Burchill Edge Sidings - BR Blue Carriage/NPCCS Sidings, with a nod to Manchester Red Bank & Bristol Malago Vale

[cheesysmith]

Keep checking in from time to time, and what's not to like about a layout in blue? Also, if you do decide to build onem of the SR van kits from parkside, you will not regret it. Easy to build and a good intro into kit building, which can be done in the warmth of the house at this time of year.

[Rivercider]

35 minutes ago, 9C85 said:

 

Hiya Rivercider, nice to hear from you again.  I really enjoyed your thread on South Wales freight in the 80s - brought back so many memories of my youth.

Your comment means a lot to me - I am trying to recreate what I saw as a kid. Totally anonymous, mundane, dirty trains doing everyday work, with the only excitement being if the loco was a 'Namer'. I am really happy that I chose a carriage sidings as a subject - it allows plenty of scope for operation.

Thanks again 

I am generally more interested in freight traffic, but I commuted past Malago from 1977 until it closed. I also saw the NPCCS being shunted in Pylle Hill and Bristol West, and the High Level Sidings at Temple Meads, so do find that fascinating, especially while there was former pre-Nationalisaion stock in use.

 

Your low angle photos work really well I think,

 

cheers

[9C85]

 

On 26/10/2020 at 18:58, 9C85 said:

 

 

Latest addition to the layout 

 

 

A couple of images of the Peak after painting the roof, side stripes and weathering it. 

I have hijacked another thread describing the process it has gone through so I won't bore you all with it.

Suffice to say, I have learned quite a bit about the pros and cons of repainting locos, and what I feel comfortable doing. 

[9C85]

 

A photo from a lunchtime shunting session.  With the garage door opened and the sun shining, it gives an evening/sunset vibe. 

I plan eventually to get some tower floodlights to do some 'night time' operation.

I still need to name the layout.  Given the stock I have, the location could still be anywhere from South Wales, Bristol, North Midlands, East Lancashire, South or West Yorkshire, and even the North East. Although I am leaning towards somewhere in the heart of Trans-Pennine territory - the 'papers stock goes back to Red Bank. Plus the building hiding the storage yard is a mill/warehouse type structure. 

[saxokid]

Nice updates here my frend

 

cheers neil

[9C85]

 

Testing the capacity of the hidden storage sidings. 

From left to right we have the Peak on a 6-coach Newspapers train  (GUV and BG), the 25 on a half passenger, half parcels train a la 20:00hrs Cardiff-Crewe c1979, and the 47 on a 5-coach Trans-Pennine service. 

This exercise left the 'real side' of the layout hosting just the 08 on the fuel point and a Hornby Mk1 TFO/TSO in the fuel point headshunt/cripple road awaiting a decent set of bogies which will not snag its Kadees.

Looking forward to my next session getting this lot back into the 'real' sidings. 

Edited November 18, 2020 by 9C85

[9C85]

On 18/11/2020 at 20:13, 9C85 said:

 

Testing the capacity of the hidden storage sidings. 

This exercise left the 'real side' of the layout hosting just the 08 on the fuel point and a Hornby Mk1 TFO/TSO in the fuel point headshunt/cripple road awaiting a decent set of bogies which will not snag its Kadees.

Looking forward to my next session getting this lot back into the 'real' sidings. 

 

 

With a bit of bogie swapping and some plastic surgery, and with quite a lot of strong language, I have managed to get all my coaching stock serviceable. 

 

I swapped the bogies between a Hornby BG and the TFO/TSO. I then spent an hour or so butchering the underside of the BG in an attempt to fit Kadee No 5 couplings to it.

I could have just fitted Kadees to the TFO/TSO but I liked the look of it with Commonwealth bogies. 

 

I tested out the Kadees on the delayed action magnet and all is good.  So I have quite a bit of stock that I can shunt around now. 

[9C85]

A view from the other end of the sidings. 

[9C85]

A couple of images from tonight. 

 

 

[9C85]

Once again I am contemplating adding a bit of variety livery-wise to the layout.  I have never liked the Mk1 Pullman coaches - for some reason I have an irrational dislike of Met-Cam carriage windows 

However, I am coming round to liking the idea of having a Pullman portion of a train detaching at the 'station just up the line ' and stabled in my sidings overnight. 

I have today seen photos of 4 or 5 Mk1 Pullmans, in reverse blue-grey livery, alongside MkII stock forming a service to/from London . The photos  were from 1978 which I believe was their final year of service. This would fit in at the early end of my layout's era.

I could have 4 Pullmans plus a blue-grey BG. I am not sure what is available but I think I could have two parlour cars, a kitchen car and a nightcap bar forming my portion of the train.

Just a thought...

 

[BernardTPM]

This gives a useful summary of the use of the Mk.1 Pullmans in their later years.

[9C85]

9 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

This gives a useful summary of the use of the Mk.1 Pullmans in their later years.

Thanks for the link.

It also came up on my search yesterday, but I have only just had a chance to read it fully. 

It appears that the Nightcap Bar never appeared in reverse blue-grey livery and was used on London-Glasgow sleepers, so it probably doesn't fit in with my layout... shame, I like a nightcap 

I am now at the point where I am bidding for Pullmans on eBay.  The problem being if I get one, I will have to get four... and I will have probably changed my mind by the time the third one comes along 

[9C85]

 

The ramblings of a mad man?... Quite possibly.

 

Up until recently, I spent most of my adult life being a 'weekend rockstar' playing guitar and singing in pub/club bands in the North of England.

 

I have been trying to think of a name for my layout.  It is set early 80s, so I thought I would try to make an anagram of the Simple Minds album 'New Gold Dream ' ...(81, 82, 83, 84... geddit?).

The best I could come up with was Meadowglen Rd, with Road having to be abbreviated, but to me that sounds a bit Scottish, and my layout is set North Midlands, Yorkshire, East Lancashire way. This morning I have had a rethink and have come up with a name combining two of the best guitarists in the world who came to prominence in the early 80s. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you....

BURCHILL EDGE SIDINGS

What do you reckon?

 

BURCHILL could be the station just up the line and my sidings are located on the South Western edge of the town. 

 

Works for me.

[Enterprisingwestern]

35 minutes ago, 9C85 said:

 

The ramblings of a mad man?... Quite possibly.

 

Up until recently, I spent most of my adult life being a 'weekend rockstar' playing guitar and singing in pub/club bands in the North of England.

 

I have been trying to think of a name for my layout.  It is set early 80s, so I thought I would try to make an anagram of the Simple Minds album 'New Gold Dream ' ...(81, 82, 83, 84... geddit?).

The best I could come up with was Meadowglen Rd, with Road having to be abbreviated, but to me that sounds a bit Scottish, and my layout is set North Midlands, Yorkshire, East Lancashire way. This morning I have had a rethink and have come up with a name combining two of the best guitarists in the world who came to prominence in the early 80s. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you....

BURCHILL EDGE SIDINGS

What do you reckon?

 

BURCHILL could be the station just up the line and my sidings are located on the South Western edge of the town. 

 

Works for me.

 

Shame it's not set a bit earlier, Squire Clapton Beck Lane sounds much better!!

 

Mike.

[9C85]

14 hours ago, BernardTPM said:

This gives a useful summary of the use of the Mk.1 Pullmans in their later years.

 

5 hours ago, 9C85 said:

 

I am now at the point where I am bidding for Pullmans on eBay.  The problem being if I get one, I will have to get four... and I will have probably changed my mind by the time the third one comes along 

 

I definitely should have stayed in bed longer this morning. Not only have I just won a Pullman Mk1 on eBay, thereby necessitating the purchase of another three, but closer inspection of the item reveals that it is a 2nd Class Parlour (I was of the belief that Pullman was all first class?). According to the info in the link, these went out of service in the early 70s, and thus far I have been fairly strict with myself in choosing stock from around the early 80s. 

I may as well go the whole hog and have Stephenson's Rocket on a Biomass working 

I will probably review the Pullman when I receive it and either put it straight back on eBay or relax/adapt my time frame to have a multi-era layout.

Rule 1 and that...

[BernardTPM]

The Parlour Seconds were reclassified as (non-Pullman) First Opens, having the 42 seats like Mk.1/Mk.2 FOs so you could repaint into blue/grey (though with all blue doors). In the 1980s these ex-Pullmans were purchased by the Steam Locomotive Operators' Association and were repainted back into Pullman livery and were frequently seen on steam (and diesel) specials.

[9C85]

1 hour ago, BernardTPM said:

The Parlour Seconds were reclassified as (non-Pullman) First Opens, having the 42 seats like Mk.1/Mk.2 FOs so you could repaint into blue/grey (though with all blue doors). In the 1980s these ex-Pullmans were purchased by the Steam Locomotive Operators' Association and were repainted back into Pullman livery and were frequently seen on steam (and diesel) specials.

Thanks for the info. I wouldn't want to repaint the coaches as the reverse livery was my main reason for getting them, to add a bit of variety.  I will consider my options when I get the coach and see how it looks on the layout. 

Thanks again. 

[9C85]

 

I had an impulse to try and knock down the blue on my Hornby Mk1 TSO to try and match it better to the Bachmann stock.

It went at it with the white/snow of the Tamiya Weathering Powders and reckon I overdid it.  I tried lifting it back off with water on a cotton bud, streaking it downwards in the process.  It is not the result I wanted but I think it looks OK as a coach in need of a repaint.  If I could get it more even, I would think about getting some Hornby Mk2fs and doing the same, but that would still leave the issue of the incorrectly positioned grey band.

So probably a complete waste of time in reality 

[ColinK]

I think that coach looks great, faded and uncared for, brilliant.

[43110andyb]

On 02/12/2020 at 17:19, 9C85 said:

 

I had an impulse to try and knock down the blue on my Hornby Mk1 TSO to try and match it better to the Bachmann stock.

It went at it with the white/snow of the Tamiya Weathering Powders and reckon I overdid it.  I tried lifting it back off with water on a cotton bud, streaking it downwards in the process.  It is not the result I wanted but I think it looks OK as a coach in need of a repaint.  If I could get it more even, I would think about getting some Hornby Mk2fs and doing the same, but that would still leave the issue of the incorrectly positioned grey band.

So probably a complete waste of time in reality 

Looking good! Under frame looks spot on and if you want to take a touch of the white off try a dry brush leaving a fade around the raised detail of the coach. If you have worked from a prototype picture leave it as it is as nobody can complain- if it existed-model it!

[NickL2008]

Perhaps a thin coat of blue will tone down the white and blend it together?

 

NL

[9C85]

On 29/11/2020 at 16:35, 9C85 said:

Thanks for the info. I wouldn't want to repaint the coaches as the reverse livery was my main reason for getting them, to add a bit of variety.  I will consider my options when I get the coach and see how it looks on the layout. 

Thanks again. 

 

"I will probably review the Pullman when I receive it and either put it straight back on eBay or relax/adapt my time frame to have a multi-era layout."

 

I have just received the coach and this is how it looks 'out of the box' on the layout. I have to say I quite like it. If I decide to keep it, and therefore get a few more, I will give them the lightest weathering.

 

I have even invented a  "Trans-Pennine Pullman" service, which is a twice daily run between York and Liverpool (in both directions), via Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester. The train is strengthened at Sheffield with the ECS from Burchill Edge sidings.

 

 

The added bonus is the table lighting, which will portray the train as having just arrived ECS from Burchill station for a quick clean and turnaround. Also, when stabled at night for cleaning. the lights will be on for the cleaners.

 

 

I dropped (and killed) my trusty camera phone yesterday and I am still trying to set up my replacement.

 

I have borrowed my wife's phone for today's photos and accessed RMeb via my desktop PC to upload them. It's the first time I have seen the layout images on anything approaching a large screen. I am pleasantly surprised.

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by 9C85
Typo

[9C85]

I have just purchased another two Mk1 Pullmans - both 2nd class. One parlour and one kitchen.  Too much of a bargain to miss. Rule 1 is definitely kicking in. 

[BernardTPM]

I remember seeing a load of withdrawn Pullman Kitchen Seconds in sidings at Ely back in the 1970s.

[9C85]

For my purposes, I have contrived a story that the second class stock was cascaded down from trains to the capital onto a token gesture of an 'executive service' linking the industrial centres of the North of England... a precursor of the 'Northern Powerhouse' if you like, but in the days when it literally was a Powerhouse 

Edited December 11, 2020 by 9C85