With Easter fast approaching and some leave booked, the time has come to review developments and plans for the coming operating season.
Christmas proved to be quite bountiful in terms of railway-related acquisitions. A whole set of Jigstones moulds arrived which, once I work out how to use them, will be used to create buildings for the local population.
A trip to Bettws-y-coed inevitably led to some fruitful time pottering around in the model shop - and the purchase of a 2-4-0 American-inspired loco (minus tender) for a modest fee. That chassis and those fittings look very promising!
I intend to add a junction between Bulkeley and Peckforton which will provide a more realistic route for Copper Mine traffic. In the 'real' route, the spur to the Copper Mine is between Bulkeley and Bickerton. At present, the junction for the Copper Mine would be between Peckforton and Bulkeley.
Schematically this can be represented as follows:
At present, a loaded ore train departs from the copper mine, traverses the crossover and the first station it reaches is Peckforton. It then carries on through Beeston Castle and then goes to Beeston Market; where it discharges its load (by taking the 'hidden' link back to the Copper Mine). Once 'emptied' (ie the loaded wagons are exchanged for the empties) the train of empty wagons takes the reverse route; Beeston Market, Beeston Castle, Peckforton and then back to the Copper Mine.
The additional loop (see above) will enable the loaded trains to pass through Bulkeley after leaving the Copper Mine and similarly the empties will take the Copper Mine spur after passing through Bulkeley. Thus, more realistic operation will be achieved (provided I overlook the fact that the Copper Mine is geographically very close to Beeston Market and that trains travel over the same stretch of track more than once). I believe this is called "modellers' licence".
Christmas proved to be quite bountiful in terms of railway-related acquisitions. A whole set of Jigstones moulds arrived which, once I work out how to use them, will be used to create buildings for the local population.
A trip to Bettws-y-coed inevitably led to some fruitful time pottering around in the model shop - and the purchase of a 2-4-0 American-inspired loco (minus tender) for a modest fee. That chassis and those fittings look very promising!
I intend to add a junction between Bulkeley and Peckforton which will provide a more realistic route for Copper Mine traffic. In the 'real' route, the spur to the Copper Mine is between Bulkeley and Bickerton. At present, the junction for the Copper Mine would be between Peckforton and Bulkeley.Schematically this can be represented as follows:
At present, a loaded ore train departs from the copper mine, traverses the crossover and the first station it reaches is Peckforton. It then carries on through Beeston Castle and then goes to Beeston Market; where it discharges its load (by taking the 'hidden' link back to the Copper Mine). Once 'emptied' (ie the loaded wagons are exchanged for the empties) the train of empty wagons takes the reverse route; Beeston Market, Beeston Castle, Peckforton and then back to the Copper Mine.
The additional loop (see above) will enable the loaded trains to pass through Bulkeley after leaving the Copper Mine and similarly the empties will take the Copper Mine spur after passing through Bulkeley. Thus, more realistic operation will be achieved (provided I overlook the fact that the Copper Mine is geographically very close to Beeston Market and that trains travel over the same stretch of track more than once). I believe this is called "modellers' licence".