What inspired you to become interested in the railways of the Forest of Dean?

[Tassie Tex]

After much research on where to model a GWR, LMS joint it all puts me here at the FOD. MY plan is to have GWR doing the branch and local services with LMS xp freight and passenger on a through station layout, would this make sense on a fictitious location near the FOD. All feedback welcome, cheers Tex.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

....interesting freight commodities/wagon types do it for me esp. in interesting railway operating/picturesque settings. The ballast hoppers worked to one of the quarries by diesel hydraulics attracted me first, I then sought further sources of info such as the B&W DVD No 120 and the superb book by Neil Parkhouse.

 

Dave

[ParkeNd]

After much research on where to model a GWR, LMS joint it all puts me here at the FOD. MY plan is to have GWR doing the branch and local services with LMS xp freight and passenger on a through station layout, would this make sense on a fictitious location near the FOD. All feedback welcome, cheers Tex.

Parkend is maybe an obvious location in view of the substantial history there.

 

This is my own attempt.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/95699-parkend-in-forest-of-dean-n-gauge/

[Donw]

Get holfd of the Ian Pope books if you can. I believe the GWR used a 2021 tank at some time. I also seem to remember some LMS coaches being used. The link to the LMS was across the Severn Bridge to  the Gloucester and Bristol Line so doesn't really fit with your idea the range of locos etc on the Severn and Wye was a bit limited. If you want GWr and LMS you may be better to look elsewhere the LMS reached Swansea, the was a line from Hereford which joined with the old Cambrian line at Three cocks, the LMS met the GWR at Worcester, the was a joint line near Brum which went through Ruberey, They shared the station at Wellington ran joint to Shrewsbury and down to Hereford.

The Lines in the forest of dean are very attractive but had a limited range of stock.

 

Don

[ParkeNd]

The Severn and Wye Railway in the Forest of Dean was purchased in 1893 by the Midland Railway and the GWR. Stock operated in the Forest included Class 57xx, Dean Goods, Class 14xx with Autocoach, Collett 2250, and Class 22, Class 25, Class 37, Class 14 diesels. Ivatt 2MTs were trialled with freight. That's not too bad for a model railway. Had passenger services continued longer who knows what might have got into the Forest? I surmise this might have included Halls, Manors, and Hymeks so my layout gets these us a visiting Class 52 Western.

Get holfd of the Ian Pope books if you can. I believe the GWR used a 2021 tank at some time. I also seem to remember some LMS coaches being used. The link to the LMS was across the Severn Bridge to the Gloucester and Bristol Line so doesn't really fit with your idea the range of locos etc on the Severn and Wye was a bit limited. If you want GWr and LMS you may be better to look elsewhere the LMS reached Swansea, the was a line from Hereford which joined with the old Cambrian line at Three cocks, the LMS met the GWR at Worcester, the was a joint line near Brum which went through Ruberey, They shared the station at Wellington ran joint to Shrewsbury and down to Hereford.

The Lines in the forest of dean are very attractive but had a limited range of stock.

 

Don

The Severn and Wye Railway in the Forest of Dean was purchased in 1893 by the Midland Railway and the GWR. Stock operated in the Forest included Class 57xx, Dean Goods, Class 14xx with Autocoach, Collett 2250, and Class 22, Class 25, Class 37, Class 14 diesels. Ivatt 2MTs were trialled with freight. That's not too bad for a model railway. Had passenger services continued longer who knows what might have got into the Forest? I surmise this might have included Halls, Manors, and Hymeks so my layout gets these plus a visiting Class 52 Western. Oh and a Deltic and a Warship occasionally take a wrong turn at Lydney. Moving on to Heritage times the DFR's Class 108, Class 33, and 45xx prairie become valid too. Edited March 15, 2015 by ParkeNd

[F-UnitMad]

A Deltic would have taken a wrong turn long before it got to Lydney...

 

As can be seen, although the Severn & Wye was a Joint railway, most (all?) the engines and rolling stock were of GWR/BR(W) origins.

The Joint nature of the line was reflected more in the mix of railway architecture, such as Midland pattern fencing and station nameboards, & GWR styles elsewhere (signalling, I think?).

[Donw]

The Severn and Wye Railway in the Forest of Dean was purchased in 1893 by the Midland Railway and the GWR. Stock operated in the Forest included Class 57xx, Dean Goods, Class 14xx with Autocoach, Collett 2250, and Class 22, Class 25, Class 37, Class 14 diesels. Ivatt 2MTs were trialled with freight. That's not too bad for a model railway. Had passenger services continued longer who knows what might have got into the Forest? I surmise this might have included Halls, Manors, and Hymeks so my layout gets these plus a visiting Class 52 Western. Oh and a Deltic and a Warship occasionally take a wrong turn at Lydney. Moving on to Heritage times the DFR's Class 108, Class 33, and 45xx prairie become valid too.

 

If you want to include Heritage days then City of Turo did some runs

Don

[ParkeNd]

Very true. City of Truro delivered the Princess Royal to re-open the rebuilt Parkend station of course.

[ParkeNd]

A Deltic would have taken a wrong turn long before it got to Lydney...

As can be seen, although the Severn & Wye was a Joint railway, most (all?) the engines and rolling stock were of GWR/BR(W) origins.

The Joint nature of the line was reflected more in the mix of railway architecture, such as Midland pattern fencing and station nameboards, & GWR styles elsewhere (signalling, I think?).

Didn't D9009 visit Lydney on 2nd May last year to collect the DFR's Class 31 to tow it down for a train gala?

[Donw]

Very true. City of Truro delivered the Princess Royal to re-open the rebuilt Parkend station of course.

 

It was there before. It pulled the train down to St Mary's but the platform hadn't been passed so no one was allowed off, and we went back to Norchard.

 

Don

[Captain Kernow]

Berkeley Road Junction might make an interesting layout, showing a combination of GW and LMS types, on a main line but also the start of the Severn & Wye line to Sharpness, Lydney and the Forest of Dean...

[F-UnitMad]

Very true. City of Truro delivered the Princess Royal to re-open the rebuilt Parkend station of course.

I thought it was a Manor..??

 

 

Didn't D9009 visit Lydney on 2nd May last year to collect the DFR's Class 31 to tow it down for a train gala?

I was thinking in terms of Deltics in their BR service days

[Mr_Tilt]

Berkeley Road Junction might make an interesting layout, showing a combination of GW and LMS types, on a main line but also the start of the Severn & Wye line to Sharpness, Lydney and the Forest of Dean...

 

On the other side of the River modelling Lydney Junction, the GWR station and a chunk of the Severn Bridge would be good too, with the two lines running parallel but at differing heights as the Joint line approached the Bridge. The only problem would be getting hold of the aircraft hanger you'd need to house the layout with any sense of realism, but I can always dream.

 

If the Bridge was still there I could maybe just see a bit of it from my front room. 

[ParkeNd]

I was wrong. It was Bradley Manor.

[Donw]

On the other side of the River modelling Lydney Junction, the GWR station and a chunk of the Severn Bridge would be good too, with the two lines running parallel but at differing heights as the Joint line approached the Bridge. The only problem would be getting hold of the aircraft hanger you'd need to house the layout with any sense of realism, but I can always dream.

 

If the Bridge was still there I could maybe just see a bit of it from my front room. 

With the S&W station at an angle to the GWR one it would need some room. However I wouldn't expect to see any LMS locos. Could make a nice layout. There used to be some interesting freights through there some of it from Llanwern or other steelworks. We nearly bought a house  by St Marys before the line was restored through there but MArion didn't like the high ceilings. It was a GWR house from what I could find out. Mind you there was no bypass then either.

Don

[Donw]

I was wrong. It was Bradley Manor.

 

Just the one visit from City of Truro then. I did manage to get onto the footplate at Norchard but no ride. I did get a footplate ride on the 14xx and drove and fired 9681 on a branchline experience day.

Don

[whoppit]

                                                                                                                    Being a Worcester guard and working through Lydney, I decided one day in 1994 to bag a lift off one of my colleagues who dropped me at the site of the Severn bridge. After a long climb upwards to the site of Severn bridge station I walked on to find the derelict signalbox ,still there, overgrown but standing. That was what started my interest in the F.O.D

Edited October 28, 2018 by whoppit

[rogerfarnworth]

For me, it was a holiday in the Forest which led gradually to exploring the old railways and tramways an the writing of a blog. I have provided links elsewhere to the posts that I gave written.☺️

[Martync]

Just caught up with this thread.  For me it was the accidental discovery of "The Great Western in Dean" by H W Parr, and a photo of a 2021 pannier shunting at Blakeney on the FOD Central.  After that I caught up with the Wild Swan series on the S&W (eventually picked up the first three volumes for a song!) and the rest is history.  For me its the presence of industrial railways in such a rural scene.  I suppose one day I might even get round to building a model...….