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Trainspotting at Little Benton Sidings, Newcastle.


rowanj
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1 hour ago, Sludger said:

When you were on your spotting trips at Little Benton all those years ago

did you ever see 24t minerals not hoppers in block loads running from Burradon to the Stellas?

 

I have come across a photo of a branded wagon which cannot be posted here due to

copyright. I was not aware that wagons of this type were used in the Northumberland Coalfield.

I wish I could remember more details from getting on 60 years ago, To my shame, my only real interest was loco numbers.  I do recall that virtually all the coal trains were hoppers, and mineral wagon rakes were thin on the ground. I have a few photos of long-distance trains of this type heading for Berwick or with a few wagons to be dropped off at the likes of Morpeth or Alnwick for onward transit up the branch lines in the local pick-ups.

 

The 24T were, as you say, designed in part for power station traffic. I built a couple of Parkside kits, and a rake would be something different. I have no photo of a train of this type in Northumberland, but  Burradon/Ashington/Backworth to Stella North is entirely plausible.

 

If only I had known then what I would like to know now.

 

John

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Hi John,

 

the 16t wagons were  very common being used for landsales throughout

the Nort East but loaded mainly for locations away from home turf. 21t were common for loco

coal. I wondered if the 24t had the instruction panel added in error. There were 24t hoppers

allocated to the same flow. I have never seen a photo of 24t minerals in a train in Northumberland.

 

Like your self i was  more interested in numbers rather than what was going on. I just managed

to catch the last couple of years of steam.

 

I like the layout.

 

Regards,

 

Trev.

 

 

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11 hours ago, rowanj said:

I wish I could remember more details from getting on 60 years ago, To my shame, my only real interest was loco numbers.  I do recall that virtually all the coal trains were hoppers, and mineral wagon rakes were thin on the ground. I have a few photos of long-distance trains of this type heading for Berwick or with a few wagons to be dropped off at the likes of Morpeth or Alnwick for onward transit up the branch lines in the local pick-ups.

 

The 24T were, as you say, designed in part for power station traffic. I built a couple of Parkside kits, and a rake would be something different. I have no photo of a train of this type in Northumberland, but  Burradon/Ashington/Backworth to Stella North is entirely plausible.

 

If only I had known then what I would like to know now.

 

John

The larger size of the 24t wagon caused problems.
They were too tall to fit under the chutes of the loading bays of some collieries. they only went to suitable locations.
Regards,
Chris.

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The posts about mineral wagons sent me hunting through my books to see what was there. No sign of 24T rakes - the only contemporary photo I found of Stella North was the ubiquitous J27 and hoppers. there are a couple of photos of the yards via Google, but they too contain only hoppers.

The photos I have around Tyneside tend to have  16T mineral wagons marshalled as part of a rake of mixed goods. I needed to get to Alnmouth before finding a full rake, The further north I got, the more common they became, - a couple had Tweedmouth locos in charge, in both sides of the border. One was of a V2 on down empties at Burnmouth. That's not to say they didnt run through Little Benton - I just dont have any photos. They were more common in Durham.

The V2 is on my mineral wagon rake, rather too mixed for my taste these days. It doesnt get out much.

The LRM N9 is held at the signals at Little Benton South with the Weetslade - Stella North 24T mineral rake - well actually the only wagon I have, built from a Parkside kit. It usually lives in the LOCO coal set, but I'm having second thoughts.

 

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Hi John,

 

when i worked in the Area Freight Centre at Cambois in the late 70s/early 80s

most 16t minerals that were loaded in the Ashington group seemed to go to Scotland.

Blockloads of empties coming back were sometimes detached at Morpeth and

picked up by a Cambois trip for delivery to the pits.

 

I suspect that in the 50s loaded landsales from Whittle/Shilbottle in 16t minerals

for Scotland and elsewhere were tripped to Alnmouth and attached to the relevant

trunk services north and south.

 

Landsales in the 50s from the South Northumberland Collieries were probably tripped by Local Traffic Engine to Heaton

but would be mixed with hoppers and other traffics rather than in blocks.

 

Regards,

 

Trev.

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In case this hasnt been seen elsewhere, here is the latest addition to the fleet, Oxford Rail's J27 65837. T his was a Percy Main loco, and I suspect I saw it innumerable times during my spotting days. Percy Main was an easy shed to "bunk", and the loco would have been a regular through Little Benton.

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John I bet you never thought this would be made rtr...amazing the progress our hobby has made the last....forty years. I remember standing outside what was to become my local model shop in the mid seventies looking at the  Mainline Royal Scot and Class 45 Peak. Two locos,  I never thought I would see available, ready made. It was these two that got me back into the modelling side of our hobby having grown disillusioned with the Triang Hornby of the period. The green on the Scot not unlike that on my latest A2/2...probably still using the same tin in the factory in Hong Kong.

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A J27 Fest. all posed , obviously, though this was easily the most common class of loco at Little Benton by 1960.

65863 is a North Blyth loco, built from a Nu Cast kit to represent an engine with superheater removed, yet retaining the longer smokebox and continuous handrails. it brings an empty cattle wagon rake into the sidings for storage.

65813 and 65822 are Dave Alexander kits. 65837 is the Oxford Rail RTR. It is far too clean, and I'm not confident enough to dirty it with paint. However, I may have a go with weathering powders to tone things down a bit.

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So I tackled the pristine J27, having practiced on a couple of wagons, then a J27 kit. There are certainly photos of really badly worn J27's but  rather more in work-stained appearance. Though I doubt they were ever cleaned, they seemed to more smoke-grimed/coal -dusted. so that is what I aimed for. I really like the Oxford Rail model, but having seen so many of these locos in the flesh, the ex-works look was just too much, especially with the cream, gleaming cab-interior. Therefore, biting of bullets was necessary.

 

i used Tamiya weathering packs, with a moist brush . At the moment, there is no additional fixing, until I'm sure I'm happy, and this allows me to remove most of the weathering powder if needed. I'm pretty hopeless at painting, so was quite nervous, but have to say I'm not too displeased with how it turned out. You get no coal with the model- only a smattering in the bottom of the tender-, so I took the opportunity to use real coal, "nicked" from the SLS 30 Yr Anniversary Open Weekend when 65854 visited from the NYMR. 

 

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Edited by rowanj
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23 minutes ago, Sludger said:

Looks good John,

 

i am waiting for a couple of the 65817 version to

become 65811 and 65813 from Blyth.

 

Trev.

I have the late crest 65817 ordered too, Trev. I'm not sure whether to re-number it- it had brief spell at Percy Main. The big question is- do I get the J26 too if/when it is released?

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On 20/07/2021 at 20:06, rowanj said:

I have the late crest 65817 ordered too, Trev. I'm not sure whether to re-number it- it had brief spell at Percy Main. The big question is- do I get the J26 too if/when it is released?

John we already know the answer don’t we ?

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A final photo of the J27's. The Oxford Rail version is on the 16T minerals, and the signals show it taking the East-South curve (the only 1 of 3 which still exists), where it will head up the North Tyneside loop, then come off at Backworth onto the line to Ashington/Newbiggin. It may actually be using this route as a diversion to get to Morpeth, via Bedlington.

65813, on the hoppers, is the Dave Alexander kit I used as a guinea pig before weathering the RTR loco. 

65863 is an original NU Cast loco, whitemetal chassis and all, i ground out the metal to fit a High Level RR+ gearbox, and it runs well.

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Edited by rowanj
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Flushed with my "success" in dirtying-up the pair of J27' s, and discovering that I am the Michelangelo of weathering, I turned my attention to my solitary Q6. Most of these locos operated South of the Tyne until 1962 or so, but did work north on occasions. This is a Teesside loco, and has my rake of fuel tankers It seems to be heading up the North Tyneside commuter loop to Gosforth, so my be destined for Callerton, on the Ponteland Branch. Prices of Q6's seem to have come down recently, so I may indulge in another.

 

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There were always a few K1's around on Tyneside, though rather more arrived late in the day to supplement the last J27;s in the Northumberland Coalfield.

620086 has SO Alnwick-Newcastle. The loco was a bargain from Bure Valley Models, and all I have done so far is replace BRITISH RAILWAYS on the tender with a Modelmasters crest. 

 

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It is a while since we saw the Leicester-Craigendoran, which has the usual Haymarket A3, in this case Blenheim, at the head.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Trains pass at Little Benton Sidings. The Class 104 is on an Alnwick- Newcastle, to the disgust of the spotters hoping for one of the last D20's. This is my converted Hornby 110, courtesy of Clive Mortimore, cutter and shutter extraordinaire.

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The LRM J25 has a short goods, and passes Little Benton North heading for Blyth. The train probably originated at Forth Goods, rather than Heaton.

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Little Benton South was our normal spotting point, about 25 yards to the right of the cabin. The Tetrarch was a common sight, as it heads for Waverley. ^0501 was a reasonably frequent visitor to Newcastle, but rarely got further North - i certainly never saw an A2/2 at Little Benton. It has an ECS rake of non-corridor stock, and Haymarket has probably taken the opportunity to get it back to York with  stock needing a visit to the C & W Works there.

In the headshunt, NCB RSH 14 in ST No 5 collects a 24Tmineral and guards van before heading for Weetslade. This is a High Level body running temporarily (?) on a Hornby B2 chassis while I try to get some 14 in. Markits wheels. I may not try too hard, as it runs well and looks good on the RTR chassis.

 

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These weren't exchange sidings with the NCB, so the train is wholly un-prototypical, but is a bit of fun. The High Level RSH takes my short NCB rake towards Backworth - note the distinctive red livery on the internal user wagons. Thinking of an excuse, possibly the Blue bell route to Whitehill Point and the staithes was blocked, and exceptional, running powers had been given to get the train to and from Eccles Colliery, via the Blyth and Tyne.

 

A short wander through the village today saw notices of closure of Holywell Crossing for several nights as part of the re-opening to passengers of the Blyth and Tyne from Newcastle to Ashington, scheduled for 2024.

 

https://youtu.be/1kY9jebB4nw

 

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The B16/1's had gone from Heaton by 1958, but before that were regulars on fitted freight turns to Edinburgh. Presumably there were sufficient A2/3, A2, A3 and V2's to cover the passenger work. This was my first etched kit.

 

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The 24 is an early Bachmann, re-numbered as a 52A loco. The TPO is made from Southern Pride kits. There was always a rake in the centre roads between Platforms 8 and 9 in Newcastle Central, on the odd times we got the ticket collector to let us onto the station.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I occasionally metaphorically transport Little Benton to other parts of the old LNER, and run some of the stock not really appropriate to the real place. The N15 is a very recently built Falcon Brass kit, actually on test having been weathered. It has a transfer freight, and is passed by 61996, a "cut and shut" on an ECS of ex-NER stock.

 

 

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Just north of Little Benton Nprth was a 3-way junction. Only the South-East curve remains, and it takes freight to Ashington/Lynemouth/Morpeth along the old Blyth and Tyne mainline. This will re-open to passenger in December 2023, and Network Rail have begun the track and signalling upgrades. I caught a 66xxx on track replacement duties alongside the engineers storage at Backworth last Sunday, 05/09.

 

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Edited by rowanj
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There were three curves at Benton off the main line and only one remains.

 

The North East one from Forrest Hall to Benton station which was removed when the Metro took over the North Tyne loop in 1977 between Manors and West Monkseaton for conversion. The truncated remains were used by the Metro for Benton turnbacks.

 

The South West curve remained till the Rountrees traffic to Fawdon ended and was removed when the resignalling and electrification occurred in the 1990’s 

 

The South East remains connecting to the Blyth and Tyne, running parallel to the Metro to Backworth junction!

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59 minutes ago, Mark Saunders said:

There were three curves at Benton off the main line and only one remains.

 

The North East one from Forrest Hall to Benton station which was removed when the Metro took over the North Tyne loop in 1977 between Manors and West Monkseaton for conversion. The truncated remains were used by the Metro for Benton turnbacks.

 

The South West curve remained till the Rountrees traffic to Fawdon ended and was removed when the resignalling and electrification occurred in the 1990’s 

 

The South East remains connecting to the Blyth and Tyne, running parallel to the Metro to Backworth junction!

You are quite correct, Mark. I got geographically confused. 

 

I used to get the Metro from Benton to Newcastle Haymarket back in the day, when trains started and terminated there (on a service to Pelaw?) and often saw a Metro unit emerge from the cut back North- West loop. I only saw a Rowntrees train on one occasion - a Class 31 (on Palvans , I think.)

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1 hour ago, rowanj said:

You are quite correct, Mark. I got geographically confused. 

 

I used to get the Metro from Benton to Newcastle Haymarket back in the day, when trains started and terminated there (on a service to Pelaw?) and often saw a Metro unit emerge from the cut back North- West loop. I only saw a Rowntrees train on one occasion - a Class 31 (on Palvans , I think.)

I once dived onto a Metro at Haymarket thinking it was for the coast and sat at the back and only realised it was a Benton turn back when it went round the corner!

 

The last time I had been over the North East curve was when there was a Newcastle to Berwick DMU via Benton.

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This is the area Mark and I have been discussing. The curves to the South are reasonably well photographed, but I have no photos of that to the North, which swings West towards Benton, This is the one which Mark travelled on,  on a most unusual route into Central. I suspect the lack of photos there is due to its' relative inaccessibility, requiring either a dangerous trespass or lineside permit,

 

The A2 heads south with the South West curve shown. Both southern curves had 3rd rail, to allow EMU's to access the North Tyneside route in either direction. The West curve to Benton gained access to Gosforth Depot, while the East curve allowed occasional passenger trains from The Coast a faster access to Central via the ECML. 

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The D20 heads North having passed the South-West curve behind it to the  left  A V1 is held at signals , having dropped down from the Blyth and Tyne., then a short run up the North Tyneside loop from Backworth. This is a useful photo for my purposes, as it shows these trains occasionally used the ECML (and passed Little Benton Sidings), rather than continue along the more normal route via Benton and Gosforth to terminate at Manors North. I suppose it could be ECS for either Heaton Yard or Little Benton Sidings.

 

Hope this is of interest. Please respect the copyright of the photos.

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Edited by rowanj
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