4mm Chris' Trainsets

[Chris Nevard]

Thanks all!

Phil, thanks for the mining info - stuff like that are gems, and often difficult to pick up from prototype photos which tend to concentrate on engine or pitheads only.

Here's another snap, this time of a pannier tank (Templecombe's btw for SDJR fans) collecting a wagon of props.
I have a yard gate (a nice MSE brass one too) to go next to the crossing, but it's gone awol! Better check the hoover bags... The telegraph poles are from Express Models as a change from the obligatory Ratio.

 

[dltaylor]

This t just gets better and better!
Dave.T

 

[Phil.c]

Chris, what make is the pannier?

 

[Simon]

As an aside, one thing about this that really tickles me is the horrendous change in environment of the poor regulars in the "Pedant and Armchair".

I mean one minute they were huddled in groups around their halves of mild, disturbing the rural peace with their grumbling about the over deep grooves in Bachmann box vans, and now they can't even hear themselves at "top froth" for the noise of pitgear, clanging wagon buffers, the bark of hard working steam engines and the rude interruptions of West Country, Polish and Welsh accents as miners come in for refreshment between shifts

Priceless!

Simon

By the way, I think the posh telegraph pole is a nice improvement on the trusty Ratio model - mine's a half!!

 

[Chris Nevard]

'Mother' has banned most of them from going to the 'Pedant and Armchair' in fear that they might be lead astray by the hard drinking and fighting miners, and then forced to drink copious amounts of mild and bitter ale whilst chanting socialist songs.

Many have moved to the **web Arms where they can pontificate and moan as much as they like over the size of OO flanges and shades of BR Rail Blue whilst sipping halves of weak lemon flavoured drinks out of a plastic mug. But only 2 halves maximum, mother says any more than that means that they'll have to use the public loo "there's no way I'm coming to the pub to take you".

.......Sorry, I got onto a roll briefly, with apologies to any BRMweb members here who actually post something useful in aid of the hobby.

The Pannier is Bachmann, with a few extra bits and bobs. The plates are from Narrow Planet who I commissioned to do 4631.

Gotta go, I need to sort out how I'm going to connect the just built fiddle yards to the layout....

** any other forum but this one

 

[Simon Dunkley]

And another view, with synthesized cables; real ones will be added when the buildings are glued down shortly.
View attachment 20662

That is one of your best photos - and most of your photos are excellent.

I have a question about the chimney (open to anyone). I recall many years ago (about 1980?) someone writing a letter to the Railway Modeller concerning a chimney on a layout (Newton Tracey?) saying that they should be made of brick or concrete. Is there any truth in this? I cannot see why a chimney could not be build of regular stone blocks, for example.

I have no idea what is or isn't permissible, so wondered if anyone out there knew what was really what?

 

[Phil.c]

I have only seen chimneys of this sort made from brick and stone, I haven't seen any for that date made from concrete, cracking might be an issue?

Phil

 

[Chris Nevard]

With old collieries and other old industries which span hundreds of years, there are no rules if observation is anything to go by (which will really upset many I'm sure), all sorts of materials will have been used. People that tend to write into magazines are often idiots sadly, so best ignored.

Here's a tin mine one - South Polgooth. The bottom is rough stone, the top some kind of brick. A quick Google with show almost everything apart from wood (don't take the wood bit seriously).

 

[queensquare]

Looking fabulous Chris, I particularly like the shot of the pannier shunting the wagon load of pit props with the jumble of buildings behind it.

As for those drinking in the 'Pedant', surely they would be supping pints of cider, not halves of mild. As for bar snacks, when doing my reading for building Highbury I came across a piece discussing a favourite delicacy of the miners in this part of North Somerset - snails gathered from the cracks in the limestone dry walls. A tempting alternative to pork scratchings?

Jerry

 

[ZiderHead]

As for those drinking in the 'Pedant', surely they would be supping pints of zider, not halves of mild.

I would certainly hope so!

 

[daifly]

Chris - one minor comment on your lovely work. Pit props would be largely 'bark on' rather than the over-processed scantlings in your wagons. A Google search on 'wooden pit props' will find almost exclusively pics of bark-covered props. The wagonloads of props for your layout location would presumably be from the New Forest or Forest of Dean so Douglas Fir or similar would dominate.

Dave (Pedant in Armchair)

 

[Phil.c]

I forgot to mention that Dave, as there was no need to de-bark them, but Chris did mention that they needed toning down a little, so maybe some bark can be added when painting

Some more info, long timbers were loaded into drams (tubs) with their ends sticking out, ie diagonally, but flats were loaded into blewitts, ie. drams with the ends removed.

Phil

 

[Chris Nevard]

Thanks as always chaps! Any colliery info is useful and appreciated.

I've a nice weathering/dulling slop in a takaway curry container of grey sludge made up from Hobby Craft kiddies paints that I'm toning the rafia chopped up blind I'm using for the wooden bits courtesy of Graham Tierney (Ynysybwl) that appears to do a good job with such. Makes the layout smell nice too in a Taj Mahal kind of way, something that could be useful, seeing it's operated it from the front along with the great unwashed (literally quite often). Usually Vicks Nasal Rub up each nostril (emergency services tip by all accounts) blocks odour, this will negate that.

Earlier today, one of Radstock's 'Bagnalls', No. 47276 (which appeared temporarily painted green in the United Artists 1966 flick 'The Wrong Box' starring Peter Cooke, Dudley Moore, Michael Caine etc) was spotted pottering about the screens. This shot is unmolested, showing off the advantages of a high backscene with no sharp corners.

EDIT: Following up Jerry's pearl http://www.britishpathe.com/video/snail-eating
The pub sadly closed in the 1980's.

 

[Phil.c]

Good one, that's about as good as it gets, nice touch those trucks over the bridge

Phil

 

[queensquare]

Thanks as always chaps! Any colliery info is useful and appreciated.
EDIT: Following up Jerry's pearl http://www.britishpathe.com/video/snail-eating
The pub sadly closed in the 1980's.

View attachment 20777

Well found Chris, I'd not seen that piece of film before - a little gem. I can't remember where I saw the reference to the miner's delicacy. I think it may have been in a little booklet I have on Camerton.

The Mendip groups HQ is just outside Wells, would you like me to see if I can rustle up a bag of snails to bring up to Aylesbury!!

Jerry

 

[Chris Nevard]

Well found Chris, I'd not seen that piece of film before - a little gem. I can't remember where I saw the reference to the miner's delicacy. I think it may have been in a little booklet I have on Camerton.

The Mendip groups HQ is just outside Wells, would you like me to see if I can rustle up a bag of snails to bring up to Aylesbury!!

Jerry

You've given me a detail idea for the pub, the shed at the back could be a snail boiling plant.

This evening I started working properly on the evil smelling orange pond behind the pub, lost of yellow ochre and brown acrylic....

 

[Phil.c]

A very nice touch!

I've just remembered some more trivia that you might want to use sometime, to stop the tubs/drams from rolling when on an incline etc, a piece of timber, similar to a baseball bat only square section and larger was pushed in between the wheel spokes, this was called a sprag.

Phil

PS. Are those snail pickling barrels

 

[Chris Nevard]

The could be snail pickling barrels! Another speciality is 'Mendip Snail Stout', it's a regional version of Oyster Stout popular in other areas. Rumour has it that a nearby pub was given the wrong cask and all sorts of problems occurred when they tried to pump the contents through the beer lines.

I think I'll make up a little sign to place above the shed door advertising the produce. All silly stuff, but to me modelling is escapism to a rose tinted parallel universe.

 

[Dock Shunter]

They could be snail pickling barrels! Another speciality is 'Mendip Snail Stout', it's a regional version of Oyster Stout popular in other areas.

Don't forget the Somerset Apple Snail Cider,Chris.......

 

[Chris Nevard]

An enameled sign to go somewhere..