Tadmarton Road Ironstone Quarry

[JPPledge]

Hello everyone. Having lurked around here for some time gathering ideas but contributing nothing, save for pressing the like button a lot, I thought I would share what I am doing.

 

I’m building a ‘moving diorama’ based on the ironstone quarry run by The Clay Cross Company at Bloxham, Oxfordshire. Details of the history of the quarry can be found in the second part of Eric Tonks's series of books on the Ironstone Railways of the Midlands, (Book Law Publications, Nottingham). There is also some information with images available from the pamphlets Bloxham Railway Station 1887-1964 and Exploring old Bloxham available from the Bloxham Museum. I am modelling the quarry in 1942 when it was still hand worked and just before its temporary closure. It was subsequently reopened in 1946 and continued for another 10 years before being closed for good.

 

Below shows current build progress and as well as the 'track plan' to boot. Operation, needless to say, will be quite simple. The locomotive shunts two empties into the quarry from the left, stops while the wagons are filled, and then returns.

 

 

Rail used is Kalgarin flat bottom code 100 and will be spiked directly to ply sleepers (spikes from KBScale, sleepers from C&L Finescale). The sleepers have been stained with a concoction created by steeping steel wool in vinegar. Below is a shot down the quarry with a few bits and pieces arranged to give some idea of size and scale. The landscaping has been created with insulation left over from insulating the shed it will be stored in, so, recycling of sorts.

 

 

Motive power

Over the quarry's existence there was a varied selection of motive power used, but for the last 20 years, two Dick Kerr petrol electrics regauged to standard, from their original two foot gauge, were used. The second and best known of these was 'Amos' of Ashover Light Railway fame. My model is based on a photo of Amos as used at Bloxham taken from Tonk's book. The model had been made from a modified Worsley Works scratch aid kit with additional parts either etched from my own artwork or scratchbuilt. For etching I used both PPD and Narrow Planet. Power is from a Mashima 1220 driving a single axle thorough a 40:1 Markits gearbox with a delrin chain driving the other. This is not a terribly elegant solution but seems to work. I have to give props here to Ruston's series of loco builds which I found incredibly helpful.

 

 

This is the loco in it's current state, primed and with archers rivet transfers showing, The roof is still loose to allow for painting the cab interior. I also need to fit brake gear, sanding gear and toolboxes then paint and weather it.

 

 

Rolling stock

For the moment I have two 7 plank waggons, resin cast bodies by HMSR (now produced by Hobby Holidays). Brake gear is by Bill Bedford, brake levers from Slaters and brake guards from Ambis. W-irons and wheels are by Slaters. These are based on the ones ordered by the Clay Cross Company in 1899 (see Private Owner Wagons - An Eighth Collection by Keith Turton) from Harrison and Camm of Rochester. There is a image in the introductory volume of Eric Tonk's Ironstone Railways of the Midlands that shows at least three of these wagons at the Desborough co-op ironstone quarry in 1910 meaning I can produce relatively accurate decals for them. At the moment these are only in the 'primer' stage so not much to look at.

 

Cheers,

Jonathan P.

 

 

Edited December 19, 2014 by JPPledge

[JPPledge]

After a run of seemingly never-ending colds some further work done. The insulation base has now been encapsulated in hardboard. Ply might have been a better choice but it seems quite solid for the moment. A backscene will eventually be fitted the plan being that it will curve across the corner.

 

Next up the track needs to be spiked down and some areas, mainly the strip running along the back, will get some vegetation. The soil is created using the 'Zip texturing' technique whereby various parts of plaster and coloured tempera are mixed to give a particular soil colour. To fix the 'soil' the scenery is sprayed with water and then the mix is sieved on with some further wetting desireable. This fixes the mix whilst still leaving some texture. Variations in colouring can be achieved by spraying the fixed 'soil' with a 50/50 mix of wood glue and water. This tends to darken the colour of the soil although the effect is somewhat hard to control. I also sprayed some areas with water mixed with a small amount of india ink (a variation on a tip from Giles Favell) which ties disparate parts of the scenery together and brings out some additional texture in the landscape. It does require some trial and error to get what you are looking for. Rocks are made using the same soil mix set as a block and then broken up with a hammer to the desired size. These are then fixed using a 50/50 glue/water mix.

 

 

Please note: there are some variations in colour in the shots below due to a mix of daylight and fluorescent light.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally for historical interest this is what remains of the quarry face at Bloxham (taken in Summer 2014), at the back of what is now a housing estate.

 

 

Also if you are interested in architecture the church at Bloxham is particularly striking with a 60 metre high tower and some very fine stonework. 

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Jonathan P.

 

Edited: For spelling.

Edited March 1, 2015 by JPPledge

[Giles]

This shot shows how superbly you've got your technique working for you...... The crumbling face and fallen debris is beautiful!

 

 

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Edited March 1, 2015 by Giles

[JPPledge]

After a longish spell ... an update. This is the current state of play. The track has been fixed down. Some work has been done finishing the wagons and the loco and I've decided to add a weighbridge and office at the near end.

 

 

Track laying: track spikes and fishplates are from KB Scale. Holes for the track spikes were drilled into the sleepers with a .6 mm bit and the spikes were pushed home with needle nosed pliers. This gives a very firm fix. The sides of the track still need to be weathered.

 

 

Wagons: These have been primed with the ubiquitous Halfords primer. The second wagon still requires brakes etc to be fitted. Next stop painting and transfers. 

 

 

Locomotive: This has had further work. Filler cap and brake gear has been fitted. I still have tool boxes and sanding gear to fit. Body has been given a coat of Halfords Satin black although I then had to sand off imperfections I had failed to see at the primer stage. The loco works via radio control, using a RX60 receiver from Deltang, powered by a 2s lipo battery giving 7.4 volts which provides plenty of power. As the top speed of the prototype was 12 mph it doesn't need too much!

 

 

Below is the weighbridge and office. This was a late addition as on another visit to the Bloxham museum I came across a map of the quarry in 1946. This showed a small building sitting at the entrance to the quarry which I took to be the weighbridge that Eric Tonks mentions in his book. It also functions as a view blocker when the locomotive 'leaves the scene'. Making room for it did require some surgery to the scenery and you can see from the pencil marks on the end board that I will be cutting down the hillock further. The office is based on the one at Brixworth ironstone quarry also owned by Clay Cross although in all honesty it is probably a bit grand. It still needs windows, guttering, capping and painting.

 

 

Whilst revisiting Bloxham we went for a walk along some paths and bridleways that criss-cross the fields. Below is a photo showing the old GWR trackbed now a strip forest. You can see the Bloxham church spire on the right. The bridleway crossed the trackbed and at a gateway I discovered some old track very cleverly repurposed as fencing.

 

 

 

Finally, thanks to those who have pressed the various like etc. buttons, it's much appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

Jonathan P.

[Mark Forrest]

A nice little project, following with interest

[Mike 84C]

I shall also follow this build with interest, for 30+yrs I lived just across the other side of the football field. I remember the quarry being worked and rode on Amos several times, the driver was Ted Clarke I cannot rememberthe names of the other two men employed at Bloxham. I think your weigh office is about right Amos lived in a corrugated tin shed, I thought the track was bullhead maybe it was a mixture? Is it 60yrs since the quarry closed? that means I was 8.

There were lots of gate posts and fence straining posts made of those old rails. Were they bridge rails? As kids we used to roam all over the quarry and the station also the fields you were taking photos from!

Regards Mick Whittle

[DanielB]

Beautiful looking layout. Truly superb.

 

I'll follow this with interest.

[JPPledge]

OK, well over a year between posts. I've been busy with real life and other (narrow gauge) branches of the hobby but have still made progress in fits and starts summarised below.
 
I replaced the main stand for the toppers' walkway and constructed an additional shorter stand based on a photograph of one at Blissworth Ironstone mine.
 

 
Painted the sides of the rails, installed the weigh bridge (which still need weathering) and partly rebuilt and then finished off the weigh bridge office. This still needs bedding into the scenery.
 

 
Painted up some workers for the pit. Some of these still need weathering so they don't look like they've walked out of a clothes catalogue. After reading Mike Whittle's post (7 August, 2015) I decided to add him to the scene and you can see him here in the foreground watching proceedings.
 

 
Finished off the chassis for the DK and installed the RC receiver, 2 cell lipo with a on/off switch and balance charger socket.
 

 

 

I'm hoping to add a backscene and some greenery soon. Thank you to all for the positive comments and likes etc.

 

Cheers,
 
Jonathan P.

[Warspite]

Jonathan

 

I missed this when you posted it before and I'm really impressed with what you are doing.

 

After looking up ‘Bloxham Quarries’ in volume 2 of the Eric Tonks series, I didn’t realise that in December 1917, the company’s name changed to the Bloxham & Whiston Ironstone Co. Ltd. “with the acquisition of the Whiston quarries near Castle Ashby”. Whiston and nearby Cogenhoe Quarries are the basis of my own ironstone layout, currently being developed. Eric Tonks did refer to the acquisition in the Whiston Quarries section (in volume 3) but I didn’t make the connection with your layout.

 

I just love the colours and textures you are achieving with your scenic work.

 

Stephen

 

[Mike 84C]

Jonathan,how did you know I had a green tank top like that? and the short trousers! Thank you I am honoured to be on your railway. But your depiction is not how I remember Bloxham Ironstone; I remember a huge,to a small me!; electric dragline and the workings with the railway on a bench above it to the left. Also a very large compressor for blasting holes? not sure about that.

   Kind regards Mike Whittle

[JPPledge]

Jonathan

 

I missed this when you posted it before and I'm really impressed with what you are doing.

 

After looking up ‘Bloxham Quarries’ in volume 2 of the Eric Tonks series, I didn’t realise that in December 1917, the company’s name changed to the Bloxham & Whiston Ironstone Co. Ltd. “with the acquisition of the Whiston quarries near Castle Ashby”. Whiston and nearby Cogenhoe Quarries are the basis of my own ironstone layout, currently being developed. Eric Tonks did refer to the acquisition in the Whiston Quarries section (in volume 3) but I didn’t make the connection with your layout.

 

I just love the colours and textures you are achieving with your scenic work.

 

Stephen

 

Stephen

 

Thanks very much for your kind comments. Having been very impressed with your last layout, in particular the scenic work and weathering, I look forward to see what you do with Whiston and Cogenhoe Quarries. It's a shame that more people don't model Ironstone railways as they are a fascinating part of Britain's industrial heritage with at times very anachronistic operating procedures and in the Eric Tonks books they are brilliantly documented. However given the space you need to model some systems I can see why layouts are few and far between. I do remember seeing a very nice 00 ironstone layout on here but sadly I can't remember which section.

 

 

Jonathan,how did you know I had a green tank top like that? and the short trousers! Thank you I am honoured to be on your railway. But your depiction is not how I remember Bloxham Ironstone; I remember a huge,to a small me!; electric dragline and the workings with the railway on a bench above it to the left. Also a very large compressor for blasting holes? not sure about that.

   Kind regards Mike Whittle

 

Mike

 

You're very welcome but I realise that by placing you in an earlier era I've added about 10 years to your age for which I can only apologise! I did think of modelling the dragline era but in 7mm the dragline boom would be almost half a metre long so I reluctantly shelved that idea due to space restrictions. Interesting you remembering a large compressor perhaps that was left over from when the pit was handworked when they had to drill holes for blasting?

 

Cheers,

 

Jonathan P.

[Osgood]

…. Interesting you remembering a large compressor perhaps that was left over from when the pit was handworked when they had to drill holes for blasting?

 

 

 

 

Many pits had to blast for the excavators too - depended on hardness of the ironstone bed being worked rather than type / size of machine.

 

I'd like to learn more about the drill rigs used - only pictures I've come across so far are the S&L(?) in-house built mobile rigs (looked as if they'd used ex army 4x4 running gear).

There is film footage of these in a dvd (look for "Iron Ore Excavation on Film - 1935 to 1953") -  I'm not sure if they were using compressed air for clearing out holes - may have been water?

Maybe, though, the holes were only cleared out later with air, immediately prior to charging with powder?

 

Your layout build is proving very inspirational, and I'm looking forward to seeing your back scene finished - it looks like it will open out the relatively compact quarrying scene beautifully!

 

Tony

Edited September 11, 2016 by Osgood

[JPPledge]

Tony

 

Many thanks for the information on the role of compressors and for alerting me to the film. I will have to get a copy.

 

On the weekend I worked on getting the DK up and running. I attached the front sanding boxes. I still need to touch up bits, attach the cab roof, after weathering the cab interior, and weather the exterior. On running it exhibited considerable prototypical accuracy with wheel slip on the gradient and because I haven't added spacing washers to widen the gauge yet derailed at various points.

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Jonathan P.

 

Edited: For spelling.

Edited September 12, 2016 by JPPledge

[Osgood]

I'm sure you won't be disappointed with the dvd Jonathan - very well presented with excellent archive material.

Just dropped onto a photo by Colin Garratt on flickr showing drills working at Nassington - can't tell if they are air or water powered, but water is certainly being used for flushing.

 

Your Clay Cross Dick Kerr conversion AMOS is really looking the part now.  What a curious beast he was!

[Osgood]

Ooh looky here!

 

Track lifting operations at Helmdon station, SMJ.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HELMDON-STATION-SMJ-WITH-TRACK-LIFTING-TRAIN-IN-PLATFORM-1954-/332163060755?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

 

 

Also available presumably from the Stephenson Locomotive Society?

 

How goes the layout?

Edited March 23, 2017 by Osgood

[JPPledge]

Tony,

 

What a good find! Really fascinating to see. This is obviously after Amos was sold as a contractors loco and used for track lifting with the original petrol engine replaced by a diesel.

 

In regards to the layout I haven't progressed much due to a busy work schedule during the week and DIY on the weekends. Current state below.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Jonathan P.

Edited March 25, 2017 by JPPledge

[rope runner]

Hi Jonathan, 

 

Any progress with this layout?

 

It's unusual to model a prototypical quarry scene so I am watching with interest. 

 

Paul A. 

[46444]

Brilliant modelling Jonathan. 

 

As others have said you have captured the look of an ironstone quarry brilliantly. 

 

Look forwards to further progress. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Mark