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Market Drayton to Stoke line


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Hi all, 

I don't know if anyone will be able to help, but was wondering what sort of locos would have worked the above line during LMS/BR steam days? 

Any help would be massively appreciated. 

TIA

Chris

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I'm afraid I don't have much information for you, other than to say I have vivid recollections of seeing a Stanier 8F and a Fowler 4F crossing over the WCML on a bridge near Madeley some time around 1961. I also seem to recall, although I can't be certain about this, that I saw a Riddles 9F at the same location around the same time.

 

Davey

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Thanks Davey. Particularly pleased about the 4f as I have a soft spot for them! 

 

Surprised by the 9f though, I must say. I was expecting Jintys and not really much more on a small branch line. 

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1 hour ago, Trog said:

Silverdale coal mine was near where that line crossed the WCML, the larger locos may have been something to do with that.

At least some of Silverdale/ Holditch's production was sent to Llanwern in South Wales.

For many years, the Royal Train would be stabled on the remains of the Market Drayton line when State visits took it into the North-West/ North Midlands; a friend who lived in Whitmore was stopped by the attendant police early one morning.

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2 hours ago, 1722 said:

Particularly pleased about the 4f as I have a soft spot for them! 

 

Make sure they're LMS built ones (rather than the Midland-built examples) as, almost exclusively, only those would have been shedded at former LNW sheds (Stoke/Crewe) as made by Hornby rather than the more recent Bachmann model. For passenger work a Fowler 4P 2-6-4T (again somewhat dated Hornby offering) would fit the bill. Mix in 8Fs and Black Fives and you've got a plausible stud.

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Stoke (5D) shed's LMS 4MT 2-6-4Ts were frequently used on the Market Drayton line, including on the last passenger services in 1956. Here's a photo of 42066 passing Madeley Chord signalbox on a Market Drayton freight. Class 4MT 2-6-0s, Black 5s and 8Fs certainly appeared in later years on the coal trains from Holditch and Silverdale, usually coming off the branch at Madeley Chord to join the WCML. LMS 4Fs and 3Fs appeared up to Silverdale, and working the southern section of the Audley lines which branched north at Keele, but now you come to mention it, I don't recall seeing any photos of 4Fs or 3Fs as far along the line as Pipe Gate or Market Drayton in later years. Nor a BR 9F, would love to see a photo or hear of a definite sighting!
 

Photo is copyright Birch Holland Collection ref BH21-37.

Madeley_Chord_tablet_exchange_at_signalbox_westbound_freight_behind_LMS_2-6-4T_42066_BernardHolland_BH21-37.jpg

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In An illustrated history of Stoke and North Staffordshire Railways there is a picture of 8F (48600) on  coal train from Holditch passing Knutton which according to the caption is heading possibly for Ironbridge . dated Jan 1965.

 

How accurate the caption is I shall leave for you to decide, but may explain some of Davey's recollections.

 

Andy

Edited by SM42
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10 hours ago, 5D_Stoke said:

Stoke (5D) shed's LMS 4MT 2-6-4Ts were frequently used on the Market Drayton line, including on the last passenger services in 1956. Here's a photo of 42066 passing Madeley Chord signalbox on a Market Drayton freight. Class 4MT 2-6-0s, Black 5s and 8Fs certainly appeared in later years on the coal trains from Holditch and Silverdale, usually coming off the branch at Madeley Chord to join the WCML. LMS 4Fs and 3Fs appeared up to Silverdale, and working the southern section of the Audley lines which branched north at Keele, but now you come to mention it, I don't recall seeing any photos of 4Fs or 3Fs as far along the line as Pipe Gate or Market Drayton in later years. Nor a BR 9F, would love to see a photo or hear of a definite sighting!
 

Photo is copyright Birch Holland Collection ref BH21-37.

Madeley_Chord_tablet_exchange_at_signalbox_westbound_freight_behind_LMS_2-6-4T_42066_BernardHolland_BH21-37.jpg

 

4Fs and 3Fs not as far as Pipe Gate you say? Hmm... 

 

I'm looking into modelling Norton-in-Hales. Typical! 

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On ‎02‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 05:48, 1722 said:

 

4Fs and 3Fs not as far as Pipe Gate you say? Hmm... 

 

I'm looking into modelling Norton-in-Hales. Typical! 

 

Norton in Hales would make a lovely model. It's not to say the 3Fs and 4Fs didn't go to MD but I think the 2-6-4Ts handled a lot of the passenger and freight on the line. It was pretty rural and not much photographed really. I believe it was in the 1960s proposed to be part of a major west-east freight corridor via Welligton and MD to the WCML and Stoke, and that would have changed the character of the line considerably, but the decline of rail freight meant it was never developed.

 

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18 minutes ago, 5D_Stoke said:

 

Norton in Hales would make a lovely model. It's not to say the 3Fs and 4Fs didn't go to MD but I think the 2-6-4Ts handled a lot of the passenger and freight on the line. It was pretty rural and not much photographed really. I believe it was in the 1960s proposed to be part of a major west-east freight corridor via Welligton and MD to the WCML and Stoke, and that would have changed the character of the line considerably, but the decline of rail freight meant it was never developed.

 

Wasn't there a major marshalling yard planned, but never built, around Wellington or Shrewsbury?

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3 hours ago, 5D_Stoke said:

 

Norton in Hales would make a lovely model. It's not to say the 3Fs and 4Fs didn't go to MD but I think the 2-6-4Ts handled a lot of the passenger and freight on the line. It was pretty rural and not much photographed really. I believe it was in the 1960s proposed to be part of a major west-east freight corridor via Welligton and MD to the WCML and Stoke, and that would have changed the character of the line considerably, but the decline of rail freight meant it was never developed.

 

 

Great information - much appreciated. Thank you.

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