Stoke Courtenay

[checkrail]

And a couple more as the 28xx and train head for the tunnel.

 

The 'Raven' wagon was bought on eBay.  It's one of those Bachmann Collectors' Club limited edition models, or whatever they call them.  Of course that that didn't stop me giving it a good coating of grime and altering the couplings and wheels. And it attracted my attention because it's another one that wasn't black.

 

One thing I've noticed in many hours immersing myself in the various pre-war photo albums is the subtle variety of types and size of wagons in coal trains.  I felt that a uniform rake of Bachmann vehicles wouldn't quite cut it, however different the liveries, so I've been trying to replicate that variety through the use of kits, coke wagons, and waifs and strays like the Trix wagons.  The new Rapido ones will help in this aim too.  While some of the individual vehicles might not be 100% accurate, as usual it's the overall impression and flavour I'm after.

 

John C.

[checkrail]

Here's a slightly different take on the Earlsbridge through coach working.

 

On p.75 of Great Western Pictorial No. 2: 'The Hubback Collection' there's a splendid 1937 pic of a King near Charlton on the up main with the 9.0 am Perranporth to Paddington.  The caption goes on to say, "The last station call of this train was Brent, where the scheduled Truro 4-6-0, which had worked through, was believed to have been changed for the King.  Sometimes eastbound trains not stopping at North Road station changed locomotives at Laira Jct., though in this instance it may have been felt more efficient to change at Brent, where the two Kingsbridge vehicles (Van Third, Compo) were also attached to the front of the train."

 

So, inspired by this narrative, here's the Earlsbridge through coach returning to the junction, coupled to the branch passenger train behind 5557 .....

 

.... and here's 6019 'King Henry V' running out from Laira to meet it.

 

Here's a close-up of the magnificent monarch.

 

John C.

[checkrail]

5557 has now been uncoupled from its train and has run forward into the loco spur, clearing the way for 6019 to back down into the branch platform where it is coupled to the through coach, and the through coach is uncoupled from the B set.

 

 

As this is done 4908 'Broome Hall' arrives with a Penzance -Paddington express, having run non-stop through Plymouth and its environs. 

 

John C.

[Coach bogie]

2 hours ago, checkrail said:

Here's a slightly different take on the Earlsbridge through coach working.

 

On p.75 of Great Western Pictorial No. 2: 'The Hubback Collection' there's a splendid 1937 pic of a King near Charlton on the up main with the 9.0 am Perranporth to Paddington.  The caption goes on to say, "The last station call of this train was Brent, where the scheduled Truro 4-6-0, which had worked through, was believed to have been changed for the King.  Sometimes eastbound trains not stopping at North Road station changed locomotives at Laira Jct., though in this instance it may have been felt more efficient to change at Brent, where the two Kingsbridge vehicles (Van Third, Compo) were also attached to the front of the train."

 

 

I can confirm from a friend's extensive research on Brent that for a time a King did depart light from Laira for a loco change at Brent. One of those odd operations that did not last long.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[gwrrob]

21 minutes ago, Coach bogie said:

 

I can confirm from a friend's extensive research on Brent that for a time a King did depart light from Laira for a loco change at Brent. One of those odd operations that did not last long.

 

 

All that research was wasted as we never did get that much promised book.

[OnTheBranchline]

2 hours ago, gwrrob said:

 

All that research was wasted as we never did get that much promised book.

 

What happened?

[Coach bogie]

15 hours ago, OnTheBranchline said:

 

What happened?

Publisher decided it was not financially viable.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[St Enodoc]

24 minutes ago, Coach bogie said:

Publisher decided it was not financially viable.

 

Mike Wiltshire

Find another publisher?

[checkrail]

I've lost the plot a bit here chaps.  What was the intended book all about?

[gwrrob]

5 minutes ago, checkrail said:

I've lost the plot a bit here chaps.  What was the intended book all about?

 

The Kingsbridge branch.

[checkrail]

The sequence continues as 4908 'Broome Hall', still in pre-1934 livery and with small tender, coasts to a halt in the up platform, its first - and last - stop outside Cornwall. 

 

 

In the third picture we can see 6019 waiting in the branch platform and 5557 taking a breather in the loco spur, while 4908 is uncoupled from its train.

 

John C.

Edited October 4, 2023 by checkrail
duplicate photo

[checkrail]

20 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

26 minutes ago, checkrail said:

I've lost the plot a bit here chaps.  What was the intended book all about?

 

The Kingsbridge branch.

Thanks Rob.  Was lack of publisher interest due to there having already been books on the branch?  Would the one you and Mike are talking about have added more?  If so - a shame it didn't happen.

[gwrrob]

3 hours ago, checkrail said:

Thanks Rob.  Was lack of publisher interest due to there having already been books on the branch?  Would the one you and Mike are talking about have added more?  If so - a shame it didn't happen.

 

I think we all hoped it would have been a book rather like the one @Bulwell Hall [Gerry]  wrote for Wild Swan on the Bridport Branch. Alas, it wasn't to be.

[A Murphy]

Broome Hall is a cracker too John. 👍

[checkrail]

Now 4908 pulls forward before backing over the up end crossover onto the down main .....   

 

.... where it waits for the signal.

 

This leaves the road open for 6019 to pull out onto the up main with the through coach before setting it back onto the front of the Paddington-bound train. 

 

John C.

Edited October 5, 2023 by checkrail

[Nick Gough]

Just brilliant!

[88C]

You’re spoiling us with all these superb photos, thanks.

 

Hope the recovery is going well.

 

Brian

[KNP]

Nice set of recent pictures, hope things are going well with the recovery and have you 'accidently' fallen up into the loft at all?

[checkrail]

2 minutes ago, KNP said:

and have you 'accidently' fallen up into the loft at all?

Ha ha.  I can't deny that it's been a temptation sometimes Kevin! But I'm half way through now so I'll try my best to resist on the basis that the surgeon knew what he was talking about. Recovery going well so don't want to jeopardise it. 

[checkrail]

All coupled up, up starting signal off and away goes the King, next stop Paddington.

 

 

 

John C.

[Limpley Stoker]

What a splendid sequence of through coach shunting ! I wonder if the passengers of the through coach had to disembark during the manoeuvre - I suspect not, but I would have wanted to get out and watch leaving a mac on my seat.

[gwrrob]

They do today when they separate multiple units.

[The Fatadder]

On 04/10/2023 at 09:28, Coach bogie said:

Publisher decided it was not financially viable.

 

Mike Wiltshire

Shame it cant be self published, I think there are a few options out there now (certainly Amazon offer it) 

Would have loved to read it! 

[checkrail]

13 hours ago, Limpley Stoker said:

I wonder if the passengers of the through coach had to disembark during the manoeuvre - I suspect not

 

Your suspicion is correct Mike - they wouldn't have had to leave their seats.  And they could have done a bit of loco spotting.

 

13 hours ago, Limpley Stoker said:

but I would have wanted to get out and watch leaving a mac on my seat.

I wouldn't leave my computer on a railway carriage seat!

Edited October 7, 2023 by checkrail
typo

[5BarVT]

On 28/09/2023 at 17:38, Harlequin said:

A perfectly innocent and restful pastime is looking at the floorplans of houses for sale, to see which rooms would make good layout rooms...

Isn’t that the proper way to buy a house?  The one we’re in now met the spec that my old layout would fit in without alteration.

 

Trouble is, it met it with room to spare, so I ditched the old layout and am rebuilding bigger.  (Hope model railways aren’t like barns, there was a parable about that with an ending that isn’t encouraging . . .)

 

Paul.

Edited October 6, 2023 by 5BarVT
Punctuation.