Won on Ebay!

After searching for a while on eBay I found this very nice looking 060+t super detailed, doesn’t really fit in with the 'Ffestiniog Railway' theme I’m going for but the FR does have Dahuichang No4 which is Chinese. So I think this will represent the Dahuichang

The item

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220515538762&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=012

Harlech Castles fist movement

weehey! it works! I was a bit worried to tell the truth, i thought that i had dropped a bit of the epoxy into the motor whilst building it! But, it works! my first narrow gauge loco and my first kit built (and painted) locomotive!

Size, Shape and Location!

Due to a... erm... a low attic, not much room and nowhere to store the layout i currently have, i've descided to downsize things, it will be of the same area, but small enough to fit into my room, which has a bit more room than my attic! So i will be 'replaceing' Minffordd Station with a fold away/detachable Fiddle Yard, less running space, less stock running optionsbut i will still be able to model the area i wanted to model. Here's the result of a few hours brainstorming, and a talk with the one that will probually be cleaning up the scatter off the floor!... Mum! A future addittion might be 'minfordd' that will be able to be sloted in between the fiddle yard (top left) and the 'works' (top right)

Painting Harlech Castle

Painting Harlech Castle

After constructing the kit I had enough time after the glue had dried to paint it, it would be painted in similar color to the real locomotive 'Harlech Castle'. All the panels will be gray, any detail red and the front, back and buffer plates will be yellow. (i know its not the same as the real one but I’d like to make a layout that’s based on the Ffestiniog, with the Ffestiniog locomotives and stock, but I didn’t want to go completely mad on re-creating it!)

The pictures will follow shortly

Chivers Finelines 'Harlech Castle' white metal body kit

Today my Chivers Finelines 'Harlech Castle' arived! i't will fit over a Graham Farish Class 08 diesel shunter chassis (last but one post), and will (like the original) become a P.W loco. I've also added some pictures of me building it.

My locomotive 'Wishlist'

After being in many exhibitions and browsing websites I’ve got a list of locomotives I would like to purchase. Here’s the list!

1) County Gate’s ‘Mad Mallet’ “River Avon”

2) Ffestiniog Railway Double Fairlie “Little Wonder”

3) Ffestiniog Railway Double Fairlie “Merddin Emrys” (with no cab)

4) Ffestiniog Railway Single Fairlie “Taliesin”

5) Ffestiniog Railway George England “Princess”

6) Ffestiniog Railway George England “Prince”

7) Ffestiniog Railway Funkey Diesel “Vale of Ffestinog”

8) Ffestiniog Railway Diesel Hunslet “Moel y Gest”

9) Ffestiniog Railway Diesel Hunslet “Moelwyn”

10) Penrhyn Quarry Hunslet “Blanche” (with tender)

11) Penrhyn Quarry Hunslet “Linda” (with tender)

12) Welsh Highland Railway Bayner-Peacock “K1”

13) Welsh Highland Railway Bayner-Peacock NGG16

The first locomotive! (or chassis)

Today I just won two Graham Farish N gauge class 08 diesel shunters for the reasonable price of 30 pounds and 5.50 p&p. I also bought a Chivers Finelines Ffestiniog Railway "Harlech Castle" white metal body kit for 16 pounds and my plans are to paint this locomotive like the real 'Harlech Castle' This would become my Permanent Way locomotive and I will eventually (after Christmas) buy the kit again to build a locomotive (I wont call it Cricieth Castle, I’d like to rename some of my locomotives to names after inspirational places and or people. There are a few ideas I have in mind:-

1) Afon Dwyryd (river that closely follows the Ffestiniog Railway)

2) Cwmorthin (local valley)

3) Harri (my late grandfather)

4) Llywelyn ap Gryffydd (The last welsh king)

5) Moelwyn (Schools name)

6) Pwll (the nickname for the area my grandparents lived)

7) Tanygrisiau (Where I lived)

8) Salem (The chapel that I went to Sunday schools name)

9) Borth Y Gest (A beautiful seaside town where I often go kayaking)

10) Wyddfa (doesn’t need an explanation!)

Hopefully the next post will be the construction of the loco!

The First Design

After a summer volunteering at the Ffestiniog Railway's workshop, Boston Lodge. I decided to challenge myself, would it be possible to create a model of the Ffestiniog Railway? After a bit of number crunching I decided not to do it, the total length of the layout would be close to a hundred meters long. After thinking for a while, and considering to model from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Tanygrishau, including the railway's smaller workshop at Glanypwll. I decided to model the area between Harbor Station (about 1950-60) across the cob and to Boston Lodge (about the same era). I then liked the idea to be able to run a variety of trains, like fuel, slate, passengers, P.W and goods. So I thought about modeling Minffordd Station without the goods yard and hostel, but after a bit of thought I decided that with the addition of Minffordd yard I would be able to run more.

At the top of the page is the final design (I thinkK).