Sedbergh, as a preserved railway

[Firecracker]

Right.  Following a brief exchange of messages with Ruston of this parish, a bit more fictional nonsense about the history of the LS&I, specifically the two Ruston 48DS shunters.  Included is a bit of fictional nonsense that may ring bells with you…

 

First up, Queenie/Charlie Strong

 

The first locomotive to arrive at the fledgling LS&I in winter 1969, Ruston number 265618 was originally bought by the Longmorn distillery in 1948 and would pass into the ownership of Thomas Shelby & Co. when they took over the distillery interests of J. McCavern & Son in 1951.  With the removal of the rail connection to the distillery in 1956 the locomotive passed into the hire fleet of Shelby Group (Small Heath) and moved south to their Birmingham base.  Placed on hire to various local companies, including Metal Box the locomotive was in storage when it was spotted by founder member Tom Truslow whilst inspecting the boiler on an Aveling and Porter steam roller in the same yard.   Purchased by Tom at scrap price the locomotive would be the sole motive power at Sedbergh until the arrival of 7739 from London Transport the following year.  Initially the little Ruston was a useful machine, handling a lot of the shunting and PWay work, however by 1978 it was laid aside due to engine issues, being placed on static display in the car park at Sedbergh.  In the mid 90’s the locomotive was adopted by the Sedbergh station group and with a replacement power unit and gearbox obtained from CS Metals of Small Heath reentered service as the station group’s runabout.  Following the relaunch of the locomotive in 2001 the railway was approached by a representative of the Shelby Group which would result in the sponsored repainting into the current ‘Queen Anne Whisky’ livery and renaming ‘Charlie Strong’ by Anna Shelby, MD of Shelby Group and granddaughter of group founder Thomas Shelby the following year.

 

Next up, Alfie.

 Ruston 48DS 458943 was bought by the London civil engineers Alfred Solomons & Sons and was used on their contracts during the redevelopment of London’s docklands.  Sold to CS Metals for scrap upon the completion of the works, it was one of two purchased as a source of spares in 1998 for the repair of 265618.  However, the locomotive would be restored in its own right following completion of 265618 and would enter service with the S&T department.  Based initially at Sedbergh, it would later transfer to Cowan Bridge and remains in use there as the second yard shunter.  Named in 2011 by Soshanna Solomons-Dreyfuss after her great-grandfather.

 

As I said, fictional nonsense.  But it’s pissing down here and the garage is freezing.

 

Owain

[Firecracker]

Once again, it’s time for something completely different.  I’ve got a couple of days off and feeling slightly flush, wandered into Monk Bar Models.  Martin was only too happy to empty my wallet in exchange for one of these lovely little beasts.

It’s absolutely fricking gorgeous!  This deserve (IMHO) to sell out!  Bachman, you’re forgiven for all the nonsense with your NEM pockets I’ve had to deal with over the years!

Now, one of my interests is the slate industry of N. Wales, so when these were announced, I fancied one.  I since was lucky enough to drive Britomart briefly during her visit to the NYMR a couple of years ago, so I wanted one even more.  Eventually, a planned micro layout, based very loosely on the steam mills level, around the junction of the village tramway and the ‘A’ series of inclines in the Dinorwic quarries is in the very vague planning stages (before anyone says it, yes, I know this is as preserved, she’s got vacuum brakes fitted and the blue livery was applied in preservation (according to my bible of Cliff Thomas’ ‘Quarry hunslets of North Wales’ she was originally supplied by Hunslets in ‘Midland Rly livery’) but I really don’t care).  I want one of the open cabbed versions anyway….

 

Anyway, I couldn’t resist and so in the fiction ‘might yet be’ she visits the LS&I, with the following photos showing some of her arrival, plus the crane being set up to unload her onto a warwell (which, incidentally, is a far easier lift than the saga of unloading her for her NYMR visit, which involved two lifts, one at New Bridge onto a weltrol and the second at Grosmont, from the welltrol onto temporary track)

Owain

[6990WitherslackHall]

13 hours ago, Firecracker said:

I since was lucky enough to drive Britomart briefly during her visit to the NYMR a couple of years ago.

You mean when this happened? That in was 2016. 

 

Edited November 26, 2022 by 6990WitherslackHall

[6990WitherslackHall]

14 hours ago, Firecracker said:

which, incidentally, is a far easier lift than the saga of unloading her for her NYMR visit, which involved two lifts, one at New Bridge onto a weltrol and the second at Grosmont, from the welltrol onto temporary track

I think they did a similar thing with Douglas when it was a guest loco at a steam gala in 2018 but it was simpler. They took her off the low loader using the steam crane, and the low loader moved out the way so that 12139 could shunt a lowmac underneath Douglas and they lowered the loco onto it.

Edited November 26, 2022 by 6990WitherslackHall

[Firecracker]

32 minutes ago, 6990WitherslackHall said:

I think they did a similar thing with Douglas when it was a guest loco at a steam gala in 2018 but it was simpler. They took her off the low loader using the steam crane, and the low loader moved out the way so that 12139 could shunt a lowmac underneath Douglas and they lowered the loco onto it.

Correct (and as a none boasting aside, Douglas is another loco I got to drive, briefly, whilst running round at Nant Gwernol).  Yes, that’s the date (although I’m struggling to believe it was that long ago!). I was involved in the tracklaying up the tunnel and the following day was lucky enough to have a go on the happy handle (myself and another bloke also ended up briefly serving as ‘platform staff’ at the MPD end, we ended up greeting the train with increasingly ridiculous shouts “Grosmont North, All change for the treacle mines!”.  It was a fantastic weekend (and also gave an excellent insight into the size of the original W&P rolling stock).

 

Owain

[6990WitherslackHall]

How far did the line go either end?

[Firecracker]

4 hours ago, 6990WitherslackHall said:

How far did the line go either end?

About 2 bug boxes and loco at the station end, pretty much up to the end of the repair shed so the whole caboodle could stable clear of the footpath at the MPD end.  Here’s a photo I took at the shed end.

And another taken at the station end.  The loco is stood on the last panel of the running track, the three penny bit curve in the foreground was made of panels that were handballed past the stock, to enable it to be pushed close enough to the running lines for the crane to reach it.

Another of the funny bits I remember was the Ffestiniog crew raided the NYMR headboard stash and borrowed all sorts (certainly the Moorlander headboard and the Santa specials went for a ride).  This was reciprocated with the FR headboard seen in your photo going for a trip or two on an NYMR train, which some of the great and good (at least in their own minds) weren’t terribly amused at, especially when they were waiting with their cameras when it appeared.

 

Owain

 

 

[Firecracker]

Right.  From little Hunslets (with which precisely nothing, apart from a test run on some scraps of N gauge track has been achieved) to Sedbergh, where rumour of the demise have been highly exaggerated.  The north end fiddle yard board has been refitted and with some track realignment (I have a feeling the fiddle yard board has never been fitted to the north crossover board, only the station board) and a bit of track cleaning, test trains were run.

So, a further testing and development session occurred, with the 56xx and the class 15, plus seldom seen 37308.  Must do this more often.

Owain

[Firecracker]

And a few more, with the end of a quiet day at Sedbergh.

The 56xx propels it’s stock to Jackdaw siding to stable.

Then the class 15 runs in with the last train, runs round and with the dolly released, runs to shed.

The 37 rumbles into life, pulls the empties forward so they can be loaded, then rearranges it’s train and departs.

Finally, the Ruston extracts the station group wagons and the turbot from the yard and pops them back into the ballast siding.

I mean, you don’t want something like this on public display…

Then reappears with two brake vans, which are also put where they belong.

Owain

 

[Firecracker]

And a few more, to tide you over until the weekend.  The 37 delivers a woodchipper for a spot of tree pruning and the 4F comes out to play.

Also got a bit further with the chassis of the 21t hopper (even if I did trim the wrong V hanger off and have to replace it with micro strip).

Owain

[Firecracker]

And a few more.  The tree pruning train had been out and the pilchard had been shunted into the yard headshunt and it’s  cargo of logs offloaded (according to a passing volunteer, the pilchard was used because being unbraked, it wasn’t likely to ‘disappear’ to Cowan bridge along with its cargo on a PWay ballast working..)

 The Ruston returned from the MPD with the tool van and ran in to the yard.

Then the 56xx appeared with the crimson/cream rake and the DMU ran in from Low Gill.

Owain

[Firecracker]

Just to prove, it’s been a while, but it still lives.  
 

First up, one of the recent distractions, a repair to a hydraulic ram off a JCB quick hitch.  The 20mmx1.5 thread in that socket had stripped, so machine it out and fit a new socket.

Anway, back in the 4mm:1’ version of Sedbergh…

 

A log and tree bashing train lurks in the PWay siding

CCE Rick Davies and two of his lads have a natter with one of the station group, whilst Wally Davies shuts down the Ruston, having returned from a ‘bin run’ to Middleton.

The attention of several spotters is grabbed by a visitor from the KWVR.

Owain

[Compound2632]

Excellent. Off for our usual fortnight in Howgill this Saturday, so just the thing to get me in the mood!

[Firecracker]

And a few more, in no particular order.

 

Owain

[john new]

Particularly like the dead jCBs in that last photo.

[Firecracker]

And a few more…

The Janus returns with the tree bashing train

The rarely seen sentinel diesel makes several appearances 

75024 appears with the ‘C’ set, consisting of the spare mk1’s, the suburban Mk1 and the LMS first normally seen in the diner rake, passing the bubble car

And departs northwards

Finally in the forlorn hope of a dry summer, the water tanker and pump van take up position in the yard headshunt.

Owain

 

 

 

[Firecracker]

It’s now the turn of the 101 DMU (mainly because this and the bubble can run in and out without having to do anything in the fiddle yards.  You can see why BR liked them).

The sentinel also goes for a trundle, having picked up a dogfish from somewhere.

Also got my eye back in, breathing on an ancient weathering job.  Not there yet, but getting better.

 

Owain

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Firecracker

[Firecracker]

Another update.  First up, attacking this Hornby tank wagon.  Now I know its the old ex Airfix, ex Dapol model, but there’s worse out there and when a PO wagon in a local livery is released, I tend to pick one up.  My logic is it’s the sort of thing a preserved railway would do, repainting newer wagons in older, local (ish) liveries.  So the couplers have been removed ready for Kaydees and with the aid of various Mig washes it’s been made to look a bit more weatherbeaten.

Also the Dapol bogie bolster starts to loose the chocolate brown deck for something that looks a bit more like weathered wood (base coat of humbrol 121, washes to follow).

Next up, the DMU’s go for another trundle whilst various small diesels do their stuff.

Owain

Edited August 14, 2023 by Firecracker

[Firecracker]

And a few more.  First up, found in the bargain bin of my local.  My first Rapido model.  It’s verra noice..

Progress on the bobol E, washes and careful use of a cotton wool bud.  A lovely model, let down by the NEM pockets sticking so far out of the bogies.

Owain

 

 

[Firecracker]

A couple more from today with the aftermath of a rather extensive shunting session

The sentinel scuttles Cowan Bridge-wards with the shark.

The bubble car runs in from Low Gill

Owain

[Firecracker]

A few more, with the DMU and the standard mogul out on the goods rake.

Spot the two ex-works vans.  Also think the bright yellow presflow’s a very ‘preserved railway’ thing.

A couple of vans have been left in the yard (mainly because the goods rake won’t fit in the northbound fiddleyard with them).

Owain

[Firecracker]

And a few more, the Ruston ventures into the yard to rearrange the vans and retrieve the seldom seen iron ore tippler wagon.

Then the goods rake returns from its charter and as the DMU runs in is returned to the yard.

Owain

 

Edited September 17, 2023 by Firecracker

[Firecracker]

A few more, making sure it still all works when the bin-bag covers are removed.  I’ve also got an experiment coming up, which features the combination of a wireless inspection camera and a bogie bolster wagon (probably the bobol-c visible in the first photo) to (hopefully) give a genuine drivers eye view.  Just got to deal with a customer or three first….

Owain

Edited November 4, 2023 by Firecracker

[Firecracker]

Right.  I don’t know where the time went, but an actual, real, update!  An establishment I have frequented celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year and commissioned a run of these from Rapido to mark the occasion.  So one followed me home!

And after being fitted with kaydees, it came out for a trundle

Owain