Rocks by Rail 'DIG IT' Day

[Warspite]

It is very remiss of me that I haven’t posted a review of my 'DIG IT' day at the Rocks by Rail Museum in Rutland last year. I know this is not a 'modelling' topic but it is 'Industrial' so I thought it appropriate to post here.

 

Many of you will be aware of this museum near the village of Cottesmore, formerly known as the Rutland Railway Museum. They have successfully run their ‘DIG IT’ driver experience days for some time but due to the amount of work involved in completing their new exhibition building, they had been unable to run one for a couple of years. Some of you may have already been to one of these days, but this is my experience of a ‘DIG IT’ last year. 

 

The day started at 8.30 with introductions, a safety briefing and an excellent cup of coffee in the museum’s Sundew Café. My wife was able to accompany me to take some photographs and I have included some of these here. We were introduced to our instructors and then walked down to the yard to start our initial tasks.

 

For those who don’t know, the ‘DIG IT’ day is more than just a driving day. Four activities are involved: operation of the face shovel, shunting, firing and driving, with 90 minutes allocated for each task and each participant carrying out each activity in turn. My first task was working the face shovel. This is a Ruston Bucyrus 22RB diesel model. As there is no tippler or unloading hopper at the museum, there is no way they can empty loaded wagons so the face shovel task involves operating the shovel in all its modes and simulating the wagon loading process. You might think this is straightforward but it’s a bit like ‘rubbing you tummy whilst patting your head’ and I ended up having the bucket swinging in all directions until I had mastered synchronising the levers!

 

 

Whilst I was working the face shovel, my ‘mate’ for the day was undertaking duties in the yard with the hopper wagons. These were being shunted by ‘SIR THOMAS ROYDEN’, a 1940 Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST (works number 2088) which was being fired and driven by the other participants, two Swiss guys on a railway holiday, under the tuition of Andy.

 

 

For the second half of the morning, I moved to the shunting task or, in ironstone quarry parlance, being the ‘rope runner’ under the expert tutelage of my shunting instructor. I learnt all the necessary hand signals, operated the points, used the brake stick and had to master coupling and uncoupling the hopper wagons as they were shunted to and from the loading siding.

 

 

I realised there is a real skill to using a shunting pole, getting the pole balanced on top of the wagon buffer to lever the heavy three link coupling. It took quite a few attempts to get it right.

 

 

At the end of morning shunting sessions, we had a couple of runs to and from the far (west) end of the line to give each of the Swiss guys the chance to have a good run with the Barclay bringing a rake of ironstone tipplers and a couple of brake vans up the gradient to the yard.

 

 

Following an excellent lunch in the Sundew Café, it was our turn to fire and drive the Barclay. I went first on the driving task with my mate firing. Andy is an excellent instructor and explained all the main controls, including reverser, regulator, cylinder cocks, steam brake, hand brake and whistle. For someone who had never driven a steam locomotive, there was a lot to take in but Andy was very patient and good humoured and in a very short time, I was completely in charge of driving the locomotive. I came to appreciate how well designed this little industrial locomotive was with reverser, regulator, floor mounted lever for cylinder cocks and hand brake (behind the driver) all well positioned. Others will be very familiar with the layout of a steam loco cab but this was, of course, all new to me. Many people have described a steam locomotive having character and personality of its own and I can now see why. I came to realise that driving a steam locomotive is a very tactile experience with surprising sensitivity.

 

 

After a very enjoyable session shunting ironstone hoppers round the yard, watching the boiler pressure, observing hand signals and understanding the effect of gradients and driving with wagons attached or light engine, it was time to swap roles.

 

Firing was much more arduous than I expected! Andy was an excellent instructor again and I soon learnt which part of the firebox to fire and how and when to use the injector. You soon realise how hot the cab of a steam locomotive really is. I also appreciated the need to keep the footplate clean and tidy even though the little Barclay didn’t have much space for coal and it tends to spill everywhere when you are not very proficient in handling a shovel!

 

After my mate’s turn of shunting wagons in the yard, she was able to bring the tipplers up from the west end of the line before it was my chance to bring the tipplers from the west end to the yard for the final run of the day. This was the highlight for me, bringing the short train of three tipplers and two brake vans up the gradient, with the lovely little Barclay barking away.

 

 

The day finished with the disposal of the locomotive and then tea and presentation of certificates in the café.

 

Driving was obviously the most exhilarating part of the day but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment I had with the other activities. This makes the Rocks by Rail day different to most ‘Driver Experience Days’ and at £200 for a full day including lunch and other refreshments, I thought this represented good value. All the volunteers at the museum are enthusiastic and very friendly and I can highly recommend the experience if you get the opportunity.

 

Stephen

 

 

[Sandhole]

It is very remiss of me that I haven’t posted a review of my 'DIG IT' day at the Rocks by Rail Museum in Rutland last year. I know this is not a 'modelling' topic but it is 'Industrial' so I thought it appropriate to post here.

 

Many of you will be aware of this museum near the village of Cottesmore, formerly known as the Rutland Railway Museum. They have successfully run their ‘DIG IT’ driver experience days for some time but due to the amount of work involved in completing their new exhibition building, they had been unable to run one for a couple of years. Some of you may have already been to one of these days, but this is my experience of a ‘DIG IT’ last year. 

 

The day started at 8.30 with introductions, a safety briefing and an excellent cup of coffee in the museum’s Sundew Café. My wife was able to accompany me to take some photographs and I have included some of these here. We were introduced to our instructors and then walked down to the yard to start our initial tasks.

 

For those who don’t know, the ‘DIG IT’ day is more than just a driving day. Four activities are involved: operation of the face shovel, shunting, firing and driving, with 90 minutes allocated for each task and each participant carrying out each activity in turn. My first task was working the face shovel. This is a Ruston Bucyrus 22RB diesel model. As there is no tippler or unloading hopper at the museum, there is no way they can empty loaded wagons so the face shovel task involves operating the shovel in all its modes and simulating the wagon loading process. You might think this is straightforward but it’s a bit like ‘rubbing you tummy whilst patting your head’ and I ended up having the bucket swinging in all directions until I had mastered synchronising the levers!

 

1 Ruston Bucyrus 22RB face shovel.jpg

2 Simulating loading hoppers 1.jpg

3 Simulating loading hoppers 2.jpg

 

Whilst I was working the face shovel, my ‘mate’ for the day was undertaking duties in the yard with the hopper wagons. These were being shunted by ‘SIR THOMAS ROYDEN’, a 1940 Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST (works number 2088) which was being fired and driven by the other participants, two Swiss guys on a railway holiday, under the tuition of Andy.

 

4 Sir Thomas Royden shunting the yard 1.jpg

5 Sir Thomas Royden shunting the yard 2.jpg

 

For the second half of the morning, I moved to the shunting task or, in ironstone quarry parlance, being the ‘rope runner’ under the expert tutelage of my shunting instructor. I learnt all the necessary hand signals, operated the points, used the brake stick and had to master coupling and uncoupling the hopper wagons as they were shunted to and from the loading siding.

 

6 Shunting the yard.jpg

 

I realised there is a real skill to using a shunting pole, getting the pole balanced on top of the wagon buffer to lever the heavy three link coupling. It took quite a few attempts to get it right.

 

7 Uncoupling hoppers.jpg

 

At the end of morning shunting sessions, we had a couple of runs to and from the far (west) end of the line to give each of the Swiss guys the chance to have a good run with the Barclay bringing a rake of ironstone tipplers and a couple of brake vans up the gradient to the yard.

 

8 Ironstone empties.jpg

 

Following an excellent lunch in the Sundew Café, it was our turn to fire and drive the Barclay. I went first on the driving task with my mate firing. Andy is an excellent instructor and explained all the main controls, including reverser, regulator, cylinder cocks, steam brake, hand brake and whistle. For someone who had never driven a steam locomotive, there was a lot to take in but Andy was very patient and good humoured and in a very short time, I was completely in charge of driving the locomotive. I came to appreciate how well designed this little industrial locomotive was with reverser, regulator, floor mounted lever for cylinder cocks and hand brake (behind the driver) all well positioned. Others will be very familiar with the layout of a steam loco cab but this was, of course, all new to me. Many people have described a steam locomotive having character and personality of its own and I can now see why. I came to realise that driving a steam locomotive is a very tactile experience with surprising sensitivity.

 

9 Barclay and wagon detail.jpg

 

After a very enjoyable session shunting ironstone hoppers round the yard, watching the boiler pressure, observing hand signals and understanding the effect of gradients and driving with wagons attached or light engine, it was time to swap roles.

 

Firing was much more arduous than I expected! Andy was an excellent instructor again and I soon learnt which part of the firebox to fire and how and when to use the injector. You soon realise how hot the cab of a steam locomotive really is. I also appreciated the need to keep the footplate clean and tidy even though the little Barclay didn’t have much space for coal and it tends to spill everywhere when you are not very proficient in handling a shovel!

 

After my mate’s turn of shunting wagons in the yard, she was able to bring the tipplers up from the west end of the line before it was my chance to bring the tipplers from the west end to the yard for the final run of the day. This was the highlight for me, bringing the short train of three tipplers and two brake vans up the gradient, with the lovely little Barclay barking away.

 

10 Coming up the line.jpg

 

The day finished with the disposal of the locomotive and then tea and presentation of certificates in the café.

 

Driving was obviously the most exhilarating part of the day but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment I had with the other activities. This makes the Rocks by Rail day different to most ‘Driver Experience Days’ and at £200 for a full day including lunch and other refreshments, I thought this represented good value. All the volunteers at the museum are enthusiastic and very friendly and I can highly recommend the experience if you get the opportunity.

 

Stephen

Sounds like you had a great time!

Just my sort of day, I'll definitely look into doing one.

The knack with the shovel is, look at the bucket not the levers!

Easy to say, difficult to do at first!!!

                                    Chris.

[1722]

Great day, by the sounds of things. Super photos too. Thanks for sharing.

Rocks by Rail is quite an inspiration for a potential layout.

[davknigh]

Does anybody market a model of the Ruston-Bucyrus shovel or anything similar? Steam or diesel, but preferably pre 1948.

 

Cheers,

 

David

[Fat Controller]

Does anybody market a model of the Ruston-Bucyrus shovel or anything similar? Steam or diesel, but preferably pre 1948.

 

Cheers,

 

David

What scale?

In 4mm, Corgi did some ready-built ones.

Langley Models do a range of kits:- http://www.langley-models.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_OO_Cranes__Heavy_plant___Road_Machinery___RW1_RW21_29.html

[Regularity]

The Langley kits are marked as 00/H0, but are actually the latter.

[rope runner]

Does anybody market a model of the Ruston-Bucyrus shovel or anything similar? Steam or diesel, but preferably pre 1948.

 

Cheers,

 

David

 

Yes - Langley do the 22RB, the same type as is at Cottesmore ( they have both dragline and face shovel variants). 

 

Scalecast kits also used to do the 22RB - I believe the tooling passed to Langley becoming theirs, but perhaps someone can confirm this for me?

 

Paul A. 

[davknigh]

Thanks to all for the links and advice. I found the 19 RB on the Langley site which is even more to my liking as it suits my time period better.

 

Cheers,

 

David