Mewn Cof 4mm OO
On 25 th July 2022 we at Cradley Heath Model Railway Club heard the sad news that Frank Collins one of our longest serving members had passed away earlier that Day. Frank had been unwell for quite a while so the news did not necessarily come as a great shock. Frank had been an active member of the club for many years serving on the club committee and also as exhibition manager for several years.
Shortly afterwards we were contacted by Frank’s granddaughter and advised that Frank had specified certain Model railway items were to come to the club on his passing among these items were four baseboards which were the foundations of his next project. Frank’s main inspiration was the Cambrian railways of Mid and West Wales some of his layouts found their way onto the Exhibition Circuit notably “Steam on the Cambrian”. He had intended his latest project to be called Bont Ddu which is a small village on the North bank of the Afon Mawdach river between Dolgellau and Barmouth.
For those of you who know the area you can put your pens down because Frank knew that this is an entirely fictitious location, the village does exist but the railway ran along the South bank of the Mawdach as far as Fairborne junction where it turned along the coast and going north across the river by means of the bridge just south of Barmouth.
The layout had its first outing at the Bourneville club exhibition in August of 2023when it was in a very early stage of development. We have moved it on since then but it is still very much a project in progress with much more to do with scenery and extra details.
So I hear you ask yourselves why Mewn COF and not Bont Ddu for those of you not fluent in Welsh Mewn Cof translates to “in memory of” So this is for Frank.
Photos courtesy of Richard Mottershead, Cradley Heath MRC
