Coleshill (Forge Mills ) layout and stock

[andytrains]

Some more!

 

[andytrains]

Some more!

 

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by andytrains

[andytrains]

I used to go back to Water Orton whenever I got the chance when going up to Birmingham to visit my Mum and my better half's mother. My Mum passed in 2019 and we moved the mother in law down to Essex at the start of Covid. So have not been back up since. I wonder how long the station will survive in it's last state I saw it in. It needs a preservation order on it, if it hasn't already got one.

Sorry about the finger in the last shot.

I took a photo of the entrance hall. It's a result that we have not got smelly vision as there was a very strong smell of pish!

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by andytrains

[46256]

Thanks Andy, the latest photos are so sad, I’m sorry to say I researched whether the building had listed status, it seems quite the opposite. Your first photo taken from the old goods yard, this was the area by the ex cattle dock where we migrated too in the late sixties from the footbridge and wall of the Dog car park. A shelter was built against the cattle dock, which was used by us train spotters. The sidings had been pulled up, which meant we used the area as a footie or cricket pitch in between copping peaks and such like. The attached photo was taken by my friend Don in 1966 just after the yard closed.

[46256]

And here we are in the yard temporarily stopping our footie match to watch a passing peak most likely. The photo is credited here to the late Bob Essery, in fact the photographer was Mike King

[andytrains]

18 hours ago, 46256 said:

This formed a great little area to stand and spot the trains, putting coins on the track another pastime.

Old penny's seemed to be best especially if an 8F or a 9F went over them!

[andytrains]

Brian.

Do you recall seeing three Standard 3MT tender locos, (77xxx), in the sidings which were on the diagonal opposite across Duddeston Mill Road from Saltley shed? I think it was after the end of steam. They weren't there very long.

Andy.

[46256]

Hello Andy, 

 

Sadly no, to be fair I didn’t really get to know Saltley shed and it environs until 1969.    I bunked the shed one Sunday, steam had long gone but the roundhouses and coaling tower were still in place. I entered the shed  via a roundhouse avoiding the foreman’s hut. There was an ex LMS shunter inside by the turntable. I walked up the yard towards the headshunt and looked back towards the shed.  I was greeted to a similar view as shown. The photo below was circa 1962, by 69 all the locos were of course diesel. It’s the amount of locomotives that we’re present that impressed me. I did see numbers of redundant steam locomotives being pulled through Water Orton, especially during 1966/ 7. The 77xx were no doubt en route to a scrapyard from the North were they would have been based. It does give me an excuse to have a model though on my layout, one of the few types I havnt got. On the subject of withdrawn engines travelling through , I’ve seen southern emus, my mates saw Class 14 diesels travelling the opposite direction from the Western up to new homes in the North East. Great memories.

 

I thought there was a similar shot on the Warwickshire Railways website but with diesels instead of steam, sadly not but this July 69 shot of a class 4 diesel again for some reason has adopted a pink shade , anyway my visit was in the April just prior to the track lifting as shown

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by 46256

[andytrains]

18 hours ago, andytrains said:

Brian.

Do you recall seeing three Standard 3MT tender locos, (77xxx), in the sidings which were on the diagonal opposite across Duddeston Mill Road from Saltley shed? I think it was after the end of steam. They weren't there very long.

Andy.

I have done some research and according to:- https://www.whathappenedtosteam.com/volumes/the-british-railways-standards/br-volume-twenty-one/

The 77xxx class were all scrapped nearish to their allocations, (Mainly North East and Scotland). Only 77014 was in the south at Weymouth and then went to Risca, Wales for scrapping, so a complete mystery.

I do not have my spotting notes before 1980, must have been lost when my parents moved house.

Edited November 10, 2022 by andytrains

[46256]

Andy I know from my own experience that memory can play tricks…perhaps they were 76xx locomotives of which Saltley had a few?

 

One entering Water Orton yards from Birmingham direction photo courtesy of J Griffiths

 

[46256]

A 1967 view the year steam was ousted from the Birmingham area

 

[46256]

Just noticed Andy’s photo of East box, whilst being used as a PW staff office. The foremost Windows have been replaced by panel. This confirms these replacement BR boxes could be and were adapted during their life

[rowanj]

Nice to see these photos of the real location, and it has prompted me to do the same on my layout thread. It's obvious that Brian's layout has really met the spirit of the real thing, and looks very authentic.

[46256]

A couple of shots of my latest, as stated in earlier posts should really be on modified RTR thread, but they are now part of this layouts stock. Having bought the A1 chassis, and finding it too difficult to adapt to my SEF W1 body, Tornado body and tender bought from eBay. The locomotive has been renamed and numbered to represent 60114. Here it is returning from its holidays to Worcester. The deflectors and number plates are from the Silver Tay range, great products and service. I elected for a red background to the plates, on a whim really. Fortunately John R has confirmed this loco had them, thus painted as it was used frequently on enthusiast specials. This is how it came to be in my neck of the woods. Tornado as stated, has differences from the production A1s. I havnt tried to alter the body. The tender however has been converted to 1960s condition by removing the top and replacing with plasticard.  Evidence of my hypocrisy…Hornby W1….bought for a very good price…looks and runs beautifully….I will let the picture say the rest.

Edited November 12, 2022 by 46256

[andytrains]

On 10/11/2022 at 15:04, 46256 said:

Andy I know from my own experience that memory can play tricks…perhaps they were 76xx locomotives of which Saltley had a few?

 

One entering Water Orton yards from Birmingham direction photo courtesy of J Griffiths

 

We used to groan when 76043 came through.

I would like to groan again!

[46256]

Yes the cry of “ scrap it” when a regular went through….how foolish we were!

Ive just sent a pm to John R , in connection with a great photo , he has posted on his thread , trainspotting  at Little Benton.
 

An A4 in full throttle, travelling towards his boyhood trainspotting location

 

 

oh for a time machine!

[46256]

I have just read of the passing of Iain Rice. The articles he wrote,  in the Model Railway Journal, and then his books inspired me, particularly in building chassis. 
 

Another giant of our hobby has left us.

[andytrains]

And Trevor Cousens of Mercian Models.

[46256]

Mystery solved. I met up with my rail enthusiast mates last night. The subject of A3 s visiting Brum came up. Don who has contributed a number of photos spoke of a conversation he had recently with an ex BR employee. This gent had been working in offices in Brum near to New Street. He had a phone call from a mate who worked at Saltley…he said “ You will not believe what has just passed Saltley on the way to New Street. “ 

 

He rushed to New Street..with camera…here is the result 60084 Trigo…and a B1 alongside….you couldn’t make it up! Date 16th February 1963

[John Tomlinson]

38 minutes ago, 46256 said:

Mystery solved. I met up with my rail enthusiast mates last night. The subject of A3 s visiting Brum came up. Don who has contributed a number of photos spoke of a conversation he had recently with an ex BR employee. This gent had been working in offices in Brum near to New Street. He had a phone call from a mate who worked at Saltley…he said “ You will not believe what has just passed Saltley on the way to New Street. “ 

 

He rushed to New Street..with camera…here is the result 60084 Trigo…and a B1 alongside….you couldn’t make it up! Date 16th February 1963

 

The shed plate looks like 55H, Leeds Neville Hill. IIRC these were usually on the S&C services going north out of Leeds, so odd indeed. Perhaps it had substituted for a failed Peak at the last minute. Cracking picture in such poor conditions.

 

John.

[46256]

Hello John yes it was a time of diesel failures, John R recalls the opposite effect…Royal Scots venturing into Newcastle. It’s the B1 alongside that really sets the scene, the odds of two Eastern locomotives at New Street at the same time.!

 

 

 

[rowanj]

Trigo was a regular at Newcastle, as Neville Hill had the cross country stuff from Leeds to the North East and beyond. It was often on the North Briton and Q of Scots services as far as Central, as well as the Liverpool to Newcastle stuff.

Great photo

[46256]

Don has just sent this…he was standing in a field which is now occupied by M 42 motorway. He looking back towards the village…progress?

 

 

[andytrains]

Were the B1's sometime used on the Cambridge services?

[46256]

Andy B1s were regular visitors to Birmingham , I can remember local spotters referring to the Easterner trains…I think Birmingham to Cleethorpes was a regular turn. The B1 s then took the empty stock onwards from New Street,  to Kings Norton sidings, before the loco being serviced at Saltley, ready for return trip.

 

Photo shown previously, this is not that working, rather we think this train of Southern stock travelled through from the North East.