Jump to content
RMweb
 

Black Country Blues


Indomitable026

Recommended Posts

...some lovely looking brickwork on the road end...

Yes, indeed, it looks like a hybrid of 'Flemish stretcher' and 'mixed garden' bonds. I don't recall seeing that before and rather doubt you'll find a brickpaper or empbossed sheet to match it :scratchhead:

 

Nick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Continuing the bus theme I have tried to focus the public transport theme on the Darlaston - Wednesbury axis in 1975.

 

I have a 1971 WMPTE fares book and have looked at the No 37 and No 38 circular routes. The former was Walsall-Wednesbury-Darlaston-Walsall ("clockwise") whilst the No 38 was "anticlockwise". The relevant part of the route probably is Wednesbury (Odeon), Wednesbury (White Horse), Dudley St / Holyhead Rd Jn, Wednesbury (High Bullen), Old Park Works, Darlaston Bull stake, All Saints church, Station St, Pleck Foundry etc. A small number of these ran a slightly diverted route as 37A and 38A, running via Holyhead Road, Dangerfield Lane and Pinfold St to Darlaston.

 

Walsall Corporation received it's first fleetline (No 1) in 1962 and these were being delivered in batches, OMO being introduced in 1965. The Walsall trolleybuses went in 1970, and were replaced by various designs such as ex Wolverhampton Guy Arabs, West Brom CVG6s and BCT "standards". This was probably because these routes still had conductors and were very busy. The aforementioned 37 and 38, which later became 337 amd 338 saw a mix of Fleetlines and the new fleet of Bristol VRs with the Metro Cammell bodies which were delivered from 1973.

 

 

 

As an alternative to the West Midlands buses the Midland Red fleet, by 1975 absorbed into the PTE, still had some interesting buses. In the 1962 ABC there was a No 274 route Sedgley-Bilston-Wednesbury-James Bridge, but not sure whether this survived a dozen years later, into the period of interest.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are there any toilets in it ?

 

What do you think blew the windows out?

 

I'm very tempted to put my hand up for this one as I've got the ideal thing to do the faded lettering but I must get on with the cottages.

 

Spams; is it half-relief or just a frontage you're looking for?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Well, since we have a road bridge we'll need a bus.

 

I'm as lost here as the others are with TOPS codes! From what I gather though, neither my Birmingham blue & cream Fleetline or my WMPTE DMS are really suited. What is the best off the shelf model we can tweak to suit our needs?

 

Paul - apologies for the bus replacement service running through your thread!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

First mock-ups (all dimensions drawn out)

 

A bit short, if you know what I mean. I guessed at 8' to the roof but reckon 9' may be closer?

 

Edit: the roof was done really quickly, hence it not fitting very well.

 

BCB007.jpg

 

BCB006.jpg

Edited by Sandside
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I'm assuming the pitch of the two roofs is the same? So is the ridge line spilt because the two legs of the L are different widths?

 

The original inspiration building has the same ridge level but Google measured the two legs of the L are different widths. I wonder if this means that the two roof sections have different pitches or I measured the building wrong??

 

Does the split roof line matter? What do you think??

 

(Gosh that's lots of questions!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

It was supposed to be Chris, I think I messed up some measurements somewhere or maybe the mock-up isn't glued together correctly. I probably forgot that the wings are different widths. Still, it was only a quick mock-up

 

I reckon it doesn't really matter though and the different heights could be an additional feature.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could also use one of these CVG6s which are produced in RTP format. This ex West Brom allocated vehicle is on a Walsall - Wednesbury - Dudley service, so again very near to the "zone"

 

I've got one on its way and a Volvo Ailsa as there'll be a bridge or two looking for a bus.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking at Google earth, and using the timeline to turn the clock back, you can see various dates of the building.

 

Lower section is about 24ft across, 140ft long,

 

Larger section 36ft across, 135ft along the frontage, about 140ft taking in the offset corner.

 

Altogether about 280ft, or in scale size 1120mm (1.2 metre / 4ft :O ) by 144mm

 

Big building

 

How big were you thinking of?

 

Also, is the road to pass in front or behind?

 

Which side do you want on view?

 

Dave

Edited by Shadow
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...