Portmeirion Fach, an 009 whimsy.

[Barry Ten]

I've made a start on a very small 009 project inspired in equal parts by Portmeirion and the TV series The Prisoner, filmed on location in the late 60s.

 

 

Discounting a childhood visit to Portmeirion in the 70s, the roots of this project go back about 20 years to a visit to the Dutch narrow gauge museum in Valkenberg (near where we used to live) and an exhibition weekend where there were layouts and a selection of second hand items. I came away with a Hampton waterworks 0-4-2 and a couple of bogie carriages, the latter a bit worse for wear. I did nothing with either the loco or the coaches for about 15 years until I gave them all a service and repaint, as well as repairing various damaged bits. 

 

Next, I acquired a Peco set track starter pack, a couple of additional points and straights, and laid out an oval on a sheet of foam board. I settled on Portmeirion as the theme because I thought it hadn't been done before, could be recognisable, and lent itself to a small, whimsical representation. The idea is that there's a tourist train running from just outside the village in the wooded approach, down almost to the sea- front.

 

For inspiration, one can rewatch The Prisoner:

 

 

There are also many images and angles on the web. Wanting a bit more background, though, I picked up this very jolly walking guide which offers some insight into the various filming locations as well as useful close-up shots of architectural details.

 

 

The idea is to scratchbuild and/or adapt from kits the majority of the buildings on the layout's small footprint, but they'll be "essence of Portmeirion" rather than close likenesses. Provided I emphasise the Italianate touches and the typical colours, I hope that it'll say Portmeirion, or suggest another village built to similar principles.

 

Obviously the layout is very much a train set rather than anything offering sophisticated operation, but three trains can be run, backing them in and out of isolating sidings in turn. I tried putting a passing loop in but the small size made it a bit silly, so I just opted for the sidings. Despite the scary geometry of the dead frog points, everything runs fine, even the noisy Ibertren chassis under the original water works loco! Of course I haven't been able to resist a couple of Quarry Hunsletts and a Small England, beautiful models that they are.

 

The official colours for the line are cream and dark blue for the coaches, and cream and mid blue for buildings. I'd like to paint the locos dark blue but I need a stiff drink first, the lining and decoration is so nice!

 

Be seeing you!

 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Barry Ten

[Barry Ten]

A short clip:

 

 

[MatP]

Hi Number 10...

 

Best of luck with this project. I'm looking forward to seeing the layout with some Village buildings.

 

I thought about doing something similar in 16mm but didn't get further than naming some locos after characters from The Prisoner (locos no.1 and no.6 were identical and no.6's number plates kept dropping off).

 

I was inspired by a brief reference in one of the guidebooks to the abortive attempts to mine both slate and gold on the Aber Ia peninsula. It's only right that an equally short-lived tramway would have been needed, maybe joining up with the Ffestiniog somewhere in the vicinity of the level crossing into Minffordd Yard. Surely, Clough would then have reinstated it. Well, that was my never-built model scenario, anyway - I hope that yours goes very well and ends up deserving a marble column with "achievement" inscribed on it. 

 

May I humbly suggest that you consider building a Helium Tanker (for topping up the Rover Balloons) and a Whisky Tanker (for topping up Patrick McGoohan)? 

 

Best Wishes,

Mat P. (Bala Lake Railway Society Secretary and Bala Model Show Organiser - next Show 21st and 22nd Sep 2024!!!)

[Barry Ten]

Thanks Mat, sorry I didn't see your comment before now - much appreciated!

 

I think "Rover" has to make an appearance, either as an actual one, or a cameo with film crew, actors etc. A helium tanker

is a fine idea!

[Barry Ten]

I've added a bit more to the surroundings of the station, with a rendered wall with an archway through it, topped off with some tiles.

 

 

It's just two bits of Wills sheet sandwiching some foam core.

 

Those cast balustrades have been in my scrap box for donkey's years, but they'll work perfectly in this context... although I'll need a few more!

 

I also made a start on a bit of improv/ scratchbuilding of a generic clocktower, based on a Faller kit I made ages ago but which never found a home ( although it might have been ok on my French layout). I've added a rectangular base to the tower, embellished with bits of plastic card to suggest a unity with the Faller bit... 

 

 

It's not there yet but I hope it will start looking "of a piece" once painted, using the typical Portmeirion colours. If I do end up using it, it might not be in this corner.

 

Finally, I'm happy with this Wills station but I think it'll work better on the other side of the module, the Minffordd side to pick up on Mat's post above. The station on this side needs to be more "Clough".

 

 

Be seeing you.

 

[BernardTPM]

Nice, but isn't that station building is really rather too wide for the platform, even with selective compression fo the 'six foot' rule? Perhaps a small (ornate?) canopy would suit better.

[Barry Ten]

35 minutes ago, BernardTPM said:

Nice, but isn't that station building is really rather too wide for the platform, even with selective compression fo the 'six foot' rule? Perhaps a small (ornate?) canopy would suit better.

 

It's just plonked there at the moment but as mentioned, it'll probably be relocated to the other side of the layout, where there'll be another platform (which can be a bit wider). I've in mind a small cottage-like building a bit like the current gift-shop.

[MatP]

Hi Number Ten and other citizens,

 

There is a Prisoner spin-off novel written circa 1970, set after "Fall Out", in which Number 6 falls asleep on a train from London to somewhere and wakes up at a standard gauge station in the Village - the station is completely deserted after that. I can't remember any more details - I read it ages ago. You used to be able to buy it in the Prisoner shop in Portmeirion. (The shop is temporarily closed at the moment, or it was last month when I last stayed in the Village) because the lady who runs it is not well. Portmeirion in recent years has had a "Road Train" (which I used to call the Ninky Nonk - it was a bit scary to get chased by it if you were walking in the woods) but they've got rid of it now as the 'locomotive' was unreliable.  

 

I wonder if Modelu or some such company could be persuaded to make a 3D printed Number 6 figure.... They could scan the bust of Patrick McGoohan that's next to the Toll House... 

 

I realise that none of the above is in any way useful and only vaguely pertinent. I hope the layout construction is going well - you'd be very welcome to bring it to the Bala Model Show when it's done!

 

Best Wishes,

Mat P. (Bala Lake Railway Society Secretary and Bala Model Show Organiser)

[Barry Ten]

1 hour ago, MatP said:

Hi Number Ten and other citizens,

 

There is a Prisoner spin-off novel written circa 1970, set after "Fall Out", in which Number 6 falls asleep on a train from London to somewhere and wakes up at a standard gauge station in the Village - the station is completely deserted after that. I can't remember any more details - I read it ages ago.

 

Many thanks, Mat - and yes, when the layout's done, it would be a delight to bring it to Bala.

 

The book might be Thomas M Disch's 1969 Prisoner novelisation (entitled just "The Prisoner") but while I've read some

Disch, that isn't one I've seen. I've not found a detailed synopsis but I believe it's set after the series, so could well be the one

you mention. 

 

I hate those god-awful road-train things so good riddance to Ninky Nonk!

[Jeremy Cumberland]

7 minutes ago, Barry Ten said:

The book might be Thomas M Disch's 1969 Prisoner novelisation (entitled just "The Prisoner") but while I've read some

Disch, that isn't one I've seen.

I read it as a kid, and the plot Mat describes doesn't match my memory. Since I only saw the tv serial a decade or more after reading the novel, I can't say how closely they matched, but that does appear to have been the intention, more or less, with the book simply portraying different episodes that happened to Number 6. However, the novel has a definite beginning set in London, and a definite ending, neither of which are in the tv serial.

[MatP]

Hi,

 

There are three or four such novels, if I remember correctly, by at least two different authors, but I have only very vague memories of them (I think I borrowed a couple from somebody at my school in the early 90's, when The Prisoner was being repeated). I have equally vague memories of a cage-trap for Rover balloons made possibly from umbrella parts, and a Village production of Measure for Measure featuring No.6 as the Duke, from one or other of these novelisations. And one day I must get round to finishing off my own fanfic project, based on the ending of the Sweeney episode "Jack or Knave", in which Regan resigns from the police....

 

Anyway, there's only one phrase I can think of to respond to Barry Number Ten's kind interest in the Bala Model Show: I think it's something to do with seeing and involves a second-person-singular pronoun, but I can't quite remember it off the top of my head :)

 

All best,

Mat 

[Barry Ten]

[Alex Duckworth]

Be seeing you.