The Chequer Light Railway started life indoors as a Mamod rail set, purchased by our eldest son when he was about 8 or 9 years old. The Mamod was fuelled by solid meths tablets,and being a Mamod, careered around the track at a fair rate, throwing out bits of burning meths onto the living-room carpet, quickly followed by the fire brigade, (ME). The railway was banished to the garden (by Mum), and the C L R was born.

Originally the track only went around the fish pond, much to the horror of the fish, who didn't seem to relish the idea of a rampant Mamod visiting them on one of it's many forays off the track. It was decided to move the pond to a different location in the garden, and the idea of a bigger layout came into being. (Helped by visits to Garden Rail shows at Llanfair Caereinion ).

We started with a continuous loop system, a loop at either end of a single track run around an L shape in the garden.The trackbed was made of concrete with the rails nailed and ballasted onto this. (The system still used today.) There was no real gradient on the line and the only station was in the loop at one end. In the centre of the other loop we built a small mountain with a slate mine entrance going into it, complete with trackwork. It looked pretty realistic! There wasn't much landscaping done at this stage, the track pushed it's way through the plants.

After a meeting of the directors it was decided to construct a slate quarry and take the line through this into a new terminus. This meant demolishing the mountain and its mine and raising the level of the line at this loop to cross over itself, enter the quarry and run on into the station.

We'll now take you on a trip up the line, describing some of the features along the way. Rookery Cottage station and it's buildings have been detailed elsewhere so we'll start our trip as we leave the station behind. The first engineering feat we encounter are the twin tunnels drilled through Mynydd Nellu. Mynydd Nellu and Llyn Nellu are named after a loyal sheepdog pet who lies buried under the mountain. Mynydd Nellu also houses the filtration system for the pond. Next along the line is the halt for Llyn Nellu and the Old School Cafe, no platform yet but plans are in hand. We cross the head of the llyn by a short bridge and proceed along a straight section of track to Penrhynllwyd Junction. Just a passing loop here at the present but once again plans are in hand for platforms and buildings.

From here we cross another small bridge and start to climb the new spiral loop,known to people along the line as the Deviation. (Well if the Ffestiniog can have one so can we! ) The line climbs steeply around the loop. Estimated at 1 in 30 by Terry the Brain. (He went to University.) It passes through a tunnel which is unlined (hard hats worn on open cab engines) and passes over the lower line by means of an impressive girder bridge to enter the slate quarry workings.

This is as far as the line goes at present. The land has been acquired and the line will run into Penrhynllwyd as soon as time and MONEY allow. There will be a station building and a loop to enable the engine to run round it's train and also sidings for slate waggons from the quarry. Watch this space....................................