Kirkcliffe

Tell us about your layout, where you put it, how you built it, how you operate it.
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Hardwicke
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Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Fri Jun 28, 2013 11:03 am

Time marches on and some of you might remember seeing Kirkcliffe coking plant at the Scalefour AGM at Swanwick Junction (Butterley) a few years ago and at the DEMU/S4 Challenge in Leatherhead. Not highly detailed and with a limited running ability. Well masses of research has taken place since then and the layout is due to be extended and improved. I now know a lot more about the coking process and have more photos and plans of the real location I chose to adapt - Smithywood, Chapeltown near Sheffield. I've even managed to get to the last remaining part of the trackbed (between the engine shed and Ecclesfield Station). Over the next few months I'll post stuff on here showing progress and look forward to bringing the layout out next year.
Last edited by Hardwicke on Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Paul Willis
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Paul Willis » Fri Jun 28, 2013 6:37 pm

Hardwick wrote:Time marches on and some of you might remember seeing Kirkcliffe coking plant at the Scalefour AGM at Swanwick Junction (Butterley) a few years ago and at the DEMU/S4 Challenge in Leatherhead... I've even managed to get to the last remaining part of the trackbed (between the engine shed and Ecclesfield Station). Over the next few months I'll post stuff on here showing progress and look forward to bringing the layout out next year.


Oh, industrial griminess. That sounds interesting :-)

Please do keep us posted with progress...

Cheers
Flymo
Beware of Trains - occasional modelling in progress!
www.5522models.co.uk

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Sun Jun 30, 2013 1:38 pm

I will. However I was on the Mazey Day Cornishman yesterday so I didn't get the chance to post anything new. Deltic 9 at Dawlish, Royal Albert Bridge, Hemerdon, Rattery, Dainton and finally Penzance. Coming back with an impressive 13 coaches, we made it back over the banks but were down to about 20mph at one point. Engines on full power. Lovely.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Wed Jul 31, 2013 1:09 pm

There has been slow progress this month. Mainly due to going to music festivals including the excellent Indietracks at the Midland Railway Butterley.

Basically I've been making the framing for the new boards. I have made two new long sections and 5 cross/end beams. I need to add another two long sections and three cross/end frames. All the plywood is there but I've run out of wooden spacers for now.

The Yorkshire Engine 0-4-0 diesel is in the "Works" and will be ideal along with the Austerity 0-6-0ST.

I have been working out how to correct the faults of the old boards and track. In this respect I have lifted two of the B8 points in the sorting sidings and have bought two new A6 points to replace them. This will mean the whole trackbed apart from a short section of the engine shed line needs lifting too. I might just remove the cork and track completely and start again. New cork was bought at Nottingham Exhibition. The points will be further away from the baseboard edges and being shorter are more suited to industrial sidings. This will help in the geometry and will keep the motors away from the framing. It will also mean there is more strength in the remaining track as one inch of track after a rail-joint is not conducive to good alignment. A flat bottomed point has been bought from Colin Craig as I have now seen photos of the BR line and there was a loop at Smithywood. This makes shunting the arrivals a bit easier. The tandem point to the loading bunker was a bit of a hotchpotch and on a slant up to the main line which meant lots of derailments. I'm lifting the level of the point to remove the cant and the sidings will then drop down to the loading area. I have made enough fast track for one and a half extra boards now (six sidings).

I have a much better idea of what the loading area looked like too at Smithywood. The bunker I built for the DEMU/S4 challenge needs altering a little and detailing and the conveyors adding. A second, third and possibly a fourth bunker will go in the space behind this bunker and between the chemical store building. They will be based on ones I have photos of at collieries as they are a generic design. Due to time constraints I might not include the actual coke ovens yet - maybe one day. They are massive and need at least another 6 feet or more. I can build the chimney at the end though. I have the dimensions and some plastikard has been marked out for cutting and forming a very gentle severed cone. It is about 3 - 4 feet high. That's three to four actual feet!
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

JFS
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby JFS » Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:45 pm

Hardwick wrote:I will. However I was on the Mazey Day Cornishman yesterday so I didn't get the chance to post anything new. Deltic 9 at Dawlish, Royal Albert Bridge, Hemerdon, Rattery, Dainton and finally Penzance. Coming back with an impressive 13 coaches, we made it back over the banks but were down to about 20mph at one point. Engines on full power. Lovely.


Amazing - you mean it did not put a leg out of bed?

Deltics must be a lot better in preservation than they ever were in BR days!

Cheers,

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Sun Sep 22, 2013 10:20 am

The wooden spacers have been fitted to the ply and therefore I've now got the baseboards built up. The old fiddle yard is now on it's way to being the Eastern extension. In addition to this I have ripped up the old pointwork on the adjoining board. Eek !
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Sun Sep 22, 2013 10:49 am

web IMG_7558.jpg
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Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Sun Sep 22, 2013 10:53 am

web IMG_7559.jpg


web IMG_7560.jpg


web IMG_7561.jpg


web IMG_7562.jpg
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Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Sun Sep 22, 2013 11:18 am

daw mill.jpg


A couple of weeks ago I found a similar loading bunker at Daw Mill
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Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Wizard of the Moor
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Wizard of the Moor » Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:24 pm

Good to see that you're making progress, Michael. I look forward to seeing your build of Colin's flat-bottom turnout.
James Dickie

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:40 pm

I've pulled out the tandem threeway now as it had a very bad kink in it and one of the vees was abysmal. Having seen Tony Wilkins's trackwork, I'm going to attempt to correct this tonight. I've moved the whole point back about a scale 8 feet so that it flows with the geometry of the surrounding track.
Now I have a spare point I'm going to add another siding to the loading screens. The present sidings seem too spaced out.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:48 pm

A new loco has been acquired too. An 03 diesel. I've got one in 00 (Mainline) but like most of their stuff the chassis and motor are very poor. This new loco will go with the 04 under construction, Austerities, Hunslet Saddle tank, Yorkshire DE2 and RSH Husky. Winter projects.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:02 pm

OMG, I've bought a Walthers Coke Oven kit. It's big, but not big enough. None of it is totally suitable but will be kit bashed into a British prototype. The quenshing tower for instance is only large enough to be used for the top half of a british one. The oven doors are pretty basic and I'll use a second lot to make it big enough. The blending bunkers might get offered for sale on here as I have already started the concrete monoliths that typify a Becker design. The chimney might go the same way as it is acually smaller than the one I built for Forge Mills. The one for the ovens is presently having the first stages of brickwork added. It is 4 feet high. That is four real feet. 1:1. The loading cart or in US parlance "larry car" will be adapted with new hoppers and the coke car is ok if a bit on the small side. I've also got a Hornby coal conveyor which will be used to add some movement to the works, an ariel ropeway and a Ratio coal hopper for which the instructions can only be described as "poor'. It has been assembled as far as I need at the moment pending lots of conveyors everywhere.
Busy time ahead.
Last edited by Hardwicke on Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:06 pm

small B&W KIRKCLIFFE_DSC0779.jpg
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Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Mon Dec 30, 2013 1:20 pm

I've pulled up a bit more track over the last couple of days. There is a good reason though. By moving turnouts around I've replaced the B7 crossover in the sidings with an A5/A6 and made them run on the straight which will bear away from the curving main line. I can now shorten the footbridge so that it only covers three lines and becomes more manageable and will probably be a fixed structure. The B7s are now in the fan of sidings to the loading hoppers and allow an additional siding there. The base will have the cork removed next so that I can raise it under the three way turnout. This will resolve the twist that caused derailments at Scaleforum. It also means I've only got to build one point now (FB point) The others can just be glued back in place.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Sun Jan 05, 2014 6:38 pm

Here is the basic plan of the works (subject to change)
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Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Sun Jan 12, 2014 5:19 pm

After years of wondering what the BR connection had been like at Smithywood ( the inspiration for Kirkcliffe), I found a plan. I had been disappointed not to win a negative of Smithywood Signal cabin as it was in 1981 particularly as it showed the end of the BR line. A search for any other photos proved fruitless but this link was found.
http://www.lymmobservatory.net/railways ... s_q65x.jpg

It gives dimensions, signals and full details of the works involved.

I've got the model slightly wrong which impacts on the way trains arrive and depart a little. In a few years I might change it, but today has been one of progress. New hornblocks have been built up and the main frames tinned for the DE2 and the Avonside jig set up for it. Basically if it all goes well I just have to solder them in and I have another engine available,
I'm also going to glue the balsa to the frames for the extensions tonight.

I think I'm going to add flat bottomed concrete track to one side of the run round road. Personally I doubt they would have done that in 1966. ER practice was to use old track either FB or bullhead, especially on a branch like this. But I have some Flat bottomed track bases and might run short of bullhead bases otherwise.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:32 am

The layout made it to Scalefour North despite a transformer failure, I did have things running in a limited way. Thanks to everyone who chatted, looked and helped.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Thu Apr 17, 2014 11:04 am

IMG_0598.jpg


Initial placing of the engine shed.
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Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Thu Apr 17, 2014 11:07 am

IMG_0603.JPG
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Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Thu Apr 17, 2014 11:12 am

IMG_0606.JPG


All new point work. These used to be B7 and B8 points but I've replaced them with 2 A5's and an A6. It takes up less space and means the point motors are not interfering with the baseboards. There is also a longer section of track between the baseboard edge and the beginning of the point (though one of those got damaged on the way back from Wakefield).
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Last edited by Hardwicke on Thu Apr 17, 2014 12:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Thu Apr 17, 2014 11:15 am

IMG_0608.JPG


All set up on the Friday evening waiting for Scalefour North to open the next morning.
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Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Mon May 05, 2014 8:49 am

Kirkcliffe has now been taken to my art studio where there is ample space to work on it. The trouble is, it's 30 miles away (valid reasons why it is there). It has a potential show in a year or so. I really enjoyed Scalefour North and was talking so much I hardly had the chance to run that much. Some useful information was obtained though and will be fed into improvements on the layout. I didn't have time to work on the actual coke ovens, so this and the loading area are the next areas to look at. I've also found out about the stocking yard. Should I build another board to bring the departure sidings back in via a fan of points with another board to extend the ovens, quencher and a loading point in the woods? It would be nice to have a load of trees at one end. but that would make it 27 feet long and I'd have to get some more trestles.

IMG_0649.JPG
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Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Mon May 05, 2014 9:01 am

For someone who asked what the large building at the end is (and I could not remember at the time). it is the Powerhouse, By-Product Store, Lime Store, Lime Mixing Room and Sulphate Store.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".

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Hardwicke
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Re: Kirkcliffe

Postby Hardwicke » Sun Jun 01, 2014 8:53 pm

A new book bought at the weekend has revealed a view of a little more of the coke works.
Ordsall Road (BR(E)), Forge Mill Sidings (BR(M)), Kirkcliffe Coking Plant (BR(E)), Swanage (BR (S)) and Heaby (LMS/MR). Acquired Thorneywood (GNR). Still trying to "Keep the Balance".


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