Swindon 123 Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 I have had a quick look on the web and found a couple of things to do with Dowlais works which is the last place I saw them running to. Some interesting photos in this link . http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/davidbeilby.htm The second photo down shows ingot moulds stood next to 27T tipplers. The moulds are pretty large and look as though they would fill a tippler, which are what I suppose carried them there. Other interesting stuff on Dowlais in this link. http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/Dowlais_works.htm Including a shot halfway down the page the Sleeper Mill used for producing early steel sleepers. Another find was the photo in this link of the last ingot cast at Dowlias which weighed 18 tons. At a guess the mould that it was cast in would have ben about the same weight but that is a bit of speculation on my part. Hopefully someone will know the proper answer. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/302103 Finally I found this link which shows a train journey returning ingot moulds to Dowlais. http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/radyrtocaeharris.htm There is one shot of shots of moulds in tipplers, and they fill the wagon. http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/Images_A-H/Dowlais_CNV00010_AndyKirkham.jpg The things you can find out when you put your mind, and the computer to work. Paul J. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I have had a quick look on the web and found a couple of things to do with Dowlais works which is the last place I saw them running to. Some interesting photos in this link . http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/davidbeilby.htm The second photo down shows ingot moulds stood next to 27T tipplers. The moulds are pretty large and look as though they would fill a tippler, which are what I suppose carried them there. Other interesting stuff on Dowlais in this link. http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/Dowlais_works.htm Including a shot halfway down the page the Sleeper Mill used for producing early steel sleepers. Another find was the photo in this link of the last ingot cast at Dowlias which weighed 18 tons. At a guess the mould that it was cast in would have ben about the same weight but that is a bit of speculation on my part. Hopefully someone will know the proper answer. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/302103 Finally I found this link which shows a train journey returning ingot moulds to Dowlais. http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/radyrtocaeharris.htm There is one shot of shots of moulds in tipplers, and they fill the wagon. http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/Images_A-H/Dowlais_CNV00010_AndyKirkham.jpg The things you can find out when you put your mind, and the computer to work. Paul J. Thanks for posting that- I stand corrected. I would say, though, despite the caption, the large casting that had been 'stuffed and mounted' is an ingot mould, not an ingot. The give-away are the two 'ears' at the top, which would be where the slings would be attached to lift the mould clear of the ingot after the latter had cooled a bit. Those things retained their heat; if the mould was cast on the Monday, it would still be warm on Friday. It was one of the big sticking-points in the production process, in that there wasn't much you could do in the way of fettling or machining until they'd cooled sufficiently. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 (edited) Brian's correct, that is an ingot mould, some are featured in the link I post below. Edit: Dowlais didn't cast ingots (iron isn't cast into ingots) they casted ingot moulds. Just an error by the photographer. The mould would weigh more than the ingot, part of it's job is to absorb some of the heat out of the ingot to help it solidify, and the bigger the mass of iron, the better. They never get hot enough to 'glow' even mildly despite the contents being incandescent. Heavy walls are also better able to withstand the stresses of very rapid heating on the inner surface when being teemed (filled). I estimated that RT models ingots scale out at 3tons and the small ingot mould, in which they fit, at 6.5 tons. Even allowing for the walls on the ingot moulds being a little over thick it's not far out. Here's a link to the relevant posting on the BCB thread. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/57246-black-country-blues-rolling-stock-workbench/?p=1164245 Edited December 8, 2014 by Arthur Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 (edited) Awesome layout, absolutely Proper Job. I got into modelling BR Blue and making my own track because of seeing layouts like this, Wibdenshaw, Easington Lane and the rest of the "EM Gauge 70s" layouts. Please keep the photos coming Paul. I love the headboard on D1023, I preume it is scanned from a photo? Edited December 8, 2014 by 37114 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Swindon 123 Posted December 13, 2014 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 13, 2014 Awesome layout, absolutely Proper Job. I got into modelling BR Blue and making my own track because of seeing layouts like this, Wibdenshaw, Easington Lane and the rest of the "EM Gauge 70s" layouts. Please keep the photos coming Paul. I love the headboard on D1023, I preume it is scanned from a photo? Good evening everyone. As promised in the last batch of photos, todays batch will cover Gregs Chlorine tanks. First though to answer 37114's query, yes it is a photo. It took a while to find a good enough one to use, and even then it needed a little work on it as it wasn't a fully head on shot. Now back to the photos. This time I have covered Greg's train of BP chlorine tanks. They are based on the old Hornby Doublo tanks but are much worked on and enhanced. Hopefully Greg will come along and clear up any queries you may have. Two have been completely scratch built as they were new builds after a couple of tanks where scrapped after an accident. First up at the head of the train 1647 and the mandatory barrier vehicle, in this case a tube. Next 2 of the new build tanks Nos T240 and T242. Mainly scratch built using some parts from Appleby engineering for brake gear and bogies. Now a pair of the original tanks, one still carrying its original Murgatroyd's livery. Next two more original tanks but carrying two different BP liveries. T201 carrying the earlier BP livery and T209 the later one. Now tail end Charlie in the form of T225 and another tube barrier wagon, plus brake van. Now a few photos of the layout, but first a loco update. The eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted a photo of D1007 Western Talisman halfway down post 61. This was a very early shot of the loco and when originally posted in the Dapol Western thread it was pointed out that the colour of the cab window surrounds was incorrect. They should have been light grey. Greg subsequently corrected this error and so here is a shot of D1007 with the cab windows the correct colour. Continuing with D1007, here's another shot of it passing the area by the M & B brewery at the Birmingham end of the station. Continuing in that area. (This isn't just thrown together this post, despite what some of you may think: ), here are some location shots. First some typical 1970's Birmingham back yards. And the street frontages with the boarded up shops waiting for demolition. Finally a view along the street. Last but not least as a sneak preview of the subject matter of the next batch of photos, Leathers Chemical tanks. 1665 creeps off the Down goods from behind the station with a train of Leathers Chemicals tanks, with fellow 47's 1720 in green and 1728 in blue waiting in the station Now to get on with resizing the Leathers Chemical photos. Paul J. 34 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Another follower here!! very nice layout.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Those chlorine tankers are lovely; where did you get the lettering from? I recollect both Hornby-Dublo and Triang did versions of this type of bogie tanker. If anyone fancies running them, but doesn't want to have a whole rake, they did run in wagonload services to deliver to smaller customers. One such was on the Uskmouth branch- was it Dow? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1047 Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 (edited) Those chlorine tankers are lovely; where did you get the lettering from? I recollect both Hornby-Dublo and Triang did versions of this type of bogie tanker. If anyone fancies running them, but doesn't want to have a whole rake, they did run in wagonload services to deliver to smaller customers. One such was on the Uskmouth branch- was it Dow? Hi Brian Thanks for your comments.The chlorine tanks are scratch built, I was planning to use the Triang tank as a basis but gave up due to the many inaccuracies I would have to put right.Roger Silsbury kindly sent me a lot of info on the various types 16 years ago and along with photos John Talbot kindly lent me and the aid of my diagram books I was able to create a more accurate model.John also cast the plate bogies and the filler cap and tank saddles, the rest was built using ever green and the barrel is plastic fax tube that was cut to length , the ends coming from airfix 35 glw tank barrels.I done the lettering by using the edding and/or DECAdry dry print onto plain waterslider transfer sheet then applied the completed transfer to the tank barrel. this enables you to get the right spacing and keep it level (much easier to work out the size and spacing on a flat surface before applying to the barrel) . This train use to pass through Hereford in the early evening on weekdays from Sandbatch to Baglan bay and due to the nature of the product carried, always ran with a brake van on the rear . The train had unfortunately stopped running when I started on the railway in the mid seventies so its operation beyond Hereford to me still remains a mystery.As you noted, I have found pics of the odd tank on the east Usk branch and also a pic of a rake of empties returning in a mixed freight climbing stormy but have never seen them pass through Hereford returning north. cheers Greg Edited December 16, 2014 by D1047 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold bcnPete Posted December 18, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 18, 2014 (edited) Absolutely awesome - have seen it on the website but great to see it here too. Oozing with character and very inspirational modelling Edited December 18, 2014 by bcnPete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
topsy11 Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 Hello, Apologies if this has been mentioned already...are the large buildings in the backdrop scratch built? They look stunning and something I'd love to add to my layout. Thanks Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David C Posted December 19, 2014 Share Posted December 19, 2014 Just had a look at this thread on impulse (blue diesels etc are not my cup of Darjeeling!) to find some fabulous and beautifully observed modelling. I'm now following this topic! A quick question: what is the original of the lamps you use, street lamps and platform lamps? The concrete posts of the latter look like Ratio, but what about the reflectors and lamps themselves? David C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1047 Posted December 20, 2014 Share Posted December 20, 2014 Hello, Apologies if this has been mentioned already...are the large buildings in the backdrop scratch built? They look stunning and something I'd love to add to my layout. Thanks Mark Hi Mark Most of the large industrial buildings have been kit bashed from Walther or Kibri buildings or building parts with a few extra bits added or extended.The plans are usually discarded and the building purpose built to fit the footprint.The brewry for example was a Kibri colliery .There is also a few scratch built buildings copied from photos of suitable buildings from the black country to try to give the area an identity cheers Greg. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted December 20, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 20, 2014 ALL of the layouts and models featured on EM gauge 70's website are superb. An absolute inspiration for me even though I model the "rarely modelled" era, 1966-68 Late steam, blue & green diesels. http://www.emgauge70s.co.uk/ I look forward to the monthly update page. Brit15 Thanks for that link. Truly superb layouts. Think that is the first time that I have seen someone draw a layout plan in the form of a large scale OS map. As a bit of a map fanatic, I just love that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted December 20, 2014 Share Posted December 20, 2014 Some truly excellent work there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class"66" Posted December 20, 2014 Share Posted December 20, 2014 Looking good Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Swindon 123 Posted December 21, 2014 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2014 A quick question: what is the original of the lamps you use, street lamps and platform lamps? The concrete posts of the latter look like Ratio, but what about the reflectors and lamps themselves? David C Right as promised some Leathers chemical tanks, but first an answer to the above question. I can't quite remember exactly what make the station lamps are David C, the posts are Ration, but the lamp covers I'm not sure. They could be scratch built or parts cannibalized off old plastic oil lamps that we had knocking around. Can't remember if Peco made them or knocked up from old Airfix swan neck lamps they used to do. possibly something we found in our combined scrap bins, so we may never remember the origin. Sorry. The Ration lamp shades can be seen in other photos dotted around the layout on a variety of scratch built lamps so didn't go to waste. The street lamps had the same origins as the station lamps, the odds and sods box, although in their case I think it was Mr Wibbles box. Right, on to the tanks. I can't remember if the tanks are scratch built using the same method as the Chlorine tanks, (See D1047s post 81) or they are shortened propriety examples. The bogies are whitemetal (manufacturer?????) but I can tell you that the catwalks and walkway handrails are scratch built as I soldered them up from brass wire. (I was glad Greg only decided to do 6 of them!). So here is Cl 47, 1665 on the Leathers tank train taking the Down Goods round the back of Shenston Rd station. Now the tanks starting with 8003 and then in order 8009, 8004, 8006,8010 and finally 8005. At the Wolverhampton end 1665 exits the Down Goods and heads past 1728 on the stabling point. The tail end of the train passes 1728 and D218 en-route to the North. The Leathers tanks were one of the early air trains to run and Greg has correctly modeled them in the early "2 pipe" configuration, as can be seen by the Red and Yellow air pipes on rear vehicle. Yet another train of his childhood days as they were regular runners through Hereford in the early 70's. To end this post a revisit to a loco. Back in my post 41 there was a photo of No1 end of D9 that Greg had modified with a center headcode box as carried by the prototype. He wasn't happy with the result in the photo of the splice and decided to revisit it. So here is another shot of D9 on a sand train entering the Down Goods with the "New Improved" No 1 nose end. I shall leave you lot to pass judgment on the result. Till the next batch of photos, (topic as yet undecided). Paul J. 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gary H Posted December 21, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 21, 2014 Absolutely incredible modelling!! One of the finest layouts and collection of rolling stock I've laid eye's on in a very long time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ramblin Rich Posted December 21, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 21, 2014 Wonderful stuff, I love the contrast of old vacuum brake and new AB stock which must have seemed incredibly different at the time.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1047 Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Just to add to Paul's comments. The Leathers tanks later taken over by Hayes and built by C.F.P.M. to dia TE004A in 1970 and totalling just 8 wagons used to run through Hereford in the early 70s from Avonmouth to St Helens.I built these about 20 years ago having obtained a good detailed works drawing. They were built for a future layout to be based on my train spotting memories. I started by reduced the drawings to 4mm. They were constructed again using a fax tube as the tank barrel and airfix tank end caps, evergreen strip and channel was used for the chassis MTK esc1 bogies were sourced from my odds and sods collection and John Talbot supplied the buffers discharge pipe and hand-brake wheel.I made a jig for the walkway hand rail and Paul kindly using his soldering skills fabricated them and soldered them to a etched brass ladders.The livery was colour matched to a photo and the lettering was done in the same way as the Murgatroyd tanks. thanks for looking Greg 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Swindon 123 Posted December 31, 2014 Author Popular Post Share Posted December 31, 2014 Well I hope you all had a good Christmas. The break gave me time to catch up on some more Shenston Road photos. Today we will look at the top end of Station Road, Shenston, and finish off with a couple of locos. First a general "helicopter" overview of the Birmingham end of the station along Station Road. A look along the road from street level. A view at the Birmingham end of Station Rd from the roof of one of the adjacent factories. One house at the end of one of the terraces had suffered badly from subsidence over the yaears and been demolished. Now to finish off this post with a couple of Westerns and a 31. Seen in the first photo in this post D1028 waits in the Up Goods with a train of coal. D1000 runs through the station with a parcels train. Finally class 31, 5557 runs through Shenston road with a diverted NE-SW service. As this will be my last post of 2014, I will wish you all the best and happy modeling for 2015. Paul J. 29 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Lewis Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Only just discovered this thread. Some fabulous modelling here - reminds me of the end of my trainspotting days, mix of green and blue diesels with proper numbers. I particularly like the steel wire coils (a couple of pages back): what did you use for those? Excellent stuff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAL 'O THE WYND Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 (edited) New thread to me, too. Now that I'm running more green diesels than steam locos, I'm feeling a tug towards the blue. Green and blue look so well, together. It's also worth remembering that there was still some steam about with early blue. And I particularly like the structural modelling, the houses, mixing Skaledale with scratch - something else I'm planning to do. The helicopter view of Station Road, Birmingham end, it's one of my favourite urban views ever, and that's saying something; a guess it'll live on my desktop for quite a while. Anyway, I'm now a follower! Hal. Edited January 5, 2015 by HAL 'O THE WYND Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swindon 123 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 Only just discovered this thread. Some fabulous modelling here - reminds me of the end of my trainspotting days, mix of green and blue diesels with proper numbers. I particularly like the steel wire coils (a couple of pages back): what did you use for those? Excellent stuff. The wire coils are literally made from wire, 5 or 13 amp (I can't remember which)fuse wire. I bought a roll of it years ago from an old style electrical shop, mainly to make up wire and post fencing. When Greg was looking for wire coils a few things where tried without success until I remembered the fuse wire. It was patiently wound around a suitable size tube into a number of coils before being added to the wagon. More photos are in the process of being made ready for the thread with a look at some of Greg's Coke hopper variant's. Paul J. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Yes, that helicopter view of Station Road is superb. Looking at it, it shows quite a wide baseboard with tall buildings on either side. Do you have problems with access to the running lines for maintenance etc? Are the buildings removeable? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Swindon 123 Posted January 6, 2015 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 6, 2015 Yes, that helicopter view of Station Road is superb. Looking at it, it shows quite a wide baseboard with tall buildings on either side. Do you have problems with access to the running lines for maintenance etc? Are the buildings removeable? Hello Arthur, glad you enjoyed the photos. In answer to your question the tall buildings are removable both front and back. The station area is built on three baseboards that are hinged along the wall to allow them to be raised at the front to access the storage loops underneath. To allow that, the rear buildings individually lift off whilst the front buildings sit on a sub board that fits on the front and lifts to allow access to the point motors and the station boards to lift. Quite complicated but fortunately the requirement to lift the station boards doesn't happen often. On todays post I shall look at some of Greg's Coke hopper conversions. They all started life as the old 3Aitch kits and the chassis still are, bar one. Depending on the wagon modeled, the body has been left alone, in the case of Dia 1/150 wagons, or altered to represent Dia 1/151 or 1/152 by adding solid ends or solid sides and ends respectively. First motive power on the train this day the photo's where taken was provided by class 20's, D8135 and 8076. D8135 was modeled as one of the batch built in Green livery but with Black, not Green solebars. The model of 8135 was based on a photo of it at Derby works in August 1971. I have found another photo of D8148 ex-works at Derby in July 1968 in the same livery, which is hard to pin down as the solebars look filthy dirty most of the time. The first couple of photos are of D8135 and 8078 on the train. Now to the coke hoppers. The first photo shows 3 Dia 1/152 wagons with solid sides and ends. The middle wagon has been further modified for working to Pensnett by modifying the discharge shuts. Wagons modified in this way where identified by the yellow line along part of the top of the side and also the word "PENSNETT" stenciled on the side. Next we have a Dia 1/151 wagon on the right with solid ends but still retaining the side raves. The other wagon, B449190, is another Dia 1/152 wagon but is special in being the only one that was fitted with vacuum brakes. Also in this side view the LH wagon has also been "PENSNETT" modified. Compare the difference in discharge shuts between the two wagons. For the last two wagons we have examples of a Dia 1/150 and a 1/151 wagon, (not technically correct). The RH wagon, B447303 has top raves all round to the original LMS design, (Dia 1/150). The LH wagon looks like a Dia 1/151 wagon with solid ends and wooden raves to the side. However if you look closely you will see that running along the top of the solebar is a vacuum pipe, making it one of the batch numbered B448650-B448949 which were vacuum piped and considered to be Dia 1/152 by BR. Very confusing. Well that is all for this post. In case you are thinking that I'm really knowledgeable on Coke Hoppers, forget it. Most of the info above has been researched by Greg and passed on to me after looking at many photos from Paul Bartlett and John Talbot (of Appleby Engineering) and a superb article by David Larkin on Coke Hoppers in the August 1983 Model Railway Constructor. Next time some more Shenston Road station shots or maybe some hydraulics. Haven't decided yet. Paul J. 22 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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