Callow Lane - ex-Midland freight-only line in South Gloucestershire

[Captain Kernow]

Well, I'm rather glad I purchased it.

 

At some stage, I have to sort out a 3F and 4F to keep it company.

 

[NHY 581]

Thank you Stephen. Duly noted. 

 

Rob. 

 

 

[Compound2632]

7 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

Thank you Stephen. Duly noted. 

 

Always ready to fact-check any statement pertaining to the Midland!

[Din]

40 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

Indeed 58143 had first received a G6 boiler in December 1923 but other 1142 Class members had received theirs up to several years earlier, so the quirkiness that appeals to you should be attributed to the Midland rather than the LMS. 

 

Still amazes me that a quartet would survive depot'd at Coalville just for the purposes of the Glenfield Tunnel (assigned to pickup goods along the Leicester-Burton line) until about 1960. Always loved these locomotives and saddened none survived into preservation.

 

Thankfully I own one of the 00 Works runs they did a few years ago.

[MrWolf]

Although the tunnel was bricked up by our time the station site and cutting were a bit of an adventure playground for us as children, until ",they" built granny flats in it all!

I'm sure that there's a picture of a 2F exiting the tunnel somewhere, but I'm struggling to find it.

It was one narrow tunnel and owed it's design to canals really. The line was opened 1832 and is also said to be the originator of fitting whistles to locos after several collisions with farm carts at crossings.

 

 

 

A.Cartwright.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2023 by MrWolf

[Compound2632]

2 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

I'm sure that there's a picture of a 2F exiting the tunnel somewhere, but I'm struggling to find it.

 

Here you go:

 

 

[Embedded link to catalogue thumbnail of Midland Railway Study Centre item 64774.]

 

4 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

It was one narrow tunnel and owed it's design to canals really. 

 

While looking for that I found this, dated Oct 1928, and captioned "Portal of Glenfield Tunnel showing porter closing the gate after passage of a train":

 

 

[Embedded link to catalogue thumbnail of Midland Railway Study Centre item 65000.]

[MrWolf]

That would be around about the time the station closed to passengers. My paternal grandmother was born in Church Lane  Glenfield in 1908 and used to catch the train into Leicester regularly. She did say that there were a lot of cases of people walking through the tunnel and there was very little room to get out of the way of a train. Perhaps that is why it was gated off?

 

It was certainly gone by the 1950s

 

Swannington Heritage Trust 

Edited January 23, 2023 by MrWolf

[Compound2632]

26 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

That would be around about the time the station closed to passengers. My paternal grandmother was born in Church Lane  Glenfield in 1908 and used to catch the train into Leicester regularly. She did say that there were a lot of cases of people walking through the tunnel and there was very little room to get out of the way of a train. Perhaps that is why it was gated off?

 

It was certainly gone by the 1950s

 

Looking at other photos of the Glenfield end of the tunnel, it appears the gate was there in 1907 but had gone by 1932. I suppose once the station was closed to passengers it was deemed that the risk of people walking through the tunnel was reduced. Either that or there were no longer sufficient staff to man the gate!

[Peter Kazmierczak]

The tunnel mouth shape at Glenfield was very similiar to others on the Midland in that area on single-line routes, including one near Swadlincote (though 4Fs and Crabs could go through that one) and another north of Ashby. 

[Captain Kernow]

There was an apocryphal tale many years ago that a Midland Compound had got stuck with it's outside cylinders in one of the narrow-bore tunnels on the Somerset & Dorset south of Bath.

 

I don't think a Compound ever worked regularly on the S&D, but it's an interesting tale.

 

[Din]

10 hours ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

The tunnel mouth shape at Glenfield was very similiar to others on the Midland in that area on single-line routes, including one near Swadlincote (though 4Fs and Crabs could go through that one) and another north of Ashby. 

 

The Swad Loop was built to fairly good proportions. Whenever repair works were ongoing at Gresley Tunnel, they would use the line as a diversionary route. Most LMS and Midland locos graced the loop line including Black 5s, 8Fs etc. The latter of which would have an unregistered brakevan movement from Overseal shed to Woodville Goods every friday to get the shed men fish and chips!

 

2 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

There was an apocryphal tale many years ago that a Midland Compound had got stuck with it's outside cylinders in one of the narrow-bore tunnels on the Somerset & Dorset south of Bath.

 

I don't think a Compound ever worked regularly on the S&D, but it's an interesting tale.

 

 

It certainly is, considering the 7F seems like a much larger machine! Apparently by the mid forties Crabs would also begin to ply their trade on the S&D.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Yes, the completion of the Swad Loop was quite late, joining up two dead-end branches. 

[MrWolf]

I do recall that the inaugural train along the Leicester and Swannington, hauled by the Stephenson locomotive, Comet had a problem with the chimney striking the roof of the tunnel and covering the assorted dignitaries in the open carriages with soot. The train was stopped at Glenfield brook just beyond the station crossing, where a quick wash off was conducted before continuing the journey.

[Captain Kernow]

I've finished the Midland yard crane now and have planted it on it's plinthy-type thing on the layout:

 

 

 

The crane itself is removable for storage and transport, although the whitemetal upright that it pivots on, is fixed to the baseboard.

 

[NHY 581]

40 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

I've finished the Midland yard crane now and have planted it on it's plinthy-type thing on the layout:

 

 

 

The crane itself is removable for storage and transport, although the whitemetal upright that it pivots on, is fixed to the baseboard.

 

 

 

Nicely mounted, mon Capitane. 

 

 

[MrWolf]

Very nice, got covered in grease just looking at it. The plinthy type thing looks most convincingly, er, plinthy...

[KeithHC]

8 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Very nice, got covered in grease just looking at it. The plinthy type thing looks most convincingly, er, plinthy...

As it’s from pre pre grouping could it be plinthy the elder.

 

off for my hat and coat

 

Keith

[MrWolf]

Wasn't he the MP for Stockton, 1812-28?

[Captain Kernow]

On a hot summers day, the yard at Callow Lane is deserted and nothing is moving:

 

 

[gwrrob]

Good old Townstreet looking rather splendid @Captain Kernow

[MrWolf]

I was trying to think what it was, as I was sure it was familiar. They were really very nicely designed and detailed, must be around forty years old?

[Captain Kernow]

I really like their kits. I think I bought this one almost 20 years ago, always thought it had an LMS feel to it.

 

[MrWolf]

I think that they captured the look of a Victorian goods shed so well that depending on the colour of the woodwork you could almost place it anywhere. It reminds me of the LNWR goods sheds on the branch up to Loughborough.

[Gilbert]

9 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

I really like their kits. I think I bought this one almost 20 years ago, always thought it had an LMS feel to it.

 

I've used a couple of their overbridges - incluidng lowering them by judicious use of a razor saw - highly delighted. I shall be getting more - possibly brick bridges on the next micro - and the good shed does look very good...

[Tim Chambers]

Greetings Capting-have to say, both Goods Shed and crane really are the Biz!

Best wishes, Tim C.