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South Pelaw Junction


johndon
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As 'The Works' grows ever closer to completion I have been giving a lot of thought as to what to do next and have decided that, as I'm now happy that I can 'do' P4, the next layout will be somewhat more ambitious and is to be a depiction of South Pelaw Junction on the Tyne Dock to Consett Line.

It is a location I find fascinating not least because I'm old enough to remember the junction being there and to have seen trains running on the line as it went past the bottom of the playing fields of my comprehensive school, it is just a shame that I wasn't interested enough at the time to have documented or photographed the site as, of course, very little remains now.

Whilst the layout will, as far as the location is concerned, be an accurate representation of the site as it was in 1970 it will, to some extent, be a ‘what if’ as the following assumptions will be made:

* The track plan remained as it was in 1970 with the lines to Stella Gill still intact.

* Passenger services did not end in 1955 which will allow the running of DMUs on the passenger service.

* The line did not close in 1983, the assumption will be made that the steelworks in Consett closed in 1995 instead.

* At least one coal mine on the route remained.

The plan is to run a chronological series of trains from 1974 – 1995 starting with double headed Class 24s pulling the iconic iron ore hoppers, through the BR Blue years, all the way up to Coal and Metal sector class 60s showing what would have run on the line had it lasted until the early 1990s…

The Templot track plan is shown below. The blue lines at either end are the 2 bridges that, very conveniently for the purpose of scenic breaks, were at either end of the junction. The scenic section of the layout is to be 18' * 3' which will allow for a full size representation of the junction with no compression.

plan.jpg

By the very nature of the size of the layout, this is to be a very long term project with the first task to start to build up a collection of rolling stock for the layout as, for the time being at least, I don't have a room big enough to erect the layout to it's full size.

During my research so far, I've managed to get a hold of a number of photographs of the site so I've put together a website (early days still) http://www.southpelawjunction.co.uk to show the photographs (with full permission of the owners of course) as well as a number of 'then and now' photos of the location.

John

PS: If anyone has any pics of the junction (particularly from 1980 - closure) I'd love to see them...

Edited by johndon
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Hello John

 

An interesting project - and a big one with 18ft of scenic layout. I like the idea of extending the timescale into the 1990s. 

 

Unfortunately this wasn't an area I got to in the early 80s although a friend of mine spent several months following and, I think, photographing the scrap trains which ran while the steel works were being demolished. I'll ask him what he has, although I think he would have spent more time up around Consett and Stanley. 

 

There are couple of photos in David Allens  'Diesels in the North East' which you may have seen. They're are obviously copyright but if you haven't seen them and can get hold of a copy of the book, they're plates 75 and 164.

 

75  -  25/10/1982 and shows 37058 on a scrap train collecting the 'one train working' line to Consett.

 

164 - 06/04/1983 is 47013 standing with a train of removed track panels near the site of the demolished box.

 

Good luck with the layout.

 

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Ooh, this looks interesting (though personally I'd prefer it with lots of Q6s, Q7s and O1s!)

 

There's a group building this in EM as well.  Might be worth contacting them to see if they can provide any useful information.

 

Agree with those sentiments, ours will have 01's, 9F's, Q6's etc!  and Johndon has been in touch with us!

 

Would be interested in the fiddle yard arrangements too....is it to be end to end, or roundy roundy as it were?

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Agree with those sentiments, ours will have 01's, 9F's, Q6's etc!  and Johndon has been in touch with us!

I was just reading your blog the other day and thought this topic may have been an update, the work so far looks great. I have a bit of an interest in this line myself, the J27 I'm building is meant for a layout based on the line when/if I ever get around to it.

 

Looking forward to seeing this layout as it progresses.

Edited by Paul-2mm
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I'll ask him what he has, although I think he would have spent more time up around Consett and Stanley.

That would be very much appreciated if you could.

 

There are couple of photos in David Allens  'Diesels in the North East' which you may have seen

Thanks for that, I now have a copy on the way.

 

John

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There's a group building this in EM as well.  Might be worth contacting them to see if they can provide any useful information.

And a superb job of they are doing as well although they are going a little further both up and down the line than I am.

 

John

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Agree with those sentiments, ours will have 01's, 9F's, Q6's etc!  and Johndon has been in touch with us!

 

Would be interested in the fiddle yard arrangements too....is it to be end to end, or roundy roundy as it were?

I'm not old enough to remember steam on the line although I wouldn't mind a 9F :)

 

Not sure if it will be end to end or round and round - one problem with end to end will be getting the loaded ore wagons back to the Washington end of the layout and vice versa with the empties although I had though about having a single track running from on fiddle yard to the the other that would be hidden by the embankments but would allow trains to get from one end to the other without being seen...

 

John

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I'm not old enough to remember steam on the line although I wouldn't mind a 9F :)

 

Not sure if it will be end to end or round and round - one problem with end to end will be getting the loaded ore wagons back to the Washington end of the layout and vice versa with the empties although I had though about having a single track running from on fiddle yard to the the other that would be hidden by the embankments but would allow trains to get from one end to the other without being seen...

 

John

 

The idea of a line behind the scenics at the rear, that simply joins one fiddleyard to the yard at the other end, enabling trains to return unseen has a lot to recommend it....much safer than a long unwieldy cassette to move!

Alternatively, make the loads in the wagons removable.......have a feeling this approach is used on Blackgill...as far as I could see, he only has the one rake of ore hoppers.....hardly surprising when you realise the work and time needed to build them.

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The idea of a line behind the scenics at the rear, that simply joins one fiddleyard to the yard at the other end, enabling trains to return unseen has a lot to recommend it....much safer than a long unwieldy cassette to move!

Certainly would be. I can see 2 advantages of going roundy roundy - one is getting the trains back to the start again without having to resort to a hidden line and the other is that, whilst it will make the layout wider it will make it shorter...

 

hardly surprising when you realise the work and time needed to build them.

 

Indeed - I'm hoping the new ones from Dave Alexander may be a bit simpler, I saw a sample at the Newcastle Exhibition last month and it looked fairly straightforward.

 

John

Edited by johndon
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The idea of a line behind the scenics at the rear, that simply joins one fiddleyard to the yard at the other end, enabling trains to return unseen has a lot to recommend it....

 

Alternatively, make the loads in the wagons removable.......have a feeling this approach is used on Blackgill...

Pete,

both methods used on Blackgill. See first pic in this post. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/6450-blackgill-tyne-dock-to-consett-in-p4/page-8&do=findComment&comment=1202215

 

Porcy

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It will probably be New Year before I get to see my friend to ask if he has any photos of South Pelaw.

 

Don't know if you know the site Ernies Railway Archive (flickr.com) Unfortunately I don't seem able to post a link. Look under 'Sets' and on page 2 there's a section for West Durham. There are several photos of the line to Consett with a few of South Pelaw which might be of some use.

 

Alan

  

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There are couple of photos in David Allens  'Diesels in the North East' which you may have seen.

 

Just wanted to say thanks for the heads up on the book, it arrived this morning - great pics (if not a little sad) of the junction and some others of trains on the Consett line.

 

Thanks again.

 

John

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Just wanted to say thanks for the heads up on the book, it arrived this morning - great pics (if not a little sad) of the junction and some others of trains on the Consett line.

 

Thanks again.

 

John

Glad you like the book. It's always been a favourite of mine. When it was first published in the early 80s, I was on the dole - £15 a week. I remember saving up to buy it at £7.95!

Looking at the photos again it is sad to see how many more lines have gone in the last 30 years.

 

I haven't forgotten to ask about what, if any, photos my friend has. The ones I remember seeing were black and white and were all taken further up the line towards Consett.

 

Alan

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Certainly would be. I can see 2 advantages of going roundy roundy - one is getting the trains back to the start again without having to resort to a hidden line and the other is that, whilst it will make the layout wider it will make it shorter...

 

 

 

Indeed - I'm hoping the new ones from Dave Alexander may be a bit simpler, I saw a sample at the Newcastle Exhibition last month and it looked fairly straightforward.

 

John

Would commend roundy roundy, it works well for Abbotswood - when we are being serious we operate it as end to end with in effect parallel linked fiddle yards at the back - but also allows the option of running in locos on a circular track and - only occasionally you understand - just playing trains

 

Cheers

 

Phil

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  • 1 month later...

Planning for the layout is continuing with the decision made that it will, ultimately, be a roundy roundy as it will let me, should the urge come up to just sit back and watch the trains go by.  I think I've almost cracked the basics of Templot so the track plan now looks like this:

 

southpelaw_zps2f841e02.jpg

 

The 2 thick blue lines represent the bridges that form the scenic breaks.  The main fiddle yard (which has yet to be designed) will be at the bottom.  I've also extended the Stella Gill lines in to a fiddle year of their own although this will be a nice to have rather than a necessity although I am already thinking about modelling the mainline on the right with a gradient (as it was in reality) and swinging the sidings a full 180 degrees to form part of the main fiddle yard...

 

John

Edited by johndon
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I've got this area on 'steam' video and it is fascinating seeing the J27, Q6's, WD's and 9F's crossing the junction and doing battle with the gradients. To be really affective it needs DCC sound whether one uses steam or diesels.

Edited by coachmann
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An update to the track plan.  I've removed two of the Stella Gill lines as, whilst there were 6 sidings in reality, on the model they will be off scene so reducing to 4 doesn't affect the overall plan too much.  I've also brought those lines in to the main fiddle yard area which, out of everything so far, I'm having the most problems with the design of:

 

southpelaw_zps40a3b85d.jpg

 

I'm happy enough with the top half of the yard which can be accessed by trains travelling in either direction on the inner loop but less happy with the bottom half which is being taken up, it feels, by the ladder crossovers.  I could shorten them by installing slips but I'd much prefer to keep it simple in the fiddle yard...

John

 

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John

 

I felt like you about slips but - no problem, honestly! Although I use Peco...

 

Reckon you could gain 3 ft at 1 end and 1ft at the other if you go that way. Just think of them as two linked points - although as you are P4 do you have to do a self build?

 

Cheers

 

Phil

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 although as you are P4 do you have to do a self build?

 

 

Yes, they would all have to be built, another reason why I'd like to keep it simple if possible.

 

I'm back in Templot trying to work the bottom yard so it's a little more like the top one...

 

John

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This is looking like it will be a great layout. I recall seeing a photo of it many years ago in Modern Railways and always kept it in the back of my mind for its layout potential. IIRC, photo dated from the early 70s and had a Clayton arriving from Ouston.

 

I don't think it should be too difficult to come up with a better arrangement for the fiddle yard. Will take a look later. How many trains do you need in total and running from where to where?

Edited by Joseph_Pestell
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