65179

1 hour ago, Combe Martin said:

 

To be fair to Templecombe, they had an intermittent problem for a long while that caused the whole setup to 'Play Up' with unpredictable results including 'short circuits', sometimes shutting the whole lot off, and usually being fixed temporarily by doing what I would call 'a Power Off, Power On, Reset'.  Which seemed to fix things for a while until it went haywire again.  I believe it was fixed eventually by replacing the main cable to the Powercab handset.

 

Templecombe  is also complicated to operate because of the (for northbound trains) piloting of trains back to the off scene station platform or (for southbound trains) piloting them out of the off scene station platform back to beyond the junction by the signal box before they could continue their journey south.  This needs 2 operators alone, one for each loco at each end the train, this cant be done with a 'DCC Consist'.  Then there's another operator controlling all other train movements so that's 3 operators, then one controlling the points and signals via a PC, that's 4, one fiddling with stock in the fiddle yard, that's 5, and finally one having a rest having been on their feet for a couple of hours at a time, that's 6.   They do operate a rota shunting the jobs around to give everyone a rest.. They are all well past retirement after all.   

I saw that the Templecombe operators were having issues when I stopped to look at the layout. I'm new to DCC. Why can't the move you describe be done with a DCC consist?

Thanks,

Simon

On 03/05/2024 at 21:42, Coppercap said:

Park in one of the town's car parks for free (charging likely to be introduced later this year or next year...). Just make sure you park in long-stay area. 5-10 minute walk to the leisure centre. Tesco's car park is rather nearer, with a footpath to the leisure centre... 

I'm going on the bus (Sunday) if it's likely to be muddy!

Thanks for this suggestion. I parked up in the free long stay before the show started, had a nice breakfast in Thornbury and ambled down to the show later. A great day to take in the view looking back towards Wales on the way  too. 

Thanks to the organisers and exhibitors for an enjoyable show. Great to finally see Grantham and Chapel en le Frith Central amongst others.

Simon

Lovely work as ever Nick. At least no one will be able to tell you it hasn't been a Colossal effort getting it finished!

Simon

As ever with these sort of questions, the devil is in the detail. What do you mean by Western Region? If you want to include the GW & GC Joint line through High Wycombe and Princes Risborough then A3s were routine during the period that Leicester, Neasden (and prior to Woodhead electrification  Gorton) had A3s on the Great Central.

See for example:

https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p709159667/hc9fbfdbb

Oxford and Banbury give scope for LNER classes but others would have to comment on whether more than B1s, D16s etc would have made it there in the '50s.   If you wish to model the WR on the Paddington to the West Country/S Wales section then you are largely limited to Mol_PMB's suggestion of railtours and exchanges.

Simon

1 hour ago, SHMD said:

 

That "16 tonner" looks unusual and very early too.

 

 

Kev.

 

It looks like a Ministry of War Transport/MoT one judging by the lettering.  Independent brakes, no top/London flap, bottom doors and pressed steel side and end doors.  Possibly what became BR diagram 1/102? @hmrspaul will no doubt be able to correct me if I've plumped for the wrong diagram whilst away from my reference books!

Regards,

Simon

46 minutes ago, mikejames said:

I notice 62005 has 4 lamps - royal train?

I think it really only has 3 as the top one is just the electric light fitting (otherwise it's 8 lamps!)

So it has express lamps plus the now required headlight in a lamp in the centre.

Simon

50 minutes ago, Geordie Exile said:

I love the internet.  (Well, some bits of it.)  I've been staring at the OS map trying to figure out how Fenwick pit connected to the Backworth system, the North-South running Blyth & Tyne, and the North Tyne Loop of the NER that served - and continues to serve - North Tyneside.  And I stumbled across this:

I've rotated it 90 degrees and shown it alongside the nearest OS map to the same time that I can find.  I'm trying to work out why the Church Colliery lines are shown as dashed: were they lifted at the time the map was drawn?  They're almost certainly what became the exchange sidings for the Backworth System and show as "Mineral Railway" on the east of OS Map.  I'm similarly confused by the solid lines which appear to have two catch points, then become dashed.  I can't see them on the OS Map, and I'm not aware of anything more than two roads heading North-South at Earsdon Junction. 

 

The OS Map is labelled as "NZ37SW - A, Surveyed / Revised: 1953 to 1964, Published: 1966", so the dates of the two are remarkably close.

 

Any thoughts from folk who understand all this?  Either way, this is quite a leap forward in producing a track plan for me.

 

 

 

I think the signalling diagram is a bit of a composite representing the later situation once the Hartley Mains trackbed was just used as sidings, but still indicating the previous layout when the Mains were in place.

Sassaby image from Flickr showing the situation in 1973, and with some explanation in the text.

Edit to add the four track situation:

 and the Mains being lifted in 1961:

(Both copyright Alan Brooks, North Tyneside Steam Flickr images).

Regards,

Simon

7 minutes ago, Andy Kirkham said:

 

Would anyone care to venture an explanation for those appendages?

Hammond air pre-heater apparently. See note for 189 at bottom of page here:

https://sremg.org.uk/steam/b1(lbsc)-mob.shtml

Simon

48 minutes ago, Market65 said:

Good evening, everyone. Firstly, many thanks, Mick, for posting that excellent photo’ of G5, 67282, Paragon pilot, at Victoria Crossing, c1955.

 

This evening we have four photo’s thanks to Andy Mason, Mervyn, and Mark Finch, all on Flickr.

 

The first one is a view of a class 45 at Broomfleet, thought to be 1986 or 1987. The details are provided by someone in the comments on Flickr, as follows:

1E54 0620 Paddington to Hull. Hull Portion split off and worked forward by the train engine and a 31 worked the Bradford portion. Departed Hull back as 1J01 1420 Hull - Sheffield joined up with a Bradford to Brighton job.

 

 

The second photo’ shows 47100, in Stratford style, as it heads away from Seamer in the mid 1980’s on an engineers train.

 

 

The next photo’ is a view of Layerthorpe station at York, with class J72, Joem, about to depart on one of the short lived passenger trains in 1978.

 

 

Finally, here’s a photo’ of 56094 "Eggborough Power Station" passes a fine array of semaphore signals on the approach to Gilberdyke on 6D54, a Hull-Doncaster Belmont enterprise, on the 2nd March, 2004.

 

Best regards,

 

Rob.

47100 is named Merlin in that photo. Thus it's Stratford style with a touch of Tinsley as the loco was a Tinsley Speedlink/Railfreight Distribution loco when photographed. The name places it between 20 September 1989 and withdrawal in July 1991. 

Simon

14 hours ago, Jeremy Cumberland said:

I didn't think any of the NCB Yorkshire areas had any working steam locomotives that late. In my Industrial Locomotives 1976, HE 3168/1944 is shown OOU at Allerton Bywater Colliery.

 

"Zone of high vehicular activity" indeed.

I think we've had views of No.7 in this thread before. It was certainly well photographed on its trips between Wheldale and the washer at Fryston.

For instance this Steve Banks image on Flickr:

Simon

49 minutes ago, LNER4479 said:

Sometimes you sleep on things and ... not so much 'two steps forward ...' as maybe trying to avoid ploughing on regardless. Nothing drastic, but ...

 

You might not have picked up on this but the partially laid fan of points for Upperby goods sidings was bothering me so ...

 

up they came! To be replaced by this rather more simpler arrangement.

 

Now installed, with sidings adjusted and relaid to match.

One factor is that these points are right under the operator's nose so are not motored. Prototypically, they would have been set out thus so that the shunting staff are on the outside of the sidings and not stepping over rails to change points. The alternative of having three curved points on the furthest siding wasn't really working geometrically.

It does however alter which siding becomes the longest ...

 

Sidings now being extended in the Carlisle direction. Your eye will no doubt be drawn to the suspicious card circle, however!

Yes, second 'thunks' has resulted in the decision to include the outside, 60ft turntable (as per prototype). It fits, just ... but only by curtailing one of the goods sidings! So, Upperby yard is now 4-and-a-half sidings rather than 5.

Thinking here is that, without this turntable, everything that needs turning has to use the roundhouse turntable ... perhaps not the wisest of ideas?

 

With this decision, the track plan for the depot is finalised. Let's take a tour:

 

'Country' end. Locos will (normally) enter the depot via the right hand exit off the 3-way point. They then take the left hand route over the following Y point to take them on to the ash disposal road, followed by the coaler. This will be the normal sequence of moves round the shed - but it can be bypassed by taking the RIGHT hand route through the Y point.

To the right, just plonked for now, is the pointwork that leads to the depot EXIT (in normal circumstances. Between that and the wall are a series of stabling roads and two roads of the carriage shed.

 

Work is proceeding in laying the roundhouse roads. 16 down; 8 to go. As well as it the furthest away roads not being full length, note how three roads in the 5 o'clock corner (as viewed) are also slightly shorter, so as to allow the outside roads a little more room to breath. Won't be readily apparent at normal viewing angles. In total, and not including the entrance / exit roads, 7 of the stabling roads are still full length and will thus take a Pacific.

 

And the remainder of the yard looks like this. Having had ashes disposed and been coaled, all locos (apart from Pacifics) can turn and then run back (to the right) using the crossover onto the through line. Otherwise, locos continue on towards the siding and headshunt area that was curiously known as the 'Burma Road'.

Above the 60ft turntable is the area where many pictures of my beloved Duchess Pacifics were taken, with the roundhouse in the background. Very keen to replicate that!

 

Compromise, as ever, is the watchword; however, I do believe that this finalised layout does capture the main features of the old 12A and provides capacity for up to 40 locos. The most notable omission (perhaps?) is the old coal hole - felt it would have just have been too cramped to fit it in.

 

Onwards and upwards 🤓

It's all really coming on.

Which Duchesses will you be sawing in half to pose on the rear shortened tracks Graham?

Simon

Not sure if this has been highlighted elsewhere , but I thought I'd bring this to the attention of anyone who had missed it:

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2024/04/welsh-steel-works-to-introduce-replacement-for-class-08-locomotives.html

3 Zephir LOK 16.300s have been purchased by Porterbrook to replace the 08s.

It looks like the days of scenes such as this:

, so familiar to Cardiff residents, are numbered.

Simon

Here's a private owner wagon one from another thread:

Simon

33 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

I think these would be in Volume 6, the new one (which I haven't bought yet).

 

I suspect that this one (seen sandwiched between two newish 16t minerals, on a line with overhead electrification) also escaped pooling may have ended up in the same list if it survived that long:

It was the suggested arrival of Vol 6 of the Larkin series, and assembling a ca.1950 coal train, that got me thinking about these ex-PO wagons that made it to BR days - still numerous, but largely unphotographed and certainly underrepresented in model form. 

Volume 6 is advertised as out in May.

Simon

Thanks to all those who responded to my query. I'm slightly confused by what looks to be an M prefix to the number. It's quite different to the Wirksworth Quarry absorbed PO shown here:

in the M36XXX series.

Should I assume the ex-PO in my first photo is 9ft wb and 15ft 6in-ish given the very different relationship between axleguard and headstock to the wagon above?

Simon

A bit late for much of the discussion on this thread, but can anyone help with identifying what this grease axleboxed 5 plank wagon pictured at Barnsley Jct. in October 1950 might be please? It's a crop from the edge of an image so the quality isn't great I'm afraid.

Many thanks,

Simon

On 27/01/2024 at 02:15, br2975 said:

Today 20142 & 20189 together with two brake force runners top and tailed TfW Metro unit 398005 from Old Dalby to Radyr station.

.

The unit was bound for the TfW depot at Taffs Well, the next station up the line from Radyr.

.

The ensemble arived in Platform 2 at Radyr at around 00:10 on Saturday, 27th. January (2024)

.

20189 and the leading brake force runner were cut off, and reversed into Platfrom 3 and shut down.

.

Another TfW Metro unit, 398007 then arrived from Taffs Well, drawing power from the overhead - the first time I have seen this on the CVL, and crossed into Platform 2 to work 398007 back to Taffs Well.

.

Here are some rather dodgy 'phone' images of the 'action'

.

There will be a few more such workings, with one scheduled for a weeks time.

.

 

3 Class 20s, including 20142, and the barrier wagons currently sat in Pengam Sidings this morning after one of these workings. 

Regards,

Simon 

4 hours ago, Steven B said:

 

Perhaps they were worried about the reliability of a new loco class and its interoperability with the HST power car.

 

Problems with the TDM lead to trains like this:

Blunt End 91 & HST At  Leeds. by Neil Harvey 156, on Flickr

 

Was there a limitation on the top speed a HST coupled with the emergency bar coupling could travel?

Steven B

110mph, I understand, when the coupling bar was in use, although the practical limit was usually the max speed of the assisting loco.  So it's 110mph regardless of which way round the assisting 91 was orientated: 

39 minutes ago, Artless Bodger said:

Wasn't there an issue with commutator glazing (or something) when unpowered power car motors were run for long distances at high speed too, better to power the motors to prevent this?

Yes, covered previously in this thread (post at the bottom of this page):

Simon

14 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

I've never figured out why they felt those Power Cars needed to be fitted with buffers !

Operational flexibility. See post 5 here:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/the-hsts-with-buffers.36134/#post-489260

Simon

8 hours ago, Matt37268 said:

Interesting that’s a rake of MK 3’s was there a HST power car the other end? 

Yes, I was looking for a typical image of these drags because I have fond memories of seeing 47402, 47413, 47417 and 47418 (and for a while 47517/500) on these after introduction of the Mk4s and DVTs. However, I stumbled across this image taken near where the Class 31 image was at Shipley. As others have noted, this view is a little earlier and shows one of the Mk3 sets initially used with a buffer fitted HST power car at the rear.

Simon

23 minutes ago, montyburns56 said:

Shipley 1991 by Tony Woof

 

 

Better with a Generator:

John Whiteley Flickr image 19 June 1989 

The phrase 'Bradford Drag' needs careful use in a search engine now!

Simon

1 hour ago, jwealleans said:

The J19 is obvious from the straight running plate.   The J20 has a raised section.   As has been said, PDK do both locos.   Is this still from the IWM film of an armoured regiment entraining at Newmarket?

I'd completely missed the raised section of running plate on a J20!

Simon

3 hours ago, jackshobbies said:

 

Hey all, can someone help me identify which type of loco this is as I'm hoping to model this formation? Some sort of J class I'm assuming?

Appreciate the help in advance, thank you!

 

Looks like 8269. It's a J19/2 rather than a J20 because of the gap between the smokebox bottom and the valve cover.

See this Flickr image:

Simon