MOVING COAL - A Colliery Layout in 0 Gauge

[David Siddall]

What a fab-u-lous piece of modelling!

 

From a newly converted 'industrial' enthusiast :-)

 

PS: What do you use for your brickwork, looks superb!

Edited September 15, 2013 by David Siddall

[81A Oldoak]

This is my first look at this forum. First class. Industrials rock - in more senses than one.  

[PGH]

TRACK:

 

 

Colliery track is often less than perfect as here at Mardy Colliery in South Wales.  This was on the lead to the loco shed, so it didn't take trains but it was regularly traversed by the 55 ton Peckett OQ Class 0-6-0ST, one of the heaviest industrial locos in the UK and now resident at the Elsecar Railway. 

 

 

 

 

This track at Bickershaw Colliery is perhaps more acceptable for modelling.

 

Plain track on the layout is PECO, which was the only ready made track available when the layout was started, laid on ¹/₂" thick wood fibre insulation board.  I don't think PECO points had been introduced at that time, although I wouldn't have used them anyway as I think its better to build the points to suit the layout rather than vice-versa and certainly using them I couldn't have squeezed as much in the space available.  The points are constructed in situ with PECO chairs fixed to obechi sleepers by PECO track pins, the pin heads being turned down to a smaller diameter. 

 

 

This photo shows some of the pointwork before painting.  Its not ideal, but it’s the only photo I have showing unfinished trackwork.

 

 

 

The track after painting and ballasting

 

 

 

Blades are hinged as I don't like long bendy point blades, and there is less strain on the tiebar fixings, etc.  The hinge is a nickel silver strip pushed through a slot near the end of the blade, bent into a 'U' shape and soldered to the closure rail.

 

 

 

There were no suitable point levers available, so I made patterns and had them cast in brass.  The throw over type as here actually work exactly like the real levers but don't give enough throw for the model blades, so all points are worked remotely.

 

When it came to painting the track I made up samples of various Humbrol colours and compared it to the real thing, for what its worth this was the result:

 

Main well used lines - 82 Orange + 62 Leather + small amount of 33 Matt Black

Sidings - 82 + 62 + 113 Rust + small amount of 33

Rarely used sidings - add more 113 (82 + 62 + 2x113)

Point levers - 113 + small amount of 33

Sleepers - 64 Light Grey + 110 Natural Wood + 98 Chocolate

Oil stains on slide chairs and point blades - 98 + 33

Oil to tops of slidechairs - 85 Coal Black + 53 Gunmetal + 98

Drybrush to sleepers and fishplates - 98

Drybrush to chairs and tops of checkrails - 98 + 53

Edited September 20, 2013 by PGH

[Jack P]

Thanks for the post PGH, lovely trackwork!

[asa]

I'm finding it hard to believe that track isn't real.Well done indeed PGH.

[rope runner]

I'm quite impressed with your point levers - it's details like that which give a real sense of atmosphere.

 

Paul A.

[C&WR]

It's a cliche to say "but surely that's the real thing" but your final picture in #28 would have caused me to check and check again if it hadn't been flagged as a model.  Fabulous stuff!

[PGH]

PS: What do you use for your brickwork, looks superb!

 

Most of the brickwork is Slaters embossed plastikard, the one exception being the colliery loco shed.

 

 

This was done with the courses represented by individual card strips glued to the wooden shell, with the vertical joints marked by a tool ground from an old hacksaw blade.  Exactly why I did it that way is lost in the mist of time, but there isn't a great deal of brickwork with all the window and door openings and the fact that only the front and side visible are actually modelled.  I must have had more patience back then and in future I'll stick to plastikard.

 

There are many tedious and boring jobs when building a layout (perhaps its just the way I do it !) and one of the worst I think is painting individual bricks.  Instead of finishing with 'that’s about right' this operation usually finishes with 'I've had enough that will have to do'.

Edited September 18, 2013 by PGH

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Lovely work!  I especially like the eye for detail in post 28 final shot.  Not only is the bank held back by an authentic looking sleeper and rail berm, but the sleepers have indentations from the chairs and screw holes... smashing stuff.

 

I think it's time we were introduced to the loco fleet and rolling stock next!  

 

I find myself looking at 7mm kits for big industrials a lot lately... has anyone built a Mercian Models big Bgnall 'Victor' and does anyone do a 7mm Peckett OQ 'Mardy Monster'?  

 

As if I didn't have enough distractions already!

[PGH]

 

I think it's time we were introduced to the loco fleet and rolling stock next!  

 

 

 

Patience, there's more boring stuff to go through first !

Edited September 18, 2013 by PGH

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

not boring.... far far from boring!  

[Ruston]

A question regarding the operation of the railway... Do you run spoil trains and if so, what wagons do you use?

 

It's just that I'm wondering about what alternatives were used to the Hudson V-tipper for this work. The only other things I've seen are a picture of what appears to be a standard RCH wooden frame with a side-tipping wooden body built on.

[chaz]

Superb model. Very convincing buildings, excellent stock and I like the way you have used the space. Looks like it's fun to operate.

 

One small point - isn't everything just a bit too clean (and tidy)?

 

Chaz

[81A Oldoak]

Superb model. Very convincing buildings, excellent stock and I like the way you have used the space. Looks like it's fun to operate.

 

One small point - isn't everything just a bit too clean (and tidy)?

 

Chaz

Chaz is obsessed with filth.

[chaz]

Chaz is obsessed with filth.

 

And this from the man who has some really dirty industrials.

[Barnaby]

Yup great model but even the dirt is clean which makes it look a little strange to me.  It doesn't appear to be lived in blend in some grubbiness and it will come alive.

But there again it's your model and as they say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so if it's good for you.... who cares.

 

Well done

 

Regards

[number6]

Yup great model but even the dirt is clean

You are joking?! Look again at that last image of the shed area. The subtlety of weathering and colouring across the buildings, the trackwork, and in the ballast is sublime. Perhaps some of those bufferbeam bolts haven't got enough grime around them and the grass is a bit uniform but even then...

 

Seems obvious to me that PGH knows how to look at the real thing - be it an old sleeper stuck in a embankment or how the industrial railway worked - and can translate it into model form. Really excellent work - on many levels: execution, design, detail, operational possibilities and also the care of presentation online here as well. Much appreciated.

 

No.6

[Osgood]

Yup great model but even the dirt is clean which makes it look a little strange to me.  It doesn't appear to be lived in blend in some grubbiness and it will come alive.

But there again it's your model and as they say Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so if it's good for you.... who cares.

 

Well done

 

Regards

 

 

Mmm - if I was building this I'm pretty certain I'd be doing (well if I would if only I was that competent!) exactly what the builder is doing - first getting the basic infrastructure in place and to a uniformly high standard. Lets's face it there is a lot of area to cover there. Only then would I turn my attention to seeing what areas would benefit from more grime and to what extent.

 

If you were to read the bits of text between the pictures (admittedly difficult to tear your eyes away from the fantastic images) you may note that the author has indeed already qualified the relatively simplified state of the scenery.

 

In case you hadn't noticed, it isn't finished yet - give him a chance for goodness sake!

Edited September 19, 2013 by Osgood

[DOCJACOB]

I agree an inspirational pice of modelling and reminds me of the images I saw of my first 0 guage layout in an old Railway Modeller; Cromford and high Peak

 

While on the subject of industrial track quality I offer this self explanatory image from the "bible" on the Wemyss Private Railway The locos too were usually spotless, even towards the end, and as child I well remember No 15 (currently Earl David) with gleaming paintwork pounding past the Wellesley Washer. 

[Osgood]

.... from the "bible" on the Wemyss Private Railway....

 

 

 

 

Dr. J - are you referring to the Oakwood Press book or should I be looking elsewhere?

 

Thanks

Tony

Edited September 19, 2013 by Osgood

[gismorail]

As your a Lancashire coal field fan I reckon the engine shed in the layout was inspired by the one at Walkden Yard ???

[Barnaby]

Hello Osgood.
I have read this topic particularly PGH's comments see below which says finished.

 

 

The finished result after painting and ballasting

 

 

To me individually each bit the track, the grass and the ballast are fantastic but they need blending in together to bring them to life IMO.
However the modelling skills displayed are excellent and most likely to be far better than my own efforts. For instance I could never run a loco or a wagon straight from the box they all would need weathering first, but that is my way.

 

Regards

[Osgood]

Hello Osgood.

I have read this topic particularly PGH's comments see below which says finished........To me individually each bit the track, the grass and the ballast are fantastic but they need blending in together to bring them to life IMO.

However the modelling skills displayed are excellent and most likely to be far better than my own efforts. For instance I could never run a loco or a wagon straight from the box they all would need weathering first, but that is my way.

 

Regards

 

Maybe you missed the text in post 5 where it clearly states -  "The next part of the layout is less 'finished', most of it has only recently been ballasted and 'grassed', so its rather too neat and tidy and lacking buildings, etc."? 

 

I can't imagine there is much difference between what you expect to see and what the builder aims to achieve - perhaps (as has already been implied) he prefers to run a few trains before applying the final touches?

 

We all work in different ways!

Edited September 19, 2013 by Osgood

[PGH]

Thanks for your input Osgood, and to answer your query on the Wemyss photo - it is in the Oakwood Press book page 150.

 

Obviously you need to be careful with your wording on here, when I said 'finished' I meant the only track itself.  That'll teach me to be more careful in future  

We all do work in different ways and to me the logical sequence is to lay the track, make sure it all works OK, paint it, ballast it and then do the basic ground cover - any paved or unpaved areas and grass, which is where I'm at now with a large area of the layout.  Then its all the buildings and finally details, weathering and 'untidyness'.  I can't see the point of detailing areas where there is whacking great voids where the buildings should be.  Others may have different ideas.

 

The 'dirt' is a mixture of coal dust, ash and pit dirt (colliery waste), so Barnaby if that is clean dirt where do you get dirty dirt ?  

 

gismorail - correct the loco shed is based on Walkden Yard loco shed, measured by counting the bricks on site.  Actually its only the front half as I didn't have room for the full length of the prototype.

[Barnaby]

A-ha yes I had missed that bit of text Osgood I probably should have qualified my remarks a bit better but I was expressing my opinion not criticising PGH's modelling ability.

Don't know about dirty dirt though PGH maybe add a little more or add some of each colour to the surrounding area which as you say will be in the final detail of weathering and untidiness?

I'm looking forward to viewing it in all its glory when the finals are done, that is if we ever say our models are complete.

 

When I get mine to the part built stage I'll have to post some pics up so people can tell me mine is too dirty.  etc. 

 

Regards