Llwyndrissi Halt.

[Mountain]

Adding a few more recently bought Gnomies to the collection which will be ideal to modify, or just use as they are for verious narrow gauge projects. I do feel a little guilty that I have not been making things but...
Sometimes fun comes in discovering and finding lovely things that can be used. I had known about the trams which are quite famous for using as 7mm narrow gauge projects, but these little friction drive fun road vehicles in the range I didn't know so much about. There are a few items I know about that I do not have and these are little railway coaches, vans and waggons to go with the locos all having flat wheels where I beleive there may have been some track for kiddies to push them along?
But anyway. I am just pleased to have a few. Some were given to me as a birthday present which I am very greatful for. Others I have bought secondhand but like new (The little lorries ad the car) and the two busses which are my most recent secondhand purchase (Came today) were bought when one site member of a narrow gauge site saw that I had bought the lorries and said "I have two busses going spare"... Ideal!

Each of the vehicle types has a different radiator grill and as different cabs etc though some parts are the same... Is lovely and interesting how they are made!

I hope they are visible enough in the photograph as the brightness from outside means that is not easy to get a nice clear photo of the colours, but the photograph in a previous post shows how lovely these things are.

I am currently dreaming up ideas. One is to use certain parts to good effect on model builds and I already have a plan of how to use a vehicle cab on a 00 gauge loco body to scale it up into 7mm scale..Others are to convert them as they are and motorize them (The trams and possibly the little locomotive). . They are all useful and much loved! No doubt a few will be used as road vehicles to adorn my layout as I love these little things! So dwt!

[Mountain]

Just to add to the goings on on my little railway to be and things associated with it, though I have a stock of 10.5mm wheels ready to use with waggon projects in the near future, I have been keeping an eye open for more, and one of the problems is that the costs of 10.5mm wheels are not cheap. (I have considered the American market boxcar wheels and may do more research in the future). I happened to come across a small kit manufacturer who is concentrating on 009, but also does a few 0-16.5 waggon kits, though is giving up on this side as 009 is where their sales happen to be and fair enough. But one of their 0-16.5 kits they mention the issue in obtaining reasonably priced 10.5mm wheels and decided to offer 3D printed wheels with the kit as an option which one tidies up and puts on ones own axles. While these 3D printed wheels are a temporary fix for customers, I have made enquiries to see if these wheels would be available for sale on their own in a quantity. Obviously I will need to test before buying more but if they are willing to offer them for sale as separate from their kits at reasonable prices (Need to be reasonably priced) then no doubt I am more than tempted to buy some even if I resort to using bicycle spokes as axles.
As long as they run ok then happy days!
The gentleman I contacted (Who is the one who designs the kits) has forwarded my enquiry to the gentleman who makes the products and I await a reply. It could be what I am looking for!

The availability of the larger budget 12.5mm wheels is not so much of a problem as many modellers are changing to metal wheels instead of plastic so they are more available, and while I too love metal wheels, plastic wheels work fine and are incredibly useful when it comes to building to a budget. F
14mm wheels? Rarely use them and I may swap my 14mm for a smaller size. May need to keep a few just incase but most are not needed as they are a tad too big for my intended use.
I have inthe past tried casting resin whels but while I can make them work, they need to be of a coarser scale in the flange area to make them work in this material. I am hoping the 3D printed material is better. I still use the resin cast wheels for other uses such as little pulley wheels etc.. They still have a use! Nothing is wasted! Some can be used if I make any waggons intended for static display as I could make a few in the future to give to friends to look nice on a small piece of track.

[Mountain]

Two new additions ready to use as donor locos have come my way. A little Lifelike American saddle tank loco which is said to "Waddle" which is not surprizing when one sees the massive size of its motor! And a nice heavily engineered Triang dock shunter complete with its knurled wheels and metal gears. I will see if its deep flanges are going to be ok with my track. If not I can always re-wheel her as I have some 14mm Romfords I can use.

[Mountain]

Some more donor locos on their way. Another Triang dock shunter and a little Lima 0-4-0T loco, both of which were sufficiently budget enough for me to buy.

I have been doing more with what I call the train shed. Not only can I now see the floor but it is sufficiently cleared so I can think about what I can do with it, though as we are hoping to relocate, so whatever I build it will need to be portable... I could just work on my little layout in there as that would be fun!

[Mountain]

1960's, 1970's and 1980's technology in DC control.

[Mountain]

Recently, word got out that another larger railway company had decided to change gauge so were offering locos and rolling stock in various conditions which tempted our managing director. After careful thought, it was decided that as these opportunities rarely present themselves, it was decided that it was an opportunity not to be missed, so two wooden bodied goods vans, two wooden bodied brake vans, eight diesel locos of various sizes and types, all of which will fit our companies loading gauge and three steam locomotives, along with thirteen 4 wheel coaches in various conditions, all of which will evsntually need their couplings converting though thoughts have been considered of designing dual couplings on some locos and other vehicles as a temporary measure which will also ease the current coupling situation on the railway if such a suitable design can be found. The design team have got ideas in mind of how this can be achieved without much cost or complexity of work involved.

Here are the three steam locomotives. The saddle tank loco on the left is an 0-6-0ST. The others are 0-4-0ST's with the one on the far right being a heavyweight and is surprizingly not what it at first seems! This one in theory will pull some heavy trains, though the locomotive along with the others have yet to be tested.
The thirteen 4 wheel coaches will be worked on by the Mountain Goat Waggon and Carriage Works when they arrive. The steam locos and diesels will be temporarily stored, restored and serviced and taken into stock as the railway depot has time. The company is considering building a decent sized engine shed and stabling point to cater for its increasing fleet, which is hoped to be able to cope with increasing demands for years to come! As traffic increases, it looks like more traincrew and other associated staff will be hired and trained in the future. Things are looking up as there are plans to extend the line to link other railways as a "Common carrier" railway, and with this in mind a new company name will be decided on in the future. Watch this space!

[Bufferstop]

Those 60s H&Ms are virtually unburstable I have one that does duty as a speed controlled power source for an Expo drill. If you want to use them with more modern motors disable the half-wave/variwave controls, they don't like the lumpy current that it produces!

[Mountain]

Remember that old Triang motors work much better with ultra smooth slow speed control on older controllers. Modern controllers are not built for those older motors so they run lumpy. Old controllers are not built for modern motors. Horses for courses. However what is good as you mentioned is with those older controllers one can turn features on and off as desired. Something that is rarely the case today.

Here are a pair of unpainted locos purchased from the other railway company.

[Mountain]

Some more pictures of the recent additions...

[Mountain]

And a few more...

[Phred]

A nice haul. Your workshop staff need not fear redundancy for a while yet!

[Mountain]

A nice haul. Your workshop staff need not fear redundancy for a while yet!

Think so!

[Jaz]

As someone who has welsh family, who had family who worked down the mines, and we visited in the valleys, my dads first job was with a blacksmith who looked after the pony’s who worked in the mine, and yet I know nothing at its railway history, I like this as it offers insight.
I have some family shots of the valleys but not sure how old they are, if I come cross them and they show anything old enough to be of interest I’ll capture and post them

[Mountain]

Interesting. Yes. Would be good.

[heda]

Not wanting to hijack Mountains thread but for anyone interested in the mines I would recommend a visit to the big pit. I visited a few years ago while researching my family tree. My grandparents and great grandparents on my mothers side all worked down the mines, not a pleasant job.
Dave

Highlights - Big Pit National Coal Museum