Earlier photos show a carefully constructed Ratio coal stage placed where coaling will be done (eventually). The prototype for this is, apparently, in Scotland, a long way from the English Midlands, so it really will look out of place. Volumes I and II of LMS Sheds have plenty of illustrations of LNWR style coal holes, basically consisting of two roads under a water tank, one road slightly elevated. The example at Birmingham Monument Lane was one such design but in fact there were quite a few variations.

Today I downloaded the scalescenes.com print-your-own card kit. I did this more to get ideas rather than build the kit "as is" as it appears to closely follow the GWR design as at Didcot.

The basic LMS coal holes include:

1. Two roads under the tank, coal shoveled or thrown from slightly elevated wagon into tender or bunker, the tank providing some shelter during inclement weather.

2. One road under the tank, possibly elevated, with coal transferred to 10 cwt tubs, elevated and tipped in tenders and bunkers in a track next to the structure through a chute. The tubs were elevated hydraulically in some sheds (including Crewe at one time). This design could be easily modeled within the existing layout. Parts of the scalescenes.com kit could be used for both tank and chute. The hydraulic lift could be scratch built into the design.

3. Larger systems included two roads under the tank and one road each side of the tank structure. I don't have room for this.

4. Water supply from the tank was, in some cases delivered to the tender while coaling. This particularly applied to the original LNWR 'standard' design.

There is a relationship between size of coaling plant and the number of shed roads. Typical 4 road sheds (as in Legge Lane) had a coal hole and any upgrading would probably only include a powered conveyor belt. The big concrete coaling stages were reserved for sheds with at least 6 roads, usually 8 or more.

Information sources other than the Wild Swan Publications also include warwickshirerailways.com, an excellent site with plenty of photos and descriptions through time. Even if you are not interested in Warwickshire, there is plenty to look at on this site.