Trainspotting at Little Benton Sidings, Newcastle.

[rowanj]

Heaton K3 on "The Magnetic Express"

Unlike on the GN, I have no photographic evidence of a K3 on passenger work in the NE,  certainly around Tyneside, I Imagine there were sufficient Pacifics, V2;s and B1's allocated locally  to make it unneccesary. So quite why 52B has provided one is a mystery, The train is a Newcastle- Edinburgh all-stations (of which there were many), so a GUV has been added for the considerable volume of parcels to be dropped off and collected. The K3 will probably come off at Berwick, though it could certainly work the full route = Heaton and St Margarets used K3's extensively on the fitted freights to and from Tyneside to Millerhill. 

The train, with the GUV is 6-coaches, and the magnetic couplings are certainly strong enough. The GUV is Lima, and sat in a drawer for years. Originally yellow, I sprayed it and lined it probably 30 years ago but never got round to fitting transfers. I dug it out with a view to upgrading it, but the only description I found on line was one on RMWeb suffered from lost-photos syndrome. I fitted Bachmann Mk1 bogies, and have ordered transfers from DC Concepts. I may upgrade the underframe fittings -though they dont look too bad, and will re-paint the roof, I'll leave it on this rake, along with its' Hornby Railroads and modified/re-sided GBL coaches. proper budget modelling.

Edited August 2, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

The Magnetic Express has taken about a week to get to Little Benton North, but the spotters have noted that the Lima Guv has acquired a grey roof and DC Concepts transfers. I painted the wheel on the underframe and I think, from normal viewing distance, it looks OK. from close up, that's another story.

I'm currently assembling a 1956/7 Queen of Scots using the latest Hornby all-steels, which are currently out of production. I still need a pair of First Class Parlours, which seem particularly thin on the ground. I've enjoyed the research to get a reasonably accurate rake, but admit it hasnt been easy. When the pair of 3rd Class Kitchens arrive, I'll add a bit more info on what I have done.

[rowanj]

The Down Queen of Scots passes Little Benton South, hauled as usual by a Haymarket A3, The cars are all the latest Hornby all-steel models, and the consist is OK  for a FO service in the Winter WTT for 1956-58  I need to decide what to do about the roof colour, and there are some dupications in car numbers which I need to think about and sort. There are, correctly, a pair of First Class Kitchen Cars, but no Parlour First- I havent been able to find one,

What I may do, to provide a bit of variety, is get a matchboard or steel-plated Parlour First - there are a couple on Ebay.Can anyone suggest a suitable donor, and an appropriate re-name for a habitant of the ER/NER in the mid-50;s?

i havent had to do as much research to get this far since I was in Uni, and I still havent graduated. Almost as much fun as studying Politics was!

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

At the other end of the scale is my little collection of NCB locos based in Northumberland. All things being equal, I'll put together a colliery- based layout, but for now I just give them occasional runs up the main line, 

On the Down line, Judith Edge Kitson has a mineral wagon based on a photo of one at Bates Colliery, Blyth, Don't look too closely at the wagon, which is my first attempt in donkey's years to build a body from Plasticard.

No 40 is an RSH loco based at Ashington, and often used on miners trains on the internal system. The body was scratch-built for me by a great pal. he knows who he is,

No 5 is another RSH 14 inch built from a HighLevel Models kit, with a resin-bodied Hunslet behind running on an Electrotren chassis. I see the roof has worked loose. I tend to fit them "clipped on" as I try to fit cab detail where possible.

Edited August 17, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

The QoS is now a midweek 7-car set. I managed to put together an appropriate rake, though 3 of the earkier K-types is probably a bit of an overkill. The loco today is Blenheim, and as I only havethis and Spearmint as 64B A3's, they are liable to see a lot of work, I do have photos of IRISH ELEGANCE, PEARL DIVER and HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN on the train, so they make get a turn, as all are sitting on my shelf. This is the Up train, and I had to do some head scratching to get the order right, including toe direction of the kitchen cars, bearing in mind the Leeds reversal.

 

The consist is, heading south.

Type K 2nd Brake, 2nd Parlour all steel, First Kitchen Iolanthe, First Kitchen all steel Belinda, First Parlour Onyx, 2nd Kitchen all steel, 2nd Brake all-steel.

The all-steel stock is, of course, the 1928 build, and all are Hornby super-detailed. The brake behind the loco is the earler steel-plated version from Hornby, and this was on the ER during the 50:s. Iolanthe likewise, and this is a re-named car using Railtec transfers. Belinda is renamed from Loraine, using Fox transfers, Onyx is a resided matchboard using Precision Labels custom sheet, and is there until I can find an all-steel First Parlour. The 2nd Parlour has a Precision Labels lower panel, really just as a re-numbering exercise, 

Edited August 25, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

Bachmann's WD is a good age now, but I'm not sure if they ever did a better model. Accurate, no details to fall off and a great slow-speed heavy hauler. Their work on coal traffic was almost exclusively South of the Tyne, but this one has somehow managed to croos the water.It is almost certainly heading for Stella South after which it will head home. Thinking about it, it has probably been into Gateshead for a casual repair, so is on a running-in trip. That's my excuse anyway.

As a contrast to the meat and drink work on the ex-LNER, luxury passes in the form of the Queen of Scots. Unusually, but authentically, 60507 is the loco heading past Little Benton North. This is the Winter FO 8-car train with the additional Parlour 2nd. All but the Parlour First- Onyx -are now all-steel 1928 stock. i promise that this is the end of my Pullman saga, as I now have sufficient cars, barring the non-available /non - existant 1928 Parlour First, to run an accurate consist from 1956 to 1960. Still need to renumber some of the 2nd Class cars.  I managed to get them in the right order based on the Leeds reversal, after a couple of false starts,

Edited August 28, 2022 by rowanj

[John Tomlinson]

I've only just found this despite following your workbench for years!

 

Those Pullmans are a real struggle. Even with the Ford books there are only sample consists of stock, and very difficult, probably impossible in fact to ascertain which cars ran when on a particular service. I think we are very lucky indeed, however, to have the new Hornby range of vehicles. I for one could never produce anything of remotely comparable quality from a kit.

 

John.

[rowanj]

On 28/08/2022 at 15:53, John Tomlinson said:

I've only just found this despite following your workbench for years!

 

Those Pullmans are a real struggle. Even with the Ford books there are only sample consists of stock, and very difficult, probably impossible in fact to ascertain which cars ran when on a particular service. I think we are very lucky indeed, however, to have the new Hornby range of vehicles. I for one could never produce anything of remotely comparable quality from a kit.

 

John.

I stopped posting on the workbench thread after I found that, even with different kits from different manufacturers, I was basically just repeating the loco building process. I've also more or less run out of models of appropriate prototypes. And  my wife thinks I have quite enough stock- but what does she know?

 

I do have a few specific examples of what was on the Queen of Scots on a particular day, but I would rather I had an accurate consist without bothering about getting a particular date right, The Ford books are out of print, and the Hornby models currently out of production, which hasnt helped. But, other than the lack of an all-steel parlour First, I;m happy with what I have done, largely thanks to advice and help from folk on RMWeb.

 

And just to reinforce that, I've just had a message from Canada reminding me that my model of Kitchen First Belinda, nee Loraine, ran on Gresley heavy-duty bogies during this period, I would love to fit them, as I actually have a MJT kit, but it will be tricky with the interior lighting system, So Belinda will become Phylis. Though I wonder how feasible it would be to replace the Hornby sideframe with an MJT one?

 

Good to hear from you, John

Edited August 29, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

I really like the LRM J25 kit, which, although a bit dated, really captured the look of the attractive prototype, I'm going to buy a J21 from them to complement my Dave Alexander "goods version". The j25 is on the LOCO coal from Backworth to Heaton. 52B.

[rowanj]

This is my Dave Alexander J21, built many years ago. It was originally the preserved 65033, but when I became more au fait and fussy, I realised there were a few obvious visual errors which stuck in my craw, So, using Yeadon, I tracked down a loco with inside brakes and no mechanical lubricator, 65070 fitted the bill, and was shedded at Blyth. It was one of the locos without vacuum brakes, and was normally only used on goods traffic. Here, it has a train of loaded 24.5T mineral wagons for Stella North,

I could really do with a J21 to use on local passenger workings, and have hung on waiting for a planned ArthurK release, In the meantime, an LRM kit has been ordered, First kit I'll have built in a while, so I hope I remember how to do it.

Edited August 31, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

Another Dave Alexander kit, this time a J27 having a break from hauling coal- as sometimes happened. The empty cattle wagons will be taken to Morpeth and then dispersed up the branches to Rothbury and Scots Gap. There were several stations on these ex-NER branches from where cattle were sent on pick-up goods to marts, including a big one each Tuesday  in Newcastle. , near Central at Marlborough Crescent.

Edited September 2, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

My pair of G5's, both NuCast, improbably pass Little Benton South. Though I'm not unhappy with either, I confess to having a pair of TMC models on order.

The ex-NER stock is on an early morning train to Newbiggin, This was among the last workings for these diagrams before withdrawal in 1951, The first pair are D&S kits, and the clerestory all-3rd is from Worsley works. I keep looking for a D&S all third but they are almost impossible to find and go for high prices. One day...

The first 2 Gresley's are modified Kirks on MJT bogies. The brake is an early Bachmann Mk1.

 

[rowanj]

To finish the stored photos, here are a couple of my 2 named expresses. 60033 burst out of "Scottie Bridge" on the Up Elizabethan. I just about get away with running it as a 10-coach train.

It must be mid-week, as the Up Queen of Scots is a 7-car train and, unusually, has an EE Type 4 for motive power. I have photos of this arrangement South of Newcastle, but not North, Presumably it did happen.

[rowanj]

And the last photo from the stock. Busier than I ever remember Little Benton, the North Eastern kits J77 takes empty fish and meat vans into the sidings. i built this loco at the beginning of my adventures into etched kits, and I'm tempted to do some tidying up and give it a respray.

The J72 is a mash-up of the early Mainline/Bachmann models, modified as did hundreds od others, to represent the first short-bunker version.I added a few additional details and put it on a Mainly Trains chassis. Both these have cheap Chinese motors, bought when you got 5 for £5, and  when fitted to High Level gearboxes, they run well. Top speed is insufficient for anything other than this sort of work, however. The J72 was slipping on the rake - my baseboards and track leave something to be desired- so I added some extra weight, including a lead lump in the chassis above the leading drivers and as far back as I could without hitting the gear on the middle axle, and it ran off with the rake without a hitch.

60113 is on an empty stock train from somewhere up North. The real thing certainly got to Newcastle, but I doubt if it went any further, So for some reason, in my world, it must have been either left on a train or was purloined to replace a failed diesel, So I assume it got to Edinburgh, and 64B promptly sent it back ASAP on the next available turn.  The loco is Hornby/Graeme King on a modified Hornby chassis. It was built some time ago now, and agin, ideally, I would have another go at it, but it doesnt really fit the location, and life's too short. It still looks OK from "normal viewing distance"

[rowanj]

I strggle to get photos of full length trains on the layout. This is the view from what we called "Halls Bridge", named after a nearby farm. It overlooks Little Benton North Box, and was an occasional spotting location. Another "gang" were to be found there, rather than our more usual crew. It must be a Friday or Saturday as the QoS has 8 cars- an additional 2nd Parlour-, and is all-steel in formation with my newly acquired Parlour First. "Irish Elegance" works it home to Edinburgh.

I'm in the process of adapting a Dapol J94 to the Lambton-cab version, So far the new printed cab and its

handrails, cab-side injectors, and  centre steps have been fitted. The injectors under the footplate have been removed. Here it is on test pulling a load of hoppers into the sidings at Little Benton South.

Edited October 3, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

Some "Adventures in Weathering", using Humbrol Weathering powders. I don't have an airbrush, and my brush work is pants, so hopefully, over the next 10 years, I'll have cracked the use of the powders.

The 9F on passenger duties is a product  of 2 sets of real circumstances, combined together in my ficticious railway world. A Tyne Dock 9f hauled Special went from Newcastle to Consett in 1966, just before the line was finally handed over to diesels. Another was sent to Alnmouth to work the last day of steam on the Alnwick Branch. In my world, an entusiast Special started at Waverley to Consett. The 9F took over from a 64A V2 at Alnmouth for the  Consett. leg Here it makes its' return way North to Alnmouth, ready for Alnwick duties tomorrow. The loco is ex-GBL Evening Star, with the tender top from the GBL 76xxx, on a Hornby Railroad chassis.

I really like the Bachmann WD. I have 2, re-numbered as NE-Based locos, and this one 90135, has been powdered based on a photo, It is held at signals on my mineral wagon rake.

Some time ago, I "won" a J94 on EBay. It never really ran, so was stuck away in a drawer. As I'm currently working up a Lambton Cab version, I dug it out, It still ran very badly, so I took it to pieces and found a hard-wired DCC chip. I have a couple of Bachmann DCC fitted loco which run OK on my DC system, but this one refused to go. I managed to get rid of the chip and convert it to straight DC, and took the oppertunity to set it up as Ashington No 48. It sits in the headshunt, waiting for ? I/m building up a nice little collection of these industrial locos, and it would be nice to have an excuse, beyond Rule 1, to run them.

Edited October 5, 2022 by rowanj

[RobinofLoxley]

Rowan I love the way that you place your photos and their subjects into context. It makes for a very enlightening and strangely, entertaining read. I look forward to further updates.

[rowanj]

The best excuse I could think of to see NCB No 48 at Little Benton is as follows.....

Following an inspection, a fault was found, for which rectification was beyond the capacity of the Ashington Workshop, so the loco was sent to RSH's Forth Banks Works- they did contract work on behalf of Hunslet. Following the repair, the loco was escorted back to Ashington by a Heaton J94 to allow  passage on BR metals. A rake of LOCO coal wagons was due to go North too, so 2 birds were killed with 1 stone.

Well- it's a theory.

Edited October 6, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

Modelling wise, there isn't anything too exciting about this train. The L1 is a Darlington loco, and 3 of the 4 carriages are Hornby. At the rear, however, is an Isinglass kit of a Gresley 6-compartment brake. I suppose i should at least do some weathering.

 

The lads at the fence, however, will be thrilled, L1's did get from Darlington, Saltburn and Richmond to Tyneside, but I have no evidence of them at Little Benton, This is either an SLS Special, or, more probably, was parked here rather than Heaton before heading home on the SO Newcastle-Richmond.

Edited October 19, 2022 by rowanj

[rowanj]

Another NCB loco just out of my Works is the Hunslet J94 modified with a "Lambton Cab". No 7 is in careworn condition. I like the effect of Raimatch Weather Black over Halfords Red Primer if I am looking for a worn paint job rather than a "thick with rust and grime" effect.

[rowanj]

No7 on my NCB rake, a combination of Parkside and Slaters kits, and a couple of Dapol 21T hoppers. The mineral wagon-don't look too closely- is a scatchbuilt body on a Parkside chassis.

 

At a recent visit to the NYMR, the J27 was in service. I saw lots of them, including this one on a trip to York in 1965,

[rowanj]

I could do with another A3 from 64B, so here is a "work in progress" on test, The chassis is made up from a couple of duds I had in the spares box. On one, I had the classic "out of gear" problem which these early ones suffered from, and on both, I had done my usual trick of not managing to refit the pickups properly. I disposed of the chip, and fitted wires directly from wire pickups to the wheels, soldered to PCB and Araldited to the plastic baseplate which represents the brakes. The trick is to get the contact between the motor and the chassis, Ipushed a small brass offcut into the gap below the lower brush holder to replace Hornby's method which uses a contact point on the chassis floor. 

The body is Pretty Polly, from, I think, a tender - drive China-built model. I have repkaced most of the moulded handrails on the cab and firebox, and will do the same on the smokebox door. It needs a whistke, vacuum stand, coupling hook and I;ll add an ABS banger plate.

The tender chassis is Hornby, again from the spares box. The body is a tender-drive model, so I;ve cut and reassembled it to more accurate dimensions, and cut out the horrible coal moulding, In the past, I used to just cover it with real coal, but it is just too tall, designed as it was to clear the Ringfield motor.

Encouaged by my pal SirWilliam Stanier, who has produced a great range of one-off versins of Royal Scots and Jubilees, this will become Humorist, with its' full-size smoke deflectors.

Anyway, here it is on test, which I'm happy to say it passed.

[rowanj]

The rake of NCB Internal User wagons heads South behind a Gateshead N10, a Dave Alexander kit. Althoug the NCG had running powers on lines in NE England, including parts of the nearby Blyth and Tyne, this, unfortunately for my modelling purposes, did not extend to the ECML. Nor do I have any justification for running the NCG rake, so I need to apply the dreaded Rule 1.

The wagon behind the loco was away haing a couping replaced, so I took the oppertunity to add some weathering powder, using a photo of a wagon at Fenwick Pit on the Backworth Complex.

[rowanj]

Still work in progress, but  "Humorist" is in sufficient condition to take a fully fitted freight North to Edinburgh. We always hoped to spot this unusual A3, and it is underlined in my book, but I can;t recall when or where I saw it. Certainly. Little benton is a possibility, but it could just as easily have been at Newcastle, Chathill, or Waverley, I suppose Carlisle is another option, either at Citadel or Canal, which was a doddle to "bunk" after a few hours spotting by Kingmoor, which wasn't!

[46256]

Hello John good to see Humorist on the roster. The joy of the unexpected, possibly the only time an A3 other than the preserved Scotsman visited Birmingham in steam days. I have seen it’s identity published somewhere will try and look it up. An A1 60114 also ventured to Worcester, on a rail tour returning a few days later.