Llanteulyddog 
Paul Taylor OO gauge 4mm scale
A West Wales station, circa 1990, coping with emergency engineering diversions.
In Medieval times the settlement that was to become Carmarthen was known as Llanteulyddog (St. Teulyddog’s). However, what if history had taken a different course and the River Towy had proved too difficult to bridge, meaning no branch to Lampeter?
Llanteulyddog is a small but relatively busy terminus station on a triangular connection with the West Wales main line, served by the usual mixture of DMU, Sprinter and loco hauled passenger trains between Swansea and Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock or Fishguard.
Under normal conditions, a small number of freights are seen in the station approaches serving a small terminal operated by Taylor Oils and a concrete hardstanding in the yard, which is used for UKF/Kemira fertilizer trains, the loading of logs for transport to Chirk, and other ancillary Speedlink wagonload traffic. It also sees the overnight stabling and servicing of shunters employed in the Kidwelly area.
However, these are not normal conditions! What we see today is Llanteulyddog having to cope with the impact of a significant track defect on the mainline that is forcing all traffic to use the ‘Dog Leg’ Triangle, with all of the freight trains serving the refineries, MoD facilities and ports of West Wales, as well as the traffic for the little known nuclear complex at Abercastle and its new build construction project, using the station area to reverse and continue their journey west or east.
The local signalman, ‘Owens the Signal’, has never been so busy and ‘spotters’ are in for a treat!
