MarcD Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 Having got two unused base boards kicking around and two suitable locos for a Gunpowder Works tramway in the period 1914-1928 I have decided top go for broke and build a Scale7 layout based on the Black Beck Tramway that ran from the Furness Railway's Lakeside Branch at Dixon's sidings along the Russland valley to the Gunpowder mills at Black Beck near Bouth. The scenic section will be 6ft by 18inchs and will represent the level crossing and siding at the entrance to the main site. Most sources say that the line was only ever horse drawn but there is a reference to a locomotive in one, which makes things a little easier at moving horses are a bit tricky. Also it is not clear if the siding was anything to do with the works as it is on the other side of the road. I looks like it could have public access. Which again I'm going to run with. I will post some photos once I get going but in the mean time if anyone has any info on the tramway please feel free to post. Marc 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir douglas Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 theres a book about the gunpowder mills of cumbria, cant remember much about it though as i only had a flick through it while borrowed from Jamie for any useful info for a gunpowder van kit https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gunpowder-Mills-Cumbria-Cumbrias-Industry/dp/0952302888 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted February 27, 2019 Author Share Posted February 27, 2019 Hi Sam thanks for the tip I have a copy of the book. its the source for the loco reference in the 1880's Black beck was bought by Wakefield's and the vans which they used are one of our 7mm kits and with our new axle box arrangements building them in S7 is only a case of changing the wheels. Additionally POWSides do the transfers for the Wakefield vans. The plan is to use a MR battery electric loco and a GER tram loco as they were both used by the Ministry of munitions during WW1 and might have been used on the line. Marc 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
south_tyne Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 Marc, Sounds like a fascinating project and just my kind of thing. I must admit, I know nothing of the prototype so I look forward to learning about the line as your project develops. Can't wait to see how you progress. Thanks for sharing! David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted February 28, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 28, 2019 Marc, I really like the sound of this project, and will be following with interest You could also get away with utilising a standard gauge Simplex, as the first ones of these were built from 1919 onwards - think one of those would be ideal motive power post-war alongside the battery loco. Look forward to seeing progress in due course. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 That reminds me I have a WD simplex converted to standard gauge half built some where as no-one will see the wheels I could re-gauge that as well. But a standard simplex sounds good. Where drawings to get the drawings is the next question. Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted February 28, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 28, 2019 Marc, there is a 3D printed Simplex available - I have one which I really must get round to actually doing something with: https://www.shapeways.com/product/SWP8T9CQ6/o-43-sg-simplex-loco-1?optionId=64450240&li=marketplace A chassis kit for it is available from Marc Clarke of Locos n’ Stuff - think it cost me about £40 or thereabouts for it - have a look on his website under motor bogies. The converted WD Simplex would also be ideal - they were in use earlier than the ones actually built for SG I believe, so suitable for the early part of your time period. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 I appreciate how these things can be printed as a one-piece body, but I sometimes wish that they would be done up as separate major body components to make painting a little easier. Also, I generally prefer to use third-party brass buffers and coupling hooks. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted February 28, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 28, 2019 1 hour ago, hartleymartin said: I appreciate how these things can be printed as a one-piece body, but I sometimes wish that they would be done up as separate major body components to make painting a little easier. Also, I generally prefer to use third-party brass buffers and coupling hooks. I agree Martin. The buffers I did note aren't correct on the 3D print for the Simplex, on mine I've cut them off and will replace with decent sprung ones. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 The big difficulty is painting the interiors, especially on very open-cab prototypes. Having it all as one-piece tends to make masking off and spraying rather tricky, especially since I don't have an air-brush or compressor and I tend to use Tamiya rattle-cans for the most part. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 Impetus used to do a couple kits simplex kits but i'm not sure if they still exist. If I can get a drawing I could build one or even a kit for one. Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 A few years ago I did some 3D-CAD and was going to do an 11t Hibberd Planet kit, but the one test print I did of a very early basic prototype was so poor, I decided it would have been better to do a set of laser-cut styrene sheet parts as a scratch-aid. Ultimately I abandoned the project as it wasn't going to be viable with my time and resources, but I may do something about it again some time soon. The big idea was to create a very simple kit that would be cheap, no harder to build than a plastic wagon/van kit and give you a useful little shunter. Some day I'll do it. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted March 1, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 1, 2019 8 hours ago, Furness Wagon said: Impetus used to do a couple kits simplex kits but i'm not sure if they still exist. If I can get a drawing I could build one or even a kit for one. Marc Marc, there are drawings of it in the following book: The Early Years of The Motor Rail and Tram Car Company 1911-1931, W J K Davies. There are a couple of drawings in the book, the one built (though note that the roof as drawn is different from the profile as they were built), plus a proposed slightly larger machine with a longer 6’6” wheelbase. A quick photo of the drawing below for you: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted March 1, 2019 Author Share Posted March 1, 2019 Thank for the tip on the book I have just dipped my hand in my pocket and ordered a copy. The great thing I can see from the drawing is it's on wagon wheels which means that I don't have to start machining wheels. marc 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted March 1, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 1, 2019 1 hour ago, Furness Wagon said: The great thing I can see from the drawing is it's on wagon wheels which means that I don't have to start machining wheels. Yep - and a nice choice of spoked or 3-hole disc too! Or if you fancy something really strange, the preserved example at the EARM (I think, will have to check) has one spoked and one 3-hole disc... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
decauville1126 Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 20 hours ago, NeilHB said: Yep - and a nice choice of spoked or 3-hole disc too! Or if you fancy something really strange, the preserved example at the EARM (I think, will have to check) has one spoked and one 3-hole disc... Early ones had split spokes and later 3-hole. And there are some images out there with one of each, presumably done by the user! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 The book on Simplex locos arrived at lunchtime had a quick glance at it. It looks like a well put together book. And there are good drawings in it. Also managed to gets recky of the two potential sites. Both are going to pose challenges for developing scenic brakes. Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hartleymartin Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 I managed to find a photo of Lo44, later 1065 which was a Simplex shunter used at a Wagon Works in Sydney. It has a completely different roof and a few detail differences (buffers and such) but I reckon I could turn out a reasonable model from the Shapeways body kit. There was also one used in Byron Bay in conjunction with an old tramcar. The simplex is still in a shed in the area, though the tramcars went to museums many years ago. It is amazing where these things turn up! 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 A quick question what code rail do people think I should be using? I was thinking of 100FB spiked to sleepers? Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted March 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 11, 2019 Marc, One photo of Burneside tramway attached, showing their lightweight (40lb rail), plus two of the timber tramway on Duddon Bridge which is Code 100 spiked to wooden sleepers: We used Micro Engineering spikes available from EDM models - more details on the Duddon Bridge thread. I think the Code 100 will be fine for Black Beck - I doubt that the rail would have been anything but lightweight in nature, given that motive power was a haymotor... 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted March 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 11, 2019 (edited) Sorry not sure what happened there - ignore the double post! Edited March 11, 2019 by NeilHB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 2 minutes ago, NeilHB said: .. That angle doesn't half mess with the brain, I though the track was twisted and sloping downwards right-left. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 I have got a lot of code 100fb rail as it was going to be used on the eskdale green layout that was shelved. I will have to get some sleepers the right size to nail it down to. Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NeilHB Posted March 16, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2019 On 11/03/2019 at 13:56, Furness Wagon said: I have got a lot of code 100fb rail as it was going to be used on the eskdale green layout that was shelved. I will have to get some sleepers the right size to nail it down to. Marc Marc, I measured the wooden sleepers on the lightweight section of track on Duddon Bridge today. They are 60mm long, 5mm wide and 3mm deep. Attached photo hopefully gives a better view of them than the ones I shared before: IIRC, Tim bought long strips of wood to cut the sleepers from - probably from Cornwall Model Boats as they stock a variety of sizes etc. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted December 7, 2019 Author Share Posted December 7, 2019 Now that Boggs and son is getting to the point that its adding the really detailed stuff I'm now turning my intentions back to the Tramway project. I'm looking at running different types of stock on it at different times. Starting with GER circ 1917-23 and there might be some stock from further a field making an appearance on some occasions. Some people on the forum might have a idea what that is but i'm staying tight lipped about that for the moment. Marc 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now