Black Country Blues

[Andy Y]

 

Howard Smith, editor of MRL took some time to grab shots of BCB at Ally Pally which he's now uploaded to MRL - https://www.model-railways-live.co.uk/Articles/345/Black_Country_Blues_at_the_London_Festival_of_Railway_Modelling

This enlargement of one of the snaps is probably worth a caption or two, what's OG about to sing?

[Oldddudders]

"Down at the cantina - they giving green stamps with tequila!"

[gwrrob]

'Won't Get Fooled Again'

[KevinWalsh]

"Speedy Gonzales (you'd better come home)"

 

 

(with apologies to Pat Boone)

[wagonbasher]

Howard Smith, editor of MRL took some time to grab shots of BCB at Ally Pally which he's now uploaded to MRL - https://www.model-railways-live.co.uk/Articles/345/Black_Country_Blues_at_the_London_Festival_of_Railway_Modelling

 

This enlargement of one of the snaps is probably worth a caption or two, what's OG about to sing?

 

JW.jpg

and now, the time is here......

 

A

[Old Gringo]

What else could I be singing except, Stubby's "Black Country Blues" verses (from post 67) to the tune of Herman's Hermit's, August 1964 chart topper, "I'm into something good"!! 

 

Here's Stubby's lyrics for you all to have a go;

 

The Black Country Blues
---------------------------------
Woke up this morning, pitch black outside.
Walked down to the 'stop, got my ticket to ride.
Sat on the top deck, watching the views,
Humming along to those Black Country Blues.

Get to the pie works, filed through the gate.
Clocked on on time, no point being late.
Even this early, the tea urn has queues,
Standing in line to the Black Country Blues.

Start work at six, making the dough.
The canal runs outside, all peaceful and slow.
The dawn light catches the delicate hues,
As the waters pass by to the Black Country Blues.

Through the dense air, muffled by smoke,
The sounds of the locos shunting the coke.
The clang of the couplings, the squeals of the shoes,
Playing the notes of the Black Country Blues.

There's a match on today, so specials to bake.
Brewers vee Baggies, pride is at stake !
Half time's a pint, but which pie to choose ?
The crowd chants along to the Black Country Blues.

Nestled among the factories & mills
A little stone church that can't pay the bills.
The vicar is tired, all those empty pews.
The bells ringing out those Black Country Blues.

But from the smoke and the fog and the fumes
A brief ray of light to shatter the gloom
There's something afoot, Have you heard the news ?
They're making a model Of the Black Country Blues !

 

Thanks Stu.

 

All the best,

 

Johnny Gringo!       

[Worsdell forever]

what's OG about to sing?

 

[Mikkel]

 

It would be nice to see some un-harnessed horses added to the excellent Monty's range.

 

I agree and you can post any suggestions on the feedback page of the Dart Castings website. http://www.dartcastings.co.uk/feedback.htm

 

Not wishing to hijack this into a horse thread, but to follow up I just thought I'd post the reply from Dart castings on my suggestion for un-harnessed horses. My mind has mostly been on the finer breeds (dunno whether they would be of any use on BCB), but as Nigel points out there is a magnificent Shire horse in the Dart range, and a very charming donkey too! The suffolk punch has a lifted hoof and is therefore perhaps less suitable for a field.

 

Mikkel,

 

Thanks for your email.  We are always pleased to hear suggestions.

 

You have no doubt seen the unharnessed Shire Horse, Suffolk Punch and donkey.  We have just introduced an unharnessed Shetland Pony which should appear on the website within the next week or so.  These new horses (and especially the donkey) are proving very popular.

 

With the exception of the Shetland, our horses have always been heavy, or working horses intended to be used alongside our horse drawn vehicles.  I'm no expert on the subject by I assume what you are looking for is something like an Arabian or Thoroughbred.  We are aware that such a horse is missing from our range. It is something we were discussing only a few days ago.

 

This is definitely something we would like to pursue. However, as I said, I am no expert and it would be easy for us to assume that all horses are much the same.  However, our customers are not so easily pleased and rarely let us get away with that sort of approach.  Any guidance you could offer would be appreciated.

 

Kind regards,

 

Nigel

Dart Castings 

Edited April 4, 2013 by Mikkel

[iL Dottore]

Howard Smith, editor of MRL took some time to grab shots of BCB at Ally Pally which he's now uploaded to MRL - https://www.model-railways-live.co.uk/Articles/345/Black_Country_Blues_at_the_London_Festival_of_Railway_Modelling

 

This enlargement of one of the snaps is probably worth a caption or two, what's OG about to sing?

 

JW.jpg

Or perhaps he's calling bingo?

 

"two fat ladies: 88, one little duck: number 2"

[Andy Y]

and a very charming donkey too!

Charming he may be but he seems a little on the large side (I've got one on the workbench as I thought he might get tethered behind the cottages) being 9' 6" from nose to tail and 6' tall from toe to ears. I wouldn't mess with him.

[wagonbasher]

with all of the frivolity around Johns moment of fame I missed the link to the photos. Howards photos are very good (not as good as yours would have been Andy).  Great to see some well staged and close up shots - reminds me of the jobs we still have to do.

 

Thank you Howard

 

Andy

[freebs]

Hi All, first off, apologies if this is in entirely the wrong thread, but I've just been catching up on the whole BCB thing and it's blown my mind, so much that I'm considering ripping up my layout and starting again. I can't seem to find anything in the blogs about how it was wired - in respect of the raised trackwork - embankments etc - how were feeder wires run through from below the baseboard?

[Stubby47]

Whichever option I choose at 4:15pm on Saturday will turn out to be a donkey...

[trisonic]

He must be an S Scale interloper

Donkies are "normally" upto about 5 ft to the tip of the ear (not the scientific way of measuring equines I know) but there are 3 in a field down the road

May be a "Mule"? I've seen pretty big ones over here and they share some characteristics of a Donkey.

 

I'd better not give Stubby any more ideas...

 

Best, Pete.

[Stubby47]

Following on from John's reply.......

 

A trip across the Black Country Blues

 

Deep in the hillside, past mine shafts of old,
The freight rumbles on, through the dark and the cold.
In front, on the locos, the hard working crews
Work to the beat of the Black Country Blues.

 

As they exit the tunnel, there's no time to dawdle,
(The tunnel facade was built by John Wardle).
The cutting gets smaller, the darkness they lose,
Steaming along to the Black Country Blues.

 

The train forges on, the two engines in sync,
The driving's as good as those of Top Link.
The men have no time to notice the views,
Approaching the Vale of the Black Country Blues.

 

Andy B's slew bridge then comes into sight,
Casting its pattern of shadow and light.
The open spans break up the smoke from the flues
As the train chugs along to the Black Country Blues.

 

High on the hill, alone and aloof,
An old cart shed stands, with holes in its roof.
This is by Sandside, and give him his dues,
It harmonies well with the Black Country Blues.

 

Out from the cutting, on the embankment,
The crews can ease off as they start the descent.
The signal's on clear, so no time to snooze
Keep to the rhythm of the Black Country Blues.

 

The once mighty stream that created the vale
Now meanders beneath the ballast and rail;
Andy Banks' arches made of plastic and glues
The signature piece of the Black Country Blues.

 

Down on the road, an old 'oss and cart
Holds up the traffic, it's a cunning black art.
The driver in front, he likes to amuse
Singing away to the Black Country Blues.

 

An old Cortina, seats made of leather
Has scratched on the side, 'Worsdell Forever'.
Abandoned by Prussians, tanked up on booze;
The radio plays the Black Country Blues.

 

tbc...

[SouthernRegionSteam]

You know what Stu, I was almost tempted to make a song out of your first incarnation of the Black Country Blues...

Fortunately or unfortunately I've been too busy!

[freebs]

I've only just caught up with this thread, being a bit late on the scene with BCB - this water tank is utterly brilliant. You should be proud of yourself sir.

[Geoff Cook]

Hi All, first off, apologies if this is in entirely the wrong thread, but I've just been catching up on the whole BCB thing and it's blown my mind, so much that I'm considering ripping up my layout and starting again. I can't seem to find anything in the blogs about how it was wired - in respect of the raised trackwork - embankments etc - how were feeder wires run through from below the baseboard?

 

 

Sorry but there isnt a thread as yet about the electrics and the trackwork, but now this has come up I will probably get chuntered at again, for not having done one, at the time of the main build I couldn't find the time to do the electrics and post on here about it mainly because I am just slow using a keyboard and my mind said I should be doing the trackwork/ electrics because it was more important

 

The droppers

 

All the DCC circuits are wired using 1.5mm sq ( 16 awg ) even the droppers, but not were it attaches to the rails, a short lenght (approx 20mm ) of 22 swg tinnned copper wire was  soldered to the end of the 16 awg dropper, the joint was then sealed with adhesive lined heat shrink sleeve and it was the thin 22swg wire that was attached to the rail 

 

With the track being on an embankment some 140mm higher than the main baseboard level and the mineral line being even higher at about 230mm approx, all the droppers were of sufficent lenght to go through the embankment with sufficent lenght left to join onto the main DCC supply

 

To get the droppers through the trackbed and the foam and then the baseboard surface a long 250mm x 6mm drill was used, this was fine provided you didnt drill into a cavity in the foam, because there is no long hole for the wire to follow if you do, and feeding the wire through becomes a lot more difficult

 

There is 90 metres of code 75 rail on BCB and apart from 2 lenghts which cross the industrial viaduct the max length of any rail is 480mm, and there are two droppers per each section of rail

[trisonic]

Brilliant. I thought you were just being modest, Geoff!

 

Where cavities were I'm guessing you used a stiff, thick, solid copper earth wire with a loop at one end for the dropper (as a pull-through)?

 

Best, Pete.

Edited April 4, 2013 by trisonic

[SHMD]

If you do drill through a cavity then poke a straw down the hole into the void.

Wiggle it around until you find the hidden hole and push the straw into that hole too.

Next thread the wire through the straw.

Lastly, just pull the straw out.

 

Voila - easily threaded wire through a void.

 

 

Kev.

[wagonbasher]

Are 10 inch long 6mm drills common Geoff,

 

Can't think of many uses, except drilling long 6mm holes obviously.

 

If i'm correct the real story is point motors on an elivated section ?

 

Andy

[Geoff Cook]

Are 10 inch long 6mm drills common Geoff,

 

Can't think of many uses, except drilling long 6mm holes obviously.

 

If i'm correct the real story is point motors on an elivated section ?

 

Andy

 

 Just happend to have one to hand

[Geoff Cook]

If i'm correct the real story is point motors on an elivated section ?

 

Andy

 

Too right, but your not allowed to ########## ####### ######

[freebs]

"To get the droppers through the trackbed and the foam and then the baseboard surface a long 250mm x 6mm drill was used, this was fine provided you didnt drill into a cavity in the foam, because there is no long hole for the wire to follow if you do, and feeding the wire through becomes a lot more difficult"

Geoff - many thanks  -this is EXACTLY the information I was after, and Andy - you've raised the next point. Had I not got an answer I was considering making a void in the baseboard and a cavity through the raised section...

At the moment my layout is flat - straight to ply baseboard, but following this thread and the utterly superb landscape you've created I am considering ripping it all up and creating a raised landscape, but before I do, I want to work out just how I wire it all - expecially leaving space for points motors...

ps- when you say 2 droppers per each section of rail - do you mean two sets?

Thanks again for answering

Edited April 4, 2013 by freebs

[freebs]

Are 10 inch long 6mm drills common Geoff,

 

Can't think of many uses, except drilling long 6mm holes obviously.

 

If i'm correct the real story is point motors on an elivated section ?

 

Andy

Drilling long holes can be extremely satisfying. Sadly I can only drill long 10mm holes, but I can go HALF A METRE THROUGH SOLID STONE (not much good on a foam hill though)

Edited April 4, 2013 by freebs