Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Seeing as Bow Creek Wharf is fictional I could model an accumulator tower in the back scene perhaps, would make sense.
A lot of yards also had horses for shunting.
Col.
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Bow Creek Wharf. c.1946. S7
- Thread starter Eastsidepilot
- Start date
Seeing as Bow Creek Wharf is fictional I could model an accumulator tower in the back scene perhaps, would make sense.
A lot of yards also had horses for shunting.
Col.
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Pete,
Bit of Family history mate........
My Grandfather, Aurther.E. Dowling opened an ironmongers shop in Rayleigh high st. 1924 which fronted a branch of the building contracting business of H.Dowling & Sons ( Est. c 1830, Old Ford ), my Father as a young boy would go for a ride with his twin brother, with the driver in one of the lorrys down to the goods yard at Rayleigh station goods yard and collect supplies for the shop, they were very often in open trucks with a tarpaulin over it.
The goods were very often spades, shovels etc for local farmers etc. ...and yes there was "andles for forks" even cases of shot gun cartridges all packed with straw and anything else you can think of for an ironmongers.
Below top right is my Grandfather outside his shop during the 1920's
Top left is a shot taken before my Grandfather moved to Rayleigh from Old Ford, lower left was a fire in the 60's and lower right, 1950's with I believe my Fathers car outside.Hope I 'aint bored you all
Col.
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
The Brunel era accumulator is still in use here in Bristol, near Cumberland Basin.
Hydraulic pipes are fun when they go. Two years ago I had a 24" water main fail on the road outside; it lifted around 6' of pavement (the whole thing, about 3' wide) by around 18" - very impressive to see!
Steph
Hydraulic pipes are fun when they go. Two years ago I had a 24" water main fail on the road outside; it lifted around 6' of pavement (the whole thing, about 3' wide) by around 18" - very impressive to see!
Steph
simond
Western Thunderer
Col, all
Thanks for the info re capstans, it seems I've started something! The hydraulic approach is quite interesting, because it's very low pressure - a 60' water tower would only give about 2 bar, or just shy of 30psi, which is probably only a third of the typical workshop airline pressure, and peanuts compared to the pressure a JCB-style machine works on (around 200 bar).
Whilst it would be pretty simple to motorise a model capstan, I think the necessity of the hand-of-god approach would probably detract somewhat from the theatre that capstan shunting could otherwise provide. I did try a bit of cable/wire shunting just for fun (few inches of fine chain with a formed hook on each end) but again, there seemed too much intervention for it to be a serious proposition, though it was very handy when one got stuck in a corner (but be careful of short circuits and ground signals).
Sadly the genetic engineering project for a 7mm shunting horse has been none too successful, so we're probably not winning on that one, either.
Best
Simon
Thanks for the info re capstans, it seems I've started something! The hydraulic approach is quite interesting, because it's very low pressure - a 60' water tower would only give about 2 bar, or just shy of 30psi, which is probably only a third of the typical workshop airline pressure, and peanuts compared to the pressure a JCB-style machine works on (around 200 bar).
Whilst it would be pretty simple to motorise a model capstan, I think the necessity of the hand-of-god approach would probably detract somewhat from the theatre that capstan shunting could otherwise provide. I did try a bit of cable/wire shunting just for fun (few inches of fine chain with a formed hook on each end) but again, there seemed too much intervention for it to be a serious proposition, though it was very handy when one got stuck in a corner (but be careful of short circuits and ground signals).
Sadly the genetic engineering project for a 7mm shunting horse has been none too successful, so we're probably not winning on that one, either.
Best
Simon
Osgood
Western Thunderer
Simon - have a look a little way down the page here - I think this might be the accumulator Steph refers to?
Power Water Networks
Further down is reference to the London Hydraulic Power Company, who by 1916 were providing hydraulic power to this area of docklands (see map).
And on the subject of burst pipes -
I once augered a 175mm dia. hole through a 200mm dia. plastic water main in the middle of a field of carrots - 10/10 for accuracy?
.
The plume of water went way above the 6m drill rig mast
The geologist of the company for whom I was working shot off to the estate office to find out why it had not appeared on the services search.
After 4 minutes or so the fountain gradually lowered in height and a couple of minutes later stopped (much to our relief).
Turns out it was a disused spur, cut off by a bypass but retained full (valve from hp main shut) in case of future use.
The flow was simply a result of the head of water in the 2 mile long spur on a very shallow gradient (maybe 5-10 m?). A big pond resulted!
Tony
Power Water Networks
Further down is reference to the London Hydraulic Power Company, who by 1916 were providing hydraulic power to this area of docklands (see map).
And on the subject of burst pipes -
I once augered a 175mm dia. hole through a 200mm dia. plastic water main in the middle of a field of carrots - 10/10 for accuracy?
.The plume of water went way above the 6m drill rig mast
The geologist of the company for whom I was working shot off to the estate office to find out why it had not appeared on the services search.
After 4 minutes or so the fountain gradually lowered in height and a couple of minutes later stopped (much to our relief).
Turns out it was a disused spur, cut off by a bypass but retained full (valve from hp main shut) in case of future use.
The flow was simply a result of the head of water in the 2 mile long spur on a very shallow gradient (maybe 5-10 m?). A big pond resulted!
Tony
Overseer
Western Thunderer
The accumulator towers used weights to maintain the pressure rather than gravity. According to Wikipedia the Bristol one operates at 750 psi or 52 bar, so not exactly low pressure. A relatively small steam powered pump pumped the water into the accumulator tower, power was available when needed without needing a large pump running intermittently.
JimG
Western Thunderer
And hydraulic power wasn't just for industrial use. I well remember the hydraulic engine which drove the bellows for the three manual Lewis organ my father played as organist of our kirk on Clydeside. It lasted until the 1950s when it had become so cantankerous that it was no longer self starting and it frequently stalled. It was my job as a youngster to shin up the ladder into the engine loft and give the valve a kick to get it started - then stand well back as it went off at full speed to refill the chests in the organ loft. My father had a good friend in Harry, the chief engineer in the power house in the local distillery, who used to make increasingly frequent visits to try and keep the engine performing. Its end came when there was a water shortage during one summer and the use of the organ's engine was not allowed, so the kirk had to make do with an upright piano in the choir box. Dad took the opportunity to persuade the Kirk Session that enough was enough and a nice big electric blower was installed and the old engine was broken up on site and scrapped. The engine probably dated from the mid Victorian period when the kirk was built and in those days it was probably a wonder of modern science and a great advance on hand operated bellows.
Jim.
My father had a good friend in Harry, the chief engineer in the power house in the local distillery, who used to make increasingly frequent visits to try and keep the engine performing. Its end came when there was a water shortage during one summer and the use of the organ's engine was not allowed, so the kirk had to make do with an upright piano in the choir box. Dad took the opportunity to persuade the Kirk Session that enough was enough and a nice big electric blower was installed and the old engine was broken up on site and scrapped. The engine probably dated from the mid Victorian period when the kirk was built and in those days it was probably a wonder of modern science and a great advance on hand operated bellows. Jim.
Osgood
Western Thunderer
Here's a good potted history of the LHPC - the business peaked in 1939 and packed up in 1977:
Subterranea Britannica: Sites: Hydraulic power in London
Looks like on this map it only runs a little way east of Limehouse Basin - rules out Bow Creek capstans then
In 1898 the North London Rly at Poplar Dock was using 6 loco boilers to power 4 accumulators loaded to 700psi to operate 73 cranes, 40 capstans, 8 coal tipplers and 1 swing bridge.
Subterranea Britannica: Sites: Hydraulic power in London
Looks like on this map it only runs a little way east of Limehouse Basin - rules out Bow Creek capstans then
In 1898 the North London Rly at Poplar Dock was using 6 loco boilers to power 4 accumulators loaded to 700psi to operate 73 cranes, 40 capstans, 8 coal tipplers and 1 swing bridge.
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oldravendale
Western Thunderer
I hope I'm not taking this too far off piste, Col, and I'm not certain whether we're talking accumulators/hydraulics or electric motors nowadays, but seeing those Bow Creek photos reminded me of the sea lock at Shoreham. This is the lock for recreational vessels and fishing boats - there is a much larger lock for the inshore vessels and I'm reasonably familiar with this smaller one on the various fishing trips I make out of Shoreham.
However, the lock is unique, at least in my experience, as the lock gates are always opened before the water has reached equilibrium. See
There are so many tall buildings and towers around the harbour that it's quite possible one of them may be an accumulator. Nevertheless, the first time you see the tidal wave entering the lock from a boat as the gate is opened can be quite unnerving and the skippers always tie up carefully when entering the lock. Also unique in my experience is the staging to which the boats are secured, as this rises with the water level.
Sorry for the hi-jack but like many on this site I enjoy all things mechanical, especially old and mechanical, and this may be of more general interest. I'd be interested in any other examples, but suggest that, if there are, we move this to a new thread.
Brian
However, the lock is unique, at least in my experience, as the lock gates are always opened before the water has reached equilibrium. See
Sorry for the hi-jack but like many on this site I enjoy all things mechanical, especially old and mechanical, and this may be of more general interest. I'd be interested in any other examples, but suggest that, if there are, we move this to a new thread.
Brian
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
A Christmas holiday project for me was to make a start on the group of riverside cottages and lightermens buildings, some 3'-0" in length, which will screen one of the sector plates. ( See post #155 )
This first little cottage is some way off completion but I will describe some of the build method shortly.......in the meantime here's a couple of shots with apologies for the picture quality
Col.
This first little cottage is some way off completion but I will describe some of the build method shortly.......in the meantime here's a couple of shots with apologies for the picture quality
Col.
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
It's Howards Scenics embossed card glued to mount board with pva ( more like thick paper), stuff I've had lying around for years, so I finally got to start using it. The walls are double skinned around a timber frame to stop it all bowing.
Windows are 0.010" clear plastic with microstrip frames.
The doors are 0.010" clear plastic with a covering cut from large address labels gives scale rebate effect around the glass. Door knobs are 4mm scale loco handrail knobs.
Col.
john lewsey
Western Thunderer
That's nice Colin
geoff_nicholls
Western Thunderer
A deceptively simple building, but with interesting features, I like the holes in the side wall for the guttering to run into the downpipes. Very East London. looking forward to seeing it develop.
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
I believe the buildings on a layout are most important in showing where in the country it is based even if it is fictional. Too often, when I have seen layouts with foreign buildings or incorrect architecture, I just carry on walking past.
All too often the research ends with the stock.
Col.
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
A little more progress on the cottage, roof slates and lead flashing and earth closet awaiting it's roof.
Col.
Col.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
I like the brick texture sheet- just the right depth for the mortar joints. Usually the mortar joints are too deep on laser cut and injection moulded brick sheets.
I'm pleased to see you also model worn door steps
.
I'm pleased to see you also model worn door steps
.