The Blackwood Valley Railway Company

The Bog is the name of the main layout (that features in the photos on the Homepage). It is supposedly set somewhere in the Southern Stiperstones in South Shropshire (lots of "s”!). The layout evolved from an accident and somewhere to run a new loco, to a fully fledged published exhibition. It follows regular principles for baseboard construction (2x1 and insulation board) but with variations (massive integral MDF back-screen) and the usual Peco track and point motors with Gaugemaster controls. The buildings are all scratch built, from embossed plastic sheet on ply frames, with real oak planks where wood is modeled, all hand painted after being built up from a basic plan that I designed and drew. The track plan is fairly simple, a continuous circuit, disguised by the buildings and scenics, with a loop and head-shunt and sidings and a loco shed. The layout features working beam engine, smoke generators, point levers and fully detailed buildings. It is actually my first layout, and I am quite pleased. I have tried to follow prototype practice as much as possible, to make it as realistic as possible but it has all been done for my fun!

In reality The Bog was never rail linked, but I decide it would be (see the History page). This scale gauge combination has so much potential, and I have really enjoyed making this layout, It enabled me to use an existing baseboard, include nearly all the features I aimed at, and get it done to a presentable standard.

The reason for choosing the name, "the Bog Mine". Well I can blame this on my dad again! The Bog is a real place, and in one of the books on the Shropshire Lead Mining Industry that we have there is a photo of a traction engine with "The Bog Mine" lettered on its side, and Dad decided to letter some wagons up in Shropshire Lead Mines Ltd, the Bog livery. Originally the history had the BVR based in some little known valley on the coast somewhere, but as the first show approached the history was changed from “Cheawl Ddu” to “the Bog” as I became more and more intrigued by the original source of inspiration, the Snailbeach District Railways. The final history was written shortly after the last show, and has now been sorted!