Coalorsdale - A shropshire Branchline - 1965 to 71

[Railpassion]

You could add a cattle dock as a kickback to the coal siding for a couple of wagons. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

I had a good running session today after uni, I deffinately need more stock and locos to add interest. 

 

I've worked out a system allowing atleast two short trains per storage loop, as well as the mainline passenger and the long powerstation construction train. It does mean I can only run around things in the loops when there are trains  on the scenic layout, however the only trains that change direction alot are local goods. 

 

 For now the local passengers run from storage, around their respective loop, stopping at the station, and back Into the queue in storage. Magically the same passenger service appears from the same direction a while later on. I know I should really runaround the locos, however without spending alot more money on points this is difficult without minimising the number of trains stored off scene. 

 

I am quite content with operation available now, it is after all my first stab at a 'proper' layout, so I think I'll stop throwing good money after bad and focus on scenery and stock which can be recycled in the future when I finish uni and  Inevitably start a Shropshire branchline mk2. 

 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

.... As an aside I also got the plaques  made to neaten up the station panel. 

 

[Railpassion]

With an additional curved crossover beyond the station you could have more variety in shunting both sides. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

At the moment i use the off scene crossover to runaround wagons in the platforms, however this is rareley needed.

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

A bit of work Inbetween lectures today, I've ballasted the crossover, cut the embankment back further for the pagoda. And finished the Control panel. 

 

The wall now floats but I shall burry the bottom in soil/ brambles. 

 

 

Very happy with the panel now, the switches have also been colour coded with rubber caps. 

 

 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Shh don't tell SWMBO. I just "accidently" bought a weathered 3mt when I was scrolling through the pre owned section on hattons. 

 

I also got the craftsman kit to get the parts to scratch build those victorian workers cottages, as well as an ex toad brake van. 

 

heres a prototype photo with the passenger set 

 

Edited February 23, 2021 by Horsehay Railway Modeller
added protoype photo from the line.

[whart57]

Don't worry "SWMBO" is probably making lots of "accidental" purchases herself.

 

As an aside, I had to look this acronym up. The definition cites H Rider Haggard as the originator, which is fine, but surely the popularity of this term is a result of John Mortimer's character of Horace Rumpole, or Rumpole of the Bailey.

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

I've been working on a design for a flashcard/ postcard in excel for my locos.

 

I'm a lover of information, and i'd like to keep track of my fleet as it grows. I've also been thinking of noting down key information or service notes so i thaught id make a card for each loco.

 

heres a blank design iv'e been working on.

 

Image and basic DCC info at the top , with a function table below (handy for any sound locos i get or units with alot of lighting features)

 

on the back:  The cvs i commonly Change as well as purchase info so i can look back in  a few years and see where all my money's gone.

 

finally a notes section, if i laminate the card i can always jot down running issues etc. and wipe them off when resolved.

 

any thaughts?

[dave ottney]

I just read through this thread and must say I'm impressed.  The concept & execution are great.  Squeezing in as much you've done while dealing with classes is impressive.  

You might want to explore JMRI.  It can provide you with operations schemes along with a bunch of other stuff.

Great job, I'll be watching to see what else you do. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

11 hours ago, dave ottney said:

I just read through this thread and must say I'm impressed.  The concept & execution are great.  Squeezing in as much you've done while dealing with classes is impressive.  

You might want to explore JMRI.  It can provide you with operations schemes along with a bunch of other stuff.

Great job, I'll be watching to see what else you do.

Thank you. 

 

I plan to build a bigger and better version of the Coalbrookdale Valley in future after i graduate. Im thinking of using automated control for some aspects of that layout allowing me to focus on shunting or watching things run. In a few years when I get round to coalorsdale mk 2 JMRI will definitely be on the cards. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

I made up the loco cards this evening, I altered a few categories before printing but they're are basically the same as the mock ups. 

 

Here are 3 examples. 

 

As you can see the 40 fills the function table with all the different sounds, but the 61xx barely touches it. You can also see the back of the 04s card showing cv info, purchase info and a notes section. 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Horsehay Railway Modeller

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

I've been contemplating making a start on the works as it is the last area of bare baseboard. 

 

Before I ballast the tracks and start on scenery does anyone have any ideas for shunting. There's not much room to add any track, but if there's anything that people deem essential then I might be able to squeeze it in. The only  extra track I am Considering is running two tracks through the low relief end warehouse onto a storage shelf, allowing me to shunt things in an out of the works building. 

 

I also want to keep the lean to shed for a peckett or similar, however the track leading to the shed could be used for unloading too. 

 

 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

My order came this morning, the first half is the order I'd been planning to make...

 

A craftsman kit to make the victorian cottages, an Oxford rail toad, and a tractor to go on a lowfit that's on its way from ebay. 

 

 

And then I also had to pick up this preowned, weathered 3mt tank. 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

The 3mt was listed as having "loose connecting rods" it tur s out one was disconnected and the little pin that held it in was long gone. I soldered in a peco track pin and hammered it down to form a head to hold the rods together. 

 

 

 

 It is now running in, along with my new wagons, the Bachmann lowfit arrived when I was working on the 3mt so I've just dumped the tractor on for now. They all need kadee and detailing / weathering etc. 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

A little more thinking on the works shu ting this afternoon. 

 

For now the black pannier is standing in for an I dustrial loco (probably peckett) and the cemflos are standing in for what will probably be two coal wagons. 

 

The sequence goes roughly as follows. 

 

1. Br loco brings full train up the incline and stands in the first siding. 

 

 

 

2. Br loco shunts train back and leaves break van in the head shunt. 

 

3. Br loco pulls back Into original position

 

4. Works loco removes wagons from rear and shunts into the second siding. 

 

 

5. Br loco free to move to head shunt, either waits for outgoing wagons or leaves. 

 

 

6. Works loco breaks up train. 

 

If I do add a storage shelf and track through the factory doors then I can push supplies in one door ( ore coal and vans) and pull out going trains from the other ( bridge sections, girders, castings and vans) 

 

Any thoughts? 

[Norton961]

I lived in what is now Telford from 1961 and have been researching the area ever since. Have you had a look at the following books?

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

1 hour ago, Norton961 said:

I lived in what is now Telford from 1961 and have been researching the area ever since. Have you had a look at the following books?

 

 

 

hmm.. I have heard of the first one but I own neither. They may be worth a look , certainly before i start planning a better layout in a few years, ill be sure to add them to the list of books i would like to buy.

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

I've started putting up a shelf behind the works using scraps I had lying in the workshop. I'll finish it off and tidy it up tomorrow, and see how it looks .( no photo yet as my phone is dead.)

 

I printed out a template and it looks like a first radius curve manages to turn siding number 2  (see above) 90 degrees just before hitting the wall. the longer siding (1) would have to be radius "0". 

 

I will at some point get some flexi and have a play. after all it will be completley hidden and will only be taking 4 wheel vand and wagons so radius doesnt really matter so long as it works .  if it doesn't work out i'll have a nice shelf next to the sofa 

 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

I've just finished the shelf and after much searching I have bought two pieces of flexi track so I can test hidden wagon storage which will allow me to shunt in and out of the warehouse. 

 

Last night I mounted an old ikea shelf to the wall and began cutting some sheet to go on top. It's 12mm mdf as I had no ply spare that was large enough. 

 

 

 

This morning I finished cutting the mdf. Sanded it all down and screwed it together. 

 

I also gave it the obligatory test. I can sit on it so it might just about be strong enough for 16 00 gauge wagons . 

 

 

I am definatelly going to fence it In so you can't see that the wagons don't Infact continue Into a warehouse. I'm also considering using the front half as a bookshelf. 

 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2021 by Horsehay Railway Modeller

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Installed a front facia and double checked a first rad curve.

 

Just have to wait for track and then I can try it for real, before beginning to scratch build the actual building. 

 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

It's probably because I've spent the past several days reading the excellent 'mid cornwall lines' thread on here, but I've decided that I'd like to write an operating sequence / timetable. 

 

I'd like to run through a sequence ( at my own pace) and have vaguely representative trains for a weekday  on the line in the early sixties, with opertunity for shunting at the works, shunting pick up goods and obviously with rule one thrown in. 

 

Passenger services will be at set times in the sequence with specific stock, but I'll be able to swap locos for each session. 

 

 Goods services will have a slot but their  specifics may vary. For example there is potential to use a waybill system to specify exactly what is needed in the pickup goods train each running session, but that's a long way off, I need to buy more stock first. 

 

I've began to work out a system using the 1959 passenger timetable as a guide. So far it has allowed me to write down every passenger movement ( rounded to the nearest quarter of an hour) which gives me 9 up trains and 8 down trains. These will largely be the same two trains queuing to do loops of their respective line (to avoid running round for ease) , however the 122 will alternate up and down throughout the sequence. I'll be slotting goods services in between the passenger timetable, and adding a few opertunities to watch my  "diverted" six coach rake speed through. 

 

 

If anyone has any photos of exact local goods trains or even a goods timetable that would be brilliant, as so far all I have found is a passenger timetable and what limited photos there are on Google, most of which are from Ken Jones' book, which I've read many times ( I'd read it again but it's at bloody uni). 

 

 

 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

On 25/02/2021 at 19:18, Norton961 said:

Have you had a look at the following books?

 

 

 

I've just found and bought a copy of 'Railways of Telford', cheers. 

[GWR57xx]

On 25/02/2021 at 15:57, Horsehay Railway Modeller said:

A little more thinking on the works shu ting this afternoon. 

...

 

 

 

...

Any thoughts? 

I am wondering how the BR loco and brakevan will return down the branch?

Will the brakevan be propelled all the way?

Can you add a small run-round loop in the sidings so that the loco and brakevan can swap positions for the return journey?

In real life the loco could sit on the branch while the brakevan was gravity-shunted out of the headshunt, but on the model that would probably require a helping hand from the sky.

Just a thought 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

3 hours ago, GWR57xx said:

I am wondering how the BR loco and brakevan will return down the branch?

Will the brakevan be propelled all the way?

Can you add a small run-round loop in the sidings so that the loco and brakevan can swap positions for the return journey?

 

 

I had looked at a run around but it doesn't really fit neatly so I decided to work around it using two locos. 

 

If the br loco is leaving it can move to the branch alone and then the works shunter can pull the brake van out of the headshunt and move it to the other end of the loco, hope this makes sense.