Mynydd y Ddraig - a first foray into 009

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cloggydog

Active Member
Having avoided Welsh narrow-gauge for 45 years of my modelling 'life' I've finally succumbed, lured in by a postcard of Devil's Bridge in the 1970s. Showing 3 trains, each with a BangerBlue steam loco on a rake of coaches.

And so Mynydd y Ddraig (Dragon Mountain) was born. Set on yet another Ikea Lack 110cm shelf, this will be my layout build over the winter. Peco Track and other bits were delivered by Santa a couple of years ago and I've laid it out a few times to refine the plan - it's essentially Devil's Bridge, compressed to take 4 coaches in the 2 platform roads, with sidings off either end of the loop to add a bit of p-way variety.

IMG_20231124_101754.jpg

I've pva'd 2mm eva foam sheet onto the Lack and fine-tuned the plan, the track is now all cut to length. Next step over the coming weekend is to cut the channels in the eva for my wire-in-tube point rodding, wire up and fix the track down, then commence scenics.

Structures are modified Wills, scratchbuilt and 3D-printed items, plus a number of Woodlands Scenic trees.

IMG_20231124_101740.jpg

2 locos under build, a Chivers whitemetal kit on a Minitrix Ivatt 2MT chassis and a 3D-printed shell with a Farish 08 and RT Model frames and valve gear.

IMG_20231124_101731.jpg

The coaching stock is all scratchbuilt bodies, with sides drawn up and cut in plasticard on the Silhouette cutter, riding on Dundas bogies. Assorted P-way wagonry from various sources rounds out the fleet.

I did trial some 3D-printed Chopper couplings, but reliability wasn't great, so I've some DG etches winging their way to me.

Locos and coaches will be finished in the early, unlined rail blue, of course. ;)

I have a local show deadline of mid-Feb 2024 and I definitely want to get this project done and dusted before the RTR locos and stock come out and make VoR modelling too easy. :p
 
34091 Weymouth

34091 Weymouth

Western Thunderer
That looks to be a very interesting project. I like your coaches they've come out well. I've only travelled the line once & it certainly captures Devils Bridge even so early in the build. I don't think I've ever seen those locos modelled in br blue so it'll be a very different 009 layout compared with others out there.

Si
 
C

cloggydog

Active Member
The last couple of scenic bits arrived today, 3D printed footbridge and water towe from MSModels. IMG_20231128_223324.jpgIMG_20231128_223346.jpg The footbridge will form the scenic break, the wings will be extended out to the full board width and partly obscured by trees and slightly reducing the fascia window at that end to restrict the viewing angle.

IMG_20231128_223351.jpg
 
C

cloggydog

Active Member
34091 Weymouth said:
That looks to be a very interesting project. I like your coaches they've come out well. I've only travelled the line once & it certainly captures Devils Bridge even so early in the build. I don't think I've ever seen those locos modelled in br blue so it'll be a very different 009 layout compared with others out there.

Si
Click to expand...
Thank you Si.

I must confess I've not yet travelled on the VoR, hoping to rectify that next year.

The coaches were drafted in Silhouette Studio from the BR weight diagrams, cross-referenced with photos (this was before the recent VoR 'Bible' was published).

IMG_20210723_222524.jpg
Sides and ends are each 2 layers of 10-thou plasticard, floor is 60-thou. Door furniture and other detal is microstrip, steps are from Evergreen section, seats are Evergreen car siding. Bogies and roofs are Dundas. I sill need to source some fine square or diamond etch for the summer open coaches.
IMG_20231128_223459.jpgIMG_20231128_223430.jpgIMG_20231128_223407.jpg

Happy to share the Studio files for the coaches if anyone wants them.
 
C

cloggydog

Active Member
Track is now fixed in place, wired and tested.

IMG_20231203_112828.jpgIMG_20231203_112848.jpgPoint rodding fitted.
IMG_20231203_112836.jpg

Ply display box cut and in the prime/paint stage, should be fitted around the Lack in the next day or two.
IMG_20231203_112816.jpg

Holes strategically drilled in the fascia to poke the point rods through, the handles will be choc-block innards screwed onto the protruding rods.
 
Joe's Garage

Joe's Garage

Western Thunderer
This looks like being a very nice model, the VOR has a certain charm about it. Certainly not modelled enough.
Look forward to more.
All the best
Julian
 
C

cloggydog

Active Member
The display box (well, fascia, end boards and lighting strip) are now glued and pinned to the Lack. The back board will wait until the bulk of the scenic work is done.

IMG_20231208_193624.jpg

2 sockets on the right-hand side for the track and light feeds, a pair of spst isolating switches on the left for the bay and headshunt. Lights are 2 LED strips, one warm, one cool. And I've fitted the point handles - innards from choc-blocks just screwed onto the protruding wires.
IMG_20231208_193012.jpg
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IMG_20231208_193613.jpg
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Scenics next, the Woodland Scenics foliage has arrived, so I can crack on with the trees.

Coaches have had a blue primer coat ahead of a BangerBlue spraying session in the near future.
 
C

cloggydog

Active Member
The coaches (well, the 2 Brakes and 4 Thirds) are painted, glazed, decalled and populated whilst the pair of locos just need name and numberplates (7 and 8, from the old King's Cross range).

Scenics are progressing well, should have that completed over the coming weekend.

IMG_20240130_172843.jpgIMG_20240130_172835.jpgIMG_20240130_172831.jpgIMG_20240130_120052.jpgIMG_20240130_172835.jpgIMG_20240130_172831.jpgIMG_20240130_120052.jpgIMG_20240130_172831.jpgIMG_20240130_120052.jpg
 
timbowales

timbowales

Western Thunderer
I’ve just discovered this thread.
It’s absolutely wonderful, very tempting to try something VoR myself after seeing this.
It will depend on how expensive the Model Rail locos are, ha ha!
Tim T, not far from Myndd Mawr
 
C

ColPeake

Member
Fantastic work Alan, as someone who can just remember the tail end of blue on the Rheidol and the excitement of the multi coloured era that followed, it is great to see this era modelled properly.

Colin
 
C

cloggydog

Active Member
timbowales said:
I’ve just discovered this thread.
It’s absolutely wonderful, very tempting to try something VoR myself after seeing this.
It will depend on how expensive the Model Rail locos are, ha ha!
Tim T, not far from Myndd Mawr
Click to expand...
I'm trying to beat the VoR rush ;)

My locos are a Chivers body and a 3D printed body on ancient Minitrix Ivatt 2MT chassis. Crude, but they work ok.

The MR/Revolution loco looks very nice indeed from the EP I've seen (outside frames, correct valvegear, opening firehole door...) and I fully expect to get one when they are released. I strongly suspect they'll do the 1930s coaches too at some point.
 
C

cloggydog

Active Member
A quickie yesterday was to draft up the Brake Van in Silhouette Studio, cut in 10 thou sheet and assemble. Sides and ends are 2 layers of 10 thou laminated with D-limonene, underframe and roof are Dundas.
IMG_20240202_233455.jpg
Number decals are Railtec, part of the custom sheet of a dozen VoR coaches I had done.
IMG_20240204_103520.jpg
As I'd already done the Thirds/Brake Thirds in Studio, the Van was a simple case of copy/paste the required elements onto a shorter side. The ends are the same, just with the windows added to one end.
 
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