I’d hoped to hear more thrash up the hill before it came into view - but worth going out late to see my first loco-hauled train on the Cambrian in more than 20 years & my very first at Minffordd. Great to see the Belmond Britannia Explorer using the line.

It’s always worth hanging around for the empty stock moves at the end of the day at the FR’s Harbour Station, you can see the strangest combinations.

It must be nearly 50 years since I was last at the Vale of Rheidol (I was too young to remember) and I love that this livery has come back! There are so many places to see GWR livery so if you’ve got something unique, flaunt it!

Now Moelwyn works on DCC we can test how much it pulls up the hill on Minffordd? Answer: Not a lot! But doesn’t it sound nice and look good!

Small Birminghams. Or Bug Boxes. Perhaps the most famous narrow gauge carriages ever? On Minffordd in the 1960s we show these hard at work on the relief ‘Flying Flea’ service to mop up every shilling and penny in the summer peak to plough back into rebuilding the FR.

The hardest working shunter in showbiz! Our ‘Simplex tractor ‘ Mary Ann is a real crowd-pleaser at exhibitions with its unique look and sound. This WW1 veteran helps us to make sure there’s always something moving on the layout.

Is it worth paying a pro to weather your models? Take a look and decide for yourselves. More pics and explanation on the blog.👇

Weather Update

Investing in professional weathering for our OO steam locomotives

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Last Days Of Steam. Manors and Dukedogs may be the locos you most associate with the Cambrian but look in a book of photos from the 1960s you’ll see a lot of BR Standard 4MTs. This one is calling at Minffordd with a Down service for Pwllheli.

I’ve been getting reacquainted with my workbench and picking up on a scratch building project 👇

Pick-up Goods Train. Minffordd was - and remains - a minor halt for passenger trains on the Cambrian Coast Line. This place was built for swapping freight between narrow and standard gauge. It makes for a lovely slow shunting scene in the foreground on our layout.

Minffordd in the 1960s. Change here for Festiniog Railway trains to Penrhyn & Tan-y-Bwlch, or all stations on the Cambrian Coast Line to Pwllheli.

Main line and Mineral Line action at Minffordd.

Trench Warfare! Now we have a second WW1 veteran joining our Minffordd fleet, but which is your favourite? Mary Ann or Moelwyn? 🗳 Vote in the comments 👇

Moelwyn with sound! I reckon the yard shunting is going to be even more the most appealing operating job on Minffordd now we have this as well as the Simplex to play with!

Our favourite 009 diesel is back with us safe - and now with sound!!

Moelwyn Returns!

Moelwyn returns with a new power plant and sound!

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Is it worth waiting (and paying more) for a new model, or just refurb the one you’ve got? I genuinely can’t decide. What would you do?

Upgrade Or Replace?

Convert an old model to DCC or splash out on a new one?

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Great British (Model) Railways. Is @countbinface.bsky.social onto a vote winner?? bronhebog.blogspot.com/2026/07/coun...

Count Binface And The Toy Trains

The future of model railways is on the ballot in Clacton!

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There’s brave, and there there’s putting a favourite model in the post brave 📦😬

Mute Moelwyn No More - Hopefully

Moelwyn's departed for a digital upgrade!

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A very pleasant surprise to open the latest issue of the Ffestiniog Railway Society Magazine and see a lovely photo of Minffordd gracing the foot of the editorial page.

The finishing touches on the Princess project - now the heiress becomes the spare-ess. bronhebog.blogspot.com/2026/07/roya...

Royal Renumbering

Our Princess has had an identity swap

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We’ve had to keep quiet about this for a while - hope you’ll be able to make it along!

Minffordd's First Show In England

Our biggest show for Minffordd yet revealed

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A ‘Blue Peter make’ for your middle railway collection. ✂️📦

Model Railway Miser Tips

Making use of unwanted office supplies

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It takes a lot to persuade me to give away one of our models, but that’s just what we’ve done. Here’s why 👇

The Secret Can Be Told

A new home for one of our models

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Now, what could we have in mind to do with this? FR heritage geeks can probably guess 🤔

The Lonely Lowmac

Making plans for another historic FR vignette at Minffordd

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On the blog today, the no-turning-back-now alterations underneath that empty tender 👇

Margot Modifications

Hacking away at a Hornby Ringfield tender drive chassis

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A right royal test run. 👇

Will It Fit?

The moment of truth for 'Project Princess'.

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It’s been a while since there was any progress but we’ve got something to show you 👇

In The Paint Shop

Some progress on a long-term project to model James Spooner.

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It takes seconds to turn a tender drive steam loco into a towable curiosity piece. Here’s how 👇

On Tow

Turning a Hornby Princess into a towable loco with no motor drive

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Lizzie’s Last Run! A bargain price Hornby Princess Elizabeth arrived in the post today. I decided to give it one last birl around the test track before ripping the gears off the Ringfield tender drive for a new life as younger sister Margaret Rose being towed around Minffordd.

I can resist no longer, it’s wrong but this historic moment has got to be replicated in model form.👇

Royal Train

Recreating the rescue of a Princess from captivity!

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