Blythe Bridge

[ELTEL]

Can any one please help with track plans of Blythe Bridge Staffordshire track plans as they were in the 1950/60s

 

Also photographs of the buildings etc together with types locomotives and passenger stock used in this period

 

Any information would be most helpful for a new member of Stafford Railway Circle who wishes to build a layout in N Gauge of this location and period.

 

Many thanks

 

Terry

[keefer]

For track plans try old-maps.co.uk or the NLS maps site for old OS maps at a suitable scale

[ELTEL]

For track plans try old-maps.co.uk or the NLS maps site for old OS maps at a suitable scale

Thanks for that...

 

Does anyone know of any magazine articles that may have pictures of buildings and coaching stock used in the 50/60s and perhaps a track plan.

 

Terry

[bescotbeast]

Blythe Bridge was my local station back in the 70's to 90's. I have got a copy of the SRS John Swift NSR Signalling plans book back at home, which I could scan for you,

I'd love to see Blythe Bridge in 4mm, it was a busy station back in it's day.

[two tone green]

If any one finds a 3 years old child's shoe in the gap between the rail and road on the level crossing, it's mine. I lost it there back in 1960.

[ELTEL]

Blythe Bridge was my local station back in the 70's to 90's. I have got a copy of the SRS John Swift NSR Signalling plans book back at home, which I could scan for you,

I'd love to see Blythe Bridge in 4mm, it was a busy station back in it's day.

Hi That would be great, many thanks.

 

I will PM you with my email address.

 

Terry

[Poor Old Bruce]

Stafford County Record Office and/or Local Studies Library will hold 25 inch to the mile maps for the county for various dates which should come up to the 1950s. You are normally allowed to photocopy them for personal use. I know that the Derbyshire maps for around 1900 have been scanned and are availably on a CD, other counties may also be available.

 

As for motive power:

 

Stoke had lots of 2-6-4Ts by Fowler, Stanier and Fairburn. Lots of 4Fs (aka 'Stoke Scots') and a few Black Fives.

 

Derby-Crewe trains would be 2-6-4Ts replaced by Class 104 DMUs. Later still by Class 120s.

 

Nottingham to Llandudno summer trains could be almost anything - Black Five, Jubilee, 9F, Single 25, Pairs of 20s. I could never underatsnd why the Jolly Fisherman to Skeggy got two 20s to potter across Lincolnshire while the Llandudnos got a single 25 to sprint (stagger?) along the North Wales main line with 10 or 12 coaches.

 

Freights would be 4Fs, 8Fs, 9F, perhaps WD 2-8-0s as well as any ot the above.

 

I've probably missed some out but you get the idea.

 

Passenger stock would probably be mostly ex LMS corridor coaches.

 

HTH

Richard

[ELTEL]

Stafford County Record Office and/or Local Studies Library will hold 25 inch to the mile maps for the county for various dates which should come up to the 1950s. You are normally allowed to photocopy them for personal use. I know that the Derbyshire maps for around 1900 have been scanned and are availably on a CD, other counties may also be available.

 

As for motive power:

 

Stoke had lots of 2-6-4Ts by Fowler, Stanier and Fairburn. Lots of 4Fs (aka 'Stoke Scots') and a few Black Fives.

 

Derby-Crewe trains would be 2-6-4Ts replaced by Class 104 DMUs. Later still by Class 120s.

 

Nottingham to Llandudno summer trains could be almost anything - Black Five, Jubilee, 9F, Single 25, Pairs of 20s. I could never underatsnd why the Jolly Fisherman to Skeggy got two 20s to potter across Lincolnshire while the Llandudnos got a single 25 to sprint (stagger?) along the North Wales main line with 10 or 12 coaches.

 

Freights would be 4Fs, 8Fs, 9F, perhaps WD 2-8-0s as well as any ot the above.

 

I've probably missed some out but you get the idea.

 

Passenger stock would probably be mostly ex LMS corridor coaches.

 

HTH

Richard

Many thanks for all the info, I will pass all the info on.

[Poor Old Bruce]

I did say I would have forgotten something - Crabs!

[250BOB]

Of course, just a couple of hundred yards west of the station, the now preserved Foxfield Colliery line used to branch off. I don't know what year this branch was taken out of service.

I remember a really tall signal box right on the crossings.

Terry, did you manage to get any further info that you could share on this thread, I spent my whole working career (1969 onwards) working at Blythe Colours at Cresswell, 2 miles east of Blythe Bridge. And of course Cresswell was where the branch to Cheadle shot off.

The highlight at Cresswell was in the mid eighties, when the concrete dual carriageway from Blythe to Uttoxeter was built. For about a year we had 2 or three cement trains arrive each week in the sidings by our factory, nearly always class 40 hauled. We got to know the guy doing the unloading and knew the exact time of each trains arrival.

I think the trains were coming from N.Wales, that's where this guy was from, Mold I think. Was it Tunnel Cement or Rugby cement, I cant remember. The mixing plant was just a mile or so up the road.

Bob

[ELTEL]

Hi Bob

 

I passed on the info I had to Erinie (new SRC Member)

 

I will check with him next time I see him as to how the project is progressing

 

See you soon

 

Terry

[Poor Old Bruce]

Of course, just a couple of hundred yards west of the station, the now preserved Foxfield Colliery line used to branch off. I don't know what year this branch was taken out of service.

I remember a really tall signal box right on the crossings.

 

There was a much smaller box controlling the junction to the Foxfield Railway.

[Fat Controller]

Of course, just a couple of hundred yards west of the station, the now preserved Foxfield Colliery line used to branch off. I don't know what year this branch was taken out of service.

I remember a really tall signal box right on the crossings.

Terry, did you manage to get any further info that you could share on this thread, I spent my whole working career (1969 onwards) working at Blythe Colours at Cresswell, 2 miles east of Blythe Bridge. And of course Cresswell was where the branch to Cheadle shot off.

The highlight at Cresswell was in the mid eighties, when the concrete dual carriageway from Blythe to Uttoxeter was built. For about a year we had 2 or three cement trains arrive each week in the sidings by our factory, nearly always class 40 hauled. We got to know the guy doing the unloading and knew the exact time of each trains arrival.

I think the trains were coming from N.Wales, that's where this guy was from, Mold I think. Was it Tunnel Cement or Rugby cement, I cant remember. The mixing plant was just a mile or so up the road.

Bob

Tunnel Cement, Penyffordd; the rail connection there remained until earlier this year.

[great central]

 

Nottingham to Llandudno summer trains could be almost anything - Black Five, Jubilee, 9F, Single 25, Pairs of 20s. I could never underatsnd why the Jolly Fisherman to Skeggy got two 20s to potter across Lincolnshire while the Llandudnos got a single 25 to sprint (stagger?) along the North Wales main line with 10 or 12 coaches.

 

HTH

Richard

 

Just a thought but if a loco got into trouble on the Llandudno there was a decent chance of assistance being not too far away.

I recall once, late 80s(?) taking the Derby-Llandudno with a pair of 20s up front. One of them was apparently having coolant problems, despite seeming to run well enough, swiftly replaced at Crewe with a 31, to the dismay of several bashers. I wasn't particularly there for the traction just a day out with my young son to Llandudno.

Then on a Jolly Fisherman with 20056 and a very smoky 20189, we made it to Skeg and back mostly down to '56. as 189 was doing little apart from fill the front coaches with smoke! There was little if any assistance once you've left the main line at Allington Junction.