North Wales inspired layout 1970s

[Mountain]

Two brackets by a symbol of a diamond crossing symbolize a double slip. One bracket looking symbol by the diamond crossing symbolize a single slip, the slip being on the side of the bracket. Hope that makes sense Chops.

[Stonedtrainman420]

I've been dwelling upon an American HO point- to- point, which is a rarity over here. What I really like about this track plan is that it allows the shunter to travel around the other end of a given wagon. This is really good stuff. The two mains and the fifth from the top line would allow
corresponding tracks to fit club module NMRA standards, as well. Thanks for posting.

BTW: that line on the left going to Mostyn- is that a double slip or a diamond crossing where the brackets are?

Thats just a left hand point, both of the tracks into mostyn feed in on the bottom left hand corner to form a sort of triangle shape, i'm going to be building a mock up of the whole layout soon so ill put a better picture up of the track plan for you

[Stonedtrainman420]

I find that Lima did a nicer class 47 then Hornby used to. However with the Lima 37, though theirs was better it did not have the roof mounted horns. All the ones I saw had them. We did on rare occasions see 25's down my area of South West Wales but they were rare because the local depots trainstaff didn't sign for them. They were used on ballast trains when they put new ballast down.

I've found a lot of the lima stock seems to run a lot better most of my carriages are lima as well as a railfreight 47 i have too, i'm debating dropping the body of my hornby 47 onto this loco as the lima one runs so so much better but i prefer the looks of the hornby one, although with the 37 i know the lack of roof horns would be a big put off for myself, thats interesting about the ballast trains too, i find the variety of stock and how often it got changed in the 70s/80s very interesting especially in wales! Might have to take a bash of modelling a ballast train soon

[Mountain]

In the early to mid 1970's as South Wales was part of the western Region they saw the last of the diesel hydraulics and I remember asking train drivers who used to work them. I remember one train driver telling me how he used to pull a 16 coach express out of London Paddington to South Wales with a single Hymek and he kept to time all the way. I asked him how it compared to a loco like the larger class 47 (As these pulled expresses in the 1980's down here) and he said they just didn't compare. A class 47 would struggle to pull it and one would need to double head to have a hope of keeping to time. He said the hydraulics were very deceiving as even a small one could outperform a larger diesel electric.

[Stonedtrainman420]

In the early to mid 1970's as South Wales was part of the western Region they saw the last of the diesel hydraulics and I remember asking train drivers who used to work them. I remember one train driver telling me how he used to pull a 16 coach express out of London Paddington to South Wales with a single Hymek and he kept to time all the way. I asked him how it compared to a loco like the larger class 47 (As these pulled expresses in the 1980's down here) and he said they just didn't compare. A class 47 would struggle to pull it and one would need to double head to have a hope of keeping to time. He said the hydraulics were very deceiving as even a small one could outperform a larger diesel electric.

I think the main reason for withdrawing a lot of the diesel hydraulics was the fact that they required a lot of fine tuning and maintance, in some ways there similar to a lot of the turbo diesel cars we see today, from what i've read they out performed most diesels on ths rails but with the diesel electrics most could be fueled, oiled and ran pretty easily. It must have been great to speak to people who actually got to drive a lot of these trains we would call 'classic' today. I'm only 22 myself so by the time i was old enough to be aware of them, a lot of these locomotives had been withdrawn sadly. Although i have a few of memories of seeing virgin HSTs and a couple of EWS class 37's up and down the place.

[Stonedtrainman420]

Just a quick update, managed to get the hornby class 25 lubed and running well, plus i've spent some more time collecting stock and a few scenic bits:)



These are some buildings, both getting weathered and the station building is going to be whitewashed to replicate the old one at talacre.



I've also got a hornby class 47 in blue too and thats had a good service and that runs like clockwork! I just haven't photographed it yet. I also have a bachmann class 40, some mk1s and a couple of 12t box vans on the way plus i have all the wiring and track ready so i should have everything i need, my next big priority is constructing the baseboards so i can building a mock up of the trackplan so i know whats going were, so far im having the staggered loop with a run around, an oil/chemical siding, two freight sidings and also either a goods shed or a carriage shed (depending on what i'm feeling on the day)

[Chops]

Looks grand to me. The simple fact you have the passion to put this together, along with your memories of a time and place in most satisfying to see.

[Stonedtrainman420]

Had a test fit of all the boards today and i'm very pleased indeed everything fits okay, however, i've had to modify the loop as the design i had come up with didn't work but i've retained the overall shape and design, i've curved the goods yard to replicate the one at bangor and im going to extend the scenic run when its fully built so that i can have a beach and some sidings to replicate mostyn. At the top of the board i'm planning to have a loading siding for nuclear flask trains/oil trains. The boards 6x6 with a 4x2 run off





And here is my fleet of locos, fully detailed with their respective trains (note: the class 25 is going to be a nuclear flask train i'm just using a flatbed with a box as a placeholder until it arrives)



Now i just need to build the baseboard fully and do some finishing details, some of my wagons and all my mk1's have the older style U couplings so they're due to be upgraded to NEM couplers soon, when i start building my baseboard i'm going to move my post to the under construction section

[HarryR]

Oh!!

Now I see track down, this is much more interesting. Bookmarked to make sure I keep up with developments. I will be quite happy to copy your ideas (acknowledged of course) so good luck with the build.

[Chops]

Very exciting. I am most intrigued by the tight selection of motive power. I find that especially hard, what with the vast evolution of British rail since Trevithick. Thus, to have my cake and eat it too, I model 1926, and can fast forward to ca. 1960's by virtue of running "Steam Preservation Days" so I can sneak in a Deltic or a DMU. What you are doing: excellent. Looking forward to more updates.

[Phat Controller]

interesting use of a tight space, look forward to more scenery. well done

[Montfort]

Nice start. I'm following this topic with interest.

[Stonedtrainman420]

Oh!!

Now I see track down, this is much more interesting. Bookmarked to make sure I keep up with developments. I will be quite happy to copy your ideas (acknowledged of course) so good luck with the build.

Thanks for the comments, feel free to borrow any ideas i put on here a lot of the track design is things i've robbed from trawling though forums and old trackplan books anyway so knock yourself out!

[Chops]

Nice start. I'm following this topic with interest.

Me too. Looking over the point to point plan, it has something that often is lacking, and that is the ability to escape around the given wagon and couple from the other side.

[Stonedtrainman420]

Thanks for the comments and the interest i'm hoping to have the baseboards in place within the next month, i'm currently updating some older bits of track i have and i'm waiting until payday to get the job done

Been doing my research re: North Wales 1970s/80s and i found a brilliant website that is made by a welsh trainspotter who documented the line around the time and i must say there are some real gems!!

One topic of interest was his page on colwyn bay and the construction of the A55, i found these pictures and thought perhaps i could incorporate some into my layout?







It's made me contemplate some ideas surrounding my layout, i may try to incorporate a road under construction so that i can replicate some of the work movements, i may change to an end to end layout so that i have more space for scenery, if i were to model anything i'd model colywn bay station, its the perfect mix of a simplistic track layout and scenic interest, especially if i am to include the construction of the A55 link road