Sunday, September 12, 2010

A typical running session

If it has been a while since I have run the railway, the track is cleaned and the foliage is trimmed back (See How I clean the track). This can take between thirty minutes and an hour and a half dependent on how long it has been since the previous running session.

I then print out the computer generated goods schedule which tells which wagons are required to be moved for the goods train and the mixed train in that running session (see Computerised freight management).

The rolling stock is then transported out into the garden from the outhouse where it has been stacked in stock boxes constructed from plywood (See How I made some stock boxes). Each box is labelled and assigned to a specific siding on the line and at the end of each session the stock is run into the relevant stock box to ensure that each wagon can be restored to its previous location.

The stock is rolled out of the boxes into each siding......

 ... and then the boxes are then stored beneath or beside each station. The locos, which are stored separately inside the house for security, are brought out and also positioned wherever they were previously located.

 This stage usually takes ten to fifteen minutes. The timetable resumes from wherever it had reached previously. In this example however, the timetable is restarting - hence all the locos are stabled on the two sidings which will eventually become the engine shed at Beeston Market.

The first manoeuvre is for the loco assigned for passenger work to move to the coaches for the first Down Passenger train of the day.

This train then departs stopping at intermediate stations  .......................

........ before arriving at Bickerton

In the meantime (ie usually while the passenger train is stopped at one of the stations), the diesel loco collects the train of empty tipplers from the interchange siding (in reality this siding secretly links with the Copper Mine  - see How the line will be developed)

The wagons are taken to the loop, where the loco runs round them and, if necessary, shunts the guards van to the opposite end of the train.

The empty ore train then departs.......................

 In the meantime, the passenger loco has run around the coaches at Bickerton and started the return journey. The two trains pass each other at Peckforton...............

The ore train takes the branch to the Copper Mine just outside Bulkeley Station (see A trip along the line)  ...............

....... and reaches the Copper Mine sidings where the loco detaches the guards van and takes it via the loop to the other end of the sidings.

In the meantime (well afterwards in reality), the passenger arrives at Beeston Market Station and the loco runs round the coaches.

The loco assigned for goods duties shunts the wagons needed for the morning goods train ..........

Then the passenger train departs from Beeston Market ..........................................

 ........... and the full ore train departs from the Copper Mine sidings ........................

 The two trains pass each other at Peckforton .....................

 Meanwhile, the goods train has departed from Beeston Market.

The ore train passes the goods train at Beeston Castle, where the goods train shunts any wagons which need to be exchanged.

The ore train arrives at Beeston Market Station and reverses into the transfer siding (which as we now know, actually links back to the Copper Mine).


In the meantime, the goods train has reached Peckforton, where it shunts the next batch of wagons ..............

NOTE: at this point the running session was abandoned owing to deteriorating weather. It was resumed three days later when the weather improved

............ and passes the passenger train, on its way back from Bickerton.

The passenger train ultimately arrives at Beeston Market, the loco runs round the train and readies itself for departure.


The goods train reaches Bickerton .....................

......and the ore tippler empties emerge from the interchange siding having discharged their loads (in reality of course the full train has been swapped with the empty train).

The passenger departs ..................

............. allowing the diesel to run round the ore train.

The goods train has finished shunting the wagons at Bickerton and waits in the loop as the passenger train arrives.

The goods train departs Bickerton as the empty ore train departs Beeston Market:


The loco runs round its train at Bickerton.................

......... and the goods train passess the ore train at  Peckforton. Sometimes these trains pass at Bulkeley if the goods train has to do some shunting, but it's seldom there is any goods stock from Bickerton to Bulkeley (they are about a mile and a half distant in reality and the weightings for these movements reflect this in the freight management program).

The ore train takes the Copper Mine branch ...........................

.............. as the passenger train departs Bickerton.

The empty ore train reaches  the Copper Mine ........................

.............. as the passenger overtakes the goods at Peckforton or Beeston Castle (dependent on how much shunting has been required).

The passenger arrives at Beeston Market ..................

..........the diesel runs round and couples up to the full ore train and the guards van ....................

..........the passenger loco runs round the coaches at Beeston Market ..............

.................... the goods train arrives at Beeston Market .....................

........... and the full ore train departs the Copper Mine.

 The passenger train departs Beeston Market,  passing the ore train at Peckforton.

 Once the goods train has finished its shunting at Beeston Market, the loco is stabled.

When the passenger train next arrives at Beeston Market, one (or sometimes two) of the coaches is detached and one or two goods wagons are attached to form a mixed train (dependent on what the computer program has generated).

The Mixed Train shunts whatever goods stock is required on its way to and from Bickerton Station, passing the ore train at whichever station is most convenient.

There are two more passenger trains and one more ore train, to which is attached the four wheeled workman's coach.

This marks the end of a day's running in the life of the Peckforton Railway. The locos return to the 'shed' (yet to be built) at Beeston Market and the timetable resumes.

If the freight program indicates the movement of an oil tanker to or from the Copper Mine, then this is usually attached to one of the ore trains.

Youtube video taken during the session


Video made more recently showing the progress of the pick-up goods


Future developments
Eventually, I intend to construct another siding to serve the timber mill beside the river near Peckforton Station. This will add a little more interest to freight handling. If I have time I will also make a few more cattle and/or sheep wagons and may institute a couple of livestock trains at the start and end of the day assuming it is market day at Beeston. I also need to construct at least eight more open wagons. If I do accumulate more coaching stock, I may add an excursion train into the schedule, maybe taking trippers to Beeston Castle and then on to take the waters and the air at Peckforton spa (a halt will have to be added for the Peckforton spa hotel - yet to be built).

As you can see from the photos, there's still quite a lot to do. More detailing of the stations, weathering of the stock, Angliscising some of the locos and ironing out some of my shoddy tracklaying. I also need to wire in the point decoders which I have already bought for some of the more inaccessible pointwork. However, I do enjoy following the trains around, changing the points in situ and coupling and uncoupling the wagons by hand. One day I will change the LGB couplers for more realistic chopper couplings - but for now, they suffice.

Musing and reflection
One of the things which I really love about this form of hypothetical railway modelling is the opportunity it affords for creativity. I create my own form of reality which is informed by the real world but which is my own interpretation of a possible series of events. In my world for example, the copper mine has become commercially productive, but the local landowner has insisted that all the spoil is transported off site to avoid despoiling the local scenery. Furthermore, the ore is processed at sister mines at Alderley Edge, though it is crushed at the Bulkeley mine. This accounts for continuous running of ore trains through the day.

In my world, the canny landowner has exploited tourist potential of the health-giving properties of the local spa water, and built a plush hotel to cater for well-heeled (and well-healed(?)) guests. Beeston Castle acts as a tourist attraction for the hoypolloy and there is also a healthy trade in local Cheshire Cheese and fruit growing - this is founded in reality but traffic was actually carried by the Chester-Whitchurch Railway. The timber traffic is invented, though there is evidence of some foresty on the Peckforton estates today. This would not, in reality, generate the level of freight traffic found on my railway - but in my world trees grow incredibly quickly.

I am considering adding a sand and gravel business somewhere on the line (in reality (ie the real reality) there was a sand quarry adjacent to Beeston Cattle Market), which would also be served by the ore trains - however I'm not sure yet where this will be sited, though I do have my eyes on my wife's vegetable beds which have recently been constructed (see How I built the raised beds). I'm sure another branch line would not take up too much growing space....................

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