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Fenwick Pit: a North East Colliery in 2mm


Geordie Exile
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1 hour ago, Trewisin said:

Hi Richard , Ive been watching your blog for a while and you have brought back fond memories.as I come from Backworth originaly born in Wallsend but my Mothers family were from Backworth. My Grand father worked at the pit and retired afer being a miner and then working in the blacksmiths shop. From your original blog i think you also said you were from this area before going to Scootland. I am also thinking of building a layout of Backworth but i think i would need a hangar to put it in .I can remember  visiting my Grandparents home during scool holidays and on return from overseas postings (my father served in the R.A.F.) At one stage iwent to the original backworth primary school ,I can remember riding on the footplate of J94s a nd seeing the introduction of the Sentinal deisel loco before the class 14s. Ithink your doing a marvellous job keep it up would like to see somebody do a kit of the RCH wagons as they are special to the area. your P4 wagons are close. Keep up the good work.Ray.

 

Thanks for your comments, Ray.  I grew up on Marden Estate, about 10 miles away from the pit.  Was dragged a couple of time to Backworth Primary School when it became Backworth Drama Centre.  And the artwork for the wagon etch is progressing, slowly, so watch this space...

image.png.7fdd21eb206511d26796fb8a9eabeaf2.png

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14 minutes ago, MinerChris said:

Hi Richard,

 

Before you go and solder up the corner pieces, would you be better soldering some 1/4" or 1/2" square section brass lengths up the inside of your corners? This might make the whole building less flimsy and liable to damage when: something gets put on it/ sat on/ looks at it funny and falls over. I would think some cross member pieces of brass probably wouldn't go amiss at reinforcing the structure either - ang give you something to place the floors on to solder to.

 

Best Regards,

 

Chris.

 

Sound advice, Chris.  Except I don't have any brass.  I've got to the point where I've added the embossed plasticard brick sections, so that's the end of the soldering.  I have braced it with corners of the etch frame (which make accessing the interior a bit, erm, gynaecological) and I'm going to floor it with 1mm plasticard superglued into position once I've glazed it, so that should add some strength.  And I doubt if any of my models would survive being sat on :D.  My partner wants a new cat, which will be absolutely banned from the shed which will eventually house the layout!

 

Richard

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2 hours ago, Geordie Exile said:

 

Sound advice, Chris.  Except I don't have any brass.  I've got to the point where I've added the embossed plasticard brick sections, so that's the end of the soldering.  I have braced it with corners of the etch frame (which make accessing the interior a bit, erm, gynaecological) and I'm going to floor it with 1mm plasticard superglued into position once I've glazed it, so that should add some strength.  And I doubt if any of my models would survive being sat on :D.  My partner wants a new cat, which will be absolutely banned from the shed which will eventually house the layout!

 

Richard

The firmer the cat ban, the greater the challenge to the feline. When cat finally gets in, and it will, the greater the risk of damage. Best approach is to convince cat that it is no big deal and keep a cushion on the floor by the heater.

Or, go for a rescue senior whose jumping days are done.

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Well, I'm feeling quite pleased with myself. While I'm waiting for bills to land (no, really) so I can use their windows as glazing for the current building project, I've returned to the etch artwork for Backworth's signature 15t hopper.  The internal angles have been doing my nut in. But, a couple of weeks away from it have meant a clear-headed approach, and I think I've finally got it. I've printed the hopper body onto plasticard in 4mm, and it's come together nicely. 

 

So, I think I'll crack on with the chassis frame and brake subframe, and start playing with axleboxes.

 

 

 

 

20210204_171652.jpg

20210204_171618.jpg

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Hi Richard,

That looks excellent was there an upright support in the centre of the wagon ? I cant remember as ihave not been able to find any drawings for this wagon. Also what was the wheel base 9ft 6 or 10 ft between the axles .You have got the angle right it looks smashing ,look forward to the complete item .Ray

 

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4 hours ago, Trewisin said:

Hi Richard,

That looks excellent was there an upright support in the centre of the wagon ? I cant remember as ihave not been able to find any drawings for this wagon. Also what was the wheel base 9ft 6 or 10 ft between the axles .You have got the angle right it looks smashing ,look forward to the complete item .Ray

 

Hi Ray.  I'm assuming there were two doors in the bottom of the hopper, with a transverse crossmember two or three planks tall, so that's what I'll model.  I'll add internal strapping which appears to mirror the exterior vertical one, but I'm not planning on doing any hinges on the floor.  This is the best picture I've got of the inside of the hoppers:

image.png.b6754cc52a8284649914def632b0fedd.png

...so I'm also using this fortunate/unfortunate photo as an aid to the design:

image.png.49a9c390669909185cf1ff290a63d638.png

I'm not sure of the type of hopper this was, but it was in use on the Ashington system when it got involved in a fight with several others on Blyth's North Staithes.

 

The Backworth hopper was actually 11' wheelbase, and 17'6" over the buffer beams, so quite a substantial wagon compared to the other wooden hoppers in use, I think.

 

R

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I've just come across this thread and it's really put a smile on my face! It's always nice to see a North East layout, but even better to see one with such care and attention to detail given to both the stock and the buildings.

 

Looking at some of the wagons has really been an eye-opener for me in terms of what is possible in 2mm scale. I'm taking my first steps developing a 4mm/P4 North East layout, and if the fine details look half as good as this i'll be pleased - even at double the scale!

 

Fantastic work.

 

Cheers,

 

Liam

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Hi Richard .Thanks for the info that solves that problem over the center wall, also the wheel base I know they where big wagons but as is aid in my earlier note I was still a young lad ,so things did look big.Yes your photos do show the centre board and also the one in Blythe harbour. is it still there i wonder .

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Hi,Richard,Hows it going ? If  you are bored with the oxide red colour scheme on the wagons I can remember them being painted a very dark blue. Ithought tracing paper would have made a good substitute for the window panes in the tower building.

Have you decided what part of Fenwick you propose to model yet or is it to be just the pit head area ?

Regards Ray

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Hi Richard,

Thanks for the update very impressive . You have captured the buildings well .I think that the tall building may have been an updated version of the Lambton system washery.As i remember a tall castlelated building a Backworth pit which was built for that purpose,it was later used for a wagon repair shop , and paint shop. 

I have just managed to obtain a very nice book: called, INDUSTRIAL LOCOMOTIVES & RAILWAYS. OF THE NORTH EAST .BY GORDON EDGAR. ISBN 978-1-4456-4940-5 (AMBERLEY PUBLICATION £19.99. www.amberley-books.com.)

Lots of very good pictures.From the North and South of the Tyne.

No doubt you have seen or have the CHILTON IRON WORKS PULICATION. 

BACKWORTH . AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE MINES AND RAILWAYS. BY JOHN ELLIOT & DEREK CHARLTON.

ISBN 0-9523672-1-1 (well worth a read).

Looking at your photos of Fenwick I think you have now modelled all of the buildings . It did have a few tall chimneys of various hights , these could be added at a later date, the pit closed August 1973. Im not shure as to which ones were left.

Have any thoughts as to what locos you may run.

I have come across  a web site that may be of use www.maridunians models.( 3D printing by Shapeways) various diesel locos

may be of interest 2mm/ngauge using Minitrix dock tanks or Farish 03/04 chassis  also Peckett tanks and a Janus all at a reasonable price of about £15n.

Not a lot else keep up the good work look forward to your next review.

Regards RAY

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11 hours ago, Trewisin said:

Hi Richard,

Thanks for the update very impressive . You have captured the buildings well .I think that the tall building may have been an updated version of the Lambton system washery.As i remember a tall castlelated building a Backworth pit which was built for that purpose,it was later used for a wagon repair shop , and paint shop. 

I have just managed to obtain a very nice book: called, INDUSTRIAL LOCOMOTIVES & RAILWAYS. OF THE NORTH EAST .BY GORDON EDGAR. ISBN 978-1-4456-4940-5 (AMBERLEY PUBLICATION £19.99. www.amberley-books.com.)

Lots of very good pictures.From the North and South of the Tyne.

No doubt you have seen or have the CHILTON IRON WORKS PULICATION. 

BACKWORTH . AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE MINES AND RAILWAYS. BY JOHN ELLIOT & DEREK CHARLTON.

ISBN 0-9523672-1-1 (well worth a read).

Looking at your photos of Fenwick I think you have now modelled all of the buildings . It did have a few tall chimneys of various hights , these could be added at a later date, the pit closed August 1973. Im not shure as to which ones were left.

Have any thoughts as to what locos you may run.

I have come across  a web site that may be of use www.maridunians models.( 3D printing by Shapeways) various diesel locos

may be of interest 2mm/ngauge using Minitrix dock tanks or Farish 03/04 chassis  also Peckett tanks and a Janus all at a reasonable price of about £15n.

Not a lot else keep up the good work look forward to your next review.

Regards RAY

Morning Ray

 

I have both of those books - the Elliot & Charlton one is already dropping to bits as I've used it so much!  As I'm going for a period immediately prior to closure (i.e. early 70's) then it looks as though the motive power was almost exclusively Austerity J94s and Class 14 diesels.  Initially I'm hoping to use re-wheeled / detailed versions of the Farish models, and I've picked up one of each from eBay to play with.  No 29 was an RSH side tank (I think - I don't know much about locos!) which was transferred from Ashington to Backworth during that period, so I may end up trying to replicate that too.  Then there's the BR diesels (Class 37s etc) working from the exchange sidings...

 

R

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Hi Richard,

Thanks for the update very impressive . You have captured the buildings well .I think that the tall building may have been an updated version of the Lambton system washery.As i remember a tall castlelated building a Backworth pit which was built for that purpose,it was later used for a wagon repair shop , and paint shop. 

I have just managed to obtain a very nice book: called, INDUSTRIAL LOCOMOTIVES & RAILWAYS. OF THE NORTH EAST .BY GORDON EDGAR. ISBN 978-1-4456-4940-5 (AMBERLEY PUBLICATION £19.99. www.amberley-books.com.)

Lots of very good pictures.From the North and South of the Tyne.

No doubt you have seen or have the CHILTON IRON WORKS PULICATION. 

BACKWORTH . AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE MINES AND RAILWAYS. BY JOHN ELLIOT & DEREK CHARLTON.

ISBN 0-9523672-1-1 (well worth a read).

Looking at your photos of Fenwick I think you have now modelled all of the buildings.It did have a few chimneys of various hights and sizes these could be added at a later date, also it depends on the date you are depicting .AS the pit closed August 1973.

Have any thoughts as to what locos you may run.

I have come across  a web site that may be of use www.maridunians models.( 3D printing by Shapeways) various diesel locos

may be of interest 2mm/ngauge using Minitrix dock tanks or Farish 03/04 chassis  also Peckett tanks and a Janus all at a reasonable price of about £15n.

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Hi. Richard.

Just caught your message this morning. I was reading rmweb on the work bench catching up on the various projects that have been going on for a few years,Ihave got to page 59 so far something to do whilst in so called lockdown .

Its still to cold to go down to the shed and do some modelling at the moment so I will just have to do the info collection whilst theres not a lot on TV.

After sending you my update last evening I picked up a few copies of the quarterly journal Archive editions 4,5,&6

low and behold they have an article on Pits aruond the area. Cramlington,Hartley  Main just to name a few.

Thanks for your comments regards Ray.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been juggling a couple of jobs over the last week or so.  Working my way through the etch artwork for the Chas Robert Backworth hopper, I ground to a halt when my three-layered solebar wasn't deep enough.  Start at the fold and the bearings, and it underhung the body.  Start at the body, and I'd need a really long axle.  It hadn't occurred to me that Chas Roberts wasn't constrained by .25mm nickel silver, and could make his undercarriage as thick as it needed to be!  So, I turned to see how Bob Jones had done it on his P4, and did a batch of three.  Bob's experience showed - he'd included fold-out spacers in the first solebar layer!  Genius.  

 

So, the artwork progresses, painfully slowly.  I've got to the stage where I just need to draw axleboxes, strapping, stanchions, interior dividers and a brace that sits under the sloping ends of the hopper body.  And then the dreaded origami, where I squeeze it into the smallest area of N/S that I can manage.  Progress so far:

image.png.ec6e8ccb3ee80780bea5b95663321187.png

Credit to Bob/Fencehouses - I've cribbed his chassis design quite closely, with the obvious exception of the dimensions.  Fold-out spacers and coupling mount are straight copies of the way he's done it.

 

And the P4s:

image.png.9b0ecf28b57220406895ed1509f88932.png

 

The one on the left is my first attempt, with the strapping soldered on (or not) as per Bob's instructions.  I've found it much easier to cut out all the bits of strapping and superglue them on, using the etch as a positioning template.  The corner plates I removed from the etch, put a 90deg fold into them and then glued them on once the bodies were assembled.  Bob sent me the etch for the stanchions, each of which are made up of six laminated layers.  Try as I might, I couldn't get six at a time to behave, so I've gone for four each.  To hide the laminations, once attached to the body ends (glue again) I've flooded them with solder.  They've not turned out too bad at all.

 

image.png.aeb16969a69bbe775e6520a11ce2db98.png

 

The handrails are 0.3mm wire, as the etched versions were a bit square, and more squashable.  I've a few days off coming up so hopefully they'll take a trip to the paint shop then.

 

Thanks for looking

 

Richard

 

 

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Great ,its coming on well Richard. It looks as though you have hacked the problem on the sole bar just with a packing piece.

look forward to seeing the assembled item.

Keep up the good work.. Ray. 

PS sorry for the duplication on the subject of books Im using a tablet with a keyboard which im not used to . The text goes offline sometimes so you are not sure if you have sent the message.

Thanks again Ray.

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Well, that's the artwork for the Charles Roberts 15-ton Hopper (a Backworth exclusive!) sent to PPD.  Hopefully I've applied what I've learned (and enjoyed, and not enjoyed) from putting a few different etch kits together, along with my first etch of the coal processing plant.  I think I've added enough, but not too many, tags.  Hopefully I'll not just get a frame back, with the rest ending up in the etch soup at the bottom of the tank.  Time (and upwards of 70 quid, I think!) will tell. 

 

Members of the Forth & Clyde Area Group have offered much advice, including 'try 3D printing instead', for which I'm very grateful.

 

image.png.30712b2630d44bb044a979d9dce60aaa.png

 

Oh, and the red oxide primer on the P4s is currently hardening off in the shed: I'll get the solebars painted tomorrow, and then think about the lettering.

 

(Why didn't I just stick with RTR, off-the-shelf n-gauge?  I'd be sitting watching the trains trundle by now! Probably.)

 

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Four Fencehouses P4 hoppers have emerged from the paint shop.

 

Thank goodness the NCB didn't have a standard size of lettering. It means I can use pretty much any size I've got. The full hopper on the left has Railtec transfers; the others are from Fox. I was worried about the quality from Railtec as they're much cheaper than Fox. They're a joy to use.

 

 

20210307_205342.jpg

 

Edit: P.S. I've tried a different masking technique with this lot when spray painting below the solebars.  Rizla.  They're cheap as chips, easy to cut, easy to position, pre-gummed, and I've always got some on me! 

Edited by Geordie Exile
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