Bilton Junction

[Jon4470]

23 hours ago, jessy1692 said:

Looking very nice, will be borrowing your ideas for these tanks at somepoint. Top job.

James

 

James

Thanks - Borrow away and let me know how you get on ( and what improvements you make!)

 

Jon

[jessy1692]

14 minutes ago, Jon4470 said:

 

James

Thanks - Borrow away and let me know how you get on ( and what improvements you make!)

 

Jon

Will do Jon, not sure when ill get to it but its on the list, feels like the end is in sight with my freightliner foray, thens onto either a deltic detail job or a 74 then maybe narrow gauge time again. First job for them though is sort proper couplings... have you any plans for doing the gas works locos yet? 

James

[Jon4470]

50 minutes ago, jessy1692 said:

Will do Jon, not sure when ill get to it but its on the list, feels like the end is in sight with my freightliner foray, thens onto either a deltic detail job or a 74 then maybe narrow gauge time again. First job for them though is sort proper couplings... have you any plans for doing the gas works locos yet? 

James

 

Now that I have ( nearly) two narrow gauge wagons I do need to sort out couplings as well!

Then I need a loco to pull them. I have a Minitrix 2-6-2 and a WD kit stashed away so the I can build Spencer.....who knows, sometime this year I may build this one.

when it is a bit warmer I’d also like to make progress on some layout boards. I’m thinking that I can, maybe, get the narrow gauge part of the layout moving and not worry about the mainline for a while.

 

Jon

 

 

[jessy1692]

56 minutes ago, Jon4470 said:

 

Now that I have ( nearly) two narrow gauge wagons I do need to sort out couplings as well!

Then I need a loco to pull them. I have a Minitrix 2-6-2 and a WD kit stashed away so the I can build Spencer.....who knows, sometime this year I may build this one.

when it is a bit warmer I’d also like to make progress on some layout boards. I’m thinking that I can, maybe, get the narrow gauge part of the layout moving and not worry about the mainline for a while.

 

Jon

 

 

I did enjoy my Spencer build, even if i did end up skipping the minitrix motor and sourcing a new one, with flywheel! 

Will keep an eye on progress on the boards, may spur me on to get mine running properly!

Cheers

James

[AdeMoore]

Hi Jon seen these two turn up yesterday first I know is your subject and maybe in some links in an earlier post?

2nd one of the tunnel could well be?

[jessy1692]

1 hour ago, AdeMoore said:

Hi Jon seen these two turn up yesterday first I know is your subject and maybe in some links in an earlier post?

2nd one of the tunnel could well be?

Definately the 'Bilton' end of the tunnel going to New Park, now in someones back garden  

The other end came out under the New Park school playground, have recently bought some pics iv not seen published before which one shows that entrance well. Can send on via PM if anyones interested?

Finally, heres my version on the layout taken when i rebuilt it 6 years ago! Shows how tight it was and why the locos were built with escape hatches in the back of the cabs. Iv got the drawing for this pinned to the wall if anyone wants it too.

Cheers

James

Edited February 23, 2020 by jessy1692

[AdeMoore]

James in fear of hijacking Jon thread but page 1 Butler Henderson put some Flicr links up. On the old RM site you used to have post numbers but they don’t seem to exist anymore so,

On 02/06/2018 at 20:18, Butler Henderson said:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/2663073748/in/photolist-54jz7N-54fgia-54jX3C-82mCWC-54jY7L-7breLk-RqQ4Ph-PncEWA-PncERL-PncEFW-PncEtw-PwMcZ1-PncF2L

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/2662999982/in/photolist-54jz7N-54fgia-54jX3C-82mCWC-54jY7L-7breLk-RqQ4Ph-PncEWA-PncERL-PncEFW-PncEtw-PwMcZ1-PncF2L

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/2662159583/in/photolist-54jz7N-54fgia-54jX3C-82mCWC-54jY7L-7breLk-RqQ4Ph-PncEWA-PncERL-PncEFW-PncEtw-PwMcZ1-PncF2L

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/2663077352/in/photolist-54jz7N-54fgia-54jX3C-82mCWC-54jY7L-7breLk-RqQ4Ph-PncEWA-PncERL-PncEFW-PncEtw-PwMcZ1-PncF2L

 

[Jon4470]

5 hours ago, AdeMoore said:

James in fear of hijacking Jon thread but page 1 Butler Henderson put some Flicr links up. On the old RM site you used to have post numbers but they don’t seem to exist anymore so,

 

 

 

Ade

 

You’re  not hijacking at all! I’m very happy to see posts about the Bilton line.

 

The photo of the coal drops shows the area I’d like to model first. I wish there was a clear photo showing the operating mechanism and the doors/ chutes

 

Jon

 

 

[jessy1692]

1 hour ago, Jon4470 said:

 

 

Ade

 

You’re  not hijacking at all! I’m very happy to see posts about the Bilton line.

 

The photo of the coal drops shows the area I’d like to model first. I wish there was a clear photo showing the operating mechanism and the doors/ chutes

 

Jon

 

 

Wish id taken one of the drops before they built the houses in the yard, you could see the tiled shutes and ironwork in the wall, no idea how it all worked really

[sir douglas]

have you got the little yellow book on the railway?, its got drawings photos for the locos and wagons

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/first-edition/HARROGATE-GAS-WORKS-RAILWAYS-TRANSPORT-SYSTEMS/22792564612/bd

[Jon4470]

51 minutes ago, sir douglas said:

have you got the little yellow book on the railway?, its got drawings photos for the locos and wagons

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/first-edition/HARROGATE-GAS-WORKS-RAILWAYS-TRANSPORT-SYSTEMS/22792564612/bd

 

Hi

 

Yes I do have that book - it’s extremely useful and answers many questions. The thing that I find is that I always want more detail 

 

Jon

[Jon4470]

1 hour ago, jessy1692 said:

Wish id taken one of the drops before they built the houses in the yard, you could see the tiled shutes and ironwork in the wall, no idea how it all worked really

 

I’m beginning to think that the wooden “doors” were more like flaps. These were lowered so that they rested on the tops of the narrow gauge wagons. Then the standard gauge wagons would open up their bottom doors and the coal would drop via the tiled chutes and flaps into the narrow gauge wagons.

 

Originally I had thought that there were storage hoppers under the standard gauge wagons. Then these storage hoppers would discharge via the chutes. The wooden doors would have held the coal back until the narrow gauge wagons were in place. There doesn’t seem to be enough space for storage hoppers. Even now you can just see some of the tiled chutes and they must have been pretty much straight under the standard gauge sidings.

 

Jon

[jessy1692]

1 hour ago, Jon4470 said:

 

I’m beginning to think that the wooden “doors” were more like flaps. These were lowered so that they rested on the tops of the narrow gauge wagons. Then the standard gauge wagons would open up their bottom doors and the coal would drop via the tiled chutes and flaps into the narrow gauge wagons.

 

Originally I had thought that there were storage hoppers under the standard gauge wagons. Then these storage hoppers would discharge via the chutes. The wooden doors would have held the coal back until the narrow gauge wagons were in place. There doesn’t seem to be enough space for storage hoppers. Even now you can just see some of the tiled chutes and they must have been pretty much straight under the standard gauge sidings.

 

Jon

I remember sliding down the tiled chutes, they were very steep and definately directly under the standard gauge wagons, the wheels in the side of the wall were gone but these must have opened doors that presumably controlled the coal output into the NG hoppers. The chutes were divided in two i think with a wall. In the middle of the two chutes a wheel was actually set into the wall and clearly had a rope or a chain around it, this was possibly part of the mechanism to enable the NG loco to shunt the SG wagons around as its mentioned somewhere.

Back then the end of the chutes were just above tje NG hoppers, when i was messing around there the ground had been built up but it was still a bit of a drop off the end.

I wonder if the doors of the SG hoppers could be opened by a nechanism controlled by the NG? The sidings that fed the coal drops were inclined so possible gravity shunting to free up the SG loco.

 

So many questions which we will probably never know answer to, amazed no one really took a big interest in it considering it lasted pretty late, hopefully some cine film might be secreted away and waiting to re emerge... heres hoping!

[Jon4470]

I’ve been a bit quiet lately. Partly because I’ve been busy and partly because nothing really to show.

Anyway I’ve made some progress.

 

This is the start of the second tank wagon

 

For the pipe I’ve used fibre washers to represent the flanges. I think it looks better than the one on the first wagon....so I’ll upgrade that one. 

 

I’ve also finished the lining and glazing on the coach

 

It needs weathering ( especially the roof) and an interior.

 

Finally I started on the Dia 29 Brake First for the Northern Belle. This is not available as a kit so I am going to cut and shut 2 kits....a first for me. This has highlighted the perils of impatience and assumptions!

I needed a First class section which is created from a standard first class corridor coach.. just shortened a bit. The corridor side of the D29  also has a different arrangement of doors and windows to the donor...but not too difficult to do.

The brake section was to come from a D114 brake third. However this was out of stock at MJT .. so I ordered a Brake composite instead. This is where impatience and assumption come in. I had assumed that the brake portions were the same - wrong! Although there were the same number of panels in the brake portion they were of different widths. End result when I put my D29 together it was 10 mm too short. I should have waited for the D114 to come into stock.

 

The main culprit is the 4 panel section with the black writing.

 

I’ll be ordering the correct sides shortly.

 

Jon

[Jon4470]

Well a lot has happened in the world since my last update. It has taken me a while to take it all in. I’ve been looking at posts on RMWeb for some distraction and it has really helped! So now I have decided to push on with the models.

 

Last night I assembled the frame for the second tank wagon.

 

 

 

And the tank is looking much neater than the first one.

 

 

 

Will try to get the rest of the soldering done tonight.

 

Jon

[jessy1692]

8 hours ago, Jon4470 said:

Well a lot has happened in the world since my last update. It has taken me a while to take it all in. I’ve been looking at posts on RMWeb for some distraction and it has really helped! So now I have decided to push on with the models.

 

Last night I assembled the frame for the second tank wagon.

 

 

 

And the tank is looking much neater than the first one.

 

 

 

Will try to get the rest of the soldering done tonight.

 

Jon

Looking good Jon, and i concur with pushing on with the models, iv got a temporary set up at my house on the go for a few hours of 'switching off' on a night. Heres hoping my temporary bench doesnt become more permanant.

 

Oh iv found some pics of the gas works locos i havnt seen before, will pm them.

 

All the best 

James

[Jon4470]

Making some progress with the second tank wagon.

 

Had a slight problem with the end rails ..... couldn’t find any L section brass of the correct size. Did find some T section though...so filed off one bit of the T and made an L ( if you follow my meaning!)

 

 

so chassis soldering completed:

 

 

After a bit of gardening I then moved on with the tank supports and now we have:

 

 

 

The bogies for these two tank wagons arrived on Friday. So, with a bit of luck, these two will get finished soon.

Pleased with the progress today. Especially as I also started a little bit of work on the Raven A2. It has been sitting there making me feel guilty! So today I nearly managed to make in insert to fill in the underneath of the boiler ( where the old X04 motor used to go). Tomorrow should see the last of the filing to make it fit.

 

Jon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jessy1692]

That tank is looking the business Jon, nice work

Jamed

[Jon4470]

So I’m making progress at the moment. Both tank wagons are now primed.

 

 

 

Next stage will be to add some rivets and then paint again.

 

Just noticed that one needs it’s outlet pipe to be cut back a bit - ouch

 

only slight worry is that my Halfords grey primer can is very close to being empty! No nipping down to Halfords to get some more. In the grand scheme of things though - it’s not a problem

 

Jon

[Jon4470]

In a fit of enthusiasm last night I stripped down the Minitris 2-6-2 - the chassis is required for Spencer. So with a bit of fiddling around (and googling) I ended up with a pile of bits

 

 

 

There was a lot of cutting and filing to carry out on the chassis block. In the photo above this is all completed - well I think it is and the proof will come when  I build the loco.

 

Today I started the re- assembly process with the valve gear. Things were going very well until..........as I went to put the eccentric crank into the wheel I realised that the pin had sheared off and was left in the wheel. The eccentric is made of plastic, I think, and did not take kindly to being pulled out of the wheel. Both sides were the same. The air turned blue at this stage!

 

 

You can see the offending piece in the photo - it’s the Grey link and there is a piece projecting from the wheel.

 

so now I’m faced with drilling out the wheel boss, fabricating a crank and attaching it to the wheel and valve gear.

 

Think it is time to finish the tank wagons and ponder awhile on this valve gear!

 

Jon

[jessy1692]

1 hour ago, Jon4470 said:

In a fit of enthusiasm last night I stripped down the Minitris 2-6-2 - the chassis is required for Spencer. So with a bit of fiddling around (and googling) I ended up with a pile of bits

 

 

 

There was a lot of cutting and filing to carry out on the chassis block. In the photo above this is all completed - well I think it is and the proof will come when  I build the loco.

 

Today I started the re- assembly process with the valve gear. Things were going very well until..........as I went to put the eccentric crank into the wheel I realised that the pin had sheared off and was left in the wheel. The eccentric is made of plastic, I think, and did not take kindly to being pulled out of the wheel. Both sides were the same. The air turned blue at this stage!

 

 

You can see the offending piece in the photo - it’s the Grey link and there is a piece projecting from the wheel.

 

so now I’m faced with drilling out the wheel boss, fabricating a crank and attaching it to the wheel and valve gear.

 

Think it is time to finish the tank wagons and ponder awhile on this valve gear!

 

Jon

Cracking stuff Jon, them tanks look fantastic, will definitely be copying them at some point.

 

Ahh the trials of the minitrix chassis! Brings back memories, not all fond! It is a fiddle but will come up ok. Having said that iv only got full valve gear on one side of mine, could not get it to go right on both sides... thankfully all locos were chimney first to the gas works! 

 

If you need any pics of my Spencer just give me a shout, i remotored mine in the end and it runs like a dream, the front bogie was a pig to spring right but my boards on the 009 bit had warped a little.

 

Ill be watching with interest, with a bit of work it does make a nice unique model, the cut down cab really makes it look smart to my eyes.

 

Keep up the good work

James

 

Edit, if you run short of primer, search for Hycote on ebay, great primer iv used for years on all my stock, you can get a couple of cans for a tenner or so including delivery if you need some

Edited April 4, 2020 by jessy1692

[Jon4470]

30 minutes ago, jessy1692 said:

Having said that iv only got full valve gear on one side of mine, could not get it to go right on both sides... thankfully all locos were chimney first to the gas works! 

 

 

 

That’s cheating 

 

By the way thanks for the tip tip about the primer.

 

I’ve book marked your posts ( from 2014) about the build of Spencer - they’ve been helpful so far - as you said back then - the instructions aren’t always very clear.

 

Jon

[jessy1692]

12 minutes ago, Jon4470 said:

 

That’s cheating 

 

By the way thanks for the tip tip about the primer.

 

I’ve book marked your posts ( from 2014) about the build of Spencer - they’ve been helpful so far - as you said back then - the instructions aren’t always very clear.

 

Jon

Cheating/giving up! 

Wow was it 2014 i built Spencer, doesnt time fly.. scary.

 

Hycote is good stuff, alwats used it, their satin and mat black cans are very useful too

[Jon4470]

At last! I now have the makings of a Harrogate Gas Works train:

 

 

 

 

The grey primer nearly lasted long enough..... The Hycote is on order and should be delivered soon.

I’m pleased with the tanks. They seem solid (and heavy) enough to survive on a layout. They still need weathering and the footboards need to be wood colour. I’m saving up the painting until I have a few jobs to do.

 

Now what it really needs is a loco to pull it along. Let’s see how much gets done this weekend ..... you never know I might have a working chassis at least.

[jessy1692]

1 hour ago, Jon4470 said:

At last! I now have the makings of a Harrogate Gas Works train:

 

 

 

 

The grey primer nearly lasted long enough..... The Hycote is on order and should be delivered soon.

I’m pleased with the tanks. They seem solid (and heavy) enough to survive on a layout. They still need weathering and the footboards need to be wood colour. I’m saving up the painting until I have a few jobs to do.

 

Now what it really needs is a loco to pull it along. Let’s see how much gets done this weekend ..... you never know I might have a working chassis at least.

Top stuff Jon! 

Are them tanks two different lengths or is it a trick of the light?  If so i need to brush up on them, been a while since i did any 009...In fact rolling stock wise you have achieved more than i have in a decade already haha!

Excellent builds there, looking forward to seeing how your Spencer comes on.

 

Have you got the got the RT models kits on stock for the other 2?

 

I still need to have a wander down to the railway and take some pics of the remnants, just a bit wary in the current climate as the latest trend in Harrogate is the facebook mafia constantly complaining of people wandering around and taking pictures of people exercising. (Its 5 mins down the road so legitimately within the decreed exercise remit for me)  I think ill wait until we can all go out without being labelled a pariah...

 

Top job, cant wait to see more develop

All the best

James

 

 

Edited April 7, 2020 by jessy1692