Bank Top Yard (Industrial NCB with a touch of the Forest of Dean)

[wigancg]

Errmmm Chris. Where do the trucks and coaches go in that fiddle yard?

 

The fiddle yard in the photos is the one on the end of my Berry Pomeroy layout. The stock lives seperately in compartments and ideal sized shelving within the same room away from non-enthusiast hands...

No coaches will be used on the Bream Yard layout as it is purely a yard for shunting wagons.

 

Chris

[Miss Prism]

May 1958:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7527/15992506637_9b350e60b7_b.jpg

 

Undated:

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/59/16/2591621_0c9deaef.jpg

[wigancg]

May 1958:

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7527/15992506637_9b350e60b7_b.jpg

 

Undated:

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/59/16/2591621_0c9deaef.jpg

 

Is that 6419 alongside 1455 at Monmouth Troy?

Incidentally, I have been devouring this book this week:

 

 

What an absolute joy. Another of Ben Ashworth's masterpieces. VERY useful for selecting locomotives, frieght consists, backscenes...the list could go on as well as just having time away from the rush of 2017 in the armchair with something warm to drink and a biscuit or three...

 

Chris

[Miss Prism]

I think it's 641something, but can't make out the last digit.

[LBRJ]

It looks very like the final digit is a 9 on zooming right in.

[Captain Kernow]

Nice photos of 64XXs at Monmouth, but this isn't the FoD system, of course, despite the geographic proximity.

[wigancg]

Nice photos of 64XXs at Monmouth, but this isn't the FoD system, of course, despite the geographic proximity.

 

 

True. But like our railways, there is always time for a jaunt off topic down a rural branch line backwater

Anyway, yes it does appear that the number on the 64xx at Troy is likely to be 6419 when zoomed up close.

 

Whilst walking in the FoD a couple of weeks ago on a holiday, it was great to come across these two beauties on the former Severn and Wye line. Mierystock Bridge and Tunnel from Serridge Junction to Upper Lydbrook. I recommend going down for the walk and to view these pieces of heritage infrastructure. The northern portal was excavated a few years back in plenty of publicity but now seems to have been forgotten again and it was pretty hard and inaccessible when I tried. At least the southern portal was visible.

 

 

 

Neil Parkhouse's book seemed to feature the tunnel with details so I'm looking forward to reading that section. But for now, I love discovering finds like these... The FoD lines are pretty unique and interesting, even today!

 

Chris

[Derails Models]

Ahh just been informed of this thread! I'm glad to see you took some inspiration from us here! Good to meet you too, in both of my capacties - DFR volunteer and model shop owner.

 

Look forward to the progress, looking good so far! 

Edited September 2, 2017 by Derails Models

[wigancg]

Well, nearly 6 years have passed since the start and last post of this thread!

 

The idea of Bream Yard in the FoD has been changed to Bank Top Colliery. This fictitious location is still intended to be a shunting layout but will be based somewhere within the boundaries of the Western Area of the NCB between the mid to late 1960s and early to mid 1970s.

 

Over the last 6 years I have moved to live in a different part of the UK and now work on the railway itself, which is most satisfying. My skills as a modeller have developed over time and I remain an avid fan of small shunting layouts. So where has this layout been hiding and why is it being resurrected now?

 

1. The layout was wisely kept safe when I moved house and safely stored pending eventual use. A little dusty but not forgotten, the layout works well in terms of the electrics and is in fine fettle.
2. Recently I have had some ill health with setbacks and hospital stays since December 2022. Having recovery time from surgery has enabled me to focus on other things in life as well as getting back to good health. As a result, Bank Top Yard was unearthed and work started to construct this layout in a different guise, mainly to practice my modelling skills and to run small industrial tank locomotives.
3. Huge inspiration has been found in the excellent modelling of Bleat Wharf by Rob from South Wales. His expert modelling skills have given me much encouragement to get this layout progressing.

The track layout is remaining the same and I am intending to have as few buildings as possible to give the layout a spacious, forgotten yard feel at the end of a colliery branch. Some NCB supplies will be catered for by a corrugated shed along with a water tank and a few buildings of industrial use as well as the usual ground detailing.

 

I have spent the last few weeks testing the layout thoroughly with the locomotives I intend to use to ensure smooth operation and have been slowly ballasting each section at a time whilst continuing to play test.

• Kerr Stuart Victory Class (Planet Industrials)
• Hunslet Austerities (DJ Models & EFE Rail)
• Hunslet 16 inch saddle tank (Rapido)
• Pannier tanks (Bachmann)
• W4 Peckett (Hornby)
• 08 shunters (Bachmann & Hornby)
  • (All locomotives and stock appropriately weathered)

 

 

 

I painted the sides of the rails with Humbrol Enamel which works well for me amongst the ballasting.

 

I'm after the yard being an overgrown and forgotten end used mainly for shunting and storing wagons from an off scene colliery. As such, I have been excited to learn and use the technique of static grass among the rails and the rough ground of the yard. So far this seems to be working well around the buffer stops and I am continuing to do this more widely as I go. I am weathering the 'tarmac' ground by hand with a mixture of powders and brushing/rubbing/wiping around. There will be minimal road transport on the layout, just a worn out van and a Mini Clubman of the period.

 

 

Eventually the layout will sit on stands around 5ft 7/8 inches high to allow me to operate with a frame and adequate lighting, perfect for slow shunting to while away an hour or three.

 

All this is helping the recovery anyway from the surgery. :)

Edited March 7, 2023 by wigancg

[wigancg]

Well, I'm currently enjoying learning and playing around with static grass, an area of modelling which I haven't fully explored using myself until now. The results are pleasing anyway.

 

So far I've been weathering around some of the yard on the ground to make it less light grey and beginning to add grass and shaggy areas around the buffer stops and corrugated shed - this also has had some modifications and will have more over time including some climbing weeds and more of a run down appearance.

 

 

 'Linda', one of 3 resident Hunslet Austerity girls posing as usual.

 

I've been experimenting with different grass lengths to try and get the desired effect. Ideally the mid to late summer look with some lighter tones to show damp and growth with scorched and dead strands from the heat.

 

 

 

Pannier 9608 pottering around.

 

Additionally, I've been adding smaller tufts here and there in the 4 foot and cess areas around the yard. I have a pack of these little gems from years ago that I recently happened to stumble on in the modelling boxes, again, to give that woebegone look. These will increase around the yard for sure as we progress.

 

 

Chris :)