Porth Aberdovey.

[TonyMay]

I seem to have chosen quite well then as the Rhino paddock will be bigger than I thought.

 

On a serious note do you know when Aberdovey Hall was demolished, as it seems to be "there" on maps until some time after WW2, but gone by the late '60s or early '70s and part replaced by a Primary School?

 

I think a fair few stately homes were taken over by the Army during the war and used for urban warfare practice, often with live rounds... you get the idea.  Whether this was one I don't know, but it's a local history issue.

[Trains&armour]

I seem to have chosen quite well then as the Rhino paddock will be bigger than I thought.

 

On a serious note do you know when Aberdovey Hall was demolished, as it seems to be "there" on maps until some time after WW2, but gone by the late '60s or early '70s and part replaced by a Primary School?

 

 

I think a fair few stately homes were taken over by the Army during the war and used for urban warfare practice, often with live rounds... you get the idea.  Whether this was one I don't know, but it's a local history issue.

 

Questions like this bring out the historian in me (studied History before switching to Archaeology) Never thought that much about Aberdovey Hall, except for the fact that it was apparently still there during WW2 and would give me a perfect reason to add a stately home to my layout. But history is usually more complex than a mere look at a map would suggest. 

 

Aberdovey Hall started life in 1827  as the Corbet Arms Family Hotel and Post House. Before the Railway enbankment was built, it was almost a beach hotel. With the coming of the railway it was rebuilt in a grandiose form, but it was never a commercial succes. In 1869 it was for sale. It must have sold sometime before the late  1880's, because on the 1888 ordnance survey map it is labelled as Aberdovey Hall. The Hall was gutted by fire in 1915 and never rebuild. At that time it was in use as an appartment complex. The ruins remained until 1968, when the site was levelled and a Primary School was erected on the grounds

 

So much for a nice stately hall for my 1940-1945 layout! But as my layout is hardly totally historical correct, I think I will rebuilt Aberdovey Hall and turn in into a local training headquaters. Which is not that far fetched, as during WW2 No. 10 Commando, No. 3 troop was training in & around Aberdovey 

 

Sources:

 

Ordnance Survey maps 1:2500 Cardiganshire pre WW2

 

Lewis, H.M., 1989, Pages of Time, a Pictorial History of Aberdyfi, pages 35-36. 

 

Gwyn, D.& A. Davidson, 2007. Ports and Harbours of Gwynedd: Aberdyfi. A Threat Related Assessment. Gwynedd Archaeological Trust,Report No. 671.1, pages 7, 25

 

http://cymru1914.org/en/view/newspaper/3412782/4/ART40/aberdovey%20hall

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/17/a2657117.shtml

Edited February 21, 2014 by Trains&armour

[alanbuttler]

Hi Sierd, just spotted this photograph on ebay, thought it might be of interest, a pannier pulling what I think are bren gun carriers at Machynlleth.  I'm sure the date is wrong though, has it as 1954!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rail-Photo-GWR-060pt-Machynlleth-nr-station-Montgomery-Cambrian-/390794652553?pt=UK_Collectables_Railwayana_RL&hash=item5afd2d2b89

[Trains&armour]

Hi Sierd, just spotted this photograph on ebay, thought it might be of interest, a pannier pulling what I think are bren gun carriers at Machynlleth.  I'm sure the date is wrong though, has it as 1954!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rail-Photo-GWR-060pt-Machynlleth-nr-station-Montgomery-Cambrian-/390794652553?pt=UK_Collectables_Railwayana_RL&hash=item5afd2d2b89

Nice find ! It's the Machynlleth yard engine, nr 1965. My guess is that 24-8-54 is the date  the card was send, not the date the photo was taken. The engine is marked GWR and still has it's blackout curtain behind the cab.

[TonyMay]

Thanks  Mike.

And the footbridge is a leftover from the way I cut off the original trackplan. The actual station building  is off to the right, just beyond the footbridge and the edge of the baseboard. I was planning to add backgrounds to the layout in this way:

 

3D-room04-back.jpg

 

The background  in front of the footbridge will have a representation of rest of the station on it. (and it will keep my trains from taking the plunge)

Scenario:....There is a war on, and the station area has been bombed, temporarily turning the southern half of the station into a terminus. Repairs are underway, crews working day and night, but through trains will not be possible for at least another few days. Trains from the direction of Dovey junction will now halt at the temporary wooden platform extensions, constructed earlier to handle all the extra troop trains. The shed now holds a number of idle LMS  engines,  who where handling the extra traffic from the direction of Oswestry, and got trapped by the bombing....

(off to Ebay, a Bachmann 3F might be nice  to have on shed  )

 

I'm not sure that the Germans bothered too much with bombing the deepest depths of Wales.  Not the most target-rich environment and too much of a chance of CFIT.  Much to the relief of the sheep, I'm sure.

[Trains&armour]

True, and until now I've only found one documented incident on the Mid Wales lines, when in Oktober 1940 a Ju88 bomber machine gunned a goods train, but without causing much damage. Still, might have happened, and Machnynlett station and shed were provided with air raid shelters. Something definitely happened in my alternate world.Perhaps a somewhat  less controlled flight in to the station terrain by a damaged bomber....

[alanbuttler]

I remember when growing up near Caersws/Moat Lane, one of my friends grand father's showing us craters where bomber crews had ditched their remaining ordnance trying to save weight.  Big craters in the middle of fields, direct hit on some poor sheep most likely!

[Trains&armour]

A layout based on a prototypical location does need a prototypical Station Building

 

 

Based on C.C. Green, The coastlines of the Cambrian Railways, vol 2  and some partial drawings and photo's found on the internet. The drawing is not exactly to scale, but more a best guesstimate. Any additional information, especially concerning measures and internal structure, would be more than welcome. But for now, it will do. Platform canopy next....

 

Edit: Spotted an error in the drawing, now changed.

Edited March 24, 2014 by Trains&armour

[gwrrob]

Is that rhino your trademark or it it going to be included in the build Sierd. If I knew you were a dab hand at these drawings I would have asked you to do mine for Brent.

[Trains&armour]

Is that rhino your trademark or it it going to be included in the build Sierd.

It's just there to give an indication of scale...

[2ManySpams]

It's just there to give an indication of scale...

 

but is it a fully grown rhino?

[cary hill]

but is it a fully grown rhino?

 

It's either a 3mm scale representation of a fully grown White Rhino or a younger Black Rhino in 4mm scale.

 

On a more serious note is it true that Aberdovey Station Building was moved from Pwllheli and rebuilt at Aberdovey when Pwllheli got a new building in the early 1900s?

[alanbuttler]

Excellent drawings Sierd. There is a chance I'll be in Aberdovey this coming Sunday, I'll let you know for sure but if you need anything measuring/photographing it would be a pleasure :-)

[Trains&armour]

It's either a 3mm scale representation of a fully grown White Rhino or a younger Black Rhino in 4mm scale.

 

On a more serious note is it true that Aberdovey Station Building was moved from Pwllheli and rebuilt at Aberdovey when Pwllheli got a new building in the early 1900s?

Yes, it was rebuilt, brick by brick, in 1909 at Aberdovey. Some nice pictures of the building still in Pwllheli here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60560-pwllheli-next-stop/page-3&do=findComment&comment=1048362

[cary hill]

Yes, it was rebuilt, brick by brick, in 1909 at Aberdovey. Some nice pictures of the building still in Pwllheli here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60560-pwllheli-next-stop/page-3&do=findComment&comment=1048362

 

Thanks for the link to those pictures of the building at Pwllheli. I thought the chimneys looked rather plain on your drawing and it would seem that they were "simplified" after relocation/rebuilding.

[danstercivicman]

Layout plans look awesome!!!  My layout is in a basement as well- make sure you have a de-humidifier

 

Love your layout plans, sort of similar to what I am building (but better) 

[Trains&armour]

Layout plans look awesome!!!  My layout is in a basement as well- make sure you have a de-humidifier

 

Love your layout plans, sort of similar to what I am building (but better) 

 

Not much progress here, but I did extend my newly installed mechanical extraction ventilation down into the basement.  And that sure made a difference!  So, all I need now is some time, energy and money to turn my basement into a wonderful - dry- hobby room.

 

PS: Would love to see your layout plans

[Giggle pin]

One of my favorite places. The walk from the station is very pleasant and the town too. Usually travelling down from criccieth. Keep up the good work. B

[danstercivicman]

Not much progress here, but I did extend my newly installed mechanical extraction ventilation down into the basement.  And that sure made a difference!  So, all I need now is some time, energy and money to turn my basement into a wonderful - dry- hobby room.

 

PS: Would love to see your layout plans

 

Here you go- layout plan.  Its not great- please see my blog to see how it has developed

 

Glad you got ventilation- we have a damp walled basement but the ventilation and de-humid have saved the layout

[Edwardian]

Not much progress here, but I did extend my newly installed mechanical extraction ventilation down into the basement.  And that sure made a difference!  So, all I need now is some time, energy and money to turn my basement into a wonderful - dry- hobby room.

 

PS: Would love to see your layout plans

 

I have only just spotted this topic.  It looks like a great scheme.  Has anything come of it?

 

I, too, "need now ... some time, energy and money to turn my [outbuilding] into a wonderful - dry- hobby room".  Last winter a small stream ran through it!

 

It is really holding up progress on Castle Aching. 

[Trains&armour]

I have only just spotted this topic.  It looks like a great scheme.  Has anything come of it?

 

I, too, "need now ... some time, energy and money to turn my [outbuilding] into a wonderful - dry- hobby room".  Last winter a small stream ran through it!

 

It is really holding up progress on Castle Aching. 

The plan is still very much on the cards, but, alas, no progress has been made. My wife did finally relent and has  "graciously" given me the exclusive right to use the basement as I see fit, but at the same time she has declared that a hobbyroom has the lowest possible priority in our refurbishing scheme. And since then, a lot has been done, but not in the basement....

I did however decide in early 2015 to sell off my German H0 railway collection, models, kits, books, track, everything. That brought in a serious amount of money to spend elsewhere, and almost all of it has been spend on extending my collection of GWR railway models and related items.  (But someone on here might have noticed that...)  As a result, I now have more stuff than I will ever need to build and operate the layout, but still no room...

I do try to build a kit every now and again and am working on the drawings of Aberdovey's buildings, of which the signalbox, platform canopy and waiting room are nearly finished.

[Edwardian]

The plan is still very much on the cards, but, alas, no progress has been made. My wife did finally relent and has  "graciously" given me the exclusive right to use the basement as I see fit, but at the same time she has declared that a hobbyroom has the lowest possible priority in our refurbishing scheme. And since then, a lot has been done, but not in the basement....

I did however decide in early 2015 to sell off my German H0 railway collection, models, kits, books, track, everything. That brought in a serious amount of money to spend elsewhere, and almost all of it has been spend on extending my collection of GWR railway models and related items.  (But someone on here might have noticed that...)  As a result, I now have more stuff than I will ever need to build and operate the layout, but still no room...

I do try to build a kit every now and again and am working on the drawings of Aberdovey's buildings, of which the signalbox, platform canopy and waiting room are nearly finished.

 

Hang on in there, my 'starter' project has been seriously delayed and it is frustrating, but I am sure we will both achieve our layout rooms eventually.  

 

I have a house to sell and another to decorate before I can do anything, so I know the feeling!

 

Please keep us posted, though.

[Trains&armour]

No, no progress, and it will be a while...

 

Some thinkering with tthe plan, but nothing else.
But while browsing the net some time back for more information on Aberdovey I came across this plan:

 

 

Dated November 2016
Compare with my plan, uploaded February 2014: (rotated for comparison)

 

 

Plagiarism or Coincidence ???    

Edited November 25, 2018 by Trains&armour

[81C]

Is this a signal to say you are starting the layout Sierd ???.

[Trains&armour]

After a long absence, I've restarted my Aberdovey layout project. No building as yet, but did some more research and thinking. As a result, I changed the plan somewhat.  Deleted the proposed GWR goods yard and replaced it with the actually existing creosote works. Lengthened the tunnel behind the village somewhat and did some work on the village itself. Added the petroleum shed with a headshunt on the start of the harbour branch and some other small alterations. Ok, the petroleum shed was probably torn down in the 1920's, but I kind of liked it, and hey, its my railway.