Black Country Blues

[BernardTPM]

Really? these (1975 - 1981) are very sought after now, even if in very poor condition.  Does the owner know its worth?

I doubt it. There's a much new Citroen Xsara that's joined it in the 'car park of doom'. The latter is still shiny but has weeds growing up the wheels.

The Escort (4 door) is a 'S' reg, so 1977-8.

Both the Estate and Van used most the Mk.1 shape from the door back. Mind you, the Mk.1/2 Escort van used the doors from the 1961 'Anglia' van, so wasn't ever 'all-new'.

[PhilJ W]

They were available as aftermarket replacements a fair while before they became standard on road cars - they were a requirement for stage rally cars in the 70's, maybe even earlier. (according to Wiki laminated glass was first produced in 1903 & Ford were using 600,000 square feet a year by 1939 - which sounds like a lot of screens given the smaller size of most car windscreens back then!!)

Laminated glass has been made since the early 20th century. It was only commonly used after it became compulsory after IIRC the 1930 Road Traffic Act, the problem was that it used cellulose as a laminate that used to absorb moisture and discolour (Yellow 'bubbles' appearing around the screen edges. 'Safety' glass, which was created by heat treating glass was invented later (1930's?), this proved to be cheaper than laminated glass and also easier to create the curves that came into fashion from the late forties. However this would sometimes shatter unexpectedly (The original curved windscreens on the class 309's for example.)

[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]

Both Ridge Tiles and Tiles look good. Were the Ridge tiles from aforesaid Topps Trains? How were the tiles modelled?

[DonB]

Having spent a large proportion of my formative years (i.e. when I was a LOT younger!) living in licensed premises, I was impressed by the nicely observed and executed access flaps to the cellar for delivery of the beer barrels. Exactly as I remember them, except ours had a ring-pull at the centre on one of the flaps for lifting. They were, of course, secured by bolts on the underside. I like the hinges particularly, with lovely exposed hinge-knuckles, a real H&S trip disaster waiting to happen on Friday night! 

 

I don't suppose that there is any intention ( or room) to model the slope to the cellar but, for completeness of recollection, ours was about 45 degrees with narrow central recessed steps within a brick-faced slope which had steel rails either side of the steps for the barrels to skid on. Head-room in our cellar was very limited, probably only 6 ft to the exposed floor beams above.

 

Being picky,( and to prime BCB operators of potential "rivet counter" criticism -- What?, ME? --  Never!   ) there's not a lot of room for the Dray-men to stand to lower the full barrels down the slope into the cellar, an operation controlled by using rope slings. I know of one pub which had a metal ring set into the wall facing the pub to help with the operation.

Empties up to Barrel size (36 Gallons) were usually pushed up by hand from below. If the demand for a particular brew warranted a Hogshead (54 gallons) these when empty would be removed using the slings. 

 

Edit to correct Hogshead gallon quantity.

Edited September 15, 2013 by DonB

[ElTesha]

Here's some food for thought,


................................................................

 

Forget trestle wagons, few works could roll plate wide enough to to need them. The Black Country's only plate roller was Patent Shaft, big enough to make steel but their plate mill rolled a maximum width of 2250mm, well within the loading gauge when laid flat.

Is your works independent or part of the British Steel Corporation?

Hope that's of some help.

 

I know that i'm late coming to this party but although the rolling mills at that time were not rolling wide plate, trestle wagons were in use taking plate up to the John Thompson boiler works at Ettingshall just up the Stour Valley line S of Wolverhampton.  I worked there in the drawing office for a short time in the late '60s and early 70's and plate wagons were in use then.  It could add some variety of traffic perhaps?

 

Here's a picture from the mid/late '60s in the JT sidings showing a few wagons but there were always more than this on site as far a I can recall. The chimneys in the distance in the upper middle of the picture belonged to the  Stewarts and Lloyds steelworks - also now gone of course

 

Edited September 15, 2013 by ElTesha

[Arthur]

For sure ElTesha, in any large industrial area like the Black Country, you could justify pretty much any passing wagon or traffic and that's a good example, and photo, you've provided.

 

My comments were exclusively about traffic in to, and out of, a fictional, but plausible, steelworks set in the Black Country. There were only a handful of works in the UK with plate mills big enough to roll plate which would require a trestle wagon. For obvious reasons these works tended to be close to the shipbuilding areas, Teesside and Scotland. Appleby Frodingham had one at Scunthorpe. Armour plate was rolled in Sheffield but I doubt it would have been wide enough to need a trestle (because it would have then been too heavy).

 

A Black Country works was, typically, more likely to roll sections or possibly tube.

 

Arthur

[hmrspaul]

I have photos of Trestrol at Brierley Hill in 77 http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtrestrolao/e488f5dfe

 

Paul

[Andy Y]

They'm strung them Bonks's draymen Don!

 

The final bits of Andy's viaduct are falling into place along with Chris's industrial bridge after a weekend's work. They've both had a slap of dirt, the road's fenced and it's just waiting for a bit more green and fluffy bits.

 

 

 

 

I regularly travel on the lane under the real viaduct and the shot below really hits the spot for me.

 

 

The industrial bridge went through some convoluted weathering processes on the side panels on the viewing side but I'm quite taken with including Modelmates' Rust Effect as part of the stages.

 

 

[DonB]

They'm strung them Bonks's draymen Don!

 

Arr, But in Walsall we had Highgate Brewery less than Half-a-Mile away, My Father drank only their Mild Ale.

The draymen were always rewarded / tipped with a half-pint of their favourite tipple, sometimes (I think illegally?) taking the cash equivalent instead. Don't know how they finished the day sober !

Our other deliveries (in barrels) came from Ansells and M&B, Cape Hill. Can't comment on the quality, I was either too young or too busy trying (totally without success) to win cycle races.

 

The other "strung men" were the coal merchant's delivery crew,- bags of I Cwt. in those days!

Our coal & coke came by 'Oss & Cart until about 1956/7.  When the cart shed a steel tyre, we had the 'Oss  (a Suffolk Punch) tied up for a whole afternoon to the lamp-post outside. 

[Barry O]

Keep up the good work gents...

[stewartingram]

Arr, But in Walsall we had Highgate Brewery less than Half-a-Mile away, My Father drank only their Mild Ale.

The draymen were always rewarded / tipped with a half-pint of their favourite tipple, sometimes (I think illegally?) taking the cash equivalent instead. Don't know how they finished the day sober !

Our other deliveries (in barrels) came from Ansells and M&B, Cape Hill. Can't comment on the quality, I was either too young or too busy trying (totally without success) to win cycle races.

 

The other "strung men" were the coal merchant's delivery crew,- bags of I Cwt. in those days!

Our coal & coke came by 'Oss & Cart until about 1956/7.  When the cart shed a steel tyre, we had the 'Oss  (a Suffolk Punch) tied up for a whole afternoon to the lamp-post outside. 

Was that whilst waiting for the RAC to arrive?

 

(Royal Animal Club......)

 

Stewart

[wagonbasher]

Arr, But in Walsall we had Highgate Brewery less than Half-a-Mile away, My Father drank only their Mild Ale.

The draymen were always rewarded / tipped with a half-pint of their favourite tipple, sometimes (I think illegally?) taking the cash equivalent instead. Don't know how they finished the day sober !

Our other deliveries (in barrels) came from Ansells and M&B, Cape Hill. Can't comment on the quality, I was either too young or too busy trying (totally without success) to win cycle races.

 

The other "strung men" were the coal merchant's delivery crew,- bags of I Cwt. in those days!

Our coal & coke came by 'Oss & Cart until about 1956/7. When the cart shed a steel tyre, we had the 'Oss (a Suffolk Punch) tied up for a whole afternoon to the lamp-post outside.

 

Our pub, or at least the one it is based on (8 locks at ryders green) was opened as an Atkins pub but during this period it was an M&B pub. I understand that space is tight but trapped between the canal and the railway there is no prospect of rear access. The idea is that the road and pavement was lifted, long after the canal and the pub where built in order to clear the new railway. Good point, I have missed the big rings..... I will add them. My route from home to my grandads shop in the 1970's passed over the cellar doors of the white lion in Stafford so that is my bit of the 70's.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Where we lived in Birmingham our milk was delivered by horse OSS and cart until about 1957. During the last winter it operated it was the only vehicle to get on and off the estate for 3 days after a heavy snowfall. At the Christmas when he retired the milkman had a drink at so many houses that he was almost unable to stand after doing our road at the end of the round. He pulled himself onto the cart, let off the brake and shook the reins whereupon the horse OSS took him the 2 miles back to the dairy.

 

Edit - terminology changed from Harborne to Black Country.

Edited September 16, 2013 by TheSignalEngineer

[wagonbasher]

Where we lived in Birmingham our milk was delivered by horse and cart until about 1957. During the last winter it operated it was the only vehicle to get on and off the estate for 3 days after a heavy snowfall. At the Christmas when he retired the milkman had a drink at so many houses that he was almost unable to stand after doing our road at the end of the round. He pulled himself onto the cart, let off the brake and shook the reins whereupon the horse took him the 2 miles back to the dairy.

An OSS.... Please

[skipepsi]

Our coalman was originally a miner, retired from the pit after a crush injury to his shoulder he started his round with his compensation. Not that unusual perhaps but he only had one working arm the 'boy' changed gear on command. So one handed and 1 cwt bag under control about 20 yards into the coal shed.Given we usually had five each time that would be me done for a week never mind doing another drop.

[TheSignalEngineer]

An ancestor of OSS?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wardie-Master-Models-Horse-Cart-/281164101105?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4176afb5f1

[wagonbasher]

Both Ridge Tiles and Tiles look good. Were the Ridge tiles from aforesaid Topps Trains? How were the tiles modelled?

Yes tops have just added the ridge tiles to their range. The tiles are just strips of paper with a grid printed on them using excel (you just adjust the row height and the column width until they are correct) by the way, not sure of the correct size for different tiles? get on ebay, there are loads of tiles for sale with dimensions. i then cut with a blade half of the height of each tile and glue, overlappinging the previous strip. I will post some photos.

 

Andy

[P.C.M]

They'm strung them Bonks's draymen Don!

 

The final bits of Andy's viaduct are falling into place along with Chris's industrial bridge after a weekend's work. They've both had a slap of dirt, the road's fenced and it's just waiting for a bit more green and fluffy bits.

 

Viaduct_1s.jpg

 

Viaduct_2s.jpg

 

Viaduct_4s.jpg

 

I regularly travel on the lane under the real viaduct and the shot below really hits the spot for me.

 

Viaduct_3s.jpg

 

The industrial bridge went through some convoluted weathering processes on the side panels on the viewing side but I'm quite taken with including Modelmates' Rust Effect as part of the stages.

 

Industrial_1s.jpg

 

Industrial_2s.jpg

More superb pics Andy,

I love the bridge and I like how you have done the road, any info on how this was done and what colours you used would be great as I have some road to do on Llanbourne.

 

Thanks Peter.

[Mikkel]

 

Well I hesitate to sound like some slobbering fan-boy, but this is really something!  Quite apart from the excellent photography and first-class modelling all-round, I can't get my eyes of the road detailing in these pics. The power of observation!

[Worsdell forever]

Nah, that road repair is far too neat   

[jwealleans]

and it hasn't sunk.

[BR(W)]

Yet.

[Stubby47]

 

Well I hesitate to sound like some slobbering fan-boy, but this is really something!  Quite apart from the excellent photography and first-class modelling all-round, I can't get my eyes of the road detailing in these pics. The power of observation!

 

Great view of the cottages, too...

[Worsdell forever]

I think you're right Stu, one of the best I surely...

[Andy Y]

 

I love the bridge and I like how you have done the road, any info on how this was done and what colours you used would be great as I have some road to do on Llanbourne.

 

 

Hi Peter,

 

It's nothing too revelationary, Chris had put the surface down with a darkish mottled grey surface. I decided to lighten it down a little firstly with Tamiya Neutral Grey acrylic via an airbrush followed by gentle tones of Tamiya Buff and Tamiya Dark Grey following the line of the road. Treemendus earth powder was dusted over the road and into the verges.

 

I'd roughly cut some masking tape and put this down before spraying peeling it off to reveal Chris's mottled surface once again for the road repairs. The road would have had some pretty substantial puddles before it reached the drain level despite the council's recent repair of the road for a collapsed drain (from the railway's embankment) after the lorries from BSC Trafalgar Works have given the road a pounding for years, arguments between the council and BSC meant they never made the road up to an even level.