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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.

I really enjoyed speaking with Barry and yourself, thank you for a very interesting conversation, not least the reason for your moniker. Please have a safe journey when you return to Australia. The layouts you recommended I inspect, in the Hall, were indeed top notch. 
 

best wishes Brian

Hello xm607

Sincere thanks for taking the time to speak with me at Warley. I really enjoyed your models, and your description of their construction. I believe you have outlined the extensive work to the KR Fell on that thread. 
I have built the Judith Edge kit, and briefly owned the KR version. The was sold before, attempting similar works you have done to yours. The kit replaced it. 

In respect of the NBL/ Parsons locomotive, is it possible, as John suggests ,to show a photograph of this model?

or does it have its own thread?

best wishes Brian

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

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.