7mm Bleddfa Road

Nick Rogers

Western Thunderer
Good morning Geoff (and anyone else who might read this),

Lovely work as always. Very inspirational! I must crack on with something next week during my down time.

It’s interesting to see how people feel about diesel traction. I am very much a ‘steam man’ despite being born in the last years of 1980s.

As many of you know, I work on the railway as a Train Manager (guard). I spend most of my time working on IETs… horrid things! Easiest traction to work as a guard, but they don’t have any charm or interest for me. The traction I enjoy working most are the old HST 2+4 Castle sets down, now sadly banished to Cornwall, with one odd diagram allowing them to stretch their legs on the Devon banks up to Exeter one a day. Dispatching with your head out of the TGS window, the power car growling away as the driver accelerates through the steps is my kind of train working!

I can see how people look back at different times with nostalgia. If I were ever to model ‘modern image’ it would be early to mid 1990s - intercity livery with the older traction still in revenue earning service. I do find the modern network quite boring - indeed, I thoroughly enjoy a trip to Westbury on a turn simply as I might get a glimpse of a 60 or 66 propelling a rake of wagons! Propelling… now there’s something you don’t see every day. Bar Par, where 66s shunt clay wagons into Chaple sidings, I don’t think I’ve ever seen propelling outside these locations in the South West. I know it still happens, but it isn’t often seen. So I do get the argument of not being interested in certain things, or a preference for one era over another.

I can, and do, appreciate modern imagine/diesel modelling, as I can say, with a degree of authority now, that’s right/wrong. He’s approaching that platform too fast! That’s accelerating way too quickly! Where is the TGS in that formation? We don’t couple up like that! And so on.

It is an interesting thing to ponder why we model a certain era. Mine is purely nostalgia and rose tinted glasses!

Regards,

Nick.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
I suspect I model mid 60's because that's when I used the railways most. Whilst I loved seeing Castles etc leave Gloucester bound for Paddington and did the trip behind them, I was thrilled when Warships and then Westerns became the tractive power. So I am always pleased when my Class14 operates on Blackney.
 

Geoff

Western Thunderer
Hi Nick,

Thanks for your kind comments and interesting post, I'm pleased to read that you will be cracking on with something this week, despite having a full size train set to play with. :)

Like many others of a certain age I witnessed the transition from steam to diesel power, and try to capture the scene as it might have happened at Bleddfa Road.

I can't say that I enjoyed the Warships and Westerns as Alan did, but I did have a soft spot for the Hymeks until they were painted blue. Anyway and moving on, the diesels were packed away over the weekend and steam will soon return to Mid Wales.

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At the moment I am thinking of removing the limekiln siding as it see's little use, worse still the occupation crossing might be replaced with a bridge!

Geoff
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
I can't say that I enjoyed the Warships and Westerns as Alan did, but I did have a soft spot for the Hymeks.

I must admit I do have a liking for Hymeks as well, probably the nicest looking of the early diesels. Mind you I also have a soft spot for one of the less pretty, the baby warships. It could be that I like all WR diesel hydraulics.
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
At the moment I am thinking of removing the limekiln siding as it see's little use, worse still the occupation crossing might be replaced with a bridge!

For the limekiln siding I would be inclined to truncate it short of the crossing (leaving the rails in the crossing) which would still provide a short headshunt if required. From the other side of the crossing I would lift the track (leaving a few chaired sleepers behind) and add young trees and bushes. For the building itself I would turn it into a roofeless derelict shell and with a tree or bush growing out of it.

Personally I don't think a bridge would work as it means a drastic alteration to the topography.
 

Geoff

Western Thunderer
Thanks for your thoughts and comments chaps, which are much appreciated.
How about a holding siding for wagons coming down from one of the quarries.
Most of the quarry traffic is dispatched directly from the quarry sidings Larry, but odd wagon loads are tripped down to Bleddfa and held in the siding loop. They go forward on the return pick up goods, the same applies to any empties travelling in the reverse direction.

Seems a shame to remove a siding that may give operating potential.
Tony
Operation isn't high on the agenda Tony, Bleddfa is all about taking a trip down memory lane.

Might it hold a couple of Panniers being cut up for scrap?

What?
You mean like this Tony........:eek:

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OK, how about a couple of ancient Manning Wardles from the quarry?
They favoured Pecketts mate.......

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I thought Chris had wandered in…

Perhaps the sight of these might tempt him to ?

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Personally I don't think a bridge would work as it means a drastic alteration to the topography.
Larry said......I agree. This was my thought also. Problems of merging them into an existing backscene can be problematic.

But what a challenge that would be for someone who enjoys creating scenery Larry, at the moment I am in the process of making a rough card mock up for the bridge. Once it is in situ I'll have a little fun tarting it up with my photo editing software, well it is far too wet to go out in the garden! :)

However, I keep finding myself returning to this scene, which I had intended modelling as closely as possible from the very start.

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Geoff.
.
 
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Richard

Active Member
There are plenty of examples where bridges where put in over a railway line by the simple expedient of building a ramp up either side of the trackbed.

The line through to Fairford seemed to have bridges that were built over the trackbed with ramps either side: Perhaps they were the originals for the early toy train bridge and tunnels sets.

Closer to home (of Bleddfa Road), Blodwell Junction had a similar design of bridge, where the ground was built up to save putting in a level crossing.

Putting in an angled bridge might be another answer, similar to that you built for the original Llangunllo, but angled away from the viewing side so that the abutments make a natural view block.


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Geoff

Western Thunderer
Woke - respect for others, being aware of their sensitivities and sensibilities.
I've just woke up after my afternoon snooze..... zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Nice bridge Richard, having built one skew bridge for Llangunllo Mk1 I'm certainly in no rush to build another!

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I would take the easy way out and move this one forward if, the mock up worked, but it is a big if.

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Geoff
 

Geoff

Western Thunderer
After much faffing about the wrecking crew finally arrived at Bleddfa Road and started lifting track.

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The old limekiln site is slowly being reclaimed by nature...

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The occupation crossing has been singled, and to my eye looks all the better for it. The gates open outwards and the jury is out regarding the installation of some cattle grids, I have mentioned before about the crossing being modelled on one where I used to spend a good chunk of my youth, and it had no grids. The same applies today but it has gained CCTV and a phone, but I'm certainly not going to add either of those! There is still plenty of work to do such as adding and repairing some fencing, at the moment the undergrowth has just been plonked in place whilst I try different ideas.

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The colouring of the new road surface over the old crossing is in the course of being blended into the old one. I thought I had a good match until I uploaded this photo.

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The siding will just hold two wagons and clear the trap point, it was rare to see more on the original siding.

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The pick up goods continued to run whilst the modifications were being carried out..........

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5807 running into the siding loop

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A view of the siding leading to the limekiln before it was cut back....

Geoff.
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
The occupation crossing has been singled, and to my eye looks all the better for it. The gates open outwards and the jury is out regarding the installation of some cattle grids, I have mentioned before about the crossing being modelled on one where I used to spend a good chunk of my youth, and it had no grids. The same applies today but it has gained CCTV and a phone, but I'm certainly not going to add either of those! There is still plenty of work to do such as adding and repairing some fencing, at the moment the undergrowth has just been plonked in place whilst I try different ideas.

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Nice, I do like the lifted and truncated siding :thumbs:.

As an idea could you have left the old (rotting?) crossing gate posts in their original position and have a newer set with the original gate in the revised location to provide a bit of juxtaposition between the old and new?

If you were going to install cattle grids (or not) then you would need new fencing (concrete posts with wire or tube?) from the new crossing gates to the original crossing gate location. Again this would provide an old/new comparison and evidence the line and locale has evolved/developed. It will also allow experimentation with differing degrees of ageing and weathering without the uniformity often seen on layouts.
 
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