You have made good steady progress over the years Marty and the layout is coming together nicely. Those UM locos look the part too.

Bob

Missing updates, Marty!

By-the-by, just exhibited again at the Woolen Mill, and passing through N-C-E, we realized that we have never seen any BR/GWR plans for the line beyond Emlyn… Wasn't it originally going on to Cardigan, and how was it getting there?
As you have done so much research on that branch line, we wondered if you had come across any documentation/plans.

Best regards,
Shaun.

Those last set of photos are brilliant! Very realistic 

Updates?!! God lord…has it been that long?!
Well life is busy and nothing, absolutely nothing has been done to the layout since the last post. Sigh. 

I am pleased to report, however, that trains are being run occasionally, sometimes at 1am when I can’t sleep, just to keep the track clean.

While I wish I could make some progress on the Newcastle Emlyn turntable, station and yard, I have several drafting contracts that need to be finished, solar panels for the camper trailer that need testing, lawns that need mowing, tap washers that need replacing, etc, etc. you know how it is.

Hmmmm, I obviously need to give myself a railway day. Must negotiate with the boss.

One of the discouraging aspects of the hobby at the moment is the apparent appalling mechanical/electrical standard of motive power available from the two big UK outline manufacturers. Expensive locomotives, both diesel and steam, that were originally reliable runners when new fail for no apparent reason that I am able to detect. Very low mileage and both wheels and track are clean. I have 5 or 6 sitting in the engine shed cripple siding awaiting attention. 

I know that they can be returned to the manufacturer or to BR lines for repair but this requires time and money and the point is I have parted with a considerable number of beer tokens in good faith and I shouldn’t need waste valuable modelling time to do so.

Anyway…. rant over for the moment… 

Shaun,

I’ve not seen any GWR/BR plans for the extension of the line to Cardigan and I think I know why. The cost of pushing the line through the town of Newcastle Emlyn would have been prohibitive.

I have actually spent several pleasant afternoons planning a route for the extension myself using Google Earth, which gives you rough elevations for grade planning, as well as the satellite view. My routing follows the valley of the Afon Teifi as you would expect and requires from memory, it was a few years ago, several viaducts and tunnels and most importantly, tunnelling under Newcastle Emlyn itself.

I could see no other way to go around the town.
Even if after leaving the station the line turned north and crossed the large S-bend of the river around the castle on expensive bridges, part of the township extends to the north bank and would still require acquisitions. Then there is a ridge that the town is built on directly to the west if you continue to hug the south bank of the river and the ridge only gets steeper to the South. Maybe, back in the day, the town was smaller and acquisition of a few houses would have allowed the line straight ahead, westwards, through the town in a cutting to maintain or minimise the grade from the station level but all of the above would have made extension difficult and expensive to my mind.

I believe that the line terminated short of the town in the location that it did for these reasons and that the Whitland branch, despite its steep grades, was the cheaper and ultimately successful option to reach Cardign.

All of this is purely speculation on my part but it was fun working it out.

Of course, in my layouts history, the railway was doing so well financially that they just tunnelled under the ridge beneath the town and carried on their merry way. One day I’ll model it to show what could have happened.

Hehe

Thanks for the prompt reply Marty.
That was more or less the conclusion that we came to - the geographical constraints were/are just too difficult to overcome.e e
Regarding engines, we have never used r-t-r locos on any of our exhibition layouts (5 layouts at present) all the engines are either scratch built bodies on proven second-hand chassis, or in the case of some of the 3mm ones, revamped bodies and remotored chassis.
With Teifi Gorge locos, using N gauge chassis, Minitrix prove to be the most reliable, though Colin is slowly remotoring using new motors from a supplier in Scotland, as well as Chinese motors.
As you mention, there are more important uses for hard-earned money!

ATB, Shaun.

Stripping down existing electrics and replacing with something more reliable is a skill that I would like to develop. I know enough to be dangerous at the moment. Might have to sacrifice a diesel to the cause. Humanly of course. :lol:

Hi All, 


Time for an update.


New Union Mills motive power has arrived on the Newcastle Emlyn branch. City of Truro was my Christmas present from T this year.


Hopefully the below youtube video works… if not I'll be back to work out how.


[yt]qOA1Lt21zwc[/yt]


Happy New year.


Marty

Nice one Marty!
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda to you.

Shaun.

Looks very nice  :thumbs

Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Marty.


Ed

Diolch Shaun!

Cheers Ed!
Marty

Excellent, Marty.   :thumbs

The scenery is looking a treat.

Have one of these for your trouble. 

Ooooo :oops:... Pachyderm... thank you Max.

Great to see an update and to hear from you again Marty.  Great little video!

Michael

Although its taking time Marty Newcastle Emlyn is a layout that will give a lot of inspiration to many people who are considering making a layout many dont achieve that excellence in OO gauge but to do what you have in N gauge is superb.

The City of Truro model certainly fits in well with the layout im assuming we are lending it to our Celtic cousins  :lol:

Brian

I have to agree with Brian, Marty.  Newcastle Emlyn was definitely one of the layouts that inspired me to stop dreaming and start making!  Always great to see your updates, even if our other lives get in the way!

Regards and thanks
Michael

Thanks guys,
I'll try and get a better update done…. my mojo is here but the drafting contract needs to be finished first!!!! It's what pays for the toys  :roll: :lol:

Marty

Looks great. Very nice little video to watch :lol:
Some if those scenes look real!

Excellent Marty……..thank you for posting the video. I guess I have been following your layout for a decade now. I have frequently admired the scenery in the individual shots that you post but this is the first opportunity to see the layout as a whole……it looks great.

Best wishes

John