CONWY FALLS ,Welsh 009

[Irishswissernie]

I have finally started final planning on the Welsh narrow gauge 009 layout first mentioned in the Glengarriff / Four Masters Topic last year or was it earlier?.

I'm doing my bit to save the planet, so no drawing the plan out on bits of paper plus its easier to remember it on a photo.

 

I also needed some Sundeala board and co-incidentally a piece of chipboard to block off a fire place in the living room for SWMBO and I therefore ordered a piece of chip board which came as a 'stiffener' for 2 pieces of Sundeala. 

The baseboard framework is to be constructed from roofing 'lats' which slates are nailed to. The odd thousand feet of spare lats were used by my daughter in the re-roofing of her house.

I have reluctantly actually had to purchase two boxes of screws.

The baseboard will have a dropped section to accommodate a small underbridge and valley similar to that at Dolgoch - not the ugly viaduct but the nice stone oneat the upper end.

Basically the'history' of the line is that it was constructed from Llanwrst in the Conway valley southwards on the hillside above Bettws-y-Coed and then up into the hills to the Penmachno Valley to serve slate and later road-stone quarries terminating at Rhiwbach quarry. In real life this quarry had a long and difficult connection over the hills to the Ffestiniog Railway and they were supporters of my route to Llanwrst.

Baseboard construction is scheduled for next Sunday whilst Madame is away at Church and unable to monitor the piles of sawdust etc on the lounge carpet.

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by Irishswissernie

[Irishswissernie]

Progress! The track is now laid and the electrics now need to be done. The layout is split into 3 sections electrically and the wiring can be surface laid as it is all in the fiddle yard The black hatching indicates the boundary between the fiddle yard and the scenic bit. A layout of this size 48 x 32 inches is not after 50+ years layout building experience going to need point motors etc so everything is being kept simple.

What it does need is the 'stock railer' on the left hand corner which was an afterthought but is really handy for me (I have enough trouble trying to put a Murphy 071 on the track at Glengarriff!)

The first photo includes 'Princess' standing in the slate quarry exchange sidings, these exit into the fiddle yard so that full and empty wagons can change places.

The second photo is 'Princess' on the somewhat lightly built bridge over the stream at the north end of the station

In this scale and with my eyesight, operation will be running trains rather than shunting and the layout will accommodate 7 rakes , 5 in the fiddle yard and empty and full rakes in the quarry yard.

Next task is to find my soldering iron!

Edited April 13, 2023 by Irishswissernie

[Georgeconna]

Load of track in that layout!!. Keep the piccies coming.

[jhb171achill]

Looking fantastic! Most interesting track layout...... perfect for 009.

[Irishswissernie]

The electrics are done and the backdrop which is re-cycled hardboard from the back of an old settee has been added and roughly painted . I have been playing trains today whilst working out the scenics.

[Irishswissernie]

A couple more views taken during track testing etc.

The fiddle yard sidings will easily hold a Double Fairlie and 10 bogie wagons on each of the through roads whilst the loop roads at the station can only take one loco plus 3 bogie coaches however a long train could cross a smaller one .

[Galteemore]

Lovely. That 009 stock is delightful. 

[Irishswissernie]

Rough Ballasting done!  I hate ballasting but at least this is going to be unkempt and overgrown.

Peco actually produce Llanwrst & Penmachno stock , this needs weathering though.

Unfortunately the Heljan L&B 188 won't be staying,it proved to be a failure on the L & P after purchase as it could n't cope with the 9" radius curves so it is off to Brazil very shortly as per the prototype. Actually son Alan can have it to play with er rebuild.

[Irishswissernie]

Track testing after rough ballasting, Fairlie on 10 bogie wagons.

 

[Mayner]

Explored Penmachno Quarry once and sometimes used the road over the Denbigh Moors and through the Penmachno Valley as a 'short cut" driving from Scotland to Portmadoc. 

Model seems to follow the route of the NWNG Bedgellert-Betwys-Corwen scheme hopefully someone will bring out a rtr model of NWNGR single Fairlies Snowdon Ranger or Moel Tryfn

Funnily enough I was thinking of a similar WHR minimum space layout with Bachmann Baldwin, Kato England loco and Quarry Hunslet based on an junction at Nant Gwynant between the General Undertaking and a line from the South Snowdon Quarry but I already have more than enough on my hands

[Irishswissernie]

Alan and I checked out the route by bus from Bettws-y-Coed to Penmachno Quarry some 20 odd years ago. We were the only passengers on the outbound trip and at an average speed at what seemed like 60 mph I realised why!. We hung on to the seats as I made a video of the entire  journey. On the return trip a couple of old ladies got on and told the Driver in Welsh with a few English curses to moderate his speed!

[Irishswissernie]

I am having a go at building the stone arched underbridge which is not quite straightforward as the track and its roadbed are already laid so  the bridge will have to be built in two halves for installation. A slight problem is my poor eyesight too but I am optimistic that it will all come good in the end! Curving the Plastikard for the arch is done by cutting a piece to size then attaching it to a cylinder (glass apple sauce jar in this case) with elastic bands . Put the cylinder into a container and cover with boiling water. After a few minutes empty the water out and cover with cold water for a few more minutes. Empty the water out and leave overnight. Next day remove the Plastikard from the jar and it should then stay roughly in the curved shape.

Refill the jar with the apple sauce before Madame finds out (optional).

[Irishswissernie]

The stone arch bridge over the stream is now installed and I have been building up the basic scenery over the last few days . This part of the scene is to represent fairly rugged rocky and wooded land.

The corrugated card was a present from son Alan and was packing around a piece of furniture and is now covered with cheap wood filler.

[Irishswissernie]

Progress! Some basic colour has been added just to give me an idea of the overall effect.

 

[Irishswissernie]

Work continues, Undergrowth now underway, trees etc to follow.

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Tasty 

[Irishswissernie]

The stream and surrounding area are now more or less done; next is the slate tip and quarry workshop area. I am sticking with the corrugated cardboard packing for the landforming. Son Alan gave me a polystyrene block to carve but it made one h*ll of a mess which didn't go down well with the Missus.

 

[Irishswissernie]

Moving on to the Quarry Workshops now. The Scenecraft Portmadoc 'Bog' block is being adapted to form the Offices and Watchmans cottage and the Boiler House and Wagon shop are being constructed form Plasticard and various bits lefi over from other projects.

 

[Irishswissernie]

A bit of progress this week on the Quarry Workshops/boiler house and the slate tip.

[Irishswissernie]

Progress on the slate tip and the Workshops.

[Irishswissernie]

I have been working on the bridge piers and embankment for the slate Tip tramway . These will disguise the tracks into the quarry and the main line to Penmachno AKA the fiddle yard.

The Scenecraft Ffestiniog 'Bog' block needs to be backdated with smaller window panes and possibly the odd lean-to and extra chimney for its new role as the Watchman's cottage.

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Lovely work, it has the perfect mood, well done you.

[Patrick Davey]

Very nice - full of atmosphere and detail.  Looking forward to updates!

[Irishswissernie]

Today I have been doing some work on the slate waste tramway bridges which disguise the 2 exits into the fiddle yard. 

Edited June 25, 2023 by Irishswissernie

[Irishswissernie]

Slate tramway bridges now have parapets/fences.

[Irishswissernie]

I have been working on stone walls made from Das and they are now fixed and had basic painting done. Also ran a 24 wagon train today. Link to video below.

 

[Irishswissernie]

Conwy Falls, Baldwin No 4 on a Tailings Train circa 1937. FR 'Princess' on hire to handle increased traffic due to MOD activity prior to WW2. She had been 'done up' in the L&P Works, the railway were well used to the England locos having purchased 'Mountaineer' in 1879 and 'Little Giant' in 1932 from the  FR as they fell out of use. A little known piece of history this but I only remember it when I forget to take my medication!

 

[Irishswissernie]

I amended the fiddle yard tracks a few weeks ago to enable me to park loaded and empty slate trains out of site and thereby not having to switch the brake vans and locos. Instead there are 2 separate trains complete with loco and brake van. This view from a drone illustrates the new arrangement.

[Irishswissernie]

A little bit of progress on Conwy Falls with construction begun on the station building plus  a second hand Scenecraft water tower has appeared. Blanche & Linda were purchased at their launch during the Ffestiniog Bygones Gala in October.