Popular Post rope runner Posted April 5, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 5, 2020 (edited) Hi All, I've procrastinated long enough about starting a topic for my current layout build. Given the current circumstances of self-isolation etc I thought now might be a good time for me to get my act together... "Ironstone" - East Midlands rural industrial quarry railway in 4mm The layout will be based around the iron ore mines and systems of the East Midlands prevalent in the first half of the 1900s. I'm hoping to use this topic to update on layout progress, stock and prototype information on this seldom-modeled industry. First, a little background... Ironstone mineral railways were first established around the late 1800’s as the mechanization of the quarry/mining industry was stepped up in response to the industrial revolution and the ever increasing domestic need for iron and steel. This further increased during both world wars before falling into rapid decline during the the late 1960's. The quarrying of domestic ore used in the manufacture of steel came to an abrupt halt in 1980 due to the closure of Corby Steelworks, Northants. Priors Hall Quarry, Corby. This photograph taken during the late 1970's featuring rebuilt Charles Roberts BSC internal use ore wagons of 31 ton capacity. The Excavator is an electric 110RB Ruston Bucyrus Face Shovel. The recording, observation and ultimately preservation of elements of these mineral railways in the later years of their operation was driven by the often idyllic scenes of smart, clean locomotives with short rakes of wagons working hard in a picturesque rural setting. This was of course fairly atypical of industrial locomotive operations. 15'' Andrew Barclay STAINBY works number 2313 of 1951 hauls a long rake of empty 26 and 27 ton tipplers on the Buckminster system, South Lincs. in the mid 1960s. Note the typical leafy surroundings and basic infrastructure. For the enthusiast’s there was significant interest drawn from the sheer variety of locomotives, manufacturers and operational approaches between each system. Often sites were isolated from each other with only a small exchange sidings serving a mineral-only branch or the mainline. There was often a small running shed and rudimentary facilities for operations and the locomotives often stayed put in the locations they were first delivered to. There are exceptions (some extreme) to all of the above, but for the most part it is a fair summation. Locomotives were often named with local or industry associations, adding to the interest. Andrew Barclay 2306 of 1951 "Denton" worked at Woolsthorpe Quarries in Leicestershire, before later moving to Harlaxton in South Lincolnshire. The running shed at Woolsthorpe Quarries was typical of that at small to medium sized operations. This shed is now happily preserved at Rocks by Rail, Rutland. Note the copse of trees and close proximity of pasture As already alluded to, there is a significant amount of material available out there related to the Ironstone quarry industry if you are prepared to do a little ‘digging’. Pun intended. The Layout The model depicts a generic running shed and weighbridge and is presumed to be set at a small junction between two "pits" (quarries), BR exchange sidings and calcine clamps (more on this later). The trackwork is 00 gauge SMP with additional parts from C&L Finescale and Exactoscale. The layout is designed to be exhibited, with off-scene operation and walkabout DC controller. Adjustable height will be achieved through builders trestles and adequate lighting via a pelmet. When designing the track plan for this layout there was one thought first and foremost – I would not fall into the trap of too much track on one board. To my mind there is an immeasurable difference between a model railway and a model OF a railway, if that makes sense. This meant that the track would be minimal and therefore hand building turnouts was a viable prospect, albeit not one which was particularly interesting to me. For added interest a gauntlet track weighbridge would feature. Not only for the fact that it is prototypical and I had a scale drawing to hand, but I have never seen an operational one modelled before. The various fittings, buildings and scenic elements are to be based on prototype drawings and/or photographs. Ironstone quarry railways had their own subtle touches which differed from collieries, cement works etc and it is key to the character of the layout that these are captured. I am hoping to touch on each of these as the build progresses. Rolling Stock Much of the stock is kit built or much modified RTR working from prototype photographs. Ebay is a good source for such images, but largely most of the inspiration comes from the fantastic "Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands" series written by the late Eric Tonks. Locomotives on the layout are mostly "catalogue" designs by the typical UK manufacturers (Avonside, Manning Wardle, Hunslets etc) but most feature additional modifications made during their working lives. There a couple of prototypical oddballs to be covered too. Several of the locos modeled are preserved, but most not in their original/industrial configuration. Seen here at Cranford Quarries, Kettering, W G Bagnall CRANFORD No.2 works number 2668 of 1942 is an example of a class specifically designed for Ironstone Quarry Railways (6 locos built in total). Once again, this locomotive is happily preserved at Cottesmore. It is hoped that in the fullness of time a handful of locomotives and applicable internal use wagons from a few quarry systems can be amassed such that the layout can be operated as a particular location at exhibitions and operated differently the following day etc. There is many mineral wagons to be included of course, details to be posted for how these are to be tackled from RTR and kits. I hope you enjoy this topic and I would encourage participation, particularly concerning prototype information or operation. Paul A. Edited July 22, 2022 by rope runner Photos re-added (again!) 36 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandhole Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 In the first shot. I assume the face-shovel is electric, there is a big cable lying on the floor. It's chassis appears to be similar or that of a Ruston steam shovel. Did it start as a steam shovel and then was converted to electric, or was it delivered already electric? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkea1 Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Looks great so far - looking forwards to more of it! May I ask how you're doing point operation? Thanks Alastair Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted April 5, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2020 3 hours ago, 1whitemoor said: Note the corpse of trees They look quite alive to me... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rope runner Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 (edited) On 05/04/2020 at 14:46, Sandhole said: In the first shot. I assume the face-shovel is electric, there is a big cable lying on the floor. It's chassis appears to be similar or that of a Ruston steam shovel. Did it start as a steam shovel and then was converted to electric, or was it delivered already electric? Hi Sandhole, Yes - electric as were most of excavators of this size, certainly by this period. There are drawings available in the Lincoln's excavators series of books by Peter Robinson. The chassis will have been new-build, the 110RB being a newer model of the already proven 100RB. The example at Corby pictured above has a raised cab which was an optional extra from Ruston Bucyrus. On 05/04/2020 at 14:46, clarkea1 said: Looks great so far - looking forwards to more of it! May I ask how you're doing point operation? Thanks Alastair Hi Alastair, Point operation is via Tortoise motors via DPDT switches, already sorted. On 05/04/2020 at 16:43, Regularity said: They look quite alive to me... Yes, quite! Not picked up by spellcheck or obvious reasons. Duly amended. Wagon inspection platform One feature which every system appeared to have was a raised platform for inspecting wagon contents. Wooden inspection platform at Priors Hall, Corby. Late 70's These varied in height and construction method but were typified by a raised platform above the height of wagons in order for staff to check their contents prior to loading. The aim of this being to remove any foreign objects from empty wagons that may damage the crusher or cause untoward effects in the manufacturing process. More often that not these were located between the weighbridge and the exchange sidings, the above image being an exception to that... The Oxfordshire Ironstone Company at Wroxton had a covered version providing some protection from the weather. This was a necessity owing to their high output, the line to the exchange sidings being double tracked accordingly. The quarries operated by the Stanton Iron Company North of the river Welland had understandably more basic facilities. As my layout depicts a smaller system, it is from one of these which I take my prototype for modelling: Ex-Woolsthorpe quarries inspection platform preserved at Cottesmore. A near-identical one was at nearby Harlaxton Quarries in South Lincs. The model is constructed from brass strip using measurements from the preserved example, however differs in that the angle strip is inside the frame, as per the scrapped example at Harlaxton. The deck is made from etched diamond checker plate from Scale Link with a brass signal ladder to complete. The figure is from the Dart Castings range. The base will be weathered to match the surrounding ground clutter when appropriate. Paul A. Edited April 1, 2022 by rope runner Photos re-added 12 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted April 5, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, 1whitemoor said: Yes, quite! Not picked up by spellcheck for obvious reasons. Duly amended. You should worry. I sent a text to my boss on Friday, and for no obvious reason it added an e to my forename. I told him not to worry: I am only Simone at weekends. Love the space you are allowing yourself with this. Edited April 5, 2020 by Regularity 2 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 57 minutes ago, Regularity said: You should worry. I sent a text to my boss on Friday, and for no obvious reason it added an e to my forename. I told him not to worry: I am only Simone at weekends. Love the space you are allowing yourself with this. You should not rely on spell check when the phrase "shift work" does not have the "f" in it! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warspite Posted April 6, 2020 Share Posted April 6, 2020 Paul I'm really impressed with what you are doing here. It's great to see another ironstone layout and puts my decidedly sluggish efforts in 7mm to shame. You’re absolutely right to keep track to the minimum. I have tried to do the same with my developing layout but you have the advantage of a higher track to space ratio. I like the idea of the gauntlet track and its looking great. I was intending to include one with my weighbridge but I'm not sure I've got the space and certainly not the skills to make a working one. However, I do like the inspection platform. I'm sure you've seen it but Eric Tonks has a photo of the one at Buckminster which (helpfully for us) is right next to the weighbridge. Yours looks spot on to the Harlaxton one. Nice work! Really looking forward to following your layout build. Stephen 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post rope runner Posted April 8, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 8, 2020 (edited) Hi All, This post will detail the subject of BR steel bodied "tippler" mineral wagons for the layout. To the uninitiated it may appear that the typical British Railways Iron Ore Tippler wagon is a fairly flat subject with little area for interest - in essence a box on wheels. But let's take a closer look... An atmospheric shot of Andrew Barclay "No.19" works number 2101 of 1940 at Storefield Quarries, Northants. The tipplers are of varying heights, the second closest to the camera is fitted with roller bearings and the vehicle at the back of the rake appears to have no tie bars. First to the typical high-bodied 27 ton tippler with oil axle boxes. These have been the subject of two (serious, not including first gen efforts) RTR models in recent times by Hornby and Bachmann. Unfortunately, neither succeeds entirely in capturing the accurate dimensions and features of the prototype. The Bachmann model is fitted with a 16-ton mineral chassis which lacks the tie bars, correct spring type and brake lever arrangement. The Hornby chassis is much improved and is a good representation. Unfortunately the body height isn't quite right and the triangular supports under the top capping have been rendered with a curved profile instead of straight. My solution is a pastiche of the two RTR models. There are several of these completed for the layout all with slightly differing script for the central body patch, the wagons being out shopped with a great variety of scripts, sizes and positioning height. 27 ton high-sided tippler diagram 1/180. This makes use of the Hornby chassis and the Bachmann body from their RTR offerings. The wagon is 9ft WB and unfitted. Moving on now to the Parkside kit and the outlook here is much better. These kits come with optional roller bearing or "heavy duty" axle boxes and build up without issue. Note that this represents the later 10ft wheelbase design and features clasp brakes, the tie bars having been done away with by this time. 26 ton lower-sided tippler diagram 1/184. This is the Parkside kit and the only modifications are the addition of BR self contained buffers from the Lanarkshire Models range. This example is vac-fitted. Now to some oddities for some prototypical variety. The forerunner to the BR 27 ton diagram 1/180 was the LMS 2153 iron ore tippler. These were fitted with bodyside doors similar to a 16-ton mineral with the chassis designed to carry 27 tons with tie bars and springing to suit this. In model form this is merely a Bachmann 16 ton mineral on Hornby 27 ton chassis, which gives a fair representation. I need to change the bodyside lettering on this one, I have since come across a photograph of one of these wagons with a large patch with "Iron Ore Tippler" above the running number. If anyone would like to see it to further their modelling pursuits please PM me as I do not have copyright of the slide. 27 ton LMS diagram 2153 tippler. A mixture of Hornby and Bachmann parts, as above. None of this wagon diagram were preserved sadly, and although there are photographs of them with roller bearings fitted it would seem unlikely there were any vac-fitted examples. An intermediate design was the BR diagram 1/183 which had the 9ft wheelbase of the earlier 1/180 diagram with a lower body height to prevent overloading. Iron ore is a particularly dense aggregate, particularly when water logged, so overloading was a consideration on later designs. In model form this is achieved by paring the Hornby chassis with an independently constructed Parkside body, gluing them together with five-minute expoxy once painted. 26 ton lower-sided tippler diagram 1/183. The chassis is the Hornby 9ft wheelbase type with a Parkside body, it is through-piped. This model represents a wagon which has been overhauled with the original axle boxes removed and roller bearings added. Similar to the above wagon I have also completed a rebuilt diagram 1/180 which is through-piped. 27 ton high-sided tippler diagram 1/180 which has been rebuilt by BR with roller bearings. These started to appear around the late 1960's. Component details as per the first wagon shown. There are plasticard stretchers added inside to prevent the bodies from bowing inwards slightly (if anything, they should bow outwards slightly!), something which the Bachmann plastic bodies have a tendency to do. The "empty" rake is mostly made up from diagram 1/183 and 1/184 tipplers as these do not suffer from the bowing sides. The "fulls" for the layout are fitted with permanent loads of real Rutland ironstone. The colour of this material varies greatly according to the area in which it has been mined and the local geology. That from the "Northamptonshire sand" strata is noticeably paler. You will note the oversize and "lumpy" nature of the iron ore loads. This is prototypical as these wagons depict those "direct loaded" by an excavator at the quarry face. Imported ore or that from quarries fitted with a crusher, such as Wroxton on Easton, would of course have finer material. Some of the running numbers on the wagons may not be 100% either, but the weights are right and that's good enough for me at this point... Thanks to all for the encouragement and "likes" so far. Paul A. Edited April 1, 2022 by rope runner Photos re-added 15 1 2 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warspite Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 Paul Wow, you are good, some really excellent research material there. In 7mm, I have a number of the Peco 27T tippler kits and the ABS 26T tippler kits. The Peco kit looks pretty close to either diagram 1/180 or 1/181 with correct heavy duty 4 shoe brake gear and RCH buffers. It has the 9’ wheelbase and the higher 8’ 9” body side. I need to finish the lettering and wagon number and add some more variety to the weathering. The ABS kit represents the later diagram 1/184 26T tippler with 10’ wheelbase and the lower 8’ 5” body side with roller bearings and heavy duty buffers. I have added tie bars to the one ABS kit I have built although I know many of the unfitted ones didn’t have them so I may remove them. I need to take a photo of the finished model. Both kits represent unfitted tipplers. I have enough kits to make up 2 rakes of 5 tipplers each with the 27T tipplers predominating as per the prototype in the early 1960s. As you have said, the tipplers are a fascinating subject in themselves and the weathering possibilities are endless! Stephen P.S. Sorry, I didn't mean to hi-jack your thread with 7mm tipplers! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted April 9, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 9, 2020 Hi Paul, Great to read about the process and I agree with the sparseness of track on the layout, reflects what I've seen in footage of the real thing. With the tipplers, was it similar to collieries in the use of knackered internal user stock from the cutting face to the 'works', and then loaded into BR stock for onward travel, or was it taken straight through? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rope runner Posted April 9, 2020 Author Share Posted April 9, 2020 (edited) On 09/04/2020 at 10:33, Corbs said: With the tipplers, was it similar to collieries in the use of knackered internal user stock from the cutting face to the 'works', and then loaded into BR stock for onward travel, or was it taken straight through? Hi Corbs, Not in the same sense, no. Many systems employed "direct loading" whereby the BR wagons were run up to the quarry face and these same wagons would be worked across the network to the steelworks. Internal user mineral wagons in the ironstone industry were typically purpose-built for the movement of the quarried material and not intended to run on BR metals in revenue-earning service. Regarding internal user mineral wagons, in the early days wooden-frames side tipping wagons were the norm, often referred to as "ship canal wagons". This later progressed to steel-bodied dump car wagons and skip wagons. The purpose of these designs was to load the crusher (where applicable) or to transfer the ore to an intermediary location for calcining. I'll cover on-site calcining and associated operations in a later post, but here's an example of an internal user mineral wagon alluded to above: A 3-skip internal user wagon built by G.R. Turner during WW2, preserved at Cottesmore. This example had a hard life being latterly used at Corby Steelworks for restoring landslips and moving bulk chemicals/materials around the plant. Examples of these were seen at several quarries in Northamptonshire including Cranford, Nassington and Pitsford . Paul A. Edited April 1, 2022 by rope runner Photos re-added 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandhole Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 On 05/04/2020 at 17:45, 1whitemoor said: Hi Sandhole, Yes - electric as were most of excavators of this size, certainly by this period. There are drawings available in the Lincoln's excavators series of books by Peter Robinson. The chassis will have been new-build, the 110RB being a newer model of the already proven 100RB. The example at Corby pictured above has a raised cab which was an optional extra from Ruston Bucyrus. Hi Alastair, Point operation is via Tortoise motors via DPDT switches, already sorted. Yes, quite! Not picked up by spellcheck or obvious reasons. Duly amended. Wagon inspection platform One feature which every system appeared to have was a raised platform for inspecting wagon contents. Wooden inspection platform at Priors Hall, Corby. Late 70's These varied in height and construction method but were typified by a raised platform above the height of wagons in order for staff to check their contents prior to loading. The aim of this being to remove any foreign objects from empty wagons that may damage the crusher or cause untoward effects in the manufacturing process. More often that not these were located between the weighbridge and the exchange sidings, the above image being an exception to that... The Oxfordshire Ironstone Company at Wroxton had a covered version providing some protection from the weather. This was a necessity owing to their high output, the line to the exchange sidings being double tracked accordingly. The quarries operated by the Stanton Iron Company North of the river Welland had understandably more basic facilities. As my layout depicts a smaller system, it is from one of these which I take my prototype for modelling: Ex-Woolsthorpe quarries inspection platform preserved at Cottesmore. A near-identical one was at nearby Harlaxton Quarries in South Lincs. The model is constructed from brass strip using measurements from the preserved example, however differs in that the angle strip is inside the frame, as per the scrapped example at Harlaxton. The deck is made from etched diamond checker plate from Scale Link with a brass signal ladder to complete. The figure is from the Dart Castings range. The base will be weathered to match the surrounding ground clutter when appropriate. Paul A. Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it. The layout is looking quite superb. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 46444 Posted April 11, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 11, 2020 Great stuff Paul. Lovely to see another East Midlands ironstone layout being accurately portrayed. The information on modelling the iron ore tippers is very useful and I'll be using some of your tips when modelling a selection of tippers for my new layout. Look forwards to further progress. Cheers, Mark 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post rope runner Posted April 11, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 11, 2020 (edited) Hi All, For completeness I will now detail the short rake of steel-bodied private owner tipplers for the layout and some prototype background. The phasing out of wooden mineral wagons for ironstone began in earnest in the 1940's owing to the earlier successes of privately owned steel bodied hopper wagons and comparatively labour-intensive upkeep of wooden-framed designs. This issue was all the more pressing during this period as the large numbers of Ministry of Munitions ore wagons constructed during the first world war were coming towards their useful working lives for mainline use. One company facing this problem post-war was the Lancashire Steel Corporation at Irlam who required large volumes of iron ore to bolster their manufacturing in the mid twentieth century. Their needs were such that even ore quarried over a hundred miles away in the East Midlands was to be bought in to supplement their own ore streams. This ore would then be brought through in block rakes from the Midland mainline due West, sometimes via the Woodhead route (or so it is documented and photographed). A small variety of steel bodied tipplers were offered from private wagon manufacturers. One such design offered by several builders was a 20 ton capacity unfitted tippler which featured outside I-beam bracing and angled floor sides for the handling of wet aggregate. A brief discussion of this design and thoughts on replicating these in model form is offered here. Lancashire steel had a small fleet of these wagons which were still in operation during the late 1960's. With the move towards vacuum fitted stock during the early/mid 1960's further wagons were built for the Lancashire Steel Corporation to the same design as the 26 ton BR diagram 1/185 10ft wheelbase tippler wagons by the Central Wagon Co. It is believed that these were ordered in greater numbers than the 20 ton design although livery details were unchanged. Bachmann do offer a tippler RTR in this livery, but it ought really be the correct 26 ton lower-bodied design with 10ft wheelbase. I've chosen to model a short rake of both the earlier 20 ton and later 26 ton designs. While these wagons appear to have often run in block trains of the same type wagon (20 or 26 ton respectively) it was common to see short rakes of assorted types (tipplers and hoppers) moving in trip workings to the quarry for loading. These would then be reformed into rakes of their respective types in the exchange sidings prior to the arrival of the BR loco. Lancashire Steel Corporation private owner tipplers. 26 ton design closest to the camera is a Parkside kit with Oleo buffers and vac hoses from Lanarkshire Model Supplies. The 20 ton design is scratch built from plasticard and evergreen strip on a cut and shut Parkside 21 ton hopper chassis, giving the correct solebar depth. Lettering was custom printed for these wagons based on photographs. Happy Easter All. Paul A. Edited April 1, 2022 by rope runner Photos re-added 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post rope runner Posted April 19, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 19, 2020 (edited) Andrew Barclay 2139 of 1942 "Salmon" Yours truly on the footplate! To keep the thread variety up I will give now give an overview of one of the more interesting prototypical locos I have been working on. History and Background By the first half of the twentieth century, Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. had a reputation for building cheap and robust industrial steam locomotives at their Kilmarnock works during the first half of the twentieth century. Indeed, the company had started producing steam locomotives in a meaningful way in the last quarter of the previous century, though the locomotives did not have the same rigorous design standardization that was prevalent in their later products. Andrew Barclay “Salmon” (wks no. 2139, built in 1942) was one of a pair sourced for the East Midlands ironstone industry, obtained through the Ministry of Supply. "Salmon" along with sister loco "Swordfish" (wks no. 2138 of the same year) were named after Royal Naval submarines lost at sea in 1940. AB2139 in "as delivered" condition "Salmon" was delivered new to Harlaxton Quarries (South Lincs.) and later to Woolsthorpe Quarries in Leicestershire, where the line had recently been upgraded from a 3ft narrow gauge system to a standard gauge setup. The quarries were operated by the Stanton Ironworks Company at this time, and later Stewarts and Lloyds. At Woolsthorpe, several of the locomotives wore the heavy-duty fabricated buffers typical of Stanton locomotives. Additionally, water treatment was required for the locos due to the high mineral content of the local water, the chemicals required to soften this being loaded into tubes which fed into the front of the saddle tank. After several years of work "Salmon" was rebuilt at Holwell works over a two year period, during which time she received a new chimney, ross pop safety valves and replacement footsteps. She was sold out of industry and moved to various preservation sites including NYMR, Rutland Railway Museum, Swindon and Cricklade, Beamish Museum and now Royal Deeside. "Salmon" at the head of a demonstration hopper rake at Cottesmore in the 1990's. Note the water softener tube "Salmon" as she ran for a short time at Scunthorpe steelworks in the 1990's. Of additional interest, sister loco “Swordfish” which worked at Glendon Quarries is also preserved, having survived into the 1980’s in a scrapyard before being rescued. She is currently operational on the Swindon and Cricklade, though not in original configuration. The Model The base for the model is the now discontinued DJH “starter” for the 0-4-0 kit, with additional etches from my own artwork. Owing to the aforementioned standardization adopted by Barclays the saddle tank, boiler and cylinders/motion/fittings are common between the 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 14’’ types (though not the larger 15'' design). It is for this reason that the 0-6-0 has an unequal wheelbase, and the rear driving wheel are positioned directly under the cab with a requirement for a split ash pan. The boiler does sit higher in the six coupled version as a result and accordingly the cab windows are angular as opposed to the more typical porthole used by Barclays at this time. The model in its various sub-assemblies and lacking cab details for now The DJH kit employs a motor mounted vertically in the cab, a compromise I am happy with but in the case of this build the rear axle does not allow reuse of the original gearbox (which is integral with the original frames). The axle position also means that there is not room for my usual choice of rear-axle mounted High Level gearbox. As the centre axle is set so far back, owing to the unequal wheelbase, I have managed to drive this with a High Level RR compact+ with motor located upright in the cab where the backhead should be. It will be further obscured with crew, reversing lever etc. Drive from the centre axle using a flipped over High Level gearbox. Motor is a Mashima 1020 owing to the cab height The distinctive buffers are from RT models, coupling hooks from Brassmasters and driving wheels/whistle from Markits. Handrail knobs of the original kit have been replaced with the finer Alan Gibson equivalent. The water treatment tube was constructed from brass tube, measurements being taken from another former Woolsthorpe Quarries loco Andrew Barclay wks no. 2350 “Belvoir” of 1954, the only loco which has retained this Stanton-pattern fitting in preservation. Front view of the model. The mechanical lubricator wheel will be fitted after painting and the front grab handles are "long" hand rail knobs with holes filled. The model is based on "Salmon" post-rebuild with ross pop safety valves Rear view of the model. The rear cab window protective mesh will be added after painting. The lamp irons are the typical Andrew Barclay double sided type The model will be painted once I can find a good match for the shade green. Transfers will be required for the name, as these were painted on. I'll post another pic once complete, hopefully later in the summer. Paul A. Edited April 1, 2022 by rope runner Photos re-added 16 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarry-Steam65 Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 2 hours ago, 1whitemoor said: Andrew Barclay 2139 of 1942 "Salmon" To keep the thread variety up I will give now give an overview of one of the more interesting prototypical locos I have been working on. History and Background By the first half of the twentieth century, Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. had a reputation for building cheap and robust industrial steam locomotives at their Kilmarnock works during the first half of the twentieth century. Indeed, the company had started producing steam locomotives in a meaningful way in the last quarter of the previous century, though the locomotives did not have the same rigorous design standardization that was prevalent in their later products. Andrew Barclay “Salmon” (wks no. 2139, built in 1942) was one of a pair sourced for the East Midlands ironstone industry, obtained through the Ministry of Supply. "Salmon" along with sister loco "Swordfish" (wks no. 2138 of the same year) were named after Royal Naval submarines lost at sea in 1940. "Salmon" was delivered new to Woolsthorpe Quarries in Leicestershire, where the line had recently been upgraded from a 3ft narrow gauge system to a standard gauge setup. The quarry was operated by the Stanton Ironworks Company at this time, and later Stewarts and Lloyds. At Woolsthorpe, several of the locomotives wore the heavy-duty fabricated buffers typical of Stanton locomotives. Additionally, water treatment was required for the locos due to the high mineral content of the local water, the chemicals required to soften this being loaded into tubes which fed into the front of the saddle tank. After several years of work "Salmon" was rebuilt at Holwell works over a two year period, during which time she received a new chimney, ross pop safety valves and replacement footsteps. She was sold out of industry and moved to various preservation sites including NYMR, Rutland Railway Museum, Swindon and Cricklade, Beamish Museum and now Royal Deeside. "Salmon" at the head of a demonstration hopper rake at Cottesmore in the 1990's. Note the water softener tube Of additional interest, sister loco “Swordfish” which worked at Glendon Quarries is also preserved, having survived into the 1980’s in a scrapyard before being rescued. She is currently operational on the Swindon and Cricklade, though not in original configuration. The Model The base for the model is the now discontinued DJH “starter” for the 0-4-0 kit, with additional etches from my own artwork. Owing to the aforementioned standardization adopted by Barclays the saddle tank, boiler and cylinders/motion/fittings are common between the 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 14’’ types (though not the larger 15'' design). It is for this reason that the 0-6-0 has an unequal wheelbase, and the rear driving wheel are positioned directly under the cab with a requirement for a split ash pan. The boiler does sit higher in the six coupled version as a result and accordingly the cab windows are angular as opposed to the more typical porthole used by Barclays at this time. The model in its various sub-assemblies and lacking cab details for now The DJH kit employs a motor mounted vertically in the cab, a compromise I am happy with but in the case of this build the rear axle does not allow reuse of the original gearbox (which is integral with the original frames). The axle position also means that there is not room for my usual choice of rear-axle mounted High Level gearbox. As the centre axle is set so far back, owing to the unequal wheelbase, I have managed to drive this with a High Level RR compact+ with motor located upright in the cab where the backhead should be. It will be further obscured with crew, reversing lever etc. Drive from the centre axle using a flipped over High Level gearbox. Motor is a Mashima 1020 owing to the cab height The distinctive buffers are from RT models, coupling hooks from Brassmasters and driving wheels/whistle from Markits. Handrail knobs of the original kit have been replaced with the finer Alan Gibson equivalent. The water treatment tube was constructed from brass tube, measurements being taken from another former Woolsthorpe Quarries loco Andrew Barclay wks no. 2350 “Belvoir” of 1954, the only loco which has retained this Stanton-pattern fitting in preservation. Front view of the model. The mechanical lubricator wheel will be fitted after painting and the front grab handles are "long" hand rail knobs with holes filled. The model is based on "Salmon" post-rebuild with ross pop safety valves Rear view of the model. The rear cab window protective mesh will be added after painting. The lamp irons are the typical Andrew Barclay double sided type The model will be painted once I can find a good match for the shade green. Transfers will be required for the name, as these were painted on. I'll post another pic once complete, hopefully later in the summer. Paul A. Looking good! I’m always up for a good industrial engine 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rope runner Posted May 7, 2020 Author Share Posted May 7, 2020 Hi All, A bit of signage for the layout now. Stanton Ironworks-type exchange sidings sign Stanton Ironworks-issued exchange sidings sign at Harston, 1970's Demarcation between the privately owned lines and the national network was usually marked by a cast iron simple “LNER/BR maintenance ends here” sign on the appropriate sleeper. Despite this, it was occasionally necessary for the BR locomotive to pull forward onto private metals to shunt wagons, effectively using the privately owned running line as a headshunt for the loops of the exchange area. An interesting sign which appears to have been a standard fitting on exchange sidings for systems operated by the Stanton Iron Company was this large board and warning lamp limiting the movements of BR locos to a particular section, and no further. The post was fitted with a lamp to warn loco crew in dreary conditions. The model The post is a cut-down white metal casting from MSE, as is the lamp. I wanted a fabricated thin ladder and in my search came across this offering from Stenson models with etched sides. This built up very nicely and can be supplied with a simple jig which makes makes things 10x easier on the eyes and finger tips… For rigidity the bottom rung is soldered to a length of wire from the signal post, this will be buried with scatter material/filler. The typeface itself is an approximation of the original, which I did as an etch filler on another project in nickel silver. The sign will be located facing the off-scene exchange sidings on the layout which means that it will be almost unreadable by the viewer, never mind! Thanks Paul A. 15 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) On 11/04/2020 at 16:53, 1whitemoor said: Hi All, ... One company facing this problem post-war was the Lancashire Steel Corporation at Irlam who required large volumes of iron ore to bolster their manufacturing in the mid twentieth century. Their needs were such that even ore quarried over a hundred miles away in the East Midlands was to be bought in to supplement their own ore streams. This ore would then be brought through in block rakes from the Midland mainline due West, sometimes via the Woodhead route (or so it is documented and photographed). A small variety of steel bodied tipplers were offered from private wagon manufacturers. One such design offered by several builders was a 20 ton capacity unfitted tippler which featured outside I-beam bracing and angled floor sides for the handling of wet aggregate. A brief discussion of this design and thoughts on replicating these in model form is offered here. Lancashire steel had a small fleet of these wagons which were still in operation during the late 1960's. With the move towards vacuum fitted stock during the early/mid 1960's further wagons were built for the Lancashire Steel Corporation to the same design as the 26 ton BR diagram 1/185 10ft wheelbase tippler wagons by the Central Wagon Co. It is believed that these were ordered in greater numbers than the 20 ton design although livery details were unchanged. Bachmann do offer a tippler RTR in this livery, but it ought really be the correct 26 ton lower-bodied design with 10ft wheelbase. I've chosen to model a short rake of both the earlier 20 ton and later 26 ton designs. While these wagons appear to have often run in block trains of the same type wagon (20 or 26 ton respectively) it was common to see short rakes of assorted types (tipplers and hoppers) moving in trip workings to the quarry for loading. These would then be reformed into rakes of their respective types in the exchange sidings prior to the arrival of the BR loco. Lancashire Steel Corporation private owner tipplers. 26 ton design closest to the camera is a Parkside kit with Oleo buffers and vac hoses from Lanarkshire Model Supplies. The 20 ton design is scratch built from plasticard and evergreen strip on a cut and shut Parkside 21 ton hopper chassis, giving the correct solebar depth. Lettering was custom printed for these wagons based on photographs. Happy Easter All. Paul A. Very nice indeed, but are you sure any of these unfitted tipplers had vac’ through pipes? I have seen no evidence that any BR unfitted tipplers ever did (and BR would have painted them bauxite/freight stock red accordingly), but don’t know about the Lancs Steel vehicles. Adam Edited May 18, 2020 by Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 This is a great thread. In my early years my parents' back garden overlooked the railway from Sleaford to Boston and the High Dyke - Frodingham ore trains (with a few from Colwick and Belvoir Junction) were routed that way during my time. Watching the trains pass on a daily basis, it was fascinating to note that almost no two adjacent iron ore tippler wagons looked the same. Some were slightly higher or lower sided by a few inches and nearly all seemed to have variations in the positioning of the "iron ore tippler" branding. An occasional Sunday outing was to see the 'biggest dragline excavator in Europe' in deepest Leicestershire or Northants, although I remember very little about the actual machine except it was huge. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rope runner Posted May 18, 2020 Author Share Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, Adam said: Very nice indeed, but are you sure any of these unfitted tipplers had vac’ through pipes? I have seen no evidence that any BR unfitted tipplers ever did (and BR would have painted them bauxite/freight stock red accordingly), but don’t know about the Lancs Steel vehicles. Regarding the Lancs steels wagons here is a photograph of them at a later time, hoses removed but vac cylinder still evident: https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lancswagon/h27b559b4#h536a5440 I'll try to dig out the reference photographs I used for the BR tipplers, these being taken at Skillington Road sidings just before closure in the early 1970's. I'll have to post these via PM as I don't have copyright. There's a few freight stock grey wagons in this fitted rake here, one being an early high-bodied example: https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/5576501643 Another freight stock grey in this rake here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/5537356587/in/album-72157626169910951/ Some of those which were later upgraded with roller bearings etc do not appear to have received a repaint. Paul A. Edited May 18, 2020 by 1whitemoor 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted May 18, 2020 Share Posted May 18, 2020 I'm unconvinced - the grey tippler in the rake here, seems also to be grey around the underframe which suggests weathering to me, perhaps from being used for another traffic. It's likely that despite that the whole rake was fitted (the consistency of height is a clue to that). I can't see any evidence of through pipes in Paul Bartlett's images (or much paint) and hadn't heard of a through-pipe fitting programme though this doesn't mean one didn't occur. If you've evidence, of aany four shoe brake-fitted wagon clearly showing the pipes, I'd be happy to have proof! https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brironoretipplerunfit All best, Adam 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rope runner Posted May 20, 2020 Author Share Posted May 20, 2020 (edited) Hi All, Onto the primary building for the layout now which will be covered over a series of posts: Running shed Most quarry railways had locomotive accommodation which primarily served as somewhere safe to store the locomotives at night (many were not kept in steam for days on end as per mainline practice) and at weekends. There were more extensive facilities on larger systems as would be expected, notably at Gretton Brook where there was a much-photographed eight road shed which lasted into the 1980s. Gretton Brook shed with BSC "55" at Corby. The relative modern permanency of this shed is self evident. Not shown is a further 4 roads to the Right hand side... Gretton Brook was far from the norm however, and what appeared outwardly to be a "shed in a field" often clad in wriggly tin was much more typical. The work undertaken in an industrial loco running shed was often only routine or minor work although “jacking up” on sleepers for attention to springs or axle boxes was not uncommon. Locomotives were often sent away for serious overhauls/rebuilds via the mainline with their connecting rods removed to lessen wear. Even so, such overhauls were still conducted “in house” at places such as Holwell Ironworks, Corby Steelworks workshops and the Central Engineering Workshops (CEW) at Colsterworth. A medium/small size running shed more typical of most quarries, this example seen at Woolsthorpe. The shed was dismantled and erected at Cottesmore where it still preserved today. Note the later extension to the front section to house an additional locomotive. The model The model depicts a typical wriggly-tin clad shed constructed around the 1930's-1940's. The example I am taking inspiration from had a wooden frame which hung on metal supports which were secured into the ground with concrete. A closer shot of the Woolsthorpe shed. Wooden frame hung onto steel supports. Inspection pit also evident, a key requirement for oiling up and other routine inspections/duties. The model features a laser cut modular frame sandwiched between two brass U sections for strength. These are secured by the mounting frames on I beam which will locate into holes on the layout. Windows are from Mainly Trains etches and are of their large industrial type. I have been experimenting on how to effectively clad this shed. I have some Eastwell corrugated material for the roof but the sides will have to be in plastic. More details to follow soon Paul A. Edited November 30, 2022 by rope runner Photo links 12 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarry-Steam65 Posted May 20, 2020 Share Posted May 20, 2020 (edited) Would this image help if you’re still working on the tipplers?, found it in a book of mine “Past and Present - Leicestershire”. The Picture is taken at Syston North Junction in 1960. Edited May 20, 2020 by Quarry-Steam65 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rope runner Posted July 25, 2020 Author Share Posted July 25, 2020 (edited) Hi All, Much progress through the coronavirus "lockdown" AB2139/42 is now finished, pending weathering at a much later date. The shed has also gained a roof, photos to follow in due course. Cheers Paul A. Edited April 1, 2022 by rope runner Photos re-added 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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