Home For Retired Rolling Stock

Having powered up the narrow gauge test track at the weekend I soon found I exhausted the entertainment value in running a light engine around a circuit, or pushing wagons with no couplings (yet).

The obvious solution was to raid the collection of rolling stock at Himself's place which is not usually required as part of our exhibition fleet.

A number of years ago I sold off most of the redundant carriage stock (which had been replaced by improved models) to help fund the purchase of the last pair of NGG16 kits from Backwoods Miniatures as the business was wound up. 

However, I was careful to keep hold of models which will allow us to run Dduallt at its nominal date of 1988.

I only need a few items to make up a token train for the 'test track' while I build up my own stock for it.

So in the picture above you can see, from left to right:

* Our first model of bogie brake 10 shown in the all-green livery in which it was first restored to service, from the excellent Dundas kit.

* Carriage 16 in as per 1988 red livery which I scratch built in styrene donkeys years ago.  This has been replaced in the exhibition fleet by a brass Worsley body in Col. Stephens era green and red.

* Carriage 17, from the Langley brass kit. Our very first bowsider  (in fact, our first brass carriage) showing it in 1988 'Mountain Prince' livery, but with all the panelling detail which is not strictly correct.

* Bug Box 3 is from a Chris Veitch brass kit. It's a lovely wee model, but it's always been out of era for our layouts in it's all-over red livery.  (Would look lovely behind the new green Earl of Merioneth though...)

* Jerry M is a Chivers white metal kit running on an unaltered Ibertren chassis.   At the time we built it the idea was it could masquerade as Lilla for those who couldn't tell the difference. Since the arrival of the Robex print for Lilla it has been made redundant.

Also out of shot is our first Dundas model of quarryman's carriage 8, with the wood panelling smoothed over with filler to show it as it was in 1988 with its plywood-faced bodysides.

It's nice to see them getting a run again, anyway.

Five Years Later

It's been a very drawn-out affair but the end result of our second Conway Castle was definitely worth waiting for.

Himself has fitted the glazing - which is a very tricky operation - and finished it off with the nameplates which include the badge of Conway on the cabside, supplied by our friends at Narrow Planet.

The one compromise we've had to make is with the headlights.

It seems its no longer possible to get hold of the large clear jewels we've used before, and we've had to settle for amber ones.

But given that Conway became rather neglected in its years as Dinas shunter and helping out with construction trains its headlights let in water and took on a distinct yellow hue.

Little Blue Guinea Pig

Himself and I are not known for being early adopters of new fangled technology, but we've finally caught up with everyone else in starting to glaze the spectacles in our locomotive cabs with Glue 'n Glaze.

Having never used it before Himself thought it wise to try it out on an old model where it wouldn't matter if he made a Horlicks of it.

Our old Chivers Britomart was the chosen guinea pig for this.

The results were encouraging and he's cracking on with the rest of the main running fleet.

There is a limit to the area the product can be used on and the biggest we've tried is the big plate-sized windows on Lyd.

It does seem to work better on whitemetal kits where the rim is quite deep, and for that reason we probably won't be able to do very delicate etched brass windows like those on the Fairlies or Garratts.

So far, so good, though.

Completing ‘Conk Out’

Things must be bad if Himself is picking up one of those projects you avoid for years!

Our second Conway Castle - affectionately known as ‘Conk Out’ - has been in abeyance since Himself moved north of the border.

He’d got so far with the lining, then decided he wasn’t quite happy with it, and its been shunted into the ‘too difficult’ siding ever since.

The other major thing it lacks is glazing, which is an awkward job because all the bits have to be cut to fit flush in the white metal holes.

This same Chivers kit was the first 009 model he made - in ‘Bertie Basset’ orange/ black / grey livery -  and I remember the work that went into glazing it, only for the varnish we were using to turn it all cloudy!

But that colourful ‘80s livery is a step too far for Bron Hebog so we had no option but to make another in two tone green.

I’ve always regarded the Boston Lodge rebuild as a very handsome machine, and I’m saddened that the plan is to return it to something more like its original Planet outline.

For me it’s another example of the FR’s period of modernisation and innovation - which included things like the push-pull set - being lost.

Harold The Second

We have a number of duplicates in our fleet, mostly this is because we've made an improved version as our techniques have improved, or because a better kit has come onto the market.

In the case of the Boston Lodge works shunter Harold (better known by it's nickname 'Shitty the shunter') we're having to make another one because our original one was stolen.

That's right, it was nicked - and I still feel very angry about it.

It was taken, many years ago now, while we were exhibiting Dduallt at a specialist Narrow Gauge exhibition in Leeds - most probably by an 'insider', because it was parked in a headshunt in the middle of the layout so it was not as if a member of the public visiting the show could lean over and swipe it while the layout was running.

That suspicion that it was a fellow 'modeller' - I use the term advisedly - has always cheesed me off more than the fact it was pinched.

Anyway, it's always been a long term ambition to replace it, and recently Himself started putting together the body which we adapted from a Chivers kit.

Our first version ran on a Farish DMU power bogie but it was a little bit of a squeeze, so for this incarnation I suggested to Himself that we use one of the spare Arnold 'Kof' chassis I had tucked away for a rainy day.

As I say, it's a long term project, so don't expect to see it appearing anytime soon.

And when it does rest assured that I will be keeping a very close eye on it!

Join The Cavalcade

Never let it be said that we are unafraid to jump on a bandwagon at Bron Hebog.

As the FR celebrates the 125th birthday of Hunslet 'Ladies' Linda and Blanche by inviting lots of other Loiners to come and play in the top left and corner of Wales this weekend we thought we'd get in on the act too.

My social media feeds have been full of pictures of line ups of little locomotives so Himself decided to do the same by posing all our Hunslets together.

This collection was made possible by Brian Madge, Robex, Roger Chivers and Backwoods Miniatures - and we're very grateful to them for their wonderful kits.

ROTY - Part 1

It's always interesting in the last few days of December to look back at all the modelling - and blogging - we've done over the course of the year.

I'm always surprised by both how little and how much we've achieved.

Often I'll look back and see that a model that we've only just completed was started in January and in other cases we've finally finished off something that has been lying part-built in a drawer somewhere for years.

So here, then is the first part of the Bron Hebog Review of the Year.

January

Himself began 2015 by getting down to work on painting our 3rd Garratt, 138.

We'd chosen the colour of the red together at the the exhibition in Hull a few weeks before (he's never been good at reds) but at this stage I had a few doubts about whether I'd got the shade quite right.

I was getting started on a project I'd been thinking about for many years, to make a replacement pair of models of FR carriages 11 and 12 in their current condition.

What finally spurred me into action was the recent death of legendary FR GM Allan Garraway.

During FR Vintage events these carriages run in what's known as the Garraway Set and so I felt it was really time I got around to making them as a little tribute to him and his huge contribution to making the FR what it is today.

February

Turns out I really didn't need to worry about that shade of red at all!

Himself finished painting and lining 138.

It looked truly magnificent!

He also began on one of the Christmas presents he received.

This was my not-very-subtle way of ensuring that another of my long-term projects - an updated Conway Castle - got started.

March

Some things never change - I was building houses for the layout!

This was the early stages of a row of houses that run in front of the cutting into Goat Tunnel.

As spring sprung it became warm enough for Himself to venture into the 'Grandad Cave' again and he began filling the Afon Cwm Cloch with fake water.

April

As you can see, I was making good progress on the houses this month.

All of the houses in the Oberon Wood scheme are different and not one of them is what you would call a conventional house design.

On the other hand, with over a dozen of the to make, at least I could never complain that the task was becoming repetitive, even if it did involve a lot of head scratching some times!

April was show time again!

We took the layout to a show at Crawley and 138 made its public debut.

Apologies if this sounds a little conceited, but it doesn't half look good!

We'll look back at May - August next time.

Double Yellow Lines

They're always a cause of trouble, aren't they?

In this case it's the lining on Conway Castle which is causing the headaches.

This diesel emerged from the works at the start of the 1990's with a rather intricate tri-tone livery to match the new push-pull carriage set - intricate for a narrow gauge diesel, that is - and Himself has been trying something clever to get the ultimate definition between the colours.

He has been making his own transfers by cutting very thin slivers of waterslide transfer paper and then painting them with both the shades of green used on the model.

Then he's applied them give a perfect break line either side of the cream band around the middle before adding on the straw lining.

The problem is that the lines are too thick.

(I suspect I wasn't too popular when I told him that after he asked my opinon.)

The first time he was using a 0.5mm wide straw line but there is a 0.35mm available so he's going to take a little break, give his tired eyes a rest, strip it all off and try again.

Colourful Carriages

Himself is very busy attempting to finish off some more rolling stock with the exhibition at Dinas just a little over a week away now.

Carriage 16 looks a real rainbow of colours when it is disassembled like this..

He's also been putting the finishing touches to the third of the 1st generation Super Barns 108...

It isn't just carriages, either.

Work has restarted on our new Conway Castle

The main blocks of colour are all there and the challenge now is to add the rather complicated lining where they meet.

Planet Painting

Himself has sent me a snap to show progress with painting our new Conway Castle.

It's a very complicated tri-tone livery and its still at an intermediate stage so please don't be alarmed by the somewhat untidy appearance.

When it's finished the colours will be separated by very fine straw coloured lining which will make it look much tidier.

The trickiest bit is getting the 'whiskers' at each end nice and even and it looks to me like Himself has made a good fist of it so far.

Primed Planet

Our replacement Conway Castle is coming on a treat and has been given a coat of primer ready for painting.

This one, you'll recall, is being built because our original engine - our very first OO9 model, in fact - sports the orange / black / grey so called 'Bertie Basset' livery of the 1980's and so is totally inappropriate to use on Bron Hebog to represent this workhorse of the WHR reconstruction and Dinas yard factotum.

There are also a few detail changes on the body such as the proper cab doors and the square cornered windows and some air filters which sprouted on the bonnet in the intervening years.

Conway Castle II is again built from a Chivers white metal kit running on an Ibertren chassis, but it has received an organ transplant in the shape of a Mashima motor donated from our original model of Blanche which was forced into retirement when its outside frame motion self-destructed at an exhibition with Dduallt a number of years ago.

The motor was still a good 'un though, and Himself tells me this 'Conk Out' runs very sweetly.

Christmas Kit

We've had a bit of a tradition going over the last few years that Himself finds a new locomotive kit beneath the Christmas tree.

First there was Lyd, followed 12 months ago by the NGG16 he has turned into 138 which is being painted currently.

And this year we're going back to where it all stated with another one of these....

(I forgot to take a snap of the Five79 (ex-Chivers Finelines) kit for Conway Castle before I wrapped it up. Oops!)

It was the very first OO9 model he made back in 1989 in its orange, black and grey livery dubbed Liquorice Allsort.

It's still going strong a quarter of a century later, although its Ibertren chassis has had a motor transplant, being exchanged for a Mashima unit.

On Bron Hebog, though, it looks very out of place.

Conway Castle played a big part in the reconstruction of the WHR along with Upnor Castle, but all the while wearing the push-pull green livery its had since the early 1990's.

Making a new one has been on my To Do list for a long time now and at last I've got around to buying one,

I do, however, have a small supply of spare Ibertren chassis so we'll be able to have two 'Conk Out's in operation at the same time should we every have the need....

Test Train (VIDEO)

As if the teaser snaps of the tamper posed in on the new section of Bron Hebog weren't enough here's something even more exciting!

One of the first test trains in Cutting Mawr caught on film.



Appropriately it's Conway Castle and mess coach 1000, a typical construction train formation Himself has chosen for the task.

It was a genuine test train to check the wiring of the new sections of track.

Conway Castle, was our very first OO9 locomotive, built 25 years ago from a Chivers Finelines kit, mounted on an Ibertren chassis and still going strong.

It is, of course, in the wrong livery for use on Bron Hebog and building a replacement body has been on my To Do list for a long time now.

If you'd like to see more pictures of our veteran 'Conk Out' then here's a link to a post I wrote about it a couple of years ago, or you can take a look at the Model of the Week archive - its on the menu over on the right hand side of the page.

Pic Of The Week 11

I make no apologies for another shot featuring the Earl of Merioneth.

As a child of the 80s I've always had a soft spot for it. You cannot deny that it always makes an impression on you the first time you see it, and Himself did a fantastic job scratch building the body onto a Backwoods Ministures kit for a traditional Spooner Fairlie.

It is taken from what is probably the classic view of Dduallt with trains going under and over Rhoslym Bridge.

The Earl's train, of course, is very much out of era with the condition of the locomotive by as much as 20 years.

On the line above is the permanent way diesel Harlech Castle with a short works train including the mess coach 1111 and the tool van wagon made up of a pair of BT van bodies.

Funnel Find

It's amazing what you find when you rummage about enough, isn't it?

After writing a post a few days ago saying that the one bit our new Britomart was lacking was a tall, thin chimney Himself discovered that he had one all along, languishing in a box of bits in the garage.

It just so happened that around 20 years ago a fellow modeller passed on a lot of redundant 009 bits which just happened to include most of the parts of a Chivers Quarry Hunslet kit which we have been searching in vain to purchase for the last two months.

So Britomart now has her chimney, and very good it looks on her too.

What Are We Going To Do With Alice?

I've set Himself a new challenge - I don't think he's too pleased about it!

He's been presented with one of Brian Madge's new kits for the diminutive 'Quarry Hunslet'.

What's very exciting about this new entry in the 009 market is it has proper outside frames. For the last 20 years our model of Britomart has been running around on an ancient Arnold N gauge chassis with us trying to pretend that we never noticed its very obvious inside frames.

The challenge comes from the kit being designed to represent Velinheli, one of the cab-less members of the 'Alice' class, whereas Britomart not only has a cab but also a subtle difference in the outline of the frames at the rear of the loco.

Himself has been investigating whether there is any possibility of being able to simply transplant Brian's outside framed chassis into our existing Chivers body.

Unfortunately it appears not!

The only way of fitting the new chassis would be to double up with the new footplate frame mounted beneath the existing whitemetal one, which would be far too thick.

It's also doubtful whether the motor unit would fit inside the existing saddle tank without an awful lot of metal being carved away.

Understandably, Himself is reluctant to rip apart our current Britomart and start hacking away at it with no guarantee the transplant is going to be successful, so I suspect our next move will be to obtain another Chivers Quarry Hunslet and create a mongrel loco with bits taken from both the kits.

I shall keep you in touch with progress.

MOTW - 'Russell' (Cut Down Version)

This week we have a much older version of a younger representation of a classic WHR loco. If that sentence doesn't make any sense at the moment it will by the end of this post.

This model of Russell is built from a Chivers whitemetal kit for the 1923 Boston Lodge butchered version of Russell from the days when the FR and WHR were first connected - a botched attempt to make the locomotive fit the FR loading gauge which legend records was declared a paint-scratching, bodywork-denting failure in the depths of the old Moelwyn Tunnel.

The model came about for two reasons. Firstly we had a spare bespoke outside framed chassis for Russell (built for me, very kindly, around 20 years ago by renowned Colorado NG modeller Mick Moignard) when our first Chivers kit was superseeded by the exquisite Backwoods Miniatures kit.

The other reason was because the Artistic Director wanted something to wind up the punters at exhibitions and a model of Russell in its controversial cut down form fitted the bill perfectly. (He also tells them he thinks the WHHR should restore the locomotive to this condition)

The old hand made chassis still works a treat and so our ugly duckling still takes a wander around Bron Hebog to amuse the operators and the public alike.

Here, in a scene that will surely never be repeated in reality, we see it passing that other narrow gauge sight-for-sore-eyes, K1, at Beddgelert station on Bron Hebog.

MOTW - Britomart

Our Model Of The Week is the most diminutive member of the locomotive fleet: 1899-built quarry Hunslet ‘Britomart’



This delightful little blue engine was brought to the FR in 1965 from the Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry by a group of railway workers, principal among them the legendary ‘Stefco’ (Steve Coulson) and today given tender loving care by his son, and current Boston Lodge fitter, Rob.

Our model is made from a Chivers Finelines whitemetal kit and runs on an old N gauge Arnold 0-4-0 chassis.

In fact this is Britomart’s second chassis. The original was a very elderly second hand example which was so decrepit only the rear axle was powered. With the weight bias of the body well towards the back anyway it meant the locomotive was prone to performing wheelies when setting off.

It is rare to see the locomotive running solo on the layout. Its very small wheelbase - and the old Arnold’s rather crude mechanism - mean it is prone to stalling when running through the points.

On occasion, however, it has been seen heading a train on its own, like here with the vintage twins, carriages 11 & 12.



There have been tantalising glimpses recently of a prototype outside framed chassis and body kit for the quarry Hunslet on an narrow gauge modelling forum and we are among the many crossing our fingers that the designer will be able to bring it into the market.

Remarkably, the real Britomart has run the entire length of the FR & WHR network in one day – an 80 mile round trip – double-heading with Baldwin tractor ‘Moelwyn’ on a charter train last year which we recreated days later on Dduallt.



A few weeks ago Britomart took a two carriage charter train to Beddgelert alone.

These occasions meane we have all the justification we need for our little blue engine to see service on Bron Hebog.