under when out for cycle rides. It must have been the Pentyrch Railway, which ran from the TVR north of Taffs Well to Melingriffith Tinplate Works. I never saw a train on it.

A valleys NCB line would allow a nice mix of RR, TVR and GWR locos as bought by the NCB.

I don't have a lot of space though I do have a room for modelling which is only very occasionally needed as an extra bedroom for visitors. I can erect Sarn, but only two of the four boards of Nantcwmdu. The plan when it is operational is to assemble it in the back hall (which would in fact allow for two more boards), though it could not stay up. None of our other rooms has a wall longer than 14 ft 6 in,

63 - you are ten years younger than me. Plenty of time for the grand scheme.

American railroads - mmm - my son models the Pennsylvania in HO very slowly. Most years I go with him to the modular meeting in Armitage. Great fun.

If I ever get Nantcwmdu finished and get bored with it the next project would be Penar Junction. But I shall need to live to 100.

If things are back to normal the Mid Wales Model Railway Show is on 24th October in Welshpool. I shall expect to see you there.

But in the meantime welcome to glorious Mid Wales.

Jonathan

Book cases. Not cheap but Hafren Furnishers on Llanidloes is good (no connection).

[NCB]

Bookcases: I use modular stuff from Shelfstore a lot:-

https://www.shelvingsystem.co.uk/

I need to optimise the space I have, and it's good both for bookshelves, other storage and providing a base for the layout. Can end up a bit pricey. Here's the railway room in one of its rare tidier moments:

 

Nigel

[steveNCB7754]

14 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

NCB in South Wales could be interesting. Middle Duffryn? Or one of the lines the NCB took over when BR closed them. When I was young I lived in Llanishen, Cardiff, and there was still an industrial line we used to pass under when out for cycle rides. It must have been the Pentyrch Railway, which ran from the TVR north of Taffs Well to Melingriffith Tinplate Works. I never saw a train on it.

A valleys NCB line would allow a nice mix of RR, TVR and GWR locos as bought by the NCB.

I don't have a lot of space though I do have a room for modelling which is only very occasionally needed as an extra bedroom for visitors. I can erect Sarn, but only two of the four boards of Nantcwmdu. The plan when it is operational is to assemble it in the back hall (which would in fact allow for two more boards), though it could not stay up. None of our other rooms has a wall longer than 14 ft 6 in,

63 - you are ten years younger than me. Plenty of time for the grand scheme.

American railroads - mmm - my son models the Pennsylvania in HO very slowly. Most years I go with him to the modular meeting in Armitage. Great fun.

If I ever get Nantcwmdu finished and get bored with it the next project would be Penar Junction. But I shall need to live to 100.

If things are back to normal the Mid Wales Model Railway Show is on 24th October in Welshpool. I shall expect to see you there.

But in the meantime welcome to glorious Mid Wales.

Jonathan

Book cases. Not cheap but Hafren Furnishers on Llanidloes is good (no connection).

 

My research for that scenario, has focused on Mountain Ash -  lots of good reference photos of it in its latter days accumulated, and scope for a variety of steam (hence my user name including GWR/BR Pannier #7754) and the odd 0-6-0 DH.

 

My modelling area here now, will also be my 'office', so space will be at a premium.  I have boards already, but they were built for a much larger space and were built like the proverbial brick outhouses (the two scenic boards were capable of being winched up to the ceiling of my previous garage/workshop).  They will have to go unfortunately ('to a good home' probably, if anyone wants such things - they weigh a ton!), as there will be no room to put them up here.

Have most of what I need for the US HO layout, including an imported Athearn GP38-2 w/DCC & Sound (as CSX #2743).  As an admirer of the work of US modeler Lance Mindheim, a shelf layout around the office walls would be 'doable' (servicing local businesses such as bakery, wood-yard, etc.).

 

Yes, I hope to go again, I was at the Welshpool Show last October -  what a wet day that was!!  Due to the flooding, only just got though Garthmyl coming up the A483 and decided that returning that way (from what others were saying about their journeys) seemed unlikely.  So coming back, I headed west along the A458, all the way to the A470 ('Brigands Inn' roundabout), down the '470' to Cemmaes Road and along the same, to Talerddig, Carno and Caersws, to get back to the A483 and then down through Llanidloes and on to Rhayader (where I was living at the time, whilst house-hunting)!  What a contrast to the weather we are experiencing at the moment!

 

Hafren Furnishers, yes, I know them -  my friends tell me they also have a secondhand unit elsewhere in Llanidloes, so I shall have to give them a look (their showrooms are closed of course, but online is still in operation).

 

Steve

 

 

[steveNCB7754]

11 hours ago, NCB said:

Bookcases: I use modular stuff from Shelfstore a lot:-

https://www.shelvingsystem.co.uk/

I need to optimise the space I have, and it's good both for bookshelves, other storage and providing a base for the layout. Can end up a bit pricey. Here's the railway room in one of its rare tidier moments:

 

 

Nigel

 

Hi Nigel,

 

Thanks, have duly bookmarked 'Shelfstore' and will investigate.

 

Steve

 

Edited April 23, 2020 by steveNCB7754

[corneliuslundie]

Yes, last October was wet. We got home via Llanfair Caereinion. There was some water on the roads but not much. My son had taken the family that way earlier (he has an excellent nose for such things) and had reported back to me. We may have spoken. I spent much of the day talking about the club's "under construction" BCR Montgomery layout on the ground floor near the catering area.

Yours would have been a very pleasant trip on a sunny summer day.

Brigand's Inn. Have been there twice for the Mari Lwyd "celebration", great fun.

I have not been to the second-hand part of Hafren Furnishers but noted it on their website the other day.

Anyway, even fewer sheep around today, though glorious weather.

Mountain Ash is certainly promising. You have three lines to choose from: the ex-Vale of Neath, the ex TVR and the ex Nixon's line. Plenty of scope. The trouble is that the collieries around there are rather large, even on the cramped sites they occupied. And there are lots of photos. But possibly not a "shelf" layout.

The long term plan for Nantcwmdu is that phase 2 (two extra boards between the  station and the fiddle yard) will have the screens for the private "Nantcwmdu Colliery Company" whose shafts are off scene, but the mineral line will continue to an upper level fiddle yard representing a colliery owned by David Davies' Ocean Coal Co. But that is some time off, and I need to get on with the station and goods yard first. The station building and goods shed are based on the Joint Line buildings at Bedlinog and have been largely complete for some years. As soon as the track laying is complete I am keen to get on with the town buildings - at least two chapels, a pub, shops and terraced housing, though mostly low relief. I think I illustrated the station and goods yard near the beginning this thread.

Jonathan

[corneliuslundie]

I don't need to go up the hill. I am sitting in my front room, drinking tea and listening to sheep and Welsh poetry (in English and Welsh)  on Radio 3 - Slow Radio. I hope they are Welsh sheep.

The poetry might not go down to well at an exhibition thiough.

Jonathan

[NCB]

Hafren second-hand: go north over Long Bridge, take the Llyn Clywedog road (left) and it's on your left. Hafren used to do some cheap but serviceable flat pack bookcases, a couple of which I still use. Think second-hand also does office stuff.

Nigel

[steveNCB7754]

14 hours ago, NCB said:

Hafren second-hand: go north over Long Bridge, take the Llyn Clywedog road (left) and it's on your left. Hafren used to do some cheap but serviceable flat pack bookcases, a couple of which I still use. Think second-hand also does office stuff.

Nigel

 

Yes, I know it now -  used to be a factory of some kind, if memory serves.  Coincidentally, I 'bumped into' (not literally of course, that would contravene the 'Social Distancing' rules!) a friend's partner at the Llani Co-Op yesterday (just next to the Hafren Furnishers store).  They live a bit further up that road, at 'Rock Terrace', and she confirmed the location (but wasn't sure if you could physically visit at the moment - probably not).

 

Steve

 

[corneliuslundie]

Well I did threaten/promise.

Here are the other three wagons I mentioned recently. They are a Cambrian Railways 6 ton van from a very nice Taff Vale Models kit and two coal wagons for the local coal merchant at Nantcwmdu.

I am afraid that the Cambrian van shows my lack of painting skills, not helped by the fact that I used the last usable paint in a Humbrol pot for the grey so cannot touch it up where my shaky hand has gone over with black. So definitely a "three foot rule" vehicle. I am also not sure quite what should be black and what should be grey around the doors. However, the CamKits transfers worked fine.

The coal wagons have been assembled from a mix of bits from my store (solebars, ends, axleboxes, wheels, buffers), and plastic strip and sheet. They are intentionally slightly different, as befits a small coal merchant who owns only two wagons both bought second hand. Transfers are from all sorts of sources including spare Slaters kit sheets and HMRS. Why does Nantcwmdu need a coal merchant when it has a colliery? Well, the colliery produces steam coal which is not much use in house fireplaces. But I really do not need amy more coal wagons.

I am now trying to assemble a David Geen kit for a 14 ton tank wagon, though it looks very complicated. All I have done so far is to carefully remove the oil axleboxes and replaced them by the RCH grease variety, and made up the basic chassis - Oh and I squashed the oval cast tank into a more or less round shape.

There are also two other vehicles on the workbench: an ancient IKB models etched kit for a GWR Diagram S6 6-wheeled carriage which looks fearsome, and a Derek Mundy (yes that old) kit for a Rhymney 18 ft van - I have one already on Sarn in GW livery and a further kit in the "to do" box but it dates from more recently as it has the newer London Road Models brand on the box. First time round I did not have a rivet punch so used tiny cubes of plasticard set in the dimples where the bolt head should have been - I had intentionally attached the ironwork etchings inside out. This time I have sorted the bolt heads except those on the solebar overlays which are on the wrong side of the sheet so will have to be done like last time.

What after that? Perhaps one of my Dan Pinnock kits for GWR brown vehicles – though I really must complete the seven Rhymney Railway six-wheeled carriages which have been half complete for a decade. There is also a Slaters bogie GWR carriages but I need to get hold of suitable axle bushes as they are not present even though the alternative EM parts are. I hope a club member can turn them up for me.

And for those who asked for a progress report on Nantcwmdu, here is a general photo of boards 2 and 3. I am currently sorting out the awful track laying from over a year ago, and laying the second layer of sleepers over the etched ones - or I shall be when i have removed all the surplus solder.

Jonathan

 

PS No promises of daily updates though

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by corneliuslundie
Sorting out the photo order

[mike morley]

Some years ago I evolved a theory that the Cambrian's vans and wagons only had black strapping, hinges, framing etc when new and that for any subsequent repaints the policy was for black only below the solebar.  I evolved the theory after seeing a photograph of a goods yard somewhere featuring a mixture of all grey and black and grey vans and wagons where it was apparent that those in all grey were clearly older and more battered.  That prompted a second hard look at every other relevant photo I could find and I didnt come across any where vans in particular with black-faced framing looked anything other than fairly new.

I have a vague recollection that someone else (Quarryscapes?) evolved the same theory at about the same time, so apologies if this is common knowledge.

 

Anyway, I therefore see no reason why, if you cannot get the framing on your Cambrian van to your satisfaction, you could not simply paint the whole thing grey.

[corneliuslundie]

I was going by "Great Western Way" and Nigel Digby's book plus the kit instructions, but I think you are almost certainly right.  All the written advice seems to be based on one or two official photos of new vans.

I shan't do anything with this one,. at least at the moment, as I have no suitable light grey paint, but if I do another any time I shall certainly follow your suggestion.

Mind you how many Cambrian vans would there be in the yard of a small South Wales coal mining town?

Jonathan

[NCB]

On 29/04/2020 at 12:08, mike morley said:

Some years ago I evolved a theory that the Cambrian's vans and wagons only had black strapping, hinges, framing etc when new and that for any subsequent repaints the policy was for black only below the solebar.  I evolved the theory after seeing a photograph of a goods yard somewhere featuring a mixture of all grey and black and grey vans and wagons where it was apparent that those in all grey were clearly older and more battered.  That prompted a second hard look at every other relevant photo I could find and I didnt come across any where vans in particular with black-faced framing looked anything other than fairly new.

I have a vague recollection that someone else (Quarryscapes?) evolved the same theory at about the same time, so apologies if this is common knowledge.

 

Anyway, I therefore see no reason why, if you cannot get the framing on your Cambrian van to your satisfaction, you could not simply paint the whole thing grey.

 

All the pics I've seen of Cambrian opens with the CAM <crest> RYS branding of 1898 onwards seem to have the body ironwork picked out in black. I believe some wagons from outside builders had the strapping on the solebar also picked out in black but this doesn't seem to have been common.

 

About 1910 coaches started to be painted in overall green to reduced costs, and I wonder if some economies were effected on wagons at that time.

[Mrs Durby]

On 30/04/2020 at 18:28, NCB said:

 

All the pics I've seen of Cambrian opens with the CAM <crest> RYS branding of 1898 onwards seem to have the body ironwork picked out in black. I believe some wagons from outside builders had the strapping on the solebar also picked out in black but this doesn't seem to have been common.

 

About 1910 coaches started to be painted in overall green to reduced costs, and I wonder if some economies were effected on wagons at that time.

 It was commonly said in pre-Grouping days that if you saw two coaches in a Cambrian train which were the same colour green you won a free prize!  I therefore assume that the same comany's wagon's grey tones, especially in the days when each foreman mixed his own paints from basic materials, would tend to vary from location to location, period when painted and even from the stock-levels of whatever colourants were available that particular week.  
Indeed, some may have had strapping picked out in black (gave the apprentice something to practise on), and some not (there was a shortage of that kind of wagon that week so it had to be got out and back into traffic as quickly as possible... ) which could also be a reason.   Putting that another way, 'any grey will do', and that applies just as much to the Cambrian as it does to the Midland, whose 'Midland grey' wagons varied in colour from nearly white to nearly black.  At least you can get a really good idea of 'typical' greys from black-and-white photos, unlike coach and loco colours! 

 

Have fun... 

[corneliuslundie]

Re needing the wagon in service, there was an accident in 1907 at Abermule when a train parted and then met up again, with predictable results (see a recent issue of Welsh Railways Archive). One cause was that the first cattle wagon, immediately behind the engine had NO brakes so the train was unbraked. The train was returning livestock from the Royal Welsh Show in Aberystwyth and the strong suspicion is that the relatively new cattle wagon (which would normally have been either vacuum fitted or at least through piped) was taken from the works before overhaul was complete because anything with wheels was needed to shift the traffic.

Anyway, Mrs Durby, welcome to RMWeb and mid Wales.

We have been taking our regular walk and watching spring happen. A completely different selection of roadside plants and flowers than a month ago, and at last even the ashes are showing green. But it has made me realise just how much the scene changes in quite a short time, and I wonder if I will ever be able in the future to look at a layout without saying "you wouldn't get those two plants flowering at the same time etc etc".

And in most of the fields nearer the town there are now no sheep but some cows.

And on the modelling front, I am getting on with track laying on Nantcwmdu, though it is a slow process, and also still slowly working on the Derek Mundy RR van and the David Geen 14T tank wagon. But after that it will have to be some of the carriage kits as still nothing from Alan Gibson and I have used my last wagon wheels.

A lovely day today. Mid Wales is looking ravishing.

Jonathan

[steveNCB7754]

2 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

 

... We have been taking our regular walk and watching spring happen. A completely different selection of roadside plants and flowers than a month ago, and at last even the ashes are showing green.

 

... A lovely day today. Mid Wales is looking ravishing.

Jonathan

 

 

Yes, its looking lovely here in Llangurig too.  Talking of the Ash, I notice on my morning walk here (next to the River Wye), that the Oak and Ash are 'out', pretty much together, whereas talking to a farming friend a bit further north (Llanidloes) and near them (at a 1000ft mind), the Oak is definitely out first.  Whether, as in the old rhyme, that actually has any significance, I guess we will have to wait and see.  From a modelling perspective, it is interesting to see that the odd fragment of Hawthorn has flowers, whilst most are showing no signs yet.  Blackthorn flowers (similarly white) have already come and gone here, whilst there are a few apple blossoms (Crab Apple?) on the odd tree.

 

The river has gone back down again now (since a spot of rain a few days ago) and the canny ewes (taking their lambs with them) are walking around the end of the fence that goes down into the water at one point, to access the better grass on the verges.  Have 'encouraged' a few back into the field they are supposed to be in, if I meet them on my morning walk, but from the 'signs' I can see on the road, I am probably wasting my time.

 

More lovely weather to come and then it's back on with the thermals on Sunday, by the look of things.

 

Steve

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

Yes, the May is coming out, though some was already flowering in April.

An interesting contrast in tree colours in the first photo below. Very hard to replicate on a model.

And the whole colour scheme of the roadside banks has changed, with a preponderance of blues and whites, with just a very few primroses left higher up the lane (which gets to about 750 ft). Some dandelions in places and buttercups in others but not much yellow all told.

But the big change is the growth of both bracken and cow parsley, taking over from everything else.

Some of our ash are now green but others are still only just starting to put out leaves. The oaks are well in leaf though, see the second photo.

And even fewer sheep and lambs.

And on the modelling front, track laying continues, or laying sleepers to be exact, while on the workbench the tank wagon and RR van are slowly taking shape - the latter showing only too well my lack of soldering skill. The van will be a bit of a compromise as I have neither RR buffers nor RR axleboxes, nor do I know where to obtain any.

And it has been raining.

Jonathan

 

[Guest Isambarduk]

On 06/05/2020 at 19:40, steveNCB7754 said:

Yes, its looking lovely here in Llangurig too.

And also around Kerry.

 

David

[Simond]

T’ain’t bad in Kent either!

 

atb

Simon

[NCB]

On 06/05/2020 at 17:18, corneliuslundie said:

Re needing the wagon in service, there was an accident in 1907 at Abermule when a train parted and then met up again, with predictable results (see a recent issue of Welsh Railways Archive). One cause was that the first cattle wagon, immediately behind the engine had NO brakes so the train was unbraked. The train was returning livestock from the Royal Welsh Show in Aberystwyth and the strong suspicion is that the relatively new cattle wagon (which would normally have been either vacuum fitted or at least through piped) was taken from the works before overhaul was complete because anything with wheels was needed to shift the traffic.

 

 

I've seen a photo somewhere of a Cambrian van fully painted but with no brakes. I assumed they'd wheeled it out of the works for the pic and then returned it to be finished!

 

Re wagon painting, there's a pic of Sands Siding at Aberdyfi with a whole string of 2 planks plus a few 4 planks, all of which have the ironwork on the body uppers painted in black. I think this was the norm. This is the 1898-2015 livery.