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Llanbourne – an OO Gauge layout set on the North Wales Coast
Peter Mantle
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47106 works a short van train to Bangor
Llanbourne is my OO gauge layout based on the North Wales Coast in the mid-80s. My time period is set from mid-85 to mid-87. It’s not a wide time range but there was plenty going on during this time. Locos and stock were being repainted into new liveries along with the class 25s being withdrawn and the few remaining class 40s eking out their last days on ballast work. Something else that drew me to modelling the North Wales Coast was the use of class 33’s on some trains from Cardiff and Crewe. Being from Hampshire, the class 33s had to feature on any layout that I was going to build!
The layout started life in my parents loft quite some time ago and has had many changes over the years, it’s currently in my garage in Australia and even after all these years still isn’t quite finished. But hey are they ever?
The original boards are Sundeala on 2inch by 1inch pine frames; the newer sections are on MDF as Sundeala is not available here in Oz. Track is Peco code 100 with Peco point motors powering the points. Scenics are pretty standard with the use of polystyrene Modroc flock and some static grass with carpet underlay used as a ground cover on the embankments.
31323 leaving Llanbourne on a flask train to Valley near Holyhead
A couple of DMUs in platform 3 And 4
25109 comes off the branch with a trip working of explosives from Maentwrog Road
47613 leaves the station on an inter-city service to Euston.
47613 leaves the station on an inter city service to Euston.
33010 sweeps round the curve past the carriage sidings on a Bangor to Cardiff service
Buildings are from kits or built from scratch; the station and platform are Hornby, covered with Slaters brick. The Signals are non-working Ratio kits changed to suit my needs.The layout was built DC but I converted to DCC some years ago, and currently use an NCE powercab; various decoders are used in my loco’s and some have sound.
The layout is 20 ft by 9ft terminus to fiddleyard which allows me to run a loco plus seven coaches with room to add a loco at the station, or to run round a 5-coach set.
Operation
As most of you may have noticed, Llanbourne is not an actual place in North Wales. In my mind, I have imagined that Llandudno and Llandudno Junction did not exist but Llanbourne did, acting as a through terminus for trains travelling along the coast. Trains from Holyhead, Crewe and beyond arrive at Llanbourne and either run round or have a loco change.
On Llanbourne, I try to run trains that were running on the North Wales Coast in my mid-80s time period, these include Inter-City services from Euston to Holyhead class 47/4 hauled; Trans– Pennine from Newcastle, York and Manchester to Bangor and Holyhead class 45/1 or 47/4 hauled; Provincial services from Cardiff and Crewe to Holyhead and Bangor, which are formed of DMUs and class 33s hauling stock.
Van and Freight Traffic
Van trains were a daily sight on the coast, so they appear at Llanbourne too; they often drop off or pick
45111 heads to Bangor while 97406 ex 40135 heads to Llanbourne on a ballast working
up vans left in platform 4. They are normally class 31 hauled but other motive power often turns up.
Freight traffic was quite busy on the Coast during the 80s and some of these can be seen on Llanbourne. I run a daily Speedlink, some trip workings, a nuclear flask and some ballast trains that come out of Penmeanwar quarry. I also run a Fly ash train which actually finished in 1984 but I don’t have room for freightliner trains, so have made an excuse to run this service. I also run an oil train with a pair of class 20s which was a regular working on the central Wales line. My train arrives at the station and is tripped to the oil sidings.
Locomotives and Rolling Stock
Loco’s and stock are pretty much RTR but all loco’s have had extra detailing work and are weathered by copying pictures of the actual locomotives. Most of the loco’s I have weathered were actually seen on the North Wales Coast and, hence, were possible I have also done a loco of which I actually have a picture.
Coaches are also weathered and renumbered and run in as near as possible correct formations to those seen on the Coast.
Wagons are mostly RTR with some kit built ones adding to the variety these are also weathered.
I generally run the layout to a timetable similar to how it would have worked in the mid-80s and I nearly have enough stock to run it how I would like. I still have a few projects on the workbench and in the cupboard. I also have a few more buildings to finish for the layout, the biggest one is an overall roof for the station!
