Next week (all being well) I will be allowed to have my grandchildren here running trains. Two of them like to run 0.4.0 and 0.6.0 steam locomotives. They are easy for them to handle rather 'the big stuff'.
Therefore I have been running them again ready for action.
Two views of Clarence Dock. 'Katie' is in charge of the four wheeled carriages. 'Harwood' is doing a bit of shunting.
An overal view of the small Yard and Dock
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
The beauty of a railroad with two timeframes.
It is back to 1914/1919 There are three railroad companies on the line. The Calder Railway, Leeds, Scarcroft & Wetherby Railway and Kirkstall & East Seacroft Railway. Both the Calder Railway & LS&WR are now owned by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway hence both locomotives & carriages are now in L&Y colors. The K&ESR was absorbed into the L&Y at the end of 1919.
Ex-Calder Railway locomotive 'Katie' waits at Leeds Sovereign Street platform with her carriages whilst ExLSWR locomotive 'Wetherby' passes with a northbound goods train.
'Wetherby' thunders thru Roseville Station bound for Blackburn's Aircraft Factory at Olympia Works, Oakwood, near Leeds. By researching the area of the rail line brings up information for different wagon loads and gives a layout a reason to be there.
Robert Blackburn & Olympia Works - http://www.loveoakwood.co.uk/oakwood-history/olympia-works/
The Kirkstall & East Seacroft Railway (K&ESR) ran both goods and passenger trains to East Seacroft and Barnbow.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnbow
At the time carriages were of different heights. Here is a K&ESR passenger train at Sovereign Street on its way to Barnbow.
Leaving Roseville Station. 'Titan' is in charge.
Near the Junction.
Read about businesses and companies on the railroad brings up some surprises. Not just what they make, but the raw products required. Coal or oil for heating. Special items -- at Barnbow Munitions Factory they had their own cattle to feed the workforce. Every week a cattle train would arrive.
'Leefy' with a southbound ammunition train. The loads are lifted out and the wagons can return empty.
David) Incredible shots! Heavens to Mergatroyd it looks like a very busy line. I see the hustle n bustle in it. I like it!
Douglas
Thank you for your comments, Douglas. They are much appreciated. Most of what I write here can (hopefully) give ideas for modelers over the pond.
Originally the layout was diesel running only (by myself). Then the grandchildren wanted to join in. (Great) I had a small collection of little steam engines and four wheeled trucks. They liked them as they were easier to put on the track and run. 'Like Topsy it has grown.'
It was then I wrote 'History of the Line' and reason why it is there. Having a history, especially if most of it is true gives a layout credibility (imo); even a ficticious line can become 'real'.
The history of my line serves both the steam era of 1914/1919 and the diesel era of 1970s, because the factories the line serves are still there; both wartime and peacetime.
Most of the little people on the layout have nothing to do with the railway, but are a very important part of the scene.
Scenery is not football pitch perfect. Nature decides otherwise. There are 50 shades of green in the trees and grass. Rain clouds are a magical mixture of greys to almost black; then a shaft of sunlight.
The factories on the line. What do they make? The raw products required? The end product taken away? Is it coal or oil heated? Uniforms for the staff. A boxvan of uniforms once in a while. Paper, pens and other stationery items? Okay they probably would be delivered by road, but not today
Dare to be different. Bringing a model railroad to life. A Living Model Railway that has a reason to be there.
Simple really. You learn such a lot on the area modeled. I lived not fifteen minutes away from Barnbow and saw many a tank being built there, yet knew nothing about it until I read about it. The same with Blackburn's Aircraft at Olympia Works. For a short time I worked not far from there.
Most of all it then becomes enjoyable. A railroad to be proud of. A railroad proud to operate.
Thank you for your kind words, Lastspikemike. They are most appreciated.
When I run trains it is not just to a staging area. I imagine its journey to its destination; say to Dewsbury Market Place. A railway station that closed to passenger traffic in 1930, but remained open for goods traffic. A station that regularly had trains of Special Trips to the coast. Journies I often took as a young lad in the 1950s.
Dewsbury Market Place Station. A Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Station. A Station that was dark, dingy and very smokey. A train arriving would 'explode' out of the tunnel in smoke and steam as it then entered the station; once again enveloping itself in more smoke. Loved it. Loved it.
Leeds Central. Its narrow platforms. Elevators down to the platforms for staff with barrows of parcels. It was a main terminus station with crews changing all the time as long-haul expresses arrived.
Other stations too full of memories. Maybe. Just maybe we move to a larger property with a huge room for a layout. More scenery for the trains to travel thru; yes!! The thought of building Dewsbury Market Place Station? No! The smoke, steam and dingy amosphere is a wonderful memory. I would leave it there.
Some scenes from the last running session.
Kirkstall & East Seacroft Railway locomotive, 'Zephyrus' on a goods train to Number 1 Filling Station, Barnbow. K&ESR locomtives are named after Greek Gods. The Greek God for the West Wind is Zephyrus.
The locomotive was formally Percy from the Thomas the Tank range. It has a tendency to travel fast, hence its new name. It hasn't any crew yet. A trip to the model store is required.
A scene at the locomotive depot. The scene all around is set for when I run diesels. The locomotives on shed are - at the rear 'Vivienne' and 'Katie'. 'Allan Water' is in front of them. To the left is 'Leefy' and on the right 'Huxtable'. All are former Calder Railway locomotives now in Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway livery.
In real life by 1929 all the locomotives were scrapped. But this is 1914/1919 and are good 'workhorses'.
Still in her resplendant pre 1913 K&ESR livery is 'Thor' on a passenger train to Kirkstall. It is waiting whilst an L&Y goods train passes, 'Allan Water' in charge.
Another view of 'Thor' and 'Allan Water' as they pass at Leeds Sovereign Street Station. Some snow is still lingering. (A lite scattering of talcum powder.) It was a hard Winter.
The guard is seen in the 6 wheeled Brake Van (Caboose). Note the lamp attached at the back.
'Allan Water' and the goods train at Canal Corner. The coal bunker is in front of the locomotive cab. Coal was fed into the boiler by a series of levers. In real life it was not a successful idea, but makes an unusual locomotive to the fleet. A good, little, running loco at that.
For a few days now I have been thinking of altering the layout. Drawing plans and wondering where the scenery I wanted was to go. Everytime it came back to what it is now. So no alterations; just run trains.
Here is a picture of a southbound troop train. On board is part of 19th (1st North Riding of Yorkshire) Regiment of Foot. The locomotive in charge is Ex-Calder Railway 'Bezel'
The same train passing Crown Point Junction. Ash Farm Fields and the lake are beyond.
The scene at Clarence Dock. The goods train hasn't arrived yet. A 'little scallywag' is being 'told off' by the policeman. Has he been stealing (again)?
I ordered yesterday two North British Railway six wheeled carriages. The reason being, every day one carriage would leave Edinburgh and make the whole journey to Plymouth. The carriage would either leave Edinburgh in the morning, or arrive in the evening. The Great Western Railway would send one of their carriages from Plymouth to Edinburgh on the opposite service.
Both services traveled thru Leeds New/Central Station.
As I say one carriage did the whole journey; no harm in having two.
Considering I ordered them late yesterday afternoon (15.20), the carriages have just arrived (12.48). Now to open the boxes and give the carriages their first run. Photos to follow.
Edit - The pictures.
On their first trial run.
Hi David,
Those are nice carriages!
Does the middle axle float to get around tight curves?
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critter Hi David, Those are nice carriages! Does the middle axle float to get around tight curves? Dave
I have new rolling stock for when I run my 1914/1919 steam railway.
A six wheeled Brake/Third (Class) clerestory coach in Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway livery.
A L & Y Baggage Brake Van. Which travels at the end of a rake of coaches. I have to apply L & Y lettering.
Two London & North Western Railway coaches. A six wheeled all first class four compartment coach. A three compartment 1st/3rd (Class) four wheeled coach.
Note the different heights of the coaches, typical of the time.
Now (I think) I have enough carriages to operate real services on the layout. It is not about running any carriage any way.
Former Calder Railway and Leeds, Scarcroft & Wetherby (now Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway) carriages operate most services. The London & North Western Railway and North British Railway carriages operate on the thru services.
The Baggage Brake Vans (I will have two) will be on the rear of the little four wheeled coaches. True to prototype.
For a long time I have been searching models of Challenger Tanks that were built at The Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) Barnbow. My local model store owner told me he had something similar. Two 'Battlezone' Tanks on Lomacs. 'Battlezone' is a kids train set. A purchase was made as they looked like (near enough) Challenger Tanks.
As received.
Now to find out what the real ones looked like on leaving the ROF. What color? Were they covered over etc.?
I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with the tank.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Pruitt I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with the tank.
Just been looking at some old film of tanks leaving ROF Barnbow. They left on tank transporters and went by road to their destination.
Therefore it is a case of modellers license for tanks to travel by rail.
A bit more research to see if there is any more information I may need.
First coat of paint on the 'Challenger' tanks. Compare to the above.
Matt Summers watches as they pass.
The rail track has had a good clean.
The Kirkstall & East Seacroft Railway Company has spent a few pounds on buying a second hand coach. A five compartment All 3rd. (They do not buy new.) Here it is at Roseville Station. The coach is from the European company Piko and has been Anglicised.
A train of the four new six-wheeled carriages on their way to Leeds Central.
Some scenery to 'spring clean' and redo to brighten things up again.
Lastspikemike And modellers license to move 1980's tanks out of Barnbow? The Chieftain goes back to the mid '60's and looks fairly similar to a Challenger, to your average 1/87 back garden observer.
And modellers license to move 1980's tanks out of Barnbow?
The Chieftain goes back to the mid '60's and looks fairly similar to a Challenger, to your average 1/87 back garden observer.
That's what I get for liking the Challenger tank. 15 years too late.
Therefore they will have to be Chieftain Tanks. No harm done. At least it is the right era.
Lastspikemike Or, you could just buy just one more modern locomotive to match the era of the Challenger tanks.....
Or, you could just buy just one more modern locomotive to match the era of the Challenger tanks.....
A family member is having a 'clear out' and came across his old model railway packed in a large box. He is no longer interested in MR so asked me if I wanted the items.
The box duly arrived and I have been looking thru what there is. A lot is not wrth saving - old rusty track and the like. In fact most of the carriages and trucks were pretty 'beat up'; candidates for the scrap yard.
A small number of incidental items I know I can 'do up' and put on the layout.
Then at the bottom, like finding needles in a haystack, wrapped in paper, three beautiful carriages in 'blood and custard' color. They were not in boxes, but they look brand new. A picture will follow later.
Yes, most of the items went in the trash, but well worth the search thru.
Lastspikemike Serendipity. Lovely discovery. Old stuff can be very appealing.
Serendipity. Lovely discovery.
Old stuff can be very appealing.
In the box from a family member was a beat-up crane.
With some repairs and alterations I made it into a representation of a steam crane of 1896. Just what I wanted for Clarence Dock part of the layout.
The oldest grandson is here. 'Things take a turn to another planet'.
Turn away from any timetable or whatever. Let the Superheroes rule!!!
Lastspikemike Those coaches take me back. For some reason the colours always made me think of Cadbury's white chocolate bars. Grandchildren remind us of such important things in life.
Those coaches take me back. For some reason the colours always made me think of Cadbury's white chocolate bars.
Grandchildren remind us of such important things in life.
I did a locomotive exchange with a colleague on a UK Forum. He sent me some clockwork locomotives. My intention is to have a small garden layout.
It is raining, so I have had a daft half hour of nonsense in the train room running the clockwork locomotives. Just having fun.
When i first started posting pictures of Leeds Sovereign Street & Clarence Dock it was just going to be a few pictures that I thought might give ideas for any readers.
Now to my surprise I find the layout has had neary 18,000 views and I thank you.
Perhaps I should now give the reasons on how the rail lines evolved.
The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (L&Y) and Great Northern Railway (GNR) wanted their own line to York so they did not have to pay the MR & NER to run trains on their metals. The Midland Railway (MR) and North Eastern Railway (NER) blocked any proposals (in Parliament) for any lines the L&Y & GNR put forward.
The Light Railways Act of 1896 - The 1896 Act defined a class of railways which did not require specific legislation to construct – companies could simply plan a line under the auspices of the new Act, and, having obtained a light railway order, build and operate it. By reducing the legal costs and allowing new railways to be built quickly the government hoped to encourage companies to build the new 'light railways' in areas of low population and industry that were previously of little interest to them.
The L&Y took advantage of this Act by setting up The Calder Railway Company (CR) and with the help of the Great Northern Railway (GNR) a line was built.
First two curves were introduced on the Headfield Branch allowing CR trains to travel from Dewsbury Market Place to the Dewsbury Loop Line.
The CR purchased the small railways East & West Yorkshire Joint Railway (E&WYJR) and South Leeds Junction Railway (SLJR)
A light Railway was built from Earlsheaton (23 on map) to Lofthouse & Outwood Station, giving access to collieries in the area.
Under the banner of the Calder Railway the L&Y and GNR had a line to Stourton. A line was then built from Stourton to Leeds Sovereign Street with a small goods yard at Crown Point. The local Politicians were becoming aware of 'too many' stations in Leeds so 'ordered' the CR to extend their line to Leeds New (later Leeds Central).
A further instalment later on how the L& Y arrived at Wetherby on their way to York.