Les1952 Posted January 26, 2020 Author Share Posted January 26, 2020 (edited) Sunday afternoon and just back into the house- braving the Newark Monsoon on the way back. It doesn't seem I've done a lot these last two days but all locos are now serviced. Note the prototypical method of cleaning wheels- left running forwards on the wheel cleaner with the shed preventing them moving forwards and falling off. The locos are now allocated into one of three fleets- Colliery regulars (the 4 Hornby/Dapol WDs, the two 0-4-0 Pecketts, the Hattons Barclay, B4 no.90 and the 03,05 and o8 diesels) Shed only (all the brass or whitemetal locos and the two German locos). Of these the two German locos can be loaned to either of the other two fleets. Passenger (the 7 DJM WDs, all of the pre-grouping locos except B4 No.90, the 57xx, 1365, the Peckett 0-6-0 and diesels Janus 101 and D9555). Of these the 57xx, the green B4, the Beattie well tank and the Janus can be loaned to the colliery. I've put three new loco lists on the back of the layout with the addresses and a description of each loco - for example 3699 REVENGE Geisl WD very dirty black - the one on the wheel cleaner above. The only loco with neither a number nor a name is the DJM filthy red Yorkshire WD (3891). All other locos carry their running number or the last 4 digits of it, except three WDs which only have names and have their Hunslet works number as their address. Meanwhile KILDALE has had another layer of grot applied- I need to tone down the rust on the chimney side and add a bit more dirt to the rods and the lamp. D2574 should work facing outwards, but for some reason nearly always runs radiator first into the screens. Nobody has complained yet it does run better facing outwards. I must make the note on the back of the fiddle yard saying which way round things run a little larger- and get a few lamps for those without. Note the missing cab steps. they have fallen off and been reattached several times and are now completely lost. The Janus has had mixed feedback from the operating team, and has run without a lamp. It runs into the screens and sidings this way round with no problems but sticks in a couple of places if the other way round. I'm not convinced by the position of the lamp but there are few sensible options when it comes to finding another site for it - of course as a true industrial it doesn't have lamp irons. The purpose of the lamp is to show which end of the loco should face into the layout, ie towards the screens or headshunt. Most steamers run chimney inwards (ie facing up the bank from Beamish) , but diesels don't matter as much in that respect, and in any case the Janus is almost symmetrical. I've also begun a little weathering of the shiniest Hornby hoppers. Pics when I've got one dirty enough to look as if I've done anything to it. At least these start out a nice light grey, which is just as well as steel bodied wagons fade as they get rusty. More to bore you with later... Les Edited January 26, 2020 by Les1952 made even less sense than usual 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted January 27, 2020 Author Share Posted January 27, 2020 A day through at Digitrains today - bought a new tank and cab for my original 71515 which had thinners spilt over it. The new tank and cab are black and I've managed to get the lettering off easily. With a following wind the loco will be available for Doncaster. I've been even dafter and bought a pair of secondhand ex-showcase Hornby J94s on the Yorkshire auction site - eBaygum….. I can't see either of these being ready for Doncaster but I have a couple of chips that need using up.... Les 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted January 30, 2020 Author Share Posted January 30, 2020 (edited) The two WD saddletanks arrived this morning before I set out to town. Half-hour wait in the vampire clinic at the hospital- why is it that as you get older they feel a need to test your blood more and more often? Nobody in the waiting area seemed under 65.... Got home to find a box with another loco for Bregenbach. DHL leaving a parcel about 2 hours before the window they gave for delivering it, as usual. At least this one was next to the bin rather than inside it... The two Hornby WDs were a red HARRY and a green CADLEY HILL No.1. I've got both of them chipped and lubricated, and ex-Harry's wheels cleaned thoroughly. The Bregenbach Loco - a Class 114 elaectric is also chipped. Two Hornby saddletanks done in the same morning? My wrist was feeling strong enough to cut the tank weights on both of them. CADLEY HILL No.1 is keeping its identity and is DCC Address 3851 (its works number) while HARRY has gained another set of Walkden plates and become WITCH with DCC Address 3828 (its works number) Pics of both once I've got a bit of weathering done- light on CADLEY HILL No.1 as it was kept immaculate at Cadley Hill and heavy on WITCH, but not as heavy as on RESPITE which is a previous HARRY but with a Geisl ejector. Both run quite happily in the colliery yard. That makes 6 WDs that can work the colliery and 7 more that are passenger only. I wonder if I ought to run the layout just with WDs at Doncaster...... More to follow. Les Edited February 1, 2020 by Les1952 spelling miss take 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 1, 2020 Author Share Posted February 1, 2020 (edited) A day mostly in the shed. CADLEY HILL No.1 with Brassmasters nameplates- some fettling to do where the plate had to be repositioned after slipping) with a little light rust applied below the footplate. A small amount of dirt to be applied up top after I've been round the nameplates just to make it look as if the loco is in service. Cadley Hill Colliery kept it immaculately clean. WITCH before weathering, showing another slipped nameplate- this time wonky. Weathering not yet started. I'd not spotted the wonky nameplate but it will have to come off and be reapplied. I usually use Loctite to affix nameplates but used a slower setting glue this time and the plates moved after I'd positioned them before the glue set. WITCH with first layer of grot. Most of the second layer will be along the top of the tank. Walkden kept their engines reasonably clean, but not immaculate. An old pic (pre-Kadee) of Geisl fitted RESPITE in Bickershaw condition, generally dirtier. It looks like I need to fettle this one's nameplate as well.... A couple of wagons weathered and some weight added to the chassis of one or two of the empties to keep them on the track. Apart from that the day has been spent shunting and adjusting Kadees. Les I've just spotted I've turned CADLEY HILL No.1's chimney sideways. Another job for tomorrow.. Les Edited February 1, 2020 by Les1952 afterthought and typos 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PaulCheffus Posted February 3, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 3, 2020 On 01/02/2020 at 22:27, Les1952 said: I usually use Loctite to affix nameplates but used a slower setting glue this time and the plates moved after I'd positioned them before the glue set. Hi I tend to fix my nameplates with the same varnish as I sealed the transfer with so if it does get on the paint it disappears when it drys. Cheers Paul 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 3, 2020 Author Share Posted February 3, 2020 5 hours ago, PaulCheffus said: Hi I tend to fix my nameplates with the same varnish as I sealed the transfer with so if it does get on the paint it disappears when it drys. Cheers Paul Thanks for that. I'll try it with the next set of plates. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 3, 2020 Author Share Posted February 3, 2020 WITCH and RESPITE together. I've straightened the nameplate on WITCH and put some more grot below the plate on RESPITE. This angle makes the plate look wonky but from other angles it looks straight. I'll probably leave well alone. CADLEY HILL No.1 needs a little more work (but I've turned its chimney the right way round). I'll use that one as one of the locos on shed road 1 for this show, and keep it nose-in to the shed- there aren't any marks on the other side. Either that or it will run bunker-first into the screens. I'll test that tomorrow afternoon. WARRIOR with the missing handrail will miss Doncaster, as will the two Continental engines and Smelly NELLIE. The 88DS, 0-6-2T no.42 and JAMES will also remain at home- there are 31 engines in the two boxes so all eventualities are covered. Sorry about the poor focus, a function of the light in the shed. I've nicked an idea from the Industrial Model railways Facebook group and sat an engineman on the end of the Janus that I've designated as front. Still a lot of work to do on the wagon fleet but they will look a good deal less toylike this time out. Les 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted February 4, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 4, 2020 Les Keep the locos bunker in towards the screens..coal dust is very explosive so steam engines weren't allowed under the screens. Baz 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share Posted February 8, 2020 On 04/02/2020 at 08:49, Barry O said: Les Keep the locos bunker in towards the screens..coal dust is very explosive so steam engines weren't allowed under the screens. Baz I'd not thought of that - mind you it would mean them facing down a in 20-odd gradient.... Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted February 9, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 9, 2020 Keep the boiler full! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 Hi Les, Has anyone alerted you to this YouTube video? Your layout features 19 minutes and 30 seconds in. Regards, Brian. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted May 27, 2020 Author Share Posted May 27, 2020 On 09/02/2020 at 18:03, Brian D said: Hi Les, Has anyone alerted you to this YouTube video? Your layout features 19 minutes and 30 seconds in. Regards, Brian. Belatedly many thanks for that. I was trying to work out who was operating at that point- I think it would be Tony as I don't usually run the shed part with the sound on- the sound locos still stall randomly where No.65 did.. All being well I'll be back at Doncaster next Feb with Croft Spa. I've not looked at No Place for a while so didn't see your reply. Attention since the show was with Croft Spa, then the lockdown cancelling shows has rather mothballed the three existing layouts and I've made a start on Bregenbach, which now has its own thread (link in my signature). Some more No Place to post but the layout isn't currently scheduled to go anywhere until August 2021as things stand. les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted May 27, 2020 Author Share Posted May 27, 2020 (edited) Overdue pics from Doncaster as promised. The layout set up and ready to receive punters. Workhorse for much of the weekend was No.48, largely because nobody could be bothered to change it. Reactions to it being one of the first production Dapol J94s from twiddly-umpty years back were generally a) surprised and b) favourable. Those wagons in the background are still too clean. Respite looking grotty in the layby siding with Revenge behind it. These mostly worked the colliery when 48 was having a wheel clean or had become trapped at the wrong end of a rake of wagons. And Revenge, with No.48 behind. Barry will note that they are all now the right way round for the screens, having had a shed-load of adjustment to their bunker end couplers to get them to perform well. Over the weekend Geoff, Joe, and I had no problems while Tony had no end of couplers that either wouldn't couple or wouldn't let go. I don't think Kadees like Tony...... All for now. Les Edited May 27, 2020 by Les1952 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bishdurham Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 Wonderful layout. Reminds me of my student days when I caught the bus from Sunderland to Consett to see my girlfriend. It seemed that every time we saw a sign saying Consett the bus would go the other way and visit No Place. I like the idea of having a preservation side and a working side. I seem to have your problem of buying too many locomotives, but it works as all sorts could turn up in industrial use. Thanks you have given me many ideas for my layout. All the best. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 After over a year sitting on the bench while I built Bregenbach (which isn't finsihed yet but I want to play OO trains again) there has been a little development. I've connected the layout by a flying lead to the test track and dug out the end of the lighting lead so I can actually operate and work on the layout with some illumination. The flying lead has a plug and socket halfway along it so I can disconnect the layout when I need a programming track. In the foreground is an additional shed- the tarpaulins have been moved further along the row. This is a softwood shed that dates from my first model railway bought when I was eleven years old. Its origin is completely unknown but it has sat in various boxes in lofts for years. I've resurfaced the roof with Redutex tiling and will weather it before long. It has never actually been stuck down to a layout before. Two new additions to stock- Dapol Terrier in SECR livery to match the class P - the preservation side can run anything. DCC fitted by Dapol it has since been to Digitrains to be sound fitted- it has a Pauliebanger sound file and firebox flicker. I've added a driver so far. I had to have a J72, or E1 as this is NER livery. Again really for the preservation side, this also came from Digitrains who fitted it with sound and stay-alive before dispatch. I've run it from the lay-by siding to the fiddle yard and back over unclean track without it stopping. Next job is to clean the track and see how the E1 and Terrier cope. One of the Class W4 Pecketts and the Glaskastern have gone up on the e-Site to clear some funds for sound-fitting. Meanwhile the Class P and USA have gone off to Digitrains and the green B4 to Mark's Trains, all for sound fitting. I've also shortened RESPITE's tank weight to make room for a speaker in the smokebox, so that will go when the USA and P come back. A bit of spending on OO now I've purchased everything (and more) I need for Bregenbach. All for now. Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Great to catch up on this layout Les and good to see you operating it again. I loved the detail you packed in here. Always good to see it at a show. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 Looking at the pics the big brown sheet of ply above the layout is to protect it from things that fall off the shelf above it. I had to rebuild the water crane when hit by a flying box of couplings. The ply appeared shortly afterwards. The latest two arrivals with DJM J94 68023 and Hornby sister RESPITE. The latter is in the workshop to have its tank weight shortened to make space for a speaker and stay alive in the front before it goes off to Digitrains for sound fitting. The E1 has now run safely into and out of all of the colliery sidings with sound on without a stutter. I'll find the tripod and use the camera (remember them?) to get a video of it shunting. These pics taken with the phone. Meanwhile I've started building one of three NER wooden-bodied hopper wagons Mr Simon bought me some time ago. All for now. Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted March 15, 2021 Author Share Posted March 15, 2021 Latest addition to stock is a 56xx. Definitely a Rule 1 loco for County Durham. Purchased from the e-Site for its chassis it is a bit too good to carve up. The chassis was going to be used under the latest body to arrive- A Stephenson Tambton Tank. I'm not really up to the level of surgery needed on the 56xx to get it to fit under the body, but I have a 57xx chassis that is DCC fitted which almost fits under the body and which will need very little cutting to make it fit. I can make a frame extension similar to the one on the 56xx to take the trailing wheelset, and the bits that need to be carved off the chassis are plastic rather than metal. Once I've got it fitted under the bodyshell I'll get on and make the loco. I may also convert the chassis to sound while doing the build. On the subject of sound, the P and the USA are back, and RESPITE has gone off to Digitrains for fitting, and the green B4 has gone Marks Trains . Both should also come back with stay-alive. And now a very silly vid of the P (already posted on the Hattons P thread but who cares.. All for now Les 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 (edited) RESPITE now has sound and a stay-alive fitted for front line colliery work. I've used its old chip to do another Dapol WD saddletank which is a "68080", another Cromford & High Peak version. This one will get a CHP identity though I might not change its buffers to oval it will certainly gain can cab shutters. I might well add some sound absorbing stuff into the tank aperture- the tank weight has been removed completely to get the gubbins in. Video taken on the camera, hence the wobble as I tried to avoid the forground tree. Les Edited March 19, 2021 by Les1952 typos... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted March 20, 2021 Author Share Posted March 20, 2021 (edited) I've abandoned the Kadees. They are proving more troublesome than the tension locks. I'm not going back to the full magnetic but will fit magnets to the droppers of the old coach and the four-wheeler of the new pair. One uncoupling magnet in the station should be enough. The latest is tension locks with hooks on both ends for the wagons and without hooks at all on the locos. Two ramps in the screens area. The back one is mainly for uncoupling incoming wagons from the propelling loco while the front one is for splitting rakes that are pulled out of the screens. Gravity (ie a shove from offstage) will feed the fulls beyond the ramp. By the time the layout goes out in September there will be enough sound plus stay-alive locos to shunt the screens. Hoppers now with tension locks. I've also rechassised a pair of those that were giving the most trouble and invested in another pair of Dapol hoppers. Using all one make of chassis (Dapol) for the hoppers should mean fewer incompatability problems. Man in yellow high vis will be replanted later, as will his mate who is currently having a lie down on the screens roof.... Once we can get back into the clubroom I'll be able to clear out a lot of the club stuff in the workshop and that will give me space to swap over NO PLACE and Bregenbach to really work on NO PLACE for a couple of weeks or so. Nothing has a show before July 31st (BB) then it is Sept 3/4 (BB), two weeks later for NP and then CS twice before the end of the year. Another incomer is a Lambton Tank body which is intended for a 56xx chassis. Having got the body off the 56xx I'm not up to the carving involved so I'm going to cheat and use a 57xx chassis. Most of the mods are carving plastic, apart from grinding a little off the boiler bottom to bring it down to the width of the 0-6-2T body. The carrying wheel at the back will be a radial running in a fixed plastic mount modelled on the way Bachmann did the 56xx. I've got a chip with the chassis and I'm trying to work out how to get a speaker fitted inside without putting pressure on the body. It is a long term project so developments will be sporadic. All for now. Les Edited March 20, 2021 by Les1952 typos... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted March 21, 2021 Author Share Posted March 21, 2021 In reply to a post from Barry about which way round locos were at screens I've got this lot of pics. Derwenthaugh- loco coming uphill past the screens- nose in to the end they were collecting full wagons from. Fenwick Colliery- No.9 drawing fulls out of the screens. Eccles Colliery- 49 and 6 shunting the screen bottoms. South Hetton, taking loaded wagons out of the screens. Whittle. No.47 taking coal away from the screens. 47 had a damaged cab where it had slid down the slope at the top end of the screens and given it a hefty clout on the framework. I think I'll go back to having locos pointing left, ie towards the screens. That way they are pointing uphill and the water in the boiler is deepest at the firebox end. Generally that seems to have been the way things were done. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted March 22, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 22, 2021 Rule is.. no steam engine sparks should get into the screens as there is a potential explosion hazard from the dust etc resulting from tippled coal. So you can drive up to the screens chimney first but can't go under the screens with the chimney. Used to be a big sign on the ends of some screens to say this... Baz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted March 22, 2021 Author Share Posted March 22, 2021 56 minutes ago, Barry O said: Rule is.. no steam engine sparks should get into the screens as there is a potential explosion hazard from the dust etc resulting from tippled coal. So you can drive up to the screens chimney first but can't go under the screens with the chimney. Used to be a big sign on the ends of some screens to say this... Baz An awful lot of screens were too low to get a loco under in any case- Whittle being a case in point, hence the shape of No.47's cab.. How did collieries that had a through road in the screening house get on? There were a few of those around where locos had to take that route to get wagons up to the top end of the yard... Les NO PLACE has the uncouplers about 2 wagon lengths clear of the screens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted March 22, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 22, 2021 They were not "through roads" for the locos.unles they were not part of the screens. Some pushed a rake of empties up a slope to the top of the yard either using a by pass road or a longer cut of wagons. Then the wagons were moved down the screens by gravity. Bas 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted March 22, 2021 Author Share Posted March 22, 2021 (edited) The pics I have of some of these show that MOST had vertical boarding/walling separating the access road to the top of the yard from the screens, but I also remember a couple where this road had no walling. Obviously there were no drops. One reason for having locos facing uphill is that it is easier to slide downwards into the screen than upwards- witness the damage to the cab of No.47 at Whittle where the loco slid down the slope with wheels locked and bashed the screening house with its cab. East Stanley Colliery (the prototype location for NO PLACE) had only one road up into the yard and through the screens. Empty wagons were raised by rope and fulls lowered back down to exchange sidings at Beamish station. However locos did on occasion work right up to the top of the yard if the hauling engine was out of use, despite not being allowed through the screens. The wagons were then let back down on their brakes and filled as they passed through. However it is quite possible that the single road screens were nothing more than a hole in the floor for tubs to be tipped into wagons below. The pit closed in 1938. My practice is for locos to push wagons towards the screens along the road nearest the wall but stop two wagon lengths short. Wagons coming back come through the screens on the other road and are picked up by the loco a couple of lengths down. Offstage one can presume a capstan to get individual wagons to the very top. Les Edited March 22, 2021 by Les1952 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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