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I attended Coleshill school 1968 to 1973. We had a field trip…basically a walk…to the River Blythe. The remnants of one of those bridges was still there. Another portion of the Hampton line was on the school cross country run route. I’m glad to say this activity was never to my liking. I found an escape route, as you were excused cross country if you were in the school rugby team. I was then, as indeed I still am , a perfectly proportioned prop forward… Photo of the bridge in better days

I know that I’ve used this thread not just to highlight stock being built either from scratch or kits…hence it sitting in this section of the web. I’ve also strayed into modifying RTR…and more common material about the location of the station models. The Midland lines to the East of Birmingham never caught the photographers attention in quite the same way as the lines to the West. I mean where would you rather photograph steam trains? The rural bliss of the Lickey, plus steam working hard often with two or more locomotives. The alternative , the industrial landscape of Saltley, gasworks and all. I wish it had been more of the latter, but hindsight is a gift given only to journalists, and senior management! Fortunately more photos of Saltley are coming to light including these four my friend Don Taggart has discovered. He shared them with me last night when we met up with other members of the WORS for a curry and pint. The quality isn’t great but what they lack in that they make up in rarity value.

Parsons yes that was the name of the collaborator with North British.

Now you mention it John, I do seem to recall a painting in the book you refer to. It is quite something, in model form.

I’ve just met you at Warley. Thank you for speaking to me about your models including this one. The KR Fell , you also had displayed, showed what can be done to make this an accurate model. The locomotive, we spoke most about, was that Leader like, pulverised coal prototype. I had never been aware of it, until seeing it on your stand. Sincere thanks Brian

Just purchased from the show, the light transformer. One wired up for effect

I’ve just returned from the Warley show. I had the great pleasure of meeting Barry O and St Enodoc, in person. The latter is visiting from Australia. I’m sorry to say that I failed to locate a pink carnation, a fact Barry may mention together, with my close resemblance to a well known movie star….. Shrek Barry had tried to locate Coleshill station, only to find the area totally transformed from the era I’m modelling. The show itself was very good, if as ever a little overwhelming. The highlights in addition to meeting the two distinguished gents mentioned. Copenhagen Fields…need I say more South Pelaw…John your neck of the woods, except Barry asked me to tell the operators it was too clean. I’m pleased to say common sense prevailed and having no wish to upset, presumably Geordie gents. I just stood silently in awe of the modelling. A 3 mm layout…Southern units ….Petersea? Trade wise accurascale…Heljan including a model I have preordered E 2001 Kr models. I have to say the Leader, Southern double decker unit and DHPI look very impressive. Leader in a variety of liveries. On another stand … not trade, sorry can’t remember the name or organisation. There were three models of early locomotives. A Fell diesel, BR black eight coupled. This turned out to be a much modified, improved for accuracy , KR model. The second the Armstrong Whitworth prototype D9… a thread exists in kit building. The third locomotive…something I had never seen before.The upper body reminiscent of Leader, but more with more of a diesel outline. This was on a Bulleid chassis. The loco was a prototype apparently designed to run on pulverised coal. One of the companies involved…Paxton? It was conceived in the early fifties before work was cancelled in 1958. Just when you thought you knew a all the loco types there were, and had models of most of them. Lastly was mesmerised by an A4 and train emitting smoke effects. I’m not a great enthusiast for sound effects, but this add on was impressive. In conclusion a very enjoyable experience and sincere thank you to the people I spoke with.

I’ve just returned from the Warley show. The free BRM show special features this magnificent layout. I’ve just shown my wife, the photographs. We both love to visit this city, and although she is not a railway enthusiast, she enjoys the presence of the great station building ( she likes New York Grand Central as well). She is amazed by the photographs, quote “ how many times have we walked over that footbridge and seen that clock “ Thank you for an inspirational model.

Final photo for now until installed in what will be my new layout

I was going to show a photo however I realised it highlighted an error I had made post removed until I have rectified t

The Lickey ensemble travelling through, my now defunct layout Water Orton. U1 and Bertha DJH kits, Lms Garratt Ks with comet chassis and high level motors and gears.

No real updates on the modelling front. House move, entering hopefully the final phase, hope to be in , well before Christmas. Christmas 23 that is…although will probably take 12 months, to sort out all the packing cases. On a separate note, and not intending to start a discussion, already a dedicated page for those so inclined. Heljan to produce the Gresley Garratt. My recent DJH model has been one of those I have retained. I have no idea how the beast travelled back up north in the fifties from Bromsgrove. It could have taken the slow lines at Water Orton, through Coleshill to Whitacre, then from there up to Kingsbury Junction and onward North. My model will in due course take that very route. Lastly Warley is almost upon us. I havnt been for a couple of years, but will be attending on Sunday 26 th. I hope to introduce myself to Barry O, who I believe is demonstrating at this show. Barry if you read this, I will be the one with the pink carnation, and brandishing a copy of modelling for beginners.

John, I’ve never seen a coach yet , that didn’t look better in crimson or maroon….although crimson cream was also rather nice…

Coleshill virtually complete no more work though until after house move There are still a couple of chimney pots to finish off. The other buildings in background , they will be joined in due course by porters hut and the new house for the station master and their family.

More from above. The then new Coleshill sewage works, 1937.The line to Water Orton is to the left, a goods train in view. This is about to pass under the Lichfield Road. The photo is Included , for a better view of the exchange sidings to the right of photo. Coleshill station waiting room on the Leicester departure side, would be upper right just out of shot. I must admit even having seen the OS map, I hadn’t appreciated the length and amount of area these sidings took up. I don’t think I will be able to include them given my restricted area. I will settle for the small goods yard with double slip! OS maps included to try and correlate the images

The location of Coleshill ref no EPW 060871 now included in next post together with OS maps, allowing cross reference. Model wise I’ve made great progress with those chimneys…will show in due course. They really add to the character of the building.

Whilst browsing this web site I’ve found a reference to Britain from above historical photographs. Here are some of Hams Hall,

Nicely done lifts it to a different level

Totally agree Manna, or put photos of your stuff on the web..faults not seen on the workbench suddenly leap out at you. Then of course there is putting a model that ran sweetly, on the track to give it a long overdue run. Then …gear strips as happened to me recently when I was about to sell my N2 Airfix body comet chassis creation. It’s currently in a storage box awaiting our house move. On my repair list…

Roofing now added including some really nice finials

Looking at the previous photo, and confirmed by my wife. The central roof section not well modelled. I’ve now replaced it…quote from my wife “ better” ….almost praise!

Some creature comforts now in place for the stationmaster and family in the shape of roofs…still to be finished then those chimneys and final painting.

Anyway they were made of sturdy stuff back in the Victorian days, who needs a roof on your bedroom when there is one on the outside toilet. on a practical note I will be creating mock roofing out of card, to get the angles right, especially around those dormer windows. I will then use these templates on the wills slate sheets. Then there are those interesting chimney stacks to create. I am really looking forward to placing it in position, on my yet to be created baseboards. ( A fair way off yet). I would really like to model the area as it would have been in early winter. I won’t be modelling snow, I’ve rarely seen it done convincingly , but rather that barren landscape when leaves have dropped off. I know that modelling high summer foliage can hide a multitude of sins so might be a real challenge, especially with my landscape modelling.

Yes just working out how to shield them from the elements.

Just painted the new bits