MR Blackwell Branch

[sys120847com1]

Hi
the Blackwell branch only ran as far as the New Hucknall Colliery just below Huthwaite. There were plans to continue it to Sutton-in-Ashfeld to join up with the Penny Emma line but these were shelved because of the cost of tunneling through the escarpment near Huthwaite. The Great Central Line had spurs running onto the Midland line at the site of B Winning Colliery. Trust this may be of help. I do have maps of sections of the line which I could let you have.
Ian Newham

[batling]

Hi Ian,

Thanks for the info, it has confirmed what I've seen on maps where the spur runs down from the GC line. I think I've got the lines around B Winning pit right, perhaps a look at the screenshots earlier in the thread could confirm this?

Many thanks again,

Kind Regards
Ant

[Blackpatch]

Hi Ant, well thats made me chuckle with hearing you mention B Winning. Its where my mum grew up and some of my earliest memories were of a couple of 20's often making there way to sidings up near the A38 which you could see from the road. From the other side of the road I remember the line curved away but had been severed. Not sure where it had gone to originally.

BP

[westhouses]

Hi all,

just searched the "tinternet" for Tibshelf Sidings and was amazed to see the fantastic work that has gone into making such a realistic representation of Westhouses and the surrounding area.

I cannot give a enough positive comments about the work,

If I may be permitted, there are few improvements that could be made?

The layout of the track as shown depicts around 1900 ish, whilst it looks like there is a footbridge at the station, it never actually had one and platform 2 was accessed from the road bring directly descending onto the platform. With the MR H shaped building up on road level being the booking office and post office then large Station hotel next to it.

in the period shown, there was a MR box behind the station called station box, or later there was "westhouses and Blackwell" box on the Tibshelf side of the road bridge,

heading along the triangle towards Blackwell East, it was three lines running parrellel to Blackwell East Junction and Box. I noticed the two sidings from Blackwell B Winning colliery, that run out towards the GC overbridge, these were for an exchange siding with an inclie railway that went under the GC connection and all the way to Pinxton Wharf! It's doubtful however that both were in use at the saem time as the GC connection came later, after the Erewash had been four tracked.

Adding signals will make a huge difference as well, there were some distinctive ones, such as the gantry at Blackwell East and the signals from the single north curve to the bridge at the start of Tibshelf Sidings.

I would really appreciate getting in touch with the creator as I have loads of pics and maps it would be great to share,

Alex Fisher, fisherdalex [ at ] yahoo.com

[westhouses]

Hi
the Blackwell branch only ran as far as the New Hucknall Colliery just below Huthwaite. There were plans to continue it to Sutton-in-Ashfeld to join up with the Penny Emma line but these were shelved because of the cost of tunneling through the escarpment near Huthwaite. The Great Central Line had spurs running onto the Midland line at the site of B Winning Colliery. Trust this may be of help. I do have maps of sections of the line which I could let you have.
Ian Newham

The GC even went as far a depositing a plan to extend their line from B winning to A winning! sidings on the north side of the colliery.

Where the GC joinded into the MR line at New Hucknall the two companies shared the cost of the level crossing into the sidings of New Hucknall Colliery.

From the GC, B Winning and New Hucknall were served by trips from New hucknall Sidings and ultimately Colwick sidings near Nottingham. From MR I have a ful trip working diagrams from the 1920's ish I think.

Not te start of a track under the GC over bridge of the MR, whilst land formations were built and costs for a line sought, it was never built, although the oigional plan was for a line from the Tibshelf branch near Sutton Colliery Junction hooking around to B Winning, instead of from the triangle at Westhouses, (PLan in Notts record office). Anyways, loads more info to hand,

would like to see those mentioned by Ian, and get in touch with the creator of the westhouses Sim.

fisherdalex 'at' yahoo.com

Alex

[batling]

Hello!

Firstly thanks for the kind comments! Its good to know that it at least resembles the line properly .

I've been working with whatever maps and pictures I can get hold of which probably explains why the track plans a little wrong, I haven't got much to go by so anything you have would be great. I'm modelling the period from the 40's to the 60's-ish I guess.

I've actually just started work on it again after a lengthy lay off. Life in general getting in the way

The scenery from Alfreton station to the tunnels is now complete so I've started on the line North to Clay Cross where the route will end for now. I might extend it further in the future. The original idea was to build the depot at Westhouses (may fav bit) and the Blackwell branch but there's not much scope for scenarios in that so we'll see.
I haven't done the signalling yet as a: I know NOTHING about signals and b: Railsim's signalling system is very flawed and the amount of junctions on the route could cause me a headache! so I thought I would do it when RailWorks came out with its supposed improved system but now that idea may go up the swanny because I don't want to be tied down to Steam just to use Railworks! Arghhhh.

Oh well, for now I will carry on building it in RailSimulator...

Ian and Alex, pm me and I'll send you my email address, any material you have would be a massive help.

Thanks again
Ant

[batling]

Hi,

Just the one pic for now, Diesels are now starting to make there prescence felt in the Erewash Valley. A Class 47 makes its way towards the pits with a long rake of empties...



Right back to work!!!

Kind Regards
Ant

[batling]

Ok one more,

Little one of Alfreton station now finished completely. The scenery up to the tunnels about a mile away is now complete and this will be the south portal of the route eventually.



Kind Regards
Ant

[stephenholmes]

Very nice work Ant
I will look forward to downloading your latest route when it is ready
Kind regards Stephen

[RCH37401]

Brilliant Ant

[niclouse3]

Ant, that almost looks real!

[briyeo]

Ok one more,

Little one of Alfreton station now finished completely. The scenery up to the tunnels about a mile away is now complete and this will be the south portal of the route eventually.



Kind Regards
Ant

Im new to RS Ant just got it as everyone moved on to RW, I have been through all the posts in this thread and I must say to someone who has been around the Erewash Valley all his life like me, it looks just like home, your doing a great job and I know how time consuming it must have been. Hopefully you intend to make Blackwell Branch available for RS users and I wouldnt want to delay the release at all, but are you really going to leave me off the map down here in Langley Mill ?

It doesn't look like the vegitation pack is available at the moment, thats going to be a little frustrating.

[westhouses]

Ok one more,

Little one of Alfreton station now finished completely. The scenery up to the tunnels about a mile away is now complete and this will be the south portal of the route eventually.



Kind Regards
Ant

Excellent pic,

not sure what items are available on the sim, but any cjace of changing the portal on the left, (the Goods line) to a metal Girder type?

Would like to work with Ant on the signals for the line, as Semaphores would add so much to te line.

Alex

[batling]

Hi,

Thanks for all the comments guys

briyeo - Thanks for posting the pics up, its always good to have more ref. material. I'm glad you recognise the area, I've worked hard to try and make it as true to the area as possible. I will be releasing the route at some point - whether its in RS or RW I don't know yet, that depends on whether I decide to sell my soul to Steam and if the despatcher in the sim ever gets sorted properly . If I ever extend the route - I will include Langley Mill!, but it may be some time yet or even in another route as I want this one to concentrate on Westhouses.

Hi Alex - thanks so much for sendinng me the pics of Westhouses, I'm slowly massing a fine collection!

I can change the bridge to a girder type - theres a couple in RS - see the pics of Westhouse station which I also have to change! - From pics I have the bridge at Alfreton has two brick arches, is this correct?. The portals are actually a spawn point for trains and they will be down the line after the bridge in that shot.

The signalling will be added once the trackwork is finalised on the whole route. Its not a case of adding them in, they also have to function in the sim to make it playable and as previously stated, the system in Railsimulator has its problems hence these have been left out pending the release of Railworks which was/is supposed to have had these problems ironed out. Though from what I've heard its getting there but not great so it shall have to wait... The other reason is I need to learn about Semaphores (both in real life and in the sim) before I can start accurately placing them in the route.

But theres a lot more work to be done yet!

Thanks again to everyone whos taken the time to read through the thread I'm glad you all like what I've done!

Kind Regards
Ant

[buckbeak]

HI ant,
I've never really commented on your routeee but I must say it looks amazing, there are a few tutorials knocking about on UKTS about signaling if you want to take a look at some of those.
Danny