RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted March 16, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2013 This is my first exhibition layout Fellburn, based on the Tyneside electrified lines in about 1947, modelled in 00. It was exhibited between 2003 and 2010, it has been retired but I still have it in store. It appeared in the September 2004 edition of BRM. I thought I would start this thread as there is quite a bit of discussion on the system on the forum and it was mentioned that I should put some photos up. Background to the system. The introduction of electric tramways around Newcastle in the early years of the twentieth century, severely cut the North Eastern Railway’s passenger numbers. Total passengers booked in the Newcastle area in 1901 was 9,847,000 but by 1903 this number was down to 5,887,000. To combat these losses the NER took action and the directors decided to electrify the north Tyneside suburban lines, to provide a clean, efficient and regular service that could compete with the trams. Some 2,844,000 of the losses were from the proposed electrified lines. The first trials of the electric trains took place in September 1903 on the Riverside branch and passenger services commenced on 29thMarch 1904 and the results were noticeable almost immediately, with passenger numbers up almost 25% in a six-month period in 1905. By 1913 the total had topped 10 million. The lines to be electrified were from Newcastle Central Station to North Shields and Tynemouth, with the Riverside loop between Manors and Percy Main, from Tynemouth via Cullercoats and Whitley Bay to Monkseaton, then back to Newcastle via Backworth, Benton and Gosforth. This line terminated at New Bridge Street, only ¾ mile from the starting point at Central Station, it was only in 1909 that a ½ mile link was built between Jesmond and a junction with the main line at Manors, completing the circuit from Central Station back to Central Station. Although this connection was not used for this purpose until March 1917. 37 route miles were electrified, using current at 600v dc, with third rail collection. The Layout. As the baseboards were only 2’6" long by 1’ wide I decided I could make them a little heavier than normal, so I used ¾" plywood for the frame and ½" for the tops, instead of 3/8" all round. These boards are extremely strong and still very light. Rolling stock storage was originally provided by cassettes made from ½" aluminium angle on 3/8" plywood, this proved unsatisfactory and has since been changed to a traverser at the double track end and a sector plate at the single track end, both have five tracks. All plain track is Smp flexitrack, turnouts are hand built with copper clad sleepers, some are built Timbered, (different lengths for each sleeper), and some are built sleepered (all the same length and interlaced). Turnouts are worked by H&M point motors. The track is laid on 3mm cork with PVA and ballasted with Woodland scenics fine ballast before the glue has dried. I find this the most satisfactory method of ballasting, as there is less chance of getting ballast and glue onto the sleepers or rails. When all this is dry it is painted black to represent ash ballast. Sleepers are painted with Railmatch ‘frame dirt’ and rails and chairs with Humbrol No 62 ‘matt leather’. Signals are NER Northern division types, although some have had their lower quadrant arms and dolls replaced with LNER standard upper quadrants. They are built from D&S and MSE parts and are controlled by Gem lever frames and cotton running through curtain wire eyes with a spring to return the arm to danger. Through traffic consists of a wide variety of goods, Steel plates, sections and castings from Consett, Teesside and Darlington, heading east to the shipyards and engineering works along the north bank of the Tyne. Fish trains originating at North Shields traveling west, coal trains traveling east, although most of the coal trains on this line are for domestic use. Regular pick-up goods trains service the small goods yard and also the CWS warehouse siding. Parcels traffic is handled by electric Motor parcels vans (MPV's), often seen hauling 2-3 6 wheel or bogie vans, a couple of milk vans or 3-4 4 wheel fish vans. Passenger trains are mostly electric multiple units, with the occasional loco-hauled train, usually hauled by a G5, V3 or J39. The first buildings that I made were the goods yard offices and store; the offices were adapted from Wills kits and the store is scratchbuilt in plasticard from a drawing in an old North Eastern Express. The Fellburn Marine Engineering Co and the CWS warehouse are built from Wills sheets. The overhead signal cabin is based on a drawing in North Eastern Record modified to fit the location. It is not on it's original base, which was seriously damaged in the mid thirties after a derailment and was replaced with the present structure. The level crossing cabin is based on a photograph of the one at Ponteland and standard dimensions, the clapboarding is from Evergreen. The station building is built from the same materials with Wills windows, it is placed across the tracks due to lack of space, as at a few locations on Tyneside. From a photo of the sign at Goathland station. 1937 MetCamm parcels car. [Photo taken on Felton Lane] Sometimes we did silly things, well, they do haul coals to Newcastle NSW... A short video taken at it's last outing at Doncaster in 2010. 19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post Worsdell forever Posted March 16, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted March 16, 2013 A few more photos. 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted March 16, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2013 Forgot to add the trackplan to the first post... And the ES1 on the third rail. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xerces Fobe2 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Wae'aye man! this be a grand layout! XF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 This layout is crying out to be brought back to life Paul; a great subject and very unusual. I really like the handsome ES1 electric loco. What kit was this built from or was it scratch built? I'd love one of these! All the best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted March 16, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2013 Thanks for the comments. Simon, the ES1 is scratchbuilt, I finished it just before the Judith Edge kit came out... Enjoyed building it though. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldlugger Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 You made a splendid job of it Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted March 16, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2013 At selected points on the layout I fitted flasher units, these being camera flashes operated via a relay and a reed switch in the track, the electric units have small magnets under the bogies. There is a hole through the baseboard beside the end of the third rail. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted March 16, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 16, 2013 Whooar, that's lush man! The EMU's are canny gud like. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dave.C Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 This layout is crying out to be brought back to life Paul; I did suggest that a few weeks ago Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizard of the Moor Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Why did the storage cassettes prove to be unsatisfactory, Paul? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted March 16, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2013 Why did the storage cassettes prove to be unsatisfactory, Paul? As I use DG couplings with loops only at one end the cassettes were never turned (one end blanked off) and that is one of the main reasons for using them and as locos needed to be 'run round' they were difficult to re-rail (couldn't get our fingers in past the aluminium angle), especially the ES1. They were however very stable as they were made from 30 year seasoned Parana Pine with aluminium angle for track. Although we never did, there was always the risk they could easily be left at home! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizard of the Moor Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 Ah, I see. Filling in the 'four foot' with plastic card to leave just flangeway gaps helps enormously with re-railing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted March 16, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2013 James, nothing would make re-railing that ES1 easier... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
49395 Posted March 16, 2013 Share Posted March 16, 2013 There is a hole through the baseboard beside the end of the third rail. In just the right place for the flash to temporarily blind layout operators... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted March 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 17, 2013 Ever considered selling it on? Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted March 17, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 17, 2013 Ever considered selling it on? Phil No, it's physically not up to it! it would need a full rewire and it has no real baseboard alignment system and anyway, I don't think I could part with it, it's my first born! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 17, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 17, 2013 At selected points on the layout I fitted flasher units, these being camera flashes operated via a relay and a reed switch in the track, the electric units have small magnets under the bogies. There is a hole through the baseboard beside the end of the third rail. It's imaginative solutions like this that sort you men from us boys - of any age. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted March 17, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 17, 2013 Ian, it's the system that John Wass (Judge Dread) uses on his Southern region electric layouts and as Mike said it does blind you if you're not careful! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katier Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 Definitely cries out to be brought back to life!!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Dread Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 Ian, it's the system that John Wass (Judge Dread) uses on his Southern region electric layouts and as Mike said it does blind you if you're not careful!I'm flattered you have copied my miserable efforts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dave.C Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I am sure that it would not take too much effort to get it sorted in time for the Goathland show in July 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABT#3 Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Is that a body wrapped in a carpet? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted April 10, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 10, 2013 No comment constable... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted April 10, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 10, 2013 I thought it was going to be a 'state' send off? Quackky quack quack! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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