Osgood

Giles - I think there might be a good opportunity to "merge" the two topics of Denton Brook and agricultural tractors in the way you are so good at: Standard gauge - https://www.flickr.com/photos/12a_kingmoor_klickr/6692327103 Narrow gauge - http://www.hfstephens-museum.org.uk/images/stories/topics/new_traction/muir_hill.jpg Tony

I use an industrial MF20F with loader and linkage. Very useful it is, but compared to all other tractors I've come across it possesses the most spectacularly useless reverse gear ratios for loader shuttle work. Neither is any use unless you either have all day spare or want to break the sound barrier.

This is site is a fountain of information - if ironworks are not your thing then go to the main page and check out Plymouth Collieries amongst others. Clicking on Merthyr Vale leads you to another link on the collieries here. Plenty of views of period housing all over too. http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/dowlaismappage.htm

Some interesting pictures there, Giles. I've recently been inspired by portrayals of Welsh lines in miniature, such as Cwm Bach, to learn a bit more about the Welsh mining and steel industry - mainly I suppose to put these layouts into perspective (they make me want to see beyond the edge of the baseboards) and realising I knew pretty much nothing about it all. Resources like the one you posted above are invaluable in helping to get a feel for something most of us will never know or fully understand. As part of this exercise I was looking at the collieries around Varteg and came across this 2013 report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23028078 It makes for sobering reading - we seem to have failed spectacularly to replace the once mighty industries of coal and iron with anything of substance for those wanting to work. Maybe the effect has been more pronounced than in other parts of the UK due to the relative isolation of the Welsh communities? I mention it not for any political purpose but as an example of how many (most?) of us who were not there can so easily remain unaware of the social history surrounding such industries. Two books in the Welsh Valleys series by Middleton Press - ABERTILLERY AND EBBW VALE LINES and MONMOUTHSHIRE EASTERN VALLEYS - show so dramatically, with photos and maps, just how widespread the web of industry in the valleys northwest and northeast of Newport once became, thanks in main to the railways. I'd certainly recommend them. Tony

Thank you Don, Stationmaster and Chris. I'm very lucky to have all of those books bar one of the Steam in South Wales series, bought secondhand over the last year, and most of the WRRC publications (excellent works). The big Pit is on the schedule. Tony

As an aside, I'd really like to see for myself some of the area and settings of the likes of Chris's layout and Iain Rice's Varteg Hill. I appreciate that most of the infrastructure is gone and tips levelled, but can anyone recommend places / areas to visit where some of the character of a bygone era can still be enjoyed? Thanks. There are some great industrial archaeology resources on line, one such being http://industrialgwent.co.uk , but it takes ages to work through them and I keep getting distracted by stuff I find along the way!!

Oh - so many possibilities

Re. the construction of tippler house and hopper shed above: The prolific use by collieries of brickwork to' fill in' between steel building frames surprises me - I know some collieries had an associated brickworks, but even so the cost of materials and labour goes a fair way towards the cost of cement asbestos / corrugated iron sheeting for example. The only thing going for it which I can think of is zero corrosion of panel work, but then there is corrosion to steel frame components associated with brick infill to consider.

Agree with Simond - my only reservation being that the hole in the door of the white unit seems to be a bit on the high side…...

While Chris is doing a lovely job on his loo…….

In contrast DM's two (so far) recent books on London's Dock Railways have been excellent comprehensive studies of the docks and rail systems- along the lines of what you were expecting here, and these I would highly recommend. So I think I might have been as disappointed as you in the case of Becton. I have recently taken a chance and bought quite a few new and s/h books 'unseen' - something at one time I would never do, so reviews like yours are always helpful to get an idea of what to expect. For some no doubt it will be a good read. Tony

The backscene of the colliery yard (photo 1 of post 185) cannot go without further mention. I'd suggest clicking on the picture to appreciate it fully. Despite its almost simplistic character I'm simply amazed how effective it is - it makes a superb complement to the modelled 3-D scene. The polar opposite of the technique you've employed might be something like that on the Bucks Hill layout, but I guess both approaches require just as much care and thought in their execution.

I couldn't help but notice there is not a tree in sight at Bury, Thorn & Sons. Then again, I couldn't help but notice the orange Latil timber tracteur on the window sill (lovely model isn't it?), so it isn't really surprising I suppose.

http://www.tower-models.com Image is of first test sample so the model may be tweaked before final production.

Thanks. And of course I found it on here, right under my nose!! http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/userpix/939_MRC_Sep1982_SB_200_50_1.jpg Tony

I'll keep my eyes peeled, thanks. Your point about remote operation makes sense - and also means that it is not easy to see which catch points are worked together. Tony

I suppose a double catch point in the normal sense is where both rails on one track are split by the same lever, but I'm struggling to find another example of the above, where two separate tracks each with a single catch point are operated by the same lever.

Here's something I've not seen before - a double catch point, in a NCB colliery yard. Are these rare or have I just led a sheltered life? (This is a crop from a Tom Heavyside photo published in Railway Bylines).

Unless I'm mistaken I think this is the location of the view showing E. Clegg. Miners Institute to the right (south). In which case the bridge is gone and railway cutting filled, but good to note the new building (on the same footprint?) has been designed with the character of the old one it replaced in mind. PGH, only yesterday I received a lovely negative of a derelict Hawthorn 340 - having just looked through Townley et al "I R of B,B and the M C Pt 2" (to try to find the purpose of the building), I now realise she worked at Gin Pit! Happy to provide a print if you are interested.

GIN Pit, what a TONIC for sore eyes. What purpose did the building serve? It seems too elaborate for a screens cover, so was it merely for an industry adjacent to the colliery site?

Hello Rob, Can you advise the source of the cast iron lettering used on the factory sign please? Looks really good! Tony

Yes please from me too - it would make a nice 7mm industrial kit.

Here's another nice example of crab weathering - albeit in painting form: http://www.railart.co.uk/print-shop/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=223

And for those who enjoy a challenge, also available in jigsaw format here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1000-PIECE-JIGSAW-PUZZLE-SUMMER-SATURDAY-AT-SNOW-HILL-PHILIP-D-HAWKINS-NEW-/380888713028?hash=item58aebc8744