A journey through Cwm Prysor…

A few weeks ago I introduced the Bala branch, my feelings towards it and exploring different ways to bringing it to life in a miniaturisation. I closed with thoughts of a potential cameo layout presentation…

Photo: Dave’s archive (embedded via Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/2avM5GF)

Anyone familiar with the area will both recognise the bleak beauty of the moors around Arenig and the sad story of a drowned valley. Every time I drive to Ffestiniog I have the same saudade, the feeling of loss and a sense that it will never be again. Loss greater than the railway, as if its abandoned route is a scar to remind us of the greater loss that occurred for the people of Capel Celyn. That feeling almost saturates the moor for me, and I am certain it would fuel a distinctive feeling on any project.

I have settled upon Cwm Prysor. I recognise that Tom Foster has previously used the station for his own muse, and if you’re not familiar with Tom’s wonderful work then it’s genesis is described on RMweb. Whilst Tom created a wide vista I have instead closely cropped the station area and have put the structures and platform at the rear, so that the land drops subtlety behind the track bed. This, in a small cameo, aids the transition between scenery and back drop - and as important for me in this case, doesn’t hide the wheels of the locomotive. The above could work as a compressed version in OO in about 4ft but in my heart I felt this was an N gauge project, the quality of today’s Dapol 57xx and Farish 64xx (to convert to a 74) do, to some extent, facilitate such an approach. 

Some time ago Chris mentioned that, from across the Atlantic at least, my small cameo and box layouts feel seperate parts of the same branchline. That is a lovely thought, but more, perhaps a glimmer of hope, a seed of an idea - that through a series of these ‘cameo’ scenes we could have the larger longer branch-line we desire? Iain Rice shared a concept in his Kalmbach shelf layouts book, a series of scenes on a wall with a cassette system that allowed a train to move between the scenes, carrying on its journey but along a single section of wall? 

More, I sent a copy of the D.W. Southern book to Chris. I wanted to share my connection with the railway through the pages of a book we now both own:

I have been reading and simply enjoying the Bala book. It’s such a good thing. Thank you.  

It amazes me: this railway feels almost in your back yard? I keep seeing references to places you go regularly. I imagine this all being much further apart but it appears to be almost, comparatively, in very close proximity. As you suggested, while studying Cwm Prysor, I was surprised to see how the station was so close to the water and it made me wish for a layout that had an expanse of water in its background instead of along the front edge as we are so often tempted.

Beyond the track plan, this has become both a local and personal story. I have an indirect connection to the branch (my partners great Uncle was a fireman at Trawsfynydd), I follow its route whenever I visit the Ffestiniog, I have explored its remains, I love Panniers. Starting a layout such as this would be both deeply emotional and incredibly rewarding. However, as regular readers will know, my head is more likely to trump the heart, and I really don’t need any more projects, perhaps then, this could be one for you?

Until next time, more soon…

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