pharrc20

Nice to get a mention from David in this book and acknowledging my book on the I.C.I. Hopper wagons. It is well worth the cover price for the information and drawings and I have already spotted a few things in there too including some I.C.I. internal user hopper wagons.

Cheers Paul

On 20/06/2022 at 13:45, Eaton said:

Teeny tiny correction to the list, the Hazel Grove & District MRS layout is actually called Smethurst Junction 🙂. Looking forward to helping the team run Smethurst Junction again and finally getting the chance to see Chapel-en-le-Frith too - Leeds and Hazel Grove usually have their exhibitions the same weekend.

Cheers Paul

6 hours ago, L2's are great! said:

Also i've only just discovered that at Hunterston, they've replaced one of the D90s with an L8 DT instead. Luckily they've still got one there 

There is this odd looking L2 DT type with pointed end crossarms up near Dalry on Mains Burn lane... the one on the left is an ordinary looking D90 of course. Same two lines coming out of Hunterston.

I think those two new L8s at Hunterston is for the Western HV link scheme?

What about the Madeley to Silverdale line? Looks as if the track is still in situ from the former chord from the WCML running towards Silverdale but beyond that has gone now and the link to WCML taken out.

Not much left of the Skelton Jn to Glazebrook line now only runs to Broadheath ish.

Cheers Paul

6 hours ago, L2's are great! said:

So my focus mainly has been the 275KV and 400KV in the highlands and 2 findings from today are this half L3 half L3 Hybrid half deviation tower half DT tower on the Beauly-Blackhillock Stretch. And then whilst following the L2 line between Kaimes and Wishaw it seems to cut right through the black law wind farm just east of Wishaw Substation.

They have se weird L2 n L3 tower arrangements in Scotland. They don't seem to like using DJT tee towers at all and there are some very odd tee arrangements lol

10 hours ago, L2's are great! said:

Yeah I feel like the DTs with ommitted curves in the crossarms look slightly better although those are the only 2 i've seen. Yeah i believe id also seen some similar towers on route out of Keadby heading north. Ahh is that the lines from Penwortham up to Hutton/Stanah and Heysham tees ??

Yes there are a pair of odd looking river crossing towers over the Trent near to Winterton, not quite L8 as seem to have an extention inserted from what I recall when saw it up close some years ago now with the newer L12s alongside the original L6 line.

Yep the Penw to Hambledon tee and Stanah L8 line has L8 river crossing towers.

6 hours ago, L2's are great! said:

So found this rather interesting set up on the Windyhill-Neilston line. The line is predominantly L2 but i've never seen these river crossing towers before. 

Yes I've noticed those in the past when I did a sweep of the Scottish 275/400kV systems. The first image shows what looks like one of the L2 DT towers but with angled instead of the more familar curved angled crossarm tops. The two crossing towers looks like L6 type origin rather than L8. Have a look at the River Ribble crossing just downstream of Preston to see some L8 river towers.

Cheers Paul

I am sure I read somewhere that the vans in the Sulphur traffic to Amlwch were used to convey the tarpaulins on the return empty journey back to Mostyn Docks.

Bogie ferryvans were used as noted in a previous reply to take aluminium ingots from the AA plant onwards to Europe I believe. Cement in PCAs was for a short time unloaded at a temporary termimal established near Conwy Morfa when that part of the A55 road was being constructed. Both these were collected using a Speedlink trip working iirc too - I'm sure there is a photo in a book somewhere showing this.

HTH Paul

9 hours ago, Revolution Ben said:

 

Hi Paul,

 

I remember being in the front saloon for that part of the trip and I am sure I waved at the person I saw on the platform which must've been you!

 

It was a fantastic day - thanks to our driver and driver conductor (as Phil mentioned above, the running commentary on the route was incredible!), the guard and stewards, to all our guests on board and to everyone who came out to take photographs despite the rain! It did brighten up a bit in the glorious Hope Valley!

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

 

Thanks Ben, it was touch and go as to whether I would get bowled by the late Manchester train formed of two 150/1s that you would have waited and then followed towards Northenden Jn.! But fortunately the driver and conductor didn't dawdle too long and got out my way haha. It sounds like it was a wonderful day out. Hmm Hopper Haunts mini-tour... lol.

Cheers Paul

I popped over to my local at Northwich to see the special in the rain as per the attached photos. I got a few waves from those stood/sat inside Caroline but couldn't make out who they were but I did wave back whilst filming.

Cheers Paul

On 28/04/2022 at 17:29, Steamport Southport said:

 

That was the one done as a demonstration and was official.

 

They also used it numerous times during the week without the rat until being told to stop by BR management.

 

 

Jason

Hmm interesting 🤔 that kind of goes against what information I have been able glean over the years on this event i.e. the Black 5 hauling the 25 and the hoppers. One of the then managers David (surname escapes me) is on record as saying that he got a bollocking on the Monday morning once word got back to HQ about what happened on the Sunday. Nearly 42 years ago now too. Have you any written or photographic evidence to confirm the Black 5 hauled the hoppers again after Sunday 18th May 1980?

Cheers Paul

On 20/04/2022 at 20:13, Dava said:

This or a similar rescue happened on the Settle & Carlisle.

 

Also 8233 took a turn with the Northwich limestone hoppers in the 1980s.

 

Dava

Close it was Black 5 no. 5000 that was ahem commandeered to assist a supposedly ailing Class 25 through Northwich on the 18th May 1980 on the weekend of the shed open day. These photo links to Flickr by midcheshireman illustrates the deed 

Second photo is by Chris Ravenscroft according to the Flickr caption text.

Cheers Paul

12 hours ago, Mikkel said:

There was a post and a bit of banter about that, but it seems to have disappeared, perhaps in the upheavals: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/171126-brm-quis-custodiet-ipsos-custodes/

 

Cheers must have missed that one my new posts feed seems to be a bit ka-ka at present. Cheers Paul 

I finished reading this issue last night and it was late and yes my eyes might have been tired lol but does every issue have the two picture captions on page 75 written in Latin in the article on West Coast -Southern Section by Andrew Armitage?

Cheers Paul

I too visited the Preston show today the first time since 2016. I bumped into several fellow modellers I know for the first time in a while. I thought the trade stands were a good mix and spent some cash with Squires and another stand, where I brought an unboxed Bachmann fitted Tube wagon. Cheers Paul

You can also run TfW 175s on the Mid-Cheshire line via Northwich to allow TfW staff to retain route knowledge. 175004 did 1D79 00:32 Manchester Piccadilly to Chester and 175001 did the 1H77 04:46 Chester to Manchester Airport this morning for example. And indeed they were used on same Mid-Cheshire line when new too.

The Northern Rail 180s also ran to Hazel Grove on peak-time services through Manchester to Blackpool North too.

Cheers Paul

On 20/01/2022 at 22:15, HeatonLodge40 said:

I’m not too bothered Paul as long as it’s a common prototype. 
The part of the layout I’m working on now is fictitious. Any help much appreciated.

Simon

Ok, have you seen the models that Pylon King has done in OO scale? @pylon king would your PL1 design upscale to O/7mm scale I wonder or is that beyond the realms of modelling?

54 minutes ago, HeatonLodge40 said:

I’m after building a couple of Pylons around 1m high on my O gauge Heaton Lodge Junction.

If anyone knows if there is a kit available I’d be grateful.

At the moment I’m scratch building 3 x 1m high marshalling yard lighting gantries.

Are you thinking of pylons from a particular location Simon? I recall there being several near to Ravensthorpe where the lines split to Leeds and Wakefield.

Cheers Paul

This is the NGC video on YouTube about 4ZC 30 and it's replacement. 

It's a short but interesting watch. Once the lines climb onto higher ground that seems to be where the switch to rotated twin conductors takes place where they have been fitted to L2 and L6 lines. Obviously for the new L8 4ZC 30R (i think it would be R coded) then it would have to be twins and you can see the work on changing the insulator bundles on towers 29 and 31 either side too.

Cheers Paul

8 minutes ago, L2's are great! said:

 

Yep that's the one. I think the east side 400 conductors were changed from quads to angled twin conductors sometime in the late 90s or early 2000s, whilst the east side remained untouched except for the section between Pentir and Llanrug sec. A separate 400kV underground cable circuit also runs from Dinorwig to Pentir via a more direct northerly route, whereas the southern 400 circuit runs underneath the Llanberis Lake Railway. You can see the 400kv ducting boxes along the route. And being a hearing aid user the T telephone coil setting on my aids provides confirmation that these under trackbed cables are indeed live n buzzing lol!

Not sure when the 132 circuit came into being from Traws to Y Ffor for Pwllheli - maybe from new?

There is or was a National Grid video on YouTube showing the work they had to do to replace the damaged tower, remove it, put in new stronger foundations and erect the new L8 tower. Note that the conductors revert to twin on this soon to be replaced section of the line.

They might just change their mind about building a second plant at Wylfa once we get a power generation shortage in the next 10-20 years.

Cheers Paul

1 minute ago, L2's are great! said:

Ah i do remember that it was almost impossible to see them via streetview although most of that area has got better imagery thank the lord. Oh yes i do recall seeing the wind farm sub on the map i was using to follow the line from Pentir. Talking of Pentir, i noticed that the 4ZC line to Trawsfynydd is half 132kv and half 400kv. I didnt even know such a combo existed especially on a L6 route. Apart from the fact it has a guest L8 tower featuring over the estuary.

Best Wishes, Felix

 

Yes it finally popped up on google so their little camera car must have been busy tootling around in 2020/21 lol.

The Pentir to Trawsfynydd line starts off heading south as both circuits on 400kV. Then at Llanrug there is a sealing end compound and the west side circuit terminates. The east side circuit bypasses the tower and continues on towards Porthmadog. The west side line is earthed to the towers and continues south too. Up until recently this was still on quad conductors and insulators - I have a feeling these have been changed now. Further south nearer Porthmadog at a place called Brynkir alongside the A487 near what was The Goat Inn is a D30 tower. Coming from Llanrug the west quad conductors earth onto the tower again and from the tower a link is made to a tower deviation and pole line that runs towards Pwllheli at 132kV. So from Brynkir to Porthmadog (north) at least it is 132kV on west side and 400kV on east side.

OpenMaps seems to have these two circuits transposed but does seem to confirm that is is 132/400 all the way to Trawsfynydd via the Glasyn cable section too. The L8 D30 was put up a few years ago to replace a damaged L6 D30 in virtually the same position in the estuary. However this and several other L6 towers are due to come down as part of the Snowdonia V.I.P. scheme and then it will be cable from Llandecwyn to Minffordd instead.

If Wylfa 2 had been built then the plan was to reinstate the full double circuits between Pentir and Traws and presumably provide some means of transforming down from 400 to 132 near Porthmadog and provide a new cable maybe link to join the existing line to Pwllheli.

Cheers Paul

48 minutes ago, L2's are great! said:

Even more of an odd find is this pair of BICC SF60s at Bodelwyddan substation which seem to have been added in creating a small junction on the Pentir-Connahs Quay line which i believe is predominantly Blaw Knox L6. The SF60s link up to an L12 DJT which leads me to assume this is a new junction.

Added a few years ago from what I can tell but the google earth imagery has been updated at last. Provides a connection to the Gwynt y Mor offshore wind farm substation one side is cabled and the other on the two SF60s as shown.

Cheers Paul

Do you have more than one handset for the Prodigy DCC01 connected to the base unit?

If so, you will need to check that one handset is the master and the other changed to become the slave. Details of how to do this are in the Gaugemaster booklet. I had a similar problem years ago on a then newish DCC01 system. Another thing to check is that the loco address only appears on one handset as having the same number in use can confuse the system as well I have found. Worth checking in case.

HTH Paul 

Hi Ashley, you have picked a good location to model... I live oooh about 200 yards or so where the shed used to be although I don't remember the shed myself as wasn't born in Northwich, so only know it from photographs.

Looking through what I recall seeing most duties were covered by 25s and 40s and some 47s. Once the pairs of 20s came along to take over the hopper duties the 25s and 40s started to fade away as being withdrawn of course. Eastern Region allocated 37s would often appear on the Monkton to Northwich coke train. I suspect the other coal trains were mostly in the hands of 47s as was outgoing traffic from Oakleigh like the air-braked soda ash PCA tanks.

Peaks 45s were very occasionally used on the hoppers to Northwich and in some cases pairs too and I have seen and had published a photo of one such pair. 31s were rare at the time but did make appearances on the hoppers in the later 80s in lieu of the booked 37s. 56s not sure but possible they could have turned up on coal especially if come over the Pennines but as said more likely to be a 47. As for shunting the humble 08 was your chap for those jobs but I would guess by mid to late 80s these turns had gone and shunting done by the train engines.

Unfortunately, you have missed out on the Hatton's OO gauge models of the I.C.I. hoppers they are now completely sold out and recent sales on bay of E show that they are quite sought after often going for double or more the original selling price of £24/25 each. If you are N gauge then there is or was a 3d printed model available on Shapeways, likewise if O gauge there have been etched brass models and more recently a new kit model has been produced too.

Do you have any photos of your shed and will it be incorporated into a layout?

Cheers Paul

5 hours ago, Yorks1 said:

Thanks for the reply Paul. In your Hopper book on p71 you have a photo of 19000 already converted in Dec-1985, it would be interesting to know if this was the beginning or end of the trial and whether any of the other's you noted at Avenue workshops (date ?) got converted.

 

Regards

 

Colin

Yes I was thinking it was late 1985, when my good friend Brian Arnold managed to get the photo of it parked up in the headshunt end siding near Avenue works. However, I have no information on how the wagon was tested or even if it went to the RTC at Derby for type-testing.

Suffice to say the next time it was seen was at the September 1986 Diamond Jubilee open day/s when it was on show at Winnington works with newly named class 47, 47365 "Diamond Jubilee", where the air-brake equipment had clearly been removed and the wagon returned back to standard with vacuum-brakes - photo also in book.

I know I made reference to their being other wagons at Avenue works in the process of being converted. But I was going off what I had been verbally told when doing the book and so far no photo or notes evidence has emerged to support this.

Unfortunately, I knew anything about these open days in 1986 otherwise I would have pestered my Dad and or Uncle to take me.

Cheers Paul