He's off his trolley
Well some may say so.......
When I started this project I had no personal photos from my 1960's visits so I could only research it as best I could from publications I'd acquired along with a plethora of web-based photos
Amongst that material I also had a few layout plans of the site from different eras and sources - some better than others
Whilst it's the early diesel aspect there that I recall most, Steam traction was still in evidence - just!
However, along with the still standing Roundhouses we'd ferret around in, it's the 'Coaling Stage' (out of our limit of exploration and I suspect was either gone or being demolished at the time) that I find to be a fascinating construction
Unfortunately, in all my research, there's only a few views of the one there which are very informative but various crucial features were not visible
Thankfully a new publication came out a couple of months ago and reveals some of those omissions, namely the transfer of coal to the waiting locos
The inset shows the reference photo with the trolley loaded with coal being emptied into the waiting loco. Assuming these were hand loaded by shovel, then pushed and tipped with their wheels held by those curved 'stoppers' on each of the platforms
On it I've placed the unpainted trolley I made from sheet plasticard with wheels made from slices of plastic tube glued onto made up axles. The handle is 'presumed' and made of brass rod
In the main photo it's been painted and filled with real (crushed) coal
I still don't know whether once inside the stage if the trucks were tipped sideways using hydraulics to spill their loads before the crews got to work with shovels OR it was ALL done by hand??
I've also been 'superdetailing' the main structure with (representative) tubing for external lights along with downpipes which serve some sort of piping from each of the coaling platform rooves - maybe a wash hose to clear coal dust as I cannot see any guttering on them
I've also raised the whole building about 5mm along with the entry rails on the gradient plus the raised arched truck structure as I wasn't happy with the height including opening up the arches under the latter as one photo revealed that they were open!
Added too were the Water Tank access ladder and cladded water pipe feed (top left)
I've still to scratch-build three more of those access staircases :(
Compare to:
www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/52817615386/in/datepos...
20230418_180406
He's off his trolley
Well some may say so.......
When I started this project I had no personal photos from my 1960's visits so I could only research it as best I could from publications I'd acquired along with a plethora of web-based photos
Amongst that material I also had a few layout plans of the site from different eras and sources - some better than others
Whilst it's the early diesel aspect there that I recall most, Steam traction was still in evidence - just!
However, along with the still standing Roundhouses we'd ferret around in, it's the 'Coaling Stage' (out of our limit of exploration and I suspect was either gone or being demolished at the time) that I find to be a fascinating construction
Unfortunately, in all my research, there's only a few views of the one there which are very informative but various crucial features were not visible
Thankfully a new publication came out a couple of months ago and reveals some of those omissions, namely the transfer of coal to the waiting locos
The inset shows the reference photo with the trolley loaded with coal being emptied into the waiting loco. Assuming these were hand loaded by shovel, then pushed and tipped with their wheels held by those curved 'stoppers' on each of the platforms
On it I've placed the unpainted trolley I made from sheet plasticard with wheels made from slices of plastic tube glued onto made up axles. The handle is 'presumed' and made of brass rod
In the main photo it's been painted and filled with real (crushed) coal
I still don't know whether once inside the stage if the trucks were tipped sideways using hydraulics to spill their loads before the crews got to work with shovels OR it was ALL done by hand??
I've also been 'superdetailing' the main structure with (representative) tubing for external lights along with downpipes which serve some sort of piping from each of the coaling platform rooves - maybe a wash hose to clear coal dust as I cannot see any guttering on them
I've also raised the whole building about 5mm along with the entry rails on the gradient plus the raised arched truck structure as I wasn't happy with the height including opening up the arches under the latter as one photo revealed that they were open!
Added too were the Water Tank access ladder and cladded water pipe feed (top left)
I've still to scratch-build three more of those access staircases :(
Compare to:
www.flickr.com/photos/29288836@N00/52817615386/in/datepos...
20230418_180406