At long last, I can make my 009 layout.

[b308]

Have a look outside Wales, there were some interesting lines that were not slate related...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashover_Light_Railway

There's a couple of good books on that line as well! Or:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snailbeac ... t_Railways

[Mountain]

Have a look outside Wales, there were some interesting lines that were not slate related...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashover_Light_Railway

There's a couple of good books on that line as well! Or:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snailbeac ... t_Railways

Only some narrow gauge lines in Wales were slate related. They did however tend to be the larger systems, and these systems were in general richer and lasted longer then the lines set up to serve areas where other minerals and items were used. The most common mineral shifted by any narrow gauge railway by far was coal. There were more narrow gauge railway systems serving various coal mines (Some were quite large) then any other material. It is just because they were also not passenger carrying nor did their often complex and comprehensive systems stretch that far as in distance from its mined source meant that such lines are rarely considered as far as narrow gauge modellers are concerned. Also, if they had a locomotive (As in later years), it had to be a locomotive which was also safe to use down the mine or near the mine entrance, so it was usual to use battery electric vehicles as a means of propelling the loads.
The earliest coalmines were cell mines. There were quite a few in my area. These were on a small scale in the early years of coal mining. They wouldn't go that far into the ground due to the safety of those who mined.
Next came drift mines which normally contained a second smaller drift below it called an adit to deal with the water in the mine. Also, the further in the mine went the more essential an airshaft became.
When steam driven pumps were invented, it really opened up mining in the South Wales area, as now drifts could be dug for a seemingly unlimited length as long as water was removed and sufficient air could be supplied. Along with this method came the deep mines which usually have some lift mechanism to enter them. Be aware if modelling a deep mine that it was normal to have two separate mineshafts with the gear in separate locations. Normally a greater one and a lesser one were common.
Another essential feature of coal mining is the use of pit props. Vast forestries of evergreen trees were seen planted in coal mining areas for ready supplies of wood to be used as pit props to stop some of the lose materials from collapsing.
The last but most unpopular form of coal mining is opencast mining, which can actually be a dangerous undertaking, and the landscape rarely ever looks as beautiful as it once was (Hence the unpopularity of the undertaking). The basic idea is to carefully make aa concaved hole one can drive down to extract the coal. It seems simple but it is not quite as simple as it seems. There have to be designed to make roadways down which dont conflict with extraction or the traffic of the huge vehicles that take both the coal and spoil to the surface. Why dangerous? I've heard tales of entire vehicles with their driver disappearing underground if they drive over an unseen major coalshaft from an abandoned coal mine as most drift mines will be found in ex. Coal mining areas.

[sir hayden]

My main layout focus is gonna be a Welsh slate quarry, hence the Quarry Hunslets being part of my layout.

[Mountain]

A good plan. I used to love the little H0e 4 wheel waggons which were interesting. Tiny things in several different designs. They just looked the part and were reasonably priced. They came in packs of two.
Some of the European based H0e was amazing stuff and should mix well with 009.

[sir hayden]

I've gotten plans to get some Meridan Models De Winton Penrhyn Slate Wagons plus the three packs of Peco Ffestiniog Slate Wagons and Bachmann three pack of Talyllyn Railway Slate Wagons so I think the slate wagons will be plentiful.

[Mountain]

That is good as rarely did one see rakes of waggons all to the same design. It will look just right!

[sir hayden]

I still need to save up for some video recording stuff so I can make videos of my layout when it's being constructed and when it's done.

[Mountain]

Would be nice. I take photos with this tablet for my pics.

[sir hayden]

Anyways, I have a question about the Peco 009 wired track, is that the track used for the power and if so, how do I connect it to a controller.

[Mountain]

The usual method is by soldering, but if one wants to avoid soldering one can use an N gauge terminal rail as N gauge code 80 rails are the same height and gauge width as Peco 009 track. They also share the same rail joiners. Also of note, N gauge code 55 finescale track is cleverly made so it shares the same rail height as code 80 track as the depth of the sleepers are deeper to being the rails level. The code 55 finescale track has also a hidden depth so that railjoiner heights of code 55 and code 80 are the same.
(I'm going by when I tried N gauge back around d 20 years ago when code 55 first came in).

[sir hayden]

So I could just get a Graham Farish train set and use the parts from that plus a peco setrack osborns trackplan in a box with the 009 track? If sonthen that definitely will be of use to me for my layout, I don't have the coordination to solder, so ready to use stuff helps.

[b308]

Mountain, I think he meant this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/381571050758?c ... 600&crdt=0

All you do is connect the two wires to the 12vDC Controlled Output of your controller, SH, it doesn't matter which way round. Also if you don't like soldering then I'd suggest that you use the Peco 009 9" Set Track points which are the same as the Peco N setrack points and don't need wiring or insutaled rail joiners.

[Mountain]

You could do Sir Hayden. The N gauge sleepers are the wrong size though. But it would work... But take a look at the product b308 has suggested. Didnt know it was there as it must be a fairly new product out. I did hear Peco was going to do a 009 sectional track range so it maybe ideal to get some of that. Flexible track is cheaper but the sectional track is ideal for a little oval, and the one with the terminal wires make it easier still.
Soldering isn't too difficult to do but will need practice, especially with the tiny 009 rails! The key is to apply enough heat for the solder to melt to the metal rail and then withdrawing the heat before the plastic sleepers start melting, so it is best to find scrap track to practice on.

[b308]

I did hear Peco was going to do a 009 sectional track range

They've had it out for over a year now. The straights and curves came first and the points in the middle of last year... Just look up "Peco OO9 Set Track". Foot of this page, parts starting with "ST" (for Set Track!):

http://www.gaugemaster.com/search_resul ... s&strType=

You'd have to find a USA supplier, though, SH. I believe there are a few though. Much better than using N scale track, no matter how cheap it is, just use the N scale stuff for the hidden sections!

[flying scotsman123]

Unless of course you fancy insetting it in cobbles/dirt or whatever, which could be quite effective.