Castell Mawr - A joint GWR/LMS route

[TimberSurf]

I am with Dave, very tempted to offer help, but similarly at wrong end of country! (800mile round trip)
Hope someone nearer, comes to your rescue

[Dad-1]

Thanks for the thought TimberSurf,

My buddy Derek is determined to 'make-it' against his wife's advice !!
Only time will tell ..... and not much time either, & now it's going to
be bleedin' freezing !!

Can't even play trains at home as everything is packed ready.

Geoff T.

[RailwayRobbo]

Hi Geoff.
Was a pleasure to meet and chat with you at Milton Keynes yesterday. Also great to see Castell Mawr in the flesh so to speak. I was impressed and it was nice to see the trains running. I particularly liked the "scenic fiddle yard" at the rear of the layout. It reminded me of my trips to my Aunt's in Mansfield in the late 50s early 60s. She lived a short distance from the station so all trips were by train. Her little terraced house looked out onto the carriage sidings which where sited a short distance outside the station. On fine days I was allowed to sit on the stone wall across from her house and watch the shunting and the passenger and coal trains passing through. My mother keeping a watchful eye on me through my Aunt's front window. Sadly the place is totally different now. The sidings have long gone along with all the houses including my Aunt's and the whole area is a retail shopping park. Times have changed over the last 50 years. Hope you had a safe journey back to Dorset. The weather in MK was really foul when I left the exhibition just after lunchtime.

Regards Pete (RailwayRobbo)

[Dad-1]

Hi Dave,

Quite probably ....... almost all put away, but still need to re-distribute figures and vehicles back
to their more normal haunts. Next needed will be 'Thomas' in April.

Met Fratton71D, and RailwayRobbo, thanks for coming by and introducing yourselves. We got home
just before 23.00 Hrs and unloading has gone gently through most of today.

Dropping one of the heavy corner boards pulling some track up and then a frantic hour was spent on
Friday Evening pinning down to get anything running. The inner track could only work reliably with the
old Hornby Castle hauling 9 coaches. The outer track was much better, amazing what can be achieved
with dressmaking pins used as spikes.
Although we had loads of stock it seemed easier to get a couple of trains running and more or less
leave them to do their thing. The Collett Goods ran continuously from 08.00 to around 14.00 Hrs most
of the time hauling 35 wagons at about 18 scale MPH.
We decided as the watching crowds moved on after a few minutes it was better to have continuous
running than just doing some localised shunting across the main lines that would give us long periods
of little activity.
Other than the assembly damage (That will need a major re-build) we didn't even dislodge as much
as a chimney from all the assorted buildings/sheds/station.
I was so busy that I never took a single photograph, but my companion Derek has and I know Chris
Hughes of MKMRS took some video that will, we hope end up on Youtube.

Real life returns after getting the van back first thing Monday Morning.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I know it's cheating a little, but I never had time to take any photographs.
This link may bring one up. pinched from another website.

https://flic.kr/p/QPgf5v

Geoff T.

[carnehan]

Hi Geoff,

It's been a while since I dipped in to C.M. Glad to hear everything turned out well at M.K for you both, I'll look forward to seeing glimpses of it on YouTube.

If you ever exhibit on this side of the water there'll be a helping hand should you need it if only to support that cumbersome end section!

Paul

[Fratton71D]

Hi Geoff,

It was good to meet you and have a good chat at the exhibition. I was really impressed with Castell Mawr. The attention to detail without overcrowding the layout looked spot on. Also impressive is the quality and the finish of the layout which is a tribute to the time, effort and dedication you have put into its construction and build.

Regards Tony

[Dad-1]

Hi Paul,

You could always fly over !!

Now had a little time to reflect. Put simply CM is too big for just 2 people to set-up and run.
I was penned in nearly all day, but just managed to escape once for the loo and purchase a
set of metal figures from P&D Marsh. I couldn't use as I didn't have time to put clear plastic
feet on my coalmen, but they are ideal for the coal yard.



Other than that I didn't spend anything else. So if you want to save money run a layout and
you just don't have the time to spend !!

I don't know if the weather reduced numbers, but it was busy enough in the lower Hall 2 where
I specifically asked to be because some visitors never make it there and you have room to breathe.

Into recovery and re-build mode ..........

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Good ole Chris Hughes,

Can't remember if he's Chairman, or Secretary of MKMRS, but he's certainly
the video man.

https://youtu.be/DvZLo7GvTqY

Some grand layouts. Terry Silver the show manager worked hard at getting
a vast range of different layouts to make a show with something for everyone.
Probably worth looking at the different 'sets' he's loaded onto Youtube.

Almost recovered.

Geoff T

[Dad-1]

It has taken the passing of two weeks to feel up to making good repairs
following dropping this board as we assembled the layout at Milton Keynes.
This edge had all the plaster and grass torn loose from the supporting structure
at the show gravity held it in place so you would hardly notice the damage.



The damaged track seems to be in good enough condition. My repairs using
dressmaking pins driven in to hold down the flat bottom ridge doing what
was wanted although I will have to cut out and replace both here and on the
adjoining board.



Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

After a repair session and thorough clean I thought I'd try to see what my
Hornby S&DJR Jinty could do over the insulated frog double slip.
This is the result, superb 'paint drying' action !!
Slow beyond practical use, but at least an indicator that everything is about
as good as you can get it.

The slowest Video in Town .....

https://youtu.be/f0S26-XkKqM

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Loads of it built up outdoors today - Always good to get
natural light on subjects.

The old quarry face and road stone storage



Testing repairs again with the jinty.



West Bay open day on 30th April VERY close now.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

On a soaking wet 30th April C.M had an outing at West Bay. My camera batteries failed
and today I got copies of a friends photos.
It was a tiring day and here towards the end we had time & space to photograph.













For what has become a 1 man layout it's quite extensive, designed for longer trains
to run and I love freight !!

Geoff T.

[Notroh]

Dad1

Don't you just love freight

But really nice to see photo's of what it was designed for all those years ago.

I really don't know how you do it!

Peter

[carnehan]

Geoff, once again, C.M. Looks impressive displayed in its full splendour. I'm with Notroh, I don't know how you manage to achieve so much from a one man band. Just don't ever give up, it's always entertaining to read and view.

Paul