I have been using a linning pen for many years but it is a slow process as you can only do one side at a time and only one colour at a time. However I have been experimenting with using the excellent lining sheets from Fox transfers. Attached is an example I used for 45593 Kholapur. I had already started linning out a Black 5 wirh a pen and decided to complete the job with Fox transfers and could not tell any difference! The cab side is linned out with a pen and the tender with Fox transfers.
The opertion of the layout will trains arriving into the exchange sidings and being shunted into the connection into the canal basin and for this I can use a number of locos. One of my favourite classes of locomotive is the ex LNWR G2. Some 25 years ago with my late friend Jim Barnes we created a 4mm brass kit for this class and started Brassmasters so this class will always have a place in my heart. The arrival of the excellent Bachmann model meant that I have never finished my personal Brassma
The standard passenger trains between Shrewsbury and Stafford consisted of 3 ex LMS corridor coaches pulled by Staffords 2-6-4 tanks of both Fowler and Fairburn varieties or Shrewsburys Jubilees, Black 5s or Stndard 5s. Here 42176 is seen with a nice set of ex LMS coaches. I am fortunte that I have a set of coaches built by Grahame Varley to replicate this train. However photos show these trains sometimes with different coaches and in a video clip taken at Shrewsbury the train is made up of a ne
The previous posting had photos of one of Wellingtons ex GWR 2-6-2 tanks and attached is a photo of that loco in 1960 when it still had the old BR emblem on the tanks. In the background is a Dukedog from Whrexham wich was stored at Wellington over the winter before being returned to its home base in the spring. A feature of Wellingtons Pannier tanks was the fittment of overhead warning flashes as the locos would work to Crewe on the passenger trains from Wellington. The attached photo shows 977
The majority of the trains working through Trench were of ex LMS origin or BR standards, the only exception being some of Wellingtons Pannier tanks working trip workings. have no photos showing any of the other classes at WEllington working the line but the working instructions for the route allows most of the ex GWR classes including Castles and Halls over the route. Wellington had a small stud of the ex GWR 2-6-2 tanks for working trains to Much WEnlock and Crewe with freight workings to Oxle
A few more of my wagon fleet, this time tube and plate wagons, mainly Parkside.
My reasoning for the layout depends upon the steel fabrication company (it was called Summerfields) which occupied the old ironworks sit was larger than it actually was and would justify incoming trains of steel plate and sections hence the number of plate wagons. Trains did work into the site but by the early 1960s were on an "as and when required" basis. Trains of plate wagons would also justify the appearance
A couple of photos of some of the locomotives for trench sidings. The first is D5083 which turned up one day on the Granville Colliary coal train from Donnington to Buildwas Powere station instaed of the more usual 8F. This is a Bachmann Class 24 and has been modified with Shawplan glazing and a Brassmasters circular exhaust port. The handrails have been thinned down and it is fitted with Branchlines P4 wheels. The second loco is another Bachmann Class 24 with Brasmasters headcode boxes (comple
Thought it may be usefull to post a few photos of some of the prototype trains for Trench. The first photo is in 1936 showing the loco shed with its resident Pug 11218 with a Black 5 5254 passing on the main line. The second photo is of one of Shrewsburys Standard Class 5s with a train at Stafford for Shrewsbury circa 1962/3. The 3rd photos is one taken by me circa 1965 of 46519 (Shrewsbury) leaving the Ordenance Depot at Donnington and heading back to Wellington and shortly to pass Trench sid
I have for more locomotives than the layout requires but most of them are locomotives that I saw operating the line between 1962 and 1965 (the passenger service stopped in Sept 1964) but freight continued. The first locomotive is one I saw pulling into the Army depot at Donnington with a daily freight usually pulled by one of Burton on Trents newly aquired Jubilees and within a few months I had seen all of them. 45593 left Burton for Leeds and eventual preservation, but here she still has the St
Although I have only started this blog recently I have been building locomotives and stock for the layout for many years, so I suppose I should post some photos of some of the stock I know have. The first pictures show my collection of 9 brake vans, why 9 i hear you sk, no idea I say I just started building them and then realised I had enough! The majority are Bachmanns latest offering but with P4 wheels, screw/3 link couplings, roofs repainted and given some weathering. The 2 ex Midland ones ar
The overall track plan I posted was a little crowded to see the detail. The baseboards were built with the help of my good friend and fellow NAG member Ken Kirk in his well equiped wooworking shed. The baseboards were constructed of 12mm furniture grade plywood which a NAG member put us in contact with. The photo shows Ken making sure everything was flat and square and the boards were screwed and glued with Gorilla glue.
Once the boards were built they returned to my garage, and here lies a
I have been planning to build Trench Sidings for 20 years and have finally made a start. But first lets place where it is. In my teenage years I lived near Trench Crossing station which was a small station between Wellington and Donnington on the line to Stafford. The line was ex LNWR/LMS. Just down the line from Trench Crossing was an interchange yard called Trench Sidings where there was a curved line down to a canal basin which was bounded with a number of iron works. There was a small loco s
