Lancaster Green Ayre - The Barn Owls have returned.

[lezz01]

Good news Jamie.

Regards Lez.

[jamie92208]

It's raining and blowing a hoole here but I was able to spend a couple of hours in the shed this afternoon. I found the sheet of 12mm ply and cut two strips that are a bit overlength for what I need and 100mm deep.  I also chop sawed a load of spacers from some spare roofing latts left over from re -that happened in May.  Some glue and screws were applied and this was the result.

These have now all been screwed and glued.   I've left it overlength so that I can cut it exactly.   It needs to go at a shallow angle under the tracks so I will need to sort the ends out. They will each have a piece of 3 by 1 attached that can then be bolted to the board ends.  There will be another vertical spacer at the end near the camera when I can get it measured exactly.

 

Jamie.

[jamie92208]

It was -6 yesterday morning and -3 today so not the best of weather for working in the shed.  However over the last few days I have actually managed to get some work done on an afternoon.   I got the beam finished and trial fitted a couple of days ago.   I was worried that the board was distort again when I took the temporary beam off but fortunately it stayed level.   Here is the board with the beam installed.

It's not elegant but it works.  I now need assistance to get the board back into the layout but first of all need to tidy up the wiring. 

 

I am working on an article for a magazine, mainly about the OHLE so have taken the opportunity of there being a gap in the trackbed to get a couple of photos.   I experimented today.

Then one looking east.

However I'd forgotten that the board nearest the camera isn't supported and is drooping a bit at the moment.

Anyway a bit of progress has been made.

 

 

Jamie

Edited July 31, 2022 by jamie92208

[MrWolf]

If it's any consolation, had you been on a train down the former LNWR / MR branch from Lancaster to Morecambe in recent years, you would know that sagging of the permanent way is entirely prototypical.

[jamie92208]

13 hours ago, MrWolf said:

If it's any consolation, had you been on a train down the former LNWR / MR branch from Lancaster to Morecambe in recent years, you would know that sagging of the permanent way is entirely prototypical.

The pacer I went down on a couple of years ago certainly bounced, all the way from Settle Junction.

 

Jamie

Edited January 10, 2021 by jamie92208

[MrWolf]

The Morecambe rollercoaster is not gone, they just moved it half a mile inland towards Bare.

[jamie92208]

Things have been getting done very slowly but for a while it was definitely too cold to work in the shed. However over the past few days I have managed to get a few things done.   In the course of preparing a magazine article I needed to take a photo of the EMU that I have got part built and here is one of the photos.  the viewpoint is not normally available due to the presence of a backscene so I took advantage of it.

In the background you will see one of the items of platform furniture that I inherited from David Jenkinson's layout when some good friends had the painful task of dismantling it after his death.

 

I am still plucking up courage to finally solder up the eccentric links on the 4F valve gear but have decided to do some work this evening whilst my other half is natterring to her friend on a video call.  The contents of the wagon shelf of shame keep nagging at my conscience so last night I picked 5 boxes at random and decided to have a go at finishing them.  here they are, rather appropriately on the cripple siding at the east end of the layout.

From left to right they are

a)  A Coopercraft GWR 5 plank wagon, their kit no 3015.

b)  A Slaters 7027 Midland 5 plank wagon just needs painting and some TLC and weight.

c)  A  Slaters 3 plank 8T wagon that also needs very little doing.

d)  A Slaters 7034 6 Wheel 20T brake that needs mainly detailing.  I built it on holiday several years ago, and didn't have a soldering iron with me.

e)  A Slaters 6 plank wagon that will become a Castleford and Whitwood Colliery wagon.

 

They should keep me amused for a while.

 

Jamie

Edited July 31, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

I have actually been over to the shed and done some modelling.   The first time in about 2 months.  I decided to start on the  Gloucester 6 plank kit.  This was the result after an hour.

The basic structure is there. The buffers and couplings are all fitted and tomorrow, it should be assembled and look like a wagon.  One problem.   I thought that I had some POWsides lettering to make a Castleford and Whitwood Collieries wagon.  One problem, when I unpacked the transfers they were for a 4mm wagon.  So 2 things.

 

Does anyone want a set of 4mm transfers

and now I've got to find a prototype to model.   I have a vague idea that the East and East Yorkshire Union Railway, whose entire territory used to be my policing area, had some Gloucester wagons.

 

Jamie

Edited July 31, 2022 by jamie92208

[bbishop]

You are pushing your luck Jamie.  First, the six plankers were mostly built in the 1890s, so your example could be twenty years old.  Second the Gloster Co sphere of influence extended as far as Worcester.  That isn't to say their wagons were not acquired by companies further north, but the the Birmingham and Midland companies dominated the Black Country, then there was Ince in your neck of the wood.

But don't despair, because there was one source of traffic that could trundle all the way from South Wales to Lancaster,  (and not hippopotami, the Cambrian Railways had a special steel van for that traffic).  No, anthracite for the brewing industry, so you would have to trip it from the Castle station. 

 

Most anthracite wagons were plain black, then contained rather a lot of lettering, practically the life history of the company.  Bill

[jamie92208]

35 minutes ago, bbishop said:

You are pushing your luck Jamie.  First, the six plankers were mostly built in the 1890s, so your example could be twenty years old.  Second the Gloster Co sphere of influence extended as far as Worcester.  That isn't to say their wagons were not acquired by companies further north, but the the Birmingham and Midland companies dominated the Black Country, then there was Ince in your neck of the wood.

But don't despair, because there was one source of traffic that could trundle all the way from South Wales to Lancaster,  (and not hippopotami, the Cambrian Railways had a special steel van for that traffic).  No, anthracite for the brewing industry, so you would have to trip it from the Castle station. 

 

Most anthracite wagons were plain black, then contained rather a lot of lettering, practically the life history of the company.  Bill

That's interesting Bill, I'm looking for ny East and West Yorks book, which has the info in it.  The other option is a long trawl through Powsides.

 

If you've a picture of the anthracite wagons that would be interesting, the brewery had it's depot in the coal yard.

 

And this morning, whilst getting some plumbing tools from the shed I gave the wagon chassis a test run through some pointwork. It passed with flying colours.

 

Jamie

Edited February 3, 2021 by jamie92208

[Compound2632]

39 minutes ago, bbishop said:

You are pushing your luck Jamie.  First, the six plankers were mostly built in the 1890s, so your example could be twenty years old.  Second the Gloster Co sphere of influence extended as far as Worcester.  That isn't to say their wagons were not acquired by companies further north, but the the Birmingham and Midland companies dominated the Black Country, then there was Ince in your neck of the wood.

 

On the other hand, given the paucity of kits for wagons from builders such as Metropolitan, Birmingham, Chas Roberts, S.J. Clay, Hurst Nelson, Eastwood (Turner), et al., the Slater's Gloucester kit has to be pressed into service as a stand-in. It's to the basic RCH 1887 spec dimensions. The one thing to do to change to disguise its Gloucesterness is the brake V-hanger - the Gloucester type, a continuous V, being distinctive. There were a great many 1890s wagons still running in the early 20s, many re-hired and re-painted.

 

Wondering if I might offer for your 4 mm transfers, I tracked down POWSides No. 420 - when POWSides provide that as a kit, they'll be using the Slaters Gloucester 6-plank wagon. The issue for me is date - if only one had sight of the reference photo. I couldn't find any reference in the LIghtmoor Index; HMRS has two photos for Whitwood (both also listed in the Lightmoor Index), an RCH 1923 specification coke wagon (belonging to the chemical company - successor to the gas light & coke company? )and a Hurst Nelson wagon of 1909 vintage, in their photographic livery. The latter is for the colliery, owned by the Briggs family; later wagons bore their name.

[bbishop]

I've done some research and all the South Wales colliery wagons appear to be side and end doors.  And yours is side door only!

 

So I would follow Stephen's advice, change the V hangers and also add external diagonal strapping.  The Welsh firms found that external strapping got in the way of their history lesson so Gloster kindly built their wagons with internal strapping.  Then make it as a Castleford and Whitwood Collieries wagon. 

The RCH 1887 spec permitted a fair amount of variance.  Bill

[sir douglas]

the E&WYUR had 5 plank wagons by Birmingham wagon works similar in appearance to the midland's

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, sir douglas said:

the E&WYUR had 5 plank wagons by Birmingham wagon works similar in appearance to the midland's

Thanks for that Sam, I've just found my copy of the D L Franks book and saw that.  I'll cross that one of my list of posibilities.

 

As to the Castleford and Whitwood transfers, they've now gone to the sender of the first request for them.  

 

I've been in the shed and whilst looking for the Franks book saw one of my Cas and Whitwood wagons that had been printed by POWSIDES. They are printed on a 7 plank body.  I also noticed  that the full name of the owner was 'The Castleford and Whitwood Gas Light and Coke Company'.  A bit of googling revealed that it was based at Wheldale Lane, Castleford and supplied mostbof Cas and Whitwood with gas along with fillages north of the river up to Kippax. It lasted as a company from 1878 to 1935 and was eventually  nationalised in 1949. That means that their wagons could have been seen in various places full of coke.  I will probably put a coke load in them and have them in through or transfer freights.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

The mojo is certainly partially back.   The GWR 3 plank is now a runner but needs it's brake gear adding later today.   The Gloucester 6 plank is complete but awaiting transfers.   I've just updated my stock spreadsheet.  I may have wittered on before about my status column in the spreadsheet.  This has a value of between 0 and 5

0 -  still on my wish list. At the bottom of the column is an average.

 

1 -  A kit has been bought or pieces cut out on a scratchbuild.

2 -  Construction has definitely been started.

3 -  The vehicle can run along the track.

4 - Structurally complete but still needs paint/transfers/weight etc.

5 -  Complete.

 

When I came back from the shed, having test run the GWR 3 plank in the shed yard I updated the spreadsheet.

The average for the wagon stock now stands at 3.98.   It will be a red letter day when it gets to over 4.   Will it ever get to 5.   Unlikely as I cannot resist a wagon kit bargain on the bring and buy stall.

 

Jamie

 

[Mike Storey]

7 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

The mojo is certainly partially back.   The GWR 3 plank is now a runner but needs it's brake gear adding later today.   The Gloucester 6 plank is complete but awaiting transfers.   I've just updated my stock spreadsheet.  I may have wittered on before about my status column in the spreadsheet.  This has a value of between 0 and 5

0 -  still on my wish list. At the bottom of the column is an average.

 

1 -  A kit has been bought or pieces cut out on a scratchbuild.

2 -  Construction has definitely been started.

3 -  The vehicle can run along the track.

4 - Structurally complete but still needs paint/transfers/weight etc.

5 -  Complete.

 

When I came back from the shed, having test run the GWR 3 plank in the shed yard I updated the spreadsheet.

The average for the wagon stock now stands at 3.98.   It will be a red letter day when it gets to over 4.   Will it ever get to 5.   Unlikely as I cannot resist a wagon kit bargain on the bring and buy stall.

 

Jamie

 

 

Wow! You have time to build wagons, as well as locos and all the other stuff, AND you have time to update a spreadsheet????? Impressive!

[jamie92208]

Good evening, more work got done this evening.  The brake gear for the GWR 3 plank wagon was fitted so the spreadsheet now records it as status 4.

It's the one at the right hand end.   Thanks to SM42 some transfers have been sorted.   Can anyone help me with suitable running numbers for it.  I don't have GWR reference material.

 

I then got the Brake van kit out and looked at it.  I last did any work on it in in 2012 whilst on holiday in Tenerife.  I'd bought it in 2011 for £19 on the Bring and Buy at Telford, which is  a bargain.  Anyway I unpacked it and found it in a reasonable state.  I didn't have many tools with me in a rented flat. I also found that the instructions were missing.   What should I do, I know, follow Blue Peter's example. Here it is with one I made earlier.

 

Anyway with an example to copy I got stuck in.  The buffers were assembled and fitted and the step board supports added on one side.  Not a lot of work to do but quite fiddly.  I also brought the relevant volume of Bob Essery's Midland Wagons over for bedtime reading.   I fancy adding the letter racks on the side.  Can anyone tell me if they were still in use in the early 20's.  If so it will be an LS to Heysham run.  I presume that Heysham would be code HM.  

 

Jamie

 

1

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by jamie92208

[enginelane]

Midland Record Number 2 has a whole article on Train Control. Long time since reading it but it’s a very cold day here so might give it a repeat reading later 

[jamie92208]

15 minutes ago, enginelane said:

Midland Record Number 2 has a whole article on Train Control. Long time since reading it but it’s a very cold day here so might give it a repeat reading later 

Thanks for that Steve.  MR No 2 will be perused over a cup of coffee after the ironing is completed.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good morning.   First of all a big thankyou to Andy (SM42) as some GWR transfers arrived yesterday.  I will have to get the wagons painted.  I have made a first stab at mixing the paint for the 6 plank wagon.  The first trial wasn't right and my colour advisor (wife) has now got involved.   The main work has been getting the fiddly brake gear fitted to the 6 wheel brake.  Lots of fiddly work and the air nearly turned blue.  I ended up having to remove the wheels, then do one axle's worth of brake gear per evening.  Anyway it has been done and I need to get the van finished.   

 

I have also researched the van in Midland record and Essery's wagon book.  I have also been consulting the freight Working timetable and intend the brake to be attached to a Leeds to Heysham freight.  I plan to have the necessary letters installed on the tablet racks on the exterior.  I will have to experiment with the printer to produce them.  

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Good ,evening, more shed time tonight to escape having to watch Dancing on Ice, which Beth was watching on catch up.   First some details were added to the brake van and it's starting to come on.   I then looked through some paints and by chance came across a tin of GWR freight stock grey.  Guess what I did.

 

It's in the top left corner of the photo. It isn't quite as dark as it looks  The end is on the brake van and several holes have been drilled for handrails and lamp brackets.    

 

I then had a look at some other wagons on the shelf of shame.   One box was marked assorted.  When I unpacked it there appeared to be various bags of bits plus most of a Coopercraft 4 plank wagon, complete apart from 1 end.  It shouldn't be too difficult to fabricate an end.  Does anyone know what wagon the 4 plank kit represents please.

 

Jamie

Edited July 31, 2022 by jamie92208

[lezz01]

I didn't even know Cooper Craft did 7mm Jamie.

Regards Lez.

[lezz01]

However in the last 10 mins I have discovered 2 things Jamie.

1: Cooper craft 7mm wagons are now produced by Slaters.

2: The GW 4 plank is, according to Slaters, to dia 05.

Regards Lez.

[MrWolf]

That's the same diagram that the 4mm 4 plank model was. That I did know but I didn't want to presume that the 7mm kit was too. It's a pity Slater's didn't buy up the 4mm range. They still sell like mad on eBay, particularly the four plank and W1 cattle truck.

[lezz01]

2 hours ago, MrWolf said:

That's the same diagram that the 4mm 4 plank model was. That I did know but I didn't want to presume that the 7mm kit was too. It's a pity Slater's didn't buy up the 4mm range. They still sell like mad on eBay, particularly the four plank and W1 cattle truck.

What's more of a shame is that Slaters didn't take back the midland 6 wheel coaches like they did the MR wagons.

Regards Lez.