New Pandora and Geirionydd Tramway

Modellers:  Phil Shaw, Lee Shaw, Brian Orton.

With a long name like that, you won't be surprised to discover that this is a Welsh layout!  It is loosely based on the tramway that ran from the New Pandora lead mine and along the shore of Llyn Geirionydd to the Klondike processing mill.  The geographic location is in the Gwydr forest,  north of Betwsycoed and west of Llanrwst.  About 25 miles from our clubhouse.

Construction is on baseboards salvaged from Abersoch, which was an old exhibition layout.  Track is Peco 0-16.5 with live frog points worked by Fulgurex slow motion motors.  Scenery is conventionally made but the ballast is the real thing - genuine sieved lead waste from New Pandora!

The period modelled is the early 1950's thus allowing a mixture of steam and internal combustion traction to operate.  Motive power includes scratch built freelance steam and diesel locomotives on Hornby chassis built by Brian and a De Winton vertical boiler loco, a Ruston diesel and a Tralee & Dingle railcar built by Phil.  Visiting locos to the line include an 0-4-2 Parker? and a geared American Shay.  Buildings are based on various narrow gauge and industrial prototypes including Snailbeach loco shed and Aberllefenni station building.

We have extensively researched the history of the area using books on the Mines of Gwydr Forest, Boyd's narrow gauge railway "bibles" and the 7mm association's "Narrow Lines".