AndrewT Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 11 hours ago, 4630 said: Ellesmere Port to Charington Hargreaves oil terminal at Liversedge Spen perhaps? A Class 50 at Liversedge.... now THAT would be one photo I'd love to see! Anyone got any evidence of a 50 on that working? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HeatonLodge40 Posted May 3, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 3, 2020 There’s always jobs I don’t like doing and laying cork is one of them. This is for the last curve before the golden spike and the loop is complete. So for a change this weekend I decided to paint rolling stock which I do enjoy. Since Heljan’s super VAA vans in Railfreight livery sold out ages ago, I acquired 15 in EWS livery and spent the last couple days repainting them into the much earlier red and grey. As usual I don’t bother with convention and simply painted red and grey over the purple (after a quick rub with wet and dry). Into the oven to bake (the spray booth with a fan heater and towel over it) before transfers and weathering. That said, I was a bit too hasty and got a paint reaction (see pic). It’s staying though as I quite like it.. Likewise the lovely Dapol MGR’s are also very thin on the ground with only the blue cradle variety left. Having acquired 15 of these too I hand painted the cradles into bauxite before weathering. The twin black tyre marks need distressing yet, and the real coal load to dry. I had to buy a 20kg bag of coal since I’ve another 99 MGR’s to fill Wish me luck 27 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
d winpenny Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Nice work I’m in the process of assembling my rake of HAAs managed to grab 10 from kms david Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Crepello Posted May 4, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 4, 2020 Could you represent pulverised MGR coal by using an alternative material to real coal or just put the real thing into some sort of grinder? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatonLodge40 Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 6 hours ago, Crepello said: Could you represent pulverised MGR coal by using an alternative material to real coal or just put the real thing into some sort of grinder? It’s a good point. I’m told by someone who worked in a power station facility the real coal in MGR’s was much finer than in my HAA. I smashed up a couple of lumps with a hammer but I think I’ll try a blender now. Ive used foam board to create a false bottom in the HAA, about 1cm from the top. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Michael Edge Posted May 4, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 4, 2020 It was usually duller and dustier as well, not shiny black. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted May 4, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 4, 2020 Having stood in the unloading bunker at Ferrybridge I will agree with you. Coal in MGR's was almost dust with most bits only a few mm's orbless in diameter plus a few slightly bigger pieces. Most coal loads on models are on the large size. Even by 1900 there were chain fed grates in industrial boilers and domestic coal was only 2 inches or so. Jamie 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jcarta Posted May 4, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 4, 2020 (edited) 49 minutes ago, HeatonLodge40 said: It’s a good point. I’m told by someone who worked in a power station facility the real coal in MGR’s was much finer than in my HAA. I smashed up a couple of lumps with a hammer but I think I’ll try a blender now. Ive used foam board to create a false bottom in the HAA, about 1cm from the top. Simon Don't put it through a blender as it will end up as dust ..... trust me i've tried it..... I looked around it internet and found a company called EEZYLOADS.CO.UK and went for the N gauge load called SKU AC-N and it works a treat... Here are a few pictures for you Jim Edited May 4, 2020 by jcarta 8 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium iands Posted May 4, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 4, 2020 I can concur that the MGR coal was almost dust. Back when I was a lad in one of the York S&T Electrical Installation gangs, we had a job at Knottingley for a few weeks in the early part of the year in 1975, installing a new 300 pair cable from the Relay Room (behind the station) to the Signal Box (approx. a mile distance). We had one of the S&T Mess & Tool coaches parked up in one of the lines at the MPD for the duration - but it had no "mains facilities" (i.e. no water, no electricity, etc.), only a stove similar to what was fitted in guards vans. Alas, only one 25kg bag of coal for the stove was provided (which didn't last long). Being the trainee, it was my job every morning to fill up the water carrier for the day, and to go "hunting" for coal so we could get the fire going for a brew and to provide some heating in the coach. Every morning I would take the coal bucket and go walking up and down the cess and in the yards looking for coal for the stove. As time went on it got harder and harder to find any decent pieces of coal, most of it was about the size of a 10p piece - or smaller. Occasionally I'd find a decent sized bit, but they were few and far between. Ah, happy days. I wonder what the H&S police would make of "my daily task" these days? 4 4 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallows Close Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 You could try looking at aquarium suppliers. I use decorative black fish tank grit for a good coal likeness. Different grades can be also found at the garden centre in the flower arranging section. Better value than ‘specialist’ model suppliers. Best wishes, Chris. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted May 4, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 4, 2020 MGR wagon coal is only just enough above dust for the weight of it to prevent it being blown out of the wagon in transit, quarter to dust springs to mind, but the old memory might be playing up. When at the power station it goes through a pulveriser to actually convert it to coal powder/dust before it is injected into the generator. In 4mm scale actual coal dust is suitable for a load, maybe something a tad bigger for 7mm. Mike. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted May 7, 2020 Share Posted May 7, 2020 Got drawn into watching the video on this page. At the 19 minute mark, ie near the end there's a great overhead shot of loaded hoppers. Regards 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony Teague Posted May 8, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 8, 2020 Great coverage in the latest Hornby Magazine, Simon! One can more easily get a picture of the immense scale, and quality, of what you are delivering through seeing the larger printed images. Many congratulations. Tony 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatonLodge40 Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Thank you for the comments. The photos are very flattering mind. Two days from completing the loop.. Update next week with the first trains running continuously .. 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 I’m looking forward to that... ... but not half as much as you are, I bet! atb Simon 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joner Posted May 8, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 8, 2020 I too am looking forward to it. Some running videos maybe? I want to see some full haa's loads! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Grafarman Posted May 9, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 9, 2020 Must admit I'm a bit late to this party having only just seen the layout for the first time in Hornby magazine, although I had heard rumours... As someone who used to sit by the long curve at Point of Ayr colliery and 'watch the trains go by' and stand on Prestatyn station looking for the first glint off the nose of a class 40 almost a mile away along the straight line of the North Wales Coast this layout totally chimes wih my memories from the late 70's and early 80's. I've built an N gauge representation of it, albeit much shorter, and am currently playing trains in OO, but I can't wait to see what this looks - and sounds - like in O gauge, especially with this size and detail... Please say you'll be coming to within shouting distance of North Wales at some point - I could argue an essential journey for my mental health if it's near enough! Hope it all continues smoothly... David 3 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatonLodge40 Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 19 hours ago, Joner said: I too am looking forward to it. Some running videos maybe? I want to see some full haa's loads! Yes I will post videos up within a week or two. The last curve needs wiring, the track cleaning and ready to go! I’m also churning out 5 weathered and loaded MGR’s a day with distressed black stripes. They look much better now as the stripes were too prominent until I took a fibreglass pencil to them 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandering blue Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 On 03/05/2020 at 18:32, HeatonLodge40 said: I had to buy a 20kg bag of coal since I’ve another 99 MGR’s to fill Hi Simon, stunning execution thus far! Good to see Heljan now behind you (presumably amongst others) and I hope the business plan works out for you. Um, 20kgs added to 100 MGR’s ! Not sure how many rakes that is going to make for you, but have either Heljan, JLTRT, your very small select army of devotees or your good self actually tried test running the proposed trains at full weight with the proposed traction? In 00, perlite stained with black India ink is one way of saving weight! Or is the load simply a decent excuse to run double or treble headers? Take care. WB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HeatonLodge40 Posted May 10, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 10, 2020 4 hours ago, wandering blue said: Hi Simon, stunning execution thus far! Good to see Heljan now behind you (presumably amongst others) and I hope the business plan works out for you. Um, 20kgs added to 100 MGR’s ! Not sure how many rakes that is going to make for you, but have either Heljan, JLTRT, your very small select army of devotees or your good self actually tried test running the proposed trains at full weight with the proposed traction? In 00, perlite stained with black India ink is one way of saving weight! Or is the load simply a decent excuse to run double or treble headers? Take care. WB Well there are 3 MGR rakes of 36, two full, one empty. The full rakes will obviously only have crushed coal over the top of the false foam board base. So 36 loads shouldn’t add too much weight. The Dapol MGR’s run beautifully (and even run down the 1:137 whole length of the layout on their own). One Heljan 37 will easily pull 50 empty ones so 36 loaded ones should be fine. Today I added faded stripes, & weathered (in two colours) 10 HAA’s as well as constructing the false bottoms and adding the crushed coal. These heaped coal loads have to be glued with diluted PVA one layer at a time.. It’s labour intensive but the results are excellent. 32 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joner Posted May 11, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 11, 2020 There looking really good. Don't envy you doing all those, but it's going to look really impressive when complete. I've only got 6 so far but nowhere to run them yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandering blue Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 12 hours ago, HeatonLodge40 said: One Heljan 37 will easily pull 50 empty ones so 36 loaded ones should be fine. Good to know! 12 hours ago, HeatonLodge40 said: It’s labour intensive but the results are excellent. A summary of your entire Heaton Lodge experience, if I might be so bold. I’m very much looking forward to seeing your magnum opus later this year at Warley ( with 2m of baseboard to myself to get a clear view and no backpacks in my ribs), or if that isn’t meant to be, in its own travelling artic-convoy circus some point next year. Your updates on here are a welcome distraction to the new world order, so on behalf of your readership, thank you for taking the time to share the journey. Phil 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Crepello Posted May 11, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 11, 2020 That coal looks just the job for MGRs now Simon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mick Bonwick Posted May 11, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 11, 2020 On 03/05/2020 at 18:32, HeatonLodge40 said: I had to buy a 20kg bag of coal since I’ve another 99 MGR’s to fill Wish me luck A bit late in the day, but good luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatonLodge40 Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 10 hours ago, wandering blue said: Good to know! A summary of your entire Heaton Lodge experience, if I might be so bold. I’m very much looking forward to seeing your magnum opus later this year at Warley ( with 2m of baseboard to myself to get a clear view and no backpacks in my ribs), or if that isn’t meant to be, in its own travelling artic-convoy circus some point next year. Your updates on here are a welcome distraction to the new world order, so on behalf of your readership, thank you for taking the time to share the journey. Phil Thanks Phil. In all honesty I can’t see a public gathering of thousands of people - as at Warley, being allowed anytime this year. The company manufacturing the handcarts needed to transport the layout are also falling way behind schedule. Alls not lost though, HLJ will eventually be in lots of different locations that I’ll make known later this year. 2 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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