Fancy a tipple? Boothstown micro cameo…
A conversation with good friend Paul led to me getting lost in Jonathan Guilbert's great videos on YouTube featuring plenty of industrial NCB action around Astley Green...
One in particular (below) featured the Boothstown tippler. This end tippler was used by the NCB for transferring coal from Astley Green to industries around Salford and Trafford Park by barge on the Bridgewater Canal. Now, working tipplers or unloading/loading OO gauge wagons on a cameo could be done, but not by this modeller! It all sounds like too much effort, I'd rather some weed strewn tracks, some suggestion of gradients and a hard working steam engine bringing in loads and removing empties - putting the tippler off stage!
This scheme would be perfect in 3-4ft by 1ft using the Peco Code 75 asymmetric 3 way turnout and some bullhead track. I'd of course recommend the Planet Industrials 21t internal user wagons and a Kerr Stuart Victory for the power... although I might not build this exact layout, Paul and I are toying with the idea of some sort of 'extreme speed' joint project so it may well evolve into something in the coming months. For now though, I hope the spectacle of hard working industrial steam worms its way into your head and you fan find space in your home and your heart for a small slice of this long lost art. Until next time, more soon...
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Hi James
ReplyDeleteThis prototype would make a good layout focussing as it does on a small but often intensively worked part of a larger system.
Unfortunately in my travels I never got to see Walkden/Astley Green or any of the Lancashire coal railways. I guess too little time or money as a student and then starting a career and marriage. However I am reminded that in the early 1970’s there were similar systems in the Yorkshire coalfield were coal was transhipped to barges often I think going to a power station or maybe a steel works.
In 1971 I visited a couple and one Water Haigh pit had a layout very similar to that in your sketches. It might also make a “having a tipple” possible. I will see if my sketch drawn at the time can be scanned
Best regards
Alan
Thanks Alan, I look forward to sharing this with readers again in the future.
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