Coleshill (Forge Mills ) layout and stock

[46256]

Just posted these on the keyser  kit thread. Fowler 3 mt dates from the mid eighties and is a body kit. Comet had just bought out their 264t frames and motion so I decided to have a go adapting it to this prototype. Of course the different single motion bar and cross head presented another variation from the bigger 264t. It was in the days, I had decided, I was going to be the next Ian Rathbone, so it’s hand lined. It was also originally to E M gauge and was one of the few locos I re gauged,  when I changed to OO. The kirtley was in my local shop, assembled and painted but had a rubbish chassis. It was changed for Comet etc and described previously . The 2 f , again has featured on this thread. All posed in my usual goods yard shot, station behind. What I havnt shown is whilst taking these pictures,  I had a split head code class 37/ 0 in blue going around the layout with a set of blue and grey coaches. 

[46256]

More Ks and GEM for the record

[46256]

On a RTR note, Hornby W4  Peckett arrived,  and bodies swapped. What a beautiful little runner. It’s a bit strange though seeing even small tension lock couplers…almost as big as the loco. I might fit three link. I did to my friends industrial kit, and my Hams Hall no 12 has them. I have a converted open wagon so can use that if need to pull a load. In reality both Hams Hall industrials would be travelling light engine through Water Orton. My Peckett has been numbered Hams Hall no 4

Edited August 8, 2022 by 46256

[46256]

Some recent work. Class 87 is a Lima version. I’ve added Shawplan lazerglaze and home made wipers, some pipe work added. New buffers. Large plastic tension locks removed and Bachmann straight dmu couplings added. It runs in tandem with a blue Bachmann 47 on my layout replicating the real diesel hauled Trent Valley diversions. It is very noisy with its Lima gears but the motor is fine. I have a set of replacement wheels on order from Peters spares to replace the Lima pizza cutters

Edited August 23, 2022 by 46256

[46256]

Hams hall duo resting in cattle dock siding en route to Nechells

[46256]

My two 94 xx recreating a scene from Bromsgrove. The first is a long term resident of the layout. It originally had brass gears….whilst travelling around layout whilst I was working on the latter dreaded whirring heard. Sure enough lots of brass gunge and first idler gear shredded. The second loco was having a high level roadrunner plus and motor …fortunately the mashima from the first one now added to another roadrunner and both finerunners.

[46256]

And finally received nameplates for 46106 now added awaiting completion

[46256]

Just a bit of an update and report on a great product. The Lima 87 has been re wheeled with the Peters Spares replacement. These come in two sizes large or small to match the equivalent Lima originals fitted to various types. A great product. John ( T) enquired earlier about the chassis I use under my models. I do have a few split axle types. If they have failed in the past I havnt been able to repair the insulated middle pieces. This has usually meant a full chassis replacement via my usual comet/ markits/ high level route. I have noted though that Peters spares now supply replacement axle middles. I’ve just watched a YouTube modeller fit them successfully to two Bachmann models. If the need arises it is a route I will explore in future. I mention this to highlight what a great supplier Peters spares are…usual disclaimer.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

Bought a new set of replacement axles for a Bachmann B1 18 months ago, now on there way to Oz as we speak, not that I can get to the B1, buried in the back of the shed at the moment, but I do look forward to fitting them. Great help aren't they.

 

manna

[46256]

Gday Manna

 

please let us know how you get on with them when fitted please

 

best wishes Brian

[46256]

Gordon now complete and added to the roster

[rowanj]

Looks really good. I do like to see these "one offs". HUMORIST is on my "to do" list.

[46256]

Thanks John, please create it , and share here as well as your thread. Just for the record I had left off the reversing lever on Gordon, now added!

 

best wishes Brian

Edited September 5, 2022 by 46256

[46256]

Portrait of one of my specials. It usually resides in the display case…built some twenty years ago, rarely if ever run. I took it out earlier in the week…PDK kit of A2/1 60508.. Duke of Rothesay. It has a big Portsecap…of course it will run like a dream. I’m sorry to say whilst the motor was/ is peerlesss, I hadn’t properly weighted it to obtain best traction. In addition some of my earlier modelling came back to haunt me namely the brakes and front bogie. The bogie was replaced with a comet example. Now running as good as it looks…it will now go back into my display case, who knows the next time it will be run!

Edited October 5, 2022 by 46256

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

It deserves a day out now and again, I can imagine it thundering through WO at 90mph with 12 on..............Please.

 

manna

[TheSignalEngineer]

1 hour ago, manna said:

 I can imagine it thundering through WO at 90mph with 12 on..............Please.

 

Anything trying to thunder through WO at 90 would probably end up ina heap against the bridge

[46256]

Thank you both, I have shown a humour response to Signal Engineer post, on reflection such a mishap either in real life or on the layout would be terrible. I did put eight coaches behind it, after adding the lead weight. The loco handled it with ease, even up my mini Lickey incline exit from the fiddle yard. On the real railway I travelled to Tamworth the other day from New Street. It is a journey I’ve rarely done these last thirty years since moving over the city to the Black  Country.The latest unit just glided through my station…seventy plus? It was a sad journey on a line I travelled on weekly in the seventies ( Water Orton to Brum).  Saltley TMD is no more, Washwood Heath sidings a shadow of their former selves, and nature in the form of vegetation springing up everywhere. On a positive note I found myself with half an hour to spare at Tamworth on the return journey at about 11 pm. Leaving my wife and sister in law in the High Level waiting room, I went and stood on the low level platform . I was treated to a variety of trains. In my active spotting years 69 to 73 the famous Tamworth field had lost its appeal, certainly to my fellow Water Orton crowd. We saw the Midland lines stuff from our vantage point at Water Orton, the west coast stuff we captured by cheap visits to Crewe…with the benefit of doing the sheds. I still regret now not spending some time at Tamworth in those years. 

[46256]

In correspondence with Iain 92220 again about Royal Scot models. Hornby chassis . The subject of Hornby chassis fail, replacement with comet chassis . We discussed the use of Hornby wheels and some of the issues when combining them with the comet chassis and high level gears and motor. The photos below were shared showing the pick up arrangement on all wheels given they are plastic centred. 46120 is my latest, 46126 is being worked on.

 

 

 

[46256]

On a separate correspondence John R has been working on his A3 one off Humorist. This having the full smoke deflectors. I shared my photo of an A3 going past west box and the sidings. I have read recently what it’s identity was…then promptly forgot where I had read it! In any event this , then led me to discover how many Eastern Pacific’s came to Brum in fifties and sixties, other than Scotsman.

 

A Birmingham history thread identified 60088 Book Law was seen at the ex LNWR shed at Aston. I recall a story in my spotting days an A3 being used on the nightly Sutton Coldfield car sleeper, Aston shed providing that trains, motive power usually a Britannia. There is a well documented record  of 60114 visiting the Midlands…

 

A further search just now has discovered this photo of another A1 this time on a special at Moor Street

Edited October 26, 2022 by 46256

[46256]

I’ve been reading one of my books concerning the NE SW line, and under the heading you wouldn’t believe what went through, the author confirms A3 s were utilised along with V2 and B1 locos during the period of diesel failures 1962 1963. These locos certainly got to Derby and at least two A3 s went on to Birmingham, one being 60039Sandwich. The book also confirms Book Law was used on the Sutton Coldfield to Stirling night car sleeper. I’ve just looked up 60039 and viewed a photo of that loco in 1962/3 on East Coast line. It has German smoke deflectors and the later tender, so the same as the loco shown  in the Water Orton photo.

Edited October 27, 2022 by 46256

[rowanj]

21 minutes ago, 46256 said:

I’ve been reading one of my books concerning the NE SW line, and under the heading you wouldn’t believe what went through, the author confirms A3 s were utilised along with V2 and B1 locos during the period of diesel failures 1962 1963. These locos certainly got to Derby and at least two A3 s went on to Birmingham, one being 60039Sandwich. The book also confirms Book Law was used on the Sutton Coldfield to Stirling night car sleeper. I’ve just looked up 60039 and viewed a photo of that loco in 1962/3 on East Coast line. It has German smoke deflectors and the later tender, so the same as the loco shown  in the Water Orton photo.

Interesting, Brian, Sandwich was a 34A loco, so where would it been borrowed from to get to Water Orton? It's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks too scruffy for a Kings Cross loco. 

[46256]

Hello John

 

blooming frustrating looking at the photo, oh for a better view.  I’m just grateful though, that Vic the signalman at West box recorded it for posterity .

The author of the book where I gleaned the info, is clear that Sandwich did travel past Derby on one occasion,  but failed prior to reaching Birmingham. The  same author records another A3 returning from Brum , north eastwards,  but sadly for me missing my line, going via the Wychnor Junction route instead.

I can only assume by 62/3 that Kings x was cascading its steam locomotives northwards pending the ban on steam into London. The other alternative a shed poaching another’s loco for the odd  trip or two..

 

I met up with my former trainspotting chums recently on SVR. I asked them if they knew of a ROD O4 traversing our sacred rails….they didn’t. This same book records one being seen at Bromsgrove…63610 on 12 th June 1960

good enough for me to justify my Bachmann example.

 

The book in question Midland main lines  by John Palmer

 

best wishes Brian

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2022 by 46256

[46256]

Have just read the chapter in detail, the author details how a number of Eastern locomotives were utilised in January 1962 on the 12 43 pm and 3 30 pm Newcastle to Bristol trains. A3 60077 White Knight then based at Ardsley travelled to Brum. This was the loco that returned via Wychnor Jct as the Water Orton route was closed due to a Sunday diversion..

[rowanj]

18 minutes ago, 46256 said:

Have just read the chapter in detail, the author details how a number of Eastern locomotives were utilised in January 1962 on the 12 43 pm and 3 30 pm Newcastle to Bristol trains. A3 60077 White Knight then based at Ardsley travelled to Brum. This was the loco that returned via Wychnor Jct as the Water Orton route was closed due to a Sunday diversion..

White Knight fits that photo, Brian,

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

I was at New Street when 60114 returned north after failing at Worcester. IIRC it worked a Newcastle relief. 60088 was a hot topic at school. One of our spotting group used to travel in from Erdington so several people headed off to Aston after school to see if it was still there. I didn't bother as it was the first A3 I had seen when passing Holbeck a couple of years earlier. 

Due to the bad weather starting in the north around Christmas 1962 and rapidly worsening into the New Year loco diagrams rapidly fell apart on the NE-SW services. I remember a V2 heading out of New Street towards Bristol just after Christmas. Moving on to 1966 I was working on the Derby line and remember several Eastern locos coming into Washwood Heath.

Edited October 28, 2022 by TheSignalEngineer