Stone used on the Brecon and Merthyr Railway

[Timber]

All,

 

I need some help please.  Not living close to wales, I am attempting to model the B&M.   I am building a goods shed.  Can someone please guide me on the stone colour that would have been used on the B&M in the Brecon area....is the attached too light, not brown enough etc...

 

All help gratefully received.

[Lee-H]

Talybont on Usk is 7 miles from Brecon on the B&M so is likely to have had similar stone. This is the underbridge over the canal. Hope it helps.

[ChrisN]

I am modelling the Cambrian, which makes life easier as there are still Cambrian buildings around, although most are not in railway use.  However, I do not live in Wales and I am modelling a fictitious place so very early on I took a 'drive' around Tywyn, and eventually other places, using Google Streetview  to see what colour the local stone was, and what type of buildings there were in the towns. 

[CEINEWYDD]

There are now three books on the B&M from Pen & Sword publishers, John Hodge & Ray Caston the authors.  Absolutely full of delicious pics, enough to satisfy even the most  nerdy of us (i.e.me) .  Slowly working my way through combined Xmas and birthday pressies.  

[CEINEWYDD]

Following from above, I have just come across another picture of the B&M.  This is in the Dec 1982 edition of 'Model Railways' , and seems to be the same bridge as the above photo, but from a very different position.  There is a great deal more of the surrounding area, including lots of stone walls.   The photo is also present in the Ian Allan book Trains Illustrated No.4 on the last years of brit steam - Western region.  I suspect that it will be easier to find on ebay than the Dec 82 edition of the mag.

 

Yes the photos are in Black & White, but it gives an idea of the variation in the colours of the stone.  Good luck!!

[Fat Controller]

The local stone towards the Brecon end would be Old Red Sandstone from the Devonian period; as the name suggests, the original stone would be the same as that found in S W England. Towards the Merthyr end. the rock is of Carboniferous age; both the limestone (a bluey- grey stone) and the Pennant sandstom (yelloy-browm ) might be used. It was not unusual to find buildings where the walls would be of limestone, with door and window openings being of dressed Pennant.