rope runner

Not colliery-related but If anyone is feeling particularly brave: https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/5577092176 This is a fairly extreme which is mainly due to the fact the track is laid directly on top of iron ore bench. There is no ballast which means that the track is free to be slewed every few months, as was the practice in open cast mineral railways. This way the line could follow the quarry face, which is fairly shallow here. Note the kinks stemming from the fishplates, exacerbated by this activity, but also seen in poorly maintained industrial track work generally. Paul A.

I've never been entirely happy with my W4 (masquerading as R1 class P1050/07!) until now. Upgraded with the Rt models safety valve arms and steam dome which set it off much nicer than the plastic-looking Hornby offering. Very nice quality castings. I soldered the arms to the dome and then removed excess solder with a brass wire pen. The remaining bits of visible solder where touched over with Phoenix "brass" enamel paint. Paul A.

Thanks Brian. It may well have been a new tooling for Dapol but in reality the model is the same tooling as Mainline plonked on a spurious 10' 0'' / 17' 6'' chassis. The same goes for the Bachmann rendition which they happily corrected for the N gauge Graham Farish version which was released several years ago. Clearly Bachmann have done the homework for this model for their N gauge one, now I would suggest is the time to release it in 4mm as it would undoubtedly sell well. Paul A.

A couple of the locomotives had covers like this - I'm not sure my prototype did but Loddington No.2 certainly did for a time. It's a J37 dome from DMR Paul A.

Hi Paul, I accept your point - a lighter gauge rail might also serve to improve appearance as many industrial lines were laid with 75lb flat bottom rail. The one observation I would make about colliery railway modelling in general, and indeed track work falls into this: Colour photography was not widely available until industrial railways ( particularly steam orientated) were in rapid decline. There is a danger that we as industrial modelers use such resources and conclude that systems at the end of their lives which were essentially being run into the ground were typical of industrial railways in general through time. That is not the case by any stretch of the imagination. In my view poorly maintained trackwork in collieries is more typical of the 1960's onwards (disposal points excepted). Compare the much photographed prototypes of Ashington Colliery/Workshops and with those of Lambton Colliery/Workshops and associated railways via google images from around the late 60's. Same era and geography, but vastly different levels of continual maintenance as one system was earmarked for closure. See also Mountain Ash 1955 vs. 1979 for an even more extreme example, it looks like a different site altogether. Paul A.

Thanks Gordon, Carefully... it's all fox "fine" 0.35mm lining. First the yellow and red and laid side by side and then the black on top. This gives a "full" thickness black and a half thickness yellow and red. Mind bending stuff, like lining a loco three times. Maybe I could have gotten away with just black! Paul A.

Thanks for the response Brian. For your interest S&L (and latterly BSC) used 16-ton slope sided minerals for coal only, not ore. The Dapol model of a Charles Roberts hopper actually uses a much older pre-2000's Mainline tooling, so happily can be included: BR Diagram 1/161, 1/162 22-24 ton capacity Iron Ore hopper wagon Built by Charles Roberts, Cambrian, Cravens and Birmingham RC&W. Totaling around 4,000 vehicles constructed between the years of 1940 until late 1950's. Predominantly built for the private owner market before adoption by British Railways, minor detail differences exist between the diagrams and within them, though these are not significant and typically surround axle guards, boxes and minor sole bar fittings. These could be seen running in their intended flows from as low down as Oxfordshire up to the North East of England. A wagon difficult for a 1950-1970 East Midlands LMS/NE layout to overlook. They ran in block trains or assorted with other hopper wagons of varying types and their lives were further extended being used for sand and limestone and beyond the 1970's by adoption into industrial internal user fleets etc. One example was also used on the Isle of Wight for PW work before scrapping. Liveries include ornate private owner lettering, BR grey and PW/internal user. 9' Wheel base with a length of 16' 6'' over headstocks. Only one example is preserved by the National Railway Museum currently on long term loan at Rocks by Rail Cottesmore which is B436275 Please see here for photograph: http://www.rocks-by-rail.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/NRM-support-lge.jpg Please see here for further photographs: https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brironorehoppersmall Paul A.

Hi All, A concerted effort over the weekend has seen this model running. High Level Loadhauler compact + if that helps anyone. There's lots of room in the firebox area and the tank sits fairly high so a 10 or 12 series Mashima or similar is absolutely fine. A few jobs left to do as you can see, but I'd say 95% of the way there now (thank goodness) Paul A.

No prototypical Iron Ore hoppers of the wooden or steel variety - oh well never mind. The 13ton coal would apply but Peco are bringing a kit out shortly. Nothing for me to vote for this year sadly. Paul A.

Thanks Rex - Yes it was M2 after all, I managed to find a copy of the instructions at the back of a drawer. Cheers Paul A.

I don't really think uneven track looks right in model form, it just looks badly laid and not prototypically distressed - it's something to do with the physics to my eye, dipped rail joints don't look right it's doubly jarring because often model rail isn't scale height. I'd suggest time is better put into the weathering and surrounding debris of industrial trackwork rather than adding lumps and bumps, this has the added bonus that stock should run reliably on it too. Just my 2 cents of course Paul A.

Whilst a good pool of knowledge the IRS are not completely infallible, I am not 100% sold on it being a B1 - something about the boiler/tank height verses the cab windows do not match. The B1 was smaller than the B2 class which was again smaller than B3. Pecketts offered a range much vaster than their later published catalogue would suggest. In fact, in this respect so did many other British industrial locomotive builders. It would not at all surprise if this were neither class or a "special" of which there were a great many turned out. Paul A.

The B1 class will have a different tank/smokebox arrangement whereby the tank overlaps the smokebox front and is bolted through as opposed to the later pattern where the smokebox plate overlaps the tank. See the front of the Hornby W4 vs the B2 for an example. This arrangement was also apparent on early members of the B2 class. EDIT: Are you sure the linked image is a B1 class? The boiler looks to be sitting quite high in the frames compared to the GWR-absorbed one I have photographs of. Paul A.

Langley models do some in 2mm, though they may be too chunky or small for your needs: http://www.langleymodels.co.uk/shop/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww.langleymodels.co.uk%2facatalog%2fOnline_Catalogue_OO_Buildings___low_relief_Incl_Church__Pitt_Head_45.html&WD=pitt&PN=Wheels.html%23a1_21NV13#a1_21NV13 Paul A.

Hi all, I'm currently modifying a DJH 4mm kit into a 6-coupled example. I want to secure the smokebox (which I've heightened) to the running plate using a bolt. The base of the smokebox is tapped by DJH to ease assembly for a beginner. Does anyone have a copy of the instructions and can let me know the size of the bolts originally supplied please? Thank you Paul A.

Happily the cab has now been fully restored with the help of donations and grant funding - we've recently fitted the last two remaining gauges. Photo below shows part-way through restoration. Also extant at Cottesmore are the hefty cast W1400 RAPIER alloy plates worn by Sundew and a replica nameplate along with a couple of other fittings. Paul A.

Apologies to drag this thread up from the depths once again... I'm hoping to build a short rake of the 30 ton tipplers and could use any information anyone has on the body height and also the frame height. I don't think anything proprietary will match so possibly assembling the frames from evergreen strip of the correct dimensions would be the best bet? Kind regards Paul A.

Gareth, contrary to what is being said by one of the restoration group to you on Facebook - the livery is completely prototypical, including the copper cap chimney. This would be correct for mid-50's until 1960. Paul A.

Yes Dave, spot on - the loco was overhauled there. She carried the name "Avonside № 3" at that time. Paul A.

Hi All, That's it - done, finished. Photographed below with my model of Avonside AE1919/24 CRANFORD. Differences are hopefully apparent versus the way the kit is intended to go together. Don't worry - the Dart Castings crew have had their grease top caps filed down to flat caps... I have a three of the basic side and front etches for the STAMFORD style open-backed cab spare (1 in brass, 2 in thicker N/S). If anyone would like one please PM me, proceeds to go to Rocks by Rail at Cottesmore. What's next? Something a little more modern from north of the border: Paul A.

Thanks James - hopefully appearing here soon once the wiring is sorted... Paul A.

In my experience of HL products these two will be spacers for the idler (and normally reduction gear, too) . I have not built the drivestretcher but there should be no reduction across it. In order to understand the use of the spacers and the orientation I would assemble the feeder gearbox first and build forward from this, adding each gear in sequence. From this you should be able to tell where and if the spacers are applicable. Certainly do not ream out or otherwise tamper with the gears provided - they should move freely on the 2mm steel rod. Paul A.

Yes, the kit goes together well - the ride height is a little questionable though. I think it has been designed around 14mm drivers in error - the kit instructions of course state the correct 12mm. I did raise the footplate a few thou' on my other Agenoria B4 with some plasticard between the frames and footplate. On this one though I have raised the buffers above their intended position by a few thou to compensate. Only a handful of jobs left now - coal, crew, matt coating for the smokebox and the mechanical lubricator wheel needs to be red too. Paul A.

I would definitely be interested in a set of fittings Gordon, I have another one to build at some stage. The prototypical livery for these is a challenge - black edged yellow and red, red on the inside or outside when built and then some swapped over when repainted according to the Tonks books. Current progress as of this morning: Paul A.

Is nowhere on this forum free from the tiresome quipping about DJ Models? You'd be forgiven for thinking this thread was about Cooper Craft appearing at Railwells. Paul A.