Llanforen, GWR in South Wales

[The Johnster]

We'll the WRRC meeting didn't go as planned! After an early start I arrived at the venue just after 9:30 and got the layout set up fairly quickly but by then it turned out that the room had been triple booked and after compromises had been made we had to have the room clear by 1:30. With the deadline approaching I had to start packing up when the AGM was still under way, fortunately I was at the back of the room. Sadly some members didn't get chance to see the layout but sometimes these things happen. To sum up, six hours driving, the layout on display for about an hour and limited chance to talk to like minded people, oh we'll.

 

I did get chance to take a few pictures and I will try and post some tomorrow.

 

Brian.

 

Looking forward to the piccies, Brian!  Sounds like you had a bit of a stressful day...

[88C]

Not really stressful, just disappointing and no chance to run anything. However there were plenty of photos taken early on, but not many by me.

 

Brian

[88C]

A bit later than promised but here are a few pictures that I took on Saturday, not the best I'm afraid it was all a bit of a rush.

 

 

With all those locos on shed it must be a Sunday.

 

 

A little E class a long way from the docks.

 

Looking towards the exit.

 

I'm just making a few minor repairs before the layout gets put away again and hopefully it's next outing will be more successful

 

Brian

[88C]

It has been a while since I posted anything about Llanforen but I have not been idle. I have never been satisfied with the entrance to the fiddle yard through a tunnel so I have decided to change it to a road bridge.

 

 

 

Looking through my books I found a suitable looking bridge at St Athan on the Vale of Glamorgan line so the next job was to make a mock up to test for clearances

 

 

 

The old Hornby King is ideal for the task, if that clears anything will.

 

The bridge is made from embossed plastic and the parapets use Wills stone walling, well I had some going spare.

 

 

 

 

Next time I will show how I built up the land around the bridge.

 

Brian

 

I don't know what has happened to the pictures, I'll try again!

Edited August 1, 2018 by 88C

[88C]

Third time lucky?

 

The tunnel

 

[88C]

 

The mock up

[88C]

 

The bridge.

 

For some reason today I have not been able to post more than one picture, wonder what I have done differently?

 

Brian

 

 

[88C]

I don't know how things will go today but the next stage of the modification was to build up the landform. Not having any polystyrene to hand cardboard formers have been put in place, the bridge itself hasn't been fixed down yet but is in place as a guide.

 

 

Brown paper stuck down with dilute PVA was used for the covering. Two reasons for using brown paper, firstly it is stronger than newspaper and secondly, we had a roll in the cupboard.

 

 

Next step, a coat of tester pot green before the detailing begins.

 

 

That will be it for a while, the garage is now the temporary home to the contents of the garden shed which has got to the point where it must be replaced. Can't complain, we reckon it must be at least 50 years old.

 

Brian.

 

Edit for spelling

Edited August 3, 2018 by 88C

[tomparryharry]

Nice layout Brian. Shades of Creigau. There are some old photos ofTrehafod Loco shed about, but they'll need a bit of searching.

 

Happy modelling.

 

 

Ian.

[88C]

Thanks Ian and if you do come across any photos of Trehafod shed I would to know about it. I have asked members of the WRRC without success, they would be just as interested. A couple of years ago I went to a talk about the Barry, I can't remember the name of the gentleman giving it but he was far more knowledgable than me and one of the things that he said was that he has not found any photos of a BR freight train apart from posed ones in the docks.

 

Brian

[tomparryharry]

Thanks Ian and if you do come across any photos of Trehafod shed I would to know about it. I have asked members of the WRRC without success, they would be just as interested. A couple of years ago I went to a talk about the Barry, I can't remember the name of the gentleman giving it but he was far more knowledgable than me and one of the things that he said was that he has not found any photos of a BR freight train apart from posed ones in the docks.

 

Brian

The only photo I've seen properly is the loco depot at Trehafod, after closure. I'll have a mooch about. Apparently, there is a nature reserve situated on top of the old depot area, but I haven't been there. Try having a look on the FB page Railways in South Wales. They're a friendly bunch; seek and you shall find.

 

Happy modelling.

 

Ian.

[br2975]

................................................. Try having a look on the FB page Railways in South Wales. ...............They're a friendly bunch; seek and you shall find.

 

 

However, you'll need to get past the administrator(s)................... one of whom can be cantankerous !

.

But, In your case, I'll make an exception and look out for your membership application, and treat it favourably !

.

Brian R

.

[tomparryharry]

However, you'll need to get past the administrator(s)................... one of whom can be cantankerous !

.

But, In your case, I'll make an exception and look out for your membership application, and treat it favourably !

.

Brian R

.

 

I had to watch my words Brian; I might want to join one day!

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

[88C]

Thanks for the tip Ian, I'm not into Facebook so I'll have to investigate when I have a bit more time. At the moment it's a bit frustrating not being able to get to the layout, like many things, replacing the garden shed is not as straight forward as I hoped and this hot weather is not helping.

 

Brian

[br2975]

I avoided FB for years. And even now I mostly use it for railway related purposes, more prototype than modelling. There are groups with outstanding info and previously unseen images, such as Railways in South Wales. Remember, use FB to your advantage, don't let it take advantage.

[88C]

I haven't updated this thread recently because nothing has happened. A replacement shed has now been ordered, plan C I think. Behind the shed two concrete fence posts needed replacing, my thoughts when I put them in over 25 years ago was that the posts would last and it would be easy to replace panels, I got that the wrong way round. Finding someone to do the job wasn't easy so that delayed things.

 

I've not been completely idle, two ex Barry F class locos are under construction, one as a saddle tank and the other as rebuilt with pannier tanks using parts from an old K's body which I bought at a show some years ago. No photos yet, sorry. I do wonder at times if the standard of my kit building is getting worse.

 

Brian

[RedgateModels]

Look forward to seeing Llanforen Shed at Mansfield 2019

 

Will be good to have some steam to counter all those smelly blue diesels LOL

[88C]

I've finally been able to get into the garage and do some work on the layout.

 

A coating of static grass and a road surface applied.

 

 

Hedges and fencing next. Only just enough fencing so there are some dodgy joints to disguise later.

 

 

There is still a lot of detailing to do but already it looks a lot better than the previous tunnel.

 

Can anyone recommend a suitable bus?

 

Brian

[timbowilts]

 

Can anyone recommend a suitable bus?

 

Brian

I would suspect that, for Barry days, you’ll be very limitted. The best that I can think of is the plastic kit of the Thorneycroftoncemade by Merit but that may be too “new” for your period?

 

Tim T

Modellling Cwm Cynon in EM

[gismorail]

Some more excellent modelling going on here ...wonderful   

[88C]

Thanks for the replies. Looking at the pictures that I posted the lighting doesn't show the colour of the static grass as it looks to the naked eye, still plenty to do on it yet.

 

Twimbowilts, thanks for your suggestion although my reference to the bus was a bit tongue in cheek, I doubt really that there would have been many buses in that part of the world at any time. As for the period of the layout, I haven't set out to be precise although some of the locos I tend to use most would suggest late 20s early 30s. The main aim of the layout is to be able to run a variety of stock in a pleasant setting, I am not pedantic about things. Somewhere on the layout is an A35 van, not too difficult to work out why.

 

Just going to finalise my shopping list for Peterborough, there some nice layouts I want to see. I hardly saw anything at Warley apart from the club layout!

 

Brian

[The Johnster]

The only bus service in the area for many years was Cardiff Corporation's no.33 to Hensol; if you can find out when that started you might be able to postulate some more accurate information.  It may well have been in connection with Hensol Castle hospital, which opened in 1930, not too far out for your period.

[tomparryharry]

A bus, eh?

 

I'd guess a Western Welsh bus from Cardiff to Cowbridge, using what would become the A48. I haven't a clue, but I've an idea you will need 'the Cowbridge Railway' book. 

 

I'll try to dig it out.

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

[chrisf]

Brian and I discussed this briefly yesterday.  Western Welsh did not come into being until 1929 so would be out of period.  When I get a minute I will have a rummage through some books.

 

Chris

[88C]

What have I started?