Part 1
Entry posted by Arpster
575 views
Blackgill: Tyne Dock to Consett in P4
by Arpster
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??? posted on Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:05 pm
Hello all,
I've been posting a few photos from my dad's layout in the 'How Realistic Are You Models' thread on the General forum and had a request for some more info about the layout. Blackgill is my dad's creation, started after the demise of Riddings Junction in the early Nineties, he set about creating a fictitious layout based on the Tyne Dock to Consett route in steam days. Nominally set in the mid-Fifties to early-Sixties, the layout has been long in the creation due to my father's somewhat flitty mind, straying from this to scratch-building O Gauge Great Western engines to pottering around with American models. He's also a perfectionist, attempting to incorporate motorised traversers and full electrical signal interlocking from the off.
The result is finally at the stage where the scenic section is almost complete and he's down to making sure the stock doesn't drop off at every hand-built point, that the Jackson couplers work properly, and that the numerous 21t hoppers stay on the track like they should. Now he's onto building 9Fs and bogie iron ore hoppers! I've been back to take some photos of the layout over the last couple of weekends, mostly devoid of motive power since most of his engines are safely stashed away prior to his annual jaunt to the US. I dug out a couple of shunting engines (a J77 and a J94) for some photos to give an impression of the overall layout. The ones over in the General Forum have been edited to include skies and remove the loft from the background. I'll repost the photos from over there, then post some on here that are 'au naturale' as it were, without any kind of tampering. I hope you find them interesting!
Arp
After getting off the stopping train from Newcastle (via Birtley and Beamish) we come out of the station and turn right, up to the crossing. The signal box is over the road.
Blackgill_Crossing_Small.jpg (59.08 KiB) Viewed 3594 times
The depot and pilot.
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A steel 21t hopper, new from Shildon, sits on the coal drops.
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Looking up the ramp to the coaling stage.
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The Consett platform ahead and the coaling stage on the right, with the depot in between.
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A general view across the depot yard.
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A J77 sits on the depot.
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The J77 shed pilot sits in the yard.
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Looking across the to the station from the fields beside the sidings. In true NER fashion, it's a forest of signals!
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The spotter's view down from the road bridge across the station and yards. A J77 sits on the yard.
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A view from the road bridge by the depot across the empty colliery sidings.
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A general view across the colliery sidings towards the station after a coal train has arrived down the colliery branch (NCB loco yet to be built!).
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A view across the colliery sidings to the depot.
12_J94_Coaling_Stage.JPG (321.38 KiB) Viewed 3456 times
The J94 on pilot duties leaves the depot to cross over to the reception sidings
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The yard pilot.
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The J94 gets the signal for the crossing and heads off into the tunnel.
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A view round the corner of the goods shed along to the depot and coaling stage.
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A somewhat blurry view of the signal box and station buildings.
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The shunter's eye view.
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The view from the hill by the coal drops as the J94 crosses the level crossing and comes into the reception sidings
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J94 leaves the tunnel with a short freight and enters the reception sidings. Normally these would be used for coal trains for the colliery branch but I was having a play!
20_J94_Crossing.JPG (317.14 KiB) Viewed 3373 times
A coal train entering the yard from the east.
21_Coal_train_crossing.JPG (304.78 KiB) Viewed 3373 times
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Comment posted by Simon Moore on Moore on Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:42 pm
Thats a fantastic looking layout their i think the coal drop looks brilliant. A very well put together model more photos please 
Simon.
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Comment posted by jjones231072 on Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:43 pm
Hi Arpster,
very nice photos of an excellent layout. As someone who grew up in the area in which the layout is set, I think it is very evocative of the area. I hope you'll post more of the layout in the future.
Regards,
Jonathan
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Comment posted by jongwinnett on Sat Aug 29, 2009 6:42 pm
Superb... 
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Comment posted by BaNkStOnEbRoAdWaY on Sat Aug 29, 2009 6:57 pm
VERY SMART INDEED 
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Comment posted by timlewis on Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:30 pm
This is magnificent
Can't wait to see the 9F and hoppers!
I imagine there must be some other tasty locos/stock already in existence as well (Q6, perhaps?)
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Comment posted by josh993 on Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:58 pm
Absoloutly stunning 
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Comment posted by max stafford on Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:21 pm
Full of NE atmosphere. In fact, I'd go as far as to say for overall effect and finesse, this is just about the best layout I've seen on this forum!
Set against the quality of so many other marvellous layouts, I do not issue that compliment lightly - this layout is truly superb.
Dave.
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Comment posted by Oldfield_Park on Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:15 pm
Simply stunning. I've been hoping for some time that you'd get round to posting up a thread of pictures for this layout.
Out of interest, what operates the passenger services on this layout?
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Comment posted by signalmaintainer on Sun Aug 30, 2009 12:02 am
I can't put it any better than that myself. BRM staff, I'm looking forward to seeing this masterpiece in print some day. Mr. Wright's photography will certainly do it justice!
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Comment posted by Dave777 on Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:59 am
Superb, the standard of ballasting is excellent, very impressed.
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Comment posted by eldavo on Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:36 am
Superb work, 
Cheers
Dave
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Comment posted by Arthur on Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:41 am
It doesn't get any better than this, brilliantly observed and executed.
Arthur
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Comment posted by 10800 on Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:31 am
Excellent - I'm looking forward to the appearance of a Q6 or 9F with some Bradwell iron-ore hoppers at some point!
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Comment posted by peter m on Sun Aug 30, 2009 11:05 am
Superb, simply stunning, what else is there to say. It's so good overall that nothing stands out.
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Comment posted by Cheesemonger on Sun Aug 30, 2009 11:33 am
Not sure I can add anything else to the comments above, but that really is good work.
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Comment posted by 56120 on Sun Aug 30, 2009 3:56 pm
Stunning, absolute stunning excellent layout
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Comment posted by James on Sun Aug 30, 2009 4:16 pm
Fantastic stuff!
That'll be an impressive site! The Tyne Dock 9F's are a favourtie of mine! I do have all the bits for a nine eff carefully stored somewhere!
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??? posted on Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:00 pm
Hi all,
Thanks for the many compliments. My dad will be embarrassed when I show this to him! In answer to some of the questions above:
Off the top of my head, he's got two or three Q6s, a couple of Q7s, an O1 (with Westinghouse pumps), a T1, J72, J71, N10, K1, B1s, J21, an A8 and a G5. The latter two are for operating the passenger services. Using artistic license, he's also go a few diesels: an 03 and 04, plus a 37 and 40 and a pair of 24s for the iron ore trains. I'll try to dig some of these out for photos in the near future if I get the chance.
I'll include a few more photos for you, but this is all I have for now.
Cheers,
Arp
This should have been in the last set but I accidentally missed it out and uploaded another photo twice!
The spotter's eye view over the layout from the road bridge. Hopefully this gives a good overall idea of the thing.
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Shunting. (I'm sure you're sick of the J94 by now, but it's all I had out of the box that day!)
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Shunting the yard (my SLR ran out of batteries and my little camera doesn't have such a good depth of field, unfortunately).
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Looking along the mainline.
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The yard pilot has finished taking on water and the crew await their next duty.
25_J94_taking_on_water.JPG (324 KiB) Viewed 2484 times
Shunting the colliery reception sidings.
26_J94_shunts coal wagons.JPG (295.02 KiB) Viewed 2468 times
Waiting to leave the yard to cross over to the depot with some coal.
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The J94 gets the signal to leave the yard with a couple of wagons for the coaling stage.
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The J94 takes on coal.
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The J94 at the foot of the coaling stage ramp.
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Waiting for the crossing to clear.
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The J77 backs into the goods shed to drop off some box vans.
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Not a very good photo of the goods shed with the J77 dropping off some vans.
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Dropping the fires.
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The two shed pilots retire to the depot at the end of the day.
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The J94 runs light across Black Gill, the stream from which the village takes its name. Those familiar with the area might notice that the 'box is based on the one which used to stand at Beamish.
36_J94_crossing_Black_Gill.JPG (312.12 KiB) Viewed 2404 times
The J94 shunts some wagons in the yard. As mentioned earlier, this should really be used for coal trains brought down the colliery branch but I was having a little play about!
37_J94_shunting.JPG (296.67 KiB) Viewed 2402 times
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Comment posted by Bernard Lamb on Sun Aug 30, 2009 6:48 pm
I like the little touches such a the NER flower tubs. They do so much to set the scene.
It's so good I don't want to be critical but.......... those end platforms on the big hoppers do jar a bit.
Bernard
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Comment posted by PhilH on Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:30 pm
I can only echo what others have said. It's superb.
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Comment posted by Rumblestripe on Sun Aug 30, 2009 7:46 pm
Lovely!
More please, oh, and an expanded stock list if you would be so kind.
Thanks for posting
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Comment posted by Fat Controller on Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:33 pm
An absolutely beautiful model, capturing the character of that bit of County Durham perfectly. Sadly, we didn't move to the North-East until 1982, just in time to see the last remnants of Consett depart as trainloads of scrap in 16t minerals behind Class 37s.
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Comment posted by Lambton58 on Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:42 pm
Wow! That is absolutely stunning! I have a soft spot for this line as it ran very close to my grandparents house and Grandad's pit was served by a branch off it. If I had the time space and money I'd love to build a model of South Pelaw http://
http://www.signalbox.org/diagrams.php?s ... &comments=
http://monkeysnaps3.fotopic.net/p14737987.html
Ralph
Lambton58
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Comment posted by Richard_S on Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:37 pm
We recently visited Beamish Open Air Museum and you have captured the NE character of the station and yard there extremely well. This is one of those layouts where consistency of effort has been applied across the board and everything just seems to fit in context.
Is this a layout that never leaves home, or is it available for exhibition?
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