narrowman

I forgot I took a picture of the scrapyard opposite and here it is... Interesting content, including a 1980s Capri, an old telephone box, some trailers, a dump truck, odd metal frames, a van and minibus that didn't look like there was anything wrong with either of them! Narrowman (Tony)

On the narrow gauge section, I replied to a couple of comments (not on this forum!) about the lack of rust on some of the vehicles on my McHale's Yard Gn15 layout (www.narrowgaugemodelling.com). So I thought the pics I took might be of use to modern image modellers... Here's some pics I took on 10th August of a scrapyard in North Wales, which backs on to the North Wales mainline. Note the lack of rust, except where the vans have been torched. These days vehicles tend to end up in scrapyards due to accidents, mechanical/electrical problems and the cost of repairing them! If the vehicles are suffering from rust it tends to be hidden (inner wings, sills, suspension mounting points, etc). Hope these are of use to fellow modellers. The scrapyard opposite this one had a Mk1 Escort shell (in red primer) on top of an old container! Regards, Tony (Narrowman) The North Wales coast line is behind the trees on the left of the third pic - an interesting way to hide the fiddle yard?

Although I've sold most of my N gauge stock that was appropriate to this layout (B set, Autocoaches, etc) to fund stock for my 09 Wetlands Light Railway, I have been grovelling through old stock boxes and found a Bachmann/Farish 57xx, a Dapol 14xx chassis, a Farish (Poole) Class 25 and 47 (both good runners) and an odd collection of wagons, including four 16ton minerals. Most of these chassis were going to be used on a proposed circular(ish) 009 layout based on the approach to Blaenau Festiniog, but I thought there's enough stock to make Caia Road Goods in N gauge, as I just need some decent Code 55 track and three points (or five if I continue it towards the Central Station)... Mmm food for thought... I still want to built it in 4mm though, but I thought could sort any possible operational problems building it in N gauge first? Anyhow, I've got to go to Wrexham on Wednesday evening (Yes, I know it's only a couple of miles away, but I try and avoid it if I can, preferring Llangollen or Chester!), so I'll take a look at what's still around. The Victorian/Edwardian terraced houses on Caia Road are still there, but the goods yard now is covered by what looks like sheltered accommodation. Last time I was there the bridge over the road had ben dismantled and the trackbed on the old embankment towards Hightown Halt had been turned into a footpath. McDermott's scrapyard is now a small housing estate, but I don't know what's between the road and the ex-scrapyard. Across the road into Rivulet Road, the Cambrian Leather Works/tannery has long since vanished - I witnessed it being demolished some 30(ish) years ago, but some of the original buildings on Rivulet Road still survive in some state or another! I'll no doubt find out on Wednesday...

I've now got a copy of "The Wrexham & Ellesmere Railway" and in it is a picture of the yard from behind the good shed - not the view I really wanted but it does show the scrap pile. So Caia Road Goods only had 3 visible points from the goods shed to the road bridge - the crossover would be off layout. I must admit it would work well in N gauge on two 5 foot boards, but I feel it may/could be effective condensed into (around) five foot, plus fiddle yard in 00 - with the option to have another fiddle yard the other side of the bridge for through running (a 9F on the oil train may be a problem though!). I'll sketch it out when I have a spare minute or two. I've got a 5 foot board in the garage, so I'll see if it can be condensed into that space. Although I'd like to try EM or P4, the cost of new chassis and motors for the 57xx & 14xx (and any other locos required) would be prohibitive, then there's my lack of soldering ability for the track. So I think it would have to be 00, as I have the track, points, locos and wagons...

Apart from working on ideas for Caia Road Goods, I have been active on my 09 layout. One of the boards (the one into the fiddle yard) has been adapted from the fiddle yard (engine shed end) of my 00 gauge Berwyn Preserved Railway layout, as exhibited at GWR175 at Winchcombe. The 00 tracks have been removed and the fiddle yard disguised by reworking the original backscene. I have also taken reference photographs of the estuary from Porthmadog Cob and the mountains in the distance for a painted backscene. I now have two completed locomotives and two bodies awaiting chassis. At Telford NG show, I also purchased a couple of 09 coach bodies from Steve at Pepper 7 and I already have a couple of others bought a couple of years back at the Porthmadog Show in May. Pics to follow soon.

This was reactivated by a conversation with Martin Wales and started in the Prototype section. Going back to Caia Road Goods, as our discussion, I feel it could be compacted from the goods shed which could act as a disguise for the entrance to the fiddle yard and the other end could continue over the road bridge along the embankment alongside the river Gwenfro and McDermot's scrapyard and under the rodbridge to Hightown Halt (the second fiddle yard). It would feature 57xx and 64xx panniers, along with 14xx with autocoaches and B sets and the goods would be 5/7 planks and 16 ton minerals. You would also have the reason to run 9Fs on oil trains (around 20 or so tankers) to the Wrexham Industrial Estate and Bank Holiday Specials - I witnessed a double headed 43xx & 22xx with around 7-9 coaches! Or in a later period Class 24/25/47s, along with Class 40s for the oil trains. I've been looking at the goods involved and there was a tannery on Rivulet Road, along with a gasworks. The cattle would be moved along the road to the nearby Smithfield market (the Beast market as it was known locally - I remember the occasional cow escaping and causing chaos!). A woodyard was alongside the road bridge at the end of the goods yard. There were plenty of breweries in the town, along with a fair number of bakeries. There was a creamery further along the line, so milk and its products would be also be involved. In those days Brymbo Steelworks was in full operation, so there might have been steel products heading in the direction of Ellesmere and beyond. Perhaps someone, somewhere has records of freight on the line - or can point me in the right direction? Alternatively, it could be moved in time from the 1960s to the 70/80s and have it terminating at the road bridge at a pair of buffer stops (with the bridge being removed). This would, of course, not allow any through traffic, but would be a nice compact exhibition layout with a fiddle yard to goods terminus. I'll spend a bit of time this week planning "what can be compacted into what area" and hopefully it may well progress to a layout... I also came across these notes I had made a few years ago: Seen around the area (ex-LNER/GC ran into Wrexham Central station/goods yard) were J10/J11/N5 and until around 1955, C13s were an the passenger trains from Wrexham Central to the Wirral. Ex-LNER 0-8-0 and 2-8-0 were seen on heavier freights from the CLC. There were J72s in the Wrexham area and J60s used to shunt on the Brymbo branch and colliery sidings. So did any ever work the Wrexham-Ellesmere line? Great potential for a layout, which would have to be in 4mm, as I have the majority of the stock needed in that scale, although it would be more practical (size wise) in N gauge... but I've just sold all my suitable N gauge to fund my 09 layout "Wetlands Light Railway" - So 4mm, 16.5mm track gauge it will be...