philip-griffiths

This is correct. Evidence in Talbot's book on LNWR eight coupled locos.

Beamed designed the belpaire boiler for the LNWR classes in 1924. The first was converted in July that year. They were interchangeable and so a G2 could emerge from Crewe having arrived with a round top but leave with a belpaire or vice versa as the round tops were refurbished not phased out. It is pity that Bachmann have not produced a round top version. But I suspect that this is a marketing decision based upon only producing models that can be in a BR livery. Cannot wait for this model. In 1923 there were 20 at Tredegar! Regards.

The coal tank was cut up on site. I think it was one of the first withdrawals of that class, but I'm away from all my records tonight so cannot check. JM Dunn makes a comment about the Beames tanks widening the rails on the Rhymney so they were banned, but I've also read that the Rhymney tended not to use chairs and just spiked the rail to the sleeper, american style, and this may explain why the Rhymney tracks were not robust to take the large tanks with their long fixed wheelbase. regards

The main difference between 1890s condition and now will be brake blocks. The originals were wood.

Many of these locos were never fitted for push-pull. Depending upon the date they were either pulling a rake of LNWR 4, 6 or bogie stock, and later mixtures of LMS and LMS constituent stock. So while I have carriages from kits someone preferring solely rtr could represent the passenger stock with a Bachmann PI brake third and a PIII brake third (Mainline?). A Replica PIII open third would be fine too. They were also station pilots so of Jim Smith-Wright had built New Street in the steam era these would have been perfect :-) The question of what goes with the coal tank raises the question as to what drives new rtr releases. Stock surviving into BR ownership seems to be a factor. Hence they release models of LMS portal stock but not PII or non portal PIII. GWR modellers suffer similar constraints. However we are blest by a number of companies producing kits which allow us to produce prototypical formations. LNWRS have a page listing diagrams and suppliers - http://www.lnwrs.org.uk/Modelling/4mmCarriages.php. Don't expect an LNWR auto coach. They were conversions from ordinary stock and so were not built in number. Now an LMS push/pull coach may be something to be considered.

Clydach gorge on the MT&A. http://www.alexsarchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Clydach1.jpg https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1262/673963220_1209615cd3_z.jpg?zz=1 Tredegar station in the Sirhowy valley. Sadly now gone but I measured it up and photographed it in the pre digital age. Regards.

ianwales, on 14 Aug 2014 - 12:29, said: Hi Steve and Andy So I am looking at or near a South Wales location where I can run Western and Midland locos, possibly a dockside location. Any suggestions welcome Ian Ian. Two suggestions: 1. Suggest that Dock St. in Newport was never abandoned for valley's traffic so you could then justify GWR from the Western Valleys & B&M and LMS from the Sirhowy. 2. Barry Island - your LMS influence becomes day trip trains from Tredegar, though these were in the hands of Super Ds, but it is your railway so you become the 'Fat Controller' and history changes. Regards.

There were some good articles on an LMS observation saloon in Modelling Railways Illustrated (we are talking 18 yrs ago so memory may not be good on this). These showed control equipment in the saloon. I have an image of an inspection saloon being pushed on the down line of the Sirhowy valley branch. It was the south Wales ex LNWR vehicle, propelled by a 3F 0-6-0. Interesting coach as was originally integral with its locomotive when built. Philip

Our sense of humour, devised to cause confusion amongst the English! One just has to visit Cwm Ebbw Vale to understand. My family come from Cwm Road, Aberbargoed. You need one leg shorter than the other to stand upright outside the house. Chris - in terms of capturing the atmosphere, I would maybe avoid Aberbeeg, it is quite a feature, but specific. If I think about retaining walls then I think about Sunnybank Rd Blackwood, this drops down to the old main road behind a high retaining wall. Llanhilleth, especially in front of the school, or as someone has mentioned in another context (Paddywagon trains), Big Arch at Talywain. The feature is the dressed stone and its colour. I remember reading an Iain Rice article once (he is very familiar with Talywain/Varteg) where he said that you should be able to remove the rolling stock and tell the company and the generic location. Valleys architecture is perculiar to the area and hence this will give viewers the sense of location. It is what I'm trying to develop myself. Regards.

A way of giving the impression of South Wales would be (1) an absence of trees, (2) high retaining wall behind station with screens well below pit head gear, (3) and a good drop at the front of the board to create Z. Of course Z is much easier to achieve in N/2mm (eg Chee Tor), but if you can find a way of getting a steep slope front to back you'll get that impression. If you don't warn pit head gear then a line of the ubiquitous terraced houses. I was only once in that area. We were visiting family in Neath and decided to travel home via Blaengwynfi and over into the Rhondda. Daft way to travel from the Cimla to Abergavenny but the Afan valley has always fascinated me and even though I'd grown up in South Wales I had never been in the Rhondda. It was summer. Blaengwynfi was passed through in the rain and the road over the mountain to Treorchy was in the cloud. So maybe some clever staging could give you that South Wales 'raining upwards' feeling I so remember. Looking forward to your further postings. Regards.

Mike, many thanks for the trip down memory lane. Your articles in RM were an inspiration for me. The realisation that you could get kits for LNWR locos spurred me into 4mm finescale modelling the Sirhowy/MTA. Having grown up in the area my only issue was that your geography used to do my head in! :-) Totally agree with the comment that it is a pity there are very few valleys based layouts. regards Philip (native of Gwent valleys in exile in Ulster).

This may be stretching the point but as a modeller of a South Wales valley line I'd also like to see an 0-6-2T in rtr, but of the Crewe variety - the coal tank. that said, looking forward to the 64xx as it was the motive power for the Lewis School auto train from Pontypool Crane Street to Hengoed. regards

I model the LNWR in South Wales and have similar kits from a variety of suppliers. I need a cove roof version of the double ended brake. In terms of paint. They were fully lined by the LMS. After the LMS simplified the lining this was applied to the odd LNW carriage. Under BR they seem to have received unlined maroon - suburban without lining or insignia, just running numbers and as my interest is South Wales they had M XXXX W. Regards.