LNER4479 Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Hi Les, I was there on Saturday and had a quick look - but I think some of the first day teething issues you refer to were keeping you occupied! Nice looking layout and the sound on the WD was quite impressive for N gauge ('fiddly scale', as Mrs4479 will insist on calling it! ) Otherwise I was pre-occupied by being press-ganged into helping with the operation of Thurston. We'll be there (Grantham) ourselves next year with, appropriately enough - Grantham! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two_sugars Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Hi Les Re The Squirrel :- . . . It is indeed a red but has gone gray due to old age! (That's what I would tell them anyway). Shame I couldn't get to see it . . . John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 Hi Les, I was there on Saturday and had a quick look - but I think some of the first day teething issues you refer to were keeping you occupied! Nice looking layout and the sound on the WD was quite impressive for N gauge ('fiddly scale', as Mrs4479 will insist on calling it! ) Otherwise I was pre-occupied by being press-ganged into helping with the operation of Thurston. We'll be there (Grantham) ourselves next year with, appropriately enough - Grantham! Many thanks for the kind words. I did know you're there next year- hoping to be there myself with Rise Park- we're on the scenics now so it should be ready. It has been offered to Grantham Railway Soc for 2015. It will be interesting to see the "full" Grantham- the part at Nottingham this spring was very tantalising. Mrs Les1952 says tell Mrs4479 the fiddly scale keeps the house (almost) clear of trains as they can all get in the shed...... All the very best Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 Hi Les Re The Squirrel :- . . . It is indeed a red but has gone gray due to old age! (That's what I would tell them anyway). Shame I couldn't get to see it . . . John I'm not sure punters will waer that argument- especially those with eyesight good enough to see it. It will be repainted at some point. I'll also let langley know on Saturday or Sunday- I meed more small critters and am at RMWeb Live both days with Furtwangen. Hopefully we'll get further North some time- needs a show big enough to afford two overnighters (I should be able to recruit a pair of locals to fill the team up- the layout isn't very difficult to operate). All the very best Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 (edited) Pictures from Grantham - the first batch. A day late- I had a severe toothache yesterday which involved a visit to the dentist- still have the toothache but now have an appointment for root canal treatment and a crown....... General views of the layout with stock, and the surrounding area. It was very quiet on Sunday....... Operating were Geoff and Jim of the Newark N-Gauge team on both days, with John Catling on Saturday and Tony Forward of Bingham MRC (a new operator for me) on Sunday. Chrish Burch also had a play on Saturday and Jim and John had a play with Herrenscar Harbour. Geoff watches his train start off backscene.. Tony looks at a full fiddle yard. We had 19 trains on the main line plus two on the colliery. More later- off to the pharmacist. Les as always edidet for tryping mistukes Edited September 10, 2014 by Les1952 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 10, 2014 Author Share Posted September 10, 2014 (edited) And the second batch...... Just a couple of notes about the fiddle yard pic in the last post the wibbly-wobbly train in the yard is the sulphate bogies- it never stopped straight, but the wagons always looked the part out front. The coal empties do have a tender-first B1 on the front (a suggestion acted upon) The two trains out front (by process of elimination) are the Deltic plus seven main-line coaches going North (anti-clockwise) and a type 2 with brake tender on the tarpaulin wagons Mr Simon did for me going South (clockwise). Overview of the colliery end- seen in umpteen pics before but now lit by the LEDs on the proscenium- BTW the "lumps" that seem to be on the diagonal support seen in pics above are caused by the wires for the lighting being wrapped round it. The coal drops. We couldn't shunt these as the insulation in the point had given up- every time we set the road to the drops ir shorted out the entire layout. New point now purchased for installation when the layout is erected again. Most reliable loco on the colliery circuit was the Jinty- it was set to the lowest speed it would continue running at and left to its own devices- it stalled on the dead frog in the fiddle yard, so would be left for a while each time so as not to appear too often..... The 2MT on the inspection saloon passes a Southbound express stopped at the signal. We occasionally had two sound-fitted locos out together, but tried to time them so the 2MT didn't coincide with one of the other two coming the other way. On this occasion they met.... Why is the 2MT tender-first? It bounced over the pointwork in the fiddle yard running chimney-first so I tried turning it round- it now runs perfectly. Casualties now sorted. Hal O'The Wynd now has traction tyres so should be able to pull a train and Book Law has gone off to DCC Supplies for a warranty repair. The two A4s have been given their "lost" addresses back- both Bachmann chips and the third time I've had a Bachmann chip lose the plot this way. Lucky there are planty of spare locos in the box. Almost time to feed the cat....... Les edited for Thai pin eras Edited September 10, 2014 by Les1952 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted September 11, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 11, 2014 Les in my OO sound Bachmann locos I do have to go back and reprogramme the loco number every now and again.. only god knows why! Layout making me a little bit homesick Barry ex Horden dweller... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 (edited) Slowly altering The layout is still packed up at the moment as I'm trying to decide whether to do Furtwangen Ost's repairs before Hawthorn Dene's. Provided both are done by the end of January there is no hurry. So far I've ordered the bits for Furtwangen and put handles on the end boards of HD. These needed to be done before unpacking the layout so I could position them properly. The arrow shows which way should be down when carrying it- the ledges got a bit bent coming back from Grantham. I'm also wondering whether to fit wheels to one end board, though I'll leave that until after Sileby I think. Must clean the workshop floor...... Les Edited September 21, 2014 by Les1952 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share Posted September 22, 2014 Update- HD will get its repairs to the colliery area and a bit more scenic detailing done first. It looks as it the parts for Furtwangen may take longer to arrive than I thought. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 (edited) Layout back on its legs... I was going to repair Furtwangen's defunct pointwork before doing Hawthorn Dene's, but I've got a visit on Monday from a gent who wants to take some pics of Hawthorn Dene. No more details at the moment but all will be revealed- eventually...... I did promise a picture of the operating mechanism for the signal, so here it is. While Jim and I were re-erecting the layout I took the opportunity of getting a pair of plan views- easier to do with the layout on its side. I've also been asked to draw a trackplan, and this will be easier to do from a pair of plan photos. I can get measurements from the printouts. Now to start drawing. All the very best Les despite preview I've still had to edit for trypos... Edited September 25, 2014 by Les1952 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 28, 2014 Author Share Posted September 28, 2014 (edited) Some Colliery pics I've been getting the layout ready for the photographer's visit tomorrow, and took the liberty of getting some low angle pics of the colliery. I'm hoping to persuade him to use some similar angles.... Peckett No.1, recovered from it's fit of pique that left it maroorned in the shed at Grantham, sets off for the exchange with a load of fulls. Meanwhile Geisl-fitted WD No.8 shunts the screens (or at least would be if there were any power to that line- on the "to do" list for the next few weeks). The NCB now has a matchbox since I decided the Dapol pannier was finally run-in enough to chip. Looking over the coal drops to No.1 shunting the weighbridge with No.8 at the screens behind. Shows I must take a small brush to that area as the green bits survived a going over with the vacuum cleaner this morning. On the plus side the workshop is tidier than it has been for ages- and I can actually see more than two square inches of workbench. I've also found a few compartmented boxes, and will sort out figures and other small goodies a little before re-starting after the photoshoot. All the very best Les yet more tryping mitsakes to edit..... Edited September 28, 2014 by Les1952 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two_sugars Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 The NCB now has a matchbox since I decided the Dapol pannier was finally run-in enough to chip. I believe that South Hetton Colliery had one in the years before it closed. . . . . right next to HAWTHORN "SHAFT" COKEWORKS. Well done that man! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 Layout photographed. The raw images look good. Mr Simon's O1 looked good in its photo. Also a view I'd not thought of- a J25 passing under the safety netting taken broadside-on under the netting. Photoshoot took five hours...... Must have another look at South Hetton's stocklist. I thought their ex-GW loco was an 0-6-2T. All the very best Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two_sugars Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 All those GW locos look alike to me . . . . . . . . so . . . you may be right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 (edited) Looking through the Industrial Railway Society Durham handbooks there was an ex-Taff Vale (via the WD) 0-6-2T, no.67 GORDON, which went off for preservation in the National Collection- one of two Taff Vale 0-6-2Ts preserved, the other being No.52 from the Lambton system. It was the only South Hetton Coal Co loco that survived long enough to shunt at the Hawthorn Combined Mine when it opened. The other beast that survived at South Hetton with flattish tanks (but round on the top) was SHCC No.10, which was condemned in 1947, though allocated no.70. It was a long-boiler 0-6-0 saddletank built in 1857 (reputedly) by Sharp Stewart as an 0-6-0 tender engine- the exact date isn't quite certain but it was originally London & North Western Railway 408 BOOTH. The uncertainty is due to LNWR lists not matching other contemporary records. It was sold in July 1874 to Chatterley Whitfield Collieries Ltd in Staffordshire, having been rebuilt by the LNWR as an 0-6-0ST in 1870. It acquired the name WHITFIELD at this time, which it kept at South Hetton. Sold on to a dealer in 1904 who rebuilt it and sold it to South Hetton Coal Co in 1907. The NCB decided it was worn out and laid it aside for scrap. There were two ex-GWR matchboxes in County Durham- these were on the Pontop & Jarrow Railway at Springwell loco shed, though they were Barry Railway saddletanks rebuilt by the GWR. There were a few of that type in Northumberland also. No "proper" GWR pannier tank made it to the North East- the GWR locos that did were a result of non-standard locos being offloaded to dealers very cheaply at the end of the twenties after the GWR had conned the Government into buying them 200 new 57xx pannier tanks they really didn't need........ I've two of Dave Jones's WD saddletanks on order when they come out- one can become GAMMA or DELTA in blue, and the other may remain black with an unused number- for some reason 70 appears to have remained blank after the old long-boiler engine was scrapped. I know neither GAMMA nor DELTA reached Easington, but GAMMA got to Vane Tempest and DELTA finished up at Blackhall, and the line is a "might have been". Dave's Hudswell-Clarke saddletank had only one example in the Durham coalfield, an un-numbered one at Boldon known as Boldon No.1513, which lasted to the end of 1959. Another loco transferred to Hawhorn Dene. All the very best Les Edited September 29, 2014 by Les1952 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Thinking about repairs etc... Firstly the good news. A trip to Dapol's open day has yielded enough 9F spares to put all of my non-runners and dodgy runners back into good health. 92133 has now had a new front pony and centring spring from an NQP- the other dead one 92050 will get a new body with a straight cab at some time in the near future, but in the mean time has bits transplanted from an NQP to ghet it into service again. Looking at the bits that need replacing- these two points need lifting and replacing with new insulation to get rid of the short. I also need a new feed putting in here- which will be fun as it is underneath the aerial flight. All the very best Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 Still thinking about repairs. Not starting yet as I'm off to Aldershot show tomorrow for the weekend, driving the van for Howard Staniforth and "Armathwaite", then playing analogue trains for the public. Meanwhile I've been running in various locos, apart from 92133 in the last message. 92226 is one of the Dapol NQPs I bought last weekend- of the four I've kept this one intact, broken the worst one for parts, sold a third one to another club member for spares (for the same as I paid for it) and put the fourth one on ebay as "spares or repair" making sure bidders see clearly how much it cost me. This one has a paint smudge on the boiler side, just where I'm likely to weather it with heavy limescale. It also has an aversion to 10.5 inch curves, but is happy on the outside line for now. It may eventually become spare parts but we'll see. Behind is 118 008-2, the third of the locos for the next layout, provisionally titled "Furtwangen 2", though it won't stay called that.... Amazing the local inhabitants by trundling round and round the layout despite there being no overhead- it is DCC fitted, which Furtwangen isn't, hence running in through County Durham rather than Baden-Wurttemberg. Must pack.. Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 19, 2014 Author Share Posted October 19, 2014 (edited) NEWSFLASH! Hawthorn Dene has been invited to Nottingham East Midlands Model Railway Exhibition on 21st and 22nd March 2015. I've also finished and sent off the magazine article I was asked to write to go with the professional photoshoot. More details later. Added to that Howard Staniforth has asked me to operate Armathwaite for him on March 7/8 at Mansfield- I can't have done too badly at Aldershot. All the very best Les Edited October 19, 2014 by Les1952 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 26, 2014 Author Share Posted October 26, 2014 (edited) A small addition. At Aldershot show earlier this month I got a pack of farm animals to share between Furtwangen Ost and Hawthorn Dene, and a pack of shrub tubs to use in Furtwangen's tram station. First out of the pack were a pair of pigs, added to Mr Rose's pigsty, and a dog that looks like a bear, put on Furtwangen with the hurdy-gurdy player. Two of the shrub tubs had distinctly fewer flowers than the others, so the most herbal one has gone to Mr Rose's allotment- there is a goat to go in here so he will need to keep the herbs beyond the end of the goat tether. The more flowery of the two has gone in Mrs Her-next-door's back yard at No.2 Lilliput Cottages. Large flower pots did exist in 1960, my aunt had one in her back yard in Darlington. Only two for the whole layout, though. There are also four more good bikes to share between the two layouts, and HD is due to have a motorcycle parked somewhere, probably near the colliery workshops. Now I've almost finished the repairs to Furtwangen I can get on doing the colliery pointwork in a week or so. Pics when I get started. It may be delayed a bit if Bingham's clubroom move is delayed any more. All the very best Les Edited because in a fit of amnesia I forgot which allotment I'd added to... Edited October 27, 2014 by Les1952 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted October 26, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 26, 2014 My daily constitutional today took me from Seaham along the cliffs to Hawthorn and the viaduct. Couldn't help but think of this layout. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Just caught up as you can see Les by all the various "Likes". I am familiar with the Durham coast line only from West Hartlepool to Easington (white steps). Is the viaduct you saw today similar to that at Crimdon Dene? Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two_sugars Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 Just caught up as you can see Les by all the various "Likes". I am familiar with the Durham coast line only from West Hartlepool to Easington (white steps). Is the viaduct you saw today similar to that at Crimdon Dene? Regards, Brian. I presume the white steps are the ones that cross the line at Beacon Hill/Shippersea Bay. . . I also presume that the viaduct BoD is talking about is at Hawthorn Dene? If So, it is about 400 yds north of the steps. . . with a large centre arch and a smaller one on either side. I might get to see the layout one of these days, Les. . . John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 (edited) Very many thanks for the comments, gents. The setting for the layout is "somewhere South of the viaduct and probably North of the more modern Easington Colliery" ie a fictional location with a flavor of the real area. With the half of the white steps modelled being about 200 scale feet from the Easington Colliery underbridge (which is modelled the opposite way round to the prototype) and an aerial flight that is more Blackhall than Easington if the truth were told, you can tell I've lifted features to give an impression rather than doing a full prototype location. I just hadn't enough space to do even one end of the real Easington Colliery and in any case I was scuppered when I couldn't manage to actually buy the etched brass pithead gear I'd originally planned. Still, it has had good comments at Grantham, and attracted one of the magazines' scouts (hence the photographer and article- publication next Summer.) Now, is there an exhibition manager in the North East with a show next autumn who wants a DCC N-gauge NE region layout that comes complete with a free magazine plug for his show? The feelers I have out take me East and South if anything comes of them and the only confirmed shows are in Nottighamshire and Leicestershire at present. All the very best Les edited for grammar rather than the usual spelling...... Edited October 27, 2014 by Les1952 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Colliery Track lifted and replaced I've finally got the defective point on the colliery lifted, and also replaced the one before it (the king point). The broken point didn't come up in one piece. Pictures show the new points in place but no scenic repairs done yet. The industrial nature of the colliery track is shown well in the second picture- it does run properly and trains lurch prototypically as they pass through. Good news is that there isn't a short any more. Bad news is that there isn't any power to the king point at the moment- job for tomorrow. Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Marshall Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Les, I'm late to this, so I hope you're still progressing. I'm also very interested in the Durham Coast line (in N Gauge). You mention COVHOPs going to Bristish Steel and ICI, but I saw lots of them go to and from Steetley at West Hartlepool. I think they may have come from Thrislington and probably by a Southern approach, unfortunately. But perhaps they also travelled further North on the Coast line. A couple of thoughts on sources, if you still need any: - The North Eastern Railway Association produces a number of inexpensive booklets - Line Diagrams of the NER Stockton - Hartlepool - Sunderland - Newcastle; Workings of Local Freight Trains.... Darlington District 1953; Passenger Locomotive Working Darlington, Newcastle and Sunderland Districts 1948 all give useful background, though I realise they're a bit early for your setting. Google will help to update the line diagrams (1920s) but relevant photos will help show what infrastructure was still current in the 1960s. - Pictorial sources abound on the Web - Time Capsules as part of the Photo Forums website is free - if you look for a contributor called Chris Davies, he has lots of pictures of NE England including a set showing a WD tour including Hawthorn Colliery - definitely worth the trouble. Regards, Roy Marshall Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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