UK Screenshots for Pre BR Blue. High resolution warning.

NW Durham - Steam Days - D23 at Blackhill

Here is another screenshot from my transdem based route NW DURHAM. At 1:10 p.m. on a weekday in 1924, Number 679, an LNER D23 class 4-4-0 of Darlington shed waits at Blackhill station after arriving with the 11.20 a.m. local passenger train from Darlington. This train ran via Shildon, Bishop Auckland, Wear Valley Junction, Crook, Tow Law and Rowley to reach Blackhill. Much of the route was laid by the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which was absorbed by the North Eastern Railway in 1863. The D23 was built at Darlington by T.W. Worsdell in 1888 as a "G" Class 2-4-0 and around 1905 was rebuilt as a 4-4-0 by his brother W. Worsdell. Raven superheated the class between 1913 and 1916 and also replaced the frames on several of them. The LNER gave them lined black livery as their driving wheels were only 6ft 1.25in diameter. According to Bradshaws 1922 timetable, the 11:20 a.m. train from Darlington arrived Blackhill at 1:10 p.m. This was ten minutes after the Lanchester Valley branch train for Durham departed and fifteen minutes after the Derwent Valley branch train for Newcastle departed. This surprising lack of connectivity on one of the four daily trains won't have helped to boost low passenger numbers. The LNER cut back the Darlington to Blackhill passenger service to Tow Law only fifteen years later, in March 1939.



July 2017 - Photobucket link switched to imgur.

NW Durham - Steam Days - NER BTP at Lanchester

Here is a further shot from my transdem based route NW DURHAM, which is a long-term work in progress. The date is 1922 during the North Eastern Railway's final days before the grouping and the station is Lanchester, on the Lanchester Valley Branch between Durham and Blackhill. A Fletcher BTP 0-4-4T is between two NER 52 ft Driving Van Composites of Diagram 116 on an autotrain working, while number 238, one of Wilson Worsdell's "B" Class 0-6-2T locos takes a break from shunting the station goods yard. The Diagram 116 coaches were converted from Bogie Van Third coaches around 1905 . Several 1870s Fletcher 0-4-4T Bogie Tank Passenger locomotives were fitted out with NER push pull gear in an attempt to make branch train working more efficient. The BTPs and their driving composites lasted until the late 1920s, when Sentinel Steam Railcars were adopted. At least one photo exists of a six-wheel coach being added as a strengthening measure, which must have made for an interesting challenge at a branch terminus! The BTP was connected by brake hoses, steam heating hoses and the autotrain wire gear, constraining shunting moves or running round. Perhaps such a 6-wheel-BTP-Driving Van Compo hybrid formation only worked between larger stations where a station pilot could assist in the removal of the strengthening six-wheeler.

In the background, wooden body NER coal hopper wagons of 1905 vintage stand on the coal depot drops and NER G12 12 Ton unfitted vans stand outside the goods shed.



July 2017 - Photobucket link switched to imgur.

You can't put buffers in the foot crossing you'll have the HSE round.

Not to mention the DDA people for blocking Disabled access, except of course back then common sense prevailed not regulations and rules.

steviez said:

Not to mention the DDA people for blocking Disabled access, except of course back then common sense prevailed not regulations and rules.

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I'm not entirely sure that a buffer in the middle of the crossing counts as common sense.

It's just an observation of 'real' practice, not a critic of your map making skills. The signal ladders also extend into the crossing and the speed signs are in the plaftform ramps. They, and signals, move about if you remove or add spline points, which is irritating. Not certain, but shouldn't that be a right-hand branch signal? I've spent years on maps, (mostly wasted) and can find things wrong with my own, however, since I created a Lincolnshire county map and it won't show since the change to Windows 10, I won't be bothering anymore. All that time lost that I could have been outside enjoying the fresh air :-(

NW Durham - Steam Days - BTP at Lanchester

escafeld said:

You can't put buffers in the foot crossing you'll have the HSE round.

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Thanks for the observation. Actually, at the prototype I have a photo of the ramp being merely two feet wide and a 21T Steel Hopper is actually buffered up against the platform on the inside of it! Two of the enthusiasts from the special train are squashing past each other and the mini ramp has wooden battens for additional footing. I should actually remove the barrow crossing. I have not yet figured out how I will install a two foot wide ramp.

I guess that His Majesty's Inspectorate of Railways (Captain or Colonel Whatsisname) had no criticisms of the siding intruding right up on the platform and a total lack of handrail on the inside edge of the mini ramp. it seems that they were made of sterner stuff ninety years ago.

escafeld said:

It's just an observation of 'real' practice, not a critic of your map making skills. The signal ladders also extend into the crossing and the speed signs are in the plaftform ramps. They, and signals, move about if you remove or add spline points, which is irritating. Not certain, but shouldn't that be a right-hand branch signal? I've spent years on maps, (mostly wasted) and can find things wrong with my own, however, since I created a Lincolnshire county map and it won't show since the change to Windows 10, I won't be bothering anymore. All that time lost that I could have been outside enjoying the fresh air :-(

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Sorry to hear that Windows 10 has robbed you of a hobby. The signal on the platform was indeed left branch, since the single line section to Consett South Junction began here. Taking the "branch" (straight on) took you in to the goods yard's loop and headshunt. Shortly after taking the single line section towards Consett South, and more or less opposite the Signal Box there was a further facing point to access the goods headshunt. I need to place a RH mount double miniature more or less where the 25 speed limit sign is located. In the photo of Lanchester Station I referred to elsewhere the vertical and horizontal separation of the NER signal dollies was greater. The Sig AS one has to do since neither NER nor LNER signalling items seem to be available on the DLS.

D23! E5! BTP! Push-pull coaches! I've been dreaming of vintage NER stuff like this in Trainz for ages! Please may I enquire where you got it?
Lovely route also, lots of attention to detail.

nathanmallard said:

D23! E5! BTP! Push-pull coaches! I've been dreaming of vintage NER stuff like this in Trainz for ages! Please may I enquire where you got it?
Lovely route also, lots of attention to detail.

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Paul of Paulztrainz has done most of the payware NER items I have. A lot of it is on his web page but some items have not made it on there. He can supply the following:

NER A Class (LNER F8), B Class (N8), BTP Class (G6), C Class (J21), E and E1 class (J71 & J72), G Class (D23), L class (J73), N Class (N9), O Class (G5), P, P1, P2 and P3 Classes (J24, J25, J26 and J27), R and R1 Class (D20 & D21), S2 and S3 Class (B15 & B16), T, T2 and T3 Class (Q5, Q6 and Q7), U Class (N10) and Z Class (C7). 290 Class (J77), 1463 Class (E5), Driving Van Composites to Diagram 116 and 162, Ordinary NER Bogie Clerestory coaches in 45 ft and 52 ft lengths of various types, NER Wooden Coal Hoppers, and NER Steel Ironstone Hoppers.

Cam Scott of Darlington Works can also supply a T2 0-8-0.

In the near future I am probably going to commission Paul to build a "59" Class (J22) 0-6-0 or a "398" Class 0-6-0. Six Wheel NER coaches from the 1880s and East Coast Joint Stock bogie gangway coaches from the late pre-grouping Raven era are also on my wish list.

NW Durham - Steam Days - NER "A" Class at Lanchester

Lanchester station has been modified on my transdem based route NW DURHAM. Barrow crossing removed and the narrow ramp installed, allowing the two sidings to be extended up to the platform. The route is a long-term work in progress. Here the date is set at 1922, in the last days of the NER prior to the grouping. An "A" Class 2-4-2T (later to be LNER Class F8) has a rake of NER 1900s era clerestory roof ordinary bogie coaches. The NER produced them in both 45 feet and 52 feet lengths, turning them out in the company's lined crimson lake livery. Two NER S2 30 ton steel body Ironstone hoppers are waiting in the sidings of the goods yard to be taken to Shildon works for repair to hot boxes. These hoppers were braked for trains bound across the Stainmore route from Cleveland to Cumberland but I have also been using them for trains of ironstone from Cleveland to Consett, though by WWI most of Consett's ironstone came from company owned mines in Spain near Bilbao and was unloaded at Tyne Dock.



July 2017 - Photobucket link switched to imgur.

nathanmallard : I do indeed have many NER LNER locos and rolling stock. If not on website then email me requirements list and I will let you know if I have already made

I have TONS of the stuff, email me at barn700 @ yahoo.com

Borderreiver,

nice work there, please keep these great NE shots coming. I`m hoping to contribute some Newcastle & Gateshead scenes in the near future.

Regards

Bogieman

NW Durham - Steam Days - NER T Class at Witton Gilbert

Witton Gilbert station on my transdem based route NW DURHAM. Set during 1922 in the NER's dying days prior to the grouping. Number 1709, an 0-8-0 "T" Class mineral engine (later LNER Q5) hauls a heavy load of coal from Littleburn and Browney Collieries to Consett via the Lanchester valley branch line. The consist has both 15 Ton and 20 Ton NER wooden bodied coal hoppers. An extra six-wheel NER 20 Ton Birdcage Brake van has been marshalled at the head of the trailing load in a positioning movement to Consett yard. An NER 10 Ton four-wheel Brake van and NER 12 Ton vans of diagram G12 are in the goods yard.

The "T" Class was the NER's first eight-coupled engine and ninety were built by Wilson Worsdell between 1901 and 1911 to satisfy the growing weight of mineral traffic.

The station at Witton Gilbert was around a mile away from the village. The station was much closer to the mining village of Langley Park. When the branch was double tracked between Relly Mill Junction and Lanchester, a second passenger platform was built to the east of the level crossing. This gave the station a staggered platform layout.



July 2017 - Photobucket link switched to imgur.

Is it just me or does that Brake Van have a cupola? I thought that was never applied to British Brake Vans?

Matt3985 said:

Is it just me or does that Brake Van have a cupola? I thought that was never applied to British Brake Vans?

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Some of the pre-grouping companies did, some even had it on coaches, the SECR for instance, the NER was a big user of birdcage lookouts for most of it's existence.

Matt3985 said:

Is it just me or does that Brake Van have a cupola? I thought that was never applied to British Brake Vans?

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I have learned from various reports that in matters of design, "never" does not exist. I was aware of the use of birdcage "cupolas" by the SECR on passenger trains, but the NER goods brakes are news to me as well.
On a side note, if you count wide-vision cupolas, the BR standard vans and dozens of UK brake vans before them were fitted with cupolas. Hooray for terminology.

...if you count wide-vision cupolas...

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Which, of course, we would call a ducket...

On your shot of Witton Gilbert, is that 20T hopper behind the brake van, dia P7 I think? If so, is it available from Paul?
i haven't found it in his listings. The one I would really like to see is dia P4, the 10 1/2 T hopper, many of which passed to the NCB. If you haven't already done so, I may ask Paul to have a look at that, as Unfortunately, I am not competent to build it myself. My longer term plan is to look at the Lambton system.
thanks
Ian

Some birdcage brake vans passed into NCB usage. I remember seeing one at Derwenthaugh Coke works before it closed. This was dia V1, which was a 4 wheeled one with the lookout at one end.
Ian