Modelling the M&CR's branch lines in EM gauge

[CKPR]

Work in progress - I still need to trim down Mealsgate but half the new storage units are assembled and in place. In between all of this work, I've restarted work on the buildings with a small hut (PW gang and/or possibly the oil and lamp store ?), which I'm hacking out of the trusty Ratio weighbridge office. By coincidence or because there's only so many ways to build a stone hut, this kit is pretty close to the M&CR's "house style" for lineside and yard huts (or should that be "hut style" ?!). Right, back to the flatpack assembling.

Edited December 3, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

More proof of progress - the Bren Gun Carrier Mk1 pictured at...ermm,Tywyn Wharf ?! 

[CKPR]

Services have returned to Mealsgate with No.26 drawing the branch train out of the carriage siding ready for a run to 'Spatry [Aspatria] , No.18 shunting two horseboxes and No.7 running light over the Bolton Loop from Aikbank Junction via High Blaithwaite, Mealsgate & Baggra' [Baggrow].

Edited January 6 by CKPR

[Coal Tank]

I particularly like the horse box with the raised roof.

[CKPR]

5 minutes ago, Coal Tank said:

I particularly like the horse box with the raised roof.

Thanks - If you go back through this forum, you'll find a thread on the building of this horsebox with some discussion about the provenance of the prototype (another instance of the M&CR havin deek aboot Carlisle for some inspiration, this time from the Caley ?)

[Caley Jim]

1 hour ago, CKPR said:

 (another instance of the M&CR havin deek aboot Carlisle for some inspiration, this time from the Caley ?)

Yes, indeed. The CR had some early similar asymmetrical ones with a raised centre section. 

 

Jim 

[WFPettigrew]

2 hours ago, CKPR said:

deek aboot

Not an expression that gets used enough on RMWeb I feel! (Eh.)

[CKPR]

Or more generally. I was just recalling with an old mate, sorry marra, that my West Cumbrian vocabulary didn't survive my first year at university in the face of blank incomprehension. Mind you, I was one of the few Northerners at Durham...

Edited December 10, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

Currently ballasting the relaid trackwork and relaying the carriage siding for a second time. There was a distinct wind to it, probably due to 'old' ballast and I've taken it up. This is when I admire the P4 modellers building track in situ on templates, etc. Perhaps when I make a start on the Embleton or Bromfield cameo layouts, I might have a go at upping my game when it comes to the trackwork and build it myself (and get it right first time).

[CKPR]

I took my mum to an O/P appointment at Wigton Hospital today and whilst she was being seen, I went into the town to find Jacksons model shop. This turned out to be a most excellent proper model shop and I've stocked up various scenic materials to supplement the DAS and textured paint already in stock. 

Edited December 21, 2023 by CKPR

[Edwardian]

15 minutes ago, CKPR said:

I took my mum to an O/P appointment at Wigton Hospital today and whilst she was beibg seen, I went into the town to find Jacksons model shop. This turned out to be a most excellent proper model shop and I've stocked up various scenic materials to supplement the DAS and textured paint already in stock. 

 

While not wanting to detract from the most important thing here, your mother's continued good health, I am strangely fascinated by the idea of "a most excellent proper model shop", because they are becoming as hen's teeth. 

 

Only an hour and 20 from me. Wigton here I come!

 

 

[CKPR]

3 hours ago, Edwardian said:

Only an hour and 20 from me. Wigton here I come!

 

 

Well worth a visit - as well as model railways, they stock a good selection of wargaming supplies and practically a wall of Tamiya military kits just like model shops from the 1970s & 80s. You can also visit Carlisle and go to the ever excellent C&M Models as well. Both shops are within easy walking distance of stations on the M&CR - what more could you want ?!

Edited December 21, 2023 by CKPR

[Edwardian]

16 minutes ago, CKPR said:

Well worth a visit - as well as model railways, they stock a good selection of wargaming supplies and practically a wall of Tamiya military kits just like model shops from the 1970s & 80s. You can also visit Carlisle and visit the ever excellent C&M Models as well. Both shops are within easy walking distance of stations on the M&CR - what more could you want ?!

 

I've always liked Carlisle, and was particularly glad to see it when last I was there, having walked from Newcastle!

[Edwardian]

On 08/12/2023 at 15:10, CKPR said:

Services have returned to Mealsgate with No.26 drawing the branch train out of the carriage siding ready for a run to 'Spatry [Aspatria] , No.18 shunting two horseboxes and No.7 running light over the Bolton Loop from Aikbank Junction via High Blaithwaite and Baggra' [Baggrow].

 

These are stunning

[Mol_PMB]

On 08/12/2023 at 15:10, CKPR said:

Services have returned to Mealsgate with No.26 drawing the branch train out of the carriage siding ready for a run to 'Spatry [Aspatria] , No.18 shunting two horseboxes and No.7 running light over the Bolton Loop from Aikbank Junction via High Blaithwaite and Baggra' [Baggrow].

One of the appealing features of the pre-grouping railways is how many different number series they had for subtly different categories of vehicles. Two number 4's here, but I'd put money on there also being a loco 4, a carriage 4, a coal wagon 4 etc! Computers nowadays would throw a wobbly.

[Compound2632]

15 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

One of the appealing features of the pre-grouping railways is how many different number series they had for subtly different categories of vehicles. Two number 4's here, but I'd put money on there also being a loco 4, a carriage 4, a coal wagon 4 etc! Computers nowadays would throw a wobbly.

 

A 19th-century railway would typically give you:

Locomotive No. 1

First Class Carriage No. 1

Composite Carriage No. 1

Second Class Carriage No. 1

Third Class Carriage No. 1

Passenger Break Van No. 1

Horse Box No. 1

Carriage Truck No. 1

Goods Wagon No. 1

Goods Break Van No. 1

- these being the categories of vehicles whose totals were reported to the Board of Trade in the Railway Returns. From 1868, goods wagon totals were reported by type: cattle wagons, open goods wagons, covered goods wagons, timber trucks, etc. but thankfully as far as I'm aware no company adopted separate number series for these.

Those companies that had post office vehicles generally numbered them in a separate series, too.

[GMKAT7]

Good evening CKPR,

 

Apologies but I have only just found your thread and I must commend you on your great taste in music.

 

I refer to the December 3rd post with the Nelsonica poster in the photo.

Bill is one of my all-time musical heroes, since first hearing Drastic Plastic and seeing him on that tour way back in 1978 (gulp!)

I have a large number of his albums, both in vinyl and mp3 format and enjoyed his work with David Sylvian (another of my musical heroes).

 

My son is currently at Durham but is often accused of being a southerner. How the East Midlands (Derby) constitutes the South is beyond me. However, his girlfriend is a Jarrow lass, so he can blend in better now 😂

 

Anyway, enough thread diversion from me, back to pre-grouping railway models.

 

Cheers, Nigel.

[Mol_PMB]

Even within the wagon fleet, the Festiniog railway had separate number series for:

slate waggons

slate slab waggons

bolster waggons

coal waggons

goods vans

goods brake vans

meat van (there was only No.1 of those)

Locos, carriages, passenger brake vans all had separate series too.

[CKPR]

2 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

Two number 4's here

Ah yes, the M&CR and it's reserve lists. At one point, there were at least four engines on the reserve list, being renumbered R1, R2, etc. Photographic evidence suggests that these engines were mostly used on the Derwent branch and possibly on the Bolton Loop as well (currently away from my library so can't check my back issues of the CRA journal) along with the older 6w and 4w carriages. 

Edited December 21, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

13 hours ago, GMKAT7 said:

Bill is one of my all-time musical heroes, since first hearing Drastic Plastic and seeing him on that tour way back in 1978 (gulp!)

 

 

 

Hi Nigel

Good to hear from another member of the August Order of Nelsonians ! I got on board a bit later with 'Sound on sound' and 'Quit dreaming and get on the beam' , just in time to start getting the marvellous Cocteau Collectors LPs as they were released. I'll confess that I didn't immediately make the link with BeBop Deluxe but that was a treat in store. I last saw him live performing with Ian Nelson when they toured with The Lost Satellites. Definitely one of the most under-appreciated musicians as I'm sure you'd agree. 

Edited December 22, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

More progress, if only of re-uniting the various parts of Mealsgate. I had previously made a start on both Mealsgate and Allhallows signal boxes [for more on the restoration of the latter, go to the "Lost Railways of Cumbria" website]. For the first time, these can be placed on their correct positions with Mealsgate SB at the end of the platform adjacent to the station building, of which more anon, and Allhallows SB on the other side of the road bridge on the approach to the station. Mealsgate is, of course, the 'wrong' way round at the moment but the controls were originally put on this side for the Workington exhibition. Therefore, I need to move the controls to the other side before I can properly re-orientate the whole layout  i.e. so that the line comes in from the left-hand side. For anyone confused by the previous references to the "Bolton Loop", (a) this is Bolton in west Cumberland and (b) the line was two branches, one from Aspatria and the other from Aikbank Jct near Wigton, both of which terminated at Mealsgate.

Edited December 29, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

Happy Christmas to one and all from a miniature Edwardian north west Cumberland (said he typing this near Ludlow in the 21st century) - no more modelling for now until next year.

Edited December 25, 2023 by CKPR

[CKPR]

No new modelling but the box containing the signal boxes also contained a couple of other M&CR buildings, namely Dearham Bridge station building and a yard building from Bullgill. These have done stand in duty on 'Mealsgate' but were built for my long scrapped layout, ' Linefoot Junction'. This was only ever seen by the Manchester group of the EMGS and some of you might recall our stand (and my older M&CR and Furness models) at the MMRS exhibitions at the CWS New Century Hall.

Edited January 6 by CKPR

[CKPR]

Happy New Year from 'Mealsgate', where it's 1908...again (could be worse as if I ever build the M&CR mainline, it'll be a recurring 1973 !).

[CKPR]

Still nowt new but I thought I would get out the wagons specifically built for the coal traffic originating at 'Mealsgate', namely the scratchbuilt Allerdale Colliery Co.  side door hoppers and the Smallbrook Studios  ex-NER P1 chaldrons working out of Allhallows Colliery to Maryport docks.  Now, if anyone would like to do some lettering for the ACC wagons [see Hudson "PO Wagons vol.1" plate 49]...

 

The lower picture illustrates more of the idiosyncrasies of the track layout at 'Mealsgate' - from left to right, there is the Bolton Loop line (closed in 1921, making Mealsgate into a branch terminal from Aspatria), the run round loop /goods line, which needs a buffer stop, and the line going off to Allhallows colliery.

Edited January 5 by CKPR