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Tybach

Description based on material supplied by the layout owner

Tybach  
Francis Stapleton 12mm gauge 5.5mm scale

Ty Bach is assumed to lie about one mile due south of Talyllyn Lake, up in the mountains. For Ty Bach to exist we must assume that the connecting railway between Abergnolwyn on the Talyllyn Railway and Corris on the Corris Railway, was in fact built, creating a through line from Towyn to Machynlleth, through the scenic mountains. Above the village of Corris Uchaf (Upper Corris), we must assume that there is a junction with a branch running west to Ty Bach. The branch was built to serve the slate quarries of Glyn Lago and Darren. Both are real quarries, but neither was successful. Glyn Lago was not much more than a trial and is now lost in forestry, while Darren did produce but was unable to transport its undesirable rustic produce to market, relying solely on the packhorse. The quarry is notable, however, for its Hand Powered Circular Saw.

The name Ty Bach comes from the Quarry Managers House. According to the locals, the unpopular English quarry manager wanted to call his cottage, the Big House. The Welsh quarrymen weren't having this and insisted that the name had to be in Welsh, and informed him that the translation was Ty Bach. Ty Bach is actually Little House, and usually refers to the little house at the bottom of the garden. It was a while before the manager found the true translation of Ty Mawr, and by then it was too late, the original name had stuck.

When the railway arrived, it took the station name from the nearest house, the managers house, Ty Bach.

The station is some distance from either quarry. Darren is reached by a 2ft 3ins tramway from the station, and has its own locomotive, Glyn Lago is served by a 3ft 6ins horse worked tramway, using second hand equipment from Duffryn Nantile.

Track is hand built in an attempt to portray poor quality trackwork. Scenery is plaster on a foam bed, covered with various scenic scatter materials. Rolling stock is mainly kit built with kits from Malcolm Savage Models and loco chassis from Mike Chinnery, there are a few adapted vehicles as well as a few scratch built wagons. Most of the buildings were built by Peter Leyland.

 




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