Hi,

Guilty as charged... at least for perpetrating Solsbury Hill, an ongoing project now heavily compromised by an increasing lack of mobility courtesy of some 'joy-riders' (I do prefer the irony of that term ) a few years ago. I do post on here form time-to-time on matters arising but apart form a quick 'heads up' in the new layouts forum it'll take real progress before there'll be more worth posting.

More detail on your project would be very welcome, Etched Pixels had a look at doing a proper Snow Hill but found the space needed too great (there's a brief thread on RMweb3 if you do a search).

Here are a few links that might be of interest:

There is the excellent photo thread of Steve Williams on RMweb3

Two photo sites that I keep going back to here , and although more general on changing Brum there are some interesting photo's here.

I assume you have the two Harrison books and the Vaughan, there's also Birmingham Snow Hill - A Great Station by Ian Baxter and Richard Harper ISBN 0 9534775 1 7, published by them in conjunction with Kidderminster Railway Museum.

I do like the building you've found as a basis for the 'hotel', as you've probably seen in my thread I've elected to do a version of the proposed 1939 building as I didn't fancy trying to scratch build the "crinkly bits" of the real one

I've said to people in the past that the notion that they've been inspired by my efforts - careerwise in that respect - makes me wonder about them, but I've also said that if anyone tackled a better Snow Hill I'd be very glad to see it

Regards, Gerry.

Hi again,

Yes, saw that site, but I image search every now and then as images from private sources turn up - I guess - as more interweb-technofogies such as myself succumb to the notion of posting on such places and forums. There are some photo's of the demolition on the Birmingham History Forum, you'll have to register and log in to see them but I think they are interesting.

I'm a little confused over the period you intend to be modelling, the taxi issue relates to the trackplan I'm working to - that Snow Hill was designed when horse-drawn vehicles were all the thing and turning space wasn't a problem, but in fact having the bare boards to hand the classic 25' motor taxi turning circle fits - just!* But your mentioning the sector plate and platform canopies suggests you're planning is based on the final version of the GWR/BR(W) station, when the platforms continued over Great Charles Street and the taxi drives had become the additional platform faces and trackwork. Taxi's would then have used the Booking Hall accessed from near the top of Livery Street. As my plan is a hybrid the 1939 hotel is even roomier in that respect, but I'll retain the earlier layout with those as well (there is a reality-bending alternate history justifying all this - but I do know better than to publish it).

I'll make allowance for devising some kind of solution to the overall and 'down' bay roofs for my version, it's a long way down my 'to do' list and given how little of the platforms would be visible at all if I didn't do something else unprototypical (you can see why I've chosen a totally fictitious location name) I'll need to think about it somewhat.

Of course due to the space limitations at Snow Hill - even after the period I’m most concerned with - there is Moor Street just beyond the tunnel that runs under the hotel, built to handle the outlying lines to the south as well as extensive freight facilities there relating in particular to the nearby wholesale and Bull Ring retail markets, so a second station in close proximity shouldn’t be a problem and you could prioritise passenger trains on the basis of which station they use.

Again, I'll look forward to your progress reports

Regards, Gerry.

*Captain's log - supplemental: I've added a couple of shots to my Solsbury Hiil thread as an illustration.