Celsa Steel Works

[LMSfan72]

I bought a TT:120 Easterner set when they first came out from Hornby. However, my large layout, in OO, which remains unfinished due to my addiction to printing and modifying rolling stock, and my renovation of another exhibition layout that I picked up for free have now taken up all my space and so it seems that another mainline layout, albeit in TT for the Eastener set, is just not going to get started (yet....).

 

Anyway, I still want to get some TT going. I fancy a GBRF Class08 - since they are still available - so it got me googling as to where a suitable layout might be based...

 

As luck would have it, I came across this:

 

 

So, my investigation began.... Searching in google maps I found the location and the surrounding site. It seemed to me to be a great location: Celsa Manufacturing in Cardiff.

 

I managed to put together a decent track plan from TT setrack that will fit an 1800x500 base:

 

 

 

 

The fiddle yard will go where the wagon marshalling yard is and I will use a "scenic" sector plate (the red sector on the plan) to access that, with additional scenery in front to mask it a little. If I ever then had the space it could be an easy job to add some non scenic extensions along the main length to enable a Class 66 to move a train load out of scene....

 

I would love to find out what all the various buildings are and if there are any decent photos of them. The google street view is exceptionally helpful in this location, but, as always, really knowledge and pictures would help if anyone has any they might share!

 

Next job is to procure the baseboards and the track (oh, and that Class 08 that started me thinking!)

[65179]

You'll find more useful information searching for Tremorfa steelworks.  The Celsa steelworks was formerly Allied Steel & Wire (ASW) and is split across two sites.  This steelworks site is the one, part of which, your plan is based on at the bottom end of Tidal sidings. The 08 in the bottom of your Google Maps view is taking scrap to the scrap bay alongside the electric arc furnace building. The other site is accessed via the line disappearing off to the left. This leads to the Castle Works which is a rolling mill.

 

A thread on some of the wagons used over the years here:

 

EWS/DB era shunters here:

 

 

Link to my post with a few more 08s at Celsa:

 

Simon

Edited January 6 by 65179

[LMSfan72]

Thank you for this info, very helpful 

[hmrspaul]

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/alliedsteelwire  Some years ago. 

 

Paul

[LMSfan72]

Thank you Paul

[LMSfan72]

Boards in state of mock-up construction (some old bed pieces for the frame with 10mm card backed foam board on top for lightness), 

 

 

the "track mat" laid on so I can see where everything goes,

 

 

and the GBRf Class 08 renumbered to "Celsa 2" via some homemade decals!

 

I will add the orange cab roof lights later, and consider what to do with the loco lighting - I know I can't do both the red and white on each cluster independently but I might do them so they are both on at the same time.....

 

Edited January 11 by LMSfan72

[LMSfan72]

Starting to work on the buildings:

 

 

[LMSfan72]

First print of part of the office building. It’s printed the brickwork quite well. However, it’s so small I can’t see it clearly with the naked eye. Not sure how I will paint the mortar lines!

 

[LMSfan72]

Hmmm. Looks like a rookie mistake for me…

 

I thought I’d scaled the photo properly but it appears that I am significantly out. The track seems to fit nicely but now I have printed and triple checked the buildings I reckon I am probably 30% out!

 

 

 

Now I have found a close up of the rail spacing it seems to confirm it:

 

 

That is going to significantly affect what I do! N-gauge??!

[woodenhead]

42 minutes ago, LMSfan72 said:

Hmmm. Looks like a rookie mistake for me…

 

That is going to significantly affect what I do! N-gauge??!

 

Jump right in, the water is lovely and we have lots of stock you can use as well.

[LMSfan72]

I think my first go will be just moving the buildings, at the correct scale, to fit the gaps since the track fits the board and ignore the photo footprint

[SED Freightman]

On 05/01/2024 at 13:52, LMSfan72 said:

I bought a TT:120 Easterner set when they first came out from Hornby. However, my large layout, in OO, which remains unfinished due to my addiction to printing and modifying rolling stock, and my renovation of another exhibition layout that I picked up for free have now taken up all my space and so it seems that another mainline layout, albeit in TT for the Eastener set, is just not going to get started (yet....).

 

Anyway, I still want to get some TT going. I fancy a GBRF Class08 - since they are still available - so it got me googling as to where a suitable layout might be based...

 

As luck would have it, I came across this:

 

 

So, my investigation began.... Searching in google maps I found the location and the surrounding site. It seemed to me to be a great location: Celsa Manufacturing in Cardiff.

 

I managed to put together a decent track plan from TT setrack that will fit an 1800x500 base:

 

 

 

 

The fiddle yard will go where the wagon marshalling yard is and I will use a "scenic" sector plate (the red sector on the plan) to access that, with additional scenery in front to mask it a little. If I ever then had the space it could be an easy job to add some non scenic extensions along the main length to enable a Class 66 to move a train load out of scene....

 

I would love to find out what all the various buildings are and if there are any decent photos of them. The google street view is exceptionally helpful in this location, but, as always, really knowledge and pictures would help if anyone has any they might share!

 

Next job is to procure the baseboards and the track (oh, and that Class 08 that started me thinking!)

Sorry for the delayed response to your queries as I have only just stumbled upon this thread.  From memory, as it is 10 years since I have been on site, the buildings that can be seen are as follows left to right. Dark Grey building between the Celsa lines and Tidal Yard was I think connected with utility (gas or electric) supplies. Pretty much in the centre is a disused fuel point with storage tank and an old wagon body used for PW stores. The blue building with two sidings entering it is the former wagon repair shop. The yellow, black and brown buildings are the water treatment plant for the Section Mill, black circle is a large settling tank, the small yellow building is a water tower and the larger one is a cooling tower whilst the red and black rectangles are sludge pits.  The darker grey building next to the short loop line is the Rail Control Building , now occupied by GBRf, comprising toilets, changing rooms and locker rooms on the ground floor and managers office, operations control room, and mess room upstairs. To the left of this building adjacent to the short loop is a small fuel point used by GBRf, whilst the line closest to Rover Way passes over a weighbridge located in front of the Rail Control Building, this line is also equipped with radiation detectors which stand either side of the track and can just about be seen on the aerial view.  The weighbridge line leads off to the right and eventually reaches the scrap bays where incoming scrap is unloaded, whilst the line adjacent to the row of trees is used by the trip workings conveying billets from the Melt Shop at Tremorfa to Castle Works via the Cross Dock Link.