Hello everyone,
since I've joined the 009 Society, I've been reading many of the very interesting posts in all the sections of the forum and I have been
somewhat surprised that I couldn't find anything related to a layout representing Porthmadog and its WHR/FR station.
Am I somewhat "blind" and miss out on something or this particular place has not been one of the modelers' favourite spots?
Quick recap: at the beginning of April, I've been traveling through Wales and finally had the chance of riding on the WHR, visiting Porthmadog,
Portmeirion and then Blaenau Ffestiniog with the FR. Unluckily the weather was bad, but the experience was absolutely worth it :)
To me, it was instant "modelling love" with the environment and the railways, since then I've been active (on my mind and a bit on paper)
on two different fronts: modelling the WHR NG G16 and setting up a modular layout representing this particular area of Wales.
As the former is already subject of another thread in the "Locomotives" section (being in the analysis phase right now), the latter made me
start searching all over for some existing layout, as I was sure it could be a modeller's favourite spot.
So, unless I searched using the wrong keywords (I didn't try searching for it in welsh, unluckily I can barely understand it - never mind writing it!),
it seems that the end station of the WHR and FR didn't appeal as much as other locations along the WHR line (like Tan-y-Bwlch, Penrhyn or Beddgelert,
of which I was able to find modelled examples).
Therefore I am kindly asking all of you if you know of anyone (private person or group) that has modeled Porthmadog and its surrounding, like the
Boston Lodge Works.
At the same time, I am considering building a modular layout, which at its bare minimum should consist of 3 modules (frame sizing not yet considered):
- Porthmadog Station
- Britannia Terrace
- Boston Lodge Works
Eventual expansion modules could be built to extend the Britannia Terrace, or extend the Porthmadog station in the direction of the Glaslyn Bridge quay.
The WHR and FR lines would be "simulated" with a hidden station with loops, behind the Porthmadog station and the Boston Lodge Works.
I'm going to sketch something on the computer this coming weekend, I'll post some screenshots as soon as I am done.
BR
Alex
Pete Wilson built a super 009 layout in his loft in the 1970's and 80's of Porthmadog including the 1923 cross town link, a shortened version of the cob, Boston Lodge and Minffordd. He had double (Minitrix diesel chassis) and single locos as well as examples of all the other WHR and FR locos. It went through several make-overs before it met its end. Virtually nothing survives now, Pete has one loco and a few photos.
Brian Meldon
The Nick Welch book is the best bet.
Peter Kaizer also had a layout which he exhibited in the 1980s
Stan.
Thanks - I'll be digging around to see what I can find.
I've received yesterday the Nick Welch book.
What can I say - I got modelling depression now :(
Let me explain better: the book is wonderful, the story of the layout is amazing and the construction quality is nothing less than extraordinary.
Mr. Welch created an impressive representation of the FR that also my wife, who traveled with me last April in Wales when we visited the WHR and FR,
was impressed by the masterpiece that "Topsy" is.
Now, to my newly acquired depression: I started already making scaled plans on how to build a similar layout, thinking what I could fit in the space that I have...
After quickly going through the topics and pictures presented in the book, I am seriously tempted to scrape all my hand made drawings and notes, because there
is no chance in this life or the next for me to create something that can get as near as reality as Mr. Welch layout.
There is as well a psychologic element into that, that I admit being one of my limitations - maybe I'm not alone into that, but I can only speak for myself -
that is the fact that I'd like to be the first to model something that has never been modelled. Not because of being arrogant or wanting to "show off", but in some ways
I am not able to create something that someone else already did, independently of the location or degree of quality.
Mind you, if I would overcome this limit of mine, I could be tremendously helped by other people success and failures!
Sure, I could try to convince myself saying that I'd model it at the time frame that I have visited (April 2018), therefore I'd need way less information about the past
and could focus only on the pictures I took during my visit and other information which is at hand thanks to the Internet...
Still, knowing that my humble tentative of modeling this particular spot of the world could/would be compared to the masterpiece that is "Topsy" would make me
somewhat uncomfortable.
Maybe I should just ignore these negative feelings and just "go for it"... At the end, I'd do it for my own enjoyment and pleasure in building something that I like.
Alex
Quote from: ADanti on June 07, 2018, 14:37
Maybe I should just ignore these negative feelings and just "go for it"... At the end, I'd do it for my own enjoyment and pleasure in building something that I like.
That's the spirit Alex!
Never forget that it's all about YOUR enjoyment of the hobby! Many of us have our own "inspiration" layouts that we admire in the knowledge that we could never achieve whatever the standards we've been admiring are, but rather than feeling dispirited about this, use your chosen "inspiration" model for exactly that purpose - inspiration, don't try to copy it, unless you want to of course, just admire and then do your own thing in your own way, having been fired up and inspired!
Mick
Quote from: ADanti on June 07, 2018, 14:37
Maybe I should just ignore these negative feelings and just "go for it"... At the end, I'd do it for my own enjoyment and pleasure in building something that I like.
Indeed we do this for the enjoyment so I totally agree with you on that.
I too have a similar tale of depression about my layout (or lack thereof should I say!) as there has been a layout plan in the Peco OO set track plan book that's been haunting me for
years as I've never quite had the room to do it justice.
I had thought to do a N scale version of it but my eyesight isn't what it used to be. I can see locos and wagons just fine but it's the buildings, people are other such things that would give me real problems. OO and HO just didn't look right as it's a bit squashed so what to do. I got so depressed I seriously thought about putting a chainsaw through the base boards... I didn't.
Then I remembered that a friend of mine many years ago had a little bit of HOe narrow gauge. Now here I am playing catch up as it were :)
It's only taken me 10 years. Maybe in another 10 I'll have a running railway. :D
MickT and OfficerDonNZ, thank you for your prompt replies :)
I am happy to see that I am not the only one who "suffers" from this sort of "creative depression" (I use quotation marks as this is not really a serious illness) :)
I have "officially" discovered 009 after my visit to the WHR and FR, I started questioning myself as well whether to continue with my swiss H0 and H0m modeling (of which I have a serious quantity of models, built
and mostly collected in the past 20 years or so, plus a modular layout that is never finished), sell everything and start "fresh" again with the WHR and FR, with the idea of building everything from layout to engines
and carriages on my own from scratch.
That would indeed be a serious challenge for my next 20 years and for the following retirement (I'm 41 years old as the time of writing). Another advantage of selling my swiss model collection is that I could most
likely afford a new motorcycle, which is another hobby of mine :)
... you know what? I'll stop complaining and proceed to get my "Britannia Terrace" modular layout going, at least get it on paper to understand whether it's really feasible or not :)
BR
Alex