Coleshill (Forge Mills ) layout and stock

[Nick Holliday]

8 hours ago, 46256 said:

I have been studying the waiting shelter. One dilemma is it English or Flemish bond? The respective plasticard sheets are quite distinctive. It’s less obvious studying the actual building.  The second, just like the main station building, I havnt seen a photo of the rear Side (facing the trees in this shot}  In the absence of proof I might just model it as a plain back wall, or with the centre recess mirroring the front. I don’t think the railway would have mirrored the curved arches, albeit without doors at the rear.  Of further interest and just put of shot on the photo to the left. The platform is higher, lowering just before the shelter then the ramp. The Warwickshire Railways site records that a riser was required to help, passengers alight, as the platforms were built to accommodate lower coaching stock.

 

 

I can see your dilemma. The majority of the brickwork is in Flemish bond, but the corner details and the dentils have given the bricklayers doubts, and the right hand side of the right doorway looks a bit of a dog’s breakfast, although a Flemish pattern is vaguely apparent. The top four courses, inconveniently in deep shade, also appear to be a mess. The dentils and the stepped corner have made it difficult to reestablish the Flemish bond, and perhaps the brickies extemporised as best they could, whilst maintaining the stability of that top section. The modern infill of the two windows has not been executed sympathetically either, which doesn’t help you.

[Nick Lawson]

Is the flat roof a modern "improvement" and might that account for the top courses of brickwork?

[46256]

In respect of the roof, I believe it was a latter addition. The signal box is apparently a LMS type 11, an amalgam of LNWR and Midland designs. It was added, it would appear in the 1930s when the sidings were added to the then new Hams Hall power station. The roof to the waiting room, may have been altered then. It may have been later than that, as it reminds me of the roofs added to the BR signal boxes such as the replacement Water Orton East jct and sidings. ( These have been saved from my layout together with the earlier Midland design station jct box. ) I think these will displayed, with the other buildings rescued, in my new railway room. This area is currently being mistakenly called a garage, by my wife and son.

 

Sincere thank you for the interest shown and replies…RM web at its best!

[46256]

On studying the track layout, certainly as shown on the signal box diagram, and reinforced by John Swifts book on signalling for the area. There appears to have been a change from that shown in early 1950 s photos and 1924 os map. The double slip removed from near the Leicester end and a crossover added by the then new access to the gas Lurgi plant

[Rugd1022]

I've been delving a bit more into this thread and it's just struck me how rural Coleshill and to a certain extent Water Orton were back in the '60s, I work freights on the route and it's very apparent how different it is now. The period photos you've posted a re a joy to see. The current track layout at Water Orton is a frustrating bottleneck, it's flexible enough for operational purposes but it really ought to still be four tracks throughout, as it used to be. I was shunting at Lawley Street last night, thinking about how much the Saltley area has changed too.

 

There was mention of Shustoke station earlier in the thread, the old station building is quite substantial for a smallish station and I'm glad it survives. Regarding Hams Hall - one of our shunters at Rugby used to work in the power station and remembers how busy it was, as indeed was the whole area. There doesn't appear to be much coverage of the area in books though, do you know of any...?

 

A few weeks ago I had to conduct another driver from Bescot to Water Orton, while I was waiting for a taxi back to Bescot to work my own train I took these photos...

 

 

 

 

 

[46256]

Thank you Rugd 1022. The response from professional rail

persons is always a pleasure. The other great anomaly in this area of North Warwickshire was Whitacre. It’s initial importance as a junction on what we’re originally two main lines was reflected by the grand building on the platform.The fact, it was in a sparsely populated area , and little used by the public made it even more quirky. It was though by early sixties the hq of the local platelayers. My mates dad used to be a supervisor of the team based there. I’ve just studied your pictures more closely. The tree growing out of the Minworth Road bridge. A sad sight

Edited August 9, 2023 by 46256

[46256]

In response to your request for books covering this area. The ex Midland line from New Street to Whitacre, on the slow lines, and Kingsbury on the fast was in Comparison to other areas quite poorly covered in the transition from steam. I know Water Orton is now a magnet for modern traction/ freight enthusiasts.
I have a number of books collected over the years, which can often contain a number of repeat photos. The Warwickshire railways site is an excellent source of material, some of which has been contributed by my friends and I. I’ve just found the Jeyes collection on Flikr. Brian Jeyes photoed the line just prior to closure in March 68. Stunning views in colour, not least the  three car Cravens, by then in blue and not long in service either.

[Rugd1022]

Just now, 46256 said:

In response to your request for books covering this area. The ex Midland line from New Street to Whitacre, on the slow lines, and Kingsbury on the fast was in Comparison to other areas quite poorly covered in the transition from steam. I know Water Orton is now a magnet for modern traction/ freight enthusiasts.
I have a number of books collected over the years, which can often contain a number of repeat photos. The Warwickshire railways site is an excellent source of material, some of which has been contributed by my friends and I. I’ve just found the Jeyes collection on Flikr. Brian Jeyes photoed the line just prior to closure in March 68. Stunning views in colour, not least the  three car Cravens, by then in blue and not long in service either.

 

Thanks - yes I know the Warwickshire Railways site, they've used a couple of my photos at some point. I'll have a look at the Jeyes flickr site 😉

 

[46256]

There was a great article in British railway bylines about the Hams Hall system and some great photos by a R Cooke which I have included on my thread in earlier posts when I recreated Hams Hall 13 and  no 4,  both of whom are in my retained list

[Rugd1022]

Well I've just had a quick look at the Jeyes collection and what an eye opener - a few of the Rugby shots are familiar but still nice to see wit hall the others. My eye was drawn in particular to this shot, as the 28ft long four piece enamel sign above the entrance is currently resting in my mate's garage, he's promised me first dibs when he comes to sell it...

 

 

 

 

Thanks for pointing me towards the photos, I'm now going to a have proper wallow in nostalgia - even just browsing through them it's very clear just how many enamel signs were made to cover a large chunk of the network as it was in the '50s. Some were generic, many were unique and I find them all so visually appealing.

 

[46256]

I found the shots of the ex great central birdcage bridge particularly poignant 

[Rugd1022]

5 minutes ago, 46256 said:

I found the shots of the ex great central birdcage bridge particularly poignant 

 

As kids my dad and his mates used to dare each other to run across when trains were running!

 

I've now gone through all of the Jeyes albums, what a visual feast and full of modelling inspiration.

[46256]

A last photograph for now, showing the desolate scene in the 70s . The station has been demolished. It is of interest to me though, not least this is a scene I knew well, but from a modelling perspective, how high the bank was where, the waiting room was situated.

Edited August 10, 2023 by 46256

[46256]

My line drawing, not to scale of the long lost garden side of the station

[Rugd1022]

I meant to add earlier, something else I've noticed when working through Whitacre and Coleshill is how relatively untouched the track bed off to Hampron-in-Arden looks, compared to so many other closed lines. It's one of those routes which seems to have little coverage, if any, in any railway books about the area in general. It would make a very handy diversionary route for freight today if it were still open.

 

Regarding the brick wall in the Dog In car park, I regularly see spotters there, it's quite rare not to see anyone actually, the same goes for Water Orton station most days.

[46256]

I have a book The Stonebridge Railway which documents the line the author is a Roger Waring . It has pictures of the other Coleshill station, renamed Maxstoke just prior to closure. I have read that reinstating the route has been considered. 

[46256]

Working on the waiting room. My loft is now empty, new ladder just fitted and the inside looking pristine after a coat of paint. I have now been banned from there. I am  therefore working on the kitchen table as you can see. Coleshill waiting room taking shape, will be located in the platform, when they are constructed hence its height. Plasticard resting on top to represent the roof for now

Edited August 10, 2023 by 46256

[mark axlecounter]

Hi Brian hope you are well

 

I disappear for a few months and I find out you are moving and this amazing layout will be gone. 
I need to come on here more often in future. 
 

mark 

[46256]

I know Mark it was a blow to lose the layout…the combination of both my wife and youngest son though,  made it impossible not to move house. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Barry O]

As it happens I have been reasonably close to Water Orton and Cokeshiltoday during a visit to central Brum for a meeting.  Waze rerouted je twice as the M6 and M42 were.. erm.. stuffed!

 

No chance of visiting either site unfortunately but it's inked into my "diversions to try" list!

 

Baz

[Nick Holliday]

On 09/08/2023 at 07:43, Nick Lawson said:

Is the flat roof a modern "improvement" and might that account for the top courses of brickwork?

One of the Brian Jeyes photos, thanks to being in colour, clearly shows that the brickwork above the arches up to the roof is newer than the rest of the building.

[46256]

Thanks Nick. 
 

My version of the waiting room is throwing up some interesting challenges. The bricked windows in the central section. The sides…how to make a simple building architecturally complicated.  I do appear though to have some time to work on it, all my soldering kit and loads of bits and pieces are now in storage.

[46256]

There is nothing like actually working on a model of a building, to get to know and understand it’s construction. This is definitely the case, with the humble waiting room. The model seen in my first picture has been superseded. I hasn’t got the dimensions right of the central section. A further frontage created, now dimensionally correct. Then confronted with trying to produce these brick arches in the bricked in central openings. I tried by removing a cutout above the bricked in aperture. Then applying individual brick courses into the opening. The problem , plastic weld even sparingly applied melted the courses losing the bricks definition.  I have a set of Ratio industrial arches on order, which I am hoping will be used for the larger openings. The use of these might also allow, 

an inward curve to be filed, in to match the profile. In respect of the smaller bricked up arches, further attempts will be made,  using alternative glue. I’ve been studying the Jeyes photo…in glorious colour. The roof is definitely a later addition. The 1955 photo by HC Casserley shows the flat roof, whether the shelter was built with this feature back in the 1840s? and replaced like for like?

 

 

 

 

[andytrains]

Brian.

Hope the move goes well and you get Coleshill up and running soon.

Andy.

[46256]

I have just been looking at some if my photograph collection. I mentioned Whitacre. It was the next station up the line from Coleshill towards Leicester. That line is behind the main station building, shown here running towards the right. The line in the far left is the line towards Kingsbury jct and Derby. This was the original main line which ran to the right of the island platform and down to the original Coleshill station named Maxstoke from 1923 onwards to closure This line continued to Hampton in Arden and the jct with the London and Birmingham Railway. You can see the line go off to the right. The siding in the foreground went to a waterworks.

You can see what a substantial building was  built on the island platform. The photo by the late great Michael Mensing, class 103 leading towards Coleshill, Water Orton and Birmingham New Street.

Edited August 13, 2023 by 46256