Trainspotting at Little Benton Sidings, Newcastle.

[Mark Saunders]

Has anyone solved the mystery of the 24.5 ton mineral branded for Burradon as only the photo taken by David Larkin shows this and no other records or anecdotes exist?

[rowanj]

From the NBR to the GN Mainline. O2/3 62937 from Doncaster has a fitted freight and is about to pass C12 67367 on a local. These kits were built many moons ago, the C12 from a Craftsman kit and the O2/3 from a NuCast kit, bought from Northumbria Models when it was still in Forest Hall.

Neither see much action. The C12 ran beautifully straight off the shelf, but the O2 needed some major tweaking to the pick-ups and oiling. But that was sufficient to get it running nicely. I was disgusted with the paintwork, so rubbed it down, oversprayed with Railmatch Weather Black, and added a bit of rust from Tamiya powders. I have another O2 of similar vintage which I'll do something similar to when time allows.

 

 

Edited September 11, 2021 by rowanj

[Sandhole]

28 minutes ago, rowanj said:

From the NBR to the GN Mainline. O2/3 62937 from Doncaster has a fitted freight and is about to pass C12 67367 on a local. These kits were built many moons ago, the C12 from a Craftsman kit and the O2/3 from a NuCast kit, bought from Northumbria Models when it was still in Forest Hall.

Neither see much action. The C12 ran beautifully straight off the shelf, but the O2 needed some major tweaking to the pick-ups and oiling. But that was sufficient to get it running nicely. I was disgusted with the paintwork, so rubbed it down, oversprayed with Railmatch Weather Black, and added a bit of rust from Tamiya powders. I have another O2 of similar vintage which I'll do something similar to when time allows.

 

 

Always thought that variant of the O2 was a handsome beast.
Great seeing you bring stuff out for a play.
Any chance of any more videos please.?
Regards,
Chris.

[rowanj]

2 hours ago, Sandhole said:

Any chance of any more videos please.?
Regards,
Chris.

I thought I would make a couple, Chris.  One would be "strangers" at Little Benton, and another Diesel based. It will be a while though, due to other commitments.

John

[Sandhole]

37 minutes ago, rowanj said:

I thought I would make a couple, Chris.  One would be "strangers" at Little Benton, and another Diesel based. It will be a while though, due to other commitments.

John

Marvellous, I'll look forward to those.
Chris.

[rowanj]

On 11/09/2021 at 14:42, Mark Saunders said:

Has anyone solved the mystery of the 24.5 ton mineral branded for Burradon as only the photo taken by David Larkin shows this and no other records or anecdotes exist?

. Though it remains a mystery in real life - i havent found a photo myself- a short rake of 24.5T wagons may yet run through Little Benton. I already have one , built from a Parkside kit, and have a further couple on order. The kit is out of stock in many suppliers - perhaps another victim of panic buying !, but doubtless will re-appear. The 1 example on Ebay, which looked like old stock, was listed for nearly £20.

 

EDIT- I came across a photo Mark posted on the TMC/Bachmann thread re the RTR release of this wagon, and it's obvious that there was traffic between the Burradon Colliery Complex and the Stella Power Stations using 24.5T wagons. The traffic would have almost certainly come down the ECML, through Little Benton.

 

I did find a photo of a J27 passing Central, with what the caption described as a rake of loaded 21T mineral wagons, described as a common sight. Only the first loaded wagon is in the shot. We took no notice of such things back then, but I certainly dont have any photos of these wagons as a rake- they are usually tucked in along with 16 Tonners. Even rakes of these were relatively rare, as landsale coal  seems to have been more normally carried in mixed rakes of semi-fitted goods

Edited September 28, 2021 by rowanj

[rowanj]

Before returning to its' proper place just to the north of Heaton, here is the last, for now, of the temporary relocation into GN territory. The O2/2 is another old NuCast kit, built back in the days of 3 TV channels. It has the original whitemetal chassis, which I filed away to allow a Mashima motor and gearbox to be fitted. At some point, I seem to have added Slaters brakeshoes, which at least suggest something is there on the frames.

Like theO2/3, the paintwork was awful, and as I'm struggling to build up the momentum to start anything else, I did some repair work to dull everything down. When first put on the track, it would not run, but, luckily, lubrication sorted that.

 

[Sandhole]

2 hours ago, rowanj said:

Before returning to its' proper place just to the north of Heaton, here is the last, for now, of the temporary relocation into GN territory. The O2/2 is another old NuCast kit, built back in the days of 3 TV channels. It has the original whitemetal chassis, which I filed away to allow a Mashima motor and gearbox to be fitted. At some point, I seem to have added Slaters brakeshoes, which at least suggest something is there on the frames.

Like theO2/3, the paintwork was awful, and as I'm struggling to build up the momentum to start anything else, I did some repair work to dull everything down. When first put on the track, it would not run, but, luckily, lubrication sorted that.

 

I think the paintwork is fine.
Kudos for building an old NuCast kit. Those whitemetal chassis could be a bit of a .
Regards,
Chris.

[rowanj]

The K3 is 61812 of 36A. Doncaster K3's would be pretty rare, though not unknown, at Newcastle. I modified the GBL model as done by Tony Wright to represent one of the few which retained RH drive paired with a GN tender - I think mine is a Graeme King resin casting. It runs on a modified Bachmann V1 chassis. The lads at Little Benton would be jumping for joy, as it is almost certainly a cop.

 

We were always thrilled to see the distant signals pulled off, as it usually meant  something other than another J27 or Q6 on mineral hoppers. Hard to imagine now, but Sparrow Hawk, a Gateshead A4, would have been a disappointment. This loco is a GBL Mallard on a Hornby chassis. The train is almost certainly a SO Edinburgh-York.

Edited October 1, 2021 by rowanj

[rowanj]

Summer Saturdays were a happy hunting ground for me at Little Benton. Today, sees Velocity heading what is probably a relief to the Heart of Midlothian, which includes a Kitchen Car. The 3-coach rake are simply etched sides on Hornby donors. Velocity was one of the last Tyneside A2 seen regularly on passenger services by 1964 or so. The loco is simply re-named Bachmann.

 

William Whitelaw is re-named Hornby, and has the return Craigendoran-Leicester, more normally a 52B A3 turn. It will come off at Newcastle where, to the delight of the spotters, a Jubilee will take it forward, This actually happened at least once.

[rowanj]

B16/3, 61464 - a Thompson re-build- heads light-engine back to Tyneside, having been on a trip to Edinburgh.

I saw the odd visitor to Newcastle, which was as far as these engines normally got- and pretty rarely at that. However, I have a photo of one running light through Beal towards Tyneside, so it did happen. There are no details of why it was there, but I assume that it was on a York-Edinburgh freight, and, rather than change engines at Heaton, it worked through. Was it a summer Saturday, when locos were in short supply, and there was no appropriate work to get home in revenue service? 

Either way , this is my representation.  The kit is from PDK.

Edited October 8, 2021 by rowanj

[rowanj]

I was interested in the posts here and on the TMC thread about the use of 24.5T mineral wagons between the Burradon complex and the Stella Power Stations, They must have gone through Little Benton, though we wouldnt have taken any notice of them - just another coal train. anyway, I'm going to build a rake, using Parkside's kit. I already had one built, which I was using in my LOCO coal rake, but now have a second. To be honest, I need a bit of a break from loco building, and this seemed an easy option - just a nice, easy wagon.

Actually, the kit is a bit thin on the ground at the moment, but I've tracked down another pair, and have a Cambrian LNER mineral kit to build, so that will keep me occupied,

Anyway, here are the completed pair, and my B16/2 which has had a new repaired chassis fitted, on its MOT test on the layout.

[rowanj]

Rebuilds pass at Little Benton, and both will delight we oiks by the fence, The rather more controversial A1/1 would more normally have come off at Newcastle. Although I dont recall seeing it, there are photos of it on both passenger and parcels turns, presumably from Doncaster.

There seems to be no real controversy about the rebuilds of the B16/1' into either the /2 or/3 variants, although there isnt any information I could find about any improvement in performance or economy. I suppose the fact they outlasted the original locos says something. The B16/2 has a rake of tankers headed for York.

 

Tyne Dock's T1 has been loaned to the Tyne Improvement Commission and heads north light engine. It will take the south-east curve at Little Benton North, run along the Blyth and Tyne to Backworth , then take the mineral line past Blue Bell to the TIC yards.

[rowanj]

Bachmann BR 4MT 76024 takes a race special to Killingworth from Darlington for the July "Plate" Meeting at Gosforth Park. Killingworth Station had a small terminus, sufficient for 3 trains, to handle this traffic. The leading coach is an Isinglass kit of a Gresley 6-compartment Brake.

 

Passing, an LRM N8 takes a short rake south. The destination is Walkergate Wagon Works. The vans are Wrenn, repainted in 1974 or so, and kept for nostalgia purposes. An ArthurK/North Eastern Kits J77 has been shunting the sidings, and has pushed some of its' load into the headshunt,

[rowanj]

The unique inside cylindered Brit 70036 heads south on a Glasgow- Kings X  Express.

 

Well, actually, it is actually just checking how the trailing bogie works, as I build the Comet chassis donated to me by a pal who I "met" via RM Web. What a great resource this is for exchanging information and making friends with folk you would never meet otherwise.

 

The Brit body was sitting in a drawer, and I had wheels and a suitable motor. It was from a tender-drive model, so could benefit from extra detailing, The tender is from the GBL 9F, and actually has wheels which turn. I'll either use the body on a Hornby chassis, or have a go adding weight and better wheels. 

 

This is actually my second attempt at a Brit chassis- the first one, years ago, ended up in the bin, and probably explains why I had the wheels available. better luck this time.

[rowanj]

A few more trains passing Little Benton.

 

1, Re-nunbered Bachmann WD

2, 60503 -Hornby/Graeme King.

3 RSH Highlevel kit

4.Re-nubered Bachmann 4MT 76xxx

5 GBL K3 on SEF chassis

6 Dave Alexander J21 built as "goods only" 

7 DJH A8 with Type 63 "fat" boiler

[rowanj]

This is my Burradon-Stella train, which at present consists of only 5 wagons (Parkside) and an LNER Brake (also Parkside). The kit , PC04, seems to be in short supply at the moment. I do have another 2, but they have been appropriated by Mrs Rowanj for stocking fillers.

 

The top-down shot shows the view we had from the top of the Po,wder Monkey, an old spoil tip now mainly used as a BMX track,  The other is pretty much the view we had when trainspotting by the fence at Little Benton North. Where is that time machine when you need it?

 

 

[Sandhole]

Your layout always reminds me of Sanderson's Sidings.
A location on the old LNWR line from Manchester to Tyldesley. The Sidings was Tyldesley side of Worsley Station. It was the exchange for the Bridgewater Collieries lines and BR.
As a little boy, Dad and I used to walk there for a summer's evening's spotting.
The location was very like your layout. The trains came past in front of us, with the added excitement of coal trains being shunted off the main line, as well as the industrial traffic.
Austerities and NSR New L 0-6-2 tanks picking up trains.
JINGS that's 54 years ago!!!
Regards,
Chris.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Sandhole

[rowanj]

My J71 heads a short LOCO coal rake north. It may be headed for the Ponteland Branch, but more likely, the wagons have been appropriated for domestic  coal merchants, and have originated at the Rising Sun Complex.

The J71 has just been "in works" to have a new motor fitted. It is an early Mainline J72 body, cut and shut to reduce the bunker sides, then further modified using the Mainly Trains/Wizard conversion kit. It is a classic "layout" loco.

Unlike Chris/Sandhole, by the time we started spotting in 1960/61, I only saw a train using the sidings once. The sidings were normally full, but normally with rakes of condemned open wagons. But one Saturday morning in 1963, my younger brother and I saw a train entering them from the north. As it approached, to our astonishment, the loco was an A4, heading a rake of wagons. It stopped almost alongside us, and we saw it was 60001, It dropped off the wagons and headed south, and was withdrawn soon after. This was the last time we saw an A4 in service.

 

[rowanj]

The lad on the fence is more or less where we did our spotting in a period from about 1960 to '64. I remember long periods of inactivity followed by bursts of action., surprising perhaps for the ECML just north of Newcastle. Things were even slower when I spotted at Chathill - nothing happening for ages, then an express or faxt freight flew through.

The Q7 is a Dave Alexander kit, and the A1/1 a Hornby A3/Graeme King resin parts body on a modified SEF chassis. Both locos may well be cops, unless the lads managed to get onto the platforms at Central, as the "Berlin Wall" which was the River Tyne usually stopped locos from the south getting further north than Newcastle. We were normally prevented by the "jobsworths" from getting onto the platform, even if we had bought a platform ticket. Nowadays, we would at least be demanding a refund and levelling accusations about our "human rights". Not then!

[rowanj]

I have a couple of photos from the mid-50's of K2;s on Heaton Shed, and a particularly splendid one of an Eastfield loco passing Little Benton heading for Tyneside,in 1955. At some point, I'll build a kit of the Scottish Cab version.

My model, built many years ago, has always been a little problematic. It is a NuCast loco on a whitemetal chassis, and was always too shiny in my eyes- though I justified it as being ex-works. When I dug it out a few weeks ago, it refused to run in reverse, so I gave it a good clean and lubrication, tweaked the gears to make a better mesh, and over sprayed it with a light dusting of Railmatch Weather Black and Light Rust.  It now runs well. I know some folk hate whitemetal chassis,, but I find that, if treated with care, they can be made to run. I always fit brass wheel bushes, and file out the chassis to take a modern gearbox., and fit brakes, it doesnt always work, but when it does I end up with a loco which runs well with weight in the proper place.

61759 is held at the exit to the sidings before heading back to Heaton, and then home.

Edited November 14, 2021 by rowanj

[rowanj]

By the time we stared regular serious spotting, the sidings were mainly used to store condemned wagons. So, while I was doing some track relaying I used the sidings to store some locos out of harms way. They are either in store or waiting the final trip to North Road, Darlington. Hopefully. they will be dragged out soon as the Summer Timetable comes into force.

Jobs like this reinforces how much stock I have. Luckily, Mrs rowanj doesn't visit the loft, otherwise .......

[46256]

John the fabled strategic reserve..

[rowanj]

My latest build/conversion, 70036 BOEDICEA, has a special to Edinburgh, probably associated with a rugby International at Murrayfield. The leading coach is an LMS Porthole, so the origin may be Leeds or Manchester. The loco is a Hornby tender-drive body on a Comet chassis. how I did it is on my loco-build thread,

Edited November 25, 2021 by rowanj

[Ray Flintoft]

On 25/11/2021 at 18:33, rowanj said:

My latest build/conversion, 70036 BOEDICEA, has a special to Edinburgh, probably associated with a rugby International at Murrayfield. The leading coach is an LMS Porthole, so the origin may be Leeds or Manchester. The loco is a Hornby tender-drive body on a Comet chassis. how I did it is on my loco-build thread,

Looks a very nice job . As I promised earlier on Wright Writes I have been looking up visits of Brits to Newcastle  as reported  . The first visit reported is of  70041 on 30.8.1958 with an express from the south . There are then a few reports of them each year , mostly coming in from the south or in later years on freights from Carlisle . The most interesting probably for you are the following ;;

 10/5/1960   70038 at Heaton on a petrol train from the south .

  19/12/1961 70016 on a Niddrie to Heaton class C freight .

 17/9/1962 70000 on a down freight at Heaton 

 14/4/1966 70051on a Tyne Yard to Millerhill freight . 

 It is worth saying  that for every reported visit there would be several that went unrecorded  so I think you have every reason to use your Brit as a rare visitor on your layout  .

   Hope this is of help .

                     Cheers ,

                               Ray .