Focalplane's Workbench (mostly 7mm)

[Focalplane]

Yesterday I built the Castle's bogie, an easy to make part of the kit with no compensation (I think the David Andrews' Compound does have compensation but I am not near to it to check at the moment).  The brakes were also fitted but the shoe surfaces now need to be filed back to avoid shorts due to the sprung axle movement.  When a wheel falls into a "hole" it will also fall closer to the brake shoe.

 

I have added washers to restrict side play on the drivers' axles.  I am sure these will still allow 6 ft radius curves to be negotiated.

 

Now everything is packed in the car for an early start to North Wales where the final renovation touches will be made to the cottage.  Hopefully I will have some modelling time as well to keep these entries rolling.

[coachmann]

Now everything is packed in the car for an early start to North Wales where the final renovation touches will be made to the cottage.  Hopefully I will have some modelling time as well to keep these entries rolling.

I hope the weather improves for your stay back in North Wales. Has all the track been completed on your 0 gauge Legge Lane MPD layout? 

[Focalplane]

Laid but not ballasted, too busy with the soldering iron!

[Focalplane]

Back in the North West Corner (of Wales) and relaxing after a taxing drive - "pedestrians in road at the M5/M6 Junction" - but lunch at Rhug and an easy drive through the Arenigs in good conditions helped to ease the pain!

 

First a few chores but hopefully we will be visiting the Ffestiniog during the next week to take advantage of our membership*.  All my modelling tools are here as well.  I have the Connoisseur BR 20 ton brake van here as a weekend project but I think a bit more work on the Castle chassis is a priority.

 

* Join the Ffestiniog Railway Society and get free travel, plus a huge discount on the Welsh Highland and an added bonus of free travel on the Talyllyn.  In the early 1950s we stayed for a week at the farm by Dolgoch Station, a very memorable occasion, as we only had bicycles and I rode on a cushion fixed to my father's cross bar.  Helmets?  Nah!

[coachmann]

In the summer of 1963 I took my 1 year old son with me plus a bag full of nappies and talc to the Talyllyn Railway, an epically long journey time-wise starting at Abergele, changing at Llandudno Junction, Bangor and finally Afon Wen. Tickets on the Talyllyn Railway were bought from a guards van. It was dark when we arrived back on the North Wales coast thoroughly worn out. Today's car drive to Towyn (Tywyn today) is a doddle. 

Edited April 14, 2017 by coachmann

[Focalplane]

Our journey to Talyllynn was by the local taxi driver in Earlswood, Warks. He owned a large Austin 20 taxi with a boot lid that folded down to take our bikes. My father never learned to drive and we always took the train except when going for a week's holiday each summer.

 

I think the train journey to Towyn would have been possible with two changes at Snow Hill and Shrewsbury. Today it would be one change from Birmingham Moor Street to New Street but not much time for the Talyllyn.

[coachmann]

Our journey to Talyllynn was by the local taxi driver in Earlswood, Warks. He owned a large Austin 20 taxi with a boot lid that folded down to take our bikes. My father never learned to drive and we always took the train except when going for a week's holiday each summer.

Austin Mayfair 20 I presume. Value today between £10,000 and £20,000 in good nick! 

 

To prevent me going far off topic, I have 0 gauge Peco bullhead LH and RH catch points for free if you can use them.

Edited April 14, 2017 by coachmann

[Focalplane]

To prevent me going far off topic, I have 0 gauge Peco bullhead LH and RH catch points for free if you can use them.

 

Thank you for the offer, Larry, but I have no use for them at the moment.  Keep trying to sell them!

 

Paul

[Focalplane]

Happy Easter, everyone!

 

After some thought I decided to leave the Castle to one side and work on the Connoisseur 20 ton BR guards van.  Although Jim McGeown says this is a good weekend project I think a longer weekend is going to be more like my time span!  But it is going together nicely.  For a change I clipped out and fettled all the parts and placed them in small plastic bags.  Those parts that needed riveting and bending were also processed before I plugged in the soldering iron.  In a way this makes the build seem quicker and it is also easier not to lose one's way in the detailed instructions.

 

The work started out of doors on Saturday:

 

 

But I soon moved indoors where the current status is exhibited:

 

 

While modelling and taking the occasional walk when the rain stops, I have been giving some thought to exactly what layout to build when I am ready.  It will have to be modular, at least while being built, and could therefore be an exhibition layout, but inevitably with a 7mm scale layout, there will have to be compromises.

 

I have already got Legge Lane  set up in France, a very convenient layout for testing and running kit built locos, etc. but not much else.  I am also thinking of a small shunting plank.  But when it comes to a real layout, possibly extending out into the garden I don't (yet) own, I have a number of possibilities.

 

The smaller of two contenders would be an up-scaled Shipston on Stour, including the fictional LMS line that was never built to Ettington.  The entire layout would have to represent an upgrade to Blue restriction but even then I would never be able to run the larger locomotives.

 

The larger contender could be based on Afon Wen, now completely raised to the ground but the junction where the LMS once met the GWR east of Pwllheli.  This could have good operating possibilities and a mix of Western, London Midland and Standard locomotives, local passenger services, excursion and holiday traffic as well as local goods trains.  Once built, Afon Wen didn't change much until it was closed down so the same layout could operate under different eras.  Although a junction, the ex-LNWR branch to Caernarfon didn't diverge north from the Cambrian straight away, so the layout could fit into a long linear space, with tracks leading "outside" into a garden.

 

I rather think Afon Wen is going to be too large, though, if done near to scale, but first I need to scale out the plan and see how many modules would be required to do it justice.

[coachmann]

Afon Wen wasn't a small outfit. I used to spend hours on the beach side of the station sunbathing and watching the shunting of coaches and locos. The last time I did it was 1964 and the W.Region was falling apart. Changes happened over such a short timescale and there was no comparison between 1964 and a mere four years earlier.

[Focalplane]

The idea of Afon Wen was prompted by the opportunity of running Western and Midland Region locomotives at the same time, but if it is too large, then I have come up with another option - Criccieth.  This would work because many Bangor trains started in Portmadoc (using pre-1975 spelling) and thus traveled through Criccieth to Afon Wen.  These included through coaches to Euston via Bangor, adding to the variety.  I have found photos of the following locos at Criccieth or heading toward the station from either direction:  Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0, Standard Class 4 4-6-0, Standard Class 3? 2-6-2T, ex-LMS 2-6-4Ts, Dukedog 4-4-0s, 43XX 2-6-0, Manor 4-6-0 (double headed Royal Train!), Small Prairie 2-6-2T, Standard Class 2 2-6-0, 2251 Class 0-6-0.

 

Criccieth had two platforms, a loading bay, a goods yard with shed and a bay platform facing Pwllheli.  Quite why the latter existed is uncertain as most local down services to Pwllheli and Bangor started in Portmadoc.  The station building is still standing though not used by Arriva Wales.

[Focalplane]

Our first day in North Wales for a year that didn't involve renovation work.  We had a delightful day on the Ffestiniog, Port to Blaenau, back to Dduallt, hike to Tan y Bwlch, train back to Port.  Here are some photos:

 

Waiting for the off at Porthmadog* (Incorrect post 1975 spelling!)

 

 

The new(ish) interchange platform on the Cob with the WHR using the right hand side

 

 

Filling the tanks at Blaenau Ffestiniong

 

 

Abandoned at Dduallt where the Ffestiniog now gains height with a spiral

 

 

The next train storming up past us as we hiked down to Tan y Bwlch

 

 

Our Port bound train arriving at Tan y Bwlch

 

 

Blaenau bound train arrives

 

 

Blaenau train departs

 

 

Coasting downhill towards Penrhyn

 

 

Arriving at Porthmadog

 

 

All in all a great day out on a very professionally run narrow gauge railway.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

 

* Porthmadog 1975 re-spelling.  I have a problem with this "political correctness".  Port to Porth is fine, but Madoc to Madog is twisting history.  Madog was a fictional legend, Madocks was a real person, born in Wales, who had the idea of building the Cob and thereby creating the town and port of Portmadoc, subsequently named after him.  It did not exist until the Cob was built, so could not have been the fictional starting place for Madog to "discover" North America.  Interestingly, Porthmadog is still referred to as "Port" by all the locals and anyone who is old enough to have lived there before 1975.

 

Edits (numerous) because the photos would not post in the right place.  Now also adjusted for brightness.

Edited April 19, 2017 by Focalplane

[Simond]

Paul

 

Thanks for posting these pix. I was a teenager in the 70's when the family used to holiday in Portmadoc (as my mum would spell it!), we had many happy summers on the South Snowdon Wharf ( to the left of your last picture) and I fired, mainly on Linda & Blanche, as far as Ddaullt & back, because the final bit to Blaenau hadnt been finished, and sailed, rowed, and motor-boated up & down the estuary.

 

Some years later I was lucky enough to be on the inaugural train to Blaenau, and many years later was much surprised to see myself, a school pal, his Dad & my Dad on the tv, wandering along the platform on a documentary.

 

Happy days!

Best

Simon

Edited April 18, 2017 by Simond

[Focalplane]

Fly tipping over the Easter weekend (thanks, tourons!) meant a visit to the local recycling centre which is also not far from Criccieth, so I drove over to the station and took a few photos.  There is a fair amount left of the station, though the down platform and signal box have gone, and all of the goods yard except a loading bay has been flattened into a large car park.  Since then I have found a few more useful photos on the internet plus I have several useful books which include a few photos.

 

These show that the bay facing Pwllheli had a ?camping coach in 1952, so Criccieth may have had no truly local service after nationalization, with all passenger trains terminating at either Pwllheli or Portmadoc or beyond.  As Coachmann has pointed out above, Criccieth passed from Western to Midland Region management about the time the BR logo changed, and this was seen as the beginning of the end.  It is certainly possible that there was a changeover period when either a Manor or a Standard Class 4 could have pulled the major trains into Criccieth, so the locomotive roster could be expansive, as noted in a recent post, with locos from as far away as Bangor and Machynlleth, also Wrexham and Shrewsbury.

 

The next question is how to fit Criccieth into a modular system with each module being able to fit into my Peugeot 2008 (one at a time, most probably).

 

I have uploaded the photos to Flickr.  I started out at the Pwllheli end and worked my way east, except that Fl;ickr has loaded them in a semi-random backward state.

Edited April 19, 2017 by Focalplane

[coachmann]

Criccieth passed from Western to Midland Region management about the time the BR logo changed,

Loco change haha....

[Marshall5]

The Cambrian lines were transferred to the Midland Region in either January 1963, September 1963 or January 1964 depending on which author you consult!!  My recollection is that nothing much changed for the first 12 months or so.,  The standard 75xxx were already commonplace from the early 60's, 75020/6 being allocated to Machynlleth from May 1961, 75002/3/4 joining them in Sept/Oct 1962. After the BR(M) takeover more 75xxx were transferred in. Portmadoc, Pwhelli and Penmaenpool were, of course, only sub-sheds of Machynlleth and had no allocation of their own. The change to Midland region types was very gradual, the last of Machynlleth's 82000/3/5/6/9/20/1/31/3/4 leaving as late as April 1965 having been displaced by 80xxx from early 1963. These 2-6-4T's had themselves been displaced from the LT&S by electrification. Even as late as January 1965 Aberystwyth's Bradley Manor was still at work. There was a long period when Manors and 75xxx could be seen together, even double-heading.

My "Old Man" always insisted that we spent our annual holidays from about 1960 to 1967 on the Cambrian, first in Towyn and later in a flat above a hairdressers next door to Criccieth station. The station master there gave me his heavily braided Western Region cap but at 7 1/2" it was a little large for me! I have a few photos of trains at Criccieth but I don't think they are much use to you. However, I found this photo of Machynlleth that shows the variety of motive power seen there.

Cheers,

Ray.

[Focalplane]

Ray

 

Thank you for the useful information!  I just checked DJH's website as I felt sure that they did a Standard Class 4 4-6-0 but it would appear not, only the Class 5.  They do the 78xxx Class 2 but I prefer the Ivatt 2MT (because I already have one!).  MOK do the Standard Class 4 Mogul, but this only appeared on the Cambrian as a heritage loco, AFAIK.

 

As Larry has noted on his Carrog thread/workbench, there is no OO gauge 43xx mogul, yet there are two kits available in O (JLTRT, Warren Shephard) plus an RTR on the way (Heljan).  Spoiled for choice!

 

Paul

[steveNCB7754]

Our first day in North Wales for a year that didn't involve renovation work.  We had a delightful day on the Ffestiniog, Port to Blaenau, back to Dduallt, hike to Tan y Bwlch, train back to Port.  Here are some photos:

 

Waiting for the off at Porthmadog* (Incorrect post 1975 spelling!)

 

IMG_0263.jpg

 

The new(ish) interchange platform on the Cob with the WHR using the right hand side

 

IMG_0264.jpg

 

Filling the tanks at Blaenau Ffestiniong

 

IMG_0268.jpg

 

Abandoned at Dduallt where the Ffestiniog now gains height with a spiral

 

IMG_0273.jpg

 

The next train storming up past us as we hiked down to Tan y Bwlch

 

IMG_0277.jpg

 

Our Port bound train arriving at Tan y Bwlch

 

IMG_0295.jpg

 

Blaenau bound train arrives

 

IMG_0300.jpg

 

Blaenau train departs

 

IMG_0304.jpg

 

Coasting downhill towards Penrhyn

 

IMG_0313.jpg

 

Arriving at Porthmadog

 

IMG_0321.jpg

 

All in all a great day out on a very professionally run narrow gauge railway.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

 

* Porthmadog 1975 re-spelling.  I have a problem with this "political correctness".  Port to Porth is fine, but Madoc to Madog is twisting history.  Madog was a fictional legend, Madocks was a real person, born in Wales, who had the idea of building the Cob and thereby creating the town and port of Portmadoc, subsequently named after him.  It did not exist until the Cob was built, so could not have been the fictional starting place for Madog to "discover" North America.  Interestingly, Porthmadog is still referred to as "Port" by all the locals and anyone who is old enough to have lived there before 1975.

 

Edits (numerous) because the photos would not post in the right place.  Now also adjusted for brightness.

 

 

Great photos Paul!

 

Takes me back to last May, when I (finally) got to travel north from the 'other' platform there, behind NG/G16 #87;

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fantastic trip, but a long time (out and return) to be sat on narrow gauge coach seats (my poor old B*M!).

 

 

Steve

Edited April 19, 2017 by steveNCB7754

[daifly]

As Larry has noted on his Carrog thread/workbench, there is no OO gauge 43xx mogul, yet there are two kits available in O (JLTRT, Warren Shephard) plus an RTR on the way (Heljan).  Spoiled for choice!

Paul

Paul

There are more choices than you think. Mercian also do the ex-Pilgrim Models 63xx kit and Lionheart have also produced the 43xx as RTR.

Dave

[N15class]

Paul

There are more choices than you think. Mercian also do the ex-Pilgrim Models 63xx kit and Lionheart have also produced the 43xx as RTR.

Dave

And it makes quite a nice model too. I built one from when it was a pilgrim kit. There is room to add details, but the basics went together well.

 

Edited April 19, 2017 by N15class

[Marshall5]

............  MOK do the Standard Class 4 Mogul, but this only appeared on the Cambrian as a heritage loco, AFAIK.

 

 

Paul

Actually the Standard class 4 moguls did work over the Cambrian but only from Summer 1966 at the very end of steam working.  According to the RCTS Machynlleth had 76038/43 and Chester had 76036/47/52/95 which also worked over the Cambrian.  In Sept 1966 Croes Newydd received 76040/8 "for similar duties" however I've never regarded the 76xxx as 'real' Cambrian engine.  If you're feeling really 'flush' I believe Richard Webster still has a few 43xx!!!!  I think I may have to treat myself to a Lionheart 82xxx when they come out as I'll always associate them with the Cambrian in the early 60's - fully lined green of course.

Ray.

[coachmann]

Closure of the Carnarvon-Afon Wen line at the end of 1964 put a stop to my rail trips over to the Cambrian and I never saw the BR Std.4 2-6-0's, in fact I didn't discover this until many years later.

[Focalplane]

OK, another day trip, another plan.  We visited the Mawddach Trail today and decided to walk down the estuary from Penmaenpool.  I had remembered that there is at least one excellent 4mm scale model of Penmaenpool so was interested in seeing what made it so special.  Hey presto, it would be a perfect 7mm scale project, smaller than Criccieth and with some interesting workings on the Ruabon-Barmouth Junction line.  So, once I am able to do the research (we are now traveling again) it will be worth looking at as another potential project with considerable operational variety.  Even a small engine shed!

 

Tourism promotion photos:

 

 

 

In addition, the signal box is now a natural history museum with additional windows affording a view to the north across the estuary.  Welsh tourism at its best!

[Focalplane]

Penmaenpool remains an attractive proposition but the location of the engine shed way off to the west makes the scale representation very long.  Too bad the pub/hotel takes up so much space between the station and the shed.  Some shortening is certainly possible between hotel and shed though.  The other problem I see is how to represent the southern end of the toll bridge.  The entire area of the railway facilities would occupy a maximum space of 7.5 by 1.5 meters, excluding sector plates or fiddle yards.

 

The engine shed location is now occupied by a recently built detached house.  I wonder if the owners know that?

[coachmann]

The engine shed location is now occupied by a recently built detached house.  I wonder if the owners know that?

He's fell in the pit twice...