Coleshill (Forge Mills ) layout and stock

[46256]

Talk of coincidence, what is in my display case,? 60077 White Knight, complete with German smoke deflectors . I knew I had a couple of Hornby A3 s , didn’t realise I had this one. I will stage a re enactment of  its journey through my modelled location!

Edited October 29, 2022 by 46256

[rowanj]

All sorts of things happened in Jan 62. Dogs and cats living together... (Ghostbusters quote). I have a couple of pictures of Scots on Birmingham trains at Newcastle, when Diesels froze.

[46256]

John yes that is also recorded in the Midland lines book, the Scot workings to Newcastle

[46256]

I suppose more a modification to rtr rather than kitbuild…have a  Bachmann blue class 25. It has been unpowered for some time. I’ve used it to double head electrics through the station on the Trent Valley diversions.  Ive had some doubts that a single class 25 would have been able to do this. In any event, I’ve wanted to re motorise  the loco, especially as I’ve become slightly nostalgic for BR blue. Searches on eBay showed that class 24 chassis are some ten pounds cheaper than class 25 for some reason. A class 24 one purchased. I then realised the underframes are completely different between the two classes. I have therefore transferred the motor weight etc  from one to the other, fiddly but now completed, trickiest bit getting the two wires from the bogies through the little holes in the upper castings, then attaching to circuit board, whilst engaging the gear.

[46256]

Photos 60700 SEF on Hornby A4 railroad chassis.

 

Class 25 , pristine bogies denote the modification described, and lastly 60077 passes Water Orton West box, a rare optical illusion, noted in the West Midlands…usually after five pints, has obscured the sidings.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

Thanks for the pic of the W1, at least I know the Hornby chassis will fit. 😃

 

Have seen many loco's in the 'Blue' period of filthy loco's with spotless bogies and fueltanks.

 

manna

Edited October 29, 2022 by manna
Added content.

[46256]

A cautionary tale Manna, I hadn’t run this loco for some time. It has the same gear set up as the early Scots, guess what…gears came adrift, same problem the retainer keeping them meshed. It then became one of those modelling disasters, the more I tried to fix it, the worse it became. I eventually resolved, as I’ve done with the Hornby Scot chassis , to cannibalise it and replace with comet frames high level gears  and their big motor. Then to use wheels motion and front bogie. Sadly comet A3/4 frames and full chassis kits are out of stock. I then checked EBay and found below. Tornado chassis. The cost was roughly the same as comet chassis kit( the high level bits would  double the price) so one bought, chassis gears and motor complete. It has a better gear arrangement than the Hornby A4 version. I will report how I get on fitting it. I’ve retained my rear bogie  2 plus 2 , from my now defunct chassis, to be fitted to this. 

[46256]

Just comparing the chassis between the two photos, immediate differences noted ..valve guides, cylinder steam pipes,  motion bracket and rear Cartazzi truck, cylinders might need filing thinner to fit within SEF body…have to say the Hornby RTR is stunning, but where is the fun just opening a box!

Edited October 30, 2022 by 46256

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

Thank you for that cautionary tale. I bought 4 or 5 A3/4 chassis 5 years ago for 10 pounds off of E-Bay. one of them is under Victor Wild, and runs perfect, the one to go under 10000 is a bare chassis +motor and gears, everything else has been bought new from Pete's Spares, even the tender wheels. If I can't get it under 10000, I have a few spare A4 bodies, crying out for chassis.

I'm still going to buy some Romfords for the etched chassis.

 

I think masochism is a model railway requirement !!

 

manna

Edited October 30, 2022 by manna
Added content.

[46256]

Ok missed the blindingly obvious just comparing the chassis, the A1 brakes are different located from back to front….ok more work….

[John Tomlinson]

15 hours ago, 46256 said:

Ok missed the blindingly obvious just comparing the chassis, the A1 brakes are different located from back to front….ok more work….

 

I'd never noticed that until now either. Despite adding detailing parts to a number of models of both types. Duh!!!

 

John.

[46256]

A1 tornado chassis, arrived,  a real non starter to put under the SEF  60700.  It has two aws boxes cast in the rear bogie. I assume the real Tornado has these, so not appropriate for a 1960 A1. I have bought a A1 body , so will add another to my fleet. I ve sawn off one of the extra boxes, not recommended but necessary. 
 

This leaves 60700, a search on eBay has produced a Hornby RTR at a great price, duly ordered. I wasn’t going to take a chance on putting another duff chassis under my old one. I know , my earlier comments about being a box opener etc. I hadn’t included on my earlier model the rear twin lubricator nor detail on the right rear bogie. 

[46256]

Hornby W1 arrived and I have to admit it knocks spots of my earlier effort. It won’t however have, the same emotional attachment,  I have with my home brewed models. 60163 now renumbered to 60114 WP Allen. It’s awaiting smokebox deflectors and nameplates ordered from a company called Silver Tay models. The Hornby A 1 chassis is a fine mover. 60114 the stray A1 that found itself in Worcester in 1964. 

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by 46256

[46256]

John R and I are discussing the differences between Tornado and the earlier A1 class. These of course were a requirement to run on the modern railway. Looking on Wikipedia the changes meant a reduction of an inch of the height of chimney dome and safety valves. The cab roof was also re profiled . I’ve just compared with my Bachmann A1 60147 North Eastern.The chimney is definitely shorter, cab front sheet shallower against boiler, and cab roof vents less prominent on the Hornby. I can live with these discrepancies on a layout locomotive. The biggest problem with mine, I re used the tender which had been behind the SEF W1. It is too high. I have just ordered a Hornby Tornado one. It will require changing the rear top plate back to 1960 s condition. I have done this already with a previous Hornby Tornado, since sold on. The moral  of this tale, how to add yet another unintended locomotive to my stock!

[46256]

Another view of 60114 at New Street, for some reason when I put on this thread it has this lovely pink glow…now removed picture now in b and w

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by 46256

[andytrains]

Just found this topic. I have fond memories of Water Orton, spotting on the footbridge by East junction, whilst my grandad and uncle sat outside the Dog Inn supping a few pints. My aunt and uncle lived in Manor House Lane. That was in 1965 when I was 10. There were still a few steam about, mainly 8F, 9F, Black Fives and occasional other types.

61024 Addax was seen going East on a passenger service. The other memory I have of the East junction is a row of five steam locos being pulled by one live one going in the direction of Derby, probably for scrapping.

After that I spent many a Saturday on the footbridge or the wall in the Dog Inn car park.

The other memory I have is going to the shop/off licence at the top of Manor House Lane that was run by Mr Rhodes, a relative of Cecil. Mr Rhodes had a very large shotgun mounted on one of the wooden beams in the shop.

Edited November 7, 2022 by andytrains

[46256]

Hello Andy,

 

Mr Rhodes off licence…the man was a legend in the village. The village hall used to have a disco on a Friday night, circa 1970. A number of us would attempt to buy cider from him, we selected the most suitable of us…ie who looked most like an eighteen year old to attempt this. The volunteer had to remember what their date of birth would be if they were eighteen….in this case 1952. He wasnt often fooled, but when he was the cider tasted better. The road past the shop in this photo,  is Old church Road, I used to do a paper round  along it, again circa 1970. I used to hate going past the old church yard, situated, just past the shop on the left, in the dark. 

Edited November 7, 2022 by 46256

[andytrains]

I classed the Peaks, (D183), at Water Orton. I was sitting on the wall of the Dog Inn car park. I was so exited that I fell off the wall track side. I was not hurt, apart from pride. The signalman in East box was not impressed when he clocked me going through the gate under the footbridge to get out. One of the signalmen was OK with us standing track side of the signal box as long as we did not cross over the wire trunking. 

[andytrains]

2 hours ago, andytrains said:

I have photos of the station and the East box if you want me to post some of them here.

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by andytrains

[46256]

Andy yes please to the photos, any and all you have.
We ( my mates and I) who lived at this end of the village by the station, played daily on, and around the footbridge.  My house was then in Coleshill Road just opposite what was known as Station Drive, and  by the post 1870 s Church of St Peter and St Paul.
 

A regular stunt by us youngsters was to climb over the side of the bridge and shimmy down the uprights. On village lad earned fame, by crossing over the footbridge on the top spans,  tightrope fashion. We must have been mad…all under the eyes of the East jct signalmen. The gate you refer too leading from the Dog car park to that area, under the far bridge support, by the garage fence. This formed a great little area to stand and spot the trains, putting coins on the track another pastime. The area under the bridge referred too by Andy and I by the big truck in the first photo….by the plumes of smoke from model garratt and jubilee, and too the right of the class 25/81

[46256]

The photo of the class 25, since that was taken I’ve moved the catch point further towards the camera and past the bridge.

 

what’s missing from my model  is the trunking, point rodding alongside the track, referred too by Andy, which formed a natural barrier, and no go area .

Edited November 8, 2022 by 46256

[46256]

I too classed the Peaks at Water Orton, the Gateshead allocated ones being the hardest to see, for us in Birmingham ,  in fact,  if I recall it was visits to Kings X that helped me clear the more elusive ones. That being said most would come through the village. I saw all the Class 44 come through. I love the Peaks and was thrilled to travel behind a preserved example on the SVR, in a way more so than some of the steam locos there. The amount of times I travelled behind them in my youth, wishing they were Jubes!  Last memory for now , seeing a Peak leave Saltley in the late eighties…I knew it would be the last time I would see such a sight..little did I know the depot itself would now be history!

[Peter Kazmierczak]

On 29/10/2022 at 11:31, 46256 said:

I suppose more a modification to rtr rather than kitbuild…have a  Bachmann blue class 25. It has been unpowered for some time. I’ve used it to double head electrics through the station on the Trent Valley diversions.  Ive had some doubts that a single class 25 would have been able to do this. In any event, I’ve wanted to re motorise  the loco, especially as I’ve become slightly nostalgic for BR blue. Searches on eBay showed that class 24 chassis are some ten pounds cheaper than class 25 for some reason. A class 24 one purchased. I then realised the underframes are completely different between the two classes. I have therefore transferred the motor weight etc  from one to the other, fiddly but now completed, trickiest bit getting the two wires from the bogies through the little holes in the upper castings, then attaching to circuit board, whilst engaging the gear.

 Just found this. Super looking layout, by the way.

 

Yes, a single  25 could/has done these drags. I remember being on one late evening drag behind a single 25 in front of the electric (think it was an 86). I recall there was quite a bit of wheelspin from the diesel; could see sparks coming from the wheels on the straight bit near Castle Bromwich.

Edited November 8, 2022 by Peter Kazmierczak

[46256]

Thanks Peter, would loved to have seen that double header. 

 

[andytrains]

Some photos of Water Orton,