Middlesbrough - Whitby/Scarborough passenger workings

[Dale]

Hi folks.

 

Basing my layout loosely on Battersby I am attempting to run prototypical train formations and to that ends, have a copy of the BR Carriage Workings booklet.

 

It lists the following sets in use for:-

 

Middlesbrough to Battersby BT(5) CL(3-4) BT(5)

 

Middlesbrough to Whitby BC (2-3) 3T(8 ) BT(5) -5 (16F 320T)

 

Middlesbrough to Scarborough - BT(5) CL (3-4)T(8 ) BT(5) -4 (19F 213T)

 

My first question is to ensure that i am reading this correctly. Taking the Boro to Whitby service for example, it made up from a Brake Composite, 3x Third class coaches and then another Brake Third for 5 coaches in total. The numbers in brackets at the end are the total number of seats of both first class and third class. What the -5 is about i have no idea and where these poor folk are expected to make water is any ones guess... Likewise the set for Middlesbrough to Scarborough has a -4 at the end which baffles me.

 

The 11am from Middlesbrough to Whitby is listed as 'Whitby WC'... 255 but the 255 set has no lav comp so what's the WC mean?

 

The 09:44 from Middlesbrough to Scarborough is listed as using sets 237 & 248 so do i just add these two sets together to make it BT,CL,BT,BT,CL,T,BT?????? Thats a lot of BT's in one train? Likewise there is another train that would be made up as BT,CL,BT,BT,CL,BT??? Surely not?

 

The 4:20 Middlesbrough to Scarborough train is listed as sets 241A, 250 & 252. You dont want to know how many BT's that would be....

 

Finally the Middlesbrough to Whitby service lists a BC. Can any one suggest a suitable kit for building a non corridor brake composite (Comet Thompson E12?) that would be suitable as the remainder of my stock is ready to roll (Hornby Gresley/Thompson suburban RTR stock)

 

Thanks in advance folks.

 

Dale.

[jwealleans]

Evening Dale,

 

What the minus numbers are for I don't know. My equivalent document is from 1932 and doesn't have those.

 

Whitby WC is West Cliff - you were looking at it last weekend at Redcar.

 

The sets worked as one, so yes, you'd hang two sets together in just the same way as coupling units together now. I assume that's either (a) dealing with peak traffic or (b ) moving sets to the right place in anticipation of the morning/evening peak.

 

Your other choice for a BC would be Kirk - you'd have to cut and shut but with some detailing they don't look out of place with the Hornby ones. Depends whether you prefer to solder or glue and whether your taste in coaches is more Gresley of Thompson.

 

What year are you aiming for? Before about 1955 you might have old NER coaches still in use. Much more character and variety.

[Dale]

Ahhhh, West Cliff... The penny drops.

 

My period is loosely late 50's mate but only because most of my stock is late crest. Modellers license says that DMU's have yet to displace the tanks and their rakes of non corridor stock. Of course once Dick has re-crested my kettles we can just wind the clock back a touch and there will no longer be a DMU issue. I suspect I will be choosing the solder option over glue, if only to give Mr Dog something to do this winter. Well that and of course helping me build the extra baseboards for Stainsby ;-)

[Stuart]

Dale

BT(5) is the number of compartments in the coach, BTs came in at least 4 and 5 compartment varieties.

The 4 in this BT(5) CL (3-4)T(8 ) BT(5) -4 (19F 213T) is the number of coaches

 

9.44 am Middlesbrough - Scarborough uses different coach sets depending on the date.

Set 237 is used SO (Saturdays only) 3 July to 11 September (note d) with an additional T between 10 July to 28 August (note c) (assuming we are working from the same 1954 book)

Set 248 is used SX  and SO 19 and 26 June and 18 September (note d) again with a T

So you only need 4 or 5 coaches depending on which day you model.

 

Likewise the 4.20 uses different sets according to date.

 

If sets, or additional loose coaches are added, they appear in the left hand column, and shown as detached in the right hand column, so set 237 does run coupled to set 223 from Stockton to Middlesbrough but then 223 is detached, a single T is attached  (10 July to 28 August) and 237 + T works forward as the 9.44.

 

If you are looking for a slightly later Carriage Working Book, the 1956 edition is available on the BR Coaching Stock Yahoo group but the most obvious change seems to be that Thirds are now Seconds!

 

Hope this helps

 

Stuart

[Dale]

Massively, many thanks