Dabbling in Narrow Gauge

As has been covered in the ‘Whats New’ blog I have been busy tinkering a bit with OO9 Narrow gauge over the summer.
.. For all sorts of reasons work on Burton Pheonix and Stowey Green has slowed, so it has been good to have something to keep me busy.

Up here in North Wales we are close to the famous ‘Little Trains of North Wales’ that were built for quarry work – particularly slate.

This has become particularity relevant for me as we have friends that are now living within the new Word Heritage Site that covers the North Wales Slate industry. In fact the path of the Gorseddau Tramway, which served the Gorseddau Slate Quarry, ran through their garden.

Using the 3D Printer, and so far inadequete relearnt skills in painting… I have been able to create some OO9 rolling stock.
.. So far I have a little locomotive ‘Emma’, powered by a Kato chassis, along with a good variety of Slate and general support wagons. I have even made a few passenger carriages.


.. The ‘final’ intention, egged on by my friend, is eventually to create one (or more?) De Winton vertical boiler locomotives.
These locomotives were nick named ‘Coffee Pots’ – as can be seen below …
DeWinton
These locomotives were locally built in Caernarfon especially for use on the North Wales slate mines.
I have some interesting drawings which hopefully mean that when I get up to speed in CAD I ‘can’ produce a 3D model that can be printed..

DeWinton Drawing
A proper winters evening project I think.
.. Especially since Peco, due the stresses of the current pandemic, are still to release the medium radius bullhead points that will be a key component of the new Burton Crumpnold layout.. So plenty to get involved with in the meantime….