46256 Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 last images...just real coal to be added to tender....thanks for your interest hope you have enjoyed the journey 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 couldnt resist it big Bertha travelling under the Minworth Road bridge and on past Water Orton station back towards Bromsgrove from Derby.... 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted April 26, 2016 Author Share Posted April 26, 2016 last one...I now appreciate Mr Yorks skill when he visited for BRM some time ago... 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowanj Posted May 7, 2016 Share Posted May 7, 2016 Many congratulations on your work on this kit. I still enjoy a well cast white metal kit even though etched ones tend to be better quality overall. I also applaud your adding detail to personalise it. Brilliant stuff. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Clarke 1980 Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 that looks amaing id love to see your comlete layout Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold farren Posted June 4, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2016 I'd thought the same. But didn't want to come across has being cheeky! But sod it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 Gents thank you for your kind words..I have posted elsewhere some more photos...and the layout featured in the April 2014 BRM. I will however show some more and go into some of the details modelled which the article did not cover. The real Water Orton is a village some 9 miles north east of Birmingham....on the former Midland Railway NESW main line. The station lay between two important junctions...the west diverging from the mainline to Washwood Heath yards...Saltley MPD and on to New Street. The east junction to Derby and the north east....the fast lines...the other to Leicester and the east the slow lines. The fast lines were added in 1908 when the current station as built in the then contemporary island platform style. The slow lines had formed a junction further down that line at Whitacre to Kingsbury.then to Derby...the new junction at Water Orton had cut that corner....making a more direct line to Kingsbury. At the west junction extensive marshalling yards were in place to handle interchange traffic between the midland lines and the LNWR yards at be scot. This line went through Sutton Park and formed a useful diversionary route for any number of expresses diverted of the Trent valley man line at Nuneaton ...this meant some big uns such as 46256 were seen during the early stages of the west coast electrification. There were also sidings if the yards into the Upper Tame main drainage authority Minworth works sewage treatment complex. This had its own complex rail network. There was also a munitions factory. The yards had stowage sidings leading from them and alongside the upper platform of the station. Any number of wagons were stored there. On the other side of the line leading from points by the West Junction signal box was an engineers siding...then too a small goods yard by the station. One of the sidings there was for a cattle dock..long disused by the early sixties. My model is situated in my loft....both east and west junctions are not modelled....a representation of the stowage yards are, as is the little goods yard. In real life both fast and slow lines had crossovers just past the east junction. Locos would travel from the yards to the west light engine. Halt ...before crossing over to go back westwards. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 The East junction box was initially a traditional midland wooden box...it as replaced in 1962. There is a picture of it and the replacement br standard box together just before removal of the former. I have modelled both, putting whichever in place to set the era of locos stock I wish to run. I have tried to have one of every type that ran on the line between 1950 and 1975 pre tops....there are only two locos still remaining from that list I know of....the LNER garratt...and class 14 teddy bear diesels. The latter were assembled in good trains en route from the western region to their new homes in the north east. On that theme I've seen a southern emu in a train en route for scrap...in addition a number of guest locos such as 60113 GtNorthern. The layout is currently having its points and working semaphores rewired....and putting finishing touches to my last signal box the small br standard one that was in the sidings...the west one already built in the ARP style of the original. Sorry to bore..but this has been a lifetime labour of love..researching photos....etc...this by the way was my home village until I was 18. One last item for now have just seen a photo n Flickr of the original east box....the nameboard reads Water Orton station jct...not water Orton east jct as its successor did ...or my now to be amended model.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 just added this photo not so much for the loco a reworked GBL class 47 on Hornby chassis, but more of the shot of the four track footbridge. This scratch built out of brass and phos bronze strips. The pub in view is the Dog inn still there today 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 the first shot us of my kitmaster garratt...two comet chassis approaching Minworth road bridge from the east going past the corner of the midland box...the house in foreground used to be for the stationmaster and as partially built on the site of the original pre 1908 station.....the second is a gbl western body on Lima chassis and brassmasters additions going past the post 62 modern box 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 Just to clarify just reread my lengthy preamble the west jct...the mainline was to Washwood Heath and brum....the junction to bescot through Sutton park....further down the mainline at castle Bromwich a further jct was formed to bescot making a triangular arrangement joint at park lane....a quick perusal of Google will show what is still the current track plan....albeit the yards closed in 68 and are now covered in industrial units....Minworth sewage works still exist adding to the ambience of the area... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark axlecounter Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Hi Brain hope all is well. I have not been on here for a while due to life so just caught up. Must say I'm impressed with the locos and what you have done. I have not done any modelling for months as I say life gets in the way and also Emily lol (she is now 9 month's old time has pasted so fast. Keep them pics coming buddy. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 5, 2016 Author Share Posted June 5, 2016 Mark just sent a PM , thanks for your kind words and great to hear your news ...will send another PM in spdue course updating with some of my other modelling...best wishes brian 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark axlecounter Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Yes I have got it sorry for writing a long pm back Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Clarke 1980 Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 wow thats amazing my dad would love to see this he used to work for network rail pw and spent many a night at water orton ill show it to him it looks amazing Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 One interesting point, the goods shed shown alongside Bertha.....and with the San Andreas fault running between it and the goods yard access road. This building was a early victim to demolition....the small yard had closed in 1966. I got to know this area well in 69. A fellow group of spotters....aptly named the Water Orton railway society. They had built a small covered lean too against the wall of the cattle dock. The sidings had by now been lifted, leaving the imprints of the lost sleepers in the ground. This was our hut for watching the endless procession of trains. The yard also became Wembley or lords ...dependent on our chosen sport to while away ....even then those periods of train inactivity. The main yards , and stowage sidings had been taken out of use the year previously and were in the process of being dismantled. It still amazes me the indifference our presence was met with by rail staff, that only a short time earlier might have moved us on. I digress, this building, I had no recollection of it ....it was certainly gone by t1969. Many years later I spoke with Bob Essery at a Warley Show. He was there with the 7 mm fine scale model based in Yorkshire, that had used the Water Orton station building relocating,it to that site. He very kindly supplied me with a set of photographs taken by him in 1964. These I'm so glad to say we're of the rarely photographed sides of the station, and of the goods yard in full use....amazing so near to its closure. Mobile cranes...lorries...coal wagons and vans. It also showed the building, it's main door was to the slow line, which would have meant the train blocking this very busy line whilst it unloaded. It also show generous under floor ventilation. Mr Essery was not aware f its purpose. I have communicated with a number of people and the best...but by no means certain use of the building may have been the unloading of various substances either for use at the Sewage works.....or at a grenade factory. One correspondent did remember service personnel unloading items there. I would be grateful for any info....photos of this or other structures at this location. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 The west box showing it alongside a photo taken of the real thing in 1969 just after closure. The loco is my reworked class44...d9 with American style grilles and new class 45 front end. All the class 44 d 1 to d 10 came through Water Orton on Toton ....Washwood Heath coal trains 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 Sorry, on a bit of a nostalgia roll now....travelled behind a peak D182 on Severn Valley a couple of weeks with some of my former mates of the W.O.R.S. We had travelled behind these so many times in their and our heyday, wonderful. The colour scheme of 182 did cause some speculation...chromatic blue with small yellow warning panels image courtesy of my good friend Don Taggart 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 another common sight at Water Orton back in the day. Pairs of class 20s 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 7, 2016 Author Share Posted June 7, 2016 last one for now 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 Just changed the name of this topic to reflect it moving on from the construction of the DJH big Bertha. I intend to show some more views of the layout, in some cases alongside prototypical photos. In addition display some of my more unusual stock items. These have been created from a number of sources. The intention has been to show what would have been mundane....at the time....class 8 s on freights to 10203 travelling through en route to the British Industries fair at Castle Brom...more soon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 three photos just taken. The first the two signal boxes together, a sight for only a brief time in 1962. The midland one has now, courtesy of station signs the correct nameboard. Water Orton station jct. it's replacement has Water Orton east jct. The second photo is the mundane a Hornby class 4f with freight passing the station, it's goods yard en route into the permissive block section of line towards Washwood Heath. The volume of freight in those days often meant lengthy waits before moving onward. The last photo is over the platform roof showing my representation of the stowage yards and towards what would have been the West Jct and the marshalling yards.The two freights awaiting the road on the up goods and yard exit line are headed by the Heljan garratt....recently remotored with mashima 10/20 after failure of the supplied Heljan motor...see that thread. The other a Saltley crab. All the signals work, and are from the excellent Gibson range. They together with points are being rewired. I use tortoise point motors, and servos for the signals... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 the less photographed side of Water Oron again showing the up fast...up goods and yards exit line.....all that remains today is the up fast....even the beautiful wooden lat form buildings were demolished in the 90s 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 the high spot f the day for spotters in 62....forget your scots Jubes 8fs and black 5s aplenty....the passage of the easterner as we called it...even later when class31 hauled...a far too clean Hornby b1 brings that joy onto the midland.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 Oops just looked into my last years of steam West Midlands by David C Williams the shot I was trying to recreate is shown on page 66 B1 61033 Dibateg of Sheffield darn all on this occasion is coming off the fast lines....the other usual eastern working was via Leicester and the slow lines....the big mistake I've just made...by 62 the coaches were maroon....I was waiting to see if one of you would spot that....stupid boy Hughsey....to misquote on of my heroes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now