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Standard Cowans Sheldon 15T Crane (mk1 and mk2 Jib) announced!


Garethp8873
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I've just bought 'An Illustrated History of NER Locomotives' by Ken Hoole, a purchase I can thoroughly recommend.

 

It has (page 131) a wonderful photo of the Gateshead steam crane - a Cowans Sheldon 15t crane as being modelled by Oxford Rail - lifting an NER H2 (LNER J79) 0-6-0T. The H2 is suspended from the crane hook by 2 chains and several pieces of timber to protect the loco, and the crane has 2 larger baulks of timber as side stays. There isn't a person in sight nor, apparently, any steam!  How?!!

 

No date is given, but the H2 looks very smart in a lined NER livery, so pre-grouping.

 

The Gateshead steam crane has a cab roof, and it would be lovely if Oxford Rail is to model their crane with and without cab roof. I hope to pass a copy of the photo (copyright North Eastern Railway) to Oxford Rail at Model Rail Scotland next week.

 

John Storey

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3 minutes ago, it's-er said:

I've just bought 'An Illustrated History of NER Locomotives' by Ken Hoole, a purchase I can thoroughly recommend.

 

 

An excellent book. Although presumably taken at Gateshead, the H2 must be one of the pair built in 1897 as it has brake pipes - indeed the caption says it's probably No.  1787 - so the date could be any time after that until the locomotive was repained black. However, in the RCTS Locomotives of the LNER Part 8B, it is noted that in the year they were built No. 407 was at Scarborough and No. 1787 at Gateshead Works but both were at York by 1900/1, So perhaps the photo was taken during the last years of the 19th century, when No. 1787 was Gateshead Works shunter. Did the NER acquire that crane arounf 1897-9? 

 

Another feature of interest is that the crane's propping beams and rail clips are in use.

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13 hours ago, it's-er said:

I've just bought 'An Illustrated History of NER Locomotives' by Ken Hoole, a purchase I can thoroughly recommend.

 

It has (page 131) a wonderful photo of the Gateshead steam crane - a Cowans Sheldon 15t crane as being modelled by Oxford Rail - lifting an NER H2 (LNER J79) 0-6-0T. The H2 is suspended from the crane hook by 2 chains and several pieces of timber to protect the loco, and the crane has 2 larger baulks of timber as side stays. There isn't a person in sight nor, apparently, any steam!  How?!!

 

No date is given, but the H2 looks very smart in a lined NER livery, so pre-grouping.

 

The Gateshead steam crane has a cab roof, and it would be lovely if Oxford Rail is to model their crane with and without cab roof. I hope to pass a copy of the photo (copyright North Eastern Railway) to Oxford Rail at Model Rail Scotland next week.

 

John Storey

Probably a long exposure usinga. plate camera so anything moving quickly enough wouldn't show on the plate.  it's not unusual to see no figures in unposed photos of that time (although 'ghosts' sometimes appear) and teh same would apply to any steam coming from the crane.

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Several points about that photo:

  • the background has been blocked out by the photographer;
  • once the load had been lifted the crane and load are in equilibrium (all forces balanced) so there would be no need to apply any power;
  • the cab roof and boiler top are over-exposed so steam might not be visible anyway; and
  • the diagram for the locomotive gives a weight when empty nearly five tons greater than the design capacity of the crane, so standing well back sounds to me like a good idea!

As a posed view for the official photographer, I see nothing unsurprising in the absence of people.

Edited by Compound2632
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3 hours ago, Black 5 Bear said:

Early 2021 is being mooted by many outlets, however this has not been confirmed by OR.

Early days I would say, but we're likely to see some engineering samples later in 2020

 

 

60's fizzy drink virus in China permitting!!

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On 13/02/2020 at 15:50, Compound2632 said:

 

  • once the load had been lifted the crane and load are in equilibrium (all forces balanced) so there would be no need to apply any power;

I'm really not sure what you mean by being "in equilibrium', the load is simply being held on the hoist brake!

 

The crane, numbered CME 1, was one of two supplied in 1893. The photo is pre-1907, since by that year the burden chain had been replaced with wire rope.

 

CME 1 was requisitioned during WW1 and never returned. Its twin, imaginatively numbered CME 2, survived until 1955.

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32 minutes ago, craneman said:

I'm really not sure what you mean by being "in equilibrium', the load is simply being held on the hoist brake!

 

 

Term of art, meaning just what you say. Obeying Newton's First Law, hence remaining stationary.

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On ‎14‎/‎02‎/‎2020 at 21:39, Martin.M said:

Do we know when the cranes are expected? 

 

The way things seem to be developing with the health crisis in China, I doubt we can rely on predictions from any manufacturer, even those already made.

 

I somehow doubt OR will be in a position to make even an educated guess on the subject for some months yet.

 

John

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In an effort to clarify what length jib the swan necked version will be equipped with, I've managed to speak to Scott at Oxford Rail. From the resulting conversation the following releases are planned.

 

OR76SCS1001    BR Stoke M.P.D No.RS1023/15     26' CURVED JIB LENGTH
OR76SCS1002    LMS Wellingborough No.243        26' CURVED JIB LENGTH

 

OR76SCS2001    BR Stewarts Lane DS.316              26' SWAN NECKED JIB LENGTH
OR76SCS2002    LNER Sunderland No.901628       24' SWAN NECKED JIB LENGTH

 

All four are to be modeled in "as delivered" condition minus roofs which were added later in their lives. To cope with this Oxford are looking to produce a generic type roof which can be added if required (as with match wagons, the roof could be a number of styles).

 

There were detailed differences across the range but on the major one of jib length then the following may be prove useful should you be looking to create a model not catered for in the initial Oxford releases:

 

CURVED JIB - SHORT

NER (x2), GSWR (x1) and NSR (x1) not catered for at present (not 100% sure as to jib length for NSR one)

 

CURVED JIB LONG

MS&LR (x1) and MR (x4) catered for by either OR76SCS1001 / 1002

 

SWAN NECKED JIB - SHORT

NER (x1), GCR (x4) and GWR (x3) catered for with OR76SCS2002

 

SWAN NECKED JIB - LONG

NBR (x1), LBSCR (x2), MR (x4), GNR (x2), SER (x1) and LTSR (x1) catered for with OR76SCS2001

 

Top marks to Oxford for planning to produce a number of vehicles matching prototype details rather than a generic one size fits all approach.

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4 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

That's very encouraging. I'm rather interested in details of their drop-in jib rest, before I commit to the fiddly job of building a Midland-style one!

I did ask as to what was proposed for this but it hasn't been decided  - the feeling was that it will be of a wooden variety (personally as my match wagon will be scratch built then I'm not too fussed on the matter).

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2 minutes ago, SP Steve said:

I did ask as to what was proposed for this but it hasn't been decided  - the feeling was that it will be of a wooden variety (personally as my match wagon will be scratch built then I'm not too fussed on the matter).

 

Given that two of the announced models are of ex-Midland cranes, there would be some merit in following that design of jib rest, which I'm wondering may have followed a Cowans Sheldon design or specification, since the surviving carriage & wagon department drawing drawing quotes a locomotive department "tracing"... I've already started kit-bashing a Midland match wagon. (The jib support shown in the drawing is for a 10 ton crane and is both taller and of lighter construction than that for the 15 ton steam cranes.)

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18 minutes ago, SP Steve said:

In an effort to clarify what length jib the swan necked version will be equipped with, I've managed to speak to Scott at Oxford Rail. From the resulting conversation the following releases are planned.

 

All four are to be modeled in "as delivered" condition minus roofs which were added later in their lives. To cope with this Oxford are looking to produce a generic type roof which can be added if required (as with match wagons, the roof could be a number of styles).

 

SWAN NECKED JIB - SHORT

NER (x1), GCR (x4) and GWR (x3) catered for with OR76SCS2002

 

Top marks to Oxford for planning to produce a number of vehicles matching prototype details rather than a generic one size fits all approach.

 

Thanks for that Steve, great to know just how far they are going with respect to the details.  I had feared that we were looking at one jib length in each design, so it is a pleasant surprise to see them doing all 4 options.

 

I will certainly be placing an order for OR76SCS2002 as a basis for my model of the Newton Abbot crane, just have to see if I can find a drawing of its match truck now before deciding if I will fully scratch build or try and modify the Brassmasters kit…

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On 18/02/2020 at 12:18, SP Steve said:

There were detailed differences across the range but on the major one of jib length then the following may be prove useful should you be looking to create a model not catered for in the initial Oxford releases:

 

CURVED JIB - SHORT

NER (x2), GSWR (x1) and NSR (x1) not catered for at present (not 100% sure as to jib length for NSR one)

 

 

 

Forgive my ignorance but is that G&SWR or GS&WR?

 

Gordon

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Easy to confuse the two, when the ampersand is omitted and there's no other context. I gather the only Cowans Sheldon 15 ton steam crane in Ireland (and the only one to survive) is the one supplied in 1912 to the Great Northern, now at the RPSI at Whitehead, Co. Antrim. What did the Great Southern & Western do for steam cranes?

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1 hour ago, Andrew Thorpe said:

I'm hoping to get one of these which will get backwarded in time to ROD operations being as they had something very much resembling these. 

One of the 1893 Midland batch (which included Oxford's Stoke and Wellinborough examples) - originally No. 28 allocated to Derby - was requisitioned in 1914 and, apparently, never seen in railway service again.

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By the way, I recently spotted that one of the numberplates from the match wagon for one of the Midland's 1899 batch of cranes is in the collection of the Midland Railway Study Centre, Item No. 27766. Match wagon No. 116953 was attached to the crane successively numbered 31 / 247 / MP38 / RS1025/15 , initially allocated to Bristol but later at Warrington; then at Bletchley in 1942, Edge Hill in 1957, and finally Bletchley in 1961.

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