Jump to content
 

Midland Railway Company


Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Premium
Just now, Western Star said:

Just as soon as you show us how to produce working Harrison cord braking in P4......

 

That ought to be quite straightforward, at least as a DCC feature. Press the appropriate function button, model passenger leans out of window, pulls in cord, whistle sounds, and the rest is left to the discretion of the driver.

 

Other features that "ought" to be modelled:

  • water pick-up from trough
  • driver going round oiling engine in motion
  • fireman changing headlamps when engine runs round train
  • porter closing level crossing gates
  • homing pigeons released from baskets
  • &c.

 

  • Like 1
  • Round of applause 2
  • Funny 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Compare the crane restored and on display at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Quainton Road:

 

193812528_MidlandhandcraneQuaintonRoad3.JPG.12d07841ea4a16fa620b1d0f92a9de46.JPG

 

Details of these Goods Department cranes differ. The one at Quainton Road is claimed to have been built at Derby in 1890:

 

560168049_MidlandhandcraneQuaintonRoadinfoboard.JPG.69bffd3cd128bc7c726a581cc8425eb7.JPG

 

(see also photos I posted a couple of weeks ago when the colour of such thinks was being discussed.)

 

I wonder how many were actually made by the Midland and how many bought in?

 

I think your best bet for a drawing is to use the drawing a few pages on from the page you've photographed as a guide to dimensions and then do a sketch from the photos. I think the one in that drawing is of more modern construction - with a fabricated rather than cast main frame - but is broadly the same type.

 

The Midland Railway Study Centre does have a drawing of 1890 for the truck to carry a 5 ton goods crane (Drg. 858, MRS Item 88-D0342). This shows a substantial cross-shaped cast bed connected to the solebars and headstocks. Although the cranes in those photos are only of 3 tons and 2 tons capacity, there must be a similar cast bed behind those innocent-looking dumb-buffer frames - note the weight of the 3 ton crane wagon - a bit over 11 tons. 

 

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

  • RMweb Premium

The photograph below has appeared on the MRS chat pages and although I know that I've seen it before captioned as showing electric vehicles, I can't recall where it was. Any ideas?

 

Dave

 

1227736630_Electriclorries.jpg.b6aac6934ff82e31459ae6b7c3ab1b61.jpg 

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Dave,

I too have seen this before. I've looked through the British Railway Journal and it was on p269 of number 46 (spring 1993 - but the issue dates rarely matched when it was actually issued).  The site is stated to be the Agar Town road vehicle yard  and the picture is recorded as being taken in late 1914.

  • Informative/Useful 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

The photo of feeding time at St. Pancras Goods is a Derby Official, DY10641, taken on 11 July 1917.

 

An interesting sidelight on the rise of motor delivery vehicles, whether steam, electric, or petrol: the Midland's stock of horses for cartage work was just below 5,000 in the years up to the Great War. One might expect a very significant drop during the war, as horses were requisitioned for war work, and indeed the number was down to just over 4,200 at the end of 1919. But the really sharp drop comes in 1921/22, with the number falling to just 3,000. That suggests to me the impact of army surplus petrol lorries - the number of road motors (all forms of traction) was just 19 before the war, 89 by the end of 1919, but up to 195 by the end of 1922. [Source: Half-Yearly and Annual Reports & Accounts of the Midland Railway Company, held by the Midland Railway Study Centre.] That implies that just over 100 motor vehicles were doing the work of over 1,000 horses.

 

Which committee of the board would have oversight of innovation in road vehicles? Traffic Committee? Road vehicles built in-house (chiefly horse-drawn*) were designed and built in the Carriage & Wagon works, so the Carriage & Wagon Committee might have had some input?

 

*But not drawn by horses; Fred Crocker was the draughtsman chiefly responsible for standardisation of the company's fleet of road vehicles from the 1890s onward.

Edited by Compound2632
  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 14/07/2021 at 21:34, Compound2632 said:

Compare the crane restored and on display at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, Quainton Road:

 

193812528_MidlandhandcraneQuaintonRoad3.JPG.12d07841ea4a16fa620b1d0f92a9de46.JPG

 

Details of these Goods Department cranes differ. The one at Quainton Road is claimed to have been built at Derby in 1890:

 

560168049_MidlandhandcraneQuaintonRoadinfoboard.JPG.69bffd3cd128bc7c726a581cc8425eb7.JPG

 

(see also photos I posted a couple of weeks ago when the colour of such thinks was being discussed.)

 

I wonder how many were actually made by the Midland and how many bought in?

 

I think your best bet for a drawing is to use the drawing a few pages on from the page you've photographed as a guide to dimensions and then do a sketch from the photos. I think the one in that drawing is of more modern construction - with a fabricated rather than cast main frame - but is broadly the same type.

 

The Midland Railway Study Centre does have a drawing of 1890 for the truck to carry a 5 ton goods crane (Drg. 858, MRS Item 88-D0342). This shows a substantial cross-shaped cast bed connected to the solebars and headstocks. Although the cranes in those photos are only of 3 tons and 2 tons capacity, there must be a similar cast bed behind those innocent-looking dumb-buffer frames - note the weight of the 3 ton crane wagon - a bit over 11 tons. 

 

There is a photo in MRN November  65 of this crane at RAF Henlow before being rescued by the LRPS. I was informed that there was a drawing too,  but no. Never mind.

Going to be a problem sourcing those wheels!

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
27 minutes ago, PenrithBeacon said:

There is a photo in MRN November  65 of this crane at RAF Henlow before being rescued by the LRPS. I was informed that there was a drawing too,  but no. Never mind.

Going to be a problem sourcing those wheels!

Centres from wheels will do the trick. Do you know what sizes you requires? I may have a pair of old S scale centres I could send your way: them at the rear, and some 4mm scale centres at the front might do the trick.

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I’ve posed this question over on my ‘Midland in Tewkesbury’ thread - but I’m wondering what motive power would have been shedded there in c1907? All the photos I can find on the web are of a much later period. Any ideas? 
 

Also wondering if anyone knows of a kit for one of these?

7CDC2373-655C-4ACD-A669-3C8D2F98C00F.jpeg.d4dc201d75c2e17e248c5c8d327fb4b6.jpeg

The picture has been snapped from @Dave Hunt’s lovely book:

2CD0E116-83E0-4480-9229-9597406A3F72.jpeg.32becb29304754079d66af19826bd43a.jpeg

 

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

There obviously was one at some time:

https://www.hattons.co.uk/296219/kitbuilt_kb570_kb_1116a_class_0_4_0st_1514_in_midland_railway_black_unmotorised_dummy_pre_owned_/stockdetail.aspx
 

Maybe Jidenco?

 

Also discussed here (4mm old K’s kit, plus prototype info):

 

Edited by Regularity
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
11 minutes ago, Tricky said:

I’ve posed this question over on my ‘Midland in Tewkesbury’ thread - but I’m wondering what motive power would have been shedded there in c1907? All the photos I can find on the web are of a much later period. Any ideas? 
 

 

Replied there:

For the Johnson 0-4-0STs, Summerson gives 1503 and 1505 of the 1322 Class and 1519 and 1525 of the 1134A Class allocated to Gloucester in May 1908.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I don't think the 0-4-0st's were employed at Tewkesbury. The quay branch, west of the high street, used gravity down to the quay and a horse to pull the wagons back up to the loop in the old station one at a time. Later on in LMS days they used a tractor with a large buffing plate to replace the horse. However my 4mm model of Tewkesbury will be loco served under rule one as I have a K's model of the 0-4-0st.

Regards Lez. 

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

There definitely was a kit of a Johnson 0-4-0ST in 7mm as Bob Essery made one that we used to use on Dewsbury. I don't know where it is now but I would guess either with the Warley Club S7 group or the HMRS people who took the goods yard section of Dewsbury. If it is with the former then Paul Stokes may know, if the latter, then George Brodie may be able to find it. In either case, there may be some marking on the chassis that could identify the kit?

 

Dave

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, lezz01 said:

I don't think the 0-4-0st's were employed at Tewkesbury. The quay branch, west of the high street, used gravity down to the quay and a horse to pull the wagons back up to the loop in the old station one at a time. Later on in LMS days they used a tractor with a large buffing plate to replace the horse. However my 4mm model of Tewkesbury will be loco served under rule one as I have a K's model of the 0-4-0st.

Regards Lez. 

That’s very interesting - perhaps in my instance a Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST, also under Rule 1? 

 

10 hours ago, Tricky said:

I’ve posed this question over on my ‘Midland in Tewkesbury’ thread - but I’m wondering what motive power would have been shedded there in c1907? All the photos I can find on the web are of a much later period. Any ideas? 
 

Also wondering if anyone knows of a kit for one of these?

7CDC2373-655C-4ACD-A669-3C8D2F98C00F.jpeg.d4dc201d75c2e17e248c5c8d327fb4b6.jpeg

The picture has been snapped from @Dave Hunt’s lovely book:

2CD0E116-83E0-4480-9229-9597406A3F72.jpeg.32becb29304754079d66af19826bd43a.jpeg

 

I forgot to mention I’m looking at 7mm for the saddle tank. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

If you visit the 'Other Place' aka Western Thunder and go to the S7 Group you encounter a page or two down a topic entitled 'Midland Railway 0-4-0ST (Burton Tank) posted by Rambler. I understand he is using/modifying an ABS Zero Zephyr kit - don't know anything about the kit I'm afraid but the post is well worth visiting.

 

 

Crimson Rambler

 

 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
  • Informative/Useful 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Another small step for man but a giant leap for a modeller: I have finished the water tank and tank house for my layout.

 

 

1848546300_Watertank1A.jpg.56d6523e7b5fcf044ae806611cedb25a.jpg

 993750316_Watertank5A.jpg.cd7d64ecc4694112fc76eacbf472a1f0.jpg

My usual construction using a plywood shell with various balsa and ply overlays all clad in Slaters English bond Plastikard. The roof sections are 1mm MDF with roof slates and tall windows by Tricky, AKA Monksgate Models, whilst the other windows, doors, drain pipes, gutters etc. are by me using an assortment of plastic, MDF and whatever else came to hand. The ladder isn't yet cut to length and fixed in place as that will have to wait until the groundwork around the base of the building, which will be about 5mm deep, is completed. As with the other layout buildings, this one is not fixed down as it hides a couple of surface mounted Tortoise point motors.

 

540564961_Watertank4A.jpg.b0ba3bbd5a9f6d66210668bded2b6994.jpg

The cast-iron water tank panels are also by Tricky and are, I think, the first examples of his 3D prints of these items in captivity. He won't mind me saying that he had a lot of trouble getting them right but he persevered at no small cost to himself and the finished articles are very good. All the time I was building the tank house I was dreading getting to the tank itself as I really had no idea how I could make the panels with all the bolts and flanges, not to mention the raised decorative mouldings, whilst retaining my sanity; then, at the eleventh hour along came Richard and although it took some time for the project to reach fruition the wait was worth it. The worst job was painting them but I had a batch of reject panels that Richard sent to me that I could practice on and in the end I hit on the idea of spraying the whole thing in Denby Pottery cream then outlining the raised mouldings using a permanent felt tip pen before carefully painting up to the outline with Tamiya red brown acrylic and finally spraying the whole lot with Dullcote. It's not perfect but it looks OK, especially after muckying it up a bit. Thanks Richard! The handrail stanchions are from a model boat shop and scale at about 3ft 6in, which seems like a reasonable height in the absence of any evidence of the actual size that I have been able to find.

 

2145405101_Watertank2A.jpg.f47bc531f48f127081d1e87fb28210a2.jpg       

 

So, it's now on with making buffer stops and starting the task of painting and ballasting all the track before taking care of all the other groundwork. The idea is to complete the layout all except for the last board which will contain the shed as that itself will probably take me twelve months and I don't want the acres of bare plywood and unballasted track that presently greet the eye to last any longer than necessary. However, I am also making some rolling stock at the same time as working on the layout itself just to avoid boredom with any one project creeping in. Therefore, whilst I've been making this water tank I've also finished off my breakdown crane and match wagon, which I'll feature in my next post.

 

Dave

 

PS Although when I composed this post the photographs were full width, for some reason that escaped me when it was completed they came out smaller. Why? I don't know.

 

Edited by Dave Hunt
Add PS
  • Like 6
  • Craftsmanship/clever 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

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...