Progress Report 12 - The line gains an identity

Ever since its inception, the line has had no real identity. This weekend, after some deliberation and a little inspiration, the Peckforton Railway has been born.

It has been assumed that the copper mining industry which was located in the area became more lucrative, creating the need for the transportation of ore. In addition, the rise of the tourist trade seeking the health giving spa waters from the Peckforton Hills and visiting Beeston Castle led to the establishment of the railway. It was never highly profitable, but survived largely because it did not cost a great deal to build, its running costs were minimal, and the local landowners found it convenient to take them to the races.

The principal station for the Peckforton Railway is at Beeston Market beside the Chester and Crewe mainline Railway.

Beeston Castle and Tarporley mainline station.
Renamed Beeston Market & Tarporley on the opening of the Peckforton Railway

Interchange sidings are provided for transferring the copper ore and other goods. Now disused, a further siding ran to the canal.

After running beside the mainline for a short distance, the Peckforton Railway veers off towards Beeston Castle with a steady fradient to Beeston Castle station under the shadow of the castle itself and within easy walking distance of the village. A single goods siding is provided for local goods.

After crossing Peckforton Road via a level crossing, the railway runs parallel to the road. Passing beside Peckforton Mere and the entrance to Peckforton Castle, the line reaches the village of Peckforton where there is a halt.

The line continues through a cutting before a short branch runs off towards Peckforton Gap, originally to serve a non productive copper mine shaft, but later adopted by the Staffordshire Potteries Water Board to support the building and later maintenance of their reservoir and pumping station.

The railway then reaches Bulkeley station, where there are two sidings, one serving the local mill. Built originally as a corn mill, it was later converted to a timber mill, powered by steam and ultimately by electricity.

After crossing the A534 Wrexham Road, a further branch runs off to the copper mine complex and ore crushing plant. Fortunately, with the rising price of copper and the discovery of a series of rich seams in the area, the industry has survived to the present day, albeit as a low key industry.

The derelict copper mine at Bulkeley (in reality, the rich seam was not discovered)

The line continues through a further cutting to the terminus of the line at Bickerton Station where there a two goods sidings and a loop serve the local communities of Bickerton, Brown Knowl and Harthill. The local production of cheese still provides some regular traffic as does the tourism for those wishing to walk the Sandstone Trail and visit the maiden castle.

The model as it exists represents part of the line. The terminus station is a slightly cut-down model of the station at Beeston Market. The existing through station will be Beeston Castle. A new station will be built to represent Bulkeley and a branch will be added leading to the terminus of Bickerton.

See also A Tour of the Hypothetical Line

At first, a route was planned from the copper mine to Malpas Station, in the opposite direction.

However, the local landowners were keen for the line to run past their estates and the company realised that a connection to the mainline and a station beside Beeston Castle would attract tourist traffic.

For interest, here's a picture of cheese trains being loaded at Broxton Station

These two pictures 'borrowed' with thanks from Disused-Stations.org.uk

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Progress Report 11 - Spring has sprung!

Very little was done in the garden over the winter, though three more open wagons (see How I made the second batch of wagons) and a locomotive kit (see How I made the Peckett Locomotive) were constructed during the Christmas break. They were finished off during the Easter holidays. This brings the complement of goods stock to 4 open wagons, 2 vans (1 LGB, 1 Accucraft), 1 flat wagon (LGB) and a guard's van.

I also purchased another Bachmann bogie coach so I now have a matching pair, together with a Bachman baggage car. The intention is to convert these (one day) into coaches which more closely resemble British counterparts - such the the Pickering coaches of the Welshpool and Llanfair or maybe the balconied stock from the Cavan & Leitrim. But for now, imagination will suffice!

[Update February 2015 - these coaches (plus one more) were eventually bashed into a rake of coaches resembling those which ran on the Leek & Manifold Railway - see How I bashed some Bachmann Jackson Sharp coaches into Leek & Manifold coaches]

During the Easter vacation, a couple of days were spent re-taming the garden, cutting back the more vigorous plants and trimming back some of the undergrowth. I also took the opportunity to shape a couple of the lonicera bushes into more realistic tree-like shapes.


The tracks were cleaned and an operating session was held, to check the new stock and to see if anything had become damaged or dislodged over the winter. A couple more heathers, a dwarf conifer and a dwarf peris were planted.

The stream sump was cleaned out and refilled with fresh water. I disturbed a young frog who has taken up residence. No idea where they come from as, to my knowledge, there are no gardens nearby with ponds - but each year I find frogs and toads in the garden.

I've begun to realise that I need more storage. I already have more stock than space so at some point I will have to construct some shelving above the sidings to hold the spare stock.

 << Go to Progress Report 10

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How I made the Peckett locomotive

The locomotive was made from a kit purchased from Garden Railway Specialists (GRS). The kit contains all the parts needed apart from the chassis which is needs to be pillaged from an 0-4-0 LGB starter set loco such as 'Rusty'. My 'Rusty' was purchased for £30.00 from eBay.

A fine cross-head screwdriver is needed to dismantle 'Rusty' until the chassis is revealed.
The instructions for the model are sketchy, particularly when it comes to the fine detailing of the cab controls. The whitemetal parts are beautifully finished, however, and needed only a minimum of filing to remove the flash.


The whitemetal parts were fixed in place with Rapid Araldite - which sets in ten minutes. There was a certain logic to the positioning of the controls, though I did try searching the internet for photos - none of which were particularly helpful in the end. My apologies to experts who may spot I have misplaced a dial or handle.

Once the cab was completed, I tackled the footplate and buffer beams. This fitted snugly over the chassis with very little adjustment needed. The styrene sheet was bonded with MekPak solvent adhesive.
Next, I tackled the saddle tank assembly. This is pre-formed and required very little adjustment to fit into place.

The saddle tank assembly was then attached to the footplate, making sure there was sufficient space for the cab to be added. Before the cab was constructed, I added lead to the saddle tank/boiler assembly. A piece of lead flashing was cut into suitably sized pieces to fit into the tank. On reflection, I would also have added lead to the firebox in the cab as the loco is now slightly front-heavy - the benefit of hindsight!


Finally the cab interior and cab were added, together with the whitemetal fittings such as the handrail knobs, spectacle surrounds, springs, sandboxes, chimney, etc.. Again, Araldite Rapid was used, though I had a few problems fixing the springs in place so Super Glue was used for this. The guard from the LGB starter-set was butchered slightly (I cut off his paddle) and glued in place as the driver. I may have to buy a fireman to keep him company, though.
A few gaps and blunders were filled with Milliput and then the whole model was smoothed over with fine wet and dry to remove any unwanted blobs of Araldite and disguise a few imperfections (mine, not the kit's).

Painting
Before paining, rivet detail was added to the buffer beams using Cambrian rivet heads carefully glued in place with solvent adhesive.

Firstly, the cab orifices were masking-taped over from the inside. I realised that I needed to remove the cab roof to achieve this so prised it off (I'd suggest making it removeable from the start). A couple of coats of Plasticote grey primer from a spray-can was followed by a a couple of thin coats of Brunswick Green acrylic spray from Humbrol. It may be me, but I found it very difficult to get an even finish with the Humbrol spray. The roof was spray painted black (much easier being removeable). The buffer beams were picked out in red Plasticote enamel. I tried Humbrol enamel initially but this took ages to dry. Plasticote brass paint was used for the fittings such as the spectacle surrounds and the top of the chimney.



I'm not entirely happy with the finish and so may have another go at it when the weather warms up a little (I'm banished to the conservatory and leave the doors open when spraying. The family (cat included) does not like the smell!). I will then do a little light weathering and seal it all with a couple of coats of satin varnish.

Just noticed that the cab steps need to be glued back in place. These were knocked off by the abutments of the viaduct - which needs to be tidied up anyway - another job for next Spring!

UPDATE: 

• Painting and lining
• Fitting a decoder
• Converting to battery power and radio control
  

How did I make the second batch of open wagons?

The basis for the wagon is the Hartland Locomotive Works flat wagon. These are bought in kit form and can be picked up for as little as £8.00 from garden railway fairs. The solebars (ie the chassis sides) and axle boxes simply click into place. The wheels and axles are a push-fit and the LGB style couplings are attached with self-tapping screws. A five minute job.

Sometimes, I have found that the solebars (ie the sides of the chassis) are slightly over-long and warp the wagon floor. This can be remedied by removing and filing a little off each end of each solebar before refitting them.

Now I have made a few wagons, I have found it easier to construct the chassis after the wagon body has been completed. This makes painting a lot less fiddly.

To turn the kit into an open wagon which has a passing resemblance to those found on the Southwold or Welshpool and Llanfair, two sides and two ends are cut from plasticard styrene sheet. I tend to use 40 thou (1mm), but for greater realism 60 thou (1.5 mm) would be better. The sides are 140mm x 30mm and the ends are 85mm x 30mm. Planks are scribed at 10mm intervals and I then scratch the surface with the blade of the craft knife to give a distressed wood grain effect. The example in the photos has curved ends (as found on the Southwold Railway). This was achieved by positioning the lid of a coffee jar strategically and drawing round it.

For detailing the wagon, a pack of open wagon strapping is needed (Part SG1123 - £3.85 from Garden Railway Specialists - http://www.grsuk.com/index.asp?docs/90.asp ).

Construction

Firstly, I attached the ends, using liquid styrene solvent such as MekPak. The sides are put into position and a paintbrush dipped in the solvent is run along the joint. Within a few seconds the joint is bonded.

Next, the sides are fixed in place. As in the prototype, these overlap the ends.

The strapping is then cut and filed. The packs contain only four hinges and so another two need to be made from other bits of strapping. The hinges are cut to 30mm, the side strapping (4 pieces) are 25mm and the end angle irons are 40mm. Two small pieces of strapping (7mm) are needed for the door catches.

In addition, two 140mm x 5mm pieces of 40 thou (1mm) styrene cut to be added to the sides of the chassis below the wagon sides for the base of the hinges.

The strapping is attached to the sides using solvent, as shown below.

Similarly, the angle irons are added to the end of the wagon.

Painting
As indicated above, I have since found it easier to paint the wagons before the solebars and couplings are attached. A spray of grey primer is sufficient for the base-coat. The strapping is then picked out in black acrylic and then comes the detailing and weathering.
Detailing
Coal wagons
Real coal was crushed to a suitable size and glued with PVA on to a sheet of balsa mounted on blocks to give the appearance of a loaded wagon.

Timber load
Strips of balsa were cut and stuck together with PVA, then tied down into the wagon with thread.
Tarpaulin cover
A piece of old bedsheet was cut to size and painted with a thin wash of acrylic paint, then hemmed and folded into position, with threads attached.

Progress Report 10 - Minor Developments

This Summer has been very busy, and as a consequence there has been very little time for modelling (see Swiss Rail Tour blog). The garden has had very little attention, other than some tidying and odd bits of planting where gaps have appeared. However, the plants are beginning to become better established or in some cases, too well established, and the railway is blending well into its surroundings. A few general shots of the garden taken this afternoon will hopefully give you an impression of progress.

Taken from beside the through station (still as yet unnamed). In the centre background just behind the shrouded clothes line, is the bridge which takes the upper line over the lower. To the right is the loop around the patio.

Moving to the right, a view looking in the same direction from beside the patio. My (unsuccessful) attempt to model a viaduct can be seen in the centre. The plaster work has proved to be insufficiently durable for the climate of the NW of England!

The 'flyover' with the (unnamed) terminus station (and catflap) in the background.

The corner beside the lean-to, the approach to the terminus in the background (and coal store underneath)

Looking back from the same point, across the patio to the through station. I have no idea why the middle conifer decided to give up the ghost. It certainly won't have been through lack of water this summer!

At the back of the garden, looking towards the 'flyover'. The link for the reverse loop is just visible

 << Go to Progress Report 9

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Progress Report 9 - Catching up

A few days' leave at Easter provided an opportunity to complete some outstanding jobs and and run some trains (I now have more than one!).

Platforms
The platforms for both stations were cast in concrete (see 'How I made the Platforms')

Additions to the stock
A chance enquiry when visiting Bay Models resulted in the purchase of a refurbished LGB Zillertal 0-6-2 loco (22711) which means my loco roster has now reached its maximum for the intended timetable (a passenger train, a mixed train and a goods train).

 
[Update November 2017]  Ten years ago, three locos seemed like a reasonable maximum - I now have fifteen locos - and plan to make at least another two ....... strange how ambitions change!

More plants
A few more plants have been added:

• three more dwarf conifers
• a hebe
• a couple of heathers
• some alpines
• yet another lavender (I keep losing these)

Some ballasting
Some of the cement-based ballast (See Ballasting the track) had been laid during a heatwave and as a consequence it had dried out too quickly. An opportunity was taken to relay some of this using a stronger mix (2 parts sand + 2 parts gravel + 1 part cement).


Cleaning out the stream
The first time the stream was run it quickly ran short of water. When cleaning the pump filter, I noticed that the soil beside the sump was getting waterlogged. It seems I had cut the pond liner used for the stream too short and hence some water was not finding its way back into the sump. It's surprising how quickly a tiny trickle of water seeping from the system lowers the water supply! A strategically-placed piece of plastic cut from a water bottle now steers the water where it needs to go - it is conveniently hidden under the lip of the slab which acts as a spillway into the sump.

<< Go to Progress Report 8

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How did I make the platforms?

The platforms were cast from concrete to precisely fit their locations. After considering a range of options (wood, plastic, tiles), I decided concrete would be the most appropriate - it is durable, cheap and easy to construct.

Two methods were used:

• for the terminus, the platforms were cast in situ using shuttering. The platforms here are primarily straight so simple shuttering was feasible.
• for the through station, the platforms were prefabricated using moulds. The platform here is curved throughout its length and hence shuttering would have been tricky.

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Method 1 - shuttering
The platform height was set at 3 cm. This was decided by measuring from the trackbed to the lowest step on one of the coaches.

Stage 1
Strips of 3/4" (2 cm) pine were cut to 3 cm sufficient to form the shuttering for one of the platforms. The width of 3/4" provided the right amount of clearance between the coach steps and the platform edge.

Stage 2
The pine shuttering was positioned around the edges of the area to be made into the platform. To accommodate the curves, the shuttering was cut into shorted lengths (approx 15 cm). The shuttering butted up to the sleepers (ties).

Stage 3
A strong mix of concrete was prepared (see mixing the concrete below) - using 2 parts sand, 2 parts fine gravel (Alpine grit) and 1 part cement.

Stage 4
The concrete was carefully troweled into the shuttering and gently tamped down to ensure there were no air bubbles. The surface was smoothed over with a trowel.

Stage 5
The edges of the platform were masked to a width of around 1.5 cm with offcuts of plywood. Sand was then sprinkled on to the centre part of the platform using a sieve ('borrowed' from the kitchen) to add texture similar to tarmac.

Stage 6
When the concrete had hardened to its 'green' state (ie not fully set) the ply masks and shuttering were removed and the concrete was scribed with the blade of a screwdriver to represent stone slabs. The platform was left to dry (covered at night as there was a risk of a frost).

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Method 2 - Prefabrication

I initially considered setting up some sort of shuttering in situ, but rejected this as the platforms were curved along their whole length on both sides and I could see no way of reliably fixing it in place - so I opted for prefabrication.

Stage 1A newpaper template was cut to fit between the tracks.

Stage 2
A felt tip pen was attached to a coach (requiring the widest clearance) which was then run along the tracks to mark the optimum position for the platform. As an extra check, other stock was run along the track to see if there was likely to be any snags.

Stage 3
The paper template was transferred to sheets of 1/2" laminated chipboard and pine (recycled from some redundant shelving). This was then cut to shape with a jigsaw. The sections were placed between the tracks to check clearances (by running various bits of rolling stock alongside).


The height of the platform was determined by measuring from the trackbed to the lowest step on one of the coaches (3 cm). Strips of 1/8" ply were cut to 4.5 cm to take account of the platform height and the thickness of the chipboard. These strips were then screwed to the sides of the chipboard templates to form the moulds.

Rather than creating a single mould, the platform was divided into sections - to make the casting process easier, to allow for some adjustment when fitting, and also to allow for expansion and contraction when the platform is completed.


Stage 4
The insides of the moulds were greased (with standard motor grease) to prevent the cement from sticking. Before the cement was poured into the moulds, miniature stone slabs (obtainable from Miniature Brick Bargains - http://www.stores.ebay.co.uk/miniaturebrickbargains) were pressed into the grease along the sides of the mould to act as facings.

A strong mix of concrete was made (2 parts sand + 2 parts fine gravel + 1 part cement - see below) and poured into the moulds. When the concrete was partially set, stone slabs were pressed into it along each platform edge and sand was sprinked on using a fine sieve to represent the gravelly surface of the platform.

Note: The block in the left hand section is to give clearance for a point motor.

Stage 5
When the concrete had set (after about three days) each section was removed from its mould. Owing to the fragility of the concrete, the sides of the moulds were unscrewed rather than attempting to prise or shake them out. The sections were then loosely positioned to check for clearances by running stock along the tracks. They were scrubbed to remove all traces of grease and then the sections were cemented into place and left to set.

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How I mixed the concrete
I do not profess to be an expert, but the technique I use for mixing concrete was taught to me by my dad - who seemed to know how to do most practical things. Anyway, it works ..............

Stage 1
Two shovels of sand and two shovels of gravel (Alpine grit) were put on to an old sheet of plywood I've used for many years for mixing concrete.
Stage 2
A shovel full of cement was added.
Stage 3
The ingredients were mixed thoroughly with the shovel.
Stage 4
A depression was made in the middle of the mix and water added. It's important not to add too much water initially as it can wash the cement powder away.
Stage 5
The ingredients were mixed again, adding water until it reached the consistency of thick cream or custard.

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[Update April 2009] After two years, the platforms have fared well.

This photo (above) shows the main terminus platform which was cast in situ. No cracks, but a bit slab-like.

By contrast, the bay platform looks quite good. While the cement was wet, I covered the edges with some strips of wood and sprinkled dry sand over the centre of the platform. When the cement had gone 'green' (ie had not fully set) I removed the shuttering and the strips of wood and scribed blocks along the edges with a screwdriver. Once the cement was fully set I brushed off the loose sand and, as you can see, the result is quite realistic - particularly as little pieces of moss are beginning to populate the cracks.

The pre-cast platforms have also survived well. I had wondered if the small tone slabs would become dislodged, but as you can see they are still very much in evidence. A few did become dislodged immediately after the casting process, but none since.