Cwm Bach - A South Wales Branch Line

[The Stationmaster]

Every working signal box on the real railway I have visited has been immaculately clean, tidy and gleaming. 

 

Generally but not always alas - not that it affects you but the so-called GWRARP design were atrocious things to keep clean inside and it wasn't unusual to find them dirty.  Some Signalmen were very particular about their floors and at one of the last remaining 'boxes in the Rhondda you entered wearing your shoes on pain of death or waited to be given copious supplies of newspaper to walk on and slide across the floor which was like glass.

 

In my experience only recent build 'boxes had polished/varnished wood blockshelves while in older ones the shelves were painted black like the 'X' shaped frame which came down from the roof to carry the shelf.  Plus of course some detonators with their clips wrapped round the 'X frame' nearest the 'box door (which always made it easy to check of they were in date - the out-of-date ones tended to be hidden in drawers or cupboards and it was amazing how there always seemed to be some on every check despite having done a full clearout on the previous check, the oldest one I ever found was dated 1944 ).

 

Lino incidentally is mid brown darkening with age and treatment - the first stage was to wash it with paraffin or lamp oil to get the natural waxes out of it then start on it with polish. And don't forget the door mats - in that sort of area there would probably be one outside the door and another one inside as it would be dirty walking in an area like that.

 

Plus at least one set of flags - the GWR used cast metal flag holders which were normally fixed to the front wall at both ends of the frame where a Signalman could quickly grab them when needed but kept below window level in the holder so they couldn't be seen by mistake.  A black painted ambulance box would most likely be on a high level shelf near the door, along with piles of old Train Registers gathering dust.

[Y Ddewin gwyn]

Nice work so far! I am planning a Brecon and Merthyr Railway layout in 7mm that is similar in concept. Interesting discussion on Australian place naming conventions; I wonder how many Sandy Creeks there are? My layout will probably be called Twpsyn Bach, especially when I doubt the wisdom of what I am doing!

[81A Oldoak]

Work is progressing on the recovery of assets from and the demolition of Boduan Junction to make way for Cwm Bach. However, I am having a rethink about Cwm Bach's baseboards. They are large (5' x 2') each and the top surface is 12mm plywood recovered from some fitted wardrobes that I built and removed some years ago. Consequently, they are heavy and akward. I went for a 5' length to minimise the number of track joints and ensure the layout was transportable, but exhibition type portability was not required. There is also a brick pier the width of a brick that protrudes from the wall so a 2' wide board really eats into my work space. So I am considering a new build for the baseboards. The cost of writing-off the existing boards is minimal as some of the timber is in use for a third time. The basic track layout and concept of operations will not change, only the foundations.

[81A Oldoak]

Meanwhile, I thought I would turn some attention to signalling matters. Earlier in this forum I wrote that I was considering a signal with a subsidiary shunt-ahead arm for the platform starter. Although not strictly prototypical, it is an attractive feature and I note with interest that an article in the February 2014 edition of the Railway Modeller about signalling is using Highworth, Wilts as a case study. The RM staff have also exercised some licence to install a shunt-ahead arm on the platform starter. I'm not suggesting that what is good for RM is automatically good for CK, but the coincidental thinking is noteworthy.

The wooden-post signals in the photographs are built from a mixture of MSE and Scale Signal Supply parts. One of the photos shows the operating cranks, which are GEM. The spectacle lenses are glazed with a clear fluid concotion used for glazing and coloured with Lumocolour pens. The steel-post signal is built from JLTRT parts. With a bit of gentle, but not excessive weathering they should look fine.

[Barnaby]

Oh my. Must have been oblivious to this blog as I've only just stumbled upon it.

From my quick review there is some lovely stuff here so I'll have to set aside some time tomorrow to view it slowly.

That's provided I get the hoovering done, repair the kitchen cabinet light fail, empty the dishwasher and any other jobs SWMBO leaves me to do. Oh it's fun being retired, or I could abscond into my workshop and dream trains.

 

Regards

[81A Oldoak]

Oh my. Must have been oblivious to this blog as I've only just stumbled upon it.

From my quick review there is some lovely stuff here so I'll have to set aside some time tomorrow to view it slowly.

That's provided I get the hoovering done, repair the kitchen cabinet light fail, empty the dishwasher and any other jobs SWMBO leaves me to do. Oh it's fun being retired, or I could abscond into my workshop and dream trains.

 

Regards

Better late than never. 

[The Stationmaster]

Very nice signals but especially in 7mm scale the Shunt Ahead would look better with the correct lamp case with the letter 'S' showing when off.  Some pics in here -

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/48504-gwr-signals-and-where-they-go/page-2

 

plus I have posted one somewhere in the past showing what the lamp case looks like when the arm is off - still looking for it!!

[Kev_Lewis]

Hi Chris,

 

It sounds like you've got your monies worth out of the baseboards from Boduan Junction. Will you opt for thinner ply on the new boards to make them lighter?

 

The signals are very impressive.

 

You've obviously got quite a few things built ready for Cwm Bach. I'm curious what we'll be seeing next!

[81A Oldoak]

Very nice signals but especially in 7mm scale the Shunt Ahead would look better with the correct lamp case with the letter 'S' showing when off.  Some pics in here -

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/48504-gwr-signals-and-where-they-go/page-2

 

plus I have posted one somewhere in the past showing what the lamp case looks like when the arm is off - still looking for it!!

I look forward to seeing it Mike. I'm sure it will be a simple modification to effect.

Chris

[Donw]

My vote is for new boards overly heavy boards are not to my liking. The signals and the box look nice even if not 100% they do look the part.

Don

[81A Oldoak]

I am going to build new boards with integral back-scenes. Weather permitting, there will be a bonfire of the old Boduan Junction  and Cwm Bach boards this week. Tomorrow I shall probably visit Totton Timber for the new build. 

[81A Oldoak]

It has been a couple of weeks since I last reported. The new boards are not yet in situ as I have been distracted by day work and Ixion matters. However, I have been working on the goods lock-up, which is a simply an essay in wriggly tin corrugated iron. The model is based on the shed that stood at Glyncorrwg Station on the former South Wales Mineral Railway branch to North Rhondda colliery, which was only a short distance from Abergwynfi on which Cwm Bach is loosely based. It can be seen in the background of the prototype photo of Glyncorrwg.

 

This is a very simple build being a box of sheet plasticard covered in scale corrugated steel sheets bought from Metal Smith Ltd. The brick base is a covering of Slater's embossed brick plasticard. The gutters are Evergreen plasticard half-round rods and the down-pipes  were knocked up from brass rod with wire soldered to simulate the clips. The doors and runners were fabricated from plasticard bits.

 

The model is painted with Humbrol enamels. Once again the faded Western Region chocolate brown is Humbrol  Matt 173 Track Colour. Weathering started with a very dilute wash of Humbrol Matt Black enamel; I have given up on the Humbrol Enamel Washes, which are simply a ploy to extract yet more hard-earned cash from unsuspecting punters. Various shades of rust washes were mixed and applied. The close-up photo shows some vegetable matter at the bottom of the corrugations represented by Humbrol Matt 80 Grass Green, a very useful colour that we used for the lined green version of the Ixion Hudswell Clarke loco. Finally, some MIG  weathering poweders were dusted on to finish the job. All that remains is to build a small loading platform in either timber or concrete as seen in the photo of Glyncorrwg.

 

All in all, this was a very simple project. Construction, including drawing and cutting was an evening's work. Painting and weathering was dictated by drying times for the paint.

[Barnaby]

Chris, that's a very nice project in a lovely finish which even stands up to some very close up photography.  I'm tempted to have a go and if I do I'll go for an open door showing a busy floor....................Need to pick a suitable project, make some time and gather the bits together.

 

Regards

[81A Oldoak]

Chris, that's a very nice project in a lovely finish which even stands up to some very close up photography.  I'm tempted to have a go and if I do I'll go for an open door showing a busy floor....................Need to pick a suitable project, make some time and gather the bits together.

 

Regards

Barnaby,

I'm not sure what region or company you work in, but the goods shed at Hemyock was similar to the one I have made. It had a roof made of corrugated asbestos and the supporting structure was timber. An oblique view on another page shows what appear to be two roof skylights on the rear side. I have attached a scanned page with two photos from "Great Western Branch Line Termini - Combined Edition" by Paul Karau ISBN 0-86093-369-5. Skytrex make something similar, but will relieve you of £35. Scratchbuilding is cheaper, more fun and more satisfying.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

Hemyock Goods Shed.pdf

[Barnaby]

Thanks Chris I am just looking through my Wild Swan, GW Railway Journals and Oxford pubs for GWR some buildings.  Thinking about Culkerton Goods shed but it may be a bit too big for where I want it.

 

 

Regards

[asa]

What a fine job Chris,that is realism indeed.

[David Siddall]

Does brickwork get better than that? I don't think so :-)

 

David

[steve fay]

Lovely work Chris

[chaz]

If the rest of the layout is going to be as good as the goods lock-up it will be quite something (I love the stain on the brickwork under the downpipe). Looking forward to seeing more stuff as good as this. More photos please when you have made more progress.

 

Chaz

[81A Oldoak]

This photo shows the sequence from left to right for painting the brickwork on Cwm Bach's goods shed, signal box and station building.

1. Unpainted plastikard.
2. Light grey mortar colour paint applied with a brush
3. Wet mortar colour wiped from surface bricks leaving residue in the pointing.
4. Base brick colour dry-brushed after previous stage has dried. You can stop here if you like.
5. Optional extra application of mortar using thinned paint, finely pointed brush, gravity and capillary action.
6. Individual bricks painted with different shades of paint - excellent remedy for insomnia.  
7. Weathering to taste (not shown).

[81A Oldoak]

I finished clearing Boduan Junction today and it is now a pile of white ash in the back garden. The wall along the garage is clear, but I will have to adjust the plan for Cwm Bach because of a brick pier that juts out about 4" half way along the wall. This will mean new baseboards as the ones that I have built will project too far into my work area. They are also too heavy for comfort and since they were built from reclaimed timber the only cost was some of my time last summer.  There is, however, a potential upside as I think there is space to fit in a small engine shed on the colliery branch. It would be located at the foot of the bank up to the pit in the same way that the engine shed at Graig Merthyr colliery was at the Pontardulais end by the exchange rather than near the pit head. I am trying to decide whether it would overcrowd the layout or contribute to the cramped South Wales Valley atmosphere. I am leaning towards the latter because of the prospect of modelling a thoroughly decrepit shed and having a spare industrial engine on view. It would also break up the long backscene. I hope to start cutting timber next week. 

 

Chris

[Barnaby]

Wow for a moment there I thought you'd had a "fit of pique" and just set fire to it all, phew.

 

Looking forward to the fresh timber going in.

 

Regards

[ianwales]

I finished clearing Boduan Junction today and it is now a pile of white ash in the back garden. The wall along the garage is clear, but I will have to adjust the plan for Cwm Bach because of a brick pier that juts out about 4" half way along the wall. This will mean new baseboards as the ones that I have built will project too far into my work area. They are also too heavy for comfort and since they were built from reclaimed timber the only cost was some of my time last summer.  There is, however, a potential upside as I think there is space to fit in a small engine shed on the colliery branch. It would be located at the foot of the bank up to the pit in the same way that the engine shed at Graig Merthyr colliery was at the Pontardulais end by the exchange rather than near the pit head. I am trying to decide whether it would overcrowd the layout or contribute to the cramped South Wales Valley atmosphere. I am leaning towards the latter because of the prospect of modelling a thoroughly decrepit shed and having a spare industrial engine on view. It would also break up the long backscene. I hope to start cutting timber next week. 

 

Chris

 

Hi Chris

 

Where were the Graig Merthyr exchange sidings then as I seem to remember the shed was by the level crossing over the A48 and all that was by the main line was a loop?

 

Ian

[81A Oldoak]

Hi Chris

 

Where were the Graig Merthyr exchange sidings then as I seem to remember the shed was by the level crossing over the A48 and all that was by the main line was a loop?

 

Ian

You're right Ian. The A48 crossed the colliery branch right behind the engine shed. The exchange sidings were further down the line, but  the key point for me is that the shed was closer to the exchange facilities than the pit. 

 

Chris

[chaz]

I finished clearing Boduan Junction today .....too heavy for comfort......I hope to start cutting timber next week. 

 

Chris

 

Too heavy? Can I suggest you investigate plywood as a much lighter alternative? I'd be more than happy to give you a hand after next weekend - until then I will be busy with a few finishing touches to DG for Basingstoke (including one of the excellent Ixion Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST locos).

 

Chaz