Coleshill Forge Mills

[46256]

Coleshill Forge Mills. This station was situated on the Birmingham to Leicester line. The present Coleshill Parkway station now occupies the site.

 

I am modelling the station as constructed in the 1840s. It was called Forge Mills at this time, and was situated some way , from Coleshill itself. This town is in NE Warwickshire some 12 miles from Birmingham. The station was called Forge Mills, these two features were at that location. It was also to distinguish it from the other Coleshill station at that time. That station was built on what had been the original Derby to London main line. This had travelled through Kingsbury, then to Whitacre. A large junction station was constructed there. That line then left the Leicester Birmingham line, and went to Hampton in Arden,  and a junction there with the LNWR. This line was known as the Stonebridge railway. A station was constructed on this line, again some way from the town , and named Coleshill, hence the need to distinguish between the two. The line soon lost its mainline status and became a backwater. The second Coleshill station was renamed Maxstoke, and Forge Mills became Coleshill.  A full history can be found in the Warwickshire Railways webpage. 
I have previously modelled Water Orton station, and a topic on that kitbuilding thread. ( Since renamed to Coleshill forge mills layout and stock)

It was there as the building of that station and other buildings had been from scratch.

A lot of kit built stock also.

This layout is no more, due to an impending house move. Whilst awaiting that momentous occasion, I anticipated building a new layout. I won’t have the amount of layout space I had before, therefore the need to model an area smaller in comparison. A former resident of Water Orton, before moving and settling in the Black Country…and about to move further west to Tenbury Wells! I have many happy memories of my former home in Warwickshire. Coleshill station , was a short bike ride from my then home in Water Orton. I decided to model it, ticking  a lot of the nostalgia boxes. In theory I can model it in a smaller area. Making the model has also reduced the stress of this darned house move…this is nearly done… moving hopefully  just before Christmas.

I have been conscious that a lot of my recent posts in my current thread involve history and place setting rather than kit building etc hence this thread. Photo of model and of real thing.

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by 46256
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[46256]

More photos showing location on os maps and further photos of station

[46256]

Further map showing it in relation to the Hams Hall power station complex, sadly no more. Plus a close up of it in Midland days

[Methuselah]

Good Luck with the impending house move - and also with the new diorama. One of the old Hams Hall steam engines is kept but a few miles from Tenbury and still steams-up occasionally.   ;-   

 

 

....and this at Bromyard, just up the road from Tenbury ;- 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Methuselah

[46256]

Thank you Methuselah.
A Hams Hall Peckett at Titley, fantastic, and then  the Bromyard Railway.

 

You may be aware that an extensive 2 ft gauge line was operated by the Upper Tame Main Drainage Authority. It was centred at Minworth Sewage works which are situated near to where Water Orton marshalling yards, were located.

The railway was dismantled in the 1980s. At its peak, it encompassed the main works at Minworth. The Western boundary of the system, was the Sutton Park line from Water Orton Yards towards Bescot. It’s Eastern one was Coleshill.  A drainage/ sewage works has been built alongside the  Leicester line in the twenties/ thirties. Hams Hall power station was alongside it also. Aerial photos giving some detail to the maps shown 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by 46256
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[46256]

The 2 ft railway had bagnall steam locomotives until replaced by diesel some photos 

[46256]

The Bagnall is preserved, as you can see. I never saw it run, unlike the diesels which I saw many times crossing the Minworth Road at Water Orton, as seen in that photograph. It is therefore fantastic watching the similar Kerr Stuart in operation. I hope to see it in real life in due course. We are hoping to be in our new home in Tenbury for Christmas….to be fair our solicitor didn’t specify which year! Lastly out of place, here but very much at home on the Tenbury branch, photo of GWR railcar on the Bewdley bridge.

Strange but true a single car did travel to Derby on a special. In addition the three car set also visited. I have models of both trains, retained so will be travelling through my model in due course.