RonnieS

On 26/11/2022 at 07:13, RonnieS said:

Great! Thanks to Andy or Whoever removed the Digitrains pollution. I can now see what I posted.

Oh No it's back!

On 23/11/2022 at 19:33, RonnieS said:

I have to say it is almost impossible to post because of a  obscured screen! I would never deal with DIGITRAINS because of this, It is the most annoying thing I have come across. However one must try.

 

Well the lockdown wagons are almost finished just requiring a coat of dirty matt varnish to finish. However the weather is against me as I fear a "bloom" if I spray at the moment.

 

I have purchased Rob Kinsey's milk train at "mates rates". As a picture is wort a thousand words here goes >>

 

Great! Thanks to Andy or Whoever removed the Digitrains pollution. I can now see what I posted.

On 24/09/2022 at 08:51, RonnieS said:

The wagon kits I built during the Lockdown 2 years ago are now (finally) going through the paint shops.

First up 4 grey vans to expand the unfitted van train.

I have to say it is almost impossible to post because of a  obscured screen! I would never deal with DIGITRAINS because of this, It is the most annoying thing I have come across. However one must try.

Well the lockdown wagons are almost finished just requiring a coat of dirty matt varnish to finish. However the weather is against me as I fear a "bloom" if I spray at the moment.

I have purchased Rob Kinsey's milk train at "mates rates". As a picture is wort a thousand words here goes >>

On 19/11/2021 at 15:35, RonnieS said:

 

 

The Diesel era photograph is by Mike Peabody; who also took most of the other Diesel era pics on this thread. The loco shed was owned, post 1947, by the NCB. Both the shed road and the line to the left of it continued  into the Old Mills Colliery complex. There was then a crossover and the lines fanned out into 5 parallel tracks, At least  3 of these were served by overhead loading. Beyond this was a series of crossovers and spurs. A relatively large yard and, as the pit employed 320 people, a productive one.

 

In the early 50s there was a NCB Rushton Hornsby loco stationed here, but later on? I don't know. In a 1959 photograph no (now preserved) 4555 is shunting loaded wagons within the complex. There is a toad brake van in the spurs. In a 1960 Ivo Peters shot a pannier  hauls 16 loaded coal wagons as the "4.15 Old Mills to Bristol goods"

 

A mate just sent me this

The wagon kits I built during the Lockdown 2 years ago are now (finally) going through the paint shops.

First up 4 grey vans to expand the unfitted van train.

Here we go

Oh Wow!

I hadn't looked at this for ages. Sorry for your wait I'll check and get back to you ASAP.

I had not done any modelling for ages so in an attempt to recapture my "mojo" I paid a visit to my long time buddy; Tony Wright

On 14/11/2021 at 18:14, RonnieS said:

 

The kickbacks I mentioned. A very short freight train, an A E C railcar, an Inspection saloon and an 8 coach race special.

And from inside

More Freight

Michael Portillo visiting!

On 17/11/2021 at 18:38, RonnieS said:

The entrance and exit to the fiddle yard are disguised with Pipe bridges.

 

More Mike Peabody shots . Sort of back to the future! Coal traffic predominated.

On 09/11/2021 at 19:03, RonnieS said:

 

Local or "pick up" Freights were a feature of the line 

 

 

 

 

 

As Listed by BR(WR)

I rather like Collett 2-6-0s, however the Dapol offering is very light-footed. I am scratching my head on how to add a bit more weight. I have 3 of them. One I purchased at full price, one I purchased at bargain price and one was a gift from Tony Wright (part of a bit of "horse trading")

On 14/11/2021 at 15:41, RonnieS said:

I rarely seem to get a photo I'm happy with. Which is why Tony Wright was conscripted for the mag article.

 

 

This is another Tony Wright Shot

During the recent wet days I built a few more wagon kits including a Parkside GUNPOWDER van.

The Diesel era photograph is by Mike Peabody; who also took most of the other Diesel era pics on this thread. The loco shed was owned, post 1947, by the NCB. Both the shed road and the line to the left of it continued  into the Old Mills Colliery complex. There was then a crossover and the lines fanned out into 5 parallel tracks, At least  3 of these were served by overhead loading. Beyond this was a series of crossovers and spurs. A relatively large yard and, as the pit employed 320 people, a productive one.

In the early 50s there was a NCB Rushton Hornsby loco stationed here, but later on? I don't know. In a 1959 photograph no (now preserved) 4555 is shunting loaded wagons within the complex. There is a toad brake van in the spurs. In a 1960 Ivo Peters shot a pannier  hauls 16 loaded coal wagons as the "4.15 Old Mills to Bristol goods"

I intend to model Langley's Lane  bridge here. This was also the intention of Wolverhampton MRC's Chairman, Rob Kinsey. Rob was instigator and driving force behind the construction of Old Mills. Mr K  put in a removable scenic section to allow for  the insertion of said bridge,

The line pictured on the right is the main from Bristol. The line on the left was the branch line to Farrington Colliery. When that pit closed in 1921  the track was used for wagon storage

On 12/11/2021 at 06:26, Tim Chambers said:

And very nice too! Happy memories, used to live just below "Old Mills" (and Springfield Colliery), the old "Batch"(otherwise known as "Daddies Coal Tip") was visible from the lounge window.The Old Mills site was purchased by two local builders/businessmen who opened one of the very first DIY supermarkets around-Clapton Building Supplies. 

Thanks for this you inspired me to do more research and correctly model the Langley's Lane bridge.

Next time we visit our friend in Bradford on Avon, for a stay, I intend to visit the site of the train set.

Looking at google maps I am 98% sure it's per pics below.

With the fiddle yard being what looks like a hedgerow at 20 degrees below the A362; crossing Langley's Lane at the scenic break. 

Old Mills colliery at Toolstation (you can see the spoil heap top right) Springfield colliery in the area around Tesco and the engine shed@ Avon door and lock.

Looks like I can park on the corner of Langley's Lane and look over the bridge?

The entrance and exit to the fiddle yard are disguised with Pipe bridges.

In Diesel Days

In My “Alterative History” much of the line became double tracked. In reality this was always the designed intention with (for instance) Pensford Viaduct being built with sufficient width for this. Parts remained single track (i.e., the bit through Old Mills) making it a bit like the S and D.

In summer months the S and D coped with enormous amounts of traffic. This makes the real 1959 pm timetable (for the North Somerset line) seem laughable.

Continuing my fictional post-war engineering changes in the area; it would have made sense to add a connection South of Westbury.  This would have allowed O58 (the Cardiff to Portsmouth express) a quicker route. The Fawley to Bromford Bridge oil trains and Southampton Banana specials would have benefited too. And the race special I run to Salisbury would be justified.

The 2 Frome End spurs mentioned earlier. A class 122 in view and a auto hiding behind the vans. The loop in the foreground holds a 14 wagon coal train

The kickbacks I mentioned. A very short freight train, an A E C railcar, an Inspection saloon and an 8 coach race special.

 The fiddle yard. All lines are tandem.

·        Line 1 is divided into 3 even length trains.

·        Lines 4,5,8 and 9 are divided into 3 giving 2 uneven length trains. Typically, a 10 wagon and a 30-wagon train.

·        Remaining loops are divided into 2 even length trains.

·        There are also 4 spurs to allow 3 trains (railcars and push pull) to shuttle up and down.

·        Additionally (I put in an extra crossover and siding for this) 4 kickbacks and a loop.

This gives me 31 trains or (because the railcars and push pull do 2 ups and 2 down shifts each) 37 moves in the sequence.