The LNER Encyclopedia

Any pointers on what was generally used in the Derbyshire/Notts/S.Yorks/Lincs areas on these lines (the former LDECR & Great Central) during the inter-war years? Limestone?, granite?, mixture?. And, therefore what the best 00/4mm type/make/shade to use? Just talking main & secondary lines.

Thanks

Im interested in this line but cant help with an answer, I cant recall any quarries served apart from maybe Steetleys up Worksop way. ISTR recall that they had a tarmac plant using a local hard stone that may be a lead.

Thanks 52D - I know that quarry well - live near there! when it was a working quarry it definitely had a rail link. That local stone is dolomitic sandstone with a hard limestone bed beneath that btw and was generally used for building (one major example being the Houses of Parliament!) and the dolomite for various other uses - so might have been a bit wasteful and expensive for ballast?

Whinstone or quartz dolerite was quarried at Belford in Northumberland for many years for ballast in the North East.

There is a Ministry of Transport accident report on the derailment of N5 no 69319 between the Clipstone East and West junctions on 12 May 1950 which may help. The report can be downloaded from here.

To quote the report "...The track where the derailment occurred was 95 lb. bull-head rail in 45-foot lengths ; it was 25 years' old, and the average weight of rail at the time of the accident was 84 lbs. per yard. The rails had been turned some three years previously, and the general condition of the track was fair. Gauge was accurate and did not vary appreciably ; timber sleepers and the fastenings were reasonably good and there was no sign of gauge spreading ; and the ballast, which consisted of mixed dry ash and stone, was of adequate depth..."

There is some further background to the LDECR lines at the time of this accident on pages 4 to 7 of the Journal of the Great Central Railway Society No. 151 March 2007 that can be downloaded from here http://www.gcrsociety.co.uk/Forward_151_web.pdf.

Thanks Watcher - that's really helpful, and, I guess, fairly conclusive
Cheers