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The Bomb Store


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   Having recently near enough completed my Standard gauge model " Gone for a Burton", I have been looking for a new project to tinker with. I have decided to do something in narrow guage which is a new area for me.

   RAF Fauld was a munitions storage Depot created from Exhausted Gypsum mine workings. It was the RAF's largest Munitions Depot at the time, the site was purchased in 1937 and exteneded further into exhausted mine workings in 1941. From 1967 to 1973 the store was used by the USAF.   

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   The site is most famously known for the Explosion which took place at 11.13 on the 27th November 1944. which was the second biggest explosion of the war after the Atom Bomb. The Site is scarrd today with a crater 250 yards wide and nearly 400 foot deep, a memorial to the 70 people died or missing from the explosion. 

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   As a child I went walking with my dad across the fauld crater, The whole site interested me but in particular, I recall seeing the remains of the rails in the roads leading up to the crater area. This then seemed like a sensible option to do as a model as I like to do things that relate to my local interests too.

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   Fauld has been somewhat difficult to get indepth information on due to the nature of the topic. But in recent years with photos appearing taken by Urban Explorerers it has taken my interest once again. I managed to get hold of a book which has also proved a facinating read on the subject.

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   For this layout I am planning to build the layout base boards etc out of Foamex, a material which ive used for modeling before it is strong but most importantly light weight. The important thing for me is to build something small without being un interesting and aswell as keeping it as light as possible.

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So just an in sight and I will update you all soon.

 

Thanks Joe

 

 

 

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Hi Joe,

 

Good luck with your plans.

 

All this 009 stuff coming along in the not too distant future has triggered my interest in a MOD supply depot too. I'm planning to base a micro layout on the RAF Dinton (Wiltshire) depot which was used for RAF bomb storage until as late as 1992 and had an extensive narrow gauge system. I've already built a couple of bogie flat-bed wagons utilising Peco 009 wagon bogies as these appear to be the main rolling stock type used in later years but will need to load them with some sort of 'bombs' like those in your photos. I've got hold of an Airfix RAF bomber re-supply kit which has a number of useful-looking 'bombs' included but, unfortunately, not that many.

 

I wondered if anyone on here knows of a source of 00 scale 'bombs' which might be suitable and are not too expensive?

 

Happy C

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Hi Joe,

 

Good luck with your plans.

 

All this 009 stuff coming along in the not too distant future has triggered my interest in a MOD supply depot too. I'm planning to base a micro layout on the RAF Dinton (Wiltshire) depot which was used for RAF bomb storage until as late as 1992 and had an extensive narrow gauge system. I've already built a couple of bogie flat-bed wagons utilising Peco 009 wagon bogies as these appear to be the main rolling stock type used in later years but will need to load them with some sort of 'bombs' like those in your photos. I've got hold of an Airfix RAF bomber re-supply kit which has a number of useful-looking 'bombs' included but, unfortunately, not that many.

 

I wondered if anyone on here knows of a source of 00 scale 'bombs' which might be suitable and are not too expensive?

 

Happy C

I managed to find some good Bombs on Shapeways, admittedly not all British, but looked the part, and in terms of Value where the best by far.

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Thanks to both of you for your  replies -

1) not yet a member of the 009 society but seriously considering it with what you say, 009 micro modeller

2) have looked at Shapeways site previously but most 'bombs' seem to be significantly smaller scale than '00'. Can you identify the actual items you've found useful, Joe?

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Resin cast copies of the bombs you're after? For personal use only, and if they're only a little part of the kit, I shouldn't think airfix will be getting the lawyers out (you can't copyright a 3D shape anyway).

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I am thinking about a freelance underground bomb store. I intend to build the layout in an A3 boxfile using Z gauge track (6.5mm) and a scale of 1/72 to represent 18" gauge.

I did think of doing it using Busch HOf even buying a set. What wonderfull models they are. As Fauld was 3ft gauge I have gone for oo9 instead.
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Really interesting project and excellent photos of Fauld. What was the book you found, Joe?

 

I am modelling a gypsum mine railway in 7mm scale which was how RAF Fauld started. The microlayout will be at the 7mm NGA event at Burton on 9 June, link to my thread on this below.

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Really interesting project and excellent photos of Fauld. What was the book you found, Joe?

 

I am modelling a gypsum mine railway in 7mm scale which was how RAF Fauld started. The microlayout will be at the 7mm NGA event at Burton on 9 June, link to my thread on this below.

I may be wrong - only Joe can answer your question for sure but I think the book in question is 'Disasters Underground'  by N J McCamley. Certainly the above photos appear in this book and the Fauld disaster is covered in great detail.

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The Airfix 1/72 WWII RAF Bomber Re-supply Set comes with some 1/72 bombs, and other useful bits. You can use them to make moulds in plastacine and cast more in epoxy resin, or get some proper RTV rubber and polyurethane resin if you require large quantities.

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Having recently purchased a rushton Hornsby body as a 3D print. I decided to prime and paint it. Also in the same order came the bombs all though small they pass for the smaller bombs. So here it is complete and weathered.

20180415_194230.jpg 20180418_204122.jpg 20180415_205854.jpg

Looks very nice. Can I ask where the print is from and what chassis the Ruston uses?

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The Nick McCamley books give a great insight to a lot of the "underground cities" & former storage facilities that exist beneath our feet, in the UK.

 

My "Baker Wood Bunker" layout was inspired by reading these and seeing evidence of the former bases that are scattered around Wiltshire.

The Narrow Planet website may be worth a look for some rolling stock kits.

Looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

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Having recently purchased a rushton Hornsby body as a 3D print. I decided to prime and paint it. Also in the same order came the bombs all though small they pass for the smaller bombs. So here it is complete and weathered.

attachicon.gif20180415_194230.jpgattachicon.gif20180418_204122.jpgattachicon.gif20180415_205854.jpg

Very nice. So where did you get the 'Bombs' from?. They're just what I'm looking for. Also interested in what chassis your Ruston body is sitting upon?

 

HC

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So the Bombs used have been from different sources, the smaller are actually n gauge 3d prints from Shapeways, though I think they represent smaller bombs quite well. The largest in fact Brassin Resin Bombs these are 500lb and 1000lb bombs. The chassis is a TomyTech 0-4-0 chassis.post-21682-0-25914600-1524335242_thumb.jpgpost-21682-0-95362000-1524335285_thumb.jpg

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I did think of doing it using Busch HOf even buying a set. What wonderfull models they are. As Fauld was 3ft gauge I have gone for oo9 instead.

 

The MoD system was 2ft gauge.  The nearby Scropton Tramway was 3ft gauge and served nearby mines but was unconnected with the MoD system.

A brief history of the system and details of the locomotives used are given in the Industrial Railway Society's North Staffordshire handbook, still available on their website.

 

The depot was connected by a 2ft. gauge line approx 1½ miles long to standard gauge sidings on the former NSR Stoke to Derby line between Tutbury and Scropton Crossing.  This line was lifted about 1970 but the system remained in use at the magazines until 1980.

  

There was a sale of 2ft. gauge equipment in February 1981 and this included:

 

5 Greenwood & Batley battery locomotives MoD Nos.180, 181, 233, 234 and 235                       

2 Ruston & Hornsby 44/48hp diesel locomotives

 

The following rolling stock (description as per sales list)

 

A 4-wheel steel snow plough/salt gritting wagon, with two steel bodied bogie salt carriers and bogie flat wagon

A mines rescue carriage, on bogies with timber and corrugated iron superstructure. Built 1940 by R.Hudson, Leeds. Makers No.SD 68211

Two 4-wheel open passenger carriers with wooden bodies and a 4-wheel tool carrier with wood body.

79 wood bodied 4-wheel 5 ton trucks

135 similar trucks in poor condition

1 wood bodied bogie truck in poor condition

39 large metal bodied double bogie trucks

5 4-wheel metal skips

 

Also included were approx 3,000 yards of 24" gauge track, being flat bottom rail spiked to wooden, concrete and metal sleepers (assume bolted rather than spiked to the latter two types of sleeper !), together with approx 900 yards of rail being the outer rail of the line adjoining the camp roadway.

To explain this last item, the "main line" of the system through the depot was double track on each side of the main roadway and the inner rail of each track in effect retained the edge of the road surface.

The Robert Hudson bogie coach was originally preserved at the Brockham Museum.

 

I visited the site in February 1981 with a friend who was manager of the Llanberis Lake Railway.  He was interested in the two Ruston & Hornsby locos and they were subsequently bought and transferred to the Lake Railway.  I took some photos but I don't recall seeing the carriages or snowplough.  I can post some of the photos if they would be of interest.

Edited by PGH
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The double track each side of the access road

 

 

 

Loco shed and workshops

 

 

 

AMW196 RH 198286 and flat wagon - this was the "wood bodied bogie truck (poor condition)" listed in the sale, although the wood body seems to be just the floor

 

 

 

AMW231 RH 203031 with the 5 skip wagons

 

 

 

AMW 231 (left) and AMW196 (right) outside the loco shed.  Both locos were fitted with exhaust conditioners although by then disconnected.

 

 

 

Bogie open wagon.  The 4-wheel wagon to the left is one described in the sale as "wood bodied" but were actually just wood slats in a steel frame

 

The Hudson coach is illustrated here:

http://amberleynarrowgauge.co.uk/brockham/slides/fauld-bogie-coach-brockham-070282.htm

Edited by PGH
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An interesting thread, in particular as I live just down the road in Tutbury.

 

Thanks to PGH for posting those fascinating photos of the Fauld Railway.

 

There have been various articles in the IRS and NGRS magazines on both the Scropton Tramway and the standard gauge that connected Tutbury Mill with the mainline yard and good articles on both in recent years in the Bylines magazine. But there’s been relatively little on the MOD line at Fauld in comparison.

 

Folly Books have published a fascinating book on Fauld, comes highly recommended. Think it’s a different title to that previously suggested, but by the same author. http://www.bradford-on-avon.org.uk/faulddisaster.html

 

Cheers,

Andrew

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