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 ...

Heavy metal

Of course one of the main traffics passing through South Pelaw was steel from the mills at Consett, bound for the shipyards of Tyneside, Wearside, and Teesside, with a corresponding traffic of empty steel wagons up the bank. So we will need a considerable population of steel carrying wagons as well as the iron ore hoppers, coal hoppers, and other mineral wagons.

Fortunately, the kit manufacturers sell a variety of wagons that are approprate for our period of the late 1950s to mid 1960s. Possibly rather venerable by this time would have been ex-NER wagons, so this example of the Wizard Models diagram B12 plate wagon has been weathered to look suitably decrepit.

One of the older models is the LMS long low currently marketed by Chivers, and formerly a Ian Kirk kit. These models are available with and without bolsters, and the picture below shows one of the ex-LMS vehicles branded Plate by BR.

One of the most widespread steel carrying wagons was the steel sided plate wagons produced by the LMS, LNER and BR. The Parkside kit is a good starting point for these, although the prospect of manufacturing a riveted version fills me with some concerns -- any ideas welcome. The picture below shows one of these kits that has been modified to model the LNER vacuum braked version.

On my workbench at the moment I have a couple of other plate wagons that will be models of the BR unfitted version with plate axleguards courtesy of a Bill Bedford chassis kit, and a later fitted version with hibox axleboxes.
Some of these plate wagons were adapted with double bolsters, and other adaptations carried trestles. The double bolsters are also catered for by Parkside. The rather grubby example below has deliberately wonky bolster uprights, but the plastic ones supplied with the kit are very fragile and need replacing with etchings at some point.

The Parkside trestle wagon is a bit of a puzzle, as it appears from photos that the BR Trestle-EA wagons modified from plate wagons had a replacement steel side rather than retaining the original plate wagon side. However, it is easy to fabricate a new side from plasticard. There are some nice pics of trestles built to run on Canada Road here and here (scroll down a bit on each page), which were an inspiration for me.

Speaking of inspiration, no blog post on modelling wagons could fail to acknowledge Paul Bartlett's wagon photos, miraculously restored. Paul, you are a star! Another massive source of insipration are of course Geoff Kent's books on the 4mm wagon.

There's lots more to write on this topic. Bogie bolsters, single bolsters, and representing steel loads all come to mind. However, it is logical to bring up the rear with some brake vans, which would also make a fascinating post of their own. Your homework is to identify which of the items in the following picture has been built from a Dapol kit, and which is the rather excellent new offering from Hornby.

Richard Clayton
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Towards Stella Gill

Here are a few photos of the Stella Gill end of our layout. This is the area where we have had to compromise. The Stella Gill yard had something like 38 sidings. It collected coal from numerous collieries, served a coke works and was home to a large NCB store. The yard deserves a layout in it's own right. We have had to reduce the space between the line to Consett and the approaches to Stella Gill by curving the six incoming and outgoing sidings. As a consequence Stella Gill Flatts signal box almost backs onto the main line. The latter is built to the correct curve and gradient.

It might have been possible to have the sidings straight but it would have meant baseboards about six feet wide with severe problems trying to gain access to the fiddle yard. The layout is 39ft by 18 ft as it is, so a compromise it had to be.

The first photo gives an impression of the gradient as a supposedly loaded ore train tackles the bank. The second takes advantage of a shaft of sunlight through the window of the hall we were in. Rich's fantastic model of Stella Gill Flatts signal box casts a shadow behind but I think the result is worth it. Like the locos and hoppers, the model of the box is still unfinished.

The final shot shows the degree to which the tracks curve beyond the bridge (a mock-up at present). Please forgive the clutter of tools and materials in these photos.