Merioneth Town

When Don Boreham retired to our part of the Chilterns in the early 1980s I invited him to give a talk on 16mm narrow gauge modelling to our local club. He joined that night and eventually served as President. His enthusiam for all things railways - excluding the GWR - and narrow gauge in particular, was to fuel many new projects including Dduallt itself. We were fortunate to spend nearly 20 years in his presence. Consequently it was pleasing that his family insisted on keeping his pioneering 16mm models together as a collection to be displayed in his memory.

We built Merioneth Town to exhibit these historic models, a wharf scene somewhere in North Wales where Don's passion and enthusiam for narrow gauge established it's popularity and his research is reflected today in the wonderful replicas and restorations of vintage FR and WHR stock.

Chalk to go

One freight train we recreate on New Mills is the block working of 27ton BR tippler wagons conveying chalk rock from the rail-connected Tottenhoe Lime, Stone and Cement Comany quarry close to the former LNWR Leighton Buzzard - Dunstable branch.

Normally chalk was processed within the quarries in southern England but these loads were destined for a thirsty cement works in the Midlands. The branch line closed completely in April 1965 but throughout the BR period full wagons were moved first to Leighton Buzzard yard and then marshalled into block sets for the journey north up the WCML. In later years Bletchley 8Fs seemed the favoured motive power.

There is sketchy evidence that these tipplers were actually rebranded with the legend 'Chalk Tippler' so any information would be welcome. Our Bachmann vehicles have been suitably weathered but now require further treatment that alludes to their unusual loads!

Trains from Tyne Dock

I knew I had a copy somewhere! A rummage in the loft and here is that ARGO EP.

Published in 1967 before the Peter Handford  recordings were merged into DECCA, this wonderful 45rpm audio recording features J94s and N10s on banking duties, Q6s and Q7s propelling empties and the assault on the 1 in 40 climb out of Tyne Dock by 9Fs 92097 and 92065, each with nine 56 ton loaded hoppers in tow. Magic! The photo on the record sleeve features 92061 and just look at those NER signal gantries.

No such gradients on New Mills but our example will still look the part.

Tyne Daily

No, not the actress from Cagney & Lacey but one of the impressive 9Fs that hauled the daily iron ore trains from Tyne Dock to Consett. Built at Crewe in two batches to a special order during 1952 and 1955 they were fitted with Westinghouse air pumps to operate the doors on the new hopper wagons, themselves recently built at Shildon for this intensive traffic. These 9Fs remained in service until November 1966, being replaced by Class 24s .

Rob couldn't resist the opportunity to run one of these rather special locos on New Mills but quite what 92099 it doing south of Crewe will probably always remain a mystery! A running-in turn after repairs?  It is receiving our usual detailing and weathering ahead of the Derby Exhibition.

Peter Handford captured the sound of these beasts on an ARGO TRANSACORD EP released in the mid 1960s, ref EAF 131 TRAINS FROM TYNE DOCK. Interestingly he lived in Cooper Hire country at Princes Risborough where most of his GW and many LNER recordings were made. 

Give us a Brake

Well, two actually!
The arrival of some cask conditioned bottled beer from the brewery on Islay following the Waller Clan's recent visit, coupled with the start of another Wetherspoons real ale festival on Wedneday, are major distractions but we can reassure you that modelling does continue.

These two BR standard 20T brake vans from the latest Bachmann run are fine examples of their ever expanding range of BR freight vehicles. Our resident artist, Francis Gomme, has drifted a first coat of weathering over one of the vehicles, creating that 'in service' look that brings these magnificent models to life.

A Different Aspect

Those of you who follow our companion Bron Hebog blog will be familiar with the work of Himself, aka David Waller, who when not building the layout and stock for our Welsh Highland epic can be found employing his skills on other Cooper Hire MRC projects, notably New Mills.

Over the last few days he has attended to the 2 aspect signals on the gantry that protects the down loop exit on New Mill's high level line, one of which was was suffering from a blown LED and with the structure itself looking rather tired. So rather than simply replace the damaged LED it was just as easy the rebuild the complete signal. We have used LED’s with built in resistors this time to avoid the risk of damaging the LED’s when testing, as it’s very easy to forget to include a resistor in the test circuit when doing a quick check.  

In the photo below the signal gantry has been stripped of the old railings, wiring and signal heads. The joint between the upright and the signal platform has been resoldered and new wiring installed.  New LED’s have been fitted into the replacement face plates.

The two pics below show the signal heads completed and under test. The platform has been drilled to accept the new uprights for the railings. Everything has been rebuilt to the exact dimensions of the original bracket constructed by Phill Hutchings.

Below is the completed and repainted signal, just waiting to be reunited with the layout.

And here it is, restored to the layout earlier today.

Stoves R Us

New Mills has taken delivery of two of the Hornby Magazine commissioned LMS Stove R 6 wheel brake vans produced by Dapol. They are packaged in a Hornby Magazine / Dapol branded box but each model bears the 'Ian Allan' branding which must be a first?

The BR maroon finish is rather flat but with appropiate weathering should sit comfortably with Bachmann Mk 1s or Stanier stock. The underfloor arrangement is clearly a compromise to encourage movement through  tight curves but we will clearly need to test this rather unusual chassis on the layout before they enter service. The underscale wheels do create a rather top-heavy appearance but our detailing guru, Rob Cooper, has indicated that we may have to live with that due to their rather inaccessible mounting! Originally designed to provide a braked vehicle in non-passenger sets, they did enjoy wider use as parcels vehicles in passenger rakes and occasionally clung to the back of a Duchess or Princess on a northbound express out of Euston!

Eclectic electric

When New Mills performs in it's early 1960s guise the new dawn of electric haulage on the WCML is represented by an AL1 of somewhat mixed parentage. The body is a post-Trix model from one of a number of batches produced by Lilliput in the 1970s. It differs slightly from other Lilliput examples that modeller Phill Hutchings has in his collection so we may never know it's true provenance. Resprayed in Railmatch Electric Blue with Fox transfers and retaining its original number 3001, it sits on, or more accurately has been forced onto, a Hornby Class 86 chassis with some reworking. Don't look too close!

Currently undergoing further detailing ahead of the Derby Exhibition in May it will remain in service until the arrival of the Bachmann AL5 and hopefully other derivatives! In the meantime its spirited performance as it races through New Mills hauling our principal passenger services nicely captures the early days of that new era.

Welcome

Welcome to our new blog. Over the next few weeks we will develop the pages that describe our layouts and also post something about our club trips including our recent visit to Glasgow.

In the meantime work continues on our New Mills layout as we prepare for the Derby Exhibition on May 14th & 15th when it will be displayed in it's 1960s guise with early electrics and diesels including AL1s and 40s beginning to oust steam from the WCML but with a huge variety of steam classes still performing north of Euston. Detailing and weathering of new stock takes centre stage over the next few weeks.

Alongside this we continue to work on our Bron Hebog 009 project, capturing the dramatic route of the rebuilt Welsh Highland Railway through Beddgelert and over the stunning horseshoe curves that carry the line up towards Snowdon.  Check our Bron Hebog page for more information or the dedicated blog listed alongside for the latest progress report on rolling stock, buildings and and scenery.