Black Country Blues

[2ManySpams]

To quote Mr Ross "I think this is the most mess you've ever made"...

 

I think he was right!

 

The above was taken half-way through the tidy up. I've never seen someone use a vacuum cleaner for so long...in a garage.

 

BCB is under there somewhere...

 

That's it for sneak previews, you'll all have to wait until Members Day to see what happened today....

[Indomitable026]

To quote Mr Ross "I think this is the most mess you've ever made"...

 

I think he was right!

 

The above was taken half-way through the tidy up. I've never seen someone use a vacuum cleaner for so long...in a garage.

 

BCB is under there somewhere...

 

That's it for sneak previews, you'll all have to wait until Members Day to see what happened today....

 

I'm still hoovering the drive this morning....

[Indomitable026]

Still hoovering....

 

.....I want to break free......

[Coombe Barton]

I'm still hoovering the drive this morning....

Do you think he does it at your place because he needs his fix and can't do it at home ?

[Indomitable026]

Do you think he does it at your place because he needs his fix and can't do it at home ?

 

no comment

[Andy Y]

.....I want to break free......

 

All sorts of mental images; all of them quite wrong.

 

Now you've given away the group's attire for members' day I can only worry what OG will look like in high-heels.

 

The progress will come as a treat for me as much as anyone else come next Saturday!

[2ManySpams]

All sorts of mental images; all of them quite wrong.

 

I nearly got a photo of the hoovering action...would have given the wrong impression of the very productive day though.

 

 

Now you've given away the group's attire for members' day I can only worry what OG will look like in high-heels.

 

John is actually going in a tight little spandex number - apparently for 'shock and awe' (pack plenty of sick buckets)

 

 

The progress will come as a treat for me as much as anyone else come next Saturday!

 

Yes, and the rest of the BCB team too -- the last published photo shows just bare boards. We did remember to take some photos and some were of layout progress.

[2ManySpams]

Do you think he does it at your place because he needs his fix and can't do it at home ?

 

The original plan was a weekend of work but unfortunately I had to be elsewhere Saturday evening. The outcome was a very productive and focused modelling session, with not as much tidying along the way as I normally do. We both had a bit of a shock once the layout was cleared as we too saw the work clearly for the first time. I just hope folk, and the rest of the team, like what we achieved.

 

Mind you D got his own back - the car is still covered in the dust from him cutting Knauf board with a circular saw (with full personal safety equipment in use before anyone asks).

 

Oh, and John 'helped us' by providing a scale drawing of the works to that easy to use scale of 1:3.1825... It was easier to abandon the plan and dog it all in by eye*

 

(*just kidding John - spent all Friday evening writing dimensions on the plan - the copious flow of vino helped with this)

[2ManySpams]

Hi geoff

[Geoff Cook]

Hi geoff

 

Hello Chris

 

any space left for track

[2ManySpams]

Hello Chris

 

any space left for track

 

Possibly, if you scrape off some excess plaster and mop up some of the spilled tea. John's sketch had a few details on, lots of "here be monsters" blank bits. You've certainly got a landscape now...

[Old Gringo]

A Bibliography of Black Country References.

This topic post contains a selection of books that have helped and inspired the team creating the model railway, "Black Country Blues".

A Bibliography of Black Country References: Part One.

The first selection is a list of the books containing references to the methods and regulations used by engineers constructing the railway network and a few books aimed at the 'finescale' modeller.

• Railway Construction, W. H. Mills, Longmans, 1898, reprinted 1905.
• Railways of Great Britain & Ireland, Francis Whishaw, London, 1842, reprinted 1969.
• Railways for Britain, Patrick Thornhill, Methuen, London, 1954.
• Modern Railway Working, John Macauley, 8 Vols, Gresham, 1912 - 1914, (Volume 2).
• British Railway Track, R.A. Hamnett, Permanent Way Institution, 1943, various editions,1964.
• Biggs General Railway Acts, 1830-1911, Waterlow, 1912.
• Railway Practice, Samuel Charles Brees, London, 1837.
• Bridges for Modellers, L. V. Wood, Oxford Publishing Co., 1985.
• L.N.W.R. Portrayed, Jack Nelson, Peco, 1975.
• L.N.W.R. Signalling, A Pictorial Record, Richard Foster, Oxford Publishing Co., 1982.
• Railway Signalling & Track Plans, R. J. Essery, Ian Allan, 2007.
• Layout Design, Iain Rice, Haynes, 2010.

Document created 22 May 2012, last edit made 16 July 2015.

[Old Gringo]

A Bibliography of Black Country References - Part Two.

 

The second selection is a list of books with good atmospheric and detail photographs of the Black Country and surrounding area, plus histories of the railways running through the general area.

1. Railways of the Black Country, Vol.1, The Byways, Ned Williams, Uralia Press, 1984.
   
2. Railways of the Black Country, Vol.2, The Main Lines, Ned Williams, Uralia Press, 1985.
   
3. Railways of Dudley, Ned Williams, Uralia Press, 1994.
   
4. Wolverhampton Railway Album, Vol.1, Ned Williams, Uralia Press.
   
5. Wolverhampton Railway Album, Vol.2, Ned Williams, Uralia Press.
   
6. Shop in the Black Country, Ned Williams, Uralia Press, 1986.
   
7. Steam in the Black Country, Michael Hale, 1971.
   
8. More Steam in the Black Country, Michael Hale, 1978.
   
9. Rail Centres, Wolverhampton, Paul Collins, Ian Allan, several editions.
   
10. Wolverhampton on Wheels, Simon Dewey & Ned Williams, Uralia Press, 1991.
    
11. Wolverhampton's Railways in Colour, Simon Dewey, Amadeus Press, 2011.
    
12. British Railways Past & Present, No.5, The West Midlands, Silver Link, 1987.
    
13. British Railways Past & Present, No. ?, The Black Country, Silver Link, 199?.
    
14. Lost Lines; Birmingham & The Black Country, Nigel Welbourn, Ian Allan.
    
15. 70's Spotting Days - Midlands, Kevin Derrille, Strathwood.
    
16. West Midlands Rails in the 80s, John Glover, Ian Allan.
    
17. West Midlands Branch Line Album, Anthony Lambert, Ian Allan,1978.
    
18. B.R. in the Midlands, Andrew Fell, Ian Allan.
    
19. Diesels in the West Midlands, Geoff Dowling & John Whitehouse.
    
20. Mainline to Metro, John Boynton, Mid England.
    

[Old Gringo]

A Bibliography of Black Country References - Part Three.

The selection in Part two included books with good atmospheric and detail photographs of the Black Country and surrounding area, plus histories of the railways running through the general area.

Since starting this selection, several contributors in the other general Black Country Blues topic post, have suggested some extra titles to add to our list.

So, here is the next set, with some titles suggested by RMwebbers, Old Rocker and PaternosterRow; plus others that Mark and I found on our book-shelves and a few more discovered on sale at Kidderminster Railway Museum.

• British Railway Pictorial; The Black Country, Phil Collins, Ian Allan ISBN 0 7110 2969 5
• Through Birmingham Snow Hill, Michael Hale ISBN 95 0195 1 1 1
• Lost Railways of Birmingham and the West Midlands, Terry Meers ISBN 978 1 84674 109 8
• Stourbridge to Wolverhampton, Middleton Press, ISBN 978 1 906008 16 1
• History of the Pensnett Railway, W.K.V. Gale, Goose & Son, 1979. ISBN 0 900404 28 0
• The Economic Emergence of the Black Country, T.J. Raybould, David & Charles, 1973.
• Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway, Part 2, Bob Pixton, Oakwood Press, 2005.
• South Staffordshire Railway, Vol. 1, Bob Yate, Oakwood Press, 2010.
• South Staffordshire Railway, Vol. 2, Bob Yate, Oakwood Press, 2012.
• GWR at Stourbridge and the Black Country, Vol.1, Clive Butcher, Oakwood, 2004.
• GWR at Stourbridge and the Black Country, Vol.2, Clive Butcher, Oakwood, 2005.
• Staffordshire's railways, Mike Hitches, Alan Sutton, 1995.
• Black Country Railways, Alan Sutton, 1997.
• Osborne's Guide to the Grand Junction Railway, London 1838.
• The Grand Junction Railway, Thomas Roscoe, London 1839.
• Coghlan's The Iron Road Book, Railway Companion, L & B, G.J.R., L & M, London 1838.
• Britain's First Trunk Line, The Grand Junction Railway, V.R. Webster, Adams & Dart, 1972.
• Regional History of Railways of Great Britain, The West Midlands, Rex Christiansen, D & C, 1973, reprint 1983.
• Canals & their Architecture, Robert Harris, 1969, reprinted 1980. ISBN 0 906223 21 0
• The Co-op in Birmingham and the Black Country, Ned Williams, Uralia Press, 1993.

Document created 22 May 2012, last edit made 16 July 2015.

And I'm sure that there will be quite a few more yet to be discovered.

Please let us know of any other titles that you may know of, and add them to our list of Black Country references.

All the best,

John.

[Andy Y]

I should have added before now:

 

Britain in Old Photographs: Black Country Railways, Ned Williams, Alan Sutton Publishing 1995. ISBN 0-7509-0934-X

[John B]

Blimey - spotted a "name from my past" in that list. Co-author of "Diesels in the West Midlands", Geoff Dowling, was one of my professors at Birmingham Uni (BSocSc Geography & Planning, 1985-88...)

[andymozza]

A Bibliography of Black Country References – Part Two - continued.

 

The second selection includes books with good atmospheric and detail photographs of the Black Country and surrounding area, plus histories of the railways running through the general area.

 

Since starting this selection, several contributors in the other general “Black Country Blues†topic post, have suggested extra titles to add to our list.

 

And I’m sure that there will be quite a few more yet to be discovered.

 

Please let us know of any other titles that you may know of, and add them to our list of Black Country references.

 

All the best,

 

John.

Hi, My favourite,paticularly because of the abundance of early 70,s photos is Bradford Barton "Diesels in the West Midlands and Central Wales" by G Bannister, includes gems such as Baby Deltic at Wolves H.L on the Tribometer and lots with derilict canal and infrastructure. Andy.

[Guest Phil]

Excellent thread

Just to add in a few of my favourites which I don't think have been listed yet ;

 

A century of railways around Birmingham & the Black Country Vol 1 1900-1947, Vol 2 1948-1972 and Vol 3 1973-1999

 

All three written by John Boynton and published by Mid England books.

 

Celebration of steam in the West Midlands by J B Bucknall - Ian Allan 1994

 

Steam around Wolverhampton by Mike Hitches - Sutton Publishing 1999

 

West Midland lines of the GWR - Keith M Beck - Ian Allan 1983

 

Last years of steam Paddington-Wolverhampton - Laurence Waters - Ian Allan 1988

 

 

 

Hope this helps

[Old Gringo]

Thanks Phil, Andymozza and Andy for the additions.

I'd forgotten about the Bradford Barton books and there's two more for steam fans that I know of;

Great Western Steam in the Midlands, Michael Mensing, 1973

and London Midland Steam in the Midlands, Michael Mensing, 1974. Both books full of good action shots.

J.B. Bucknall's, "Celebration of Steam" is a fine paperback full of super photos - it's just a shame Phil, that some photos weren't printed a bit bigger!

All the best,

John.

[br2975]

For those amongst us who are not sure what a chain is.. here is a photo of one taken in the Waterway Museum at Gloucester over the weekend. (I was probably the only one of the team not out with DITD!). Anyway it shows a chain as used for civil engineering. The caption reads:

 

"In the 1620s Edmund Gunter developed a method of surveying land accurately using a chain like this one; it became known as Gunter's chain. The chain has 100 links and is exactly 66 feet long"

 

(courtesy British Waterways Museum, Gloucester)

Wow, this brought back memories of a life I left over thirty years ago.There was an art to 'throwing out' a chain - I'd just mastered it when it was time for a career change.Give me three ranging rods and I'll set you out a straight line as far as the eye can see !But when it came to 'levelling' that was different story - despite using 'rise and fall' out and 'columnation' back to the start point I managed to find a culvert under the Vale of Glamorgan line where the water ran up hill !!!!!Brian R

.........BTW "What do you call a chain with five pieces of wood at each end ?"

Edited July 5, 2012 by br2975

[Stubby47]

"What do you call a chain with five pieces of wood at each end ?"

 

A cricket wicket ! (You forgot to add they are usually under water...)

[beast66606]

For prototype information regarding special instructions etc. (looks like Part One is the list)

 

Not going back pre-grouping as these are very rare, other post 1980 ones are available too, but I've stuck to a 50 year time span.

The following do appear from time to time at auctions

 

LMS Sectional Appendix 1931 - Crewe and South thereof plus supplements 1 and 2

LMS Sectional Appendix 1937 - Crewe and South therefof plus supplements 1 - 6

BR Sectional Appendix - Crewe and South, 1960 + supplement 1

BR Sectional Appendix - Southern Section, 1977

BR Sectional Appendix - Southern Section, 1980

[martin_wynne]

Doesn't the bat make 6 ?

[Guest Phil]

Good t see the mentions of O Rourkes. On my stag night whih was only a small affaIr, we did a couple. We started at the Lye, then did the Cradley sausage works, the wharf at Old Hill, then the Brewer and Baker in Langley Green, before doing the last unit into the city.

 

The pie factory in it's time was a very enjoyable place - hands up those who remember the old stationary steam engine parked outside in the car park. I've enjoyed a cow pie and a pint of Lump Hammer several times there, and also recall one evening when they had a jazz band on. Jazz is not my thing, but I was well impressed with the bloke bashing the xylophone thingey.

 

Sadly the pie factory wasn't the same the last time I went in a few years ago.

[Dave47549]

.

Edited October 1, 2021 by Dave47549
Removed pointless guff