Sugar Palm 60526

But that is Rich's cabin. Mark's is the other one.

It is very crowded between the frames of a Q7. As well as a con rod for the inside cylinder there are three sets of Stephenson valve gear each with two eccentrics. To fit these in between the frames meant that the eccentrics were narrower than for the Q6 and therefore more prone to wear. Maintenance was a recurring problem. As if that wasn't enough, there is a steam reverser in there as well. Oiling round must have been a nightmare. The cab front is set back about 6 inches into the cab and the firebox protrudes a similar distance further inside giving little space for the fireman to swing the shovel. Indeed short handled shovels were available. They were unnecessarily powerful locos for their time, that were unchallenged until the ore trains came along. But they weren't popular with the crews because they were difficult to prepare and work. The preserved loco is in the Head of Steam museum in Darlington. It was restored in the 90s and ran for 10 years on the NYMR. The information above came from experiences and reminiscences passed on at that time.

Tell him to come and have a chat. Once we get the first couple of hours over we will feel more relaxed. We value comments and criticisms. One of our group, Phil, crossed the line daily to go to school but the rest of us didn't know the railway really.

The photographer was Tony Lambert. We have two Richards in our group, a third would cause chaos. There are a few more of his photos on our southpelawem.blogspot.com

Why do we do it? The simple answer is for pleasure. There's the pleasure in visiting and researching the real place, even though, over the years, it has changed almost beyond belief. There's the obvious pleasure in building the layout and the rolling stock. We started this project about ten years ago and along the way we have had the pleasure of enlarging our little group and making new friends. But in the end it is about giving pleasure to those who come too witness and share our dream. Finally there's the pleasure in knowing we have indeed given others pleasure manifested in a couple of awards. One the most pleasing things on Saturday for me was being able to talk at length with Dave Bradwell who had travelled from Inverness to see the model, joining up with Chris Pendleton from Carlisle on the way. To rub shoulders with gentlemen such as these give us the pleasure of feeling as though we have arrived. So a very big thank you to Rich, Richard, Mark, Pete, Phil, Joe, Tony and John for allowing me the pleasure of writing this little note. Martin.

Hi Richard, Pete will confirm, but I'm sure that Alan Gibson does wheelsets on axles to fit Bachmann frames (metric rather than Imperial) - no need to drill out but too late now. There are some faults with the Bachmann that I think need attention, not all on every version. All 9Fs had exhaust stem injectors, despite what some books say. When the locos were scrapped, the first items removed were brass fittings and the largest of these was the exhaust steam injector. It was a very large and complicated device originally installed to enable economical use of steam and coal on long sustained runs. Where Bachmann seem to have gone wrong is to measure up a preserved loco and none of these that came from a scrapyard have exhaust injectors. They would be extremely expensive to have made and would be of no use on locos running on preserved railways at low speeds and over short distances. So two live steam injectors were fitted and Bachmann seem to have assumed that this was the norm. There are two preserved locos that didn't survive via a scrap yard, 92220 Evening Star in the National Collection and 92203 which David Shepherd bought direct fro BR. Both of these have exhaust steam injectors with their large diameter copper pipe bringing the exhaust steam to the injector. I've been on 92214 when it was at the NYMR and whilst it doesn't have an exhaust injector, the water valve handle for the live steam injector that replaced it is of the type used on the exhaust injector. Another mistake. The loco I purchased recently, 92113, has, on the RHS of the firebox a fine model of a carriage heating steam valve. None of the class were so fitted in BR days, not even Evening Star. Again it looks as though Bachmann have faithfully copied a preserved loco which has had one of these valves fitted for obvious reasons. The third thing to watch out for and it is trivial and would have been fitted to 9Fs running on the Western region, is the ATC equipment in the cab adjacent to the drivers seat. All other regions either had nothing or late on, AWS much less obtrusive. Oh, and the Dave Alexander Westinghouse pumps are a shade oversize. Not very noticeable on the 9F but very difficult to accommodate on a Tyne Dock O1. The Lanarkshire Models air pumps are better. Martin.

The O1 problem. There are seven of us in the South Pelaw group and there were only five O1s shedded at Tyne dock. So we had to draw lots for who bought the Hornby model when it came out. I think that they were something of a stop-gap between the Q7s (of which a similar number were air pump fitted) which started the new service with the 56ton hoppers, and the 9Fs of which there were ten at Tyne Dock. These were they only 9Fs in the NE region, testament to the capabilities of the local workhorses - Q6s and J27s. Martin.

Thanks Tony, It was good to renew old friendships. I'm glad you enjoyed your day. It was only the second time we had attempted any form of timetabled operation. Indeed it was only the second time the whole, scattered, group of 7 of us had brought all our available stock and a lot of it was unfinished. The reason for the event was to show those who have helped us on this rather long journey, how far we have progressed but also to thank the partners of Python Properties for the free use of the rather splendid accommodation. They were hoping for a number of potential occupants of the office space to come and look round. I don't think that happened but we all enjoyed the space and the atmosphere. We don't intend having another open day. Partly because we don't know how long we will be in the accommodation but mainly because we don't want people saying "Oh I've seen it". We want to spend the time we have left in the office suite, getting the few bugs eliminated and getting better at the operational aspects. Whilst the few buildings on the layout will be excellent (not my speciality!) there are not very many of them for people to view at an exhibition. The attraction is meant to show how busy and complicated the operation was in the 50s and 60s - so we will have to be good at it. Our first show is planned to be at Railex NE in July next year, It's the Blyth & Tyne Club's 50th anniversary and I believe the show will have a North Eastern theme. I think we fit into that! Cheers, Martin.

Thanks for the kind words. I've just added three photos of some detailed model making that exhibition visitors won't be able to see.

Thanks for the kind remarks. They are much appreciated. That was only the second time the layout had run. The first time was late on the day before! Our problem is that it is a large layout being built in a moderate sized room. So we can't erect the whole layout very often. We discovered on Saturday that two of the baseboards at the corners entering the fiddle yard have been made slightly under size so that physical force had to be exerted to get the full circuit assembled with resultant problems. Part of that problem was that some of our locos wouldn't negotiate those areas an we had to rely on a non Tyne Dock 9F for the photo. But it performed well. Some of us have operated layouts at exhibitions before, some have not. None of us had operated DCC before. A few of us live locally but most do not. The weekend was a big learning experience. Martin

Parts of Biggleswade live on with one or two very tenuous connections. The B16/3 in Tony's photos was one of mine. Richard, from our group, once helped a trader friend of ours, at a model railway exhibition in York. Not the show we know today but a smaller one in a BR staff canteen opposite the main door of the NRM. He sold me the DJH kit but the tenuous bit is that the chairs in that canteen had been salvaged form an ex Gresley catering vehicle being converted for departmental use. When the canteen closed the chairs were again salvaged, re-chrome plated and are now in the Gresley buffet owned by the LNERCA on the NYMR. I also built the Brit in Tony's photos and that was on the KX - Cleethorpes servicde. The loco is still in my loft. Along with most of my locos and some of the other stock. The latter including a double set of Quad Arts. The real ones used to get to Biggleswade once a day, during the off peak! Another tenuous connection, I've seen some of the real quad arts as they were being restored at Carnforth. The workmanship was superb. I was at Carnforth with NELPG and it was with them 30 or so years ago that I was on a rail tour to Aberdeen behind Union of South Africa. During the layover we went to a model shop in the city. When the proprietor realised that his shop had suddenly filled up with people from the steam hauled train, he shouted "Everything half price until the steamer goes." In the rush I grabbed a Hornby Evening Star. This got rebuilt into 92097, a Tyne Dock 9F including Dave Alexander air pumps and his BR1B tender body. When Biggleswade got under way the body was replaced and detailed and the tender body was replaced again with another Dave Alexander tender - the BR1F. This is the loco on Tony's photo. It was a remarkable load hauler, particularly since it was a Ringfield motor tender drive with the additional weight of the white metal body. It would haul 40 or 50 16 ton minerals all day and at the end of the show we would put all the mineral wagons we had behind it (in excess of 100) and it waltzed away with the lot, through the up crossover onto the main line. The loco would be in the fiddle yard with brake van still on the slow line. I used to have a bag full of traction tyres in my tool box. And now that first 9F body, from Aberdeen, as 92097 has been given Comet loco and tender frames with the original Dave Alexander BR1B tender but a new High Level Models motor and gearbox, powering the loco conventionally. It is to be ready for our new layout - South Pelaw. Due for public release in 2018. Tony first saw some of the bare baseboards for Biggleswade when he brought Leighford to the Middlesbrough show. We struck up a friendship and he gave us tremendous help and support as we started out as novices on "The Circuit". They were good times. Finally in these ramblings, Richard and I have both driven a 9F, 92214 on the NYMR A caged lion behaving like a ######-cat (the 9F, not Richard). What it must have been like working these locos, with a full load, on 1in40 - and another at the back? Awesome. We hope to reproduce a little bit of this, in miniature. Martin.

And with black clouds to match the mood of the occasion.

Hi Paul, OK I was wrong. Yes we've gone DCC. It's looking promising. And yes Expo EM on the Sunday. M

I don't know the location intimately but with a smattering of knowledge and looking at Google maps I would suggest this is a loaded train heading towards Consett. Pontop Pike is east of Leadgate so the train is heading westward. I suppose the next subject for discussion is why do the other hoppers not appear as full? Martin

Hi, Our Pete55 on the Tyne Dock Consett thread is the guy to ask. He converts locos at exhibitions (and he's done some of ours when not building one of the bridges). The 9F with the brass chimney in one of the photos, is a Bachmann EMd. It runs well. The other 9F in the photos is an old Hornby body on a set of Comet frames with a High Level models Loadhauler plus gearbox and motor. The mechanism is joy to make - real quality. Martin.