A Cunning Plan

This blog post is being written on the train home from a volunteering stint on the Talyllyn Railway. A few days driving locos and finishing with a day as Brynglas Blockman today. 

Rush Hour at Brynglas

My journey home started at Brynglas, followed by the mainline whisking me eastwards over the hills and now on the final leg towards Staffordshire. 

At one time train was my usual method of travelling between home and Tywyn. Being much rarer now, I’ve enjoyed sitting back and relaxing rather than concentrating on the road ahead and being frustrated by slow moving cars in front. The 158s have long been a staple the Cambrian, but not for much longer. At Shrewsbury, I can remember 37’s rattling the windows on the Milford Haven to Manchester services. Tonight, there was at least class 67’s on the TfW Cardiff to Holyhead services, but my service to Crewe is now a 197. The brisk acceleration is as noticeable as the harder ride than the 175s they replaced. At Crewe, there’s no longer an 08 or a 304 EMU lurking in the bay platforms of my youth. Whilst the Pendolinos don’t hold the same appeal to me as the west coast electrics did. On the plus side, my last leg along the North Staffs line is no longer a single car 153 dog box!

An enjoyable visit with good people that involved plenty of socialising as well as running the railway. Some very suitable steam engine therapy to see me through for a few more months.

This photo shows me enjoying a day on the Gallant Old Engine ‘Dolgoch’ whilst filming for the National Railway Museum’s ‘Curate with a Camera’ series. The Curate also being a Talyllyn volunteer. Great fun, it will be interesting to see how the film comes out.

Since the schools went back, I’ve been getting back on with my modelling. Though to begin with this was the sorting out, clearing out, re-arranging the railway room and making somewhere to put a layout on kind of modelling. That done, I’ve been baseboard building and laying the foundation for the new (and final!) representation of the Melyn Valley Railway.

Realising that I was trying to squeeze too much in a small space, rather than cutting items out, I’ve increased the space. This will also mean I can take advantage of using DCC Contol and actually drive the trains over a reasonable run.

The result is a cunning plan, that is currently having the baseboards built or altered. When I went away, I had made good progress with this, though there is still some more work to be done before this stage is complete. This will see all the baseboards complete with alignment dowels and joining bolts in order to start laying track. There is a jobs list that I’m working through which goes up to finished backscenes and fascia ready for scenic work to start.

The layout will be able to be easily dismantled in the event of a house move, but I won’t be exhibiting it. And whilst I intend completing the track and electrics in one large effort, I expect that the scenic work will be broken down in to more manageable areas.

I’ve also now had chance to run the plan past a couple of modelling mates (both in pubs over a pint funnily enough) who think the plan works nicely too which is encouraging.

This slice of the Melyn Valley will form a ‘U’ shaped terminus to fiddle yard. From the country terminus at Dinas Melyn, round past the granite quarry and creamery to Abermelyn, where there will be an interchange with the narrow gauge Upper Melyn Tramway. The latter bringing slate and timber down, returning with coal and other supplies. Finally ending up in a fiddle yard.

This will all be in a compact 14ft by 8ft space. Doable, just. The track has been laid out full size to make sure it fits first.

Photos will follow once I lay the track, for now, here is a plan drawn with my finest crayons.