naturol Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Attached is the google earth plan on an actual independent working stone quarry located in the vale of Glamorgan, i am a regular at the quarry collecting a variety of products connected with my employment as a paver, (to be sure I'm not one of them mammy.) The quarry employs around four staff, and is stuck in the 1960s, and rom our has that it may well close in the near future as the quarry is almost exhausted. As a basic insight, nothin more technical than an old caterpillar crane with a jib suspending a torpedo weight is dropped onto boulders in the bottom of the limestone quarry reducing the boulders to manageable size that are scooped by a front loader onto lorries that deposit their load into the crushers, heavy chains across the crusher throat restrict blockages, see pictures to follow. The large nature of the structures appeals to me, and as such I ventured to the machen quarry, near Caerphilly to get a feel for how stone is moved on a much more industrial scale than at Seth's which is only road served, To follow are some pictures of both venues, also intermixed is the concrete batching plant located on Cardiff Dock, and the stone terminal near Milton Keynes and Bletchley, The point of the excercise is to build a diorama in tandem with the model of Radyr, and hopefully have something to show at the forthcoming Cardiff show this October. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 These are taken a few weeks ago at the quarry, check out the lorry and tractor, the general derelict nature, the old crushers and loaders now abandoned, and the new vauxhalls corsage in the background. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 These two pictures were taken at Machen quarry some time ago, but are exactly what I want to create as part of the diorama, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 These two are the batching plants at Cardiff docks, an element that could fill up a corner, but more on that later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 The stone terminal at Bletchley, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 The idea is to create a diorama out of the fiddle yard for Radyr, this will create a circular layout not dis-similar to my model of Castle works, the two fiddle yard boards that make up the reversing loop of the fiddle yard will be detailed with the stone quarry, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 This gives the general idea of what I would be aiming for, but both loops would be visible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 I have just been to check on castle works at Lord and Butlers shop, and it was good to see it up and running and not gathering dust in the club room, whilst there, I rummaged through the second hand boxs and discovered the following bits, an ideal start for the conveyor supports, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 This gives the general idea of what I would be aiming for, but both loops would be visible. That picture bears a great resemblance to a UK version of this Is it based on it? Just interested Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Recent visit to the quarry and this temporary cement silo was located near the stock piles of dust. Used to provide cement to the new mix on demand vehicles in the area, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 Long time no progress, but, the idea of a stone terminal of some nature is now on the radar following the imminent completion of Elliot Rail facility. The idea will still be based around the castle works circular theme, however, on this occasion the board will be in two halves to facilitate movement through the loft hatch. To move the plans forward I have now been to the local wenvoe quarry, where they have a tarmac hot bitumen plant, which would make a great focal point for the layout, utilising the quarry face as the scenic breaks, and to incorporate the loading facility as at machen quarry with the over bridge as the opposite scenic break. The Seth hill quarry have offered me a photo tour to allow me to model the actual crushing plant and screens. Expect some periodic updates over the coming months. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdw7300 Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 Hi Paul Looks like this will be a really interesting layout. Following with interest! Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangor Lad Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 A really interesting and innovative idea me thinks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 Basic track plan idea, will be very similar to castle works, except this time I will extend the single siding into a form of run round loop, The idea is I can then run two trains should I wish, one hidden in the scenery on the inner loop. The dotted red lines indicate the extent of the scenery to hide the inner circle. This will be in the form of a quarry wall on the outside curved line and also on the inner curved line, the entrance and exits will be hidden by large industrial screen silos, for discharge into the wagons these will merge into the quarry walls.the centre will contain the tarmac plant To one side of the inner quarry, and the crushing plant opposite, with a selection of conveyors linking the two plants, with the exit off the quarry scene over the rail lines to either the left or right of the X crossing to the weigh bridge ( off scene). Track will be Peco set track with a small flexi section from the X crossing to the curved points, The track will be sunk into the ground so no sleepers will be visible. Trying to keep with the Seth hill setting, I am contemplating having a roadway along the quarry top,( over the inner circle) with dumping points from which lorries tip their load to feed the crusher. First plan will be to get to get two semi circular base boards. Thinking of using elite baseboards this time having chatted to them at a show recently, as I need accuracy in alignment for this bad boy. Found plenty of walthers kits to start the adaption Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazjones1711 Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 hi paul if this hopper building is any good to you its yours , needs bit of tlc, only got three legs ! has a point motor inside to open a door to fill wagons prob won't work now ! will find some other bits that may come in handy Baz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 yep, I'll have it, save till the next swap meet at Cogan and I'll treat you to lunch. Cheers Baz. Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 having established that I can't multi task. The idea to build a layout and be able to transport and exhibit on my own poses a few problems. The main one is the desire to keep stuff moving. But. What do you do when your distracted at exhibitions to chat, lunch, toilet break etc? The problem with castle works was the tight curves leading to the X crossing and the poor contacts dead spots with small wheelbase locos . So and up and over folded 8 May be an option. This would require the scenic feature, ( tarmac plant) sitting mid level around 35mm above the lowest level of the track at the point where it crosses beneath the pass over track some 70mm above. This being located at the rear of the layout, and the mid point of the two circles of 1st and 3rd radii curves 35mm above datum being the front. And the roadway access to the plant. There are now issues with creating a beleivable setting, the steelworks relies on the concealed inner circle in the building with stock entering and emerging. I need to obscure one or both of the lines, so a curved back scene between the circuits could assist. Or a line of dense undergrowth on the embankments to hide the line behind. The embankments need to be steep cliff quarry sides. A few doodles and a potential scheme is evolving. Next up, create a foam board scale model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazjones1711 Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 hi paul i've got some Hornby set track curves, will look for them if they will be of any use to you. I can get you some blocks of polystyrene from work also to do your rock face and loads of thin card if you want.You could do something like Machen with the hopper on the outside with the other line going into the bridge/tunnel. See what else is lurking in the attic for you! Baz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
naturol Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/109400-the-blue-circle-layout/&do=findComment&comment=2243183 This thread has become a little lost, so I am starting a new more focussed thread as above. I doubt there will be any more posts on this thread. Thanks for following to date. Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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