TheSignalEngineer

That's one of the Euston-Birmingham-Manchester/Liverpool sets which had a Porthole BSK in 1967/8 due to shortage of new stock.

I thought possibly an ash tip but the trams were electric after 1905/6. Possibly some other maintenance works use. That site was later used for prefabs IIRC, before being cleared and grassed.

My office cupboard had a file of sketch plans for signalling renewals and the abolition of every signalbox on the division. One got quickly put into use due to the existing structure starting to get further from the line and threatening to take half of the embankment with it, another when a train derailed and took most of the box as it went past..

More maps in the second post here http://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=41469

I can only remember that as the Salvation Army, so it was a long time ago if it was altered.

15 years to 'achieve' rather than 'build'. On anything like this the 'build' is often the shortest part. The time gets rapidly eaten up by MPs, NIMBYs and Eco-Warriors. Near where I live a Bypass has been in the pipeline for over 30 years now, the build will take about 3 years when all of the other hurdles have been cleared.

My Dad worked at Hockley in the Inspectors Office from 1939 to 1942.

Can anyone ID the coach behind D5083? Looks to be in Engineers use.

Sorry, Invisible Ink. The thread was growing so fast I had forgotten about that.

That's what you got after a trip to Ma Pardoe's

Selly Oak is still there in Birmingham I can remember this being converted to a bus depot when the Lickey tram stopped running in 1952. There were lots of new buses parked over the other side of Gibbins road by the Dudley Canal. There is still a bit of track at the Rednal terminus. Although the works at Kyotts Lake Road in Sparkbrook has now been demolished I think that part of the offices are still standing. Edit Sorry, Invisible Ink time. Selly Oak already linked at the start of the trhead.

Nice Engineers coach with that Big Yellow Toy as well.

Horwich, just along from the site of the old loco works http://www.flickr.com/photos/57603506@N00/4722405374

Shunting Frame. It was usually applied to signal boxes that were reduced in status when power boxes took over. Littletons Colliery was reduced from a Block Post to a Shunting Frame when Wolverhampton Power Signal Box was commissioned. Wolverhampton controlled the main line and released the frame at Littletons so that the sidings could be accessed. This enabled shunting to take place under local control without the Wolverhampton signalman getting involved. He only came into play when trains went to or from the main line.

Slightly O/T and area but the LMS put out a film in 1935 which had a wagon at Camden in LNWR livery right in mid shot surrounded by all the Big Four post grouping liveries.

Looks slightly wider than the 5" timber to me. I would say probably 6"

21st Century "Bone"

I noticed last week that there is still a four-doll bracket signal, minus arms, in the trees to the north of the line between Guide Bridge and Hyde North. It's visible on Google Earth.

The joints are normally in the same bed in plain line. Sometimes in S&C they are staggered because of switch lengths and short closures at crossings.

Branches I worked on often seemed to have a bit of random sleeper spacing. Recuts were first normally put down during relaying, so the spacings would be correct for the length. If rails were trimmed a closure had to be inserted. I was on a job like that about 1967 where something like 15 lengths were done over a couple of days. at each new joint a few beds were opened out, not much ballast there in the first place, and two sleepers or three either side of the new joint were adjusted to suit. It left a few uneven spacings but nobody seemed bothered about an inch or two. The other interesting job like that is transposing rails on a curve to even the wear. Obviously one side is slightly longer than the other, so again a closure and a bit of trimming is needed.

Interesting thread. I think that pre 1923 the only place making 60' rails was Crewe Works. During WW1 Crewe rolled some rails for other companies so there were isolated stretches dotted around the country. The specification for bullhead rails, BS9, dated from 1905. It was revised in 1924, so that was probably when the wider use of 60' rails started.

Secondary were often relaid with "Recuts" from serviceable rail taken off the main line. The usual thing was to cut 18" off each end and redrill. As the ends got worn they could be cut and drilled again, eventually down to 45' if the head wear wasn't too bad.

A little O/T but I haven't seen a picture of an EM1 on the Glossop traffic before. The timber was shipped into Manchester from Russia then brought up to Glossop to be unloaded in the yard. Olive and Partington had an area there where they stacked incoming loads. They had a fleet of four Fowler Tiger Tractors, the last of which was used up to 1960 to haul materials from the station to Turnlee Mill. This one, seen outside Glossop goods shed, is privately restored. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/getting-up-a-head-of-steam-912370

Or a very rusty one with a replacement end door