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MOVING COAL - A Colliery Layout in 0 Gauge


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I do wish that 85A would re-run that kit. It's practically a perfect representation of No. 79

 

 

 

Except that No.79 (Hunslet 1825 of 1938) is a larger 16" cylinder loco than the 85A Models 15" cylinder version.  Apart from the general proportions the quickest way to tell the difference is that the 15" has 4 knobs on the saddle tank handrail, whereas the 16" has 3.

 

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Top 15" HE 0-6-0ST; Bottom 16" HE 0-6-0ST

Edited by PGH
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Easier still, the 15" has sandboxes above the footplate, 16" below. The two types are identical in end profile, from the side everything on the 16" is a bit longer. When we came to add the 16" to our kit range the parts list and instructions were exactly the same as the 15" - which will be available in 7mm scale next year.

Michael Edge

Judith Edge kits

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At the risk of over-exposure, here is a photo of my 85A 15" Hunslet 'Airedale' :

 

Very nice, I see you prefer clean locomotives.  The appearance of the prototype wasn't improved by the addition of a conical chimney after the loco was fitted with the Hunslet underfeed stoker and Kylpor exhaust.

Edited by PGH
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Guest Isambarduk

Thank you, PGH.

"I see you prefer clean locomotives."

Yes, I am more of a model engineer than a railway modeller and I do not have a railway of my own; I rely on the kind offers of running powers on friends' railways, many of which are in the garden so my locos and stock rarely run in a 'scenic' background.

"The appearance of the prototype wasn't improved ..."

 

Indeed, which is why I retained the anachronistic chimney and I omitted the N.C.B. branding, the additional handrail and a few other later 'improvements'.  Very nice photograph, nevertheless.

 

David

Edited by Isambarduk
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Easier still, the 15" has sandboxes above the footplate, 16" below. 

 

 

Quite so.  I tend to think of the handrails because it seems odd that although the tank handrail on the 15" is shorter it needs an extra handrail support.

 

"The appearance of the prototype wasn't improved ..."

 

Indeed, which is why I retained the anachronistic chimney and I omitted the N.C.B. branding, the additional handrail and a few other later 'improvements'.  

 

One source gives the date of conversion as pre 1963, but it was actually carried out by Hunslet in 1966/7 so it retained its original chimney for the majority of its NCB 'career'.

Edited by PGH
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post-14569-0-44425000-1447456198_thumb.jpg

 

The colliery scene, left to right - winding engine house, screens with downcast shaft behind, upcast shaft, ventilating fan and extreme right the fulls weighbridge.  The chimney hides a join in the backscene, the join continues down the retaining wall hidden by a vertical pipe and across the baseboard disguised by the timber walkway in front of the screens. 

Critics will no doubt complain about the lack of clutter, but with only ½" width on top of the pitbank retaining wall, which has to incorporate a walkway in front of the buildings, and little space between the sidings there ain't much room for it.

 

There is however some space available alongside the loco shed:

 

post-14569-0-30376700-1447456200.jpg

Edited by PGH
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Prototype colliery systems made the maximum use of the cheapest form of motive power - Gravity.  The system is summarised in 'Practical Coal Mining for Miners' (1950) - "The arrangements consist of an empty run-up for trains of empty wagons delivering to standage sidings, from which the wagons may be gravity fed over a tare weigh to the grading plant.  The loaded wagons from the grading plant are gravitated forward over a full weigh to accumulating sidings, where they are gathered in trains ready for disposal."

 

I didn't find such gravity operation practicable in model form, so all operation including wagon loading is carried out with locomotives.  However there is a down gradient leading to the screen tracks which are slightly lower than the adjoining reception lines as may just be evident in this view from under the screens.

 

post-14569-0-03061000-1447456355.jpg

 

 

 

Colliery track plan.  Empties arrive on Track A, the train engine runs round via Track B and then to the weighbridge/shed area ready for the next fulls train.  If Track A is occupied the arriving empties use Track B and the loco draws forward into the siding to wait until the colliery shunter clears either Track A or Track B.  The colliery shunter works the empties (left on plan) side of the screens collecting three wagons (the limit in the headshunt) at a time from the arrival tracks and propelling the wagons under the screens for loading.  At present coal is only loaded on the centre of the three screen tracks.

 

post-14569-0-45764600-1447456356_thumb.jpg

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The backscene of the colliery yard (photo 1 of post 185) cannot go without further mention. I'd suggest clicking on the picture to appreciate it fully.

 

Despite its almost simplistic character I'm simply amazed how effective it is - it makes a superb complement to the modelled 3-D scene.

 

The polar opposite of the technique you've employed might be something like that on the Bucks Hill layout, but I guess both approaches require just as much care and thought in their execution.

Edited by Osgood
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post-14569-0-88111700-1447509205.jpg

 

The screens are based loosely on the prototype screens at Ravenhead Colliery, St.Helens, which were somewhat larger and provided loading on 5 tracks.  They were photographed after closure of the colliery with dismantling in progress. 

 

 

 

post-14569-0-25148300-1447509208.jpg

 

This view was taken some years earlier while the colliery was still in production.  On the left is the pitbank, elevated above the sidings with a brick retaining wall surmounted by railings.  On the right is a corner of the screen structure, note the tight clearance between the columns and the wagon.  Centre is the Peckett 0-4-0ST COLLINS GREEN undergoing repairs and no doubt sited here as the nearest point on the sidings to the colliery workshops.  Most loco repairs were carried out at the area workshops but occasionally repairs were carried out on site as here.

 

 

 

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The higher rear section of the model screen building covers only two tracks for the simple reason I thought it would look better.  In retrospect it would probably have been more appropriate constructed the full width of the building.  This higher section in the prototype would incorporate the tippler floor where the mine tubs were emptied.

 

 

 

post-14569-0-14548400-1447509213.jpg

 

Colliery steelwork in Lancashire seems to have been predominantly light green, as shown here on the Bickershaw Colliery headframes, or light blue.  Obviously the former colour was chosen for the model as otherwise the headframes would have been indistinguishable from the sky on the backscene. 

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post-14569-0-56296700-1447516422.jpg

 

The Screens building was constructed from plywood supported on columns machined from square mild steel bar.

 

 

post-14569-0-88356800-1447516423.jpg

 

Only the visible portions of the columns were fully machined to the 'H' profile, elsewhere they were provided with a slot for the plastikard cladding.  The outside columns were silver soldered to steel plates which were bolted to the plywood walls, the bottom of the columns being machined with spigots to locate in the 'concrete' bases.  The spaces between the columns were filled with plywood panels and then faced with plastikard brickwork, glazing and strip.  I don't know whether the glazing would have been clear or opaque in the prototype but it would have been coated in coal dust on the inside so the plastic glazing was backed with grey paper.

 

 

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Interior columns are located in rectangular holes in the plywood floor at the top and by spigots into the bases at the bottom.  Normally they would carry a layer of coal dust but that has been brushed off for this photo.

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post-14569-0-55869900-1447518502.jpg

 

The coal is loaded into a plastikard hopper which holds enough to fill 9 or 10 wagons.

 

 

post-14569-0-57275000-1447518504.jpg

 

The bottom of the hopper is tapered into a slot.

 

 

post-14569-0-99850400-1447518505.jpg

 

Viewed with the hopper upside down, below the slot is a vertical 'skirt' with an opening at the discharge end.

 

 

post-14569-0-85637700-1447518507.jpg

 

The skirt fits inside a trough, which is inclined at a shallow angle. 

There is approx 3mm clearance between the sides and bottom of the skirt and the trough.

 

 

post-14569-0-43571100-1447518509.jpg

 

The trough is supported on 4 springs.  On top of the trough is mounted a motor with an out of centre flywheel which vibrates the trough when operated.  To the left of the motor is a rubber band stretched over the trough and anchored to the base which prevents excessive vibration of the trough (originally a temporary measure which has become permanent).  In this view the direction of rotation of the motor is anti-clockwise - that's fairly important.  Operated that way all the material goes down the trough to the chute at the end for discharge into the wagons.  Operated the other way half goes down and the other half climbs over the side and makes rather a mess.

 

 

post-14569-0-45331800-1447518511.jpg

 

Eventually I intend to provide another hopper on the right to load on the front (lowest in the photo) track.  In the prototype different grades of coal would be loaded on each track - or groups of tracks on the larger installations.

 

 

post-14569-0-39307900-1447518513.jpg

 

To control the loading of wagons the operator sits with the area under the screens at eye level and a battery powered miniature vacuum cleaner is very useful if mistakes are made !

Edited by PGH
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Love the view underneath the screens in post #195, lots of character around the layout. Thanks for the explanation of how the coal loading works - it is nice to see how things operate 'behind the scenes'.

 

Martin

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Hi PGH,

 

That's a very nice coal loading chute. Very well thought out and excellently built.

I particularly like the fact it's sprung and the vibration allowing the loading of the wagons.

A second chute with a different grade of material will really make it realistic.

 

Lovely work, I look forward to a more in depth description of the rest of the layout, no matter how protracted it is.

 

Jinty ;)

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Guest Isambarduk

Thank you for posting this, PGH; I very much enjoyed watching your video. 

 

I emphasise the watching because, to me, your video is streets ahead of the audio (loco sounds), which does not do it justice.  My imagination does a far better job and it was a great relief when I turned the sound off; but this is just my view.  I found that the sound rather distracted from your modelling, which is truly inspirational!

 

David

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Thank you for posting this, PGH; I very much enjoyed watching your video. 

 

I emphasise the watching because, to me, your video is streets ahead of the audio (loco sounds), which does not do it justice.  My imagination does a far better job and it was a great relief when I turned the sound off; but this is just my view.  I found that the sound rather distracted from your modelling, which is truly inspirational!

 

David

 

Thanks for your comments.  

 

I do agree that the sound leaves a lot to be desired, although some of that is probably due to the camera which has given it a rather hollow 'tinny' sound.

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What a cracking layout!.

 

Loads of beautiful modelling and nicely built enginges/stock.And the trackwork is especially nice.

 

I think i`ll be watching the vid a couple of more times to come yet!.

 

Cheers,

 

Brian.

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Just found this thread, spent last night and a bit of this morning reading through.

 

Very impressive.

 

In the 80's I had cause to visit Snowdown Colliery a few times and the buildings were well maintained, stuff was painted etc. It had 'that' look about it.

 

I'm starting a 72" x 18" shunting layout in 7mm and recently found some point handles on ebay. Stripped out from Hornby points:

 

post-2484-0-24747100-1448367398_thumb.jpg

 

They seem to have the flavour and the point handles shown in this thread seem to be very similar (If a bit more to scale). I'm planning to use the 'handle' part and position them at the front of the layout, semi buried into the scenery.

 

Again, thanks for a very inspirational thread.

Edited by The Bigbee Line
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I have one of these levers on the non scenic section behind the workbench giving access to a storage siding.  I replaced the riveted pivot with a bolt, which you might find desirable for long term use.  Although rather crude and overscale they do have a rather satisfying action just like the real thing in that the points are moved only in the last part of the "throw over" action, when the descending weighted handle aids the movement.

 

 

post-14569-0-31235500-1448373280.jpg

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Inspiration for the wagon tippler came from the one at Mapperley Landsale Yard, Nottingham.  The yard was at the summit of a half mile long incline from Gedling Colliery and served as the colliery's main outlet for bulk coal deliveries by road transport.  NCB internal user wagons were hauled up the incline and tipped by a rotary tippler which fed a row of hoppers used to fill the lorries.

 

 

post-14569-0-95096100-1448373442.jpg

 

This is a view at the top of the incline, looking away from the incline itself.  On the left 3 full wagons have just ascended the incline, in the centre the diesel loco is propelling 4 empty wagons towards the incline top and on the right is the tippler with a wagon in the process of being tipped.  The lengths of rail between the two tracks are for the incline rope to slide across as the wagons descend the incline.

 

 

post-14569-0-41643400-1448373445.jpg

 

A closer view with a full wagon being run by gravity to the tippler.  To the right of the wagon is the conveyor leading from the tippler house to the road hoppers.

 

The advantages of this prototype in model form were:

1. The driving gear for the tippler could be located in a dust free area at the top of the building

2. The building would contain any coal dust generated during the tipping process

3. As most of the tippler mechanism is hidden the detail could be simplified

 

The exterior of the model building has yet to be completed and I haven't decided whether or not to copy the asymmetrical roof line of the prototype or provide the exterior staircase.  The theoretical purpose of the tippler is to feed a coal washing plant to be constructed in the corner of the layout behind.

 

tbc

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