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The scene's setting


Andy Y

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I've had an itch for a long time. An itch to model a canal interchange shed; I'd initially looked at the still intact Chillington Wharf on the west side of the Stour Valley route from Wolverhampton High level.

 

LMSWharfNrWhampton.jpg

Photo by D.J.Norton

 

Chillington map + aerial.jpg

 

I came across this picture in the steel terminal's office whilst I was given a tour of Chillington Wharf by staff showing pre-nationalisation activity with bolsters and opens with the sort of loads which would come from a rolling mill.

 

Chillington_LMS_BW.jpg

 

This would have required a board depth greater than the space I wish to now place the scene in.

 

Moving onwards; not a million miles away from the spot though was a similar interchange shed, built by the Midland Railway off the Wolverhampton to Walsall line tucked away behind the British Steel site which sits beneath the level of the junction just SE of Wolverhampton High level station. The shed disappeared in the 1950s when the land was acquired by the steelworks but it's not a ridiculous premise to see that shed last a few decades more in the shadow of an expanding works.

 

Map.jpg

 

Earth Map.jpg

 

The shed and basin are long gone now but the site can still be seen from the access road to the works here.

 

Details are scant as it wasn't of conventional photographer's interest really, a couple of line drawings on a local history site including side elevations plus an end photo from Bob Yate's book shown in the introductory blog entry.

 

RailDepot.gif

 

RailDepot2.gif

 

 

The scene will not be a true recreation due to some compression needed, realignment to fit a workable space and the wish to give something with a little more operational interest.

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18 Comments


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  • RMweb Gold

Excellent choice, should be good!

 

Why is that local road named after a lawnmower, by the way?

 

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1 hour ago, Captain Kernow said:

Why is that local road named after a lawnmower, by the way?

 

Welcome to the backstreet world of Wolverhampton's foundries. Qualcast was just the other side of the steel mill sitting beneath both sides of the Stour Valley line.

 

Wolverhampton, Crane Street Jcn., November 1977

 

The lineage of the business is well described here http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/Museum/OtherTrades/CraneFoundry/Foundry.htm and it's then apparent it's more to do with safes, stoves and tractor bits than cutting grass.

 

And all that got flattened just over ten years ago. A shame.

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Guest Jack Benson

Posted

There is an open forge building at the Black Country Museum in Dudley and although only a microcosm of what you are planning, all the colours and textures are relevant. 

 

Sorry, if you already knew of the place, just trying to help.

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

image.jpeg.dcfca40a417f9e39c2b043c2069efda4.jpeg

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

That's an interesting scheme with plenty of scope for urban grot and decay. I remember being able to catch a glimpse of a yellow BSC locomotive (possibly Yorkshire diesel?) down in the works as trains left Wolves towards New St. on the Stour Valley line. Hope to see this progress.

Edited by Ramblin Rich
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Guest Jack Benson

Posted

Would this be useful?

 

1:76 waterline barge.

 

If so, it's yours.

 

image.jpeg.6c27c71ecf4efc266fca3ff62dd4118b.jpeg

 

Cheers

 

Jack

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  • RMweb Gold

So not only me with a Stour Valley dream, your Stour may be bigger but I'm guessing mine is cleaner:D

 

Looks like an interesting project.

 

David

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Great idea Andy, there aren't many layouts showing interchange sheds. The partly "see-through" effect of the shed will help create depth and viewblocks. I guess we'll be viewing the layout from the basin side? 

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9 hours ago, Fen End Pit said:

your Stour may be bigger but I'm guessing mine is cleaner

 

Your project will always be far, far more attractive David!

 

2 hours ago, Mikkel said:

I guess we'll be viewing the layout from the basin side? 

 

That's the intention but I know the shed's going to give me some uncoupling headaches in the lines behind it so it may get shifted laterally to suit.

 

11 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

Would this be useful?

 

Very possibly Jack; thank you!

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14 minutes ago, k22009 said:

my layout Windmill End

 

I did clock that a few weeks ago; like it!

 

13 hours ago, Ramblin Rich said:

I remember being able to catch a glimpse of a yellow BSC locomotive (possibly Yorkshire diesel?) down in the works as trains left Wolves towards New St. on the Stour Valley line.

 

Yup, Little and Large YEs.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/95430950@N07/26191858350/

 

 

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18 hours ago, Jack Benson said:

There is an open forge building at the Black Country Museum in Dudley and although only a microcosm of what you are planning, all the colours and textures are relevant. 

 

Sorry, if you already knew of the place, just trying to help.

 

Cheers

 

Jack

 

image.jpeg.dcfca40a417f9e39c2b043c2069efda4.jpeg

 

 

That is a very modellegenic scene right there...

Some of the military modelling boys do quite convincing fires.

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  • RMweb Premium

Hi Andy, this ticks a lot of my boxes, will be following with interest. On the uncoupling issue, have a think about the Precimodels ones, a la Bournemouth West. Just finished my tenth loco with them on.

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  • RMweb Gold

I do like a good back story and there’s some great reference material to work with there Andy.

 

Lookin’ good... :good:

 

 

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