Midland Railway Company

[Holmesfeldian]

Some finescale kit built 7mm scale coaches are up for auction if anyone finds this of interest.

 

Excalibur Auctions

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, Holmesfeldian said:

Some finescale kit built 7mm scale coaches are up for auction if anyone finds this of interest.

 

The two lots of Bain arc roof carriages with their 8 ft bogies will be spot on for anyone modelling the Sheffield District or the Keighley & Worth Valley, after 1914.

[Compound2632]

4 hours ago, AVS1998 said:

Sounds to me like a canny piece of marketing, that!

 

Making the best of a bad job, as the standard 54 ft length didn't give enough room for a full three first class compartments along with four thirds and lavatories at either end.

 

Corridor composite carriage of lot 616 built 1907:

 

 

[Embedded link to catalogue thumbnail of Midland Railway Study Centre Item 64367.]

 

The Midland hadn't used half compartments before the introduction of the 54 ft carriages in 1903. In contrast, about that time the LNWR went to 57 ft carriages with three full first and four third class compartments, which became the LMS standard layout, but before that, in the days when the 42 ft length was standard, had made extensive use of coupe compartments to squeeze three classes of accommodation plus luggage locker into one carriage. The Midland had worked around the problem by building 43 ft seven-compartment thirds but 40 ft or 45 ft composites, generally with a luggage locker or brake compartment that could absorb the stray inches.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Compound2632

[eldavo]

Following on from the bufferstop question, a bit of fiddling in my favourite CAD program and the 3D printer came up with this...

 

 

The proportions don't look quite right as it's designed to be inset into the baseboard.  In the intended location it looks ok.

 

 

Cheers

Dave

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by eldavo

[technohand]

On 10/11/2021 at 06:01, Tricky said:

As it was me who posed the question of drawings for crossing gates, I was also wondering what colour they would have been painted. In some Edwardian era photos they look very grubby indeed. But as @Compound2632 says in the above thread, most likely white. So mine will be white, albeit a bit grubby with vermilion diamonds. I still find the lemon chrome posts and boxes the only unattractive aspect of Midland style! 

For all those interested: Drawing of Crossing gate on page7 posted oct.15th 2018. 

Tony

[Dave Hunt]

I have just learned that my great friend and well-known figure in railway modelling and publishing, Bob Essery, died last night. He had been suffering for some time from advanced Alzheimer's disease and had been in a coma for several days then in the early hours of this morning he finally slipped away. Bob was the founder member of both the LMS Society and the Midland Railway Society and editor of Midland Record as well as LMS Journal. He and I co-authored something like 25 books and a great many articles and he was responsible for countless more either in collaboration with the late David Jenkinson and others or by himself. Modellers of the Midland and LMS owe a great debt to Bob for making readily available huge amounts of information on those companies.

 

RIP Mate.

 

Dave

[Rowsley17D]

Couldn't agree more, Dave. Without Bob and David we'd be all the poorer in our knowledge and information of the MR and LMS.

[lezz01]

Sad news my friend. Although given that Alzheimer's is a dreadful condition perhaps the end is something of a blessing. I shudder to think where modellers of both the LMS and Midland would be without the likes of Bob E and David J not to mention others. His writings were, indeed are, scholarly pieces of work that are read by many and in fact form the backbone of my personal reference library. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and I would be grateful if you would pass my sincere condolences on to them Dave.

Regards Lez.      

[Caley Jim]

Another inspirational modeller goes to the higher club.  A sad loss, but as others have said a release from suffering.

 

Condolences to all his family and friends.

 

Jim

[John-Miles]

Like many of that generation (e.g. D.F. Tee and George Dow) he was very generous and helpful to us lesser mortals. A truly great man.

[Tricky]

My condolences to his family and friends. He will be sorely missed. 

[Dave Hunt]

A question:

 

In 1906 would a Midland MPD have had telephone/telegraph installed and if so, would it have been connected to different parts of the complex such as the coaling stage office etc? My feeling is yes, probably, but I'm not certain.

 

Dave

[jamie92208]

30 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

A question:

 

In 1906 would a Midland MPD have had telephone/telegraph installed and if so, would it have been connected to different parts of the complex such as the coaling stage office etc? My feeling is yes, probably, but I'm not certain.

 

Dave

I would say, almost certainly.  The railway had the best network in those days and used it.  I would have thought that only the shed foreman's office would have been connected though. There were plenty of people around to carry messages.

 

Jamie

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

A question:

 

In 1906 would a Midland MPD have had telephone/telegraph installed and if so, would it have been connected to different parts of the complex such as the coaling stage office etc? My feeling is yes, probably, but I'm not certain.

 

Dave

 

Searching on "telephone" in the Midland Railway Study Centre online catalogue, I come away with the impression that telephone circuits between signalboxes were established by 1906 but perhaps not much before, and that stations or anywhere else connected to the existing telegraph system may have got them at about the same time. I would imagine that the Control system would have led to telephone connections being installed at other key points which I suppose would include shed foremen's offices. But not my tentative vocabulary.

 

Without re-reading Terry Essery's Saltley Firing Days, my recollection is that his only mention of using telephones is for calling the bobby or Control when held at a signal; that's 1950s of course.

 

Leafing through C. Hawkins & G. Reeve, LMS Engine Sheds Vol. 2 (Wild Swan, 1981), there are telegraph poles within the confines of the larger shed yards but these are mostly BR period photos and I wouldn't be sure these weren't to do with electricity supply for lighting than telephones. I've found just one unambiguous photo of a telephone outdoors, on the end of the water tower at Nottingham shed, p. 40. There's a cable strung via an insulator on the corner of the building, from which a duct runs down to a wooden cabinet about 4 ft off the ground, which looks to me to be a telephone cabinet. But this is also almost certainly a BR period photo; it is credited to R.J. Essery.

 

My feeling, for what it's worth, is that as Jamie says, there would be a telegraph / telephone connection, but only to the office.

Edited December 1, 2021 by Compound2632

[jamie92208]

My thoughts were also guided by the fact that the office would probably be permanently manned so telegrams could be copied down etc at all times.

 

Jamie

[Dave Hunt]

If anyone wishes to view Bob Essery's funeral on Wednesday December 15th at 4.15 pm, it will be available on:

 

https://wesleymedia.co.uk/webcast-view

Login/Order ID: 667952

Password: qhgnxtpc

 

The recording should be available for seven days afterwards.

 

In the event of problems logging in, telephone 01536 314890

 

Dave

[John-Miles]

I have only just got around to reading the latest MRJ, we were away in early December and I am just catching up. Dave deserves a big pat on the back for a job well done and well done Stephen (despite the typo - generally only people who do things make mistakes and are criticized by those who do nothing)

[Tricky]

Just got round to popping into town and picking up a copy of MRJ no286. A veritable feast indeed, I shall read cover to cover with my favoured black americano and mince pie! Well done @Dave Hunt on a fabulous issue. 

[Mrkirtley800]

I agree with the two last entries, and add my thanks to Dave for a super MRJ.

I was going to write a pm but unfortunately the wretched adverts have blocked it out.

Derek

Edited December 18, 2021 by Mrkirtley800

[Dave Hunt]

Thanks for all the positive posts about the MRJ guys. Out of interest, one of the comments we have had is that there was too much Midland stuff in it (!?). Makes me wonder whether he read the editorial......

 

There are still a few articles that people did for me that didn't appear but which Paul Karau intends to include in future issues.

 

Dave

 

[jamie92208]

43 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Thanks for all the positive posts about the MRJ guys. Out of interest, one of the comments we have had is that there was too much Midland stuff in it (!?). Makes me wonder whether he read the editorial......

 

There are still a few articles that people did for me that didn't appear but which Paul Karau intends to include in future issues.

 

Dave

 

You can't have too much Midland stuff.

 

Jamie

[Regularity]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

You can't have too much Midland stuff.

 

Jamie

Other opinions are available.

[lezz01]

There's no such thing as too much Midland in my opinion. There was a time when everything, especially in the modelling press, was a GWR BLT. Just a look at what is available from RTR manufactures will tell you that there's still not enough Midland. It's better than it used to be with 1F, 1P, 3F, 4F and Compound but only if you model the final 15 years of the Midland. Where are the 2Fs and Kirtley DF goods? Even the NRM collection in miniature has so far let us down. Where is the Spinner and 156 class, both in the full size collection? Nowhere!!! Don't get me started about freight stock. Yes I grant you that Bachmann has released a 20T brake van in Midland livery but where is the 10T brake van and 3 and 5 plank wagons to go with it? The price is nothing short of eye watering as well! Given the scope and size of the Midland and it's joint lines pre-group the Midland Railway is very poorly served if you ask me.

Regards Lez.

       

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, lezz01 said:

Given the scope and size of the Midland and it's joint lines pre-group the Midland Railway is very poorly served if you ask me.

Regards Lez.       

 

But much better served than the LNWR, GWR, NER...

[John-Miles]

For those of us who have spent years burning our fingers with soldering irons, gluing said digits together with super glue, cursing when the quartering of loco wheels isn't right, stripping off bad paint jobs and trying again, etc the last thing we need is RTR Midland. Every exhibition you'll get the same comment - is that a Bachmann mister. I like the fact we have to do a bit of work to build our models but maybe I am a masochist?