Jump to content
 

Speke East Sidings - Minimum Space Modern N Gauge


Timmy84
 Share

Recommended Posts

I'm not sure if these are the same wagons (not an area i'm particularly knowledgeable on!) but I noted a couple of weeks ago whilst on my Boris walk the 6F91 Ellesmere Port sand flow has what look to be the same wagons albeit with a big grey/black rectangle of paint applied to them. Flickr has a couple of shots. May well be too modern though! HTH

[6F91] 66221

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Swifty11 said:

I'm not sure if these are the same wagons (not an area i'm particularly knowledgeable on!) but I noted a couple of weeks ago whilst on my Boris walk the 6F91 Ellesmere Port sand flow has what look to be the same wagons albeit with a big grey/black rectangle of paint applied to them. Flickr has a couple of shots. May well be too modern though! HTH

[6F91] 66221

 

Yep they are Ex-Cemex HOAs. I’ve seen them with the branding blanked out but I’d not seen them with the whole side repainted!
 

Tim.

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 23/04/2020 at 13:04, Timmy84 said:

Yep they are Ex-Cemex HOAs. I’ve seen them with the branding blanked out but I’d not seen them with the whole side repainted!

The dark patch is residue from loading, I believe a recycled glass type product. The wagons are still EWS, Cemex and DB red underneath.

The Cemex wagons only carried the logos for a year to 18 months, they were patched out very quickly to allow use on other non Cemex flows.

 

Jo

  • Like 1
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 25/04/2020 at 10:13, Steadfast said:

The dark patch is residue from loading, I believe a recycled glass type product. The wagons are still EWS, Cemex and DB red underneath.

The Cemex wagons only carried the logos for a year to 18 months, they were patched out very quickly to allow use on other non Cemex flows.

 

Jo

On the picture posted by Swifty11 they look very uniform in terms of the area covered so an interesting effect!

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 23/04/2020 at 18:36, rob D2 said:

How about this one ? 2012 burngullow - Thorney mill from Craig Munday ( who’s on here occasionally )

 

 

D9244109-760F-4388-AF6C-FF047A05159A.png

 

Yes an excellent example of bottom discharge wagons working up from Cornwall. The traffic was certainly there, but I guess we have to make use of the wagons that are available. I also like the big blue Bardon Aggregates bogie hoppers that also appeared on some of the FLHH workings.

 

The other interesting thing is that you see quite a few 66/6s on these flows - I guess the lower gearing helps with the gradients on this route.

 

Tim.

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 14/04/2020 at 17:38, Timmy84 said:

 

Ah yes I found it on google maps - very similar to the premise for Speke East being "part of something bigger" and not a shed at the end of a line to nowhere. At some point I'd like to sketch out it's fictitious location in relation to the real facilities it serves...

 

Hi all,

 

So with a bit of time on my hands I did have a think about the "premise" for Speke East in a bit more detail so here goes...

 

As previously noted the layout is based on Merseyside somewhere between the Runcorn bridge and Garston. Having had a good look at Google Maps the most likely site in a piece of railway immediately west of Foundry Lane distribution centre which is now home to a shiny new "traincare depot" owned by Alstom. So the narrative would be that this site, until recently had been Speke East Yard. On the map below I have marked the "on scene" area and where the yard itself lies (I think there is evidence of lifted track on the satellite which adds to the fun). The eagle eyed will note the proximity to a well known model railway retailer!

 

map2.jpg.659f32a840bdc877149e0d32f5cf72d6.jpg

 

The roughly adjacent mixture of housing estates and light industry fit quite nicely.

 

Speke East generates little traffic in it's own right but is served by a daily Enterprise feeder service from Warrington Arpley. This conveys various traffic including vans and intermodal wagons for Foundry Lane, cement traffic for Tanhouse Lane, scrap from Edge Hill and tanks for onward movement to Ellesmere Port. The yard is also used to out stable engineering wagons for local works.

 

The fuel point however serves locos from the Fiddlers Ferry coal circuit, Foundry Lane, Halewood and Garston producing a mixture of diesel and electric traction operated by EWS and Freightliner. This gives me licence to pop pretty much anything on the layout. The wider map shows the location of most of the local sites generating traffic.

 

Whilst this is all a bit of fun I do like a layout location to have a purpose, even if it's fictitious so this is my explanation!

 

Tim.

 

map1.jpg.89c5913a7b434c8ab378ed0aad32be9d.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

Back to some actual model trains - here is the 08 undergoing some tinkering at a quiet moment on the shed road.

 

I do have a couple of bits on the workbench so should be some new stuff soon.

 

Tim.

 

P4130832.JPG.6bbdc0f1f5f1f28fa224217d14d7bbf7.JPG

  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi all,

 

A quick preview of what's on the workbench for Speke East. Apologies for the quick snaps but at least they are in natural light!

 

Firstly I have done two RMC liveried JGAs to run in the stone train bringing it up to 13 bogie wagons. That's enough for now...

 

P5041110.JPG.b549c4265d9c71e1ad1608a1703a9e47.JPG

 

Secondly two locos in production - a full run down of which will be given on completion - 56099 and 47287 (the first 47 in my fleet). Lots of work still to do on both.

 

P5041108.JPG.dc9019c7a0f11743d5f99c92f8b5d7d6.JPG

 

Tim.

  • Like 8
  • Agree 1
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, shanks522 said:

Liking the look of the RFD 47 Tim! One of my favourite livery’s. 

 

Graham 

Yes cracking livery. The slate grey has come out nicely.

 

This one won’t be in it’s full regalia though and will be depicted as it ended it’s life working for Freightliner in the early 2000s so that lovely logo will need to be faded right down!

 

Tim.

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,

 

A quick update on some lockdown projects. Apologies for the snaps taken on my iPad. I’ve not had chance to get Speke East set up for an “official” portrait yet.

 

I had wanted a couple of 56s to add some variety so following my renumbered 56060 In EWS here is 56099 in Transrail. It is presented in a rather mucky state consistent with photos of it online in 2003ish. The roof was resprayed to depict colour variations on the actual loco. The sector logos had to be removed from the donor and this was a nightmare again. Dapol really do cake it on and it is very hard not to damage the colour beneath. In this case it didn’t matter as the lighter Rail Grey is totally wrong on the factory finish so was always going to be redone. Transfers are from Railtec. There is a Fox Immingham Depot Plaque on the other side as per prototype and I have attempted to recreate the scarring left by the removal of its most appropriate former nameplate “Fiddlers Ferry Power Station”!
 

D5B91950-37EC-4DD7-8911-E357A64AE252.jpeg.60afae33e8890aca52a5efd6de7b8a45.jpeg

 

CAF6D6AC-9828-4122-8F9A-879E5811FA98.jpeg.aacf8bd1a1b473f1ee61f0ed0f6d1ec2.jpeg

 

And with outdoor weekend activities largely cancelled a 47 also turned up in the post! The first in my fleet. I was tempted by seeing photos of 47287 working intermodal services for Freightliner in 2004 in some kind of RfD international livery. I considered a triple grey with FL branding which would have been easier but I am glad I went to the effort to recreate this machine in the twilight of its career. RfD logos are near invisible and sector logos long gone. Similarly to the 56 patches of rust remain where Depot plaques have been removed as per photos online. I am happy with the result. The only issue was I failed to note the yellow window surrounds until after I bought the triple grey donor. They are not perfect but nor were they in reality by 2004 either! In comparison to the 56 previous identity fell off the Farish model on the application of t-cut.
 

A3075795-36EF-4309-B925-13F011C66ECD.jpeg.7e564df4dc1eeb2d37ab08fc8d55c5f0.jpeg

 

06EE8505-DBC9-41BC-9D44-0FFE70D832D3.jpeg.326a9852e6f67f4f68a8575966657e5c.jpeg

 

Finally I was brainwashed by the Revolution Facebook Live update and the result is the very smart KFA seen with the 56 and some new containers. A departure for me as they don’t fit in to future plans but will be great for Speke East forming services from Garston and Foundry Lane. Containers may need some weathering and at the moment I have no plans for a full rake, but the C-Rail pocket wagons do look smart...! Perhaps “West Country” may become Bristol..! Or Merseyside! Who knows but for now Speke is my focus and this stock fits in with the story.

 

Thanks for looking and stay safe.

 

Tim.

 

 

  • Like 8
  • Craftsmanship/clever 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Steadfast said:

Nice work on the locos Tim. Particularly love your technique for the faded lettering on the 47, I'd never have though of that!

 

Jo


Thanks for the kind comments. I did something slightly different on both sides as per the prototype. The side in the photo just involves respraying the base colour lightly over the decal. Had it been printed lettering I could have got more variation but it was practically invisible on the prototype under the muck anyway.

 

On the other side of the prototype the letters had stencilled white under the sun so was more tricky. In this case I hand painted some white on to the decal before application as best I could, then sprayed rail grey over it and then weathered. It was a bit suck it and see and I’ll post some more pics soon once my wife’s work stuff is off the dining table! Most inconvenient.

 

As is often mentioned by better modellers than me. Spend more time looking at photos than spraying, and keep trying new things!
 

Tim.

  • Like 1
  • Informative/Useful 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi all,

 

I would just like to say how much I have been enjoying everyone's N Gauge exploits during lockdown. Some great stuff going on which inspired me to set up Speke East.

 

There was a bit of drama today when 47287, seemingly on it's last legs, failed shortly after leaving Garston with 4K64 to Basford Hall. It was shoved out of the way onto the reception line prior to being replaced by 66590 which was hastily dispatched from Crewe. The 47 has been dumped in the sidings awaiting attention!..

 

The 66 is a recent renumber that didn't turn in to an epic project, which was unusual! 37695 was also on site having worked the morning wagonload trip from Warrington Arpley.

 

Tim.

 

P5241202.JPG.bdeeb78a5596b856588267f67d360ca3.JPGP5241203.JPG.20e6ec542dd55b2a5fe41ed225eaeddd.JPGP5241205.JPG.5ba9922ab1e0a8389effa1243a0db974.JPG

  • Like 12
Link to post
Share on other sites

47287 left for Crewe last night under it's own power so lives to see another day!

 

66623 adds a dash of colour working loaded Metalair PCA cement tanks from Earles sidings to Widnes Tanhouse Lane, running via Northwich and Runcorn necessitating a run round at Speke East. Also on site this morning 56060 undergoing an A exam on the shed and 08873.

 

P5241233.JPG.8a0c5fae73c4ffff89d391ce7a72dc85.JPGP5241235.JPG.3d03a3974ccf16cc01cb457799592f15.JPGP5241239.JPG.8bd47c2ad2b565c6e8f6e9494754f235.JPG

  • Like 8
  • Craftsmanship/clever 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

56099 departing Foundry Lane with empty vans.

 

P5241209.JPG.15e54cb9188206681988f6edd86bac12.JPG

 

A run round is required at Speke East prior to running low level back to Warrington Arpley.

 

P5241213.JPG.c9ab9cbf05a0006199acf1289a6f205c.JPG

 

P5241219.JPG.25557d916d63cf0bb2ef7edac0d6bf97.JPG

 

Ready to roll. The 56 will run as far as Bescot, where a 92 will take the train on to Dollands Moor and the Channel Tunnel.

 

Tim.

  • Like 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...