Aberdovey (Aberdyfi)

Aberdovey (Aberdyfi)

Aberdovey was one of the principal ports situated in Cardigan Bay. The Aberystwyth and Aberdovey Packet Company, and The Waterford and Aberdovey Steamship Company were the two shipping companies that operated from Aberdovey, shipping to the major cities of Cardiff & Liverpool.
 
Situated on the north side of the Dovey Estuary, it fostered the shipbuilding in its own yards as well as the yards at Derwenlas; further up the river. Hence imports of timber and coal were essential. The main exports were slate, lead, leather goods and softwood timber for coal mining props.
 
This 7mm scale layout suggests that the narrow-gauge railways from Tywyn and Corris were extended to the quayside at Aberdovey so as to speed up the delivery of slate for oceanic transportation. In effect the arrival of the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway scuppered this solution leaving the slate trade to standard gauge transhipment at Tywyn and Machynlleth respectively.
 
The layout operates the standard gauge using DCC in the future. Narrow gauge being operated by analogue technology. A mixture of building techniques are used; mainly DAS modelling clay and plaster castings are hand-painted to provide realism.
 
Most of the NG stock is built from kits or uses commercially available chassis from the Bachmann American range.  

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