Barry and Penarth Model Railway Club

Club Open Day

was held on Saturday 22nd October, 2005

• The date of the 2006 Open Day will be announced in due course, but is likely to be Mid October as usual. It will be held at the Cadoxton Conservative Club, Vere Street, Cadoxton, Barry. Watch this web site for further details. The information below relates to the 2005 Open Day.

• The exhibition was open from 11.00am until 5.00pm. Admission £1.50, children and OAPs £1.00.

• All four of the club's fixed layouts were on show and fully working. This is the one chance in the year to see them all alive and working. There were seven other layouts from N-gauge to O-gauge, including a number of personal layouts of club members.

• The event was supported by local traders and preservation groups. The club's special edition Dapol wagons were also on sale. Refreshments were available.

  The exhibition was held on the first and second floors of the Con. Club, which has no lift access.
  

  
  The following club and members layouts are scheduled to appear:

• Holton General, the club's main OO-gauge British outline layout. This is now fully functional, so that trains will run from the lower level bay platform right through to the branch terminous on the uppermost level with about three circuits in between. Likewise, the engine shed should be completely operational. The top level is now fully linked up and so a DMU shuttle will operate to the bay platforms of Holton Junction (Upper) as well as the terminous in the far corner of the room.

• Tafsil, the club's main O-gauge layout, whereby the fixed boards (four road engine shed and curved viaduct sections) in three rooms are linked to the portable station boards operating as a country terminous. Both walls behind the engine shed have now been painted. (Not too many people remember the coal pit alongside Chepstow Castle - artistic licence!!!). The chance to view this alone is well worth the entrance fee. A wide variety of GWR steam will be in operation, including many locos taken over from the valleys railways at grouping. Look out for some migrants from other railways!!!

• Cadoc Bluffs, an American HO-scale layout depicting an imaginary line in the foothills of the Rockies. Both steam and diesel hauled trains will run, probably with one or two old-timers as well. The back scene round three sides of the room is really impressive - thanks Dave!!! This layout will operate using Digital Comand Control - ask Gwynne for more information.

• Machynlleth, an N-gauge layout with this important Cambrian Railways junction station as it was in the 1930's. There is even a trace of the narrow gauge Corris Railway to be seen at the front of the layout. The room has some photos of the modern day station taken in Summer 2000. Surprisingly quite a lot of the trackplan and buildings still remains. New spirals have been fitted at each end of this layout to improve operation.

• Penthar Bay, another OO gauge layout depicting a sea-side terminous. This layout is run in the 1970's period. Some simplification of the station layout by BR is evident. The old semaphor signals are being dismantled, since two aspect colour lights are in operation. This layout was scheduled to appear at the Penarth Show this year, but didn't because of lack of space. It will definitely be at the Open Day.

• Bardale. The club's earlier N-gauge exhibition layout makes an apearance again this year after a break. The renewed interest in N-gauge in the club is the reason. Bardale will run in 1960's BR period with steam and early DMUs.

• Devil's Creek: This award winning and much photographed old-time American HO gauge layout features a passing station on a single track line in the foothills of the Rockies. There are extensive freight facilities and a spur into a mine. Lots of period stock run on this layout depicting various railroads of the American Mid-West. You will need to spend time studying this layout to spot all the delightful cameos depicted.

• Sea Breeze Road, a small fun layout from our artist member, David, who will also be present with his paints and paintings. This layout with novel scenery and lots of details hasn't been seen for a few years. In its new guise it operates as a preserved narrow gauge line, built on the trackbed of the former standard gauge.

• Strathcona, a Canadian HO layout. Strathcona is an imaginary location somewhere in Alberta, western Canada and is representative of the many small towns in the province where there is a rail link. The time window at Strathcona is in the late 50's through to the 60's when there were still some passenger workings serving the community. In addition you will see there is a thriving yard facility comprising a grain elevator, rail freight car repair workshops, feed mill and various warehouses dealing with general traffic. Strathcona also houses a small station depot and permanent way facilities which will require the yard switching locomotive to be kept busy all day.

• Rimenough Diesel Depot, a new layout created to demonstrate the possibilities of DCC control of British outline diesels, including sound. If you are interested, ask Simon to explain DCC to you.

• Gamlyn Viaduct , near Penywaun, a working diorama. Phil, our resident carpenter, has been busy again and has completed the Gamlyn Viaduct to complement his model of the Dare Valley Viaduct, which we saw at the Penarth Show in the Summer. Gamlyn was the second Brunel wooden viaduct on the former Vale of Neath line at the top of the Cynon Valley. Like the Dare, it was dismantled in 1947 when the line was abandoned and was at that time the last remaining wooden viaduct in Britain.

  Traders will include Lord & Butler, Making Tracks & P & H MODELS

  In addition, club member David Dacey will be selling some of his Dapol limited edition South Wales private owner coal wagons, as well as the club's own wagons.

  
  

• For further details contact me david@murky.net