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Stoke Courtenay


checkrail
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Great sequence John.

 

Brought to mind my train-spotting trips to Bournemouth Central when I was a nipper. Extra coaches were put on to the up Weymouth  trains. They were pushed into the empty platform by a shunter (03 or 04 I think) so that people could get on, then pulled out to a siding while the Weymouth part ran in - usually behind a ‘Merchant’.

 

Then the Bournemouth coaches were pushed back into the platform and buffered up to the rest of the train. Can’t imagine that now! We loved it because sitting in the siding we could see into the shed easier.

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Every coach you build takes you ever closer to the ‘rule’: “no two the same in a GWR train”! 
 

Each time I see photographs on this thread I think about building some of the carriages in my stash. I’ve not furthered any of them so far, but maybe one time. Thank you for the inspiration. 

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Lovely scenes!  The gent on the seat has very shiny shoes- he must be an ex serviceman or on the way to an interview. The feeling of space on the platform view makes social distancing easy!

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1 hour ago, Limpley Stoker said:

Lovely scenes!  The gent on the seat has very shiny shoes- he must be an ex serviceman or on the way to an interview. The feeling of space on the platform view makes social distancing easy!

 

He's been telling his wife he's still working in the office. Little does she know that he was laid off three weeks ago.

 

Everyone else is in the Courtenay Arms, getting well-loaded before the next lockdown starts.

 

British Transport Police are on standby, just off-stage. They're waiting for the unruly mob to try and get the last train back, after closing time. It will be an unruly mob, because the last train has been cancelled.

 

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15 hours ago, Limpley Stoker said:

The gent on the seat has very shiny shoes- he must be an ex serviceman or on the way to an interview.

Indeed.  Think he's thumbing the pockets of his weskit to make sure he's still got his ticket!

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14 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

He's been telling his wife he's still working in the office. Little does she know that he was laid off three weeks ago.

Sounds like one of those Japanese 'salarymen', afraid of losing face.  At least he's got some interesting trains to watch.

 

14 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

Everyone else is in the Courtenay Arms,

Hmm.  That's given me an idea for a nice little future project - renaming the pub.  I'm sure I could find a way to replicate the Courtenay family coat of arms at a suitable scale if the Earl of Devon doesn't mind!

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3 minutes ago, checkrail said:

Last three pics in this 2819 sequence.  

CT6.jpg.8c8b026cc952e5a70ba44f7732d99ec3.jpg

 

CT7.jpg.e1cc9c51fc7f4fbbad9486f2e2c51c3e.jpg

 

CT8.jpg.c15c6209e496a2b94de72858e1ef7e95.jpg

Since my only visit to Pendon, almost 50 years ago, I've always had a yen for a 28xx-hauled train of PO coal wagons, and since my return to the hobby I've enjoyed building up a collection of South Welsh coal wagons from various sources.  However, in recent years I've read more than once that most coal supplied came into Devon & Cornwall by sea. Makes sense I guess with South Wales just across the Bristol Channel.  So I have no idea what sort of coal flows came into Devon by rail, and if necessary I'll have to invoke Rule 1.  And anyway, if Pendon can have such a coal train traversing Dartmoor, and crossing a Brunel timber viaduct to boot ..... 

 

John C.

 

Lovely work as usual! 

 

I share your appreciation of a 28xx powered train of coal wagons and like you was inspired by the Pendon long coal train.  I currently have a string of around 30 coal wagons already done with a 28xx in the cupboard awaiting conversion to EM.  Like you I thought that such a train would be unlikely on my Maiden Newton project until I recently obtained a GWR Summer 1947 Service Timetable which showed a Rogerstone - Weymouth coal train on Tuesdays only - well that's good enough for me and an empties train ran on Thursdays!   You my also like to know that the long coal train at Pendon now runs on the Vale scene as was always intended.  Pendon Museum must be the only model railway that can loose a near 100 wagon train and it looks superb in the landscape!

 

Gerry

 

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John, if you haven't been to Pendon for 50 years you need to make the trip as soon as this Covid business is under control. It really is worth a visit. Awe inspiring in the true sense. Make a holiday pilgrimage of it - Pendon, Didcot, Wallingford, Swindon...

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20 hours ago, KeithMacdonald said:

British Transport Police are on standby, just off-stage. They're waiting for the unruly mob to try and get the last train back, after closing time. It will be an unruly mob, because the last train has been cancelled.

 

Surely it would have been the Company Police in these days.

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3 hours ago, checkrail said:

Last three pics in this 2819 sequence.  

CT6.jpg.8c8b026cc952e5a70ba44f7732d99ec3.jpg

 

CT7.jpg.e1cc9c51fc7f4fbbad9486f2e2c51c3e.jpg

 

CT8.jpg.c15c6209e496a2b94de72858e1ef7e95.jpg

Since my only visit to Pendon, almost 50 years ago, I've always had a yen for a 28xx-hauled train of PO coal wagons, and since my return to the hobby I've enjoyed building up a collection of South Welsh coal wagons from various sources.  However, in recent years I've read more than once that most coal supplied came into Devon & Cornwall by sea. Makes sense I guess with South Wales just across the Bristol Channel.  So I have no idea what sort of coal flows came into Devon by rail, and if necessary I'll have to invoke Rule 1.  And anyway, if Pendon can have such a coal train traversing Dartmoor, and crossing a Brunel timber viaduct to boot ..... 

 

John C.

The wonderful views of the long coal train crossing the brunel viaduct are no more. The train has moved upstairs into the vale scene for which it was always intended.

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1 hour ago, TrevorP1 said:

John, if you haven't been to Pendon for 50 years you need to make the trip as soon as this Covid business is under control. It really is worth a visit. Awe inspiring in the true sense. Make a holiday pilgrimage of it - Pendon, Didcot, Wallingford, Swindon...

 

Chinnor and Princes Risborough is the same part of the world too.  Took my younger son last week.  A nice little ride up to the junction station at Princes Risborough!

 

Both my sons loved Pendon even though are quite small.  Even my wife was happy to spend a couple of hours there!

 

David

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I too haven't made a visit to Pendon for many, many years. I was a fairly frequent visitor when I lived in Oxfordshire and always found it to be inspirational.

 

On my last visit during a Sunday afternoon I managed to catch the 28xx hauling the wagons across the spectacular viaduct. In the silence came a small voice saying "Bob ! Bob ! Quick come and look at this",  pointing to the 28xx and its wagons.

 

After it had passed the young boy, who had stood on the bench next to me to enable him to see it then turned and said " Wow ! That was brilliant ". He then pulled the sleeve of his father standing behind us and as I looked around it was 'Whispering' Bob Harris, of The Old Grey Whistle Test fame. It took me totally by surprise and after a short chat about railways we then went separate ways to enjoy the exhibition.

 

G

 

 

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8 hours ago, bgman said:

I too haven't made a visit to Pendon for many, many years. I was a fairly frequent visitor when I lived in Oxfordshire and always found it to be inspirational.

 

On my last visit during a Sunday afternoon I managed to catch the 28xx hauling the wagons across the spectacular viaduct. In the silence came a small voice saying "Bob ! Bob ! Quick come and look at this",  pointing to the 28xx and its wagons.

 

After it had passed the young boy, who had stood on the bench next to me to enable him to see it then turned and said " Wow ! That was brilliant ". He then pulled the sleeve of his father standing behind us and as I looked around it was 'Whispering' Bob Harris, of The Old Grey Whistle Test fame. It took me totally by surprise and after a short chat about railways we then went separate ways to enjoy the exhibition.

 

G

 

 

Nice.

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Morning John, 

I find a visit to Stoke Courtney just as inspirational as Pendon. Particularly your carriage conversions.

 

I suppose it must be almost 10 years since I’ve been to Pendon, but I can pop on here daily to see the developments. 
 

Thanks as ever for sharing.

Regards, Neal.

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On 03/11/2020 at 16:38, Bulwell Hall said:

Like you I thought that such a train would be unlikely on my Maiden Newton project until I recently obtained a GWR Summer 1947 Service Timetable which showed a Rogerstone - Weymouth coal train on Tuesdays only

Yes, it's mentioned in Iain Rice's excellent Railway modelling the realistic way, 2007, as the "weekly steamer coal train ... on it's way to replenish the bunkers of the Channel Islands steam packet boats" and illustrated by a pic of a model of that train on Andrew Duncan's layout, passing Maiden Newtown (sic) signal box.

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21 hours ago, Denbridge said:

The wonderful views of the long coal train crossing the brunel viaduct are no more. The train has moved upstairs into the vale scene for which it was always intended.

 

On 03/11/2020 at 16:38, Bulwell Hall said:

You my also like to know that the long coal train at Pendon now runs on the Vale scene as was always intended.  Pendon Museum must be the only model railway that can loose a near 100 wagon train and it looks superb in the landscape!

I'm glad to hear that the 28xx has found its proper home on the Vale scene.  Glad too for the viaduct.  Was it CJF who observed years ago that by rights the 28xx should be lying on the valley floor, surrounded by matchwood?

 

As for 100 wagons - fantastic!  My coal train is one fifth that length but the max my offstage storage sidings can take.

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1 hour ago, checkrail said:

Yes, it's mentioned in Iain Rice's excellent Railway modelling the realistic way, 2007, as the "weekly steamer coal train ... on it's way to replenish the bunkers of the Channel Islands steam packet boats" and illustrated by a pic of a model of that train on Andrew Duncan's layout, passing Maiden Newtown (sic) signal box.

 

Now that is interesting - I'd like to know where Iain got that information from.  Off the top of my head the GWR Channel Island steamers were oil fired from the mid 1920s when new vessels were provided for the service.  St Julian and St Helier were the passenger (Mail?) steamers and the freight vessels were Roebuck and Sambur.  I shall have to do some digging when I next go to my shed.  Certainly earlier steamers were coal fired and were serviced by coal wagons worked over the Weymouth Harbour Tramway to the Marine Coal Siding on Commercial Rd. where the fuel was transferred to lighters which were then taken down to the Channel Islands berths by the GWRs own tug.  I would surmise that by the 1940s the coal train was for domestic and commercial fuel and the train may have only run when required although it is not shown as such in the Service Timetable.  But none of that matters as I shall still run my 25 wagon, 28xx powered coal train just because I like it!

 

The 100 wagon coal trains as run at Pendon was the maximum that could run over the GWR mainline from South Wales to London and were even then only limited by the length of refuge sidings en route rather than any lack of motive power. The Pendon train is usually fewer - around 90 wagons - but is never the less a very impressive sight.   25 wagons is the maximum that my long storage siding will take.

 

Gerry

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@checkrail

 

Quote

In recent years I've read more than once that most coal supplies came into Devon & Cornwall by sea. Makes sense I guess with South Wales just across the Bristol Channel.  So I have no idea what sort of coal flows came into Devon by rail

 

That reminds me of something my late father-in-law explained to me. As an ex-HM Harbour Master, with ancestors in Guernsey, Isle of Wight, Cornwall and South Wales, he had a keen interest in how they came to be there. It was all interwoven with merchant shipping families and trade by sea. The part that's particular relevant here was between Devon & Cornwall (as metal ore producers) and South Wales (as coal producers and metal refining).

 

I had been puzzled why metal ore was produced in Devon & Cornwall but refined in Wales. He explained it took something like 10 tons of coal to refine each ton of ore. So it was more economic to move the ore to the coal, by sea, not the other way round. But then you had empty ships in South Wales, wanting a cargo, so coal arrived in North Devon & Cornwall by sea in the returning ships as well.

 

Then there were the North Somerset coalfields. Does anyone know how wide & far the coal from there went? By PO wagons as well? But would that have been too early for the period Checkrail has in mind?

 

 

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