46256 Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 (edited) The Midland signal box demolished in 1962 has the incorrect nameboard Water Orton East Jct....this was worn by its British Railways successor. A photo on Warwickshire site showed the correct nameboard should have read Water Orton station jct on the Midland version...now corrected on my model. The messy steam pipes on the low footplate Caprotti (comet) were also improved after my viewing this photo in print. The other std Caprotti is s Portescap powered DJH. The three car GWR railcar set Lima conversions as per an article by the late Monty Wells MRJ. Flush glazed...if doing it now would utilise etched components by Worsley etchings....have class 103 sides from same to add to waiting dmu donor Just realised had shown the Caprotti picture earlier on the thread, and edited it. It can difficult to remember what has been posted. Edited January 23, 2018 by 46256 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) My good friend John will confirm via our pms I am still embroiled with rechassising the Heljan Garratt...as a bit of inspiration one of the beasts captured by my friend david Underwood on the fast lines towards Kingsbury. David, his father and brother Robin had the fantastic garden railway. 7 mm stud contact based on Hatton junction at their home in Watton Lane . David now lives in Vancouver Canada. He has built another 7mm masterpiece there. Edited February 12, 2018 by 46256 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) another of David's photos the one train s taking the fast line to Kingsbury thence to Derby...The other is setting back a train into the long siding by the slow lines. The fine portrait of the Scot was taken by Vic Smith from his position at WO west box it is about to leave the yards head up the Sutton park line and thence via bescot onto Westen div ex LNWR lines to Crewe. This photo confirmed my childhood suspicions that those of us who could not go past the East jct because of our age were missing so much activity in the yards and west jct Edited February 11, 2018 by 46256 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 (edited) On the subject of West box read in a mag that peco in its ratio range intends to introduce the ARP type signal box this year. I have scratchbuilt west box an exact match ...doh...anyway of interest in their blurb they say this type of box was constructed in wartime to replace boxes damaged by enemy action. I assume a Midland box once controlled West Jct although ever seen evidence of it..I also know Water Orton was subject to Luftwaffe attacks...often misplacing the target ...the intended ones bein Hams Hall power station which was often deliberately concealed by smoke. Mum and her sister were going to bed one night in what became my boyhood home 10 Coleshill Road. A German bomb demolished the middle house of the terrace ...next door. Mum described how she was aware of the wall collapsing. The next door neighbours were killed. Having failed in that attempt on my mum some time later as she walked to school the front gunner in a Heinkel bomber shot at her as she walked past the Digby pub. I am pleased to report the the might of nazi Germany had failed to appreciate who they were messing with when they messed with mum.......as they say the rest is history Edited February 11, 2018 by 46256 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 my earlier post mentioned the sign on the ex Midland signal box...Water Orton station jct...the first photo shows this as well as a good view of the old stationmasters house. The second by Dave Underwood...green peak circa 1962 yet to receive small yellow warning panet 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted February 14, 2018 Author Share Posted February 14, 2018 (edited) Empty stowage yards December 1968...my version of the Arp style box water orton west. With my model of D9 ...Bachmann class 46... New backdated other end with indicator lights and gangway...American style side grilles ...another peak passing the midland box..lastly WD captured by my friend Don Taggart Edited February 14, 2018 by 46256 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted February 15, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2018 Nice box. Spent a bit of time working there in 1966. Think I'm going to have to build one of those. Story line of my layout is that its LNW/GW junction was remodelled in 1940, so it could be that the old box was not big enough or in the way of for the new arrangements. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted February 15, 2018 Author Share Posted February 15, 2018 Nice box. Spent a bit of time working there in 1966. Think I'm going to have to build one of those. Story line of my layout is that its LNW/GW junction was remodelled in 1940, so it could be that the old box was not big enough or in the way of for the new arrangements. I've shown my attempt at this model....some time this year Peco in its ratio range are bringing out almost the exact replica. I won't be changing mine because of the effort etc to create it, but the Peco one looks very good.best wishes Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted February 15, 2018 Author Share Posted February 15, 2018 mention of my friend and former villager Dave...the rear garden of his abode in Canada...with 7mm creation unfolding.....envious...just a touch! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted February 15, 2018 Author Share Posted February 15, 2018 (edited) on the subject of signals a selection from the west end of the station. The gantry shot circa April 69 is wrongly credited to Bob Essery. In fact it is by M.A.King. The gantry has lost some of its arms.....by now reflecting the fact the station goods yard had by now been closed some three years together with the associated shunting loop and engineers sidings.of course all the signals shown together with west box in the distance were about to become history themselves on the impending opening of Saltley power box. Edited February 16, 2018 by 46256 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted February 15, 2018 Author Share Posted February 15, 2018 On an even more personal note the shot of the station goods yards...you will see some figures of young ...youths..children...this was my friends and I playing footie whilst trainspotting....you may note we are looking at the train engine...This was and still is as we meet up on a regular basis the Water Orton Railway Society...members all over the country if not the globe 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted February 26, 2018 Author Share Posted February 26, 2018 two photos gleaned off the net...the glory that was Hams Hall...and low footplate Caprotti .. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share Posted March 9, 2018 (edited) One of my friend don taggarts photos August 1966....the small station yard was now closed....Saltley 8f returning home light engine...that shed soon to lose its steam engines...the yards over the back still working their demise coming some two years later...and England winning the World Cup! Edited March 9, 2018 by 46256 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted March 10, 2018 Author Share Posted March 10, 2018 Two more from Don. A pair of class 27s a common sight until their mass transfer north of the border, They would work long coal trains double headed. The other photo a peak passing them on the up fast. The two photos taken from the platform of the station on 3rd January 1969. On a sad note you can see the yards behind the 27s are now empty having closed in Aug 1968 and are awaiting lifting. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted March 26, 2018 Author Share Posted March 26, 2018 two more photos found by my friend Don Taggart on face book. They are the work of the late John Green. Don assures me though the knees seen on the photo of the black five taking the fast to Derby belong to him! I found it interesting seeing the 8f on a parcels....more on models in due course 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted March 26, 2018 Author Share Posted March 26, 2018 Already posted this on Tony Wrights thread, and had a degree of sympathy by way of friendly supportives not least from my good friend RowanJ..thanks John. My layout is in the lioft and to gain max width under the eaves a bit too low for comfort. On Saturday my bulk under the baseboard trying to solder a connection to a tortoise point motor. My 25 w Antex soldering iron in hand....zap mains electricity hitting my hand. I had pulled the end off the iron element ...the two wires hitting my hand leaving what appears to be a snake bite.. New antex delivered yesterday...just tipped it and used it ... No fool like an old fool Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danstercivicman Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 image.jpegimage.jpegtwo more photos found by my friend Don Taggart on face book. They are the work of the late John Green. Don assures me though the knees seen on the photo of the black five taking the fast to Derby belong to him! I found it interesting seeing the 8f on a parcels....more on models in due course Just what I needed to see to justify keeping my 8F in the collection Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 Just what I needed to see to justify keeping my 8F in the collection justify an 8 f....I could run nothing else on Water Orton as the photos show and it still wouldn't look out of place...mind you struggling a bit to justify 60113...,60700...king class ...sometimes though the exotic did appear such as bullied pacifics...and one of his diesels en route to the Castle Bromwich exhibition Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted March 27, 2018 Author Share Posted March 27, 2018 I have been working on high footplate Caprotti class 5. The model has the GBL body as a source...comet chassis...Hornby duke of Gloucester valve gear bought as a spare from Peters spares. I think it was my work for n this model that started my correspondence with John. It was not a bad looking model, however it's pulling power, especially on my unintended gradients out of the fiddle yard. This weekend weight added..but in doing so damaged the Caprotti gear. This now repaired and engine now able to pull a decent load.Photo in due course 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted March 27, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 27, 2018 justify an 8 f....I could run nothing else on Water Orton as the photos show and it still wouldn't look out of place...mind you struggling a bit to justify 60113...,60700...king class ...sometimes though the exotic did appear such as bullied pacifics...and one of his diesels en route to the Castle Bromwich exhibition 60114 did manage to appear on a service train in the 1960s. It was being repatriated after those ex-GWR men at Worcester managed to break it whilst playing on shed after it had worked in on a special. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted March 28, 2018 Author Share Posted March 28, 2018 60114 did manage to appear on a service train in the 1960s. It was being repatriated after those ex-GWR men at Worcester managed to break it whilst playing on shed after it had worked in on a special. Yes seen photos of it awaiting departure at new Street...seen Tornado a number of times in the flesh...what a locomotive! I hate too say it though the A1/1 60113 runs more on my layout than my A1. Sorry for lack of photos of models got myself in one of those situations where working on too many projects at once. In the process none are being completed....discipline needs to be applied to my modelling time... Time the biggest thief of all cheers Brian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted March 28, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28, 2018 Yes seen photos of it awaiting departure at New Street..I nearly fell off the fence at the end of Platform 6 when it appeared under the bridge. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted March 29, 2018 Author Share Posted March 29, 2018 I nearly fell off the fence at the end of Platform 6 when it appeared under the bridge. I really envy you seeing the A1, I hope the pictures both real and of my layout rekindle good memories. The picture of the high footplate class 5... This would have caused nearly as big a stir as the A1. I believe these locos stayed very much in the North West, but in those wonderful days whose to say what could appear over the horizon 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted March 29, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 29, 2018 The high footplate Caprottis were originally at Longsight until displaced at the start of electric services in 1960. They certainly visited New Street at that time, in fact I believe one was at Monument Lane for a few weeks before they went to North Wales. I see that you have noticed they had Ivatt steps on the loco and the old type on the tender. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
46256 Posted March 29, 2018 Author Share Posted March 29, 2018 Noticed might be the wrong word....copied from photos, the old adage before modelling a specific loco try and look at as many photos beforehand. One of my modelling heroes is a certain Iain Rice. I have his books on whitemetal ...brass...chassis building..his philosophy was try and create a portrait of a particular loco...sometimes warts and all!....now a confession...the loco exhibited a certain awkwardness when running...a certain...well not quite as smooth as some of my creations. I was therefore running it in to overcome this...suddenly stalled...main coupling rods broken....my suspicions as to the play in these components confirmed. I have been here before....now do I throw the lot in a waste bin....take up yoga...or stamp collecting as alternative hobbies...or as usual grit my teeth and stay calm..more soon. On a positive note whilst the class five was running around me I was working on one of the Garratt chassis..this I'm pleased to say is silky smooth. I have made many many chassis in my time...a pre requisite if as I did you model in EM....all followed the same route...most excellent...the occasional one......Is it state of mind..stress at the time of construction..who knows...or just the occasional gremlin? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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