Trainspotting at Little Benton Sidings, Newcastle.

[rowanj]

There were 2 paths each weekday for freight traffic between Blyth and Heaton North Yard, though, latterly, there wasnt always sufficient traffic to warrant 2 trips.  The J27 from South Blyth makes it way to Heaton to collect the PM trip back to Blyth, as only 1 trip is needed today.

The loco is the unusual  65863 which retained the long smokebox after superheating was removed. The camera has kindly emphasised the dodgy handrails. The brake van started as a Dapol BR kit. I made a few of the more obvious mods to convert it to an LNER Toad - full door, shortened footboards, steel platform ends, upright vac pipe and mods to roof. I should have altered the lamp irons too, so might get round to that.

[tlm]

Just found this topic, so huge thanks rowanj for reviving so many fond early 60s memories.

 

A little to the North as you say was Benton Quarry Junction with, as you approach from the Newcastle direction, a North West curve to the Blyth and Tyne at Benton station, and a North East Curve joining the Blyth and Tyne towards Blyth and the Coast. There was also a curve in the other direction from the North joining the Blyth and Tyne just to the east of the North West curve junction at Benton station.

I spent many long hours in the 60s recording trains from a house opposite the signal half way up the North East curve. The North East Curve is quite a climb, and in inclement weather if a steam hauled train of any length was held at that signal, as often as not it would get stuck and need a banker, although I do have one amazing recording of some seriously skilful driving as a 4MT struggles up the bank unaided with multiple slipping. I suspect the signalman was in constant contact, as the loco had already slipped past the signal when an EMU is heard passing. The banker when required was usually there within 15 minutes at most - with the exchange of whistles as it arrived and when they were ready for the off - so I would not be at all surprised if one was stationed in inclement weather at Little Benton Sidings rather than having to come from Heaton - pretty smart signalling work required mindful of the passage over the ECML, which was much busier then than it is now.

The early to mid 1960s saw a variety of locos both on the North East Curve and also using the North Tyneside line, including J26s and J27s, Q6s, K1s, Ivatt 4MTs, WDs, 9Fs, 24s, 25s, Claytons, and EE1s and 3s (20s and 37s to those of a younger age !) mainly on coal drags and the return empties, Gresley articulated EMUs on the North Tyneside passenger workings with DMUs on the Blyth and Newbiggin services, with the EMUs replaced in 1967 by a motley collection of other DMUs, and also a facinating selection of all sorts of locos and stock, including some notable rarities, on fairly frequent ECML weekend diversions via the North East Curve. A rarity I used to catch en route to school until about 1964 was the 08.18 service from Benton to Manors (ex Blyth I think) which even at that last date was still a V3 with a 3 or 4 coach rake of Thompson suburbans.

On one point you raised, it was rare though not uncommon for EMUs to use the North West Curve, and I can well remember a particular occasion when I traveled that route in one when a K1 had derailed at the entrance to Benton Station Yard and services from the Coast were reversed at Benton, down the North West Curve and thence to Newcastle via Heaton and vice versa for most of that day. Empty stock from Gosforth Car Sheds would also frequently use that route to get to and from Heaton and Newcastle.

[rowanj]

Thanks for the post, tlm. It was nice to see first hand memories of the area in the timescale I model. 

Most of the locos you mention are in my roster. I was interested in noting that you saw WD's and 9F's. I run them, but confess I have no photographic evidence of them beyond Newcastle or Heaton. Similarly, I have resisted getting a J26, lacking evidence of any around Tyneside.

I'm not such a purist as all that, however. A T1 appears, as does a Q7 and O1 from Tyne Dock. An N5 from Sunderland and A5 and A8, which never  seemed to cross the "Transpontyne" are run on extras of various dubious authenticity, and I have several wholly improbable visitors including a W1,N15,K1/1 and K4, C12 and O2 and O4's which never saw anything north of York, never mind Newcastle.

Building a model of my childhood spotting point has opened me up to all sorts of interesting research, which has been almost as good as the actual modelling, especially during these "interesting" times.

Thanks again for the post, and please keep in touch.

John

 

[rowanj]

Ex-works G5 has a Morpeth-Newcastle all-stations to Central SO. The passengers who got on the first couple of stops and were used to plenty of empty seats will have been frustrated at Killingworth, as there was a race meeting at Gosforth Park and the train will now be full of punters boasting of winnings and bemoaning losses, no doubt helped by a modest intake of alcohol.

On busy race days, extras were provided to the additional terminus platforms at Killingworth, and these trains justify some of my locos which were based rather further afield. In this case however, the punters just took a train which happened to arrive as they were waiting,

[Sandhole]

On 30/01/2022 at 13:05, rowanj said:

Though not very exciting in modelling terms, the spotters will be jumping up and down. it must be Sept 1962 and pioneer Brush Type 4 D1500 of Finsbury Park heads for Edinburgh on one of its' first trips North. The loco is re-numbered Heljan, with paintwork toned-down using Humbrol enamel weathering paints, which I have still to get used to.  The train has a pair of coaches for Inverness at the front, one being a re-sided Thompson CK.

I vividly remember seeing my first 47 standing light engine at the East end of Central, by King Edward Bridge, as we came in on a DMU having been shed-bashing at Blaydon. I cant recall the number, but do remember wondering what on earth the loco was. Happy days.

 

My first Brush 4 was at Sheffield Victoria in the 60s.
Dad and I had travelled over there behind an EM2 to see if we could see 'Falcon'.
We did see an EE Type 1, my first.
Regards,
Chris.

[rowanj]

This RSH is one of a pair built in 1954 for use at Ashington, in particular for the miner's passenger service on the system, though it was also used in "regular" colliery traffic. There isn't a kit available as far as I know but a great pal wanted something similar for his own layout and kindly agreed to build me one too. To my great embarrassment, I found a few very visible detail differences between the two, but he pushed on regardless. For every idiot in this hobby, there are a thousand stars.

 

No 40 is presently being restored on the Weardale Railway. All I added to the body I was given was some cab interior. I removed the vacuum pipes carried in preservation. NCB Blue comes from Halfords Vauxhall Royal Blue. Some transfers and a builders plate are still to be added. I'll coal and glaze it once all the transfers are applied.. The chassis is Electrotren, and as a result the wheels are 2mm underscale. The best I could do for coaching stock was my rake of ex-NER from Worsley and D&S.

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

A right old mixture at Little Benton South. The locos are 60046, 60512 and RSH no 40.

 

The A2/3 is bog-standard Hornby, which I got along with 60501 on release. I replaced the nameplates on both, though, as the locos are fine for Little Benton, I didnt need to renumber them. I thought the printed plate on 512 particularly lacked sufficient relief, though, looking at the photo, I may need to revisit my fixing. Something seems off.

 

60046 is a Wills/Comet concoction, heavily weathered after transfer to 64B. I'm having a bit of a fight to get this to run well, and tonight I think I have spotted a flaming insulated wheel, where too much flux has damaged the paper washer. This may be one to put away and revisit after it has staggered back to Edinburgh on the freight turn to which it has been relegated

 

Finally, No 40 has been stabled waiting for a path back to Ashington after a visit to works. It just needs a works plate fitted to be complete. I dont always bother with them, but photos of even scruffy NCB locos in Northumberland show a very prominent Dark Red plate, usually on the bunker side, and its' absence on this model is a bit of a sore point - typical modellers' pickiness on some things while prepared to ignore others.

 

[rowanj]

I have a drawer of Kirk coaches, built at least 20 years ago, and they are, therefore, in a condition appropriate to the quality of my building at the time (i.e awful) and the relative crudeness (not intended as a criticism of the kits themselves- they were great for their day). I thought I would play with a few more, having upgraded a few non-vestibules and a FB during lockdown, with a modicum of success.

The first tackled is the Dia 167 Buffet. New bogies are the main imperative, but I also added additional underframe details from MJT/ABS/Dart Castings and here is what may be a rake on test. The O3 is Bachmann- a really early version, and the J77 is a North Eastern Models kit.

Edited February 10, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

A few more trains passing by, This is all that normally happened at Little Benton in real life by the time we went there- no shunting, little or nothing held at signals.

Some of what's here...

Dave Alexander Q7 with Parkside 24T hoppers from Burradon Colliery to Stella South Power 

Class 104 (110 conversion) Alnwiick-Newcastle

EE Type 4 Blue Spot Fish Aberdeen -York

Brush 2 on empty cattle wagons to Morpeth/Alnmouth

V3 Blyth- Newcastle Central

RSH No 40 on fictitious Ashington Colliery "miners' Pullman"

Brush 4 Kings X-Glasgow

Deltic on Elizabethan (x 2)

North Eastern Kits J77 on ECS (testing coach running)

Brush 2 Berwick - Newcastle 

 

 

 

[rowanj]

it's a Summer Saturday, so anything might happen. Even so, this train was a bit of a mystery to the lads on the fence. Royal Scot's from the Midlands and North West were occasional visitors on excursions and reliefs. The consensus was that this is an excursion to Whitley Bay, which may well be true as the signals at LB North show the train signalled to take the North-East curve to join the North Tyne Loop and come into Whitley from the clockwise direction. The combination of an LMS loco and LNER coaches, however, makes identification of the origin of the train problematic. 46162 did get to Newcastle, and I have the photographic evidence. I also have great photo of a Whitley excursion from Workington behind an un-named Patriot, so "strangers" did get there. Whether they passed Little Benton using the ECML is unknown, as an alternative route along the North Tyneside loop would get them to Newcastle, travelling either via Wallsend or Longbenton.

 

More prosaically, the coaches are actually part of my on-going repairs to some coaches, and the Scot has been dug out to give it an occasional run.

[rowanj]

A few more trains at Little Benton. This collection are RTR bodies, modified to a greater or lesser extent.

The J39 is renumbered and paired with an earlier GS tender - the only one Heaton had in this combination. Otherwise it is standard Bachmann. A1/1 is a cut and shut Hornby with some resin parts from Graeme King, and runs on a modified Comet A3 chassis. The Peak is just re-numbered Bachmann, as is Bronzino, with the extra addition of a double chimney. Finally comes my Brit, originally a Hornby tender-drive, modified as suggested by Tony Wright on a Comet chassis, and used as a weathering project.

[rowanj]

There is a current discussion ongoing on Tony Wright's thread about the merits of the latest Bachmann V2, and this prompted me to post the attached photos of my "home-made " version. I thought I may as well put the photos on my own thread.

I built this V2 several years ago, as an old fashioned cut-and -shut. If I recall correctly, it was based on a suggestion made by Graeme King when he was developing his resin version.

The boiler is a shortened Triang A3, I think the smokebox is from the same source, but can't quite remember, The cab is a Hornby tender-drive A4, and the footplate is either Bachmann or GBL. I added a few wiggly pipes a la TW, and paired it with a Bachmann stepped GS tender .For variety, I lined the firebox band, as Darlington did when they started servicing the class after Doncaster ceased. It runs on an original split chassis, and runs well.

[rowanj]

60016 heads for Newcastle on an unidentified express, Silver King seemed to be fairly elusive and was the only A4 I never saw, despite it being a local one. Here, it's testing another addition to my rebuilt Kirks rake. I have discovered an interesting working to use these coaches on, but more of that later...

I still have a couple of Kirk CK's and an FK to work on. The CK's I think, are Dia 111. I have a book of drawings which these, but they are a bit confusing to my feeble brain, in that it looks like the sides of the CK are identical to an SK built at the same time. I need to check this out, but if anyone knows...

[rowanj]

Summer saw a couple of SO "holiday" trains from Scotland, including one to Scarborough and another to Whitley Bay. The Whitley Bay train from Glasgow, and its' return working is shown in the 1956 WTT as a 10-coach rake consisting BSK (3 compt), 2xCK, 6xSK BSK (3 compt). No catering is listed. I can represent one BSK and the CK's, but after that, my train is fiction. I have a couple of SO's, and a 4-compartment BSK, but currently have resorted to an Full Kitchen and FO, which at least gives the passengers something to eat. 

The interesting thing for me is that the rake, having dropped off its' holidaymakers, then was shunted to Little Benton where it was parked for the week. Two rakes were used, and I assume that they wold be older Gresley, rather than Mk1 stock at that time. Can you imagine the accountants faces if that was proposed today.

I have no photos of the real thing in this period, but assume it was a 64B turn, so I have supplied an A3, albeit a bit out of time, as it is my Wills/Comet/Dave Alexander (tender) model with double chimney and late crest. But it completes the scene in that all the coaches are either Kirk or re-sided Hornby, so "all my own work". At Newcastle, I suspect the A3 would come off and a V1/3 then take the train to Whitley. I spent many Saturday afternoons near Wallsend on the North Tyneside route and they were the only classes of steam I ever saw on passenger trains, normally en-route to Tyne Commission Quay and the ferries to Bergen and Oslo.

 

I've attached a further picture of my LRM N8 on a pick-up goods. I assume Darlington lined the freight-only loco to make life awkward for ham-fisted modellers.

[rowanj]

These are a couple of highly unlikely visitors. 92178 is from 34E, and is a GBL ex-Evening Star on a Hornby Railroad chassis. The tender body was from the GBL 76xxx, if I remember correctly. The loco must have somehow got to Millerhill, and is returning on a fully-fitted freight.

The D10 is even more unlikely. It started as a GBL D11, and runs on a GEM chassis, I suppose it must be on an enthusiasts' special, though I can't explain the non-vestibule stock. 

I like to dig out little-used locos from time to time to check they still go, hence the appearance of this pair.

Edited March 3, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

This brace of Thompson's is more possible, though the B16/3 will have almost certainly be a cop. They did get to Newcastle reasonably often, though rarely further north. The PDK kit was, I think, the second etched kit I built, and I suppose it shows.

61014 is renamed/numbered original Bachmann, split chassis and all. It was a regular around Tyneside, and I have a couple of photos of it at Little Benton. I gave it an overspray of Railmatch Weather Black, and I seem to have left a mark on the boiler-or is it an oil spill? I like Railmatch cans, but they must have the worst nozzles ever invented - always blocking. 

[rowanj]

The ever-expanding rake of 24.5T mineral wagons - now up to 8- head back to Burradon, All of this train are kits. 65813 is a Dave Alexander kit, and the wagons and ex-LNER brake are Parkside. Strictly speaking, the wagons should be empties, having delivered their load to Stella North (or South). 

[rowanj]

A bit of movement around Little Benton South. Heaton's ex-works K3 61885 has a rake of tank wagons headed for Teesside. The loco is a GBL body on an SEF chassis. Most of the wagons are ex-Mainline or early Bachmann, bought second-hand in a variety of liveries, then re-wheeled, new couplings fitted, painted with Halfords Matt black. Transfers are Fox.

The A3 -Wills/Dave Alexander tender/Comet chassis-takes a Southern Pride FO Cravens prototype to Heaton Yard. I believe this coach was used in The Heart of Midlothian, and, one day, it may be again.

 

Edited March 14, 2022 by rowanj

[46256]

Hello John nice to see the Cravens prototype coach being given a run, as a matter of interest do you know what the white coloured windows concealed? Best wishes Brian 

[rowanj]

35 minutes ago, 46256 said:

Hello John nice to see the Cravens prototype coach being given a run, as a matter of interest do you know what the white coloured windows concealed? Best wishes Brian 

It was to protect the modesty of folk "washing their hands", Brian

[rowanj]

The irony of D2179 on a LOCO Coal is not lost on me. The loco is an old Bachmann which suffered the dreaded split-axle sickness. I stripped in down and superglued the errant wheel sets, then had the devils' own job getting them all quartered, How long it will all last is problematic, but for now it runs really well. Percy Main got an early allocation of O3's, and so let's assume that is the destination of this short rake- a mix of Parkside and Colin Ashby kits. The loco will become D2092.

 

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by rowanj

[Sandhole]

Just now, rowanj said:

The irony of D2192 on a LOCO Coal is not lost on me. The loco is an old Bachmann which suffered the dreaded split-axle sickness. I stripped in down and superglued the errant wheel sets, then had the devils' own job getting them all quartered, How long it will all last is problematic, but for now it runs really well. Percy Main got an early allocation of O3's, and so let's assume that is the destination of this short rake- a mix of Parkside and Colin Ashby kits.

Great to see you resurrecting an old Bachmann model.
There's life in the old dog yet.
Regards,
Chris.

 

[46256]

Hello John if they go again on then I think Peters spares do replacement inner gears.
 

I wondered given the amount of windows covered…very generous  accommodation for that activity, rather than the usual little closet provided. It probably had an en suite and bidet!

[rowanj]

Classic NE, as the last D20 heads on an all-stations to Alnmouth, passing an N10 on the LOCO coal. The D20 is modified DJH with a Dave Alexander tender, and the N10 is from Dave's much-missed line of kits.

[rowanj]

Here are a couple of Haymarket's "second-string" Pacifics passing Little Benton South. Honeyway is on a semi-fast Newcastle Edinburgh, while Highland Chieftain has a Class A freight.

Actually, Haymarket seemed to like both classes well enough, especially ex-works. There are plenty of photos of A2/1's, including 507, on the titled trains, My photos include the Queen of Scots, Heart of Midlothian and Talisman. Honeyway was that anomaly which seemed to happen in BR days, of sticking a lone member of a class at a particular shed. What was the thinking? Was it to give staff knowledge of the class? There was no particular traffic from 64B to need an A2/3 rather than, say an A2. So why was Honeyway at 64B while 60508 was at 31A? Surely it would have made sense to swap them.

Reading about the A2/1,2,3's, it seems to me that they were better liked, or at least tolerated, away from ex-GN hands (other than the A2/2's, I suppose, where the Scottish Sheds longed for the P2's to re-appear). I can find no evidence of inherent dislike of the classes at York, Gateshead or Heaton,

The A2 is DJH, on an SEF chassis after I cocked up the one with the kit The A2/1 is GBL A4 cab and tender, Triang A3 boiler, Graeme King resin parts, on modified Bachmann A2 chassis,

Edited April 1, 2022 by rowanj