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Midland in Tewkesbury


Tricky
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So, continuing the ‘Midland in...’ theme, I have now had a think about Bristol’s successor and here it is - Midland in Tewkesbury...! 

As you may be aware, if I had kept hold of Bristol then I would have made room for it by ‘plugging’ it in next to Midland in Birmingham (also known as Monk’s Gate/London/Nottingham. I confuse myself...). As Bristol is sold now, Tewks will plug in instead. 

It’s broadly based on and inspired by the little engine shed and line that carried further on down to the quay, weaving through various warehouses, maltings and other extremely photogenic buildings to be found on Google images. Here is a sketch plan - my first thoughts are that there is too much track but as it’s supposed to look cramped I think it will be ok, I’m just not convinced this is the final plan yet. And visually there’s not enough narrow ‘weaving’ of cobbled track going on through the warehouses. 

Anyway, without further a-do, here’s the plan...4E88BF3B-609C-43A2-B2AE-75B2F5D5CE74.jpeg.b01f4ebb77cd9e8bed6702dd6ef03598.jpeg

Your thoughts most welcome...

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As a resident of Tewkesbury I reiterate Killybegs comment.

 

I have some plans of the track pm me if you are interested. The above photo was taken after the track was removed beyond the shed and  after the track arrangement was modified slightly.

 

 

251632763_TewkesburyShed437544614onshed(1280x920).jpg.ee5de99cfddf626d4cf26638a45fd571.jpg

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Thanks all for your interest. I’m still cogitating over the design. Still not sure if I’ve really captured the essence of it yet. The real location had the line crossing the road with gates on at least one side before disappearing between buildings I think. Very charming indeed, but somehow I think this needs incorporating as a key feature. It’s the usual problem with a 7mm cameo of trying to squeeze something very strung out and linear into a short space. 

 

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On 21/06/2019 at 21:26, barrowroad said:

As a resident of Tewkesbury I reiterate Killybegs comment.

 

I have some plans of the track pm me if you are interested. The above photo was taken after the track was removed beyond the shed and  after the track arrangement was modified slightly.

 

 

251632763_TewkesburyShed437544614onshed(1280x920).jpg.ee5de99cfddf626d4cf26638a45fd571.jpg

 

Hi Barrowroad - if you have any photos of the quay branch itself especially water-side that would be handy. With your name is there a connection with Bristol as well?! 

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"Midland or Western in...."? 

 

That picture is very evocative but I think it is the fact it is hemmed in which is a little different. Ideal for your cameos but I'd have thought more buildings, less track, to achieve that perhaps?

 

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On 21/06/2019 at 15:01, Tricky said:

And forgive me, I omitted to say that inspiration credits go to t-b-g. Thanks Tony!

 

Glad to have had a small part to play in the project!

 

You haven't wasted any time drawing plans up.

 

The only suggestion I would make is that having water nearly all the way along the front seems to repeat the previous layouts and does diminish the "surrounded" nature. If you stopped the water half way along and finished the left hand side with a low wall like the photo above, it gives you a bit of "hemmed in" without blocking too much view.

 

Having said that, you seem to end up with well designed scenes without everybody else putting their oars in!

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13 hours ago, Tricky said:

 

Hi Barrowroad - if you have any photos of the quay branch itself especially water-side that would be handy. With your name is there a connection with Bristol as well?! 

Hi, I am originally from Bristol and am currently building a P4 layout of Bristol Barrow Road with a blog on this website.

 

I have some other photos of the Tewkesbury branch of my own but not of the quay branch. Are you aware of the following?

There is also a colour photo of Healing's Mill showing the quayside in Neil Parkhouse's book Vol3 Gloucester and Midland Lines Part 1: North p112.

There are a number of photos on Britain from Above but I expect you may have seen these.

https://britainfromabove.org.uk/image/EPW023935

 

 

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I’ve had a bit of a re-think, and here is Tewkesbury MkII. There’s a lot less track and a bit more in the way of buildings. I’m happier with this version, although even with this there are a couple of uncertain bits, but they usually get sorted as work progresses, knowing I’ve got the bare bones of the thing down.

As usual, your comments welcome... 

C45D600C-9E19-49D7-92DF-1A7D30352987.jpeg.15733585b0b3062e7a239d78e3a8d9ce.jpeg

Barrowroad, yes I had come across that blog. I take it your P4 Barrow Road was the one in a recent MRJ? 

Tony, taken on board your suggestion regarding water frontage. There are still some family resemblances between this and Bristol creeping in...

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Morning Richard. 

 

I had a long hard look at Tewkesbury myself. It really is a nice prototype and perfect for a small 'cameoesque ' project. Looking forward to your take on it all. 

 

I've not ruled it out myself and we could yet see a 4mm 1950s version added to the Sheep Chronicles...

 

Rob 

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This looks like being interesting! There's quite a lot of info on Tewkesbury shed here: https://sites.google.com/site/gloucestershirerailwaymemories/home/locomotive-sheds-and-footplate/final-years-of-the-loco-sub-sheds-at-cheltenham-malvern-road-and-tewkesbury     It provides a link to a 1928 aerial photo: https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW023947

 

In fact the whole site is likely to be fascinating to anyone with an interest in the railways of Glo'shire.

 

Martin

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The 1928 aerial photo is especially helpful in showing how the railway crossed High Street between the buildings to go down to the quay, as well as showing the station's overall roof, 

 

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=51.9954&lon=-2.1557&layers=168&b=1

 

I've been pondering Tewkesbury for a while too, but in 4mm!

 

cheers,

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I doubt it but you never know...! 

I'm still fixed in 1907, so I wonder what GW influence there was then? My knowledge of the operating there is still quite sketchy. Of course that wretched red 4 plank open will probably sneak along at some point...

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Great thank you! 

My interest at the moment is particularly focussed on the river-side frontage where I presume barges were loaded from the hoists...? This elevation of the mill will form the basis for the model version of it and I’m trying to find out how the loading and unloading worked- was it grain in by rail and flour out by barge? If so, I wonder in Midland days was the grain in sacks in sheeted opens?  Sorry Barrowroad, I’m not expecting you to necessarily know all the answers, just asking questions to anyone generally who might have any more info...!

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19 minutes ago, Tricky said:

If so, I wonder in Midland days was the grain in sacks in sheeted opens?  

 

Most likely. The proportion of covered goods wagons (vans) was very much lower - though increasing from just 1.6% in 1894 to 9% by 1907, still very much less than in BR days. Remember Spillers v GWR; Spillers bought their own iron minks as the Great Western was supplying opens for Spillers' grain traffic; the Great Western wouldn't accept Spillers' wagons. 

 

1589868602_DY9301DerbyStMarysSacksinwagons.jpg.baf6e701ca84c3e785d312d4fcc53e17.jpg

 

Derby St Mary's, 15 July 1910. NRM DY 9301, released under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) licence by the National Railway Museum.

Edited by Compound2632
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21 hours ago, Tricky said:

This elevation of the mill will form the basis for the model version of it and I’m trying to find out how the loading and unloading worked- was it grain in by rail and flour out by barge? If so, I wonder in Midland days was the grain in sacks in sheeted opens?

Hi Tricky,

I'm not sure I can answer your question but the end elevation of the Borough Mill has what looks like moveable pipework up the side of the building with a box section at the top end. Is this a vacuum unloading arrangement for taking grain off the barges?

Robin

 

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25 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Would you consider mucking about with the actual scene and shifting down to Abbey Mill, to my mind a neater building in a more attractive setting? 

Certainly open to suggestions...would you have any photos?

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