National Coal Board - Royd Hall Drift & Royal Oak Sidings.

[Guest Isambarduk]

"Or the vibrator out of an old mobile phone "
 
Indeed, which I believe is "a small motor with an out-of-balance flywheel" but that might be an easy place to obtain one.  David

[peter220950]

"Or the vibrator out of an old mobile phone "

 

Indeed, which I believe is "a small motor with an out-of-balance flywheel" but that might be an easy place to obtain one.  David

 

 

I've bought a few of these recently, and they are dirt cheap, how they can do it for the price is a mystery.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3PCS-3V-1000RPM-Micro-DC-Coreless-Vibrating-Motor-for-Mobile-Phone-/191681376694?hash=item2ca119b1b6:g:-WsAAOSwd0BV6Erk

 

there's also these, that may be easier to mount.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-3V-70mA-12000RPM-Mobile-Phone-Coin-Flat-Vibrating-Vibration-Motor-A-/331543870569?hash=item4d318dfc69:m:mSQZE8IOfuSOyDI0AuL6m8g

 

I think this might be the right way to be going, having pondered the problem all afternoon. I thought about conveyours, and some sort of archimedes screw, or even to replicate a concrete mixer, which has a series of spiral fins which 'unload' the drum contents when turned one direction and mix them when rotating the other. Both these are likely to be bulky and complex, so the 'shaking table' is good route to explore I think.

 

The biggest problem I see is the interference, in any flap or valve system, of the bits of 'coal', so measuring out the required amounts seems to me, to be the biggest problem. Without any knowledge or experience on this matter I think a traditional flap or sliding gate arrangement would be subject to jamming by extraneous bits, but I've only dealt with emptying wagons, not filling them.

 

A bit of testing rig building is probably required, but I think I would venture down the 'individual skips with pre-measured quantities, tipping onto the vibrating table' route, but appreciate that this is probably more complex and space consuming than a single container and valve. - Interested to hear from anyone who's actually done it,as their views are likely to be far more relevant and informed than mine  .

 

If it were my layout I would also try to get hold of one of these to take apart

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tea-dispenser-Vintage-Caddy-Matic-/252131178987?hash=item3ab43079eb:g:jvIAAOSwYHxWI-As

 

they were part of my childhood, and at the press of the button dispensed a measured volume of material, I think it might hold some clues to how the valve mechanism might work.

 

Peter

[PGH]

I had more or less decided on the layout being part of a colliery but this depends entirely on being able to make the screens actually load wagons with coal (probably some representation of coal as I expect the real thing would make an awful mess) and on this my mind has gone blank.

 

The basic idea was to have the roof of the building removable and some sort of hopper that can be filled with enough coal to fill 9 wagons (or 3 seperate hoppers holding enough for 3 wagons) through 3 discharge points, each capable of being operated independently of the others.

 

 

Sort of like this, which co-incidentally holds sufficient coal to fill 9 or 10 wagons -

 

 

 

David (Isambarduk) has the right idea, which basically replicates the working of the prototype screens.  However using vibration probably needs a fairly rigid screen structure and mine stands on columns milled from steel bar.

 

I don't find using real coal any problem.  Its carefully sized and the dust sieved out initially and at regular intervals.  There is a certain amount of dust produced but that is confined to under and immediately round the screen structure - natural weathering ! 

Edited October 22, 2015 by PGH

[Ruston]

Yes, PGH, that's the kind of thing. How does it work and do you have any photos of the chute/mechanism etc?

Edited October 22, 2015 by Ruston

[Ruston]

Regarding the vibrating thing - I can imagine how a vibrating screen will make the coal move along but what holds the weight of several wagons worth up in the hopper if not a flap, or valve, of some sort?

[PGH]

Yes, PGH, that's the kind of thing. How does it work and do you have any photos of the chute/mechanism etc?

 

Maybe I should resume my 'moving coal' thread as we never got to the moving coal part before it was diverted (hijacked ?) into a discussion on locomotive weathering (since thankfully removed).

 

Regarding the vibrating thing - I can imagine how a vibrating screen will make the coal move along but what holds the weight of several wagons worth up in the hopper if not a flap, or valve, of some sort?

 

In the traditional (for want of a better description) screening plants there were no storage hoppers, wagons were loaded as the coal was treated.  It would be screened then pass over the picking belts and be directly discharged into wagons.  Obviously it would take some time to fill each wagon.  The arrangement is shown in this diagram with an inclined boom conveyor discharging to the wagon.  The angle of this could be adjusted and would be kept as low as possible to minimise breakage of the coal.

 

 

 

(Illustration from "Practical Coal Mining - Volume VI"  published in1913)

 

 

This photo at Frances Colliery, Fife shows the inclined boom conveyor - A, the chains supporting it - B and the discharge chute - C

 

 

Edited March 28, 2016 by PGH

[Ruston]

If I continue to sit and ponder how to make the screens work I'll never make a start.

 

So I've made a start by making an embankment and road bridge for the line to enter the scenic section.

 

Testing clearances.

 

 

Building a locomotive shed.

 

Checking clearances for and within the locomotive shed footprint.

Edited July 25, 2017 by Ruston

[Osgood]

Maybe I should resume my 'moving coal' thread as we never got to the moving coal part before it was diverted (hijacked ?) into a discussion on locomotive weathering (since thankfully removed).

 

[rope runner]

I have to just comment that your Barclay looks spot on, the weathering is excellent, as is the attention to detail with the footplate clutter. 

 

Paul A.

[wagonbasher]

New Haden Colliery (EM gauge layout owned by Geoff Cook) fills wagons from up to 6 separate roads under screens using a principle based upon a salt gritting lorry...   Each road has a motor driven shaft that goes through the coal hopper,  At the base of the hopper is a disc, spin the disc and the coal flies out and thanks to a cowl the coal is directed to the wagon.  It runs for a set time and when the dics stops spinning the col instantly clogs and stops

 

Andy

[Geoff Cook]

Following on from Wagonbashers post above here's some information about the coal hoppers on New Haden Collery, being that this is built for 4mm/ft you will need to increase it's size to handle material ( coal ) for your scale

 

It uses a rotating disc at the mouth of the hopper with this you can

 

Stop and start the flow by stopping and starting the disc

Control the amount of flow by controlling the speed of the disc

Control the volume by controlling the amount of time the disc is running

 

How does it work?

 

With the disc stationary and the hopper filled, the material will sit on top of the disc, with a small proportion going towards the edge; providing the disc is wide enough it is unable to get to the edge of the disc so nothing flows from the hopper, rotate the disc and centrifugal force will cause the material to be flung sideways from the disc allowing more material to flow from the hopper. The lower hopper catches the material flung from the disc and then directs it through two outlets so that it forms two cone shaped piles in the mineral wagon sitting below

 

The power source is a combined motor gearbox initially designed to run from 16 volts but for this application is being run at 12 volts giving an output shaft speed of approximately 260/270 rpm, this then drives the disc using plastic V pulleys and rubber belt, the v pulleys and belt considered to being a better option than a drive shaft and gears, due to the grit content of the material possible getting inside the gears and causing the drive to stall. The drive motors are being controlled by a relay and 555-timer chip, the chip is wired in a monostable mode, with the start button initiating the motor and the motor then running for a predetermined time set by the 555 timer. The timer when activated runs for about 8 seconds, 

 

There are six filling roads on the layout, three underneath each building. The buildings contain one large hopper, which feeds the three roads; 

 

Couple of pdf files showing side and front view of the hoppers

 

NHC Bunker front view with text.pdf

NHC Bunker side view with text.pdf

 

Main Hopper with two of the drive belts removed

 

 

Hopper underside

 

 

Underside of hopper without chutes

 

 

The individual chutes

 

 

Geoff

 

[Ruston]

Thanks for posting that, Geoff.

[Ruston]

Tracklaying completed!

I decided not to have the loco shed at the bridge end and after lots of indecision over whether or not I was still going to do a colliery I got down to tracklaying.

 

One thing that was causing the indecision was that I wanted to work the screens as per prototype, i.e. wagons run one way and are collected at the other side.

I don't have enough space to do that and although some kind of traverser could have been incorporated it would have been very complex to work and construct; not to mention how to draw wagons onto the traverser...

 

So I am just having wagons shunted under the screens and drawn out, by locomotive, the way they went in. The other problem was how to portray the rest of the colliery as there is no space for it. The answer is simple - It isn't in view. The prototype example of this is in the very same area that the layout is set - Park Mill colliery. Park Mill was a drift mine and was about half a mile away from the screens and standard gauge railway.

 

The other end.

Headshunt for the run-round loop that can accomodate up to 8 wagons, and the site of the 2-road engine shed.

Edited February 15, 2023 by Ruston

[wagonbasher]

lots of colliery screens were built over a gradiant so that the loco pushes in and gravity and the brake lets the trains of wagons creep forward at a rate that suites that coal sizes flow.  that way the loco delivers and collects at the same end....  is it too late to lift the thing?

 

you've been busy with wagons!!

 

Andy

[Ruston]

I don't think that can be made to work in model form. Gravity won't scale down. I could fit some kind of continuous haulage device to pull the wagons under the screens instead.

[Ruston]

I have just finished the wiring. The first train ran a couple of weeks ago, just to test the "tunnel" out. I have to do some more testing and once I'm happy that all the electrics are working, and there are no huge track defects that will cause anything to derail, I'll start painting/weathering/ballasting the track.

[Ruston]

Work on the Engine Shed area is underway.

 

And, at the other end, the beginnings of some scenery.

Edited February 15, 2023 by Ruston

[Osgood]

Is that a camera shy Ransomes & Rapier being used for shed erection?

[Ruston]

Is that a camera shy Ransomes & Rapier being used for shed erection?

No, it's a Priestman Cub that I scratchbuilt about 15 years ago.

[Ruston]

Progress is being made on the locoshed.

Edited July 25, 2017 by Ruston

[wagonbasher]

Progress is being made on the locoshed.

 

It looks like it might be a tight fit for height once you have a lintal in place..  enjoying the build  Andy

Edited July 25, 2017 by Ruston

[Ruston]

Roof slates going on, doors painted, second pair of doors made and water tank/tower constructed from plastic section and a Slaters tank that I picked up for just £4.

 

Back at the other end. The laser-cut MDF cottage, from Petite Properties and named 'Parsnip Cottage' in their range, is being Yorkshireized and will be named 'Rhubarb Cottage'. :-) The MDF shell has been given a coat of polyfilla and I have scribed the stone courses in before painting.

Edited July 25, 2017 by Ruston

[Ruston]

Edited July 25, 2017 by Ruston

[Ruston]

This evening I intended to do some more work on the loco shed but ended up playing trains now that the Hudswell Clarke diesel is finished and both it and the Peckett are now sound-fitted. The sound decoders and speakers came from Digitrains - that for the Peckett being just what it says on the tin, and the one for the Hudswell being intended for a BR class 03/04. As the Hudswell and 03/04 both used Gardner 8-cylinder engines and similar self-changing gearboxes I reckoned it was near enough the same sound.

The Hudswell is finished excepting the name plate, ALBERT BALL V.C, which is on order, and the Peckett will have the weathering finished after being named ROYD HALL No.1

Edited February 15, 2023 by Ruston

[Ruston]

Further progress on the grounds of the house.

 

 

Greenery. Small trees, made from grape vines with Woodland Scenics foliage, static grass and rock outcrops.

 

Dry stone walling as a retaining wall. Made by rolling DAS clay into sausages, rolling lengths flat, breaking off individual pieces and gluing them to make a wall. Painted with Tamiya Desert Yellow and weathered by dry-brushing matt black on.

 

Shed end.

Some grass and a narrow gauge line from the drift mine, including 100HP Hudswell Clarke flameproof locomotive and Robert Hudson mine car.

 

 

All shed doors now made, painted, weathered and fitted. Diesel oil tank made and placed (not fixed down yet).

Edited February 15, 2023 by Ruston