Coalorsdale - A shropshire Branchline - 1965 to 71

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

The mounting plates eem to have worked well. Now the points are realigned they throw much better, hopefully when I get the springs from peco they will be back to 100%.

 

Only 3 more point Motors to refit tomorrow 

 

Ive also had a tidy up, installed the new sign on the mimic panel, and painted the framework black to match the facia. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

All of the motors now work at least 96% of the time, that should be 100% when the springs arrive from peco. 

 

I've installed a gaugemaster single output decoder on the crossover,  I had to put each point on its own output of the lenz decoder meaning I needed more outputs than I initially thought. I've covered the gaugemaster unit with a cover I designed and printed. 

 

I'm much happier with the storage yard. I can stand at the main panel and control the scenic points directly and then use the mimic panel and handset to run the Storage points to swap stock. 

 

 

When my exams are over next week I can get back onto scenic work, and signals. 

 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Finally finished my exams. 

 

One thing I did get done Inbetween my uni work was fitting a capacitor stay alive to the 57xx so it runs better. 

 

I've just had a little running session and now im starting to turn my attention to signals. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Finished the shunt signals today, they are just dummies, and need weathering before installing. 

 

 

I'm now working on the home signals, ratio kits again. But this time I'm modifying them to have lights and servos. 

 

So far I have modified the posts (removed secondary distant arms from two signals as well as shortening one of the tall posts) 

 

I've also added surface mount leds with fine wires superglued to the back of the posts. 

 

I took the wire from an old motor coil to save money. You can't see them from the front, and hopefully when painted they should blend in to the back of the posts. 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

.... 

 

I have simply cut the lamps in half and glued the leds to the front, they should look better when painted and I may end up adding miliput on the sides. However they are so small I may well leave them as is. 

 

 

[MrWolf]

You would probably get away with painting the lamp case and all but a circular patch on the LED, once the spectacle plate is in place, as you say, there won't be much visible.

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

I was going to avoid using the base plates but I've decided they make the most sense for ease of painting and assembling. They'll also hide the holes for the wires. 

 

I shall probably be burying them under ballast. 

 

Now I'm fighting them with a square until the cement fully cures. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Ladders now on, I had to bend some some more rails for the top as I had modified two posts that were meant to be home and distant combined. 

 

 

One of the modified posts I've made to look the same as the others, however I've left one tall and simply removed the section with the distant mount and lamp. 

 

The tall post has a modified ladder with an extra bracket half way down. 

 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Posts are primed and mostly painted. 

 

I've been working on the arms as well. I've filled out the spectacle plates so I can fit lenses ( clear plastic painted with thin acrylics) they are also mostly painted, however I need to tidy up the backside and paint the black and white. 

 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Having painted some plastic to make the lenses I realised I had nothing to cut a fine circle. 

 

Along comes my dad with the suggestion of using the glass paint itself to make a film in the holes. 

 

Fingers crossed in the morning my mix of pva and glass paint will be dried into clear tinted lenses. 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

I must get the signals done but I've been busy editing another YouTube update.

 

Whislt on my pc I was looking through some of the photographs I've collected of the branch and these two coaches keep cropping up with many different locos. 

 

I've no clue where to start in identifying them other than one is a brake and they both seem to be crimson and cream. 

 

Any ideas as to their design as I'd like to buy a nice pair for the local service. 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

I've gotten all 4 signals assembled and working, I will add servos once they are installed on the layout. 

 

The leds were a bit hit and miss. I burnt one out during testing (put the fine wire on the wrong side of the resistor). 

 

But the others seem to have worked. One or two of the leds don't quite align perfectly with the lenses. But those that do look pretty good. 

 

I'll get some better pictures when they are installed but here are some blurry cropped photos of the best signal, taken whilst I was trying to hold both wires to the power supply. 

Edited February 5, 2021 by Horsehay Railway Modeller

[Northroader]

The two coaches are both GWR designs built at Swindon. The nearest is a 61’4” 1929 corridor third, C60. The next is a 64’ 1948 corridor brake third, not too sure of the diagram, there’s slight variations in the windows, but in the low D130 series. I model in 0, so not au fait with model availability, I’m afraid. Corridors on a branch set? Well, the school kids used them between Wenlock and Coalbrookdale CHS, (mixed ed) and it was thought “things might happen” in non corridor stock, they still did, even with a master patrolling the corridors.

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

1 hour ago, Northroader said:

The two coaches are both GWR designs built at Swindon. The nearest is a 61’4” 1929 corridor third, C60. The next is a 64’ 1948 corridor brake third, not too sure of the diagram, there’s slight variations in the windows, but in the low D130 series. I model in 0, so not au fait with model availability, I’m afraid. Corridors on a branch set? Well, the school kids used them between Wenlock and Coalbrookdale CHS, (mixed ed) and it was thought “things might happen” in non corridor stock, they still did, even with a master patrolling the corridors.

Thank you so much, I knew someone would identify the coaches but I wasn't expecting so much detail!

 

Hopefuly i'll find some rtr stock or even kits. 

 

Might even have to get some school children and a school master to go on the platforms at the station every now and then

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

The junction signal seems to be a newer tool and even comes with lenses to glue in place. 

 

The combination of being a better tool and learning from my mistakes means I've almost got the junction signal done in one evening. 

 

The arms are also muh cleaner as I got the masking correct first time. 

 

Hopefully I can start the electronics tomorrow. 

 

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

I've been looking around and Hornby seem to make the coaches I need. The roof vents differ slightly from my source photos but the windows seem to match. I can't find any info on the specific length or drawing of these coaches. Hornby description is a broad description of all the versions of collects third class stock. 

 

@Northroader would you agree these match?

 

Edited February 6, 2021 by Horsehay Railway Modeller

[The Johnster]

The R4684A Collett 57' corridor third is pretty much bang on, but the brake third in the Much Wenlock branch photo is a Hawksworth design, definitely not R4685A, and if I'm not mistaken (and I sometimes am) not a brake third but a brake composite, which makes sense if first class accommodation is to be provided.  Hornby do the Hawkworths, which were all 64', as well as the Colletts, but I'm not sure about this particular BCK. 

[whart57]

11 hours ago, Northroader said:

The two coaches are both GWR designs built at Swindon. The nearest is a 61’4” 1929 corridor third, C60. The next is a 64’ 1948 corridor brake third, not too sure of the diagram, there’s slight variations in the windows, but in the low D130 series. I model in 0, so not au fait with model availability, I’m afraid. Corridors on a branch set? Well, the school kids used them between Wenlock and Coalbrookdale CHS, (mixed ed) and it was thought “things might happen” in non corridor stock, they still did, even with a master patrolling the corridors.

 

Was that between Wenlock and Coalbrookdale, or Coalbrookdale and Wenlock? There was a high school in Wenlock right by the station.

[TheSignalEngineer]

6 hours ago, The Johnster said:

if I'm not mistaken (and I sometimes am) not a brake third but a brake composite,

I think you probably are mistaken as trains from Wellington to Much Wenlock via Coalbrookdale were 3rd class only, so a Hawkseorth BTK. 

Enlarging the picture I can't see any 1st class markings.

[The Johnster]

Fair enough.  I was going by the window spacing, but of course this is not necessarily an accurate guide when you are looking at the corridor side, as we are here. 

[Northroader]

You’ve found the right all third, the first coach, the second coach is one of these:

https://uk.Hornby.com/products/br-63-hawksworth-corridor-brake-third-w2251w-era-4-r4406b

You might spot that the windows at the left hand end vary slightly, depending on builder, and the diagrams for these reflect that, but they’re all much of a muchness.

On the question of schools, we’re back at a time before comprehensives were introduced, and folks sat the “eleven plus” exam, determining on which skule they went. The high school at the ‘Dale, just below the station was amazing for the catchment area it served. Bright kids from Horsehay (such as your good self) went there, some from Dawley did, the rest going to eitherWellington Grammar or High (boys and girls), then Madeley, Ironbridge, Broseley, all went to the Dale. The big new comprehensive at Much Wenlock was in the future, hence the use of the branch train. Then there was a huge strip out west, where the country kids came from, on the “Cardington Bus”, and this routed from the Dale, by way of Buildwas, Leighton. Eaton Constantine, Cressage, Harley, Kenley, Plaish, Rushbury, and the final port of call was Marshbrook, on the Shrewsbury Hereford line, where the daughter of the crossing keeper lived. (Church Stratton kids went north to Shrewsbury, Craven  Arms kids south to Ludlow)

School uniform was green blazers, berets/caps, by the way, if you do go there.

[whart57]

Getting off topic here but I don't recall a high school in Coalbrookdale in the late 70s. There was the William Brookes at Much Wenlock (I worked there for a few years) and the Abraham Darby between Madeley and Ironbridge but I'd guess these were both from the 1960s from what I recall of the architecture and construction. Could be just brain fade on my part of course

[Horsehay Railway Modeller]

Thanks for the help guys. 

 

I have just purchased the full corridor third from hattons. Second hand, like new, but 'professionally weathered'.  I think it was the same price as they sell new but I'd quite like to have the weathered version. 

 

And I'm eyeing up the Hawksworth somewhere else. 

 

I'm calling it a treat for doing well in my uni exams, any excuse for the other half and my parents 

 

 

[Northroader]

4 hours ago, whart57 said:

Getting off topic here but I don't recall a high school in Coalbrookdale in the late 70s. There was the William Brookes at Much Wenlock (I worked there for a few years) and the Abraham Darby between Madeley and Ironbridge but I'd guess these were both from the 1960s from what I recall of the architecture and construction. Could be just brain fade on my part of course

I was at the Dale 1949-1956, when you would come across the two coach set we’re on about (staying on topic, sort of) The Abraham Derby school was there, but called Madeley Modern, and when comprehensive schooling came in, it was renamed, and the High school merged with it. I’m not sure if it serves another function now.

 

Anyhow, H.R.M., glad to hear you’ve run down the constituents of a proper branch set, now all you need is a 44xx.

[whart57]

OMG, spelling Darby as Derby would have led to ostracism ........