Blacker Lane D.P.

[The Bandit]

A brilliant piece of modelling. A pleasure to view. You’ve had my vote.

[Ruston]

8 hours ago, The Bandit said:

A brilliant piece of modelling. A pleasure to view. You’ve had my vote.

Thanks!

 

The trouble with getting a layout to a state where most of it is done, and it is all useable, is that the little things that are needed to finish it don't get done because you start playing trains with it. I do, anyway. I had another running and photo session.

 

The NCBOE bought a loco, second hand, from Charlie Strong.

Thomas Hill 'Vanguard' diesel-hydraulic rebuild of a Sentinel vertical-boilered steam loco (RT Models kit).

 

[Barclay]

15 hours ago, Ruston said:

Thanks!

 

The trouble with getting a layout to a state where most of it is done, and it is all useable, is that the little things that are needed to finish it don't get done because you start playing trains with it. I do, anyway.

I'm still at that stage after 25 years!

Looking fantastic, especially that last pic.

[03060]

19 hours ago, Ruston said:

Thanks!

 

The trouble with getting a layout to a state where most of it is done, and it is all useable, is that the little things that are needed to finish it don't get done because you start playing trains with it. I do, anyway. I had another running and photo session.

 

The NCBOE bought a loco, second hand, from Charlie Strong.

Thomas Hill 'Vanguard' diesel-hydraulic rebuild of a Sentinel vertical-boilered steam loco (RT Models kit).

 

 

Now I do like that !! Super looking little loco.

[Ruston]

A rarely photographed view of the weighbridge. Rare because I can't get the proper camera in here and need the rubbish phone camera for this.

 

And a new/not new loco.

I've had this one for quite a while now but this is the first time it's run on BL. It's a Hattons Barclay with deep buffer beams and "Workington Steelworks" buffers, from RT Models. It's based on a prototype that was bought second hand by the NCB and worked at Hartley Bank colliery, which was about half a mile away from British Oak, as the crow flies, although the two places were separated by several miles by rail. Hartley bank also had a staithe on the Calder & Hebble and the line there also passed under the Midland line on another viaduct.

 

Picture from a local newspaper cutting. The Barclay is on the left. I have found video of the Barclay, which clearly shows the workington buffers but as I don't know what colour the loco was painted I simply left it red.

 

[5050]

On 17/03/2024 at 16:42, Ruston said:

A rarely photographed view of the weighbridge. Rare because I can't get the proper camera in here and need the rubbish phone camera for this.

 

And a new/not new loco.

I've had this one for quite a while now but this is the first time it's run on BL. It's a Hattons Barclay with deep buffer beams and "Workington Steelworks" buffers, from RT Models. It's based on a prototype that was bought second hand by the NCB and worked at Hartley Bank colliery, which was about half a mile away from British Oak, as the crow flies, although the two places were separated by several miles by rail. Hartley bank also had a staithe on the Calder & Hebble and the line there also passed under the Midland line on another viaduct.

 

Picture from a local newspaper cutting. The Barclay is on the left. I have found video of the Barclay, which clearly shows the workington buffers but as I don't know what colour the loco was painted I simply left it red.

 

That's all very poetic for the Wakey Express!  Where was the Hartley Bank staithe situated?

[Ruston]

22 minutes ago, 5050 said:

That's all very poetic for the Wakey Express!  Where was the Hartley Bank staithe situated?

[figworthy]

15 minutes ago, Ruston said:

 

Somewhere on (I think) youtube, is a video that someone took of one of the train simulator programs that had been set up as a model of Hartley Bank, showing the trains running backwards and forwards from the colliery to the exchange siding (just off the top of the screen shot).

 

Adrian

[5050]

Thanks Dave.  I've cycled along the old embankment many times, down onto the towpath and up Balk Lane but not realised that the staithes were opposite.  No trace of them now of course - or any photos?

[Ruston]

16 minutes ago, 5050 said:

Thanks Dave.  I've cycled along the old embankment many times, down onto the towpath and up Balk Lane but not realised that the staithes were opposite.  No trace of them now of course - or any photos?

The only trace of the Hartley Bank staithe is a section of brick wall. Or is the wall part of the bridge abutment? I can't remember now. It's been a few years since I walked down there. I have seen a couple of photos of it from the canal side. One is in a publication about barges and the other is on the Horbury and Sitlington history Facebook group. It was inside a wooden building, much like how the original British Oak staithe was, and would have handled end-tipping wagons.

 

This Flickr shot, taken by Andrew Bell in 1966, shows Standback No.3 at Hartley Bank, with the staithe building in the background.

 

[Ruston]

Scott came to visit on Saturday and we had a proper play with the trainset. Some of the big stuff came out, too.

 

 

 

 

[Ruston]

Things have slowed down with Blacker Lane as there isn't much left to do but I had a couple of friends over, last weekend, for a session.

 

I have also added a Manning Wardle to the locomotive fleet and now some more internal users for the landsales train.

 

 

 

[B-R]

Ruston I have enjoyed reading and looking at the pictures of your Blacker Lane D.P. layout build.

[tractionman]

I came across these images yesterday:

 

https://www.2d53.co.uk/Yorkshire/British Oak.htm

 

Love the layout btw.

 

cheers,

 

Keith

[03060]

12 hours ago, tractionman said:

I came across these images yesterday:

 

https://www.2d53.co.uk/Yorkshire/British Oak.htm

 

Love the layout btw.

 

cheers,

 

Keith

Thanks for that Keith, I don't think that I've seen that piece before even though I've trawled the 'net' on many occasions looking for information about this site.

 

As ever it shows what a great piece of modelling Dave has done with his layout as you compare Dave's layout pictures with the ones in this article.

 

Regards,

Ian.

[Ruston]

Scott came over for a play with the trainset, today. I've had the sound gear for the 88DS for weeks but hadn't got around to fitting it until this morning, so we used the 88DS and the Class 11. Amazingly, the Parkside 21-ton hoppers, behaved themselves without a single derailment.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 8 by Ruston

[mike morley]

On 08/06/2024 at 19:49, Ruston said:

Amazingly, the Parkside 21-ton hoppers, behaved themselves without a single derailment.

 

I'm half way through building my first.  Is there something I should know?

[John Isherwood]

5 hours ago, mike morley said:

 

I'm half way through building my first.  Is there something I should know?

 

Parkside assumed that you have a minimum of three hands! 😄

 

CJI.

[mike morley]

Ah!  That's why the actual hopper (the only bit I've actually done) has some unconventional interpretations on the subject of 'square' when it comes to the corners.  My tube of Squadron Green's dried up, too.

Thanks for the warning!

[John Isherwood]

1 minute ago, mike morley said:

Ah!  That's why the actual hopper (the only bit I've actually done) has some unconventional interpretations on the subject of 'square' when it comes to the corners.  My tube of Squadron Green's dried up, too.

Thanks for the warning!

 

One word - Milliput ! (Fine White for preference).

 

CJI.

[Ruston]

8 hours ago, mike morley said:

 

I'm half way through building my first.  Is there something I should know?

I find it almost impossible to get one to remain all square. I can build the underframe so that all wheels sit on a perfectly flat surface but by the time the body has been built in, or fitted as one assembly, the damn things always get a slight twist in them and they only have 3 wheels touching the rail tops. They're a right faff to get to sit on all 4 once they're built and my trackwork doesn't help either.

 

Roll on the Accurascale RTR version!

[John Isherwood]

3 hours ago, Ruston said:

I find it almost impossible to get one to remain all square. I can build the underframe so that all wheels sit on a perfectly flat surface but by the time the body has been built in, or fitted as one assembly, the damn things always get a slight twist in them and they only have 3 wheels touching the rail tops. They're a right faff to get to sit on all 4 once they're built and my trackwork doesn't help either.

 

Roll on the Accurascale RTR version!

 

If I had to build any more of these kits, (and I'm in no hurry!), I would build a jig of a flat plate, with a rectangle  of strip whose inner dimensions matched the rim of the hopper. Brass would be ideal, but wood would work.

 

The hopper could then be assembled within this frame, keeping it square and true.

 

Again, the chassis would be assembled separately, keeping it square and true also.

 

The most difficult bit was, and would still be, assembly of the two sub-assemblies! Force is NOT required - warping and twisting would inevitably result.

 

Personally, I would NOT use solvent adhesive to combine the hopper and chassis; the softening could undo the care put into keeping the two parts square.

 

A little filing to achieve best fit, then lock together with a minimum of cyanoacetate glue.

 

Just my two penn'orth!

 

CJI.

[ian@stenochs]

On 10/06/2024 at 19:07, cctransuk said:

 

If I had to build any more of these kits, (and I'm in no hurry!), I would build a jig of a flat plate, with a rectangle  of strip whose inner dimensions matched the rim of the hopper. Brass would be ideal, but wood would work.

 

The hopper could then be assembled within this frame, keeping it square and true.

 

Again, the chassis would be assembled separately, keeping it square and true also.

 

The most difficult bit was, and would still be, assembly of the two sub-assemblies! Force is NOT required - warping and twisting would inevitably result.

 

Personally, I would NOT use solvent adhesive to combine the hopper and chassis; the softening could undo the care put into keeping the two parts square.

 

A little filing to achieve best fit, then lock together with a minimum of cyanoacetate glue.

 

Just my two penn'orth!

 

CJI.

Fit compensation and you don’t need to get the body square!

[John Isherwood]

Just now, ian@stenochs said:

Fit compensation and you don’t need to get the body square!

 

I've tried wobbly wheels on wagons - no perceptible improvement; (not that I have any problems with rigid chassis).

 

Besides, square-built wagons just LOOK better.

 

CJI.

[ian@stenochs]

 

3 hours ago, cctransuk said:

 

I've tried wobbly wheels on wagons - no perceptible improvement; (not that I have any problems with rigid chassis).

 

Besides, square-built wagons just LOOK better.

 

CJI.

There is only one square condition and an infinite number of not square varying from a tad to a real twist. Building a wagon which is exactly square is extremely difficult especially if one is using solvents which effectively join by dissolving the material being joined. A wagon can be square but gradually warp as solvent evaporates or atmospheric conditions change.  Compensated wheelsets automatically adjust so that no matter what the body does the wheels will still all touch the rail.  

Rigid vehicles do not run as well as compensated, or even better live sprung, ones do.  Way back in 1998, Peter Kirmond described experiments, published in MRJ 101 & 104, with wagon suspension. The results reported that wagons with fixed/rigid  axleboxes performed poorly, 3 point suspension were considerably more reliable but fully sprung, like the prototype, were almost 100% reliable.

 

Ian.