Colliery Loco depot

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steve howe
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Colliery Loco depot

Postby steve howe » Thu Sep 19, 2013 1:59 pm

Is this cheating? :D its 4' 8and a bit long... and 4' 8and a bit 'wide' ?

loco shed project.jpg


Its an idea for a small industrial loco depot situated in a colliery, two lines converge near the bottom of a steep -ish bank curving around the loco shed and disappearing up the hillside under a narrow road bridge. The lower line passes the shed and dives under the main colliery branch to disappear behind the embankment. The embankment is partly tip waste, partly retaining wall, and an interesting collection of bridges add interest to the scene. Presumably the main pit is further up the hillside and loaded trains cautiously descend the bank to the washing screens lower down, maybe even reversing at the lower cassette to continue onward past the loco shed. This was inspired by the 'switchback' railway that once went up from the British Oak landing staith at Calder Grove Wakefield, to Caphouse Colliery (now the Yorkshire Mining Museum)

The shed itself would be the usual disreputable shambles so characteristic of these lines

Obviously small locos and four wheel wagons are the order of the day, but could be a nice little scheme to display a collection of industrial locos?
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Ian Everett
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby Ian Everett » Thu Sep 19, 2013 3:30 pm

Masterful - what an imaginative plan! It's amazing how strict limitations get the creative juices going. I found the same with Royston Vasey, which also uses gradients to get the most out of a tiny space.

You could extend the fiddle yards, as it's only the length of the scenic section that should be 4' 8.5"or less.

There's a corner of my living room where this would fit perfectly - next to Royston Vasey. It's a lovely idea - put a railway on the wall instead of a Jack Vettriano.

Ian
Last edited by Ian Everett on Thu Sep 19, 2013 4:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Alan Turner
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby Alan Turner » Thu Sep 19, 2013 4:15 pm

The instructions say that it may be 4' - 8.5" long. I doesn't say it has to be 4'-8.5" so it could be shorter or I suppose longer.

Alan

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steamraiser
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby steamraiser » Thu Sep 19, 2013 5:24 pm

I realllllly like your idea. :thumb

What radius curves and what gradients are you looking at?

Gordon A
Bristol

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steve howe
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby steve howe » Thu Sep 19, 2013 6:35 pm

steamraiser wrote:
What radius curves and what gradients are you looking at?

Gordon A
Bristol


The main radius is about 18" but I haven't worked out the detail full size. My original thought was to make the left hand lines join at datum I.e. baseboard level, and the front branch then rises on a lesser gradient towards the right, the idea being that the loco shed is in a sort of 'hole' with the running lines climbing past it. However looking at it again raises the possibility of the left-hand cassettes being sort of 'mid-level' and making the front running line descend again past the shed to the low level cassette at right rear. That sort of reinforces the notion of the line 'switchbacking' down the valley. Maybe more thinking and beers required.... ;)

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Tim V
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby Tim V » Thu Sep 19, 2013 6:52 pm

Put the Templot down Gordon....
Tim V
(Not all railways in Somerset went to Dorset)

Armchair Modeller

Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby Armchair Modeller » Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:18 pm

This looks a very interesting layout, with nice scenic possibilities :thumb

I am a bit worried about the gradients you would need to get it working though - my mental arithmetic suggests 1:10 for the line around the back of the loco shed - slightly less if you make the line in front of the shed go steeply downwards - but on tight curves. :shock:

It would be a great test track though - a real challenge for your loco and track building building skills :)

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steamraiser
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby steamraiser » Thu Sep 19, 2013 8:23 pm

How about the left hand casettes represent the colliery/ washery, with the rising back line for spoil tipping (RT Models "Hudson" side tippers) and the inner lower line linking to BR land, or another colliery?

Gordon A
Bristol

DougN
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby DougN » Thu Sep 19, 2013 11:29 pm

I think it should works really well. As you are restricted to small loco's and no more than about 3 wagons the radius and the gradient shouldn't be all that much of an issue.... I like your idea on 4'8.5" in that it is the diagonal measurement of the layout so standing 3ft back you look through into the space it is constrained but you have complied with the rule :D I did a rough sketch and came up with 4'3" so you could make it wider!

Same could be said for a layout 4'8.5" wide at one end and 30ft long.... but you can only look at the trains coming towards/away from you.... though I guess people might think that is bending the rules too far. :ugeek:

I can see Austerities, RSH's, Andrew Barclays running around on this quite nicely! I look forward to seeing another small layout take shape.... ;)
Doug
Still not doing enough modelling

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Russ Elliott
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby Russ Elliott » Thu Sep 19, 2013 11:53 pm

Great plan. My initial reaction was a long-lost Rice until I noticed it didn't have a single slip.

But to be serious for a mo, is there enough running clearance between the 'mainline' and its siding?

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steve howe
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby steve howe » Fri Sep 20, 2013 7:31 am

[quote="Russ Elliott is there enough running clearance between the 'mainline' and its siding?[/quote]

Hi Russ,
Probably not, I think it would run parallel to the loco shed ending in some sort of grotty ash pit with the adjacent running line dropping away below. Having been defeated bt Templot (a device invented by the Devil for the amusement of the Damned) It'l be out with the lining paper, templates and bendy laths...now I just need the time and the space :|

nigelcliffe
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby nigelcliffe » Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:27 am

Russ Elliott wrote:Great plan. My initial reaction was a long-lost Rice until I noticed it didn't have a single slip.


I think Iain Rice may have end up with at least a 3-way, if not 4 way turnout at the top left ( by height label of 0" ), otherwise the turnouts into the shed look to be a bit acute. With some jiggling it should be possible to solve those angles.

The question I'd raise is "which coupling method", and "does that coupling method work on the fairly tight curves?"


Other than that, I think it could look good.

- Nigel

Alan Turner
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby Alan Turner » Fri Sep 20, 2013 5:02 pm

Coal shed.png
From the ranks of the Damned.

I'm sure the Devil will be along soon.

You can have the box file if you repent of thy sins!

regards

Alan
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Knuckles
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby Knuckles » Fri Sep 20, 2013 7:30 pm

Looks interesting but I'm a little worried. Looks like there is a (roughly) 2FT radius curve at top right area. I'm no expert with curves and have many questions myself, but thought I'd throw it in there just in cass. :|

Quick edit: Just saw you post above and you said 18" radius roughly, so even sharper.

0-4-0's?

Will definetly be looking forward to seeing this be built, I've not seen a dull collery layout yet.
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steve howe
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby steve howe » Fri Sep 20, 2013 10:55 pm

Alan Turner wrote:
Coal shed.png
From the ranks of the Damned.

I'm sure the Devil will be along soon.

You can have the box file if you repent of thy sins!

regards

Alan


Oh go on then....
(reaches for another bottle of communion wine) :twisted:

Alan Turner
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby Alan Turner » Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:19 am

steve howe wrote:
Alan Turner wrote:
Coal shed.png
From the ranks of the Damned.

I'm sure the Devil will be along soon.

You can have the box file if you repent of thy sins!

regards

Alan


Oh go on then....
(reaches for another bottle of communion wine) :twisted:


Attached. It's a 91c version as that's what is on my netbook.

You will need to look carefully at the 3-throw. It can be done but you need to understand how 3-throw points were worked. Otherwise you will need to re-work it as a tandem somehow.

Oh and repeat after me (100 times) "Templot is the greatest track modelling software in the world".

regards

Alan
Horsley Deep Seam.box
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steamraiser
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Re: Colliery Loco depot

Postby steamraiser » Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:23 pm

Herewith some photos taken at the Pontypool & Blaenavon railway during 2010:
Pand B May 2010 004.jpg

P&B's Austerity approaching the station next to their base of operations.
The bridge over the top is part of the railway line to Big Pit colliery museum which is being renewed.
Pand B May 2010 018.jpg

Another shot of the bridge . The wagons on the left indicate the end of the B&Ps base, which is located on the site of a washery that served a number of other collierys in the valley.
Pand B May 2010 005.jpg

The train that was running, Austerity on the front, with an 0-4-0 Bagnall banking.
The gradient is quite steep.
Pand B May 2010 019.jpg

The bridge the train is shown running over is a new replacement as the old bridge was not fit for purpose.
I will add a couple of pictures of the locos in a seperate post.

Gordon A
Bristol
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