BSC River Don Works

[Ruston]

The gap between the main building and the low-relief building on the right, across the canal has been something that has irritated me about this layout for a while. I thought of having a printed backscene but as the main building itself is only modelled in half-relief it would really show this up, so I have decided to fill the gap by connecting the buildings above the canal.

I have used Wills corrugated sheeting and to hide the joins (why on earth do they make these sheets so they don't match up when stacked on top of each other?) I am adding a walkway and a pipe. At the bottom are disused doors and a hoist, above the canal. The large ventilation duct is made from plasticard and stainless steel mesh.

 

The scrap stockpile is looking much better now.

 

[rockershovel]

I remember working around the Sheffield area in about 1978, some sort of mining stabilisation or gas drainage drilling... night shifts up on Roman Ridge, looking down into the Don Valley and seeing the great sheets of sparks, red glow and heat from the steelworks. I'd never seen anything like it in my life.

Edited August 22, 2017 by rockershovel

[Ruston]

That corner is now much improved by filling the gap.

 

The towpath needs some attention, especially in the form of foliage. It also needs dusting!

 

And at the other end I have added railings around the top of the piling that retains the works yard from falling into the river. There is also a bike rack and the addition of a older sign directing lorry drivers.

[Ruston]

Lots done, today.

 

Firstly, I have been preparing some more loads. Red hot ring forgings and ingots.

The multi-facted ingot was turned on the lathe and then flats put along its length in the milling machine. The round short ingot at the top is just a brass bar offcut, as is the one far right. The ring on the left is some old piece of Land Rover, whilst the one on the right is thick brass bar that has been bored out and had slight flats filed all over it to take away that perfectly machined look in an attempt to make it appear more like a forging. All have been given a coat of white paint, which, as seen, is followed by a coat of Revell dayglo yellow.

 

Uncoupling magnets.

Three of five that are ready to go. The price of a DG electromagnet uncoupler is now around £7, which is a bit steep if I may say so. These magnets are from broken Peco point solenoids that have been in a bin, in the loft, for years. I have stripped away the metal and insulating housings and with a 4mm set screw (15p each) stuck in them they will screw straight into the baseboard after a 3.5mm hole has been drilled.

 

Technically these cost me nothing but you can buy a brand new Peco point solenoid for under £7 and break it up to get two magnets for the price of one DG.

 

And finally...

The large ingot wagon has had some more work done on it. Steps and grab handles have been fitted and holes have been drilled in the deck. I have made small wedges that fit in the holes to allow different loads to be carried. This may not have been done on the prototype but is neccessary on the model. I have just got to make up and fit some Dingham couplings and it is ready for service.

Edited August 26, 2017 by Ruston

[BG John]

Would these be any use?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Sucked-Electric-Lifting-Magnet-Electromagnet-12VDC-2-5Kg-5-5LB-20x15mm-U4Y3-/172608878249

 

I have a feeling they may be too powerful, but I don't know if they will work on a lower voltage.

[Ruston]

I found this on the interwebs.

[Arthur]

Dave,

 

You might consider adding a thick tapered 'spigot' to one end if your forging ingot, something like this;

 

 

It serves two purposes. As the ingot cools the crappier steel, impurities and released gasses concentrate at the top of the mould forming the spigot so that the main part of the ingot is of consistent and usable quality.

 

It also forms a 'handle' so that the ingot can be gripped by the manipulator like this;

 

 

or it is forge welded to a porter bar, both of these enable the ingot to be positioned and rotated under the press or hammer. When forging is complete it is cut off as scrap and recycled.

 

.

[Ruston]

You're right, Arthur, and I have been thinking about that. The new long ingot that I made has such an end and I need to get some bar to make them for the two existing ingots and also to make some more.

 

At the moment this layout is perched on top of the sofa in the conservatory so I can work on it. I can't actually operate it until the uncoupling magnets are placed and wired. Still more electrical work is needed to add a set of point operating and uncoupling switches at the front of the layout.

 

I may be deviating from completely prototype practice but slag ladles will also now be run. The reason being that I bought them for a now abandoned project and I like them - rule #1 applies.

 

 

They are RT Models kits and I built three but they are so heavy and have such a great rolling resistance on the plain axle bearings that every loco slips when trying to haul them but two are quite manageable.

Edited August 31, 2017 by Ruston

[Fat Controller]

I found this on the interwebs.

Forgings.jpg

Having seen how massive the moulds were for 65t ingots, what on earth were the 275t ones like? How were such large castings moved? 

[Ruston]

Having seen how massive the moulds were for 65t ingots, what on earth were the 275t ones like? How were such large castings moved? 

 

Within the works they would be moved on the huge multi-bogie wagon, which was posted by Arthur earlier on, and on which I based my slightly smaller version.

I don't know what the finished products would be carried on on the mainline but I guess a lot would go by road?

Edited August 31, 2017 by Ruston

[Arthur]

Wynns and Pickfords were both regular visitors to ESCs Sheffield forges. I've a photo on a book cover showing five Pickfords Diamond T tractors hauling a 200t plus steel casting westwards out of Sheffield. Some photos of the same movement here;

 

 

 

 

Forged turbine shafts, as in the above ad., from ESC in Sheffield were regular traffic over the Pennines to the Metropolitan Vickers (later AEI) works in Trafford Park. My dad worked there and sometimes we'd cycle over after school, the Park then was a hive of industrial and railway activity. The shafts were brought over by Wynns or Pickfords behind Diamond T, Pacific and Scammell tractors, both firms having bases in the Park. Later my brother also worked at AEI, as a turner in the steam turbine division.

 

Those shafts were worth a small fortune when they arrived, forging being a costly finishing process. When they'd been turned up, had their blades fitted and been balanced, they were worth a large fortune.

 

They were run up to speed, and over speeded, in the test house. A hundred tons or so to rotating at 3000 rpm and more. On one occasion a shaft failed and bits weighing up to a ton were showered for half a mile around, fortunately with no serious injuries. The brick walls of the test house were shrapnel scarred until it closed in the 1980s.

 

.

[LBRJ]

There is a very short thread on this forum relating to Pickfords in and around Sheffield that may be of some interest.

 

If only to show just how wrong large loads can go when jacking the lorry up!

 

https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/topic/5191-pickfords/

[Enterprisingwestern]

Wynns and Pickfords were both regular visitors to ESCs Sheffield forges. I've a photo on a book cover showing five Pickfords Diamond T tractors hauling a 200t plus steel casting westwards out of Sheffield. Some photos of the same movement here;

 

IMG_0603.JPG

 

IMG_0604.JPG

 

IMG_0605.JPG

 

Forged turbine shafts, as in the above ad., from ESC in Sheffield were regular traffic over the Pennines to the Metropolitan Vickers (later AEI) works in Trafford Park. My dad worked there and sometimes we'd cycle over after school, the Park then was a hive of industrial and railway activity. The shafts were brought over by Wynns or Pickfords behind Diamond T, Pacific and Scammell tractors, both firms having bases in the Park. Later my brother also worked at AEI, as a turner in the steam turbine division.

 

Those shafts were worth a small fortune when they arrived, forging being a costly finishing process. When they'd been turned up, had their blades fitted and been balanced, they were worth a large fortune.

 

They were run up to speed, and over speeded, in the test house. A hundred tons or so to rotating at 3000 rpm and more. On one occasion a shaft failed and bits weighing up to a ton were showered for half a mile around, fortunately with no serious injuries. The brick walls of the test house were shrapnel scarred until it closed in the 1980s.

 

.

 

Apologies for a bit of thread drift.

The first picture is turning left at the junction of  Page Hall Road and Firth Park Road at Page Hall tram turnback, the crossover pointwork can be seen at the rear of the first tractor, the most direct route from the steelworks would have been straight along Brightside Lane/Saville street, but the railway bridge was too low, whereas the one one at the bottom of Owler Lane was lowered for the double deck trams, so the load would have got under ok.

The second is at Ladys Bridge, and the rig would be turning right onto Bridge Street to gain access to Penistone Road.

The third, as it is on a hill, I think is probably in the Shalesmoor area, maybe on Bridge Street itself.

The whole route was somewhat circuitous, as the direct route would have involved a long slog up one side of Herries Road, and a white knuckle ride down the other side, presumably the machinery of the day wasn't up to it, although climbing over Woodhead would have run it a close second.

 

Mike.

[LBRJ]

Sorry but I dont think that is Ladys Bridge - Though at first glance it could be!

the sides of the bridge in the picture are plate, on Ladys Bridge they are, and were "see through" cast iron.

[Enterprisingwestern]

Sorry but I dont think that is Ladys Bridge - Though at first glance it could be!

the sides of the bridge in the picture are plate, on Ladys Bridge they are, and were "see through" cast iron.

 

Hmmm, well, it is a while since I was there.

Looking more closely, it's a different ensemble to the first one, the tractor unit has a board above the cab.

Maybe it's in the Manchester area?

 

Mike.

[Arthur]

 

The location of that middle picture has been a source of discussion on a few sites.

 

I have wondered if it was Manchester myself, the general look of the buildings would fit. However, if it is, I cannnot identify it. The Irwell wends its way through, forming the Manchester/Salford boundary, and a load from Sheffield to Liverpool would need to cross it so that's a possibility.

 

.

[Ruston]

New motive power under construction for River Don Works - Judith Edge kit of the Yorkshire Engine Co. DE2

 

This kit was bought for me as a birthday present back in July and this week I have got around to building it. I haven't done a complete build log as this has been adequately covered by Arthur, elsewhere on this forum. This is the first time I have dealt with Gibson wheels all by myself as with the Barclay build I got 5050 Paul to press the wheels on for me but I have now made my own press and quartering jig, which seems to have worked as the rods were fitted with nothing more than the basic opening out of the holes and the thing ran smoothly as soon as it was placed upon the rails.

 

I have used a High Level Loloader 90:1 gearbox with a 99p Mitsumi 12/20 ebay special motor and a flywheel. I'm not a fan of flywheels and aren't convinced that they actually do anything on small slow-speed locomotives but, hey, it adds a bit more weight. The chassis has been crammed with sheet lead and already weighs 100 grammes. Once more lead is stuck inside the bodywork this ought to come up to over 200g, which will give the loco more traction than it will ever need on this layout.

 

 

 

 

 

[boody227]

Looking good so far, I too have this kit and am still waiting to build it! I've had it over a year now. I'm currently building my first ever kit which is an rt models post war sentinel. I've just plucked up the courage to build the gearbox. Got the chassis finished yesterday and it run quite nice.

Hopefully I'll get on with my Yorkshire kit in the next few months.

Are you going with the typical all over wasp stripes on a yellow base?

Luke

[Ruston]

Looking good so far, I too have this kit and am still waiting to build it! I've had it over a year now. I'm currently building my first ever kit which is an rt models post war sentinel. I've just plucked up the courage to build the gearbox. Got the chassis finished yesterday and it run quite nice.

Hopefully I'll get on with my Yorkshire kit in the next few months.

Are you going with the typical all over wasp stripes on a yellow base?

Luke

 

 

I haven't decided yet. It may get stripes all over or it may just be yellow but it depends how well striping the buffer beams goes. They are going to be difficult to mask with the sprung buffers, jacking points and casting car buffers fitted.

 

Good luck with the Sentinel; how about starting a thread about the build? If you have any problems there are quite a few people who post in the industrial section who have built them and can give advice, if needed.

[boody227]

Cheers. I've mostly got it done now! Got all soldering done on the chassis and body. Although I have omitted some of the fine rivet overlays as my soldering isn't too good to do that yet. Although I may superglue them on. Any advice on soldering the thin overlays on would be appreciated(by PM of course, not on rustons thread).

 

I've took some photos along the way so will try and get a topic wrote up some time.

Going slightly off topic, would you be able to upload photos back on to your pre war sentinel build? I'd like to build one soon and would find them helpful.

Thanks and sorry for going off topic on your wonderful thread.

Luke

[luckymucklebackit]

A superb layout that brings back many memories of working in the steel industry, I worked for British Steel Tubes Division at Clydesdale Works, Mossend from 1975 to 1986.  Your model of the multi-faceted ingot looks very like the ones produced in the Electric Arc "Steel Side" before being transported to the tube mills.

 

Jim.

[clarkea1]

Slag-017.jpg

They are RT Models kits and I built three but they are so heavy and have such a great rolling resistance on the plain axle bearings that every loco slips when trying to haul them but two are quite manageable.

 

Ruston,

 

Couple of points to reduce the rolling resistance, having built a few in my time:

 

1) The bearings could be made shorter, which should cut down the rolling resistance.  Maybe slightly increasing the clearance within them may also help

2) Seems obvious, but it's amazing the difference a drop of oil makes

 

Cheers

 

Alastair

[cheesysmith]

Sorry but I dont think that is Ladys Bridge - Though at first glance it could be!

the sides of the bridge in the picture are plate, on Ladys Bridge they are, and were "see through" cast iron.

It is ladies bridge, as the building behind the load is still there, although it has been a carpet shop and a Internet cafe. The photo looks to have been taken from the old brewery buildings. As to the railings, the bridge has been rebuild several times, and has stone centre arch with girder pieces on the outside.

[Ruston]

[Arthur]

 

Lovely work Dave. Straight from an ad. in a 1950s Iron & Coal Trades Review.

 

.