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  ONE DAY IN CWMBRAN

A WELSH 16MM SOCIETY ADVENTURE

  


 

On Saturday 13 November 2010 I was very kindly invited by Rob Bushill to visit both the workshops of his company Swift Sixteen and also to photograph some of the visiting trains at his outdoor SM32 gauge 16mm to the foot ( 1/19 ) scale Crow Valley Railway.



 
On Saturday 13 November 2010 I was very kindly invited by Rob Bushill to visit both the workshops of his company Swift Sixteen and also to photograph some of the visiting trains at his outdoor SM32 gauge 16mm to the foot ( 1/19 ) scale Crow Valley Railway.


 

Comprising 140 feet of track, a signal box, station - complete with Paddington clock, girder bridge and level crossing, the Crow Valley Railway followed the edges of Rob's garden. The four straight sections were linked by 8' radius curves gentle enough for even big Garratt engines and the station straight - and that from the house down to the level crossing - had an incline of 1 in 250: enough to make a locomotive work hard but not over exert itself or its driver.



 
Comprising 140 feet of track, a signal box, station - complete with Paddington clock, girder bridge and level crossing, the Crow Valley Railway followed the edges of Rob's garden.  The four straight sections were linked by 8' radius curves gentle enough for even big Garratt engines and the station straight - and that from the house down to the level crossing - had an incline of 1 in 250: enough to make a locomotive work hard but not over exert itself or its driver.


 

Comprising 140 feet of track, a signal box, station - complete with Paddington clock, girder bridge and level crossing, the Crow Valley Railway followed the edges of Rob's garden. The four straight sections were linked by 8' radius curves gentle enough for even big Garratt engines and the station straight - and that from the house down to the level crossing - had an incline of 1 in 250: enough to make a locomotive work hard but not over exert itself or its driver.



 

Seen moving round the Crow Valley Railway in an anticlockwise direction was this South American style Bo-Bo belonging to Malcolm Morgan and previously recorded on the Leigh Valley Light Railway during its 2010 Open Weekend. Coupled behind the green twin cab locomotive was a demonstration rake of Swift Sixteen carriages painted in a range of liveries.



 
Seen moving round the Crow Valley Railway in an anticlockwise direction was this South American style Bo-Bo belonging to Malcolm Morgan and previously recorded on the Leigh Valley Light Railway during its 2010 Open Weekend.  Coupled behind the green twin cab locomotive was a demonstration rake of Swift Sixteen bogie carriages painted in a range of liveries.


 

Moving anticlockwise from the Crow Valley station with its slate roofed grey stone effect resin building, a 90 degree turn took trains over a red girder bridge near the house and then between a patio area and the lawn.

 

 

  

Moving anticlockwise from the Crow Valley station with its slate roofed grey stone effect resin building, a 90 degree turn took trains over a red girder bridge near the house and then between a patio area and the lawn.



 
Moving anticlockwise from the Crow Valley station with its slate roofed grey stone effect resin building, a 90 degree turn took trains over a red girder bridge near the house and then between a patio area and the lawn.


 

The picture above shows "Lydia" - a freelance Accucraft 0-4-0T - moving clockwise between the patio and lawn at the other end of the Swift Sixteen demonstration rake. Nearest to the butane powered tank engine was a Full Observation bogie carriage in Great Western Railway chocolate and cream livery with a Half Observation carriage - observation end leading - in blue and white. Also visible in the lower left hand corner of the photograph is one of four concrete ramps used to access the two paved tracks which allow Rob to drive his car from the street, across the high level patio and into his garage at the bottom of the garden.



 
The picture above shows "Lydia" - a freelance Accucraft 0-4-0T - moving clockwise between the patio and lawn at the other end of the Swift Sixteen demonstration rake.  Nearest to the butane powered tank engine was a Full Observation bogie carriage in Great Western Railway chocolate and cream livery with a Half Observation carriage - observation end leading - in blue and white.  Also visible in the lower left hand corner of the  photograph is one of four concrete ramps used to access the two paved tracks which allow Rob to drive his car from the street, across the high level patio and into his garage at the bottom of the garden.


 
The paved path for two wheels of the car can also be seen to the left of the image above while Lydia turns on the torque to reach the top of the 1/250 incline marked by the stone Welsh Dragon seen at the top of this feature.


 
The paved path for two wheels of the car can also be seen to the left of the image above while Lydia turns on the torque to reach the top of the 1/250 incline marked by the stone Welsh Dragon seen at the top of this feature.


 
Outside Rob's garage 1/19 scale cars including a grey Citroen 2CV and a yellow Porsche sports model waited for passing trains - including this rake of goods wagons hauled by an American Davenport 0-4-0 diesel shunter adapted for SM32 from the Bachmann G scale Lumberjack set.
 

 

  

Outside Rob's garage 1/19 scale cars including a grey Citroen 2CV and a yellow Porsche sports model waited for passing trains - including this rake of goods wagons hauled by an American Davenport 0-4-0 diesel shunter adapted for SM32 from the Bachmann G scale Lumberjack set.
 

 

  
 

Completing the circuit by running in front of the garage towards the signal box was Rob's own French metre gauge autorail in the style of De Dion or Billard also seen earlier in 2010 at the Leigh Valley Light Railway Open Weekend.

 
 

 

  
  Completing the circuit by running in front of the garage towards the signal box was Rob's own French metre gauge autorail in the style of De Dion or Billard also seen earlier in 2010 at the Leigh Valley Light Railway Open Weekend. 
 

 

  
 

Lydia- already described above - made an interesting comparison with Rob's own Accucraft 0-6-0T "Kilmar Tor", fitted with a full cab and rear coal bunker, as well as with the very simple "Donald" which used a flywheel to smooth out the reciprocating strokes of its single horizontal cylinder. Despite its mechanical simplicity, Donald was capable of an impressive turn of speed with its own freight train laden with wheels from larger locomotives. A closer inspection of the wagons also revealed a six wheeled rigid vehicle just behind the engine and a Dutch style single axle bar coupled permanent way cart bringing up the rear.

 
 

 

  
 

Lydia- already described above - made an interesting comparison with Rob's own Accucraft 0-6-0T "Kilmar Tor", fitted with a full cab and rear coal bunker, as well as with the very simple "Donald" which used a flywheel to smooth out the reciprocating strokes of its single horizontal cylinder. Despite its mechanical simplicity, Donald was capable of an impressive turn of speed with its own freight train laden with wheels from larger locomotives. A closer inspection of the wagons also revealed a six wheeled rigid vehicle just behind the engine and a Dutch style single axle bar coupled permanent way cart bringing up the rear.

 
 

 

  
 

Lydia- already described above - made an interesting comparison with Rob's own Accucraft 0-6-0T "Kilmar Tor", fitted with a full cab and rear coal bunker, as well as with the very simple "Donald" which used a flywheel to smooth out the reciprocating strokes of its single horizontal cylinder. Despite its mechanical simplicity, Donald was capable of an impressive turn of speed with its own freight train laden with wheels from larger locomotives. A closer inspection of the wagons also revealed a six wheeled rigid vehicle just behind the engine and a Dutch style single axle bar coupled permanent way cart bringing up the rear.

 
 

 

  
 

Lydia- already described above - made an interesting comparison with Rob's own Accucraft 0-6-0T "Kilmar Tor", fitted with a full cab and rear coal bunker, as well as with the very simple "Donald" which used a flywheel to smooth out the reciprocating strokes of its single horizontal cylinder. Despite its mechanical simplicity, Donald was capable of an impressive turn of speed with its own freight train laden with wheels from larger locomotives. A closer inspection of the wagons also revealed a six wheeled rigid vehicle just behind the engine and a Dutch style single axle bar coupled permanent way cart bringing up the rear.

 
 

 

  
  Lydia- already described above - made an interesting comparison with Rob's own Accucraft 0-6-0T "Kilmar Tor", fitted with a full cab and rear coal bunker, as well as with the very simple "Donald" which used a flywheel to smooth out the reciprocating strokes of its single horizontal cylinder.  Despite its mechanical simplicity, Donald was capable of an impressive turn of speed with its own freight train laden with wheels from larger locomotives.  A closer inspection of the wagons also revealed a six wheeled rigid vehicle just behind the engine and a Dutch style single axle bar coupled permanent way cart bringing up the rear. 
 

 

  
 

Lydia- already described above - made an interesting comparison with Rob's own Accucraft 0-6-0T "Kilmar Tor", fitted with a full cab and rear coal bunker, as well as with the very simple "Donald" which used a flywheel to smooth out the reciprocating strokes of its single horizontal cylinder. Despite its mechanical simplicity, Donald was capable of an impressive turn of speed with its own freight train laden with wheels from larger locomotives. A closer inspection of the wagons also revealed a six wheeled rigid vehicle just behind the engine and a Dutch style single axle bar coupled permanent way cart bringing up the rear.

 
 

 

  
 

Lydia- already described above - made an interesting comparison with Rob's own Accucraft 0-6-0T "Kilmar Tor", fitted with a full cab and rear coal bunker, as well as with the very simple "Donald" which used a flywheel to smooth out the reciprocating strokes of its single horizontal cylinder. Despite its mechanical simplicity, Donald was capable of an impressive turn of speed with its own freight train laden with wheels from larger locomotives. A closer inspection of the wagons also revealed a six wheeled rigid vehicle just behind the engine and a Dutch style single axle bar coupled permanent way cart bringing up the rear.

 
 

 

  
 

Lydia- already described above - made an interesting comparison with Rob's own Accucraft 0-6-0T "Kilmar Tor", fitted with a full cab and rear coal bunker, as well as with the very simple "Donald" which used a flywheel to smooth out the reciprocating strokes of its single horizontal cylinder. Despite its mechanical simplicity, Donald was capable of an impressive turn of speed with its own freight train laden with wheels from larger locomotives. A closer inspection of the wagons also revealed a six wheeled rigid vehicle just behind the engine and a Dutch style single axle bar coupled permanent way cart bringing up the rear.

 
 

 

  
    
 

The scene in Cwmbran turned even more Welsh with the arrival of Rob, based on a Vale of Rheidol Railway 0-6-0 and represented by a Branbright conversion of an Accucraft model.

 
 

 

  
  The scene in Cwmbran turned even more Welsh with the arrival of Rob, based on a Vale of Rheidol Railway 0-6-0 and represented by a Branbright conversion of an Accucraft model. 
 

 

  
 

The scene in Cwmbran turned even more Welsh with the arrival of Rob, based on a Vale of Rheidol Railway 0-6-0 and represented by a Branbright conversion of an Accucraft model.

 
 

 

  
 

Bringing me right back to my roots as a steam railway enthusiast however was this representation of the Festiniog Railway's "Blanche", complete with Gomm enamel badge used as a headboard.

 
 

 

  
  Bringing me right back to my roots as a steam railway enthusiast however was this representation of the Festiniog Railway's "Blanche", complete with Gomm enamel badge used as a headboard.

Blanche was built by the Hunslet Engine Company in Leeds for the Penrhyn Quarry Railway (PQR) in 1893 for the princely sum of £800. She is named after Blanche Georgina Fitzroy (1865-1944) the wife of the owner of the PQR.

Blanche came to the Festiniog Railway in 1963, the year after her sister Linda, and the pair of them quickly became the mainstay of the fleet. Originally an 0-4-0 she has been rebuilt as a 2-4-0, fitted with a tender, new piston valve cylinders and been superheated, most of this being done in a 1972 overhaul. She then ran consistently until withdrawn for overhaul in 1989.

Meanwhile, in 1980, the replica of Stephenson's Rocket was taking part in a parade at Bold Colliery, near Liverpool, to celebrate 150 years since the Rainhill Trials, during which time the National Railway Museum's 0-2-2 derailed several times. On the same day as the big event, Blanche also derailed, once at Porthmadog and also later elsewhere on the Festiniog.  The next day The Guardian - a newspaper which does for spelling what the NCB at Bold did for track maintenance - reported that a locomotive called "Ricket" had been derailed.  Obviously this could not have been the Stephenson engine...and so Blanche was nicknamed Ricket!

A major volunteer led overhaul and reboilering returned Blanche to traffic just in time for her 100th birthday celebrations which starred Linda, Blanche and their older brother Charles.

During the next ten years Blanche worked steadily on the FR and spent a time on the first stage of the WHR. During this time recurring minor boiler troubles started to indicate that the boiler was approaching the end of its working life. Blanche ended this ten year boiler ticket on March 1st 2003 with a special evening train with the “last gasp” chalked on her smokebox. She was stored for two years whilst funds were raised and a new boiler acquired.

Blanche returned to service in May 2005 and has been in regular service since.

 
 

 

  
 

Blanche was built by the Hunslet Engine Company in Leeds for the Penrhyn Quarry Railway (PQR) in 1893 for the princely sum of £800. She is named after Blanche Georgina Fitzroy (1865-1944) the wife of the owner of the PQR.

 
 

 

  
 

Bringing the Festiniog theme up to date however was this Locolines cardboard kit of "Vale of Festiniog" complete with four traction motors and optional white or red lights depending on the desired direction of travel.

 
 

 

  
  Bringing the Festiniog theme up to date however was this Locolines cardboard kit of "Vale of Festiniog" complete with four traction motors and optional white or red lights depending on the desired direction of travel. 
 

 

  
 

Bringing the Festiniog theme up to date however was this Locolines cardboard kit of "Vale of Festiniog" complete with four traction motors and optional white or red lights depending on the desired direction of travel.

 
 

 

  
 

The story of the real life Vale of Festiniog began on 16 October 1993 with the arrival at Porthmadog of two B-B diesel hydraulic locomotives built by CH Funkey & Co (Pty) Ltd of Alberton, near Johannesburg, South Africa, for a diamond mine in Namibia and purchased from Pretoria Portland Cement Ltd, New Brighton Cement Works, Port Elizabeth, Cape Province.

 
 

 

  
  The story of the real life Vale of Ffestiniog began on 16 October 1993 with the arrival at Porthmadog of two B-B diesel hydraulic locomotives built by CH Funkey & Co (Pty) Ltd of Alberton, near Johannesburg, South Africa, for a diamond mine in Namibia and purchased from Pretoria Portland Cement Ltd, New Brighton Cement Works, Port Elizabeth, Cape Province.

Very much stronger than any preceding Festiniog internal combustion locomotives with their 335 bhp turbo charged Cummins engines, these two immigrant from the southern hemisphere were an attraction in their own right as well as being able to handle the heaviest trains.

In their as-delivered format, the two Funkeys - each had a long low bonnet and a taller cab at one end.  However, although one of these retained the original fibreglass cab the other had a steel cab as a replacement for accident damage.

On the basis that steel is easier to cut than fibreglass, the intact Funkey was allocated to the northern section of the expanding Welsh Highland Railway, which has a larger loading gauge than the Festiniog, and was named "Castell Caernarfon".  Before entering service however, Castell Caernarfon had to be rewired with simpler electrical systems that were more appropriate to its new role.

When they arrived in North Wales the two Funkeys were multiple unit capable and festooned with safety cut-out switches, most of which were shorted out to get them to run. Bowden cable drives for the throttle and gear selection were installed along with a single driver operating deadman's system.

The greater challenge however was making the other Funkey fit under the narrower Festiniog loading gauge and in so doing create a template for converting Castell Carnarfon at some point in the future to allow through running from Caernarfon to Blaenau Ffestiniog.  The result was the twin cabbed "Vale of Ffestiniog", designed and built by Steve Coulson as part of the Festiniog Railway's participation in the 1997 Year of Engineering Success campaign and generously supported by National Power ( now Innogy ). 

Indeed, the overall side elevation proportions and front end of Vale of Ffestiniog are markedly similar to the General Motors built Class 59 diesel electrics operated by the Ferrybridge based National Power Rail Unit for the transport of coal and limestone to power stations.  These Type 5 Co-Cos were also named after Vales - such as 59 203 " Vale of Pickering", seen below - and Vale of Ffestiniog originally ran in a variant of National Power livery.  One noticeable difference between the National Power machines and Vale of Ffestiniog however was that the engine compartment of the Welsh narrow gauge locomotive is narrower than the cabs, thus making it appear more like a British Rail Class 58 when viewed obliquely.

 
 

 

   
  Indeed, the overall proportions and front end of Vale of Ffestiniog are markedly similar to the General Motors built Class 59 diesel electrics operated by the Ferrybridge based National Power Rail Unit for the transport of coal and limestone to power stations. These Type 5 Co-Cos were also named after Vales - such as 59 203 " Vale of Pickering", seen below - and Vale of Ffestiniog originally ran in a variant of National Power livery. 
 

 

   
  Unlike the Canadian built 59/2s with a traction motor for each axle too, Vale of Ffestiniog's diesel hydraulic B-B format has all the wheels on each bogie coupled mechanically more like the Swindon assembled Class 42 "Warship" locomotives of the 1950s or indeed the articulation of a Shay steam engine.

The Cummins NT 855 L4 big cam prime mover produces 335 bhp at 2100 rpm which turns both a radiator fan and a torque converter.  The torque converter is then coupled to an American built Allison constant mesh epicyclic gearbox giving forward and reverse gears and the final drive is a drop-down gearbox integral with the speed/direction gearbox having two output flanges from which cardan shafts turn the final drive gearboxes. The gears are engaged by hydraulically operated clutches through an integral selection valve, as is the direction function, with the hydraulic power being supplied by an integral pump. Engine and gearbox oil is cooled through separate heat exchangers and the final drive gearboxes, one to each axle and coupled by cardan shafts, are axle hung with torque reaction being taken through links to the bogie frame. The final drive gearboxes have an input shaft driving through a helical bevel gear onto a layshaft at 90 degrees then through a helical spur to the axle mounted spur gear.

 

 
 

The power unit fuel supply is controlled by a valve operated by a solenoid with current fed via a protection circuit so that should the power unit overheat or lose oil pressure then the fuel supply is cut off and so stopping the diesel engine. The protection circuit is manually overridden when starting the diesel engine.

The gearbox selection valves are operated by pneumatic cylinders, one for the drive gear and one for direction, and these are controlled by solenoid valves operated by an ex-British Railways diesel mutliple unit gear/direction controller. The controller also provides interlocking between cabs, ensuring that it can only be driven from one end at a time.

The throttle is controlled pneumatically by a solenoid valve and uses a brake valve as a pressure regulator to a bellows unit reacting against a spring. The locomotive brakes are air operated through a pressure regulating valve to four bogie mounted cylinders. When hauling a train of vacuum braked stock a combination valve operated by the vacuum brake valve applies the locomotive brakes in unison with the train.

There are two modes of operation: Shunt and Passenger. Shunt mode is for yard operation eliminating the deadman system and the removes the ability to generate vacuum for braking and so makes it impossible to pull passenger trains in this mode. Passenger mode activates the vacuum brakes and the deadman system. The deadman system requires resetting every 40 seconds, indicated by a siren. If it is not reset then 5 seconds later the power unit shuts down to tickover, the gears disengage and the brakes come on simultaneously. A Park switch disables the deadman system, applies the locomotive brakes and disengages the gears.

Vacuum for train braking is generated by a vane type exhauster driven by a hydraulic motor, which in turn is driven by a hydraulic variable displacement pump driven off the gearbox power take-off. Flow to the motor is restricted through alternative flow restrictors giving two running speeds 750 and 1400, available whatever the power unit speed. Four high vacuum receivers provide additional "suck" availability. The parking brake is cable-operated on one bogie actuated through a screw jack and powered by electric motor or hand in case of power failure.

Cab heating and demisting is by a diesel powered unit situated centrally feeding to both cabs simultaneously. Windscreen wipers and washers are pneumatically powered, as are the warning horns. The electrical system, 24 volts DC, is supplied by a power unit driven alternator and storage by two batteries. Air is supplied by a compressor driven by the power unit.

The cabs are modules mounted on neoprene pads and the interiors are lined with sound-absorbing material. The control panels are covered in leather cloth.

The bonnet side and roof panels are carried on three portal frames with the centre frame carrying the silencer, air filter and cab heater. The bonnet and roof panels do not carry any services and can be removed by two people in less than 30 minutes so making access for heavy maintenance easy.

Under the bonnet the layout is modular, with radiator, power unit/gearbox, exhauster package, brake package, electrical/pneumatic package, fuel tank and handbrake units. Each of these units can be lifted out separately after disconnection.

During 2007-8 Vale of Ffestiniog was out of service and rested for a long while on ambulance bogies, during which time parts were cannibalised to keep Castell Caernarfon running on the Welsh Highland Railway. By August 2008, with parts refurbished, returned, replaced, and a new repaint into a two tone green livery, Vale of Ffestiniog was ready for service again and on 12 March 2009 it was the first locomotive to cross Britannia Bridge in the new linked Festiniog / WHR era, with Empty coaching stock for Dinas.

 

 
 

 

  
 

During 2007-8 Vale of Ffestiniog was out of service and rested for a long while on ambulance bogies, during which time parts were cannibalised to keep Castell Caernarfon running on the Welsh Highland Railway. By August 2008, with parts refurbished, returned, replaced, and a new repaint into a two tone green livery, Vale of Ffestiniog was ready for service again and on 12 March 2009 it was the first locomotive to cross Britannia Bridge in the new linked Festiniog / WHR era, with Empty coaching stock for Dinas.