Reflections on Peak Forest

[joseph benjamin]

Here's some more photos for 18B. There are two sets of steps for Peak Forest North box to suit each period. 

[Fordbank]

This is a test image to try to work out how or if it is possible to continue to use this layut thread after The Great Image Outage in  March 2022.

 

[Fordbank]

OK. So ....Day Zero.  

Go forward or give up?

 

[Alister_G]

4 hours ago, Fordbank said:

OK. So ....Day Zero.  

Go forward or give up?

 

 

Go forward, definitely.

 

What I and others have done is post a brief summary of photos from the missing period - that's always supposing you saved them some where else.

 

Al.

[Fordbank]

Thanks for the encouragement, Al.

I was unsure whether a similar loss of photos had affected other layout threads.

I'll certainly review ( and edit!) the lost photos with a summary in mind.

Thanks again for the response.

Andy

[Iron Horse]

Please don't give up 😉

[Fordbank]

Back to Life!

Never quite gave up, but the mojo certainly drained away.

 

Now feeling the modelling motivation is coming back and after a two year "lull" I have been enjoying running the loco fleet to test out its ability to withstand a prolongued rest.

 

I was pleased (and surprised) to find the layout performed impeccably once it had received a good going over with the hoover and track rubber. I really should have covered it with dust sheets, but to do so felt too close to a burial shroud!

 

 Sometimes new models spark ideas for new layouts, but for me they can rekindle a flame.

The revival of Peak Forest undoubtedly owes a debt to Accurascale and Revolution Models and the purchase of a new class 37 - 37026 Shapfell - and the delightful inspection saloon Caroline.

 

Both were long awaited but once delivered in the post just demanded to be run on a proper layout.

So away with the cobwebs, and time for a photo or two of Caroline's first visit to Peak Forest Revived....

[innocentman]

13 minutes ago, Fordbank said:

Back to Life!

Never quite gave up, but the mojo certainly drained away.

 

Now feeling the modelling motivation is coming back and after a two year "lull" I have been enjoying running the loco fleet to test out its ability to withstand a prolongued rest.

 

Nice to see you back

[Fordbank]

Caroline gets there first - even before her driver!

Caroline emerges from Great Rocks Tunnel after completing an inspection.

 

 

 

 

 

It took a while and a lot of help from other RMWeb members  ( see Revolution Trains thread )to select and sort a decoder for Caroline  but it is certainly worth the effort to see the lovely interior detail.

Now to source a suitable train crew and retreive that missing ETH  connector from behind the workbench.

 

[Fordbank]

......and the other source of motivation from Accurascale:

 

Shapfell at Peak Forest, 29th November 1995

                                                                                                                  Photo courtesy Marcus

 

'Shapfell stands at Peak Foret Revived awaiting its next duty on the hoppers on 29th September 1991. 37026 had recently transferred from Inverness and still wore its Scottish headlight.'

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Fordbank
Spelling!

[RBE]

Will you be weathering it like in the picture? That would look the business.

[Fordbank]

3 hours ago, RBE said:

Will you be weathering it like in the picture? That would look the business.

That is certainly thhe intention but a bit more practice with the airbrush, and particularly with my fading paintwork techniques are needed before I am let loose on such a fabulous model.

When my skill level is up to scratch I suspect 37026 will be near the front of the queue.

Andy

[Fordbank]

'Let a hundred flowers blossom' or Common Caroline ?

There's certain to be a lot of Inspection Saloons appearing on model layouts pretty soon.

But did Caroline ever visit Peak Forest?

Well apparently so....

DRS 37409 Lord Hinton passes Dove Holes quarry as it approaches Peak Forest with inspection saloon Caroline in tow on 20th April 2017

                                                                                  Photo courtesy of Jon Gavin

           With special thanks to Jon Gavin for the information and photo.

[newbryford]

8 minutes ago, Fordbank said:

'Let a hundred flowers blossom' or Common Caroline ?

There's certain to be a lot of Inspection Saloons appearing on model layouts pretty soon.

But did Caroline ever visit Peak Forest?

Well apparently so....

DRS 37409 Lord Hinton passes Dove Holes quarry as it approaches Peak Forest with inspection saloon Caroline in tow on 20th April 2017

                                                                                  Photo courtesy of Jon Gavin

           With special thanks to Jon Gavin for the information and photo.

 

And not just with a 37.

Just down the line........

(flickr pic)

 

 

[RBE]

3 hours ago, Fordbank said:

That is certainly thhe intention but a bit more practice with the airbrush, and particularly with my fading paintwork techniques are needed before I am let loose on such a fabulous model.

When my skill level is up to scratch I suspect 37026 will be near the front of the queue.

Andy

Look forward to seeing what you do!

[Fordbank]

2 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

And not just with a 37.

Just down the line........

(flickr pic)

 

 

Hmmm....Now, Viridian Green. Would that pehaps justify a trip to Rainbow Railways?

Stop right there. No.

But had I realised Caroline when first rebuit was painted in Viridian green, and that the rebuilt version only received Brunswick (SR) later, I would have preferred the viridian sersion.

Truth is I just didn't want to miss out and had not anticipated Rainbow Railways having so many available. Hindsight eh?

[Fordbank]

Reflections on Caroline (at Peak Forest).

'A Proper Peak Forest shot':

 

47790 + 975025 "Caroline" 2Z02 at Peak Forest 23/04/2014

                                                                                                                                          Photo courtesy Jon Gavin (Flickr)

Thanks again to Jon Gavin and to Mick for the heads up.

 

[Fordbank]

New Arrivals: New Horizons

 

'A new rake of cut down HYA wagons arrives at Peak Forest from WH Davis behind GB Railfreight , 66789, on September 12th 2019.  The older HYA coal hopper wagons were shortened by removing the centre bay as the stone aggregate is more dense than coal.'

 

 

 

 

'The new HYAs are pushed back into the Cemex reception sidings at Dove Holes Quarry by the resident shunter 56302. 

 

 

'The ex Fastline class 56, itself a relative new arrival at Peak Forest in October 2018, was on hire to Victa Rail who at this time had the contract with GB Railfreight to provide a shunter for Dove Holes Quarry. The days of a resident 08 having long passed.'

 

 

 

[Fordbank]

Hired by the Class 56 Group to Victa Railfreight to fulfil shunting duties at Dove Holes Quarry, 56301 draws forward a rake of MMAs on 18th August 2018.  56301 was released new from Doncaster works as 56058 in June 1978.

                                                                                                               Photo Stephen Stubbs (Flickr)

[newbryford]

6 hours ago, Fordbank said:

New Arrivals: New Horizons

 

'A new rake of cut down HYA wagons arrives at Peak Forest from WH Davis behind GB Railfreight , 66789, on September 12th 2019.  The older HYA coal hopper wagons were shortened by removing the centre bay as the stone aggregate is more dense than coal.'

 

 

 

 

'The new HYAs are pushed back into the Cemex reception sidings at Dove Holes Quarry by the resident shunter 56302. 

 

 

'The ex Fastline class 56, itself a relative new arrival at Peak Forest in October 2018, was on hire to Victa Rail who at this time had the contract with GB Railfreight to provide a shunter for Dove Holes Quarry. The days of a resident 08 having long passed.'

 

 

 

 

And wait for the graffiti to appear......

[Fordbank]

1 hour ago, newbryford said:

 

And wait for the graffiti to appear......

T'other side of the hills.

Peak Forest Revived reflects the real world; it does not follow it slavishly.

Of course the truth is I have yet to learn to weather the stock on PFR never mind reflect the avante guarde of modern modelling. Not sure I will find my way to the Derby School.

But there is an airbrush buried somewhere in the train garage....

( And Bankfield? Will it too succumb to the spray can? )

[newbryford]

20 minutes ago, Fordbank said:

 

( And Bankfield? Will it too succumb to the spray can? )

 

Bankfield already has and is awaiting Revolution HOAs as the next "victim"......

 

[Fordbank]

New Arrivals.2  - A New Golden Age?

 

There can be no doubt that the arrival of a fleet of new high quality models reflecting the boom in new aggregate rolling stock purchased by the big three railfreight companies has revived interest in Peak Forest.

The last eight years have seen the release of HIA hoppers and MJA boxes from Dapol(2015): wonderful MMA box wagons from Revolution in 2018: shortie HYAs from Accurascale (2021): with HOAs and more MMAs still to come. Moreover accurate models of the necessary traction has not been overlooked with firstly the Hattons 66 and now its improved sibling offering real potential.

Holding the line at 2003 was always going to be difficult. But the arrival of 60044 Dowlow, 66789 British Rail,  66623, and new rakes of HIAs,HYAs, & MJAs have swept away the original notion of a finite time period. (The Curse of Modern Image?)

So I am now, as can be seen already, resigned to reflecting a second chapter of Peak Forest Revived. 

Finance and reason will no doubt continue to prevent PFR ever becoming a full imitation, but there is now a new wider time period to reflect upon.

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Fordbank
Grammar.

[Fordbank]

11 minutes ago, newbryford said:

Bankfield already has and is awaiting Revolution HOAs as the next "victim"......

Just like so many others, I'm sure, I can't wait.

[Fordbank]

Class 60s Revived!

In recent years Peak Forest has become a welcome (and final?) bastion for the class 60.

Peak Forest revived would be a pretty poor reflection without a class 60 or two. Luckily Hornby took the trouble to produce a very nicely performing model in a fair range of liveries, and consequently several found their way to Peak Forest Revived.

But as many modellers soon realised all was not well. Hornby’s class 60 could not haul anything. Well not if you wanted it to stay on the rails.

A multitude of modelling modifications are doubtless to be found on more relevant threads on RMWeb, but the chosen route to a successful solution on PFR was the replacement of the troublesome tension hook with a simple brass wire bar.

 

Peak Forest Revived's Class 60 fleet line up to show off their new coupling bars

 

The bars are still waiting some matt black paint to render them a little less conspicuous, prior to adding some buffer beam detail.

 

The results were excellent.

Whereas previously every Hornby class 60 was sidelined from any running session, they now perform faultlessly and their fine running characteristics are now brought to the fore. Thus modified all the 60s on Peak Forest Revived have given hours of effective hauling through all of the pointwork, crossovers and second radius curves in the off scene.

Any limitations? Well, yes. Whilst the simple bar couplings haul perfectly they are less effective at propelling when the locomotive is required to push back a heavy rake of wagons. On straight track and through large radius points buffer to buffer contact is fine; but through small or medium crossovers or around the tightest curves on the layout the buffers interlock and a derailment ensues.

The plan is not to modify the bar coupling on the loco but to adapt the tension lock on the first  wagon of the rake. The idea is to increase the depth of the tension lock bar to ensure that it engages with the wire bar on the loco.

Will it work? We’ll see.

…and in the meantime I’m now happy with my fleet of hauling 60s.

 

PS  A particular thanks to @Newbryford who, by taking the trouble to explain exactly where to drill on the buffer beam, gave me the confidence to apply power tools to valued models.