School Project - The Victorian Railway

[Edwardian]

My daughter (10) never ceases to surprise me.

 

She has just announced that for her school project she wants to tell the entire history of the Victorian railway, how it evolved and how it changed every aspect of our daily lives, and to do so via a scrap book, slideshow presentation and (working) model railway.

 

I'm flabbergasted.

 

I have suggested that we need to narrow things down, so she is now committed to giving this a local, North Eastern, theme.  The Stockton & Darlington, after all, is not a bad place to start.

 

We have to assume the following constraints:

 

- Time: Minimal

- Budget: Minimal

- Skill level (hers and mine): Minimal

- Patience (hers): Minimal

- Ambition: Limitless

 

We will need to keep everything very simple.  It has to be something a ten year-old can produce (so a Bouch long-boiler 0-6-0 to P4 standards is probably out)  

 

If anyone has any bright ideas ....

 

 

[Regularity]

A chaldron wagon and a late Victorian NER coal hopper? The latter from a kit, maybe, but the former from some balsa?

Major differences in design and capacity, reflecting the change from gravity and horse to iron horse.

[MarcD]

Shunting with a H, H1, H2 or a K locos or North Sunderland? 

 

What scale?

 

Marc

[Nearholmer]

You are one lucky dad!

 

Rather than thinking models, why don’t you build an actual small, narrow gauge railway?

 

This may sound entirely mad, but when I was about that age, we built a small bloomery-hearth, and smelted Iron at school (everything to do this is literally at your feet in the Sussex Weald), and learned more than we’d have ever got from books.

 

Imagine a wagon about wheelbarrow-size. Then getting the kids to try shifting that volume of Earth about ten yards using various methods ........ the superiority of even a crude iron railway over most of the alternatives (I suppose you could have them dig a canal!) would be immediately evident. And, they’d sure remember it.

 

There’s a chap not far from you (Ripon) who owns some genuine 50cm gauge Victorian-era portable railway, maybe you could rope him in.

 

Kevin

 

PS: and, you’ve got horses in the family! Perfect ..... you can hitch one of them up and show how easy it all becomes.

 

PPS: do you have a copy of ‘De Re Metallica’?

Edited March 1, 2018 by Nearholmer

[Caley Jim]

I have a power Point presentation I gave to my Probus Club sometime ago called'What the Railways Did for Us'. It was an attempt to show how the railways changed society and some things which we no take for granted which came about through the railways.  E.g. standard time and package tours (the latter courtesy of Thomas Cook).  Happy to send it by PM and you can use what you like from it.

 

Jim

[Andy Hayter]

To show the development of the railways during Victorian times you could take a Dapol kit of the Rocket and put it alongside one of your late Victorian locos.

[Edwardian]

Some very good suggestions, thank you, and excellent food for though.

 

I have a power Point presentation I gave to my Probus Club sometime ago called'What the Railways Did for Us'. It was an attempt to show how the railways changed society and some things which we no take for granted which came about through the railways.  E.g. standard time and package tours (the latter courtesy of Thomas Cook).  Happy to send it by PM and you can use what you like from it.

 

Jim

 

Thank you, Jim, that is a contribution I would gratefully accept.

[sem34090]

To show the development of the railways during Victorian times you could take a Dapol kit of the Rocket and put it alongside one of your late Victorian locos.

Kitmaster GNR Single?

[Edwardian]

Kitmaster GNR Single?

 

Not so easily obtainable as Rocket, but a good idea

[Happy Hippo]

A touch of the Parlimentary Railways models in 7 mm: Ah you said cheap or at no cost, sorry!

[sem34090]

1904, I know, but how about a kitmaster/airfix/Dapol City? Almost Victorian, so I'm sure it could be bashed into an earlier - Victorian - Outside-Framed 4-4-0.

 

Smallbrook Studios Cauldron wagons? You can put them to use on CA afterwards!

[sem34090]

I do rather like Kevin's suggestion.

 

I remember, many moons ago, I built a 2mm scale model of half of Maidenhead Viaduct for a school project. They all seem rather fun, looking back now!

 

If you're sticking with the NER then how about a mainline J72 as a late Victorian loco to compare with perhaps a GBL Locomotion? The latter wouldn't be strictly to scale, but is obtainable if you're willing to do some digging. Follow other's suggestions for wagons, then maybe bash one of those old Triang brake vans into an NER one (I think that was the basis?).

 

A small shunting puzzle, maybe 3-4ft long (My 'Ealing East is 3ft long, and a direct rip off from 'Chapel Street' in the March 2013 RM.) Two levels and enough sidings for an inglenook. I'll post some photos later, if you like?

[sem34090]

Actually, I'm now tempted to put together a small NER/Generic pre-group version of my micro-layout... or even remodelling the current one!

 

Here are a few pictures of both 'Ealing East' and 'Salvington', as both could work.

 

Bashed Ratio GWR 4-Wheelers could do for late-Victorian coaches, then perhaps GBL/Triang/Hornby L&M Coaches for the earlier generation?

[Caley Jim]

James, check your PM's.

 

Jim

[HonestTom]

Smallbrook Studios produce an NER chaldron wagon. It's a resin kit and comes with wheels etc, so probably wouldn't be too difficult a project.

[Edwardian]

Actually, I'm now tempted to put together a small NER/Generic pre-group version of my micro-layout... or even remodelling the current one!

 

Here are a few pictures of both 'Ealing East' and 'Salvington', as both could work.

ee.png

ee1.png

ST.png

 

Bashed Ratio GWR 4-Wheelers could do for late-Victorian coaches, then perhaps GBL/Triang/Hornby L&M Coaches for the earlier generation?

 

Those are two tidy little layouts - you should be pleased with them!

 

Timely inspiration for a mini project, thanks

[sem34090]

Wow, I proved inspiring to one of my modelling inspirations! I am very honoured, Sir.

 

Your Humble Servant,

 

E. Missenden

[sem34090]

A thought with the 'Ealing East Plan' - one could use the raised area to perhaps represent NER Architecture and period fittings on the station, and the goods yard could demonstrate the different goods that the railways carried in the North East. A J72 would be more than adequate for such a layout, and any earlier loco could be static. The baseboards for 'Ealing East' were put together over a weekend, and the track laid in an evening. I used Peco Code-100 streamline, but you could possibly even demonstrate different track types, from early stone blocks, different rail types, different ballasting styles. It's all showing the rapid evolution of the railways.

 

As an aside, 'Ealing East' fits quite comfortably under my arm, and has been carried as such on the train to shows. I have even operated it on the train using a 9v battery, which always proves that there are many people who are 'casually' interested if they happen to see a layout operating!

[Edwardian]

A thought with the 'Ealing East Plan' - one could use the raised area to perhaps represent NER Architecture and period fittings on the station, and the goods yard could demonstrate the different goods that the railways carried in the North East. A J72 would be more than adequate for such a layout, and any earlier loco could be static. The baseboards for 'Ealing East' were put together over a weekend, and the track laid in an evening. I used Peco Code-100 streamline, but you could possibly even demonstrate different track types, from early stone blocks, different rail types, different ballasting styles. It's all showing the rapid evolution of the railways.

 

As an aside, 'Ealing East' fits quite comfortably under my arm, and has been carried as such on the train to shows. I have even operated it on the train using a 9v battery, which always proves that there are many people who are 'casually' interested if they happen to see a layout operating!

 

I was thinking of Ealing East, and dropping down further at the front to a low-level road, allowing the siding front left to be coal drops.  Very NE!

 

Oh good, more interlaced turnouts!!!!

 

Or, following your excellent suggestion, we could go all 1830s and solder rails to tiny squares of copper-clad PCB and represent stone blocks!

 

As a variation, again, a brilliant suggestion, one level 1830s-1850s, the other level 1870s-1890s?!?

Edited March 2, 2018 by Edwardian

[Andy Hayter]

Not only is the GNR Stirling Single more difficult to source, it is arguably a poor example of progress through the Victorian period.  Remember our audience is 10 year olds who will look for the differences rather  than necessarily understand the major engineering nuances.

 

Still a single driving wheel

Still a relatively high chimney

etc

[sem34090]

I like your take on my plan, which I nicked myself!

 

Your idea also has the advantage of offering you some more practice at building track! Afterwards it wouldn't be too hard to make a nice NER Exhibition micro-layout out of it!

 

Coal drops are a must: I must admit I was thinking front left siding, as the long siding has no clearance at the end due to the wall of the upper level.

 

If you can go slightly bigger than 3ft x 1ft, then you can possibly add a siding on the upper level, should you split the levels by era, to allow that period's goods stock to be shown.

[Compound2632]

Well, you have plenty of material resources near at hand. What would a visit to George Stephenson's birthplace yield? - bah, not much, currently closed...

 

On a slight tangent, about twenty years ago I visited the Bowes Museum, and again last summer. They still have an exhibition of children's toys down the ages but not, alas, the one I remember most vividly from my first visit: a wooden toy train, about Brio size and very much in the Brio style, made for one of Edward Pease's children. I was deeply moved: almost certainly the very first toy train. Where is it now?

[Edwardian]

The Dóttir is a very strong-willed child.  She has decided upon an oval with two scenes separated by a backscene/view blocker in the middle. One side; colliery. Other side: staithes.

 

I will seek further and better particulars of her plans when she awakens.

 

She really doesn't see why she should not have a working Hackworth 0-6-0, either.

 

!

[Caley Jim]

The Dóttir is a very strong-willed child. She has decided upon an oval with two scenes separated by a backscene/view blocker in the middle. One side; colliery. Other side: staithes.

 

I will seek further and better particulars of her plans when she awakens.

 

She really doesn't see why she should not have a working Hackworth 0-6-0, either.

 

!

She could always go to Beamish for inspiration for a loco (I'm thinking of the line beside the manor house).

 

Jim

[Edwardian]

Ah, the Apple of my Eye is awake, and has provided Plans, which she drew up last night whilst I slumbered.

 

So, now I am thinking in terms:

 

- A pointless oval - not building turnouts will speed the project

 

- What minimum radius (to keep the size down) could I achieve?

 

- If we do go all 1840s, can I build the oval by soldering FB rail onto little squares of copper-clad PCB (to represent the stone sleepers)?

 

The Dóttir can provide the groundworks and little cardboard mines and factories.  It might be an idea to teach her to solder.

 

Dare I hope that I have bred at least one railway modeller after all?  Not the one I expected (and not because she's a girl but because as a matter of character and interests she seemed the least likely of the two).