Ruston

Thanks, Arthur. I've just taken a look and I suppose it is similar - a prototype for everything! This one will be operated from the ground and powered by electric motors. I've made the gantry high enough so when the grab is raised to its maximum it'll still pass over a van. Of course it won't actually work so I'll have to use the Great Hand from the Sky to remove coal loads, which goes against one of the first principles of the layout but I couldn't resist having a couple of manky 16-tonners.

I've asked someone that I know in the C&W Dept. at Butterlry, where the prototype is preserved, if it has steam heating or not but he hasn't got back to me yet. Well, it's just about done, bar numbering and weathering. I've made the brake parts using plastic square section and strips of brass offcuts and the extra brake blocks that are used on the Slaters 12t van kit to produce a clasp-braked version. The filler is made from solid brass and the lid fastener is plastic rod and strip. The coach bolt heads on the frames are done by driling holes through the plastic and wood and then inserting a small length of plastic rod. A dab of plastic weld smooths out the sharp-cut edges. Then there's this thing... I don't have the space for a tippler or anything such as that so this is what I came up with the unload coal from rail wagons to the boiler house. The gantry will have a grab attached, which would drop coal into the hopper from a wagon parked next to it. The gantry can also drop coal into a stockpile or unload from a wagon on the nearest track. I've never seen a prototype set up like this but anything's possible I guess?

Thanks for that info, Stuart. I've obviously got the pics in the wrong order and the light loco must have been coming back over Blacker Lane after depositing those fulls in the sidings. Speaking of Elland Power Station. Elland No.1, HC D1153 at C.F. Booth's yard in November 88 with a scrapyard employee hanging off it.

All cement works locos for this lot... TH293v, seen on a short train of cement tanks from the BR sidings to Castle Cement's Ketton works. 1996. And at the works. TH164v on the internal rail system from the quarry to the chalk slurry plant at Rugby Cement's Barrington works. The system connected to BR via the Barrington Light Railway and a pair of Rolls Royce 4wDH locos handled traffic over the branch. RH499435, a 165DE type, also on the internal railway at Barrington. Both photos were taken in 1996.

Me too. So many prototypes, so little modelling (and money) time, eh, Paul? Steelworks locos this time. Hunslet 7543 and Yorkshire 300hp loco 2825 at BSC Workington, July 96. Yorkshire, Janus class, 2735 at United Engineering Steels' Aldwarke works, April 96. Again, April 96, Aldwarke - YE2889 [93] & YE2904 [31]. Yorkshire DE2 class 0-4-0DE at C.F. Booth's yard, January 89. This loco had come from the UES Templeborough works just down the road. BSC Teeside works on a Sunday in 1991. Various GEC 6wDE locos lined up.

I've no idea, Doug. I've made it based on the photo that I posted and the basic dimensions given in the book that the photo is in. It doesn't give any details of a heating system. The subject of heating the tar is something I was going to ask about because the Slater's rectangular tank kit doesn't have any heating coil connections modelled on it and some of the lettering supplied with that is for tar distillers. Would all tar wagons have been fitted with heating coils?

Regarding the roof - I've already done it and used thin plasticard. It's most probably overscale but it's done now. Progress on the D-tank.

I've found a few more. AB 478, an 0-4-0DH was another of C.F. Booth's resident shunters in 1988 and is seen here near the rail entrance to the yard, off the Brightside to Masborough line, with the embankment just visible carrying the line to Treeton North Junction. An unidentified YE Janus loco at work on the BSC Shelton site in 1996. RH 375713 seen working during another visit to the Pyewipe works in May 96.The old tippler wagons had been replaced by a more modern fleet of flat wagons with open-topped containers. Next door to the Pyewipe works was Ciba Geigy's works, which used this rare Hunslet 'Yardmaster' loco. Unfortunately I never saw it work but this rare beast has been preserved, along with some of the Tioxide Rustons at Ludborough. Here's a short video that I found on youtube -

None of the above It's the basis for this: Which is meant to be this when it's finished: Picture from Cheona Publications Railways in Profile Series no. 14 British Railway Private Owner Tank Wagons. Another tar tank. This one was built in 1881 and worked until 1951 before being preserved by its makers - Charles Roberts. OK so I'm stretching things a little to say that one of the same design lasted another 10 years but so what?

Cheers, chaps. Here's something else I'm working on. Can you tell what it is yet?

British Oak Disposal Point was situated at Calder Grove, near Wakefield and was connected to the BR Horbury Junction - Barnsley line. The site was operated by the National Coal Board Opencast Executive (British Coal OE at the time of these photos) and was on a truncated section of a line that once went all the way to Caphouse colliery (now the National Coalmining Museum for England www.ncm.org.uk) via rope-worked inclines. I first encountered the site in 1987 when 08016 and 03037 were kept here but the locos never worked as far as I know. The ex-BR locos were removed and the site was left without any locos or any rail traffic until for a few weeks in 1993 the BCOE sent Hunslet 7410 from Wentworth Stores to work traffic at British Oak. As far as I know this was the last time any rail traffic worked into this site. It is now closed, the track lifted, buildings and plant demolished and completely overgrown. 7410 leaves the site and crosses Blacker Lane, heading for the exchange sidings. The loco is about to take the curve to the right toward the exchange sidings. The track straight on once led to a staithe on the Calder & Hebble Naviation. Coupled up to the short train of HAA hoppers and heading through the exchange sidings. These sidings were laid with heavy pressed steel sleepers. Edit: I'm not sure that I've got these in the right order. To be honest I can't remember if loaded trains came in and the coal was transferred to lorries or vice-versa. It's a long time ago and I never was sure what a "Disposal Point" was meant to do. They certainly didn't mine coal on the site at this time.

At last! I can see the topic now the title's been changed. Thanks for posting these, Arthur. I love this sort of thing and if my flatbed scanner could be persuaded to talk to my laptop, I'd post some of my own collection.

A couple of pics taken at the Allen Rowland scrapyard at Tyseley in 1996. A Hibberd 4wDM (w/n 3958) and a Yorkshire Engine Co. 0-4-0DE, which I didn't record the identity of. I think these must have been taken on a Sunday when the yard wasn't working. Rolls Royce10279 at the Bolsover Coalite plant in August 91. The Coalite plant produced a form of coke as a smokeless fuel for household use. I always used to enjoy the smell of coal tar that drifted from here right across to the M1 when I was driving on that road. The plant closed several years ago now and I miss that smell when travelling on the motorway. They also had an 0-6-0DE Yorkshire here as a spare, which I've got a photo of. I'll post it when I find and scan it. Rolls Royce 10283, one of a pair of 4wDMs, at the very modern loco shed of the Preston Dock railway in May 95. I'm led to believe that this railway is now run as a preservation project but that they still run tanker trains - does anyone know if that's correct? YE 2760 at Allied Steel & Wire, Cardiff. I took this one during the same trip as the pics, shown previously, at Port Talbot.

Sorry to keep going on about the same bit and not really showing nothing new but this is one of the reasons I like 7mm scale - scratchbuilding the little details. Just say if it's getting boring and I'm going on about it too much without showing any trains. This is how it all looks with the roof on the building and the only lighting being provided by the 12v grain of wheat bulb inside. I've put the lathe in place and added a few pin-ups to the walls. I'll probably come back to it later and add a few more details but I really must get on and do something about the remaining 6 feet of bare baseboard.

Cheers, Paul. I'm going to put some cabling and junction boxes for the machine tools once they're fitted. I've now made the lathe. It's no modelled on any particular lathe and was done from memory, going on what I've seen of lathes from time to time and what I remember from school metalwork classes so if I've made any howlers then it's my own fault for not doing any research. It's mostly made from plasticard and strip offcuts but includes a few other parts from the bits bin. The small handwheels are N gauge wagon brake wheels and the large one is a 7mm narrow gauge loco brake wheel. The clutch lever is a pin. The chuck is was made from brass in my own Unimat lathe, with slots milled for the jaws, which are made of plastic strip. All it needs now is a bit of nickel silver wire for the cutting fluid pipe and some swarf and general muck.

Great work, Rob! I've recently built one of these and have another to do so it's interesting to see that you've gone about the general construction in a different way. The brass tank is a great improvement. What did you use to emboss the rivets and how did you manage to get them so straight?

I've been making a few bits for the interior of the engineering dept. First off - a pillar drill. Painted and installed in the workshop. I've also made the bench, shelving (with bits 'n' pieces, paint pots etc.) and the oxy-acetylene set. I had the oxygen cylinder and the trolley as cast whitemetal items but I made the acetylene cylinder, regulator and pipe myself. I've also added a vice, made from plastic strips, to the pillar drill.

Three pics of one of the last 48DS locos to be used in industry. W/n 265617 was supplied new, in 1948, to Blackett Hutton Ltd. Steelfounders of Guisborough in the North Riding. When I saw it in March 1995 it was still working and carrying its original lined green livery, albeit faded and dirty, that it had been given at the RH works in Lincoln all those years ago. At one time the foundry had been connected to BR so, presumably, the loco would have handled traffic in and out but by 1995 it's sole purpose was to push and pull a single flat wagon. The flat would be loaded with a vessel containing molten steel from the electric arc furnace to the casting shops, a distance of about 150 yards.

Gimme a chance! The paint is barely dry so I don't want to add anything else lest it make the base coat of black come off before it's had a chance to harden.

Good idea! I'll do that. I've made the tank, painted it, made a hose and nozzle and planted it.

A few more. BOCM Silcock operated an internal railway system at their Olympia works in Selby. I made a couple of visits but I was too late to see the proper loco, JF 4200003, in action. At the time they used a Mercedes Unimog 4x4 truck, road-railer. There was also a Strachan & Henshaw road-railer tucked away. I wasn't particularly interested in those and the aim of my visits were to see the Fowler, which was supposedly still in working order and nominally the spare loco. The works has since closed and is derelict. The bike was mine, a Kawi GT550 rat bike. And not too far away , next to the ECML, at Great Heck was the Plasmor block works and sidings. JF4220038 in the chocolate brown colour in which it was recieved from the Middleton Railway. Butterley Engineering had occupied the site at Ripley, Derbys. since being founded by Benjamin Outram in 1790 and was still going when I visited in 1995. They had a YE 0-4-0DE and this Drewry 0-4-0DM, built by the Vulcan Foundry (w/n D294) and named Teucer. At this time the works was still connected to BR via the tracks of the Midland Railway Centre. The works has since closed and the site flattened.

What do you want to know? I've got an original sales booklet for these and the 0-4-0DEs that were supplied to SCoW. It has a description of the locos, loco photos, a GA drawing and photos of the power unit. I'd scan it but my flatbed scanner won't talk to the laptop because I don't have the driver for it and I'm not sure how we stand with the forum rules on copyright. All all-Ruston lot this time. The pair that started it all. RH42483 & RH284838 in Crossley's scrapyard, Shipley, October 88. At this time they were supposedly spares to the Hunslet 0-4-0DH. Apparently, the blue one was capable of working but it wasn't capable of starting its own engine (some fault on the compresso ror air reciever) so the donkey engine on the brown one was started and it filled the reciever on it. A flexible hose from a lorry was attached between the two so the blue one's engine could be started. Ruston & Hornsby 165DS class w/n 414303 at the Pyewipe works of Tioxide UK near Great Coates. On this visit there was no rail movements and this loco's wheels were out for attention. I paid a visit another time and saw one of the 165DS locos working. At the time of this visit the railway only saw action when a ship full of illmenite docked at Grimsby and the company's own fleet of tippler wagons was used to bring the stuff from the docks to the works. An 88DS still working into the 1990s! RH466626 worked at a railtank cleaning firm at Ellesmere Port. Jake services or something?Seen here at rest in 1996. Grant Lyon Eagre were railway contractors and had a plant yard in Scotter Road, Scunthorpe. They used a pair of ancient 48DS locos on track laying contracts around the UK. I photographed them in 1995, I think. I recall seeing one at sometime in the late 90s in use on a contract near Bescot yard. Another, similar, contractor was Trackwork Ltd. who had their plant yard at Kirk Sandall, near Doncaster. They used this 48DS, w/n 417889, named Charles, as their sole loco at the time (June 91) and later acquired an 88DS from British Gypsum.

Here are a few more. FH3768 & 3799 at C.F. Booth's Rotherham yard in April 88. This pair had originally worked for Samuel Williams at Dagenham dock. The yard was also full of Cemflo wagons for from Blue Circle Cement that were here for cutting. Another scrapyard in August the same year. RH 186309, a 44/48HP loco (like the one in my avatar) had been new to British Acheson Electrodes, Wincobank, Sheffield in 1937 and as far as I am aware had been here at Vernon & Roberts Peel St. yard in Stalybridge since 1965. RR10236. Yes it is a Rolls Royce! The firm constructed 3 Janus locomotives to the Yorkshire Engine Co. design at the Sentinel works in Shrewsbury after YE had ceased to produce locomotives. It is seen here at BSC's Appleby-Frodingham works in Jan. 89. An unidentified TH 4wDH at Shell's Stanlow refinery in 1996.

Could be. I've done a bit more work on the engineering department's building. It's going to have lighting inside to show off the interior. I'll probably make a lathe, a workbench and a few other things to go inside. That drainpipe is too short, I know. I'll have to re-do that. I'm going to have to put a diesel tank (for fuelling the Ruston and for road vehicles) next to that wall. It would look better under the staircase at the other side of the tracks but then you have to think about how it would be filled. It wouldn't be large enough to warrant being filled from a rail tank so it would have been delivered by road and then how would a road vehicle get to the other side of the tracks? I'm just thinking of the "road vehicles in silly places" topic y' see...

My memory must be going because I seem to remember the Eurotunnel bodies going on low-loaders along the Wakefield road. Did they build the coaches/wagons at Horbury? Here are some from what is my most memorable day chasing industrials. In July 96 I took a few days holiday in South Wales with the aim of visiting the various steelworks and other industrial sites. I'd bought an OS map, which showed a public footpath crossing the BR main lines and the point where Margam yard met BSC metals at Port Talbot steelworks. I reckoned that if I stood on the path, between tracks, then I wasn't trespassing. I wasn't sure of this strategy and still wary of being chased off by either BR or BSC employees when this beast came out of the works, heading for the exchange sidings... BT97/WB3142 was built by W.G. Bagnll for the Steel Company of Wales to an order by Brush Traction, using Brush electrical equipment and so has a works number from both companies. This is one of the rebodied locos. It came, dropped its wagons and left with another set - the crew obviously saw me but said nothing so I assumed I was safe... And then another hove into view... BT94/WB3139. One of the original machines. As this train drew up to the level crossing the driver slowed right down and opened his window. I thought I was going to get a bollocking but he brought the train to a stand and shouted to ask if I'd like a ride. Do bears sh*t in the woods? So I stood in the cab as we trundled through Margam yard... Then we stopped and as the shunter got down and uncoupled the train the driver got out of his seat and lit a fag, pointing to the seat and asking if I'd like a go. Well, I thought that my birthday and Christmas had come at once so I was in the seat before he could change his mind.He asked me if I'd ever driven anything like this before and I said yes, Of course that was a bit of a lie. I'd driven a narrow gauge Ruston and a couple of V-skips but nothing like this. I soon sussed out the controls and told him what was what. Air brake, forward/reverse , power handle etc. So off we went. I changed direction after we'd cleared the points and headed back toward the level crossing. At that point I expected he'd take control again but no - he had me back the loco down onto a set of empties and haul them off into the works! I must admit that I did a damn good job of backing onto the train, compressing the buffers just enough for the shunter to couple up with his pole first time. The driver and his mate. Cheers fellas!