South Wales NCB in the 1970s (as yet unnamed)

[Wayne 37901]

Hello there,

 

It's been quite some time since I posted anything on here, as usual work and life in general get in the way. This coupled with my father passing away in November last year has meant I've had little time or inclination for modelling, despite the fact that it's my usual escape from the stresses of life.

 

Anyway let's not get bogged down, what's this all about...

 

For some years I've had an interest in industrial steam, mostly in collieries and I've quite fancied the idea of a small layout depicting a similar theme. This is totally new to me as I'm normally a purely diesel era modeller, but it never hurts to dip a toe in some new water so here goes.

 

A start has been made on the baseboard, this uses up some scraps of Ply that I had languishing in the cupboard left from other projects.

 

On the weekend of the Cardiff show I purchased my first ever steam loco, a B2 class Peckett 0-6-0 saddle tank.

 

The idea is to depict just a small slice of the once very active South Wales coal industry, as I write this there is only one regular source of coal left in the area now and that will soon come to a halt and become yet another piece of railway history.

 

I won't ramble on too much, but I'll explain more as I go. This is intended to be a winter project and I really hope it won't take as long as previous layouts as more are waiting in the ideas bank.

 

Back soon,

Wayne

[NHY 581]

Morning Wayne. 

 

Beady sheep eye now on developments here abouts. 

 

Rob

 

[Wayne 37901]

On 02/11/2023 at 08:53, NHY 581 said:

Morning Wayne. 

 

Beady sheep eye now on developments here abouts. 

 

Rob

 

 

Hiya Rob.

 

Haha, I can feel the beady eye over my shoulder 😅

 

I'm just finishing off the assembly of the board and I'm on leave next week so I should be able to start playing with track layouts. The footprint I have is 4 feet long by 18 inches wide as that was the size of the left over piece of Ply, considering that James Hilton has managed to build a colliery based layout in a smaller size than that then it should be plenty. As the wise Mr Rolley pointed out to me, the aim is to go for the less is more approach here.

 

Thanks for tuning in, I'll be back with the next update soon.

 

Cheers,

 

Wayne

[AY Mod]

You might find some of these that I set up of interest Wayne - https://worldofrailways.hooluh.co.uk/wagons

[Wayne 37901]

1 hour ago, AY Mod said:

You might find some of these that I set up of interest Wayne - https://worldofrailways.hooluh.co.uk/wagons

 

Thanks Andy.

 

I've seen similar wagons in photos of the Brynlliw system where I'm getting some of my inspiration so I might be tempted at some point. 

 

Cheers,

 

Wayne 

[Wayne 37901]

Good afternoon.

 

Not a great deal of progress to report but the scenic board is now assembled and is undergoing painting. I never used to bother painting my baseboards apart from the fascia surround, but I've been reading up on it and quite a lot of people paint their boards so I've decided to do it as well.

 

Back soon.

 

Cheers,

 

Wayne

[Wayne 37901]

Good evening.

 

After a bit of thought, looking at photos of various sites, scribbling on paper and playing with track I think this is the way I'll go.

 

The idea here is a less is more approach as a sage modeller told me. The layout is taking inspiration from Brynlliw and Talywain colliery railways and will feature a loco shed and small Landsale yard, at each end will be a fiddle stick attached to the layout to enable through running.

 

On Wednesday the 8th of November a friend came over to visit and brought his Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 loco over for a bit of posing so that I could get a feel for how things will hopefully look.

 

The plan now is to decide the final layout and start attaching dropper wires before laying the track. Unlike other layouts I've decided that this one will be Analogue DC control, this is because I have friends with industrial locos and they've expressed an interest in coming over for a running session.

 

That's where we are at the moment, I'll be back soon.

 

Cheers,

 

Wayne

 

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by Wayne 37901

[NHY 581]

Morning Wayne, 

 

Brynlliw makes a good prototype from which to gain inspiration.

 

Sticking my ovine snout in, looking at your sketch, if you push the loco shed more to the left, hard up against the backscene, then there'll be no need for trees. 

 

I'd also pull the point leading to the landsale yard right back to maximise the length on the landsale siding, which I would also add a gentle curve to, bending away from the 'mainline'. Your photo below suggests you are doing this anyway but consider sliding the whole formation across the board so the wall of the shed is literally on the edge, to maximise width and reduce the gap between the shed and the running line. 

 

 

Rob.

 

[NHY 581]

By the way, if you haven't got this, you 'need' it. Essential. 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Visions-Steam-P-Cavalier/dp/0860930319

 

 

[Wayne 37901]

3 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

Sticking my ovine snout in

 

 

Afternoon Rob,

 

No, not at all it's always good to hear some input from others and there's some interesting points you make there. 

 

The reason for the shed being away from the board edge was so that I have room to add some detail/clutter around it. The plan was also to have some sort of footpath crossing the line behind which is why it wasn't up against the back board but hiding the fiddle stick entry with just trees might be tricky, the other end will have the road bridge so that's simpler.

 

I'll definitely pull the Landsale point back a bit as the siding looks a bit short at the moment, the siding itself will have a gentle curve yes as it's based on one of the sidings at Brynlliw.

 

Cheers,

Wayne

Edited November 15, 2023 by Wayne 37901

[Wayne 37901]

With a few hours to spare before work this evening I've gone and tweaked the track layout slightly. Taking Rob's observations on board I've moved the shed back against where the backboard will be and moved a little closer to the board but left a small bit of space to include ground cover/details etc.

 

I've also pulled the point back that leads to the landsale spur and curved the siding a bit more, as a result I can fit in 4/5 16 ton wagons now.

 

I've held it down temporarily with drawing pins for now so that it doesn't move around if I have to move the board.

 

Here's a photo of the revised arrangements.

 

 

Cheers,

Wayne

[Wayne 37901]

Just a very quick update.

 

03:03am this morning saw the very first powered move along the layout over the temporarily laid track, the reason for the silly time being that I work late evenings finishing around Midnight. This means that it takes me a couple of hours to wind down before heading for bed and this allowed a quick lash up of a power source.

 

Wayne

[DCB]

A larger loco depot with a few "spare" locos stood around  "stored" or what ever would add interest.     I would have aimed for track 1" or maybe just 10mm above datum to give some scenery  like drainage below rail level .
Usually you find all locos on site face the same way, chimney up hill.    It always looks wrong to me if some face one way and some the other... 

[NHY 581]

3 hours ago, DCB said:

A larger loco depot with a few "spare" locos stood around  "stored" or what ever would add interest.     I would have aimed for track 1" or maybe just 10mm above datum to give some scenery  like drainage below rail level .
Usually you find all locos on site face the same way, chimney up hill.    It always looks wrong to me if some face one way and some the other... 

 

I personally don't see the need for any additional interest. Not all Welsh NCB sites were jammed full of 'features'. There was a lot of desolation. Short grass, minimal low buildings sited away from the running lines ( suggesting lifted trackwork) , odd bits of rusting scrap. I see what Waynes doing here and it sounds very promising. 

I agree regarding the locos facing the same way but remember, Wayne is working within a small foot print. A larger loco depot would dominate the scene, turning it into a loco shed layout which I'm pretty certain is not the layout Wayne's looking to create. 

 

With regard to differing levels, again I see your point but the landsale yard at Brynlliw, was pretty flat. 

 

Rob. 

[NHY 581]

4 hours ago, Wayne 37901 said:

Just a very quick update.

 

03:03am this morning saw the very first powered move along the layout over the temporarily laid track, the reason for the silly time being that I work late evenings finishing around Midnight. This means that it takes me a couple of hours to wind down before heading for bed and this allowed a quick lash up of a power source.

 

Wayne

 

A glass of Port does the trick, Wayne. I know this. 

 

[Captain Kernow]

On 15/11/2023 at 08:47, NHY 581 said:

By the way, if you haven't got this, you 'need' it. Essential. 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Visions-Steam-P-Cavalier/dp/0860930319

 

 

Definitely a seminal work, showing the gentle decline of heavy industry in South Wales into decrepitude and eventual closure. Many of the rather arty black and white photos seem to have been taken by the brother of conceptual artist Sheldon Fopp, whose work sometimes features in Rob Sheepbloke's posts.

[Captain Kernow]

Joking apart, Wayne, Visions of Steam is definitely a good source of inspiration,  as is anything by Gordon Edgar (Amberly Publishing).

[Wayne 37901]

14 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

Joking apart, Wayne, Visions of Steam is definitely a good source of inspiration,  as is anything by Gordon Edgar (Amberly Publishing).

 It's due to land sometime today so I'll look forward to it and I appreciate Rob giving me the heads up on it. Just like when I bought the Peckett, this will be the first ever steam related book I've bought so there's a couple of first's ticked with this scheme.

 

Cheers,

 

Wayne

[Wayne 37901]

18 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

 

I personally don't see the need for any additional interest. Not all Welsh NCB sites were jammed full of 'features'. There was a lot of desolation. Short grass, minimal low buildings sited away from the running lines ( suggesting lifted trackwork) , odd bits of rusting scrap. I see what Waynes doing here and it sounds very promising. 

I agree regarding the locos facing the same way but remember, Wayne is working within a small foot print. A larger loco depot would dominate the scene, turning it into a loco shed layout which I'm pretty certain is not the layout Wayne's looking to create. 

 

With regard to differing levels, again I see your point but the landsale yard at Brynlliw, was pretty flat. 

 

Rob. 

 Thanks for the kind words Rob.

 

I see what the poster is saying, but as you say the landsale yard at Brynlliw and most of the area around it was fairly flat apart from what looks like in one photo a shallow bank near the running lines and I'm hoping to create this about half way along the board. I'm certainly not looking to create a depot style layout and most NCB sheds weren't very big affairs anyway, I've decided that my shed will be a single track version of the one that was at Talywain where again the ground was mostly flat. 

 

I have been looking at lots of photos and even a dvd that has been leant to me and there's plenty of scope for adding a little scenery, rough dirty ground and debris etc. The area of blank space near the landsale yard will have a couple of trucks parked in it and some coal storage bays.

 

As I'm working in a 4' x 18'' footprint it doesn't lend itself to look at creating a lovely valleys scene with sloping hills, and as scenery is one of my 'weak points' I don't think I'd have the skill to do it.

 

In my mind I can see how I want the whole thing to look and I think it's heading in the right direction, but I'm always open to idea or suggestions.

 

Wayne

[Captain Kernow]

Hi Wayne,

Will there be a backscene at all and if so, will it feature the typical Welsh valley topography?

 

[Wayne 37901]

54 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

Hi Wayne,

Will there be a backscene at all and if so, will it feature the typical Welsh valley topography?

 

Morning,

 

There will either be a backscene or plain painted back boards, I haven't decided yet. It will depend if any backscenes are available that look 'valleys-ish'. The surround will be added after most of the scenery is done, a lesson I learned from Rob when he was giving me a scenic tutorial.

 

The focus at the moment is getting the track down and wired.

 

Cheers,

Wayne

[Wayne 37901]

Another two 16 tonners join the fleet today, that now makes the first complete train for the layout and also allows me to determine lengths for the fiddle yards as the current thinking is that a loco + 4 is sufficient given the short length of the layout.

 

Of course these will all be weathered in due course but the main priority is to get the track down and wired complete with fiddle yards... I do use the term ''yards'' loosely as they'll be more like fiddle sticks but using cassettes.

 

Cheers,

 

Wayne

Edited November 17, 2023 by Wayne 37901

[The Johnster]

I’ve been doing a bot of work on Cwmdimbath’s backscene, and looking at possible suitable replacement/extensions, and discovered ‘Model Town Backscenes 00 Gauge Hills & Mountains Pack B (MT0057), from Lineside & Locos, who advertise on the  bay of e.  This is a photographic backscene featuring what look like spoil heaps with a mountain behind them, which I think has a distinctly valleys feel to it, and a suitably gloomy ambience as well.  Quality looks good and price not extortionate; I’m considering one for my colliery background.  Could be something like what you’re after, Wayne.  No connection, possible customer. 
 

Pack A (MT0056) has potential as well, but the mountains are a little more rugged.  

[Moxy]

25 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

I’ve been doing a bot of work on Cwmdimbath’s backscene, and looking at possible suitable replacement/extensions, and discovered ‘Model Town Backscenes 00 Gauge Hills & Mountains Pack B (MT0057), from Lineside & Locos, who advertise on the  bay of e.  This is a photographic backscene featuring what look like spoil heaps with a mountain behind them, which I think has a distinctly valleys feel to it, and a suitably gloomy ambience as well.  Quality looks good and price not extortionate; I’m considering one for my colliery background.  Could be something like what you’re after, Wayne.  No connection, possible customer. 
 

Pack A (MT0056) has potential as well, but the mountains are a little more rugged.  

 

They also have their own website, outside of Ebay.

 

http://www.linesideandlocos.co.uk/oo-gauge-page-3.html

 

Thanks for finding this supplier, they make some interesting backscenes, and different subjects from the usual 'country/town' ranges other suppliers offer.

[NHY 581]

Morning Wayne. 

 

You know my thoughts on backscenes.............

 

But.....if one has to then perhaps a trip up the valleys and obtain a few photos. I understand and can do a bit more digging but there is a printers in Penarth that might be able to stitch them together and print off a backscene suitable image. No idea of cost etc. 

 

However, plenty of time for that. There's a layout to knock together first ! 

 

Rob