CaeredwynScale: 009 (4mm scale on 9mm gauge track) Layout Plan |
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Caeredwyn represents a Welsh narrow gauge railway in the preservation era, though some goods and slate traffic may still be seen.
The layout is divided into two sections, the first section includes the narrow gauge and British Rail stations in the town with the two lines crossing on a dual gauge diamond crossing just outside the station . The second section is a country scene with a passing loop and lake encircled by a spiral. The layout has featured in the 'Railway Modeller'.
The Edinburgh and Lothians Miniature Railway Club has a long history of modelling narrow gauge railways. The first was a 'rabbit warren' type built in the late 1960's to which, in the early 1970's, an extension was added in the form of a terminal station. The Edinburghshire and Lothians Light Railway (as the layout became known) was subsequently dismantled, but not everything was consigned to the scrap heap. The former terminal station has been re-incarnated as Caeredwyn on the Rheilffordd Cwm Edwyn.
Fictional History
The Edwyn valley is set in North Wales and along this valley runs the 2 foot 3 inch gauge Rheilffordd Cwm Edwyn. Like other narrow gauge railways in North Wales it was originally constructed in the l9th century to carry slate and other minerals from the mines and quarries at the head of the valley to the coast for trans-shipment and distribution around the British Isles. As happened with other similar lines the railway went into decline in the 20th century only to arise phoenix like as a successful tourist railway with a collection of narrow gauge railway stock from Britain and Europe. Today (or at least in the early to mid 1990's before privatisation of the standard gauge rail services) Caeredwyn is the main passing station on the Rheilffordd Cwm Edwyn and the exchange station for passenger and some freight traffic with British Rail. The standard gauge railway arrived at Caeredwyn after the narrow gauge and originally extended further along the coast. In the 1960's Dr. Beeching, who had proposed closing the whole line, had to settle for partial closure retaining the standard gauge as far as Caeredwyn. The current station has only minimal facilities, but these include a goods exchange siding with the narrow gauge railway.
