Mwynwr Tryciau Colliery - the Many Tricks Mine

[maridunian]

Hi All

I thought I'd share some pictures of progress with Mwynwr Tryciau Colliery, a small  layout I began a few years ago. I've been collecting miscellaneous British outline N-gauge rolling stock for almost 40 years, but only ever ran them on my son's basic train set loop when he was much younger than his current 26 years. I decided I'd like to build a layout with a focussed theme, in which I'd make the scenery and stock, if not the overall size, as realistic as I could manage.

So, my design parameters were:

1. I lived in a small furnished flat, so the layout had to be small and easily put-awayable

2. Because of 1. above, curves would be tight

3. Because of 2. above, I decided on an industrial theme, mostly running shunters and 4-wheeled stock.

4. Because of 3. above I wanted concurrent shunting and continuous running. To add interest, I decided on two connected loops on different levels.

5. Because of the age of my stock, DC was the Default Choice.

6. A visit to the 'Big Pit' in Blaenavon, www.museumwales.ac.uk/bigpit/ settled the theme for me; an upland Welsh coal mining layout was born.

The basic layout has been 'operational' for some time, but filling in the scenic detail, including adding appropriate new stock, is 'ongoing' and will be for some time to come.

Here's the overall track plan:



Upper and lower loops are independently controlled, both powered via a Gaugemaster track cleaning unit. The lower loop rises and the upper loop descends to meet at the crossover points at the lower left of the picture. The upper-level scenery is more-or-less done; high moorland to the right, with greener foliage as the upper loop descends along the escarpment towards the lower level, then climbing a viaduct back towards the moor:



At the centre of the layout will be the coal screens, ie train and barge loading. I've not decided whether to place pit buildings centrally, or imagine them to be "off-set" somewhere, with conveyors of some sort.

A locomotive stable will be based in the upper right low-level area:



A goods station/yard and exchange sidings will occupy the left end of the layout:



In both cases there'll probably be some track re-alignment to be done.

Anyway, watch this space!

Mike

[Malc]

Looks really good Mike, I'll be following your thread with interest.

[Newportnobby]

I very much like your stock, Mike
Having piloted a narrow boat once I wouldn't fancy trying that turning circle, though

[port perran]

Looks really good Mike. I too will be following your progress.
When I first looked at the initial post I saw the first picture and wondered why there was a pencil in the water but scrolling down I realised , of course, that it's the longboat !
Great work indeed even if I can't pronounce Mwynwr Tryciau !

[maridunian]

I very much like your stock, Mike
Having piloted a narrow boat once I wouldn't fancy trying that turning circle, though

Yes, fair point. I might need to shorten it, or fudge the banks with reeds!

[Chris in Prague]

Looking very nice indeed, Mike. The industrial tank locos. look very good, too.

[Bealman]

Very nice. I'm intrigued by the little green saddle tank.... what model is that, please?

[Mito]

Looks good. A lot of potential in a small space. Do I see an inglenook there?

[maridunian]

Very nice. I'm intrigued by the little green saddle tank.... what model is that, please?

Thank you! It's an ex-T3 - the story's at http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=18943.msg306084#msg306084

[maridunian]

Looks good. A lot of potential in a small space. Do I see an inglenook there?

Thank you - yes, I guess it qualifies!

Mike

[jonclox]

A nice little layout coming along very well. I`ll enjoy following the thread 

[josh_will]

Looks really good Mike. I too will be following your progress.
When I first looked at the initial post I saw the first picture and wondered why there was a pencil in the water but scrolling down I realised , of course, that it's the longboat !
Great work indeed even if I can't pronounce Mwynwr Tryciau !

Moyn oor truck ee eye

[skiprat8152]

Hi Mike
Am impressed with the layout and the T3 conversion. Great work!!
Can't see it mentioned. What is the overall layout size please?
I'm guessing at around 4'x2'?

Richard

[maridunian]

Yes, a piece of 4'x2' MDF, with some 2"X2" timber attached to stiffen/form the high level loop.

Mike

[maridunian]

Hi all!

Well, where did 7 months go? Ok, there were a couple of loco projects, plus getting on with real life, of course...

Anyway, I finally got around to developing the goods yard for the colliery. Some subtle realignment of the goods and transfer sidings allowed me to add a bay platform and a brake van siding:

Before:



After:



There are lots of resources out there which can help with this sort of mini-project, but I'd particularly highlight:

An overview of railway freight operations for modellers - http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/gansg

Paul Bartlett's Photographs - http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/?q=colliery

and a most inspiring layout found on the Forum here:

My Box file Layout ( South Wales Valleys Colliery) - http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=10430.0

So far, the goods station has a platform (or loading bank, if you will) made from some hacked about RTR items, and I have raised the yard to rail level using household filler, applied in layers. Next I shall ballast the sidings normally, then get out the black paint ...



Watch this space!

Mike