"Ironstone" - East Midlands rural quarry railway

[Ian Smeeton]

50 minutes ago, bodmin16 said:

Have just come across this topic, having just visited Rocks by Rail earlier this week and become totally fascinated.  I know very little about the ironstone extraction and the associated railway infrastructure, being a "southerner"!  Can you recommend any suitable reading, with plenty of pictures   Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing more.

 

Eric Tonks is the 'Go To' author on the Ironstone. 

 

They are certainly available 2nd hand. There is a series of about 9 covering all the main Midland Orefields

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Ruston]

53 minutes ago, bodmin16 said:

Can you recommend any suitable reading,

Search for "The Ironstone Quarries Of The Midlands, by Eric Tonks". It's more or less all you'll ever need on the subject in nine volumes!

[rope runner]

3 hours ago, bodmin16 said:

Have just come across this topic, having just visited Rocks by Rail earlier this week and become totally fascinated.  I know very little about the ironstone extraction and the associated railway infrastructure, being a "southerner"!  Can you recommend any suitable reading, with plenty of pictures   Keep up the good work and look forward to seeing more.

 

There is an earlier combined volume of Eric Tonks work (revised) which is a little sparse on detail but has a fair overview of all the systems. However, a superb overview of the industry is offered in Pt.1 of the later individual series and for me this is the stand-out title from the 9 books. Worth seeing if you can pick up a hardback version S/H...

 

Paul A. 

[DLT]

Excellent project, I've always been fascinated by the ironstone lines.

Cheers, Dave.

[bodmin16]

1 hour ago, rope runner said:

 

There is an earlier combined volume of Eric Tonks work (revised) which is a little sparse on detail but has a fair overview of all the systems. However, a superb overview of the industry is offered in Pt.1 of the later individual series and for me this is the stand-out title from the 9 books. Worth seeing if you can pick up a hardback version S/H...

 

Paul A. 

This one?

[rope runner]

Yes that's the one. 

 

Paul A. 

[rope runner]

Hi All, 

 

Another loco post now, albeit fairly pedestrian compared to the last couple. 

 

30 ton Sentinel S10201 "Betty"

 

"Betty" in use at Harlaxton in the early 70's. Note the plastic Heron sticking out of the radiator (yes, really...)

 

This loco was one of eight 30-ton examples built in 1964 for the Oxfordshire Ironstone Company, Wroxton and was fitted with buckeye couplers to work iron ore dumpcars. This design is lighter than the standard catalogue offering in order to put less strain on the basic and often poorly-ballasted quarry trackwork. The name was transferred from an earlier Hudswell Clarke locomotive, though the plates were originally sourced through the Hunslet Engine Company. OIC also had five 40-ton Sentinels, more on this in a later post.

 

Upon closure of the quarries at Wroxton Betty was transferred to Harlaxton Ironstone Quarry in September 1967 and given the Stewarts and Lloyds plant number 8411/03. The loco had the somewhat dubious honour of hauling the last ironstone train from Harlaxton Ironstone Quarry on St. Valentines Day 1974 (the date referred to locally at the time as Black Valentines). 

 

Following a rebuild at Andrew Barclays works in May 1974 the loco was sold to NCB South Durham Area in December 1976 and sent to Blackhall Colliery County Durham and then later on to NCB Coal Products Division, Derwenthaugh. In April 1986 she was happily preserved at Cottesmore and is restored and operational. 

 

 

The model represents S10201 in early 1970's condition at Harlaxton and uses the Hornby model as a base with the valance join line filled and sanded flush. The sandbox spill plates are by RTmodels and the Sentinel motifs and Swords by Judith Edge. The coupling pockets (by this time the buckeyes themselves were removed, but the pockets remained) were scratch built from fret waste. The lifting eyes were also drilled out. 

 

Paul A. 

Edited November 9, 2022 by rope runner
Photos re-added (again!)

[rope runner]

For good measure here's a quick snap I took of the prototype earlier in the month. 

 

 

 

The notice under the nameplate notes the historical importance of the locomotive with reference to the proceedings at Harlaxton on the 14th of Feb, 1974. 

 

Paul A. 

Edited April 1, 2022 by rope runner
Photos re-added

[RThompson]

Just curious Paul why you used the spill plates but not the skirts themselves as the Hornby ones are wrong for this version as the ends should be asymmetrical and not mirrored which your photo of the real loco shows.

 

It's one of those things that didn't get picked up on by Hornby but they correctly widened the footplate.

Edited September 20, 2021 by RThompson

[rope runner]

On 19/09/2021 at 21:01, RThompson said:

Just curious Paul why you used the spill plates but not the skirts themselves as the Hornby ones are wrong for this version as the ends should be asymmetrical and not mirrored which your photo of the real loco shows.

 

It's one of those things that didn't get picked up on by Hornby but they correctly widened the footplate.

Gold star Robert, nobody else has spotted that yet!

 

The simple answer is that I'd already completed the loco before your detailing kit was announced. I decided I could make use of the spill plates but the rest went in the bits box. 

 

Paul A. 

[rope runner]

Manning Wardle 1317 of 1895 No.35 (formerly “Rhiwnant”)

 

Originally ordered new by the Birmingham Corporation Waterworks for their expansive Elan Valley reservoir project and appropriate named “Rhiwnant”, this loco and sister MW1316/85 “Calettwr” came second hand to Lloyds Ironstone Co. in 1912. Uncharacteristically for Manning Wardle locos they did not feature raised fireboxes, though most other details were typical of the makers. Both were obtained chiefly to displace smaller 0-4-0 types which were unsuitable for increasingly longer trip working which was being asked of the locomotives at Corby.

 

Much modified during working life, the loco lost her original name as was simply numbered 35 within the S&L series. The addition of full-height buffer beams to accept buckeye couplings for working dump cars is worthy of note. From the early 1950’s the locomotive was displaced from routine quarry work by the arrival of the larger 18’’ RSH 56 class and was relegated working PW trains. In the late 1960’s it was preserved, moving first to the fledgling Foxfield Railway.

 

I've plenty of colour photographs of this loco, but can't post for copyright reasons. A fair photograph of her can be found at the bottom of this page: https://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/2/ironstone_tramways.htm

 

edit - I do have one in my collection after all, shared below

 

 

 

The model

 

The model came about via an email exchange with another RMweb member who had part-built the loco in 7mm. See here:

 

Jim’s CADs were passed to a Mike Edge who ran a few sets off in Nickel Silver as a first shot test etch. I’ve added a few parts from my own artwork to supplement these.

 

 

All of the boiler fittings, backhead details, lubricator etc all came from the bits box. 

 

The model is fitted with a High Level gearbox and scale working buckeyes from Sergent Engineering. In the fullness of time the model will hopefully operate with the forthcoming RTmodels dump cars...

 

Photograph below shows the model posed with my other completed S&L minerals locos. There's two more waiting in the wings, hopefully the subject of a future update. The injector pipework and actuating arms were a bit of a bodge on the real thing, hopefully captured here without looking like too much of an afterthought. The arm above the injector controlled a small valve which dropped water in front of  the leading and trailing wheel sets - this was in an effort to ease progress round tight quarry trackwork. 

 

 

 

That’s all for now

 

Paul A.  

Edited April 1, 2022 by rope runner
Photos re-added

[Corbs]

YES! Looks fantastic. Lovely finish too. Go on, please post some more pics of it  

 

[rope runner]

Since you asked nicely Corbs, here's one from t'other side. 

 

 

 

And here's the next one in the queue, a B2 class Peckett. Open to guesses on the identity of this one from any industrial aficionados... it shouldn't be too hard given the general theme and trend...

 

 

 

This model has had a moderately involved renovation to the front end to depict an earlier member of the class, more on this in 2022 after paining is completed. 

 

Paul A. 

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by rope runner
Photos re-added

[Ruston]

2 hours ago, rope runner said:

Open to guesses on the identity of this one from any industrial aficionados... it shouldn't be too hard given the general theme and trend

I don't know exactly but from the same place as the United Steel Co. Barclay that's at RbR, judging by the addition to the water tank. Something for water treatment?

[Warspite]

19 hours ago, rope runner said:

And here's the next one in the queue, a B2 class Peckett. Open to guesses on the identity of this one from any industrial aficionados... it shouldn't be too hard given the general theme and trend

 

My guess would be BUCCLEUCH (1232/1910) which went from Glendon East Quarries to Harlaxton Quarries in 1946 and to Nassington Quarries in 1962. It was scrapped there in 1969. Eric Tonks included a photo of it in the Corby Area book (page 299) of his Ironstone series. This photo shows the water softener on the front of the saddle tank which Tonks presumes was fitted at Harlaxton. 

 

Of course, I could be completely wrong...  

Edited December 5, 2021 by Warspite

[Ruston 48DS]

Paul this sounds like it's going to be an interesting layout build, great pictures BTW.

By what I can see your layout is progressed nicely with some very nice modelling.

[rope runner]

1 hour ago, Warspite said:

 

My guess would be BUCCLEUCH (1232/1910) which went from Glendon East Quarries to Harlaxton Quarries in 1946 and to Nassington Quarries in 1962. It was scrapped there in 1969. Eric Tonks included a photo of it in the Corby Area book (page 299) of his Ironstone series. This photo shows the water softener on the front of the saddle tank which Tonks presumes was fitted at Harlaxton. 

 

Of course, I could be completely wrong...  

Correct - top marks. 

 

Yes the water softening tube would have been fitted at Harlaxton similar to their 15'' Barclay and HE50550 types. For a short time the loco also carried a white headcode disc above the tank which was an unusual feature for an industrial...I'm not sure if I will include that as it may look a bit too odd. Still, I'm hoping this Peckett will make a nice pair with one of the forthcoming Rapido Nassington Hunslet locos. 

 

Paul A. 

[Sebring115]

Are those MW etches available from Mike Edge, thinking about Winston Churchill that ran in the black country.

 

 

[Sebring115]

hmm second thoughts looks rather different doesnt it :-)

[rope runner]

Phew, I've just zipped through and added all the photographs back in after the RMweb crash... added a few more prototype shots to old posts too. 

 

Here's another prototype shot in lieu of any modelling to show off at the moment. 

 

 

This is "Pen Green", Hudswell Clarke 607 of 1903, ordered by the Lloyds Ironstone company for their new Pen Green Quarries at Corby. This loco has the historic note of being the first six-coupled standard gauge loco delivered new to the ironstone industry in Northamptonshire.

 

The loco was eventually absorbed into the steelworks fleet at Corby, being too small to be of practical use in the S&L minerals division in later years. The photograph shows her in the early 1960s, much modified from original form. 

 

More soon 

 

Paul A. 

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by rope runner
Photos re-added (again!)

[Mol_PMB]

Is this the same as ‘Penn Green’ that ran at the East Anglian Railway Museum in the 1990s? 

That loco looked similar but had a painted name with an extra N. 

[sir douglas]

HC 607 wasnt preserved but there was a RSH with the same name if thats the one?

https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/robert-stephenson-hawthorn-works-no-7031-54-pen-green-0-6-0st/

[rope runner]

15 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

Is this the same as ‘Penn Green’ that ran at the East Anglian Railway Museum in the 1990s? 

That loco looked similar but had a painted name with an extra N. 

Ah yes, that was one of the ex-Corby RSH locos which was spuriously named in preservation. The original loco was unnamed and is of note in having been built to what is essentially a Manning Wardle design. 

 

A bit more to the above, I've checked the notes accompanying the negative and it was taken on 2nd July 1960, the loco being scrapped in the same month four years later. 

 

Paul A. 

 

 

[rope runner]

Hi All, 

 

It has been a while since I updated this thread. It's time to get back on track... 

 

The James Pain Ltd. Peckett loco BUCCLEUCH is now finished.

 

 

The front of the tank has been modified to represent an earlier member of the class by using an etched overlay from my own artwork and then filling and sanding the join. The cab rear was also modified as the loco had the spectacles removed and replaced with wooden stretchers to hold the glass - the glass being absent from all the photos I've found. Markits turned brass whistle added too, as the Hornby plastic one is flimsy and liable to get snagged. 

 

I also etched my own nameplates for the model as the plate style of the prototype was not available from the likes of Narrow Planet, Ambis etc. They've come out quite well - for me these small details are key to capturing the character of the original loco. Differences in Peckett plate styles are noted below: 

 

Example of a Peckett plate with serif lettering. Nameplate originally fitted new to 0-6-0 Peckett 1981/40 at the Oxfordshire Ironstone Company. Plate later transferred to 0-4-0 Avonside 1822/19 when it was decided that all six-coupled locos at Wroxton should carry boys names and four-coupled would be girls. Finally, this nameplate was moved to Sentinel 10165 when the system was dieselised - the loco later moving to Harlaxton Quarries in South Lincolnshire and removed when the quarry closed. Quite a history!

 

Example of Peckett plate with sans-serif lettering. Introduced from around 1906. This example is from a 3ft gauge loco at Scaldwell ironstone pits. Plate is brass...not that you would know it...

 

I have a few irons in the fire and other projects ticking along simultaneously. The next updates will include some internal user quarry wagons, gauntlet track weighbridge and a big 0-6-0ST RSH. 

 

Paul A. 

[rope runner]

Hi All, 

 

A bit more on some prototype background around calcining now, and appropriate rolling stock. 

 

Calcining is the process whereby iron ore is burnt with coal slack to drive off moisture, this readies the ore for more efficient transport and further processing. By burning the iron ore with coal slack the iron in the ore is converted from the "ferrous" state to the "ferric" state. The burning drives off moisture and also releases an appreciable amount of carbon dioxide. Recently quarried iron ore is wet and relatively "sticky" material versus other aggregates. Dependent on the moisture content this adds a considerable weigh to the material, important if you are charged "by the ton" once the ore is on BR metals on the way to the steelworks!

 

Calcining was performed in Kilns, bays and clamps. The differences between these methods are covered more in-depth online if anyone wants to read further. The practice was phased out fairly rapidly owing to a continual rise in coal prices in the 1960's. 

 

The above is of significant interest to industrial railway operations as calcining was often done on the same quarry system and the quarries material, the wet ore being moved around by internal user wagons of varying types. 

 

Not shown below, but for interest - the calcined ore takes on a purple hue, the exact colour would depend on the local geology. 

 

Ship canal side tipping wagons 

 

Among the earliest standard industrial internal user wagons is the humble "ship canal" tipper. There were a variety of different designs with detail differences, though most were of the same general principles of an oak body with iron reinforcing straps/plates, with the wagon frames typically being made from elm. Bearings were plain and certainly the typical design featured no kind of springing. Lubrication of these wagons was a curious affair, the bearings periodically receiving a daub of animal fat, applied from a quarry worker from below. This was known as "fatting the wagons" - as noted by Eric Tonks in his series of superb books. 

 

A rake of ship canal wagons out of use at Pilton Quarries in Rutland in July 1956. By this time the wagons were out of use and stored in a loop. Also visible on the right hand side is the Ruston excavator which had previously been employed to load these wagons...

 

A clearer (but not much!) photograph rescued from the Ruston Bucyrus offices. This was Ruston and Hornsby 30 ton steam shovel works no.640 which was delivered new to Pilton in December 1920. It was cut up on site in 1960. 

 

The model

 

A sizable rake of these small wagons are required for the layout to operate in a prototypical way, coming across the junction and reversed up the line toward the off-scene calcine banks. This will require some locomotives fitted with dumb buffers, such as Hawthorn Leslie "JUPITER" as shown on a previous page of this thread. 

 

The models are from a mix of sources, thus giving a bit of prototypical variation and detail differences. There are four from the superb RT Models contractors wagon kits and four further which are a mix of scratch built parts and the discontinued Chilton Ironworks kits. The RT kits are a doddle. The Chilton kits used the same chassis as their colliery chauldron wagons, but these looked a bit too weedy to my eyes and so I've adapted them as shown below. 

 

The four "bitsa" ship canal wagons. A mix of scratch built frames and bodies to give a little more modelling interest.

 

The complete rake of 8 wagons. Couplings are Roxey 7mm hooks on chain, fitted to one end only. They couple by the hook latching over a piece of wire between the frames and the hook will happily couple to the standard drawhook of a loco. 

 

Enthusiasts may note these wagons are fairly similar to the 3 foot gauge examples used at Kettering Furnaces and Scaldwell, certainly they operated on the same principle. 

 

More soon.

 

Paul A. 

Edited December 22, 2022 by rope runner