A photograph of a closed Welsh Chapel taken in the early 1990's from a carriage on the Ffestiniog Railway.
Since I was a lad I have always made models of some description in 1984 I started playing with 16 mm scale garden railways having previously made 5" gauge locomotives and being involved in making 18" gauge electric trams.
By 1987 I had made a 16 mm scale demonstration layout know as Rhydypenau Light Railway during the next 18 years it was exhibited in 90 + model exhibitions both in the UK and mainland Europe. During these years scenery was added to the layout making it more of an exhibition layout. Most of the decoration and finishing of the scenery was due to the efforts of my wife. All of the buildings on the layout were based on actual structures, when the layout was sold to finance or present layout the buildings went with the layout.
The new owner of the RLR used it as a basis of a larger layout known as Westfields. Over the years we saw Westfields at various exhibitions and my wife said to its owner that if he ever sold the layout she would like to buy the Chapel. Earlier this year Westfields was put up for sale and at the Peterborough 16 mm AGM the very generous owner presented my wife with the Chapel.
Our present layout Rhydypenderyn will be at Llanfair Garden Railway show at the end of the month so we have been adapting the Chapel to fit the layout. Most of our buildings are Silhouettes varying from 1" to 3" wide. The chapel as built had only one decorated side its back being plain all our other buildings are decorated on both sides, so it was decided to alter the Chapel.
The Chapel when a few years old, the photograph is dated May 1998.
The Chapel as it is now.
Instead of texturing the back of the Chapel my wife decided to open it up.
A few seated and possibly standing model people need to be added, which will possibly be bought at Llanfair.
Regards Tony.
