Dunnington, Derwent Valley Light Railway.

[timbowilts]

That crane is a lovely bit of kit, well done!

Tim T

[south_tyne]

The shed looks cracking when in situ Martyn. The crane is highly impresive too. You are making great progress! 

[Signaller69]

Some work is progressing on preparing road surfaces in the goods yard/station area. This afternoon has been spent starting weathering of the DVLR stock, not the best photos though I'm afraid.

[eastworld]

The photos look pretty good to me!

 

Stu

[south_tyne]

Those coaches (parcels stock?) look absolutely superb. 

[Signaller69]

Grain loading risers & pipework have been added to the shed, along with the sliding door at one end (for bagged grain loading presumably; seen behind the Vans in the second view). Weathering of the buildings is under way too. Another coat of "sleeper grime" has been applied to the track where required, such as the grain siding clay infills.

[DLT]

Fabulous stuff Mr.Signaller, really enjoying this topic.

Cheers, Dave.

[john new]

Fantastic work and a helpful thread with the prototype info'  too.

 

Is there a definitive DV(L)R stock list anywhere, either in a book or on-line. (original not the current Murton revival) For example, did they own any four wheel box vans? I've seen cattle trucks and opens in DVLR livery, plus the crane truck, brake-vans and the ex-parcels vans but no box-vans.

 

I am more than happy to run some fictional examples on my own (based on) DVLR shunting plank but have no idea what numbers they would have (fictionally) carried IF the DVLR had any. One of the cattle trucks was No. 3 but that is the only one of their freight vehicles I recall seeing numbered in a photo or with the number given in its caption.

[Signaller69]

16 hours ago, john new said:

Fantastic work and a helpful thread with the prototype info'  too.

 

Is there a definitive DV(L)R stock list anywhere, either in a book or on-line. (original not the current Murton revival) For example, did they own any four wheel box vans? I've seen cattle trucks and opens in DVLR livery, plus the crane truck, brake-vans and the ex-parcels vans but no box-vans.

 

I am more than happy to run some fictional examples on my own (based on) DVLR shunting plank but have no idea what numbers they would have (fictionally) carried IF the DVLR had any. One of the cattle trucks was No. 3 but that is the only one of their freight vehicles I recall seeing numbered in a photo or with the number given in its caption.

 

Thanks John, the DVLR book shown earlier does give a brief history of the wagons (as well as coaches and Locos), which includes how many of each type were owned at various times; I'm on holiday this week so don't have it to hand, but their own stock does seem mainly to have been open and cattle trucks (istr reading they had 8 cattle trucks at one point but would need to check). Huge numbers of cattle were transported along the line (mainly to Layerthorpe) over the years. Along with Sugar Beet and Potatoes, Oil seems to have been another staple traffic at various locations on the line, throughout its existence, but using PO tanks, including the scrapping of redundant oil tanks at Murton Lane later on.

 

The only DVLR owned Vans I have seen reference to, seem to be in later years, for internal use (see J25's photo on p.4 of this thread, which shows an old GCR Fish Van in such use).

 

The Brake Vans used by the DVLR are almost worthy of a book to themselves. In the early years, three already fairly old ex NER Birdcage brakes were bought (of successive designs; after withdrawal the body of one was converted into a garage for an employee's car!) until the ex SECR 6 wheeler took over in 1946, followed by the ex LNER Pigeon brake c.1968. These were also used to convey sundries traffic which could be quite substantial at times.

 

One point of interest is that in WW2 the railway took on a strategic role as an invisible railway - from the air - due to the unchecked growth of weeds! An order apparently being given not to carry out any clearance. Photos from the 1950s show similar heavy weed growth. As a result several Ministry of Supply depots sprang up, plus a Mustard Gas filling station at Cottingwith which had its own siding and the Company did very well during the war years. The Railway was excluded from the Nationalisation list, despite attempts by the Railway to be included and ironically this is what kept the line open so long, due to the forward thinking policies employed by management.

 

A fascinating line and history I think.

 

Martyn.

Edited July 6, 2019 by Signaller69
Add to info.

[john new]

3 hours ago, Signaller69 said:

 

Thanks John, the DVLR book shown earlier does give a brief history of the wagons (as well as coaches and Locos), which includes how many of each type were owned at various times; I'm on holiday this week so don't have it to hand, but their own stock does seem mainly to have been open and cattle trucks (istr reading they had 8 cattle trucks at one point but would need to check). Huge numbers of cattle were transported along the line (mainly to Layerthorpe) over the years. Along with Sugar Beet and Potatoes, Oil seems to have been another staple traffic at various locations on the line, throughout its existence, but using PO tanks, including the scrapping of redundant oil tanks at Murton Lane later on.

 

The only DVLR owned Vans I have seen reference to, seem to be in later years, for internal use (see J25's photo on p.4 of this thread, which shows an old GCR Fish Van in such use).

 

The Brake Vans used by the DVLR are almost worthy of a book to themselves. In the early years, three already fairly old ex NER Birdcage brakes were bought (of successive designs; after withdrawal the body of one was converted into a garage for an employee's car!) until the ex SECR 6 wheeler took over in 1946, followed by the ex LNER Pigeon brake c.1968. These were also used to convey sundries traffic which could be quite substantial at times.

 

One point of interest is that in WW2 the railway took on a strategic role as an invisible railway - from the air - due to the unchecked growth of weeds! An order apparently being given not to carry out any clearance. Photos from the 1950s show similar heavy weed growth. As a result several Ministry of Supply depots sprang up, plus a Mustard Gas filling station at Cottingwith which had its own siding and the Company did very well during the war years. The Railway was excluded from the Nationalisation list, despite attempts by the Railway to be included and ironically this is what kept the line open so long, due to the forward thinking policies employed by management.

 

A fascinating line and history I think.

 

Martyn.

Thanks. Will re-read the book again (I have it and the Middelton Press book), I missed the reference to vans.

 

Currently hovering between scratch building the body of one of the early brake-vans as a self designed pre-printed card kit to go on  r-t-r chassis (solves the painting issue) or buying the Slaters kit. S/build solves one problem creates a painting issue.

 

With the photo you mentioned the usual problem no obvious number and it is so dilapidated that any letters/numbers it did have are gone. Still that makes it easier, probably the look to go for.

Edited July 6, 2019 by john new

[Signaller69]

57 minutes ago, john new said:

Thanks. Will re-read the book again (I have it and the Middelton Press book), I missed the reference to vans.

 

Currently hovering between scratch building the body of one of the early brake-vans as a self designed pre-printed card kit to go on  r-t-r chassis (solves the painting issue) or buying the Slaters kit. S/build solves one problem creates a painting issue.

 

With the photo you mentioned the usual problem no obvious number and it is so dilapidated that any letters/numbers it did have are gone. Still that makes it easier, probably the look to go for.

Must admit I would be tempted to do one of the Slater's brake kits if I stumble on a cheap one. There is a photo in the book of the grounded one converted to a garage/shed, as well as 2 or 3 photos of them when still in use, as well as the grounded box van (ex GC again istr) used as a store on the platform at Dunnington (later moved next to the Grain Dryers building where it lasted until the 80s.

 

Re lettering on stock, certainly in later years they seem to have gone for the minimalist to non existent approach, very handy for us modellers!

[J25]

The Slaters kit is spot on for the last of the ex NER V1 brakes, this was in use from c 1928 to 1946, and remained at Layerthorpe on it's wheels as a store until 1966. It carried an extended stove pipe so was probably a mess-room of sorts in the 1950's. It was blue with large DVLR lettering. The DVLR used to list rolling stock in the yearly returns, but this was only by type (open/covered/cattle/crane), so it was not possible to determine when wagons were replaced.  There was extensive council-owned  lairage for cattle at Osbaldwick and the DVLR cattle wagons would have been used to move livestock from there to market, but there was little other internal traffic, so internal wagons would be mainly for p.w. work  only.

[john new]

On 08/07/2019 at 13:47, J25 said:

The Slaters kit is spot on for the last of the ex NER V1 brakes, this was in use from c 1928 to 1946, and remained at Layerthorpe on it's wheels as a store until 1966. It carried an extended stove pipe so was probably a mess-room of sorts in the 1950's. It was blue with large DVLR lettering. The DVLR used to list rolling stock in the yearly returns, but this was only by type (open/covered/cattle/crane), so it was not possible to determine when wagons were replaced.  There was extensive council-owned  lairage for cattle at Osbaldwick and the DVLR cattle wagons would have been used to move livestock from there to market, but there was little other internal traffic, so internal wagons would be mainly for p.w. work  only.

I've just ordered one. (slaters van)

Edited July 9, 2019 by john new

[J25]

I  have found the list I compiled from the yearly returns which covered the years from 1917 to 1952. There is no differentiation between vans and wagons, only between wagons and cattle wagons. The maximum number of wagons was 9 in the years 1918 to 1922, reducing to 8 in 1923, 7 from 1924, to 1929  6 from 1930 to 1934. two wagons were sold for £25 in 1935, and a further 3 for £15 in 1938, leaving just 1 wagon in use from then until 1947 when the number rose to 2 and 3 from 1950, remaining at 3 in 1960. In 1961 two 3-plank dropside wagons were owned, along with a single plank long wheelbase plate wagon, the latter being lettered DVLR  at the left end of the plank.  It is hard to know what the 9 wagons were used for, possibly for the transport of night soil or stable manure originating in York. Cattle wagon numbers peaked at 6 in 1925, reducing to 4 in 1935, 3 in 1947 and zero in 1950.

[john new]

Reckon numbering my fictitious box vans as 10 & 11 will sort that problem.  Thanks for the post.

[Signaller69]

Having enjoyed a week away in Weymouth, I am back to making slow progress! Mainly building up the loading bank, level crossing to the Searchlight Engineering shed and the road surfaces (using cheap ready mixed plaster) around these so far. DAS clay will form the final road surfaces before adding home-mixed, textured paint - more experimenting!

 

I managed to call into Cheltenham Model Centre and pick up a few things including some Oxford Tractors etc, just need to make a bespoke Sugar Beet trailer for at least one of them.

[Signaller69]

And with the DAS clay surface added; as the real thing seems to have been a mix of mud and gravel, a little sand was sprinkled in places before one of the tractors was used to impress tyre marks. Once painted, areas and gaps around the edge of the bank will be filled with a mulch of PVA & scatter which provides a grassy base for weeds (static grass) to be added.

[Signaller69]

Latest progress has seen most of the road surfaces applied and painted (more to do yet), the Grain Dryers buildings bedded into place, a start made on a few small crossings and work on the platform supports (brick piers with wooden cross beams, plus the ugly but functional breeze block loading "hump") started.

[Signaller69]

The "new" brick platform end support wall has been made (built when the platform was shortened), along with a cut down buffer stop, and the mounting card platform sub-surface is almost ready to be fitted in place.

 

A short run of Wills point rodding has also been added from where the point levers will be situated (by the Highlight shed), to the other end of the crossover.

[Signaller69]

One Dunnington building which had eluded me was the Carrot Washery, which was situated by the station end of the Grain Dryers building, but set back a little so it doesn't usually show on photos of the latter or of the station. However J25 of this parish found an image which shows the front aspect really well.

 

Like the Grain Dryer, the model is low relief, being only 1cm deep and sits against the (currently still white) backscene. Photo shows it sitting in place but unfortunately the white barge boards don't show up well. 

Construction is around a fairly basic shell of Wills Corrugated Iron sheets, with plasticard "planked" doors and windows from microstrip on clear plastic. A little weathering will be added but the building appears kept in good order and I am told outlived the railway.

[Gibbo675]

Hi Martyn,

 

Those agricultural buildings really do shew their architectural functionality over style.

 

Gibbo.

[Signaller69]

Further information has come to light on the Washery building. A short tramway ran out of the small door at the right hand end, which was embedded in concrete and curved very sharply (real radius of a few feet!) around and along the front of the building at ground level and parallel to the standard gauge grain siding. Why it didn't run out of the large main doors I have no idea, but originally it seems to have run a little further to what may have been a loading platform, presumably so that small wagons loaded with full sacks of produce could be pushed by hand for loading into standard gauge vans. When the Grain driers building was further extended in the late 60s this facility was lost, but the track by the washery seems to have been still in situ in 1967, so I am applying rule 1 and flashing my "Modellers Licence" to include it.

 

This means I will need to make the door it came from a little wider (I assumed it was a standard size Staff entrance, or fire exit). 

 

A card base has been produced with some spare 'N' rail embedded in it.

 

All of which means I need to alter the level of the roadway into the goods yard behind the Station in order to extend the standard gauge siding, so with a feeling of "one step forward and 2 back" a large part of the roadway was ripped up and cleared ready for re-profiling thus:

With the washery and its base in position, along with a piece of track to mark the siding extension, a better idea of what I'm trying to achieve can be gained. Note the Metcalfe brick wall around the end of the platform, which I wasn't very satisfied with, is going too, to be replaced with Wills walling.

[Signaller69]

Quite good progress today; the Wills brick walling around the rear of the Station Platform has been assembled; joining pieces are set at the correct height so that the platform top sits within the walls. A trench has been excavated in the polystyrene base to ensure it sits level on the baseboard. Some alteration may be needed however at the level crossing end pictured, as I am thinking of reducing the Station Building length slightly due to the conflict with the loading hump on the platform. More if it happens anon!

The goods yard road has been resurfaced with plaster where needed, ready for paint and the siding extension bedded in and weathered. The narrowness of this area isn't as apparent from the front of the layout.

The first small bits of "greenery" have been added too, namely some scenic mulch (brown and green scatter mixed with neat PVA to the consistency of thick porridge(!) and applied with a coffee stirrer) under the platform and along the Sugar beet loading bank. This fills gaps nicely and makes a good base for further static grass application etc. Much more of this will be added in different shades when I start the scenics proper. I can start thinking about ballasting now too.

Progress may slow for a few weeks due to prepping "Crinan" for its outing to Darlington Exhibition.

 

Thanks for looking,

Martyn.

[Signaller69]

I have removed about an inch of the Station Building, moved its position on the platform slightly and altered the brick base accordingly.

 

The cut showing where the removed portion was, at the left end, can be seen, though the lean to along the front had to be shortened to remain in proportion. Window positions in the modified areas have been altered accordingly. Plasticard overlays will be added all round the building so any blemishes will be covered.

 

Whilst still not perfect, this gives a much better relationship to the platform loading hump and more space at the Level Crossing end and I am happier with the result.

The gable end of the Stationmasters house will be featured in the rear corner. The platform / road interface needs tidying at this end too; the former position of the corner of the building can be seen.

Edited August 9, 2019 by Signaller69
Add photo.

[Gibbo675]

21 minutes ago, Signaller69 said:

I have removed about an inch of the Station Building, moved its position on the platform slightly and altered the brick base accordingly.

 

The cut showing where the removed portion was, at the left end, can be seen, though the lean to along the front had to be shortened to remain in proportion. Window positions in the modified areas have been altered accordingly. Plasticard overlays will be added all round the building so any blemishes will be covered.

 

Whilst still not perfect, this gives a much better relationship to the platform loading hump and more space at the Level Crossing end and I am happier with the result.

The gable end of the Stationmasters house will be featured in the rear corner. The platform / road interface needs tidying at this end too; the former position of the corner of the building can be seen.

Hi Martyn,

 

Are you aware of this mapping website that has various scales of maps ? I found Dunnington on the scale I usually use but discovered that the railway hadn't yet been built, it is on the one I have linked though the scale is not as clear.

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17&lat=53.9562&lon=-0.9726&layers=193&right=BingHyb

 

It may be useful for the positioning of buildings.

 

This is the scale I usually use, this link shews Preston, Lancashire along with a lot more railway track than it has now !

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15&lat=53.7525&lon=-2.7072&layers=168&right=BingHyb

 

Gibbo.