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Llangollen Station in OO


Grafarman

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My sketch of the box diagram (inverted again)

attachicon.gifLlangollen Station 003 (1200 x 687).jpg

Although the disc No 5 has been re-sited the diagram hadn't been altered (last time I looked)

 

A few gratuitous stock photos.....

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Horse box in the goods yard 27/4/2003

 

Coaches in the yard at Carrog; I think these two were the surburbans that the line started the passenger service with.

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attachicon.gif020.jpg

 

Class 20 runs into Carrog with a passenger train 24/5/2008

attachicon.gifPA300514.jpg

 

A DMU the same day

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44806 running into Carrog whilst running round 22/5/2010

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D5310 runs into Glyndwfrdwy 22/5/2010

attachicon.gifP5220013.jpg

 

6430 running round at Carrog 22/5/2013

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A view from the bridge Llangollen 22/5/2010

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Hi Keith, some wonderful pics there, we used to stay at Bala about the first week of Nov and a ride back Llangollen was always a must each year, so great pics and memories, thanks.

Were off to Much Wenlock in a fortnight so the Sunday will be a ride on the Seven Valley this year.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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I had some time off this week so I set about making the control panel for Llangollen.

Following my success with the one on Prestatyn, I repeated the same method by using a boxfile to house everything in, with laminated printouts of the trackplan and wiring boxes.  This makes it easy to access the innards in case of repairs/replacements, and makes it very portable, which is a huge plus!  I used the spare foam blocks from my N gauge storage trays to put around the electrical boxes to stop them sliding around; seems to work ok...

As you can see I hate soldering so I just did the switches and used connection boxes for everything else; so much easier to change the wiring if it's wrong afterwards!

 

I finished it off this afternoon and tested it with an electrical meter; next step is to connect up the track and get something in motion...

 

Here's some pics of the construction method:

 

post-10897-0-20390600-1414696814_thumb.jpg

 

post-10897-0-93542800-1414696825_thumb.jpg

 

post-10897-0-07515600-1414696883_thumb.jpg

 

post-10897-0-64100900-1414696908_thumb.jpg

 

post-10897-0-57738600-1414696891_thumb.jpg

 

I'll post a pic of the completed wired-up box next time.

 

Back soon

 

 

David

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Hi David

Hadn't spotted your layout until now but really looking forward to seeing this develop. Have to admit that Llangollen is one of my favourite preserved lines. Impressive scenery and the delight of hearing a loco thrashing up Berwyn Bank! Will be nice to see it modelled and it looks as if it's coming along nicely.

Any chance these two beauties will make an appearance........

post-18515-0-91692900-1414698917.jpg

post-18515-0-06193000-1414698979.jpg

 

Shall be looking in again soon.

Cheers

Marcus

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Hi David

Hadn't spotted your layout until now but really looking forward to seeing this develop. Have to admit that Llangollen is one of my favourite preserved lines. Impressive scenery and the delight of hearing a loco thrashing up Berwyn Bank! Will be nice to see it modelled and it looks as if it's coming along nicely.

Any chance these two beauties will make an appearance........

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

Shall be looking in again soon.

Cheers

Marcus

 

Hi Marcus

Would love to have these two on the layout; I've already got a Heljan 47 and a Bachmann 40 so a couple of 37's will be right at home!

There's actually quite a long list of locos and stock to select from as Llangollen has had many visitors as well as its own fleet, so it'll be a long time before I'm anywhere near covering them all!

 

Thanks for the pics; feel free to share anytime...

 

 

David

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  • 4 weeks later...

This brings back memories.  Llangollen is only 10 miles from my childhood home and was a regular visit as a lad in the 50's.  It gained greater significance in the early 60's as it was the scene of my earliest 'courting' experience, much of it done on the bridge on a warm autumn's evening.  Ahhh...........................

 

Were was I!!  I now enjoy my less frequent visits nowadays to the railway and will have to make a new years resolution to go again 2015 for one of the gala events!

 

Looking forward to seeing your progress, it's already looking good.

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Happy New Year!  Let me reassure everyone that the layout is still a viable proposition albeit having been some time since the last post!

 

I haven't done much in a practical sense as I've been doing some changes to Prestatyn, but I've been having some thoughts about design etc - as the layout is still in the easily-changeable stage now is the time to do so rather than thinking later 'if only I'd...'!

 

The main one is the operational side; Llangollen is a terminus in its current form, the line to Ruabon being blocked off further down the line.  That makes the layout as it stands 9' x 2' scenic and 6' x 2' fiddle yard (accessed under the Green Lane bridge) = 15' x 2' total, which is manageable and movements will reflect current operation.

 

However, if we assume that the line to Ruabon had been reopened in the current era, I could build the layout in a 'round' format and include a section of single line track appearing from under the bridge off the current front headshunt curving round to the back; the curves at the other end could be continued under Green Lane bridge and both meet at the fiddle yard which would now be round the back.

 

That would immediately raise the issue of radius curves and available space - even if I kept them to a 3' minimum, it would make the layout some 21' long and 8' wide to allow for curves, scenery, fiddle yard etc...

 

What do you think?  Worth the assumption about the line being reopened to create the greater flexibility in operation, or better to stick to the original plan and operate the layout 'as is'?

 

I'm undecided, and really don't mind either way, but would welcome input as to either scheme before I go about cutting boards and laying permanent way!

 

 

David

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Hi David

Happy New year to you too.

I'd go for it too. If you're going to run it as the present day then it could open up all sorts of possibilities. Llangollen Railway with a mainline link. Can't wait for the next diesel gala with some main line visitors.

Cheers

Marcus

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What do you think?  

 

I honestly think go with 'as is' to save on work, space, cost and the number of times you'll be able to fully take advantage of the scenario. Nothing to stop guest locos appearing with an 'as is'.

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Thanks folks; I really appreciate the input!

 

I think the answer may be to follow Andy's advice and build the layout 'as is', but then build in the opportunity to expand at a later stage...the following diagrams might help explain what I mean (please note these are NOT to scale!!)

 

The main idea is to create the station and have a fiddle yard off under the Green Lane bridge; this I hope to be a traverser to connect with the line at the top of the baseboard.  The line terminates as per the prototype under the main town bridge:

 

post-10897-0-76546200-1421683407_thumb.jpg

 

However, at a later stage, the line could be extended under the town bridge and curve round into the trees, as it were, on an additional scenic section into an identical fiddle yard at the other end.  This would give end-to-end running and an opportunity to mimic a mainline link in the present day:

 

post-10897-0-57554700-1421683411_thumb.jpg

 

And finally, by keeping the two scenic boards with the additional curved section and adding the thinner boards at each end, the line could be taken round the back to a traditional fiddle yard arrangement, with the operator in the middle:

 

post-10897-0-31316000-1421683421_thumb.jpg

 

This of course would be the most work and cost the most in terms of track, points etc but could be an option to consider once the main station scenic section is finished and the extention added on, if that's the way to go...

 

So hopefully that gives a better idea of things and may become a plan to follow; of course, the first bit is to get the boards up and running for the main layout, so I'm going to be sourcing trestles, drawer runners and so on quite soon to move things along a bit!

 

 

David

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During an idle moment's pondering, I realised that the longest train planned for Llangollen is Tornado and 5 coaches...which is 6' long not 5' !!  So the fiddle yard(s) will have to be lengthened to suit...thankfully I haven't cut the wood for it yet... :whistle:

 

Good job I'm on top of all this planning lark then... :jester:

 

 

David

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  • 5 weeks later...
  • 8 months later...

Thanks folks; I really appreciate the input!

 

I think the answer may be to follow Andy's advice and build the layout 'as is', but then build in the opportunity to expand at a later stage...the following diagrams might help explain what I mean (please note these are NOT to scale!!)

 

The main idea is to create the station and have a fiddle yard off under the Green Lane bridge; this I hope to be a traverser to connect with the line at the top of the baseboard.  The line terminates as per the prototype under the main town bridge:

 

attachicon.gifLlan Track Plan.jpg

 

However, at a later stage, the line could be extended under the town bridge and curve round into the trees, as it were, on an additional scenic section into an identical fiddle yard at the other end.  This would give end-to-end running and an opportunity to mimic a mainline link in the present day:

 

attachicon.gifLlan Track Plan + Fiddles.jpg

 

And finally, by keeping the two scenic boards with the additional curved section and adding the thinner boards at each end, the line could be taken round the back to a traditional fiddle yard arrangement, with the operator in the middle:

 

attachicon.gifLlan Track Plan Roundy.jpg

 

This of course would be the most work and cost the most in terms of track, points etc but could be an option to consider once the main station scenic section is finished and the extention added on, if that's the way to go...

 

So hopefully that gives a better idea of things and may become a plan to follow; of course, the first bit is to get the boards up and running for the main layout, so I'm going to be sourcing trestles, drawer runners and so on quite soon to move things along a bit!

 

 

David

Hi David,

 

Just wondering if there are any updates on this great project. Llangollen is close to my heart - I enjoyed another visit there in September 2015.

 

Gerry

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Hi David,

 

Just wondering if there are any updates on this great project. Llangollen is close to my heart - I enjoyed another visit there in September 2015.

 

Gerry

 

Hi Gerry and all,

 

Apologies for not posting for so long; events have rather overtaken me and I haven't been able to move any further with Llangollen since I last posted.

I will give a proper update and future plans in due course when things have got sorted out...

 

Thanks for the interest; I'll be back soon!

 

David

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Hi All

 

Firstly, I just want to say a big ‘thank you’ for your patience and all the input and encouragement received so far; it’s great to know I have so many like-minded friends on the forum.

 

Secondly, I’m very sad to say, but Llangollen layout will no longer be constructed as originally planned. This is due to the many and varied circumstances which have presented themselves over the last year or so, including redundancy, long-term illness, Iain Robinson having to pull out of the project due to over-stretching himself and his own ill health, having to sell our house due to unemployment, and current divorce proceedings.

 

Llangollen may well be constructed at some point in the future, but I think it will be at a more basic stylised level than the accurate model I had envisaged.  I have spent the last year watching the trains go by on ‘Prestatyn in N’ which has helped sustain my interest, and can testify to the hugely therapeutic pastime of assembling and detailing Metcalfe card buildings and Peco plastic kits, some of which may feature on the new layout – but that’s all in the future...

 

For now, I am content with visiting the real Llangollen, where I am booked on the ‘Steam Loco Driver Experience’ on 17th July, courtesy of my two daughters for my 50th birthday treat! Can’t wait... :locomotive:

 

As a committed Christian I continue to trust God for whatever lies ahead, and can testify to His peace being with me throughout the last couple of years in spite of everything.  There are many times I can look back and see that without my faith I simply wouldn’t be here right now...

 

Thanks again; I will start a new thread should the opportunity arise and I feel it appropriate, but for now I’ll sign off.

 

Best wishes

 

David

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