5050

A clubmate of mine (who is in his mid-70's) told me a week or two back when we were discussing GF, Kirdon etc. that, when he was a lad and lived in Bridlington, he and a friend cycled to Scarborough to Bobbies model shop where his friend (who had been saving his pocket and paper round money for weeks) bought GF Black 5. Please as punch they cycled back home to test it on his friend's layout - and it wouldn't go round the curves! The motor (?) extension block from the tender into the cab restricted the amount of 'swing' on curves and it derailed every time. Feeling rather pee'ed off they then had to cycle back to Scarborough to get a refund! From the 1950 volume of Model railway News, here are a sequence of ads showing the Black 5 and other new introductions including the Merchant Navy/West Country. The main point to notice is that the Black 5, in all the pictures of it - doesn't have any valve gear or indeed even a crosshead or connecting rod!

Thanks for the link, not seen that thread before. I'm sure I have details in Old MRN ads of even more motors than those mentioned. Of course, some may be the same motor branded differently! And thanks for the heads-up on the motor being a Phantom. Here's an advert for it.

Yes, excellent post, good to see the actual 'beast' at last. What is the motor? It looks quite good for the time. I've got some more Kirdon ads to post, some now from 1950. Hope to get them done next week now. If you've got more stuff Evanelplus - please share it!!

Thanks for the link, looks as if it will be very useful. I've tried to save it into Favourites but it won't let me for some reason. As for colours, I've got the C&O Historical Society books on coal railroading but they're in Black and White. Some of the tipples in there seem to be a darker shade but perhaps it's just weathering and dirt?

Hmmm, foliage has been mentioned in previous posts. I'm gradually building up a stock of potentially suitable materials for tree-making. I foresee lots of long winter nights comprising twigs, seafoam, wire, Woodland Scenics, hairspray etc. etc.

Thanks. I'll try and get some WM stock on view soon. I suppose I ought to confirm that it actually IS a WM layout! Here's a couple of more shots showing how the tippler connects to its surroundings. Please ignore the bridge side - it was in the way of the camera! I can't decide how to finish the corrugated on the buildings. Looking at photos it was generally kept up to scratch, not left to rot - but what colour (or color!) should I paint it before weathering down?

A couple of shots of the mine tipple area that I've been working on the past few days. Still need to paint the buildings and finish the ground effects but it's coming on. I can't see the layout from the positions these are taken from, just thank the digital camera! That's why the rail sides aren't painted - they'll never be seen from normal viewing position. Lazy boy! Lots of detailing still to be added as well. Steps, ladders, walkways etc.

Good spot! Not noticed that.

I've now got some more MRN volumes from the club library and here are a couple more Kirdon ads with some interesting 'stuff' in them. The 2 bridges are shown and also the US boxcars including some editorial about them. Can't say I've ever knowingly seen any. Note the 'half wave controller' ad. Half wave was the next big thing in controller technology and was introduced simultaneously by several makes, H&M, Kirdon, ABC for instance. Rumour had it that it ruined your motors but obviously it didn't although some are a bit noisy with it. Not suitable for can motors though (I think!). Superceded by transistors of course. The David Nixon advert is an interesting use of celebrity endorsement. DN was a television icon in the 50's and 60's, a magician with regular TV shows. He was a railway modeller and also appeared in Peco adverts for early Streamline track.

Sorry about being a bit late with this! If you look at the posts above you will see that (nominally anyway) they did both. Not very common though these days...................... If they ever were!

Trees, yes! I need lots! I'm trying to collect materials etc. for their manufacture, the ones on the photos are only there for initial effect - definitely not permanent ones. I can foresee lots of 'forestry evenings' coming up!

A bit more done over the past 2 months. Got the company houses a lot further towards being finished and also the tannery area. I went with Metcalfe cobbles/sets for the loading dock area etc. but it still needs weathering. The road is a bit of a mongrel I'm afraid. I tried several finishes but none of them really satisfied me, the one here is possibly the best of a bad lot! However, it doesn't look to bad and with some more weathering should be OK. Next job is to get on with the tippler area. I've made a start on some of the track but there's lots more to be done. In another 2 months I'll hopefull be nearly there and be able to get on with some operating at last! BTW, just remembered I've not finished painting the tannery roof yet!

Looking forward to seeing this develop. If it's anything like BT&S then it'll be a cracker.

Jack, I know! As a lad I often had to walk past one and the smell still lingers in the memory banks. They say you can't retain smell memories - but I can with this one. We used to run as fast as we could to get past. You're right about the traffic, all sorts of stuff - some of it a bit 'iffy' to say the least! Tank cars for the 'chemicals' (urine, acids), gons of coal for the boiler house, box cars of hides in and finished goods out (but not the same cars, only old run-down ones for the raw hides). The houses will have to go where they are. Near to the mine. Looking at photos of company houses and seeing how close they were to the tracks, conveyors and the tipplers, I reckon a bit of a pong is nothing to worry about compared to the dirt and coal dust!

I'll be in your saddlebag

Another two months gone that I won't see again! I have however, been quite active during them - on the layout at least (don't ask about the cycling!). I've got the tannery buildings 95% finished and also the company houses plus a fair bit of the scenery has been improved. I need to decide what colour and how to lay the road surfaces. Would they be gravel or tarmac in this sort of environemt? I'm heading towards gravel TBH as I have some lovely grey dust left over from the debris of some building work that has recently been completed outside. Some poly-fibre clump 'trees' have been sourced (but I'll need LOADS more!) and have been temporarily placed to get an idea of how it might look one day. The company houses have come out quite well I reckon. Based on the Tony Koester models of his adaptation of the Grandt Line kits I'm rather pleased with them. I obtained them part built as in the 'grey' version in the photo and added the mounting board roofs with masking tape 'tar paper' and Evergreen strip hand rails etc. The 'garage' ('Als A1 Autos') is actually a model built by Arthur Whitehead for one of his EM gauge light railway layouts. I found it in a box of odd buildings named 'Bert's Garage' but renamed it as I can't remember hearing the name 'Bert' being used in the US. 'Al' is a more common version of 'Albert' I think. the British adverts were removed and US ones sourced from the web substituted. An old-fashioned glass petrol pump, rotting old model T, wheels and tyres should improve appearances a bit. The tannery buildings are kit-bashed differently to the card mock-ups and I think they fit the space better in this form. Still work to be done on the ground work around them as I can't decide what surface to use, especially around the big stone building. I was considering cobbles using some Metcalfe sheets that I have. Would they use cobbles/setts in deepest West Virginia? Once I've got the road sorted, track ballasted etc. it's on to the coal tippler and associated items. When I start this - I'll be back!

The Bradford Barton book is one of the ones I was thinking of. I reckon I can definitely blame Geoff Bannister for my interest in Clee Hill!

I've found my article and drawing on the 'brake vans', it is in the June 1996 (that long ago!!!!) vol 3 no.10 Modelling Railways Illustrated. Somewhere I should have the original drawing (all lovingly hand crafted, not done by a computer). The photos in the Geoff Bannister book mentioned above are very good and I'm sure there are others in other books on the area.

It's about time all this was seen at Wakefield Show!!

That should be in the 'Collectables' thread. We could have a field day sorting out old tins and jars. I've got all sorts - including a jar of Airfix Gold!

I've also now borrowed the 1957 volume of MRN from the club library to try and get some follow-up from the previous ads and found these interesting items. The 'Railcar' (Derby Lightweight DMU) has now appeared with its 'Hi-Fi' 8-wheel drive. What was this - and did it work? There is also now no mention of the Diesel Shunter kit which seems to have vanished into the abyss. Also in one of the issues was the editorial revue of the 10000 kit along with photos of the components. Interesting to note that they say that the 'cement' can be used as a filler. How bad was the fit of the parts to need filler?!

There was also Cudworth and Johnson in Wrexham who bought, sold and rebuilt industrial locos in the earlier years of the 20th century. Not sure when they stopped doing this but the company itself lasted for quite some time after.

That's the one I was thinking of. Chris Hewitt built it.

I think the cable was attached to the 'brake wagon' after running underneath the wagons so it took the load. The haulage rope couldn't have been permanently attached otherwise, as you say, the mainline wagons couldn't have been attached/detached. I wrote an article and a drawing of the brake wagon in the late 'Modelling Railways Illustrated' magazine in the 90's but not sure of the issue. I'll have a look. The photos in the 'Bylines' articles came in useful as did an old issue of the HMRS Journal which had a drawing of the original version of the wagon. I've always had an interest in this line. Chris Hewitt from Liverpool has/had a small layout based on it (and an Iain Rice plan) on which he ran a brake wagon built from my drawing. At least someone read the article!

Following my 1956 Model Railway News thread, here are the adverts for the Kirdon items. The first full page one shows the availaibilty of the 2 diesel locos. I think the comment about the 10000 loco now being produced in-house relates to an item in the magazine editorial where Kirdon apologise for late delivery due to being let down by an outside contractor. The second full page ad doesn't mention the shunter but includes the motor bogie with the spring drive system. Also note the 'digs' at other manufacturers of power equipment (H&M?) over the use of the 'Minor' model branding. Also, what was the Coupling they were advertising? The W&H ad shows the English Electric '08' design shunter. Is this the same as the Hamblings one? The last photo shows that the Kirdon diesel shunter did actually exist (as a sample if nothing else!) and the 10000 model is running on Hornby Dublo 3-rail