As I'm sorting through my gauge 1 pictures from the past I keep finding things I'd quite forgot about. One such was an experiment to recreate a coal unloading facility for colliery wagons. On my Mardy Coliery layout we used to load the coal wagons with real coal under the coal screens, run the fulls down to the hidden sidings, empty them out and bring them back up the hill as empties. I started to wonder whether it was feasible to do the other end of the process and build the sort of device use on the South Yorkshire canal for loading coal barges. At places like Denaby the coal came down by rail and was unloaded into the iconic 'Tom Pudding' coal barges for dispatch to the East of England The equipment was rudimentary, basically a hinged piece of track that could be raised and with the end door opened the coal tipped down into a chute. The winding house was of all wood construction like the prototype with hand laid track laid to finescale standards. Being bullhead rail individual cast chairs are spiked to the sleepers The hinged hook is just like the prototype and the wagons 3 link coupling is hooked on for lifting. I realise that to you Americans a lot of this is slightly weird technology, no buckeyes, no air brakes and wagons rated at 10 tons only. The prototype wagon, with its hinged door at one end only, is seen here unpainted. Wood body with the iron strapping represent by riveted plasticard An example of one in the colliery livery
Lifted before the door is released The coal was obtained for me by a mining surveyor who had access to this stuff. Real anthracite carefully graded for size to send to the labs for analysis. 2nd test just before the door is released. Thankfully spotted I hadn't put the box underneath before i opened the latch! Broadside shot of the baseboard Kev
I knew had a picture of the original somewhere. its official title is the Denaby Main Coal Staithe Kev
In the picture of the 'Tom Puddings' above the little blond cherub in the striped shirt stood on the lock gate sort of facing the camera is me! When i was younger we used to have a variety of cabin cruisers moored on the canal and spent most weekends down there so the coal barges were a common sight This is a set of 'Toms' approaching More typical is this very basic barge fully laden Note it doesn't even have a wheelhouse, the helmsman is fully exposed to the elements Kev
