North East England - Steam Days Screenshots - Large Screenshots Possible

[borderreiver]

1936 - CIC A class hauling coal

Consett, in north east England during the steam era. Consett iron Company A Class 0-6-0PT at Delves lane level crossing moving coal from the Medomsley branch bound for the Fell Coke Works.

 

[borderreiver]

1921 - Activity at Batts Iiron Foundry, Ruswarp, Yorkshire

North East England during the steam era. We are on a visit to North Yorkshire on what is now the Esk valley line, but back in 1921 was the N.E.R. Whitby branch. A W Class 4-6-2T is hauling the morning train to York via Grosmont, Pickering, Rillington Junction and Malton. A set of arc roof 49ft carriages makes up the train.

Despite being roughly halfway between Whitby and Ruswarp both the Whitby Gas Company works and Batts Iron Foundry are rather remote, with no road access apparent to either of them. Today, Water Lane accesses the former site of the foundry but the 1911 OS 25 inch does not show any road past Garden House, several hundred metres to the southwest. The 1948 1:25,000 map also shows no road or track to the site. There were a couple of footpaths and steps, such as Fitts Steps to the foundry from (very much) higher ground near Prospect Hill. Today, various sheds and huts on the site of the gasworks appear to only have access from the water by slipways. Just how the gas works employees made their way to and from the works is not clear to me. There might be a narrow footpath along the riverbank on the 1911 OS 25 inch map which emerges at the vicinity of Bog Hall SB. Today, if there is a trackway it is inside the railway boundary fence and is difficult to make out, if it is there at all, The northern end would seem to have to negotiate access through a private boatyard.

In the background is the magnificent Larpool viaduct, which carries the Scarborough to Saltburn line. Whitby Town station was connected to it by a steeply graded line between Whitby Bog Hall and Prospect Hill junctions, though passengers had to be carried for several hundred metres further north to Whitby West Cliff station before reversing for Scarborough.

 

[evilcrow]

Superb shot and info.

Cheers, Ken

 

[KotangaGirl]

Yes that's one very nice screenshot.

 

[borderreiver]

Thank you very much for the kind comments. They are appreciated. The locale is produced in TRANSDEM from a 2m LIDAR DEM and a combination of 25 inch and 6 inch OS maps from the NLS. Some filling in from the OS 50m DEM is required as the OS rather snootily declined my application for a 5m Digital Terrain Model DEM package. I have been using the NER Gradient profiles from the NERA and it seems that this data also forms the basis for what appears in the Middleton press range of books on the East Coast Main line etc. However, the caution at the start of the NERA profiles by two NERA members with railway survey experience is manifestly warranted. The gradient from Bog Hall to Prospect Hill is 1:53 in the book but rather more like 1:45.5! Another glaring issue is the gradient north from Sandsend to the portal of Sandsend tunnel. The gradient profile says 1:57 whereas it is closer to 1:37. The 1:57 leaves the line 18m too low at the tunnel portal!!!! The 2m DTM is just not that inaccurate, since the cutting in the terrain leading to it is clearly visible on the DEM.

The limits of the DEM do play a part, since at each 2m sample point there is a range of vertical tolerance (1m in a 50m DEM, not sure what it is for the 2m DEM), though the DTM is overall rather consistent. Whitby Town is at an accurate DTM altitude.

I am experimenting with some concept partial/mini-routes. The DEM of NER territory in Yorkshire is at 16Gb and makes the gaming laptop work its socks off. The georeferenced raster maps aren't that far off 16Gb either. That is for the county. not a trainz route. Eventually, I intend to at least try and assemble a single DEM for the north of England (estimate 36 GB) and then produce an NER base route. From this I can extract sections which will all have the same origin in order to match up Trainz baseboards.

By doing this I am evaluating whether to suspend work on my NW Durham route (built initially in 2010 and based on a 2008/2010 era 1 second arc/50m DEM) and start work on the route working from a 2019 2m DEM. There is just too much work to do on the 50m vintage DEM route to bring it closer to modern standards and even then it is underneath still the 2008/2010 model.

 

[tailight98]

Nice scenes of the lines near Whitby & nice version of Larpool Viaduct also. I tend to forget that the line via Pickering was originally double track. I bought DEM but not yet used it for a route build.

 

[borderreiver]

Hi taillight98,

The Larpool viaduct is a hiskey payware item from the Edinburgh to Dundee DLC route, <kuid2:99333:38158:3> Viaduct.
This will complicate considering an upload to the DLS (not decided if that is going to happen) since I don't know if any other DLS viaduct is tall enough.

 

[hiskey]

Hi Borderreiver

If you look on the DLS under hiskey you will find the Larpool Viaduct <kuid2:99333:38240:3> I made for my NYMR route called (IC_The Moors Railway_Whitby2) <kuid2:99333:102566:1>.
Also there is a buttress to match <kuid2:99333:38242:3>. These are single track. I do have double track versions that are on the DLS called Viaduct Red Brick5 and Red Brick Buttress2.

Regards
Ian

 

[borderreiver]

1921 - Whitby Gas Works and a P Class

A N.E.R. P Class 0-6-0 (LNER J24) in charge of an unfitted goods train for York via the Pickering line heads towards Ruswarp. There is a delivery of coal booked for the Whitby gas works. Three loaded coal wagons are at the head of the train, though three empties are also booked to be collected. There are two spurs at the works, so this can be accomplished in the one working. An alternative might have been available in the form of a horse used for shunting duties, but it would have probably have needed several wagonloads coming and going daily to justify the expenditure on its stable, feed and a man to be responsible for its care (including mucking out - there's a load to send out to the railway.......).

Approaching the works.

Moving the empties.

With the empties moved to the second spur, viewed from above, the P Class proceeds to collect the loaded wagons.

The loaded wagons placed by the gasworks coal stack, the P Class goes to collect the empties.

Shunting the empties to the head of the train waiting on the up running line.

After coupling up and a quick inspection the train resumes its journey towards Ruswarp.

It took me twenty minutes to accomplish the operation at the gasworks. In the real world there would have also been paperwork to deliver and collect, which I expect that the guard possibly gave to the fireman prior to departure from Whitby. He will collect the gasworks paperwork from the fireman at Ruswarp. This would avoid a long walk along the track, or a climb over the fencing (torn trousers a risk from a broken railing if deciding to climb over in to the gas works yard.....). I have shown a footpath between the railway and the river bank, though i doubt there were many takers to absorb the eggy smell.... Employees on the other hand had to get to work one way or another.

 

[borderreiver]

Thanks for the information hiskey.
I have downloaded them.
Now I just have to apply a minor tweak to the track geometry to accomodate the viaduct at the gasworks siding.

 

[hiskey]

Pleased to help...hope you find them useful.

Regards
Ian

 

[borderreiver]

Useful indeed Ian. I have downloaded a few other items too, along with your route to take a look at it.

P Class with the red brick viaduct in the background.

 

[borderreiver]

1921 - Whitby Prospect Hill Junction and an O Class

An O Class 0-4-4T descending the grade at Prospect Hill Junction, Whitby.

While the class were a success across the N.E.R. they reached their limitations on the coastal line between Saltburn, Whitby and Scarborough. Despite relatively low speed limits on the line, during the years preceding WWI the growing train weights during the summer season and heavy grades on the route meant that the class were struggling to cope. Throughout the 1910s, 20s and 30s both Raven and Gresley had to spend time finding a solution to the problem. It would eventually be found in the form of the LNER 3-cylinder Class A8 4-6-2T.

 

[tailight98]

It is nice to see screenshots of this junction & also your comments re the G5 0-4-4T class. This week I see they worked push pull on the Saffron Walden. Pics of Whitby West Cliff station are quite rare to find..

 

[KotangaGirl]

Excellent screenshots Frank. Your new extension is coming on very nicely.

 

[evilcrow]

I concur with Annie. I look forward to an ascending shot

Cheers, Ken

 

[borderreiver]

1910 - BTP Steam Autocar Shuttle

Thanks everyone. To satisfy Ken, here are a couple of ascending shots.
A Fletcher BTP 0-4-4T of 1870s vintage coupled to a 52ft diagram 116 driving composite to form a steam autocar propels its train from Whitby Town to Whitby West Cliff.

The footbridge above the train crosses the Scarborough line. While the brick bridge crossing the line ahead of the BTP looks substantial, it merely carries a footpath. This is a potential route for workers at Batts Iron Foundry to reach the site from Whitby. I would not relish the long climb up from the foundry back to town after a hard day at work.

The BTP Steam Autocar passes over Prospect Hill junction.


The purpose of the service is to permit passengers for the north to catch a Scarborough to Saltburn and Middlesbrough service which is not timetabled to descend to Whitby Town station. After the Middlesbrough train has departed West Cliff the BTP can bring any passengers who have alighted the train down to Whitby Town station. In the LNER period the company extended the loading dock on the up side of West Cliff with a short wooden platform to be able to function as a bay platform for a Sentinel or Clayton steam railcar.

 

[borderreiver]

1895 - 901 Class at Whitby Shed

North East England during the steam era.
A screenshot processed to resemble an albumen type shot, popular from the 1860s through to the 1890s.
N.E.R. Fletcher "901" Class Number 53 outside Whitby shed with Worsdell boiler.

 

[evilcrow]

Thank you Frank, excellent shots and goodly info on the workings 'tween the Whitby stations.
If the Vile Virus allows, a visit to the NYMR railway this year is a must for a steam fix !!

Cheers, Ken

 

[lewisner]

North East England during the steam era. We are on a visit to North Yorkshire on what is now the Esk valley line, but back in 1921 was the N.E.R. Whitby branch. A W Class 4-6-2T is hauling the morning train to York via Grosmont, Pickering, Rillington Junction and Malton. A set of arc roof 49ft carriages makes up the train.




Despite being roughly halfway between Whitby and Ruswarp both the Whitby Gas Company works and Batts Iron Foundry are rather remote, with no road access apparent to either of them. Today, Water Lane accesses the former site of the foundry but the 1911 OS 25 inch does not show any road past Garden House, several hundred metres to the southwest. The 1948 1:25,000 map also shows no road or track to the site. There were a couple of footpaths and steps, such as Fitts Steps to the foundry from (very much) higher ground near Prospect Hill. Today, various sheds and huts on the site of the gasworks appear to only have access from the water by slipways. Just how the gas works employees made their way to and from the works is not clear to me. There might be a narrow footpath along the riverbank on the 1911 OS 25 inch map which emerges at the vicinity of Bog Hall SB. Today, if there is a trackway it is inside the railway boundary fence and is difficult to make out, if it is there at all, The northern end would seem to have to negotiate access through a private boatyard.

In the background is the magnificent Larpool viaduct, which carries the Scarborough to Saltburn line. Whitby Town station was connected to it by a steeply graded line between Whitby Bog Hall and Prospect Hill junctions, though passengers had to be carried for several hundred metres further north to Whitby West Cliff station before reversing for Scarborough.

Lovely shot there ! In the early 60's my family rented one of the Camping Coaches at Cloughton station and I have a photo of myself aged 2 being held up at the window of one of the coaches. I have a dim memory of travelling on a DMU as a child and seeing a little wooden station go past the window and I think it was Hayburn Wyke.