Up and running ...

This photo is a bit blurry, but represents an exciting development because the N9 shown is actually moving under power through the junction just in front of South Pelaw Box (despite the signals set to danger ...). This was the first occasion on which one of the boards had been powered up, and to the general amazement of all present, it all seemed to work! We plan to control the layout (sections, signals, and turnouts) using the CBUS system developed by MERG (http://www.merg.org.uk), and so what we achieved on Sunday was not just a locomotive moving, but integration of signals, turnouts and section feeds from the control panel, all designed and built by Martin.

As well as exciting developments in the electrical realm, Phil has been busy with the scenics at the Ouston/Washington end, Pete has almost completed one bridge, and Rich has been working on the bridge at Stella Gill Flatts. A huge amount still needs to be done, and don't hold your breath for an exhibition booking yet, but we are getting closer to the moment when we will be able to find out just how tricky this layout will be to operate, and just how many coal hoppers and plate wagons we are going to need to put on a convincing show ...

Richard Clayton October 2014

Colour vision

There has been some spectacular progress with South Pelaw in recent months, mainly on the scenic side of the layout. Much of the trackwork is now painted and ballasted, and work has begun on greening up the trackside areas. A lot more detail remains to be added of course, but much of this will need to wait until the electrics have been properly tested. Meanwhile, it is starting to look like a proper railway, and here are some photographs to enjoy.

Above is a view looking over the site of the Signal Box, with the lines into Stella Gill yard on the left, and the bank up to Consett to the centre right. Pelton Lane bridge is missing, and the cocktail sticks are in the signal holes. On the right, the buffer stops (which were still there a few years ago) have been installed. In the immediate foreground are the sidings for South Pelaw colliery.

Here is another view of the start of the bank up to Consett. In the foreground is a test-piece of teddy bear fur. Having experimented a bit with this, we have opted to go for other scenic materials at least for the time being.

Not sure about the historical accuracy of this shot, but it is a nice view of Martin's class 40 posed on the bank with a few ore wagons. On the left is Rich's fantastic model of Stella Gill Box. 

In the last week or so, this box has acquired a set of spandrels to support the platform around the windows, and now looks even better.

In addition to the scenics, Phil has been working on the NCB shed, which lies between the Consett Lines and Stella Gill yard. As mentioned in a previous blog post, we have had to re-arrange the geography somewhat in this region to make the layout a reasonable size. The shed is taking shape very nicely indeed, but there is still plenty to do on the bridge -- not to mention the signal gantry which will dominate this view.

At the other end of the layout, Pete's bridge is now nearing completion, and looking the part. Each of these stones has been individually carved from plasticard. Pete is also responsible for the very fine bufferstops.

We have also been busy assembling some motive power, keeping in mind that operating a layout of this scale is going to require many tough locomotives. Rich has recently completed a London Road models N9, which is seen here posed on the ramp up to South Pelaw colliery.

It has been a while ...

... since the last update. The two main reasons for this are that both Richard Nice and Richard Clayton have both been involved in major building work with a barn conversion and cellar conversion respectively. Both of these projects have consumed a lot of time and effort, but the outcome is a barn space where we will be able to erect parts of South Pelaw for scenic work and electrics testing and a cellar workshop.

Despite the hiatus in work on the main layout, some of us have continued to work on motive power and wagon projects. Martin has produced a very nice rendition of a Dave Alexander Q7, which is now ready for the paint shop.

Infrastructure

One of the main challenges for any model railway is making it all work. South Pelaw is a big layout (see posts from Jan 2012 introducing the project and progress), and so this is much more of a headache that it would be for a smaller project.

We are, as ever, at the cutting edge of technology. Thanks largely to Martin Lloyd's enthusiasm, we have an embryonic layout where the signals and turnouts will be operated by servos, and be controlled using the MERG CBUS system.

In a nutshell, CBUS works a little like DCC in that a large number of signals, turnouts and relays for section switching can all be operated from a two wire bus. In theory, this reduces the amount of wiring needed. I'm sure the theory is correct, but the main control panel for the layout is nevertheless quite a complex beast. Here's another close-up picture of the wiring behind the panel.

Another part of the infrastructure that is essential, but hard to figure out has been the storage sidings or fiddle yard behind the layout. There are several complications. Bankers will need to be detached, cross over, and return back to South Pelaw. Iron ore should appear to come from Washington (usually, sometimes it came via Ouston if the Washington line was closed) on the outer loop, but then cross over to go up to Consett on the inner loop. Other traffics may also need to cross from one loop to the other. Coal and other loads going up the bank to Stanley and Consett will need to be split in to shorter cuts. There's a couple of photos on ironroad's smugmug site, which show K1 62060 doing just this. The complication for us is that in the fiddle yard, the loco will need to shunt the wagons, cross over, and return down the bank with the brake van ready for the next cut. This complexity means that the design and construction of the fiddle yard has lagged somewhat behind the front of the layout, and some parts are still templates. On a more positive note, we have managed to find a use for a scissors crossing that has been languishing in Richard Nice's garage for some years.

Much more pleasing to look at are the buildings that are starting to take shape. The signal boxes built by Mark Lloyd and Richard Nice have already appeared on the blog, but are now nearing completion and look simply superb.

We are very excited about the new Hornby O1, as a small number of these engines were fitted with air pumps in the 1950s, and together with Q7s handled the iron ore traffic until the arrival of the 9Fs.
The example above is straight out of the box, and is rather delicately balanced on the EM gauge track, as can be seen from the rather drunk tender.

As well as the signal boxes, the bridges are very important structures for the layout. The bridge at the Washington end (No. 1) was demolished about a year ago, but fortunately we had been able to photograph it extensively before this unhappy event. In the new year Pete unveiled the bridge piers, which are a hugely impressive bit of modelling. Embossed stone didn't quite capture what we were after, so Pete decided to carve them one by one. Fantastic.

Richard Clayton

December 2012

Some more photos as the work progresses slowly:

Since the electrics are still being installed, the photos below are all posed. We have even cheated by posing a Q7 and the new Hornby O1 still in OO form whereas the track and rolling stock are EM - but you get the idea!









However Rich's WD has been converted to EM and detailed.








 This little sequence of shots shows an O1 setting off up the bank to Consett, with a Q7 banking. The Iron Ore hoppers should be full, going to Consett (use your imagination). Both locos are also looking suspiciously clean!

The photos of the ore train passing Stella Gill Flatts box show the compromises we have had to make. To model the large NCB shed brings it much too close to the Consett line. To scale it down to make it less obtrusive destroys the classic end on shot of the building seen in so many photos. The jury's still out.

Mark's model of South Pelaw box is coming on very nicely, and will be one of the iconic structures on the finished layout.

Martin has begun the daunting task of building a panel so that we can control the layout. These pictures show the complexity of the control panel for the scenic side. As well as powering the points and signals using servo units, we intend to use the CBUS system developed by MERG to control these and for power distribution around the layout. We are indebted to the North Eastern MERG group for their valuable help in helping us to get to grips with this approach.

August progress

Here are some pictures taken on a recent get together where we had the scenic part of the layout erected.

These photos show some of the fruits of the last few months labours. One of the disadvantages of choosing this prototype is that the rolling stock will be for carrying coal, coke, iron ore, steel and not a lot else. There will be no glorious rakes of passenger carriages for example. We might operate a limited passenger service, with the possibility of an SLS railtour, but the main operational diet will be filthy wagons. Richard Clayton and Martin have produced the samples on show.

No the snow hasn't come. It's just that the embankments are still in the papiermache phase. Actually cardboard on wooden formers, covered with cheap paper kitchen roll, fastened down with diluted PVA.

The ore train arriving ready to go up the bank should have loaded hoppers (we can't have everything just yet). The ore train running in is made up from Martin's recently painted hoppers. The waterslide transfers were put on using matt acrylic varnish instead of water - a brilliant idea from a book. The Cambridge transfers are very delicate but with this method they apply easily and stay put.

Mark's model of South Pelaw Box, and Martin's signals are beginning to give the layout some character.

Another view of the Box, showing the ramp up to the South Pelaw colliery exchange sidings.

As discussed in an earlier post, one of the compromises we have had to make is to curve what should be straight sidings into Stella Gill yard, so as not to have the layout too wide. This curve has encroached upon the main line up to Consett, which is modelled to its correct radius. This in turn has squeezed the NCB shed that separated the main line from Stell Gill yard almost out of the way. However the gable end of this shed appears so prominently on nearly all photos of Stella Gill so we feel compelled to include it somehow. Reduction in the scale of the building is one option under consideration, and this picture shows our cardboard mockup in place, together with Richard Nice's impressive model of Stella Gill Flatts box.

So what's next? The main job looming large is to make a start on the wiring, so that we can make trains go. Watch this space ...