Two_sugars Posted November 18, 2018 Share Posted November 18, 2018 I clicked "like" 'cos ' there's no "DROOL" button. . . . .Excellent work. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted November 18, 2018 Author Share Posted November 18, 2018 (edited) All loco boxes now checked and contents run satisfactorily. I've remembered to leave a space for the V1. The Class 33 and the Royal Scot won't go, but 65860 seems now to be mended using a pair of geared wheelsets from a UM tender that is in the "to be DCC fitted" box. Must ring Colin to see if I can get a replacement pair of wheelsets for that one.... OTOH the J25 that was waiting servicing is still as rough as old boots having been serviced, so it isn't going. The Consett O1 has suffered a motor problem and more of its valve gear has disintegrated, so I think that one needs a replacement chassis. I've soldered a complete new drop wire onto the part of the fiddle yard that was suffering a voltage drop, and that seems to have cured it. Also I've a new experimental pair of boards to put the loco addresses on backstage, based on the ones used on "Banbury". Just a couple more days to finish packing up. Mr Simon arrives on Thursday late evening and we load on Friday for 9.30am departure. Les Edited November 18, 2018 by Les1952 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
millerhillboy Posted November 18, 2018 Share Posted November 18, 2018 It runs, I've just got the last few details to finish. And some coal. 90DFAB93-32AD-428A-B424-BA821DA339E1.jpeg Lovely work Mr Simon, I've seen a few of these done now and they are all coming out great, this is no exception. I like the lived in look too, mines will be the same. Great addition to an already exceptional stock list. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted November 21, 2018 Author Share Posted November 21, 2018 (edited) I've put right the non-vertical support for the proscenium, the sag in the middle is in the "too hard to deal with" basket" and the layout just needs vacuuming tomorrow. I've also got the "As Seen in Railway Modeller" and "UK Model Shops" notices on the front, and I've made my own "As Seen IN BRM" to go next to the Toddler notice. Just a reminder to those who have seen the layout before that the big black proscenium has now gone and this is what we look like - harder to spot when you are the middle layout in a line of three.... Train lists reprinted, Gwyn Humphreys Award citations printed off, layout fliers for HD, NP, CS and Rise Park still to do (and I'll guarantee that TonyForward gives me some for Boghampton as well). I must also remember to put in a large wodge of fliers for South Notts show. One item off the to do list for Warley is that I got a good chat with Chris Nettleton of the Gresley Society at Retford show on Sunday, so that is one less stand to find over the weekend. I need to pick Tony Wright's brains on headcodes and composition of the Catterick Garrison troop trains if I get chance, and there are one or two other places I need to go. Still a lot to do but after the weekend I can get back to working on Croft Spa for ten weeks up to its first appearance (while at the club working to get Newton Wharf presentable for South Notts Show - this one was formerly Jeremy Burrows' "Yeaton"). Les Edited November 21, 2018 by Les1952 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted November 21, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 21, 2018 See you Friday less. Safe journey! Baz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted November 26, 2018 Author Share Posted November 26, 2018 Safely home from Warley. The get-in painless but protracted. We didn't hurry setting up. Getting to the hotel slow, slow, stop, stop, slow. I'm only glad I don't have a daily commute along the M42. Pic shows layout set up with Mr Simon behind - sorry it is crarubbish but it was a bit too busy all weekend for photography. It does highlight the rough industrial track at the colliery though. No derailments or stutters here all weekend so it runs much better than it looks. I didn't even get a pic of the V1 running. Ben Ando appeared early on Saturday morning with this toy- a working prototype of the N Gauge Society Hunslet shunter. He was rather disappointed to find that as it had no electronics we couldn't run it. It spent the weekend on the short length of track outside the shed that isn't powered. Fred the fitter is examining it with his lump hammer trying to decide where to apply it first- a bit different from the Peckett tank in the background. This is actually the correct livery for a North Eastern Hunslet, though it was quite late in their lives before any reached the Easington/Hetton area. However, a second Hunslet arrived later, this one an unpowered dummy in Western Area (ie Lancashire) livery. It spent the rest of the weekend either topping and tailing or double heading the blue pannier tank. I've added a western Area loco to the two NE area and one Yorkshire that I have on pre-order. The layout ran extremely well all weekend. We even managed one spell of two hours without a single derailment, stutter or tail-ending in the fiddle yard. Quite an achievement, that. It got worse as we got tired, though there was only one serious pile-up apparently, and that was in the fiddle yard. Punters were generally appreciative. Quite a few natives of the area thought I'd captured the flavour of things. Mr Makkem's pigeon cree, the diesel brake tender, the 8-car DMU, the V1, the G5 and the working signal generated a lot of questions between them. Get-out was smooth. The layout and stock were packed up and in the car by 5.40 and Mr Simon and I were clear of the NEC site by 5.45 - the road out to the Coventry bypass is the easiest exit. Very many thanks to Paul and his team for inviting us. The layout is now on end in the shed until after Mansfield at the start of March when it needs getting ready for Weeley next year. The tethered goat has bitten through its lead again so I'll have to find a new one. Otherwise no damage to the layout, though the lighting rig needs attention - it is still experimental and the experiments aren't good so far. One loco upside down in the box, J27 65860 which stopped dead. Hopefully it is just its chip that has lost the plot. Overall, a good show. I might get a short video of the Hunslet posted but don't hold your breath... Les 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted November 26, 2018 Author Share Posted November 26, 2018 (edited) Just a couple of pics of South Hetton WD saddletanks. Hawthorn Dene fiction gives a link to the South Hetton system under the conveyor, being really an excuse to have fulls circulating on the colliery line. Hence me being quite excited by Dave Jones announcing South Hetton 69 as one of the choices for the N-gauge J94. I wonder if I should get a couple more than I've pre-ordered and number them as different members of the South Hetton fleet.... Les Edited November 26, 2018 by Les1952 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted November 27, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 27, 2018 Les, I spent a Saturday morning at South Hetton on one of the Hunslets including pushing a class 37 and train onto the mainline. The wagons there wee kept in very good condition. Baz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted November 27, 2018 Author Share Posted November 27, 2018 (edited) They were indeed, though Backworth's were immaculate. Pic is 3 years after they closed the wagon workshop.... Les Edited July 2, 2019 by Les1952 removed duplicate image 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 I took a look into the layout this morning in the shed (it is still on end) and that tethered goat has definitely escaped again! Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted December 10, 2018 Author Share Posted December 10, 2018 New booking - Ross On Wye August 17th to 18th next year. Les 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Posted December 10, 2018 Share Posted December 10, 2018 How easy was it to make the ncb coal trucks or are they RTR? Im after doing this... but going to need a lot of wagons.... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted December 11, 2018 Author Share Posted December 11, 2018 (edited) How easy was it to make the ncb coal trucks or are they RTR? Im after doing this... but going to need a lot of wagons.... I N gauge I just use the Dapol 21-tonner. The 2mm Association do a kit for the 20-ton wooden hopper. I don't have any of these as the two I had in the nineties were so far off square when I'd built them i gave up on them. In OO I have various 21-tonners, some to be repainted red and some with replacement boxes- I find it easier to replace the box than the whole wagon, and a couple of Slaters 20-ton wooden hoppers.. David Geen did a whitemetal kit for an NER 13-ton wooden wagon with hopper floor, some of which ended up on the Bowes Railway. Hope this helps. Les Edited December 11, 2018 by Les1952 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 1, 2019 Author Share Posted February 1, 2019 (edited) The Mark III version of the lighting rig is now ready and will have its first turn out at Sileby on Croft Spa. Hopefully it will prove better than the Mark II version which didn't get used at Warley partly because one end had failed (copper track on LED strip ripped in transit) but mainly because the new lighting at the NEC cast a shadow of the end of the lighting rig that WAS working onto the layout.... Having sold one of the two Hawthorn Dene dust covers with Furtwangen Ost by mistake I've been using the survivor together with the Furtwangen one on Hawthorn Dene ever since. Not entirely suitable as the Furtwangen one is really too small. I've now got a new pair of dust covers to use on Croft Spa and Hawthorn Dene, the two layouts being the same size. At Boyes emporium in Newark there was no plain white cotton and the lovely lady behind the counter (a former pupil called Gina, now in her early fifties - I'm getting old...) didn't know when and if they were getting any more. Consequently the new dust covers are - NE Region station name board orange..... I should be able to find the layouts easily in larger halls first thing in the morning while still half asleep. Les Edited February 1, 2019 by Les1952 tie pin era 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted July 2, 2019 Author Share Posted July 2, 2019 The layout is now erected in the shed again to prepare for Ross on Wye. I ended up buying a third dust cover as the two new ones don't fit over Croft Spa - so they definitely won't fit over Hawthorn Dene. Good news - the tethered goat only escaped as far as the nearest bush so it has been recaptured and stuck back down. I did have to evict quite a few large spiders after 6 months standing on end in the corner- and after Ross on Wye there isn't another show for HD until next year so I'll have to evict even more next year..... Next job is upgrading some areas of the grass embankment using the same static grass as on Croft Spa then bolstering up the vegetation. The layout may only have eighteen months or so until I sell it but it needs to be kept fresh. Les 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 At last some new pics. I've bought a new camera as the zoom was starting to stick on the old one after 6 years and 25,000 pics or thereabouts. First attempt at a close up with it - the local bobby has stopped the sea coal scavengers. Note that I've still not worked out how to correctly load whitemetal coal sacks on a PD Marsh whitemetal pushbike.... Some static grass added to represent an area starting to recover after a lineside fire. I'm adding some denser foliage here and there as some of the banks look a little bare. The latest addition to the colliery fleet, running in before weathering. An eBay find. there were an odd couple of Drewrys in the Durham coalfield, though not yellow ones, and not ex-BR. Still it should look fairly convincing once grotted up a bit. Still plenty to do. Les 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two_sugars Posted July 8, 2019 Share Posted July 8, 2019 Hi Les . . The coal sacks were typically sand bags, and they used to wire the tops closed with discarded 'shot wire' found on the beaches . . . The favourite bikes to use were ladies as they didn't have a cross-bar. the sacks of coal were laid across from side to side. I know one poor sod who regularly i.e. 2 or 3 times per week pushed his bike, loaded with 5/6 sacks, from Horden beach up to Peterlee. I think the trespass sign showed a fine of 10/6 .. . . .I always thought it was funny. . . . Why put steps and a crossing point if you were trying to deter people from using it. John 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 That fits in with what this old bloke told me at Newcastle. He'd been one of those who went down with a bike to the beach. The first bag was wedged in as far as it could be then the others put on the top. Still not easy to do with whitemetal bags and bike. I may try making bags out of blu-tack or plasticine or something and see if a bike with the crossbar cut off will withstand it. All the very best Les 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MarshLane Posted July 15, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 15, 2019 Superb modelling les, the layout looks great. I take it the V1 is a kit that has been built for you? They have done a superb job! Rich 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted July 17, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 17, 2019 (edited) Thanks Rich, The V1 is a 3D printed kit by Atso on Shapeways - it comes as a single piece body shell and a rear pony truck, and takes a Farish N Class chassis. I'd definitely give it a go! It's a great kit to build, but takes a lot of finishing off - on my workbench thread from here: Cheers Simon Edited July 17, 2019 by MrSimon added ATSO-Cad link 1 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold MarshLane Posted July 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 17, 2019 36 minutes ago, MrSimon said: Thanks Rich, The V1 is a 3D printed kit by Atso on Shapeways - it comes as a single piece body shell and a rear pony truck, and takes a Farish N Class chassis. I'd definitely give it a go! It's a great kit to build, but takes a lot of finishing off - on my workbench thread from here: Cheers Simon Simon, Thats great thanks. Ironically I had emailed atso only this morning about 3D printing, but didn’t know he had a shapeways shop! That may answer that query. I am off for a look now!! You’ve done wonders with the model, will certainly be giving your Workbench thread a good read too! Rich Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted July 20, 2019 Author Share Posted July 20, 2019 (edited) A lot more work being done on the grass The running line for the colliery was always planned as running through grass and having used some of the 2mm grass on Croft Spa I've gained the confidence to go down the track between the houses and the allotments. It has been vacuumed and has had a first go with the track rubber to get rid of some of the surplus glue. I've yet to get a loco running along this, but will try over the next few days. Having said that I've costume call and final run-through of Princess Ida tomorrow and am off to Buxton to perform on Friday night.... Only two pics tonight as I'm up to the limit. Some more grass on the slope and track leading to the coal drops. I'm not yet sure of how much more of the bank to do. I've done the bits in front of the bridge and added more busy stuff here as well. I've also renumbered WD number 4 from 90566 which wasn't an ER loco to 90098 which worked out of Thornaby from its opening to transfer to Darlington. That makes it suitable for HD and Croft Spa. The weathering can start next week, together with the weathering on the yellow diesel. Busy days ahead. Les Edited July 20, 2019 by Les1952 centered pictures 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted July 21, 2019 Author Share Posted July 21, 2019 Long day rehearsing... so the pics are yesterday's I'm not quite sure what 90098 is doing pulling a fitted van but it is still clean so must be newly ex-works. Thornaby shed will soon alter that. The pic I have of it shows it so dirty you can't make out the number. Despite Grandad grotting at them the sea coal traders still haven't got their wagon to start. They've been there so long the vegetation is growing up around them. the grass on this bank is also longer than that around the signal. Another shed day tomorrow once I've been down to the garage to book the car in - the tailgate has failed- I think the cylinders have leaked fluid and will need replacing, certainly before we go off to Ross on Wye. Mobile money pits.... Les 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted July 27, 2019 Author Share Posted July 27, 2019 The WD is now well on its way to being weathered. Rust on the handrails needs toning down and a little more brown on the wheels etc on the right hand side, but it will be ready in a few days time. The good news is that while we were sweltering on stage in Buxton (what muffin put us in furs on the hottest day of the year) the weather has changed enough on the way back for me to have a fairly comfortable day in the shed tomorrow. The weather will be too wet to do the lawn or paint the outside of the shed so it might be an uninterrupted day. Les 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted August 4, 2019 Author Share Posted August 4, 2019 (edited) I think I've just about got the trains sorted out for Ross on Wye. These will form the new version of the Hawthorn Dene stock list. As Croft Spa is going out two weeks after HD I've tried to avoid disturbing the trains for that layout - only three trains have different make-ups on the two layouts- A Southbound fitted freight is a subset of Croft Spa's long Northbound freight, largely to fit the siding but also to put it in the capacity of the weak V2 or the K3. The short DMU set is a 3-car class 108 instead of the two-car units on Croft Spa (one 108 and one 101/108 hybrid) The Northbound parcels is the stopping rake from Croft Spa with two extra vans at the front to allow for a change of couplers- on Croft Spa the rake has easi-shunts throughout to allow it to drop off and pick up in the carriage dock. On Hawthorn Dene I wanted to use different locos from a wider pool. A couple more pics York's filthy A2 Sugar Palm saunters Northwards on an express. The long coal train is in charge of a J25 today - I must glaze those front cab windows. The shed showing how daft Archie the fitter looks when there isn't an engine standing there to use his lump hammer on. The K3 running South on the new short fitted freight. Another job- get a smokebox number plate sourced and fitted. Edited to add pics. I've just found out a nasty feature of RMWeb's photo uploader. If you load a pic that is too big (say 7Mb) and then delete it RMWeb doesn't give you that 7Mb back from your total. I added the uncropped A2 to start with, deleted it, then found it would not let me add two smaller ones, claiming that 1.5Mb plus 1.7Mb was greater than 10Mb.... Les Edited August 4, 2019 by Les1952 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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