Midland Railway in EM gauge

[Mrkirtley800]

Here we are again, turning up just like a bad penny.

Over the last month or so, work has been progressing on the first board of the layout. I have said previously, I don't enjoy scenic work as much as building track and points or stock, but to try to produce a convincing scene, it is something I need to get to grips with.

The road has a double bend, so the embossed sheets used for the surface need to be cut and fitted pretty carefully. At the joints where the bends take place I filled the gaps with plaster, intending to scribe the setts in when dry. It was not entirely successful, but the end product doesn't look too bad.

The dry stone walls were obtained at TMC in Beckhole, near Goathland. To the railway modeller, entering the shop at TMC is like walking into an Aladdins cave. There is everything you need and more.

Anyway, the walling is made of very hard material and will not bend, even when soaked in hot water. I wanted it to follow the road, so no alternative to slicing short sections off, filing a bevel in the ends and fitting around the bend.

The walls are a bit small, so I stood them on a foundation of 6mm square strip wood, and built the ground level up.

Olga had made a few trees some years ago and we had them 'growing' on Canal Road. I had a couple left over from previous scenic work so could use them on board 1.

I have been searching for any coal merchants plying their trade back in 1908 in the Skipton - Grassinton area, and only found one - Frederick Green. According to the info on the site, Frederick Green and Sons has been in operation for over 100 years, so I have given him a coal office, but have not included the 'Sons'. Perhaps back in my period, he did not have any grown up sons.

If anyone living in the area has any other names for coal merchants, I would love the hear about them.

The railway hotel has been fixed in place permanently now. I stuck three strips of wood at strategic points inside the building and screwed up through the board. I could then fill in any unsightly gaps along the base with plaster.

I have provided a separate access for the milk depot and this is at the very front, I need to continue the road, or part of it, onto the next board and past the platform.

The only bit to do now is the very small area next to the shops at the front of the board. I think this might be a middin, if that is the correct spelling. The younger folks probably have no idea what I am talking about, but back in my youth, Auntie Ida and Auntie Mable, my mothers two sisters, lived with their husbands in Leeds, in small back to back terrace houses. They did not have any bathrooms or toilets in their houses, but had to go up the street to the loo to the middin. This was a small walled area where the dustbins were kept and contained a toilet block with individual toilets belonging to each house served by the middin. So when you went to the loo, don't forget the key to your door. We don't know we are born these days, we have two loos in our house, sheer luxury. When I was small I lived with Auntie Mable for a time while my mother was in hospital, dad was working flat out, it was during WW2. When I had a bath it was in the cellar, in a galvanised bath. Hot water had to be carried down into the cellar from the kitchen. I can tell you, bathtime was bl??dy cold.

Anyway, my middin at Kirkby Malham will just be the wall with a door, no room for any details.

I took a fair number of piccies of this board, many of them from angles which will not be possible when the board is back in place.

Derek

Edited March 14, 2017 by Mrkirtley800

[Donw]

Lovely modelling Derek. I wonder if the term middin used for the earth closet is a northern thing. The term midden is a dungheap  in country places where a few animals were kept the midden would be the dung heap where all the animal dung and the contents of the bucket toilet would be tipped. Farms could have quite a big midden from clearing the barns. Perhaps it is a derivative of that.

Don

[Nick Holliday]

I don't know if it is on any help, but an on-line trawl through a West Riding directory of 1881 came up with a number of coal merchants based in Skipton, although there is no way of knowing whether they had wagons or even an office at the station.

J & RW Bower, Mill Lane (Agent Thos. Sandall, Victoria Wharf), Skipton

Henry Robinson and Son, 94 High Street, Newmarket, Skipton

William Robinson, Cross Street and Railway Station, Skipton

Skipton Gas Light and Coke Co.  Mr T Hawkswell

Joseph Smith, New Town, Skipton

Thomas Tryer, Belmont Bridge, Skipton

[islandbridgejct]

A quick query about those trees: whilst very picturesque, I wonder would they have grown so high since the railway opened, or do they (and the wall) predate the line? A thing that often strikes me about early railway photos is how new the line looks, and how little the station has bedded into its surroundings, compared to the same locations today - often vanishing under a mass of foliage. Just a thought.

[Mrkirtley800]

I don't know if it is on any help, but an on-line trawl through a West Riding directory of 1881 came up with a number of coal merchants based in Skipton, although there is no way of knowing whether they had wagons or even an office at the station.

J & RW Bower, Mill Lane (Agent Thos. Sandall, Victoria Wharf), Skipton

Henry Robinson and Son, 94 High Street, Newmarket, Skipton

William Robinson, Cross Street and Railway Station, Skipton

Skipton Gas Light and Coke Co.  Mr T Hawkswell

Joseph Smith, New Town, Skipton

Thomas Tryer, Belmont Bridge, Skipton

Thank you Nick, never heard of any of those. Ok will see if any of them can be included. It would be nice to have a few merchants even if they didn't possess any wagons.

Derek

[Mrkirtley800]

A quick query about those trees: whilst very picturesque, I wonder would they have grown so high since the railway opened, or do they (and the wall) predate the line? A thing that often strikes me about early railway photos is how new the line looks, and how little the station has bedded into its surroundings, compared to the same locations today - often vanishing under a mass of foliage. Just a thought.

Thank you for that observation islandbridgejct. Actually the same thought struck me whilst planting them. The story is that the station at Kirkby Malham was built after an old wood had been cut down for timber (and lots of money) on the orders of His Lordship when short of a few readies, as a young man.

The trees you see are the sole survivors of Aire Meadow Woods, which were not considered worth felling. The rest is history, the Yorkshire Dales Railway acquired the land, which by that time was pretty derelict, and planned a railway to connect only to Winterburn and Airton. This was in the 1860s. The scheme came to nought and other schemes followed, until at last a viable plan was approved by Parliament and work commenced in 1875 with great enthusiasm. As with many the money ran low and the project came to a stop or at times proceeded at a snails pace. When the Skipton to Leyburn Junction line was started by the Midland, interest in the Kirkby Malham branch was reignited, the Midland also aquiring the land and the workings and completing the project.

By the 1890s the two schemes were completed, and opened to great celebrations in the Craven District.

The Kirkby line was built as a double track affair, the company obviously expecting a large influx of tourists to visit the spectacular rock formations in the craven area, Gordale Scar and Malham Cove. Don't forget the Victorians were beginning to explore the country of their birth and demand was great.

Derek

Edited March 14, 2017 by Mrkirtley800

[Mrkirtley800]

Lovely modelling Derek. I wonder if the term middin used for the earth closet is a northern thing. The term midden is a dungheap in country places where a few animals were kept the midden would be the dung heap where all the animal dung and the contents of the bucket toilet would be tipped. Farms could have quite a big midden from clearing the barns. Perhaps it is a derivative of that.

Don

Don, I guess most of these old words had derivatives all over the country. I don't know if my spelling is correct, I spelt it as my relatives used to say it, so bearing in mind they all spoke with varying depths of Yorkshire dialect mixed with Leeds slang. So it could be anything.

All I remember is going up the street from auntie Mables, with a torch, key and loo roll on a cold winters evening. A very inconvenient convenience, as you might say. If you left the loo roll in the middin it got very damp.

Derek

Edited March 14, 2017 by Mrkirtley800

[ChrisN]

Derek,

I have only one word to say, beautiful. 

 

As I like to add to the thread as well, are those nicely painted figures Langleys shop figures?

[Donw]

Don, I guess most of these old words had derivatives all over the country. I don't know if my spelling is correct, I spelt it as my relatives used to say it, so bearing in mind they all spoke with varying depths of Yorkshire dialect mixed with Leeds slang. So it could be anything.

All I remember is going up the street from auntie Mables, with a torch, key and loo roll on a cold winters evening. A very inconvenient convenience, as you might say. If you left the loo roll in the middin it got very damp.

Derek

 

Ah we were posh, there was a bath in the kitchen with a geyser such luxury. There was a table top that covered in normally. However the loo was outside with the coal house and unheated of course. Worse though if someone was in the bath you couldn't go into the kitchen and the door to outside was in the kitchen so no access to the loo this with four adults and two kids in the house. You could go out the front door but to get round to the back door was about 3/4 of a mile and in winter if theThames was up the footpath along the front was often flooded. There was a big rumpus when the drains were blocked the cause was found to be glossy magazines no one in the row would admit to be able to afford glossy magazines let alone use them as loo paper (the Daily Mirror was the popular choice in those days). Grandad's sister lived in a small village and had only a standpipe for cold water outside and an earth closet at the end of the garden. When she came to see us she wanted to do the washing up it was a luxury to have hot water out of a tap and a drain instead of taking the bowl outside to empty it. When first married our first two houses had no drainage or hot water until we did something about it (installing septic tanks in both places). You and I were born in a time of change that old way of life has gone.

Don

[Mrkirtley800]

Ah we were posh, there was a bath in the kitchen with a geyser such luxury. There was a table top that covered in normally. However the loo was outside with the coal house and unheated of course. Worse though if someone was in the bath you couldn't go into the kitchen and the door to outside was in the kitchen so no access to the loo this with four adults and two kids in the house. You could go out the front door but to get round to the back door was about 3/4 of a mile and in winter if theThames was up the footpath along the front was often flooded. There was a big rumpus when the drains were blocked the cause was found to be glossy magazines no one in the row would admit to be able to afford glossy magazines let alone use them as loo paper (the Daily Mirror was the popular choice in those days). Grandad's sister lived in a small village and had only a standpipe for cold water outside and an earth closet at the end of the garden. When she came to see us she wanted to do the washing up it was a luxury to have hot water out of a tap and a drain instead of taking the bowl outside to empty it. When first married our first two houses had no drainage or hot water until we did something about it (installing septic tanks in both places). You and I were born in a time of change that old way of life has gone.

Don

Good job it has gone, and things are much more civilised Don. Couldn't do that sort of thing with my joints as they are now. phew!!!

Derek

[Mrkirtley800]

Derek,

I have only one word to say, beautiful. 

 

As I like to add to the thread as well, are those nicely painted figures Langleys shop figures?

Chris, the figures came from all sorts of places, many from Langley. Most were painted by Olga many years ago.

The Staden figures look good.

Derek

[Mrkirtley800]

At last, the layout is back in one piece, and trains can run again. The road along the back is temporary, I need to surface it with setts but at least it gives some idea of what I am aiming for.

The first train had to be one of the old faithfulls, although all of them are old now, anyway, the slim boilered 4-4-0 ex Leeds Wellington has arrived at Kirkby Malham, and after being turned has picked up two milk vans and shunted the carriages into the departure platform.

Derek

Edited March 19, 2017 by Mrkirtley800

[Barry O]

that looks really good Derek.

 

The Midland/LMS Red is so addictive.

 

Baz

[Andrew P]

Excellent work Derek, just stunning.

[Alister_G]

Wow Derek,

 

I've been away from RMWeb for a month, and look at what you've been doing!

 

Just love the work you've done on the town, more superb modelling, it looks lovely.

 

Al.

[Donw]

Lovely result Derek so believable.

Don

[KNP]

Looks great and very convincing even for a GWR fan.....!!!!

Edited March 20, 2017 by KNP

[Mrkirtley800]

Looks great and very convincing even for a GWR fan.....!!!!

Should I feel honoured or insulted? But thank you anyway.

Derek

[KNP]

Should I feel honoured or insulted? But thank you anyway.

Derek

 

Whoops, just seen that the last part of my reply disappeared, not sure what I did there but it's not the first time something has been sent whilst I'm still typing.

It should have ended " Especially for one that can only normally see Brunswick green loco's"

Honoured definately

 

Kevin

Edited March 20, 2017 by KNP

[Mrkirtley800]

I have not been doing a lot on Kirkby Malham of late. What with painful joints and hospital visits, I seem to have lost a bit of enthusiasm..

However their has been a little desultory operation of trains and here are a few piccies.

It was a semi fast from Leeds (Wellington) with a Johnson slim boilered Class L (AKA 2183 class) This engine has featured on this thread previously and I do run it now and again, taking turns with my 1327 class 4-4-0 and the Kirtley 800 class 2-4-0. On such a railway as mine, I really have far too many engines and too much stock.

To occupy me for a little while and also to please Olga, I began tidying up the place, and heaven knows, it needed it. On a high shelf was this model warship. I built it as A Christmas Present for my eldest son when he was six years old (his 51st birthday is on Tuesday).

Model shipbuilding Royal Navy ships was my passion in my 'teens', and I have described some of my doings of my dissolute youth elsewhere on RMW (Special Interest --Pre Group modelling and Prototype --- Castle Aching page 118).

It is a model of one of the King George 5th class of battleships. There were five of them, KG5, Prince of Wales, Duke of York, Anson and Howe and commissioned early in WW2. They all weighed in at about 42000 tons.

As a 17 year old, I worked with a man who was on the KG5, when in the company of HMS Rodney saw off the Bismark.

He told me that as they approached, the tension was immeasurable, after the poor old HMS Hood had been sunk three days before.

It is an indication of the quality of German shipbuilding, that hundreds of 14" and 16" shells could not sink it and it took torpedoes from the cruiser Dorsetshire to finish it off. Altogether over 3000 men were killed on Hood and Bismark. Shows the cruelty and futility of modern warfare, although I am not a pacifist.

I am trying to get the pics amongst the text after Paul (Worsdell forever) told me how to do it. So blame him if it doesn't work. NO IT DIDN'T

Derek

Edited May 3, 2017 by Mrkirtley800

[danstercivicman]

stunning pictures

[Mrkirtley800]

It is quite a while since I pot anything on RMW, mainly because there hasn't been much to put on.

The railway room has been cold and my arthritis has played up, so that my enthusiasm for doing any modelling went very far south.  I had, however, decided on trying to get the remaining boards scenified with at least basic scenery.

First, there was a bridge to construct.  This is the one carrying the railway over the infant River Aire, just below the confluence with Gordale Beck.  I was tempted to build it using embossed plastic sheet, but since all the other structures were finished with scribed plaster, decided to stick with that method.

All the pics today are of the various stages in the building of the bridge.  I apologise if this is old hat to many, but it may be useful to someone.

Started off by making a mock-up out of card from  cereal packets, since the bridge carried double track and was on a curve.

When happy, built the basic bridge out of plastikard, then covered with a tin layer of soft (base) plaster.  This is done by mixing a thick creamy 'soup' of the plaster and covering one side of the bridge completely with plaster.

We then have to wait for it to dry, usually next day.  When dry, thoroughly soak in solvent, and when this is dry, usually after an houy or so, we can coat the opposite side of the bridge with the creamy plaster and repeat the whole thing.  It is a bit slow and certainly tedious, especially having to wait for the plaster to dry , but I have always found the final result worth it.  Anyway, it works for me.

When the whole of the structure is covered with plaster, I start to scribe in the stonework.  First, I use a pair of dividers and use them to scribe a series of lines all round.  It gives a datum, so that when scribing by hand, the courses don't go out of the horizontal.

It is a messy job, best not done over the lounge carpet, but it is surprisingly quick.

The pics show the various stages of the construction, and next time I will describe the painting.

You may notice that the 'inside walls' have not been treated.  This is because I am fitting the bridge into a track bed which is already in place, so that the bridge pushes up from below, not the way I usually do things.

I am having problems uploading the pics, will try again later.

Derek

[Andrew P]

I can visualise the finished Bridge and your usual standards Derek, so I'm looking forward to seeing it finished.

 

The other pics of the Crimson Lake Loco and Battleship were superb.

[Mrkirtley800]

Here are the rest of the pics, no idea what went wrong.

If it was a football match, the score would be computer 6 Derek 0

Derek

[wagonbasher]

It is quite a while since I pot anything on RMW, mainly because there hasn't been much to put on.

The railway room has been cold and my arthritis has played up, so that my enthusiasm for doing any modelling went very far south. I had, however, decided on trying to get the remaining boards scenified with at least basic scenery.

First, there was a bridge to construct. This is the one carrying the railway over the infant River Aire, just below the confluence with Gordale Beck. I was tempted to build it using embossed plastic sheet, but since all the other structures were finished with scribed plaster, decided to stick with that method.

All the pics today are of the various stages in the building of the bridge. I apologise if this is old hat to many, but it may be useful to someone.

Started off by making a mock-up out of card from cereal packets, since the bridge carried double track and was on a curve.

When happy, built the basic bridge out of plastikard, then covered with a tin layer of soft (base) plaster. This is done by mixing a thick creamy 'soup' of the plaster and covering one side of the bridge completely with plaster.

We then have to wait for it to dry, usually next day. When dry, thoroughly soak in solvent, and when this is dry, usually after an houy or so, we can coat the opposite side of the bridge with the creamy plaster and repeat the whole thing. It is a bit slow and certainly tedious, especially having to wait for the plaster to dry , but I have always found the final result worth it. Anyway, it works for me.

When the whole of the structure is covered with plaster, I start to scribe in the stonework. First, I use a pair of dividers and use them to scribe a series of lines all round. It gives a datum, so that when scribing by hand, the courses don't go out of the horizontal.

It is a messy job, best not done over the lounge carpet, but it is surprisingly quick.

The pics show the various stages of the construction, and next time I will describe the painting.

You may notice that the 'inside walls' have not been treated. This is because I am fitting the bridge into a track bed which is already in place, so that the bridge pushes up from below, not the way I usually do things.

I am having problems uploading the pics, will try again later.

Derek

Each to there own, I would always go for a rice crispie packet over a shreddies any day.

 

Andy