Colombo

In the 1950s there were few if any trees on the East bank of the Ouse I remember school playing fields in the distance. Presumably Mill Mount and St. Peter's. The river was pretty lifeless due to pollution with Industrial waste and sewage, although not as bad as the Fosse. No grass grew near the edges bearing in mind the normal rise and fall. Louis Heath HMRS 6329

Steetley quarried Dolomite. This is MgCO3.CaCO3. This could be burned in a kiln, just like a lime kiln, to produce dead burned dolomite which was used for fettling blast furnace hearths and open hearth steel furnaces. I used to work for Steetley.

I used to work for Steetley and visited this quarry at Llynclys. I know that the shaft kilns produced dead burned dolomite, or Doloma which was used for fettling the hearths of steel furnaces. These were fired with coke from gas works which had a lower density than coal and accounts for them sending closed seven plank wagons to gas works to be loaded with coke.

The Historical Model Railway Society has received a bequest of a considerable number of parts for the Hachette Scotsman. The late member had to discontinue his subscription due to ill health. He unpacked the parts but they are in pristine condition. We have the parts for the corridor tender, the wheels and the frames and valve gear, but we lack the boiler. Does anybody have a parts list and an exploded diagram as we have no paper work? The parts we have are pristine. Is iut possible to buy the remaining parts anywhere? DJH can't help us. Louis Heath Layout Manager HMRS

Thank you RossPop, Your post is most informative: it is helpful to see the construction of the chassis so clearly. I shall be starting one of these very soon in ScaleSeven, having just sent off a Slater's 1F to be painted and lined. Both Locos are for the Dewsbury Goods layout at the HMRS Museum and Study Centre at Butterley, for which volunteers are building a suite of locos and wagons. Keep up the good work, Colombo

The Clay Cross MRS Hindlow layout was exhibited at the Spalding show last weekend. There is a video posted of various layouts there including Hindlow which is about 2/3 the way through. Just Google Spalding Model Railway Exhibition 2016. Colombo

Osgood, I have been to Middleton and measured up Mary HC D577. They were very helpful, but the loco was in service and so we could not climb on her. Also Statfold Barn Hunslet Archives have sent me a scan of a pipework drawing of D621, an 0-4-0 allocated to an RAF Ordnance depot. They had no General Arrangements of the early DM 0-4-0 locos. This gives the overall dimensions, but omits the front after the radiator. I have a very poor photo of an identical loco from the same order: D622 at Wilford Ordnance Depot in Nottingham. D621 was a 100hp machine, whereas Mary was about 200hp, but the general appearance is about the same, although the cab was 6" shorter according to our measurements. Colombo

Re diesel loco at Nottingham Ordnance depot glimpsed through a gate. I have been looking for a photo of this loco all evening. It is most probably, as stated, a Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0 Diesel Mechanical of 1942 named Daisy, D622. I can get a drawing of this loco from the HC archive at Statfold Barn. It looks to be very similar to Mary, HC D577 which is preserved on the Middleton Railway. Mary is the one I really wanted a drawing of, but that has seemingly been lost and Daisy may be the closest. Even the most hazy image can be useful to somebody, thanks. Colombo

Osgood, Its not just me then wanting HC drawings, that's a relief. I am in touch with Statfold Barn at present but it seems that they only have odd drawings of things like window frames. No General arrangements have been found yet. If you study the records and the photos, they hardly built any the same except for the batch that went to New Zealand and the BR locos. My next step is to go to the Middleton Railway and measure up Mary. There are plenty of photos of Mary, so if I get the principal dimensions, I should be able to fill in the rest. Maybe OK in 4mm scale, but probably not good enough for 7mm. Colombo

Has anybody seen a drawing of a Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0 Diesel Mechanical like Mary on the Middleton Railway. Mary is D577 of 1932. Similar locos are D628, Sparky, D 629 Mighty Atom and D631 Carol. I would like to build a model of Mary in 4mm scale. Regards, Colombo

Hi PGH, Thank you for your photographs, which have been an inspiration. The Clay Cross Model Railway Society has been building an exhibition layout based on Hindlow Station and featuring Beswick's Limeworks round about the late 40s, and early 50s. Whilst there is still some work remaining, it had its first outing to the Soar Valley Model Railway Society's exhibition on 6th and 7th Sept. I have attached some photos below. In particular, we have not been able to find a photo of the lift cage in the open shaft. Any help would be appreciated. Regards, Louis Heath

WBF, The tie down eyes were made from Roxey Mouldings Side Chain Eyes and Hooks, product code 4A135 which are on their web site. I did not use the hooks, just the eyes. The loops were made from florists soft iron wire which was wound round a drill and snipped off, then threaded through the eyes which I had to drill out to size. Can one buy florists soft iron wire these days? ( Google it: oh yes - Eileen's Emporium sell something similar). Southern Man, Thanks for the lead to the correct buffers. Bless you, now I should really change them...argh! My layout has appeared in the LNER forum, but not as a formal thread. Colombo

Photo attached

Thanks everybody for the news that the NRM was taking orders. Just ordered mine. Fortunately I have a D&S 561 20 ton brake van in stock. This is a white metal kit. Colombo