Locomotives & Rolling Stock
My old layout ‘Dyffryn’ was a continuous run with no scope for shunting. Rolling stock couplings were near scale ‘hook and link’ type and were not really suitable for an end-to-end ‘shunting’ layout. I was also impressed with Roger Brown’s ‘Syreford’ layout and rolling stock, which used Spratt & Winkle couplings and achieved virtually ‘hands-off’ operation. I wanted to achieve the same effect, with the added benefit of being able to use Roger’s rolling stock as well. The reality is that I’ve spent so much time building the layout that I haven’t got much rolling stock of my own yet and I rely almost totally on Roger’s stock for the time being.
The following locomotives are in regular use at exhibitions:
Hunslet 0-4-0ST Cackler. One of a pair of engines used on the ‘main line’ between the Dinorwic quarries and the Padarn Railway at Gilfach Ddu. This is a Peco whitemetal body kit running on a Branchlines chassis, powered by a Portescap motor/gearbox.
Baldwin 4-6-0T. A First World War trench railway locomotive used by the British Army’s Light Railway Operating Division. An original Chivers Finelines whitemetal kit, now marketed by Wrightlines. The etched chassis, as supplied with the kit, has been modified to take a short portescap motor/gearbox.
‘Plymlimon’ waits with a passenger train for the Fowler-Marshall to clear the route
Fowler-Marshall 4wD. This is a Wrightlines white metal kit of a single cylinder diesel created by marrying a Field Marshall tractor with a Fowler ‘Resilient’ chassis.
John Slee 0-4-0VB Plymlymon (owned by David Edwards). A one-off locomotive, named ‘Victoria’, built for the Plymlymon and Hafan tramway in mid-Wales. It didn’t prove successful in service and was soon withdrawn (this model has probably done more actual miles of running than the original!). The model was scratch-built in brass and nickel-silver by my brother and is powered by a small Portescap motor/gearbox.
The Kerr Stuart pull forward from it’s passenger train
Kerr Stuart 6wD (owned by Roger Brown). No. 4415 of 1928 was the prototype of a series of pioneering diesels, most of which were exported. No. 4415 saw service on the Welsh Highland Railway amongst others and eventually found its way to the Union Flag Sugar Estates on Mauritius from where it was recently repatriated. The model was constructed from Slater’s Plastikard and runs on a chassis based on the block, motor shaft and worm wheels of an old Tri-ang DMU motor bogie – all of the rest was thrown away! A centre set of wheels was added and the original motor shaft is driven through spur gears by a DS10 motor with a heavy tungsten alloy flywheel.
Roger Brown’s ‘Teddy’ – a converted Hornby Caledoniain Railway Pug
0-4-0ST Teddy (owned by Roger Brown). A totally freelance locomotive based on a Hornby Caledonian ‘Pug’. The firebox, footplate and open cab are scratch-built in brass and the smokebox is fitted with a Wrightlines Bagnall chimney.
44/48hp Ruston 4wD (owned by Roger Brown). A Wrightlines white metal kit on a scratch-built chassis powered by a Mashima 16/9 motor driving a layshaft to both axles. A heavy tungsten alloy flywheel helps make this an excellent shunting locomotive.
Roger Brown’s Motor Rail Simplex delivers coal wagons to the coaling stage
20hp Motor-Rail ‘Simplex’ 4wD (owned by Roger Brown). A development of the machines used in the trench railways of the First World War. The model is an etched-brass Roy C Link kit as taken over by Wrightlines. The scratch-built chassis uses a layshaft and three Tenshodo 14:1 gears giving an overall ratio of 196:1. Needless to say, slow speed running is extremely good if not obligatory!
The Kerr Stuart arrives with a passenger train
Passenger rolling stock is a bit limited at present being limited to a rake of two bogie and two 4-wheel coaches from PECO kits and coach sides and a scratch-built rake of GVT style coaches. More are in progress (and have been for about 10 years!) to increase train length and add variety.
The skip is from GJH Plant and sits on a Chiver’s flat wagon
Goods rolling stock is mostly of Talyllyn Railway origin from Wrightlines, plus some excellent plastic mouldings from the Chivers Finelines range.
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