The Coverdale Light Railway

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IrishPeter
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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:48 am

Okay, I have given the track plan a tweak. This version is largely traced and rearranged from the previous, so dimensionally there are some quirks which I need to iron out in the final draft. Trains leave Leyburn, and do a lap or three of the continuous run before diving into Middleham. After working any traffic there, they head back on to the loop, and do some more laps perhaps stopping at the small intermediate station on the continuous run. At the end of the journey it is in to Coverdale to terminate. I managed to get in a river bridge, and I did not have the space for the multi-level arrangement for Leyburn so I eliminated it in favour of turning it back against the kitchen wall.
Version 1.5
Version 1.5
CLRNER.jpg (139.03 KiB) Viewed 5950 times
I am also back to thinking about the original rolling stock. The idea of modelling the original stock after the Autocars, and the 1904/5 Tyneside electric stock still appeals. After all, saloon stock was supplied to the W&LLR, the Campbelltown and Machrihanish, and the Leek and Manifold in this period, so why should the NER do anything different? The trouble is do I go for a 42'9" (577mm) vehicle with large end vestibules which would provide the basic template for both 3rd and Brake-3rd vehicles, or do I go with a 36' (486mm) long vehicle. Part of me favours the shorter vehicle, but the Newqida Rekos are fairly long. I will see if I can draw a basic outline of both types for the projects page.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Dwayne
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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by Dwayne » Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:20 am

Hmmm... I downloaded both plans to my phone so I could flip back and forth for comparison.

My 2¢ opinion... the former plan seemed less busy whereas the latter seems crowded and pinched. Would you be favorable of a level crossing of the Leyburn branch instead of a bridge? Might give the impression of a second railway connecting with the primary.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:56 am

Yes, Dwayne, you are right. It is a bit cramped. Flipping back and forth between the 1st and 2nd version it looks like I do need to get something out of that area between the kitchen and the property boundary. I think it will be Leyburn that gets shifted back to being along the line of the sleeper wall. I do, however, like not having Middleham station on the continuous run, as that enables something a bit closer to timetable running. Time to juggle the elements of the design around again and see what emerges.

I am not enamoured of the idea of a flat crossing between two running lines. From a UK signalling point of view they are a bit complicated, and impose all sorts of operating restrictions. I am most likely to put Leyburn on a turn back road, and then flip the entrance to LB so that you have to go through Middleham and turn back in order to gain the track into Leyburn.

On the rolling stock side of things, the Newqida Rekos are 20.75" long over headstocks translates to a shade over 39', which is all but midway between the 36' and 43' designs in the other Coverdale thread.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Last edited by IrishPeter on Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Jan 04, 2018 2:54 am

The mean that lieth ever between the two extremes...
Version 1.6
Version 1.6
NERCLR Final.jpg (127.89 KiB) Viewed 5879 times
Route of train: leave Leyburn and do one lap of the continuous run before entering line into Middleham. Leave Middleham, and the complete x. number of laps of the continuous run before entering Coverdale to complete journey. Or t'other way about!

Hopefully this is a lot less crowded looking. One interesting problem was running two trains on the old layout. On this version departures from Coverdale and Leyburn can both run clockwise until they are due to cross at Middleham, at which point both reverse direction and head to the opposite terminus... if I have planned this out right in my head!

Did I miss anything?

Looks like we have a warmer spell coming next week, but with that comes the chance of snow; so, I might be able to get digging, or then again, I might not. There is always the rolling stock projects to keep me busy!

Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by Dwayne » Thu Jan 04, 2018 4:43 pm

Peter, looks like a viable concept. Appears to have several options with two trains running and their respective meeting and stops at Middleham.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by Soar Valley Light » Thu Jan 04, 2018 5:54 pm

Hello Peter,

I've liked each one of the proposals but the last one looks really interesting. Operationally it appears to give the maximum flexibility, whilst looking very prototypical and is certainly the most 'open' and spacious of the three.

Looking forward to seeing more details as it develops.

All the best,

Andrew
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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:36 pm

Looks like I am in for another delay in getting started. The landlord next door has final has finally decided to make up the arrears of maintenance on his building, so they are working along the property boundary between the two houses close to the area where I wanted to put the railway. Hmmm, goes I, but at least I think I can get started on some ground clearance even with the works next door. So far so good - inconvenience rather than delay. Then HERSELF puts the tin hat on it, she has moved 'finishing the fence' up the priority list. Grrrr!

Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Sun Jan 07, 2018 9:47 pm

Operationally, I like Plan 3, though I also liked Plan 2 as well. My only reservation about #3 is that Leyburn now looks quite cramped and has no run round loop. Can it be positioned in the top right corner where there seems to be more space or is that area off limits?

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:48 pm

One snag with the wife's scanner and my scrap paper supply that we can only go up to about 8.5" wide. Therefore I only sketched in part of the track layout at Leyburn. It would actually consist a loop and two or three exchange sidings stretching off the right hand side of the drawing as presented here.

I am also planning on staging that construction, so that

Phase 1 consists of the continuous run and the small intermediate halt
Phase 2 consist of the 'turn back road' and Middleham station
Phase 3 Coverdale, then lastly
Phase 4 Leyburn.

It is important for me to get trains running because then it acts as a spur to get more done.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:22 am

IrishPeter wrote: Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:48 pm One snag with the wife's scanner and my scrap paper supply that we can only go up to about 8.5" wide. Therefore I only sketched in part of the track layout at Leyburn. It would actually consist a loop and two or three exchange sidings stretching off the right hand side of the drawing as presented here.

I am also planning on staging that construction, so that

Phase 1 consists of the continuous run and the small intermediate halt
Phase 2 consist of the 'turn back road' and Middleham station
Phase 3 Coverdale, then lastly
Phase 4 Leyburn.

It is important for me to get trains running because then it acts as a spur to get more done.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Ah, hadn't realised Leyburn was truncated in the plan. That makes operational potential a lot more interesting.

Rik
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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by Big Jim » Mon Jan 08, 2018 12:01 pm

Looks like I am in for another delay in getting started. The landlord next door has final has finally decided to make up the arrears of maintenance on his building, so they are working along the property boundary between the two houses close to the area where I wanted to put the railway. Hmmm, goes I, but at least I think I can get started on some ground clearance even with the works next door. So far so good - inconvenience rather than delay. Then HERSELF puts the tin hat on it, she has moved 'finishing the fence' up the priority list. Grrrr!
Any chance the navvies next door could be tempted into a little ground work on your side of the fence, possible suitably bribed with tea and bacon sarnies? (or what ever the local custom is)
If at first you don't succeed, use a bigger hammer!

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Mon Jan 15, 2018 1:13 am

Actually, I want them to get on with sorting out next door. Our house and the one next door were built by the same family about 5 years apart as they number of kids increased. It has been looking rather sad (apparently for the last few years), so I am glad they are finally doing something with it. I believe, looking at the workforce, the currency would be beer and burritos.

Anyway, it has turned cold again, so I wouldn't be getting much accomplished. So instead I am playing around with carriage drawings, and working on the Newqida conversions. I could also do to clean out the Skebawn and Castleknox RIP track.

Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Oct 11, 2018 12:50 am

I have not forgotten about this project, but I am currently brewing on scale issues. The gauge is set at 32mm, but the argument is whether that is going to represent 2'6" in 1:22.5, which leaves some room for standard gauge - Ga. 3 - wagons on transporters, and on a more practical note I can tap into the G scale stuff; or 1:19 representing 2 foot, which means most equipment will have to be imported from the UK.

The NER when it did think of narrow gauge (North Holderness Lt Rly) thought in terms of 2' gauge both when the original proposal came up in the Edwardian era and when it was discussed again 1919/20. Certainly, 1920-ish you had all that lovely second hand WDLR stuff becoming available, so the job could have been done relatively cheaply... On the other hand, I think 2'6" gauge has a lot more potential as a heavy hauler, and I have a fondness for lines such as the Leek and Manifold, and the Welshpool and Llanfair.

Decisions... decisions...


Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Fri Oct 12, 2018 5:05 am

Hmmm... the old style container (a la Conflat) would have just about fitted on a Calthrop low sided wagon... hmmm, a further solution to the transhipment problem. This would have paralleled by the cunning things the Norwegians did to ease transhipment between their SG system and 3'6" gauge and 750mm gauge. Score another point for 22.5:1.


Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Sat Oct 20, 2018 4:40 am

Existential Crisis may have resolved itself in favour of going ahead as a 1:22.5 scale project. The various odds and ends I have accumulated for the CLR seem to have been mainly 17/32nds rather than 5/8ths, so hey-ho and away we go!

So far, an HGLW LB1 has been constructed and painted black (what else did you expect) to assist with the construction work. I don't know why, but the LB1 always looks a bit like one of the later Barclay designs (think WHHR Taxi 1 & 2), so I am sort of thinking of it as a 1960s loco bought by the preservationists to get things moving again. I am in the process of weighing up the options for the next carriage.

There are also a couple of motor bogies under construction for something a bit bigger in the motive power department - think something along the lines of a knock off of a Crochat locotracteur, and you might be in the ball park. However there is a chance of something that looks a bit more Bagnell-ish depending on when I think it comes in the history of the CLR.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The CLR

Post by IrishPeter » Tue Nov 13, 2018 5:48 am

I spoke too soon on the existential crisis. It looks like SM32 is going to win after all - you can blame it on the Darj C class. I have started fooling around designing some 10' standard wagons, and some 27'6"/30'/33' carriages. Drawings on here when I get something I really like. I am also increasingly eyeing up the back garden with a view to running some trackage as far up the yard as I can on a 3% grade, and still be able to mow around it. I am contemplating starting with a relatively flat kidney shaped line on the site of the useless patio and seeing what permissions for extension the Domestic Authority will grant after that. ;)

Cheers,
+Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by Big Jim » Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:27 am

I wonder if the old chestnut about planning a holiday being half the fun applies to garden railways?

I take my hat off to you Sir, the amount of thought and critical reasoning that has gone into this project is impressive.
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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Tue Nov 13, 2018 2:32 pm

I frankly enjoy the planning stage - a trait I inherited from my late dad. Scrap paper and biros are cheap enough, and if it prevents an expensive cock-up then I am all for it. I like to work my way through all the options, evaluate them - sometimes critically, and then make some sort of informed decision - even if it is the wrong one! I also wonder if it is a reaction against the imponderables of being a parson, but that is a bit too philosophical for the BC (Before Coffee) stage of the morning.

The basic problem stems from the fact that we fell in love with a decent sized Victorian House close to down town. The nice older properties in town are on the ridge where the local War Between the States (aka 'the War of Northern Aggression', 'The Late Unpleasantness' or if you are a Yankee - 'the Civil War') battle was fought. Unfortunately, in my joy that the place had hardly been modified beyond running water (1891), central heating (1920s) and storm windows (1950s) and had the requisite high ceilings, and nice fireplaces, I failed to observe was that the hill runs along the length not the width of the garden which makes things a bit difficult for the railway modeller of the family. The initial CLR concept still holds, but I think I need to tweek it a bit more - I wonder what radius a GLR 2-8-2 or a Darj 4-6-2 needs? At some point I shall have to broach the idea with the Dom. Auth. but not until I have come up with a reasoned case. She is a very stern judge of such things.

As for getting anything done, it does not help that the weather is rubbish, and I am teaching at the Theological Institute again.

Peter in Va
Last edited by IrishPeter on Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by Big Jim » Tue Nov 13, 2018 3:01 pm

I hope it all goes well for you.

I hope to avoid the pitfalls of an unsuitable garden when we move again. I have found myself at times looking at the parsonage and its garden/out buildings first before even considering the parish profile.
If at first you don't succeed, use a bigger hammer!

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Re: The Coverdale Light Railway

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Nov 15, 2018 3:28 am

I am now quietly hoping that Mother Nature does not torpedo Friday for railway activities. I am already booked to do something about the parish website with our volunteer webmaster on Saturday afternoon, and that is usually the point at which I say something really spiritual like "oh carp! I haven't finished my sermon." So I will have to do that bit of the weekend routine on Saturday morning instead. At least I still find panic works as well as it did at college for producing my best intellectual efforts.

Anyway, I do really need to get out in the yard and decide where I can run the CLR. The kidney-shaped bit down at the bottom is pretty much graven on tables of stone, but I am wondering about a long branch around the edge of the lower garden, and terminating by the shed instead of what I originally drew. I like trains running through the garden going somewhere, rather than simply chasing their tails. That's the dog's hobby when he cannot get me to play with him. I was going to take a look at it tomorrow after we had finished with the quack in the morning, but the weather is scheduled to misbehave (SNOW!) and the wife has acquired a second doctor's appointment in the afternoon, so that's that idea down the toity.

Oh well, back to wagon building...

Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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