Midland Railway in EM gauge

[Edwardian]

Certainly does, although I spent my early years in Leeds, and my first job in a place called Kirkstall Power Station, a pretty mucky environment.

 

I had family in Harrogate and Leeds.  Thanks to the latter, as a child I remember various tall, blackened, 'spikey' Victorian villas containing funereal furniture, nick-nacks, aspidistra, antimacassars and various Edwardian relatives. 

 

I also recall visits to Kirstall Abbey, Roundhay park, and the Middleton Railway.

 

Having been used to the blackened post-industrial landscape of Leeds in the '70s, I was shocked when briefed later in life on a Leeds District Registry case to find the City barely recognisable.  Stand on the station platform and there is barely a building in sight that existed when I was a lad!

[ikks]

Derek, wonderful exquisite modelling, just one major criticism.........you built it in your railway room, not mine!!

 

 

Rgds.......Mike

[Mrkirtley800]

I had family in Harrogate and Leeds.  Thanks to the latter, as a child I remember various tall, blackened, 'spikey' Victorian villas containing funereal furniture, nick-nacks, aspidistra, antimacassars and various Edwardian relatives. 

 

I also recall visits to Kirstall Abbey, Roundhay park, and the Middleton Railway.

 

Having been used to the blackened post-industrial landscape of Leeds in the '70s, I was shocked when briefed later in life on a Leeds District Registry case to find the City barely recognisable.  Stand on the station platform and there is barely a building in sight that existed when I was a lad!

I left Leeds in 1961, but my last relation, auntie Ida, did not pass away until 1996, aged 96.. The Yorkshire Water head office was in Leeds so I did visit the place quite often in the intervening years. Wow, how it changed. The forest of smoking chimneys disappeared and everywhere got cleaned up, or knocked down. Just not the same.

[Mrkirtley800]

Back again fellas, I turn up just like a bad penny. 

Kirkby Malham has vegetated of late, however last week I was rummaging around, and found a half built Johnson 0-4-4 passenger tank.  It derives from a Craftsman kit, except I threw the etchings for the mainframes (chassis) away and scratch built another set.

My joints have been so painful of late that I have to sit down to do most jobs (the washing up excepted).  My interest was aroused and this was an ideal sitting down job. Here we have a nearly finished loco on shed at Kirkby Malham. The driving wheels will be changed for something better, and I am not too happy with the chimney, but it is essentially complete.

I bought the kit many years ago, just after I left work, and have worked on it over the years in a fairly desultory way.  It really was surplus to requirements on Canal Road since I had two 0-4-4 tanks, the Kirtley well tank, built in 1967,  and a scratch built Johnson  tank, built in 1969, and both painted by my old mate Coachman Larry. It might find little work here as well, so may go into my grandsons collection, for when he grows up a bit.

Derek

Edited November 4, 2016 by Mrkirtley800

[Andrew P]

What a pretty little Loco, and another superb bit of workmanship, it sits well on the Layout, what Livery will it eventually go into?

[Mrkirtley800]

Andy, there is only one colour, CRIMSON LAKE.

Derek

[Andrew P]

Andy, there is only one colour, CRIMSON LAKE.

Derek

Good man, If ever (and I wont) I decided to model pre BR it would have to be LMS / CL, I did buy a Crab and Jubilee a while ago but then realised how much None Loco Stock I would need in the way of Private Owner Wagons and LMS Coaches.

 

Keep more pics coming please, this really is a delightful Model Railway.

[Donw]

Sorry to hear your joints have been giving you trouble again. Still you have managed to do a little modelling. Nice loco. I have often thought that modelling Carlisle might be interesting with the Red Midland locos, the blue Caledonian, Green NER and G&SWR, Black LNWR. I forget what the M&C loco were.

 

Don

[Alister_G]

That's a lovely looking little loco Derek, Can't wait to see it in the proper colour.

 

Al.

[Mrkirtley800]

Thank you Al, .nice  of you to say.  I am now going to bore everyone with a description of an ordinary goods working into Kirkby Malham.

Last night I had a little play, and brought in an afternoon goods from Skipton Yard.  The loco is an old Kirtley, built from a K's kit and celebrated it's fiftieth birthday this year.  It is known as "ye old faithful" in the house and runs very sweetly. Wife bought the kit for my birthday in 1966.

The first pic shows it approaching the down platform, where it will set back to slacken the couplings, before the fireman can uncouple the engine from the train, and the guard pin down a few brakes .following applying the screw brake in his van.

Pic 2 and 3, is running round, via the single slip, and gets to the rear of the train via the outer crossover.

pic 4  propels train into down platform then after point switches are thrown, draws the train over the up main, round the double slip into the goods arrival loop.

Pic 5, brakes are pinned down and brake van detached from the rest of the train and propelled into the stub siding at the end of goods departure loop.

Pics 6 and 7 is where the wagons and vans are sorted and the outward bound goods made up, according to the vehicle's destination.

Pic 8  train now with brake van attached, brakes pinned on some wagons, the loco detaches to pick up the inward train, sorts it, disposing the vehicles into the relevant sidings.

Pic 9 and 10  is where the engine has crossed onto the down line and is standing in the down platform

Pics 11 and 12 the points are set for the loco yard, calling on arm off and finally gains the turn table.

All this toing and froing took a couple of hours.  Not only is the loco driven at a reasonably slow speed, each time it reverses, uncouples vehicles, I pause it, supposedly,  to allow the crew to carry out the necessary jobs, such as the fireman doing the uncoupling, guard setting the wagon brakes etc.  If the engine is fitted with screw reverse then changing direction will take longer and quite a bit of effort.

I try to shunt the vehicles and make up the train as I fondly imagine might have been done.  The train will call at several stations before reaching Skipton.  The first, Rylstone, has a loop and two sidings, but no shed, and vehicles will, perhaps be needing the be picked up.  All the time when the engine is detached, the screw brake is applied in the brake van.  Rylstone station is on the level, but had there been a gradient, some of the wagon brakes need to be applied. Kirkby Malham, for example, is on a very slight falling gradient.

Next comes Airton, after traversing Rylstone South Junction.  Airton has only a single siding and can only receive southbound trains.  So ,any vehicles go via Kirkby Malham and are dropped of on the return journey to Skipton.

Next comes Winterburn, a similar station layout to Rylstone, so vehicles are only picked up from here on the journey south.

Finally, we reach Skipton Yard where a new goods train is made up and with the same old Kirtley, proceeds to Bradford Manningham.  Where necessary stops may be made to Bingley and Cross Flatts, picking up only.

I hope to use, eventually, the system described by (I think) Arthur Whitehead in a very old Model Railway News.  In it, a master card is provided for each vehicle, with additional cards directing the destination or whether that particular vehicle is returned by the next train or stays in the yard and goes off with the train after that.  There are blank cards in with the wagon stock, so that the number of vehicles in the train can vary widely.

I used the system some years ago on the various versions of my Grassington layout, and it made for a very interesting goods working, with nothing the same as had gone before..

I realise I may have got my way of working wrong, but I would be very interested if anyone with a knowledge of the operation of goods traffic at series of minor stations could put me right.

Apologies if I have bored you all.

Derek

Edited November 5, 2016 by Mrkirtley800

[Donw]

Sounds reasonable to me.  

Don

[kes]

Back again fellas, I turn up just like a bad penny. 

Kirkby Malham has vegetated of late, however last week I was rummaging around, and found a half built Johnson 0-4-4 passenger tank.  It derives from a Craftsman kit, except I threw the etchings for the mainframes (chassis) away and scratch built another set.

My joints have been so painful of late that I have to sit down to do most jobs (the washing up excepted).  My interest was aroused and this was an ideal sitting down job. Here we have a nearly finished loco on shed at Kirkby Malham. The driving wheels will be changed for something better, and I am not too happy with the chimney, but it is essentially complete.

I bought the kit many years ago, just after I left work, and have worked on it over the years in a fairly desultory way.  It really was surplus to requirements on Canal Road since I had two 0-4-4 tanks, the Kirtley well tank, built in 1967,  and a scratch built Johnson  tank, built in 1969, and both painted by my old mate Coachman Larry. It might find little work here as well, so may go into my grandsons collection, for when he grows up a bit.

Derek

Hi Derek - it should make a nice little loco, but I see what you mean about the chimney - it is like a cross between Johnson and Deeley. No doubt you will fettle it in your normal manner. Sorry to hear your joints playing up again. At the Whitby club, Paul won the model making competition with some pea green thing, so your presence was sorely missed!

 

Kevin.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Smashing pictures of the local shunt, Derek.  And what a dazzler that old Ks Kirtley is... fifty years young, and looks smashing.  I must not get tempted by all this vintage, My BLT is struggling to stay in one time/place as it is!

 

Why did the MR brake vans only have one veranda?

[Mrkirtley800]

Thank you Dr.G/F. As far as the Midland brake vans are concerned, I have no idea why they had a veranda at one end only.

Derek

[A Murphy]

The sequence of photos with the K's Kirtley is just so.... railway like. What a wonderful railway this is. Inspirational.

 

Alastair M

[Mrkirtley800]

Thank you Alistair, I am really glad that you found the series of piccies of interest. I was a little concerned that it might be so ordinary that fellow modellers would be a bit bored with it all.

To continue the theme, I will post a series of pics of passenger workings this week. What I am really after is someone who knows more than I do, and that would not be difficult, to put me right. I am so very interested to get the operation correct. To do that would heighten my enjoyment considerably.

I used Arthur Whitehead's method of goods train control for a long time and, even if it wasn't perfect, really made for so much more interest and fun. My late friend Fred Rowntree loved to come to our house and get involved in it.

Derek

[lezz01]

Hi there Derek.

Don't ever make the mistake in thinking your modeling skills are ordinary Derek!   I for one am hanging out for every post mate. If I had half your skills I would be a very very happy man.

Regards Lez.Z.

[Mrkirtley800]

Nice of you to say that, Lez.  Like in every walk of life you find people better and worse than yourself.  I have known some model builders whose productions are out of this world, then again I have seen some pretty horrible efforts.

I complain about my cranky joints restricting my movements, but an old friend who is very fit and well has very serious dementia.   In fact he is now confined to bed permanently.  It is heart breaking to see him.  So when my knees are giving me some pain, I just think how lucky I am.

When I first started work back in 1953 as a callow 17 year old, in a power station, I found that much of the boiler plant and auxiliary equipment was in the charge of ex-Royal Navy men.  They had come off the ships into a similar job I suppose.  Anyway, as an innocent youth I quickly learned almost a new language with some pretty powerful adjectives.  Those men were the salt of the earth, but they certainly had a powerful turn of phrase, so to speak, but some had them had been through an extremely torrid time.

So now, when Olga is out, I sit down and talk to my knees and using the descriptive phrases I learned so long ago, tell them a thing or two.

It doesn't do anything for my joints but it makes me feel a whole lot better.

Derek

[Mrkirtley800]

I mentioned about some passenger working.

The first train of the day into Kirkby Malham is the 0550 ex Grassington, calling at Hanlith, a very small station with only one siding accessed from the Kirkby Malham direction. The train includes milk vans, whose ultimate destination is Bell's Dairy in Leeds. So the train takes milk churns from Grassington and Hanlith Halt to Kirkby Malham. There the milk vans are detached and shunted into the milk dock, for further loading.

A through passenger train with take the vans to Leeds a little later.

So the first passenger train movements are covered in the piccies below.

First we see the train negotiating Hanlith Junction. The loco is my trusty old Kirtley well tank, scratch built in about 1967, and painted by Coachman Larry in about 1972. The modifications to the engine since then are better wheels and motor with some compensation. The carriages are from some old Trevor Charlton parts (most things are old on our railway including me)again painted at the same place. I had meant to scenify this area before now but events just may overtake me, however more on that at some future date.

Second pic shows approaching Kirkby Malham.

After letting off any passengers, mainly farm workers at that time in the morning (it is June 1908) the engine sets the train back and runs round, again pausing for the fireman to uncouple and the driver to reverse the engine. I think these locos had lever reverse, by studying photographs very closely. The Johnson 0-4-4 locos, it seems, had screw reverse. In that case that damn great crank handle would have to be turned something like thirty times every time the engine changed direction.

So, our Kirtley engine comes up to the rear of the train, where the two milk vans are coupled, and, after the fireman does his bit (must have been pretty fit these fireman, hopping up and down all the time)

Train is propelled into the platform, the milk vans uncoupled, fireman again, and when the "calling on" signal comes "off" are drawn into the yard and propelled into the milk dock.

The engine can then go off for coaling and watering, if necessary, then when the yard signal is cleared run down the platform and couple up to the carriages.

The Grassington branch train could start from here, crossing over on to the up main just at the end of the station, via the outer crossover. However, this morning it is required to put the train in the up platform. The train is short enough to be able to negotiate the single slip, and one pic shows it in the up platform, awaiting departure.

The final pics are of the departure from Kirkby Malham and taking the outer curve at Hanlith Junction.

I will describe my method of working the vans forward to Leeds tomorrow, with the early morning (0705)Kirkby Malham to Leeds (Wellington)

Derek

Edited November 8, 2016 by Mrkirtley800

[Donw]

Nice pictures of the passenger run.

On a lot of layouts you see the train set off the minute the run round is complete and the loco coupled up. Now that may happen on an intensive service or when they are running late.  But the normal situation is for there to be a period before the train sets off. I doubt the signalman would even ask for the Line Clear until the loco had coupled up a it was a couple of minutes before the departure time. Obviously we tend to shorten the time but a pause is always in order. Not getting at you as you mention awaiting departure just a comment on some operation seen at shows.

 

You mentioned above ex RN men. When part of the design and development team at GEC Xpelair our team leader was an ex RN Artificer, he related that during training the had to drill two inch holes in a piece of flat bar. Then file one of the holes to one inch square. They were then given a 1.5 inch rod and told to file a square on one end an exact fit for the square hole they had made. Once that had passed inspection ( with a feeler gauge check for gaps) they had to file the square to one inch round for an exact fit for the second hole. Passing that they were considered competent at filing. Needless to say being told to start from scratch again because it was not right did invoke some colourful language.

 

While part of the team we also resolved production problems. Some of the solenoids were fitted with a fusible link. This was a piece of low melt solder soldered to the end of coil and the live feed. If the coil overheated the solder melted preventing damage to the coil and a possible fire. The young lady on the production line who made the fusible links left to have a baby. The others girls on the line complained it was not possible to make them. I went down at sat in on the line making a batch. One of the girls had watched me carefully then had a go making them quicker than I did restoring honours to the ladies and me fixing the problem. 

 

Happy days.

I do enjoy these photo stories so more please.

 

Don

[Mrkirtley800]

Thank you Don. When operating layouts like mine, and I have done quite a bit on some lovely models, it does show how slow the pace was in steam days. What with the making up of trains, and all the to-ing and fro-ing. Having said that, as far as operating a model railway, that is how I like it.

Derek

[coachmann]

I was looking at your 0-4-4Well Tank tonight and it got me pondering on where mine is, the one you built me a hundred years ago haha. I was also into buying Jap Brass USA as well that friend Johnny Walker was bringing over, then next minute I sold everything and bought a double decker bus!  I wasn't full-time when we first became friends and I still remember you and Olga as young people with small children. They must be in their 50's now same as mine.

 

When you look at your crimson lake, we can thank Freddie Bartholomew for that, storeman at Derby Works. He used to come down by train and I would take him back to the station late afternoon, anyway one day he brought a tin of paint with him. That paint, when mixed in cellulose, brought me a lot of MR and LMS customers and you were among the first. 

[Edwardian]

I mentioned about some passenger working.

The first train of the day into Kirkby Malham is the 0550 ex Grassington, calling at Hanlith, a very small station with only one siding accessed from the Kirkby Malham direction. The train includes milk vans, whose ultimate destination is Bell's Dairy in Leeds. So the train takes milk churns from Grassington and Hanlith Halt to Kirkby Malham. There the milk vans are detached and shunted into the milk dock, for further loading.

A through passenger train with take the vans to Leeds a little later.

So the first passenger train movements are covered in the piccies below.

First we see the train negotiating Hanlith Junction. The loco is my trusty old Kirtley well tank, scratch built in about 1967, and painted by Coachman Larry in about 1972. The modifications to the engine since then are better wheels and motor with some compensation. The carriages are from some old Trevor Charlton parts (most things are old on our railway including me)again painted at the same place. I had meant to scenify this area before now but events just may overtake me, however more on that at some future date.

Second pic shows approaching Kirkby Malham.

After letting off any passengers, mainly farm workers at that time in the morning (it is June 1908) the engine sets the train back and runs round, again pausing for the fireman to uncouple and the driver to reverse the engine. I think these locos had lever reverse, by studying photographs very closely. The Johnson 0-4-4 locos, it seems, had screw reverse. In that case that damn great crank handle would have to be turned something like thirty times every time the engine changed direction.

So, our Kirtley engine comes up to the rear of the train, where the two milk vans are coupled, and, after the fireman does his bit (must have been pretty fit these fireman, hopping up and down all the time)

Train is propelled into the platform, the milk vans uncoupled, fireman again, and when the "calling on" signal comes "off" are drawn into the yard and propelled into the milk dock.

The engine can then go off for coaling and watering, if necessary, then when the yard signal is cleared run down the platform and couple up to the carriages.

The Grassington branch train could start from here, crossing over on to the up main just at the end of the station, via the outer crossover. However, this morning it is required to put the train in the up platform. The train is short enough to be able to negotiate the single slip, and one pic shows it in the up platform, awaiting departure.

The final pics are of the departure from Kirkby Malham and taking the outer curve at Hanlith Junction.

I will describe my method of working the vans forward to Leeds tomorrow, with the early morning (0705)Kirkby Malham to Leeds (Wellington)

Derek

 

What a treat to wake up to. Lovely pictures and models, but moreover it is great to see these demonstrations of how you work your station.  I always feel this is a subject that is poorly covered; a snapshot in, say, a magazine, is pretty, but the shunting moves around a station don't really 'show up.

 

I like the coaches, and you must excuse my ignorance of matters Midland.  What do see here?  The compartment spacings look pretty generous for Third Class, but that could be a Midland thing!  A Brake Third, Third and coach with a central brake compartment? 

 

I second the request for any more such posts if you are at leisure to make them!

[Worsdell forever]

What a treat to wake up to. Lovely pictures and models, but moreover it is great to see these demonstrations of how you work your station.  I always feel this is a subject that is poorly covered; a snapshot in, say, a magazine, is pretty, but the shunting moves around a station don't really 'show up.

 

I like the coaches, and you must excuse my ignorance of matters Midland.  What do see here?  The compartment spacings look pretty generous for Third Class, but that could be a Midland thing!  A Brake Third, Third and coach with a central brake compartment? 

 

I second the request for any more such posts if you are at leisure to make them!

 

Looks to me like Brake Third - Third - Luggage Composite.

[Allegheny1600]

Apologies if I have bored you all.

Derek

Oh no, you haven't!

Thank you Derek,

For such a delightfully informative and descriptive post. Reading through your topic again, it's like stepping back in time to a different age, wonderful!

All the very best,

John.