Ilkley locomotive shed, 4mm P4 1950s

[LMS29]

Andrew,

 

I enjoyed reading Bill's book because Bill's recollections contained useful pieces of information, which have helped me improve the operational aspects of my model.

 

I think it was well worth the money but cannot comment on the cost of postage!

 

Tom

Edited July 7, 2019 by LMS29

[Jub45565]

Hi Andrew, Tom,

 

I've gone quiet again, apologies - I generally find time to either 'do' or 'write', rather than both! Ilkley has its first proper exhibition appearance at Railwells next month (having been at Scaleforum as part of our Bristol area group demo).  Lots to do in the runup!

 

I bought Bill's latest book and read it earlier in the year too (I can't comment on postage, as I sent my parents across from Airedale for it!).  I personally didn't find it as useful as his earlier 2 books - but mainly as there was so much of it already covered!  The new book covers more of his later career (which does cover a lot of time at Ilkley),and is of general interest. I guess I was hoping for more minute detail of Embsay in 1958, which there wasn't.  All in all worth the buy and does cover a lot about the operations & failure recovery mechanisms in the area.

[Jub45565]

Ilkley had a pleasant outing to Railwells (which is now apparently over a month ago...) , and while I hadn't made as many steps of progress as I was hoping to since Scaleforum it generally behaved.  The punters seemed interested in both it and the prototype, which is always nice to hear! Being right by the front door could have been a make or break!

 

 

It also went into DC mode briefly, so that Jane (from the Wantage Tramway) could stretch her wheels.

 

 

I had the turntable installed, and my pickup disk was working, but the turntable itself didn't turn very well - I later found due to  the current collecting pin heads on my disk fouled the sprung PCB contacts used on the underside of the turntable.

 

 

 

The turntable well coping was stone, and I have represented this with cork.  I printed out a template, and scored the mortar lines with a triangular file, before painting.

 

 

 

One thing which isn't yet in place, though I did built the option into the deck - is a locking pin.  I have decided this will be useful.  I think the stepper motor is precise, but I have a flexible coupling between the motor shalf and turntable drive shaft, which is to take out any slight alignment descrepancies.  I think this is allowing rotational play (although from its design it doesnt look like it should!). Either way, there is some play, so installing a locking pin is the next job!  Once that is in place, this end of the layout can have the scenics sorted out.

 

There is a video of the turntable in action currently taking its time to upload to youtube. Once that has completed I will post the link, should anyone either not believe me, or have a minute of their life to spare!

[Jub45565]

Oh, plus a rather grainy photo of the drive mechanism! Direct drive from the stepper motor, via the coupling (ie no gearbox other than that on the stepper).  This is driven by an Arduino, and I have a variable resistor also feeding the Arduino to allow me to play with different speeds.

[Jub45565]

As promised:

 

 

[LMS29]

I thought it was time I updated you on my Ilkley progress.  I have been somewhat distracted by entering the GMRC as part of Team Grantham and helping with development work on Red Leaders, Grantham and Shap layouts.  In between, I have been assembling stock to fit in with a summer 1947 timetable through Ilkley using mainly LMS/LNER stock.  I attach a few photos of stock that I have weathered including a couple of coal wagons for S. Tipping (which I made up).  Some of you may remember that Sam Tipping was the coal merchant based at the bottom of Wellington Road.  

 

I will be out and about as an operator on the two layouts over the winter, so if anyone sees them please make yourself known.

 

Tom

 

 

[Jub45565]

Not a lot to show, progress wise, I've mainly been playing with a Dave Bradwell J39 chassis that I have recently pulled back onto the workbench.  However I saw these earlier on the 'Our Ilkley' facebook page. The only aerial views I have seen of Ilkley before cover the trainshed and a bit of the goods yard - but these are brilliant.  I still can't tell what the turntable well base is, but there we are.

 

Facebook gets a lot of bad press - but there are a lot of interesting groups on there and the amount of photos shared is huge - so a few gems do turn up.

 

I hope they are of wider interest!

 

 

 

[LMS29]

2 hours ago, Jub45565 said:

Not a lot to show, progress wise, I've mainly been playing with a Dave Bradwell J39 chassis that I have recently pulled back onto the workbench.  However I saw these earlier on the 'Our Ilkley' facebook page. The only aerial views I have seen of Ilkley before cover the trainshed and a bit of the goods yard - but these are brilliant.  I still can't tell what the turntable well base is, but there we are.

 

Facebook gets a lot of bad press - but there are a lot of interesting groups on there and the amount of photos shared is huge - so a few gems do turn up.

 

I hope they are of wider interest!

 

 

 

Pete,

 

I drove over along Railway Road, past Spooners this morning.  The old brewery building has gone and there are a number of large buildings which house very expensive looking flats.  When I get a chance I will post a photograph, just to record the changes.

 

Tom

[Kiwirail]

Great aerial photos Pete.  Thanks for sharing.  I've stored them away for (much) later when I finally get around to doing some modelling!

 

Good to see some progress on the layout.  I enjoyed the YouTube clip of the turntable.  Keep up the good work.

Cheers

Andrew

 

[LMS29]

I have been working on more stock to suit the 1947 timetable.  The attached photographs show 3 LMS mineral wagons and the second shows 3 LNER coal wagons. The latter are the first of several batches of wooden coal wagons of LNER origin that will make a coal train running coal from Durham through to Skipton and beyond. Next stop the paint shop.   

 

 

 

 

The empty fiddle yards, gives a hint of what is to come as we are looking to move house in 2020 and I will need to move the model and hope to find a suitable room to house it without major modifications.

 

Tom

Edited January 7, 2020 by LMS29

[lofty.ian]

On 25/02/2019 at 20:39, LMS29 said:

Pete,

 

I have just reread my my last post and your comments and need to offer some explanation/corrections.

 

The photo of the WD with MOS tankers I have has tankers coupled to the loco with no barrier wagons.  The loco is heading towards Skipton so it is possible that the wagons were know to be empty.

 

The third opens and corridor thirds were for the Leeds to Glasgow train that I am building as an example of trains rerouted up Wharfedale not the Blackpool to Saltburn Saturdays only , my typo. I am aware that the latter train had Gresley coaches, the photo I have shows a teak Gresley as the first coach. I am still working on the makeup of this train.   If you have any more info on the composition I would welcome it.  As an aside the 1946 timetable show it going to Sunderland rather than Saltburn.

 

As a heads up, Bill (FWSmith) has written another book, this time about his experience as a signalman.  I will let you know more after my next trip to Ilkley.

 

The MOS tankers are made from an AIRFIX tank which was shortened, from memory, the lower part of the wagon is based on a Parkside Dundas kit and the rest of the wagon was made from plastic strip and rod from the spares box.  I have used the plastic tube method on the ICI chlorine tankers I made for use on Shap Summit layout.

 

Currently working on customising wagons and locos for use in the 1946 schedule.

 

Tom

Hi there,

I have just found this thread and enjoyed reading through it.  Not sure if this is the right place to ask (not an Rmweb expert) but this post refers to the ammonia tank train.  I am attempting to recreate it on my layout based at the Heysham end of its journey.  The photo shows the tanks branded MOS and numbered 4xx.  I have been trying to resolve whether they were branded MOS or ICI  or was it a period change, and suitable number ranges.  Please do you have a reference.  In photos in the Binns/Smith/Bairstow books, I have been unable resolve this.

Many thanks

Ian

[Jub45565]

10 hours ago, lofty.ian said:

Hi there,

I have just found this thread and enjoyed reading through it.  Not sure if this is the right place to ask (not an Rmweb expert) but this post refers to the ammonia tank train.  I am attempting to recreate it on my layout based at the Heysham end of its journey.  The photo shows the tanks branded MOS and numbered 4xx.  I have been trying to resolve whether they were branded MOS or ICI  or was it a period change, and suitable number ranges.  Please do you have a reference.  In photos in the Binns/Smith/Bairstow books, I have been unable resolve this.

Many thanks

Ian

 

Hi Ian,  welcome aboard - glad you've enjoyed the thread!

 

There were a couple of different types of ammonia tanker (there were two types of ammonia transported, and each type had a couple of variants through time).  The Hornby WD tanker can be used and was seen on this traffic flow, but the more bulbous tank (as shown by Tom in this topic) has also been covered by Dave Franks on his Wharfeside thread, this post covers the build:

 

 

  Tom - did you use a similar method to Dave? Or if not, it would be interesting to hear what bits you used.  Dave's topic does have a few more prototype photos, and references to articles in Railway Archive No's 9, 11, 15, 16

 

[lofty.ian]

Many thanks Pete for your reply.   I actually got to your thread from Dave Franks Wharfedale thread and picking up on the contributors.  Since I haven't the room or time to build everything, I am concentrating on the pressurised bulbous tanks for liquified ammonia (and have had conversations with Dave), and the silver methanol ones (as per the Hornby one).  The other type of ammonia and chlorine are a whole different issue!  Tom has also sent me some info.  The distant photos in the books on Wharfedale railways are worth looking at for the scenery.  I used to live in Bingley and now spend a lot of time in Skipton - love the walking in Wharfedale.  John Isherwood of Cambridge Custom Transfers has also sent me some details.  Like all modelling research the answer to a question raises more issues.  I had only ever seen published photos of the ICI silver methanol tanks with saddle mounting, but John had a photo of one with a cradle mounting.

Thanks again for your help, and I will follow your thread with interest.

Ian

[LMS29]

18 hours ago, Jub45565 said:

 

Tom - did you use a similar method to Dave? Or if not, it would be interesting to hear what bits you used.  Dave's topic does have a few more prototype photos, and references to articles in Railway Archive No's 9, 11, 15, 16

 

 

Pete,

 

From memory (as my railway is still in store at the moment),

 

The original rake of 10 Ammonia tankers were based on some early Dapol unpainted tankers which I kit bashed and finished with some of John's CCT transfers.

 

The MOS tankers were shortened Airfix tanks mounted on Dundas underframes with my hand made cradles and transfer that I made.

 

The Chlorine tankers were made from a plastic pipe that I found with the correct diameter  and the rest of the cradle I constructed from plastic rods etc.. I cannot remember where the underframes came from.  The round yellow cap was a round headed screw with the slot filled!

 

I would like to read the articles you mention, could you PM me where to find the Railway Archives and I will have another look at Dave's thread.  Thanks.

 

Tom

 

[Jub45565]

I grew up in Eldwick, which is where my interest in the area stems from.

 

I think I got my railways archives from Ebay, but of the 4 I think it is the 2nd of real interest (No 9 being very early tankers, and 15/16 being different chemicals) but I will check this after the weekend.

 

There is a really interesting photo in one of, I think, Bairstows books with a WD 2-8-0 and about 5 tankers all of different types! But I'm yet to work out what they all are. I haven't put much effort into this yet though, as I am trying to finish off my 1P, and actually find time to get back on with the shed!

 

Does anyone have any spare round tuits?

[OldRecluse]

Hi All

I’ve just join RMWeb because of reading all the post re: Ilkley loco shed from which I have gleaned some excellent information.   Born and bred in Otley, although having lived in London for 40+ years, I started building a model of Otley station many years ago and, having recently retired, I am working on a representation of Ilkley.  Track is laid, the station building is done and, thanks mainly to your good selves, the loco shed is under construction.  All good, except for the Goods Shed!   Apart from an aerial photo and the photos of Wakefield MRC’’s Ilkley layout in the 1976 Railway Modeller, I have nothing.  Can anyone help?

 

Many thanks.

 

 

[LMS29]

1 hour ago, OldRecluse said:

Hi All

I’ve just join RMWeb because of reading all the post re: Ilkley loco shed from which I have gleaned some excellent information.   Born and bred in Otley, although having lived in London for 40+ years, I started building a model of Otley station many years ago and, having recently retired, I am working on a representation of Ilkley.  Track is laid, the station building is done and, thanks mainly to your good selves, the loco shed is under construction.  All good, except for the Goods Shed!   Apart from an aerial photo and the photos of Wakefield MRC’’s Ilkley layout in the 1976 Railway Modeller, I have nothing.  Can anyone help?

 

Many thanks.

 

 

Hi ?

 

If you scan through this thread, my model of the goods shed  is constructed from photographs and is a reasonable representation and I will try and dig out some others.  Since building it, I am sure that someone has found a drawing of the shed and perhaps others can comment.  My efforts are concentrating on finishing coal wagons at the moment and I will photograph these when they are complete.

 

Why not post some of your photographs to document your progress.  There was an agreement in the early days that we would post anything to do with Ilkley on this thread so we kept all the information together.

Tom

[OldRecluse]

Hi Tom

 

Many thanks for your swift reply.  I shall certainly look back at your photos.  If I post photos of progress so far I shall have to admit to you P4/OO gauge modellers that mine is an N Gauge layout!  That said, I shall include some in my next post.

 

Best regards

Stuart (AKA OldRecluse

[Jub45565]

Hi Stuart,

 

Glad you've enjoyed the topic - there has been a lot of useful information sharing going on!

 

There is a drawing for Ilkley goods shed which 'Sir Douglas' shared here.

 

No problem with N gauge modelling - while there are some things that are scale or gauge specific, there is an awful lot we can learn from each other which is independent of scale!

[LMS29]

Hi Stuart,

 

No problem with N gauge, you have a better chance of fitting in all the track work. As Pete said we have lots of information and Pete thanks for reminding me where the shed drawings came from.

 

Tom

 

 

 

 

[OldRecluse]

Hi Tom and Pete

 

Thanks again for your help.  With the drawings of the Goods Shed and the photos of your layout, Tom, I’m in a much better place to have a go at it.  Any photos of the actual Goods Shed, anyone?

 

Tom, in response to your post please find attached a couple of photos of my attempt at the loco shed so far, in 2mm scale as I model in N Gauge.   A bare shell currently, ready for roofs, the fancy stone (or is that brick?) work at the entrance and other places as well as detail round the windows etc.  The main roof is going to present a challenge!  

 

I have shortened the main shed by 4 windows which I estimate to be about 45 feel in reality.  Space is a factor even in N Gauge!  It’s built around a card shell.  The internal walls are covered in Scalescenes painter brick paper.  The windows are also Scalescenes, although those on the main shed are two windows spliced together to get a more realistic size.  The outer cladding is painted Slaters embossed Plastikard, 2mm dressed stone.

 

i’ll keep you posted on progress!

 

stuart

[LMS29]

On 26/03/2020 at 15:13, OldRecluse said:

 

 

Thanks again for your help.  With the drawings of the Goods Shed and the photos of your layout, Tom, I’m in a much better place to have a go at it.  Any photos of the actual Goods Shed, anyone?

 

 

Stuart,

 

I have had a look for photographs of the shed and have only turned up one on this thread. On Page 6 Andrew published an advert for the footbridge and if you look carefully you can see one end of the Goods Shed.  I have seen others showing the other side of the building and will keep an eye out.  I have a copy of the drawings that 'Sir Douglas' distributed if you need one but that only shows the main shed and not the offices and steps that were attached.

 

My model of the Goods Shed is based partly on memory as I used to walk past it on my way to school in the late '50's early '60's and captures my image of the building.  

 

Tom

[OldRecluse]

Tom

 

Andrew’s advert photo is really useful - thanks for pointing it out.  It’s a bit murky but you can clearly see that the Shed was quite a substantial building.  Pete has sent me a copy of the drawings, but thanks for your offer.

 

i assume you passed the Shed on your way to the Grammar School.  I was at Prince Henry’s in Otley from ‘61 to ‘68.  As captain of our School First XI, I remember playing against Ilkley, knocking you-know-what out of each other on the field on Saturday mornings, then meeting up with the Ilkley lads at the Cow and Calf disco in the evening!  I wasn’t that interested in Goods Sheds back then!

 

Stuart

[LMS29]

1 hour ago, OldRecluse said:

Tom

 

Andrew’s advert photo is really useful - thanks for pointing it out.  It’s a bit murky but you can clearly see that the Shed was quite a substantial building.  Pete has sent me a copy of the drawings, but thanks for your offer.

 

i assume you passed the Shed on your way to the Grammar School.  I was at Prince Henry’s in Otley from ‘61 to ‘68.  As captain of our School First XI, I remember playing against Ilkley, knocking you-know-what out of each other on the field on Saturday mornings, then meeting up with the Ilkley lads at the Cow and Calf disco in the evening!  I wasn’t that interested in Goods Sheds back then!

 

Stuart

 

Stuart,

 

I was at the Grammar School from 58 to 65 so a few years ahead of you and only rose to the dizzy heights of second team captain but it was all good fun!

 

I still have parents in Ilkley so until self isolation arrived, I have driven through Otley on my way to Ilkley on a weekly basis.  What amazes me is that the centres of both towns do not seem to have changed much in all that time.

[LMS29]

In my self-isolation, I have been working on a few projects.  I have finished the first batch of wagons for the Coal and Coke trains that I have mentioned earlier.  My photographs show a mix of wagons from white metal, to plastic kits and some RTR, all have been weathered and fitted with 3 link chain couplings.  The guard's Van is one I made by carving up two kits to make this LNER van many years ago. As this batch seem to have turned out OK for 'layout running', I am now trying to source enough wagons to make a reasonable length train.  I am also on the look out for a photograph of these trains.  I have plenty of Ammonia and Oil train photos but nothing with coal or coke.

 

 

Edited March 28, 2020 by LMS29