TheSignalEngineer

I will try to find a picture of a slotted joint. The principle is that the catch point is sprung as normal and works in the usual way when trailing through it. The rod has an elongated hole so that the point can do this but when the lever is pulled it moves the point to the closed position and holds it there so it can be used in the facing direction. Eric

I don't know the distances on the prototype but I think I have the explanation for the shunt arm on the outer home. If a train was signalled up to the home signal and buffered up coming to a stand the wagons would then ease back due to the gradient. As the catch point is not worked by the box unless a train was signalled onto the branch it would spring to the open position under the train. There is a risk of derailing because of this (been there, seen it happen) so an incoming train going into the loop or siding would be signalled by clearing the shunt signal at the inner home the the outer home. A shunt between sidings and the loop or platform would not go outside the starting signal so the single line section would be protected as the catch pout would be left in the sprung open position while this move took place. Eric

The Goods Shed side looks close to the original. The connection leading onto the branch would need an FPL. Not having signals on the Engine Release would not be unusual in most places but some far-flung bits of the network did have strange customs. The catch point by the Starter would be worked as a Slotted Joint, so for an incoming it would work line an ordinary spring point but it would be held closed by pulling a lever in the box and provided with an FPL. How is it intended to work the Wenford Branch? Is it a running line belonging to the 'Main Line' railway or a Private Siding? This will determine the positioning and type of signals required. Eric

That's what files are for. Do the one with the most metal then it can be reduced.

They could make even more happy by filling the LMS gaps with some Period 1 and 2 stock. The open third type I'm currently building on was around from the late 1920s until 1964.

Also a lot of locos missing in the Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0, and the 78xxx is allowed but no mention of the Ivatt equivalent. Same with 84xxx ans Ivatt tanks. At the time of that list at least 4 locos allocated to Bath Green Park and 4 allocated to Templecombe didn't appear to be authorised but a Clan or Bulleid Q1 were OK.

The S&D was Route Colour Blue. Route Availability from the 1960 WTT is as follows

There's enough snap-heads on there to make even the most avid rivet counter bog-eyed

Got one. Picked it up for about £10 on a well known site a few years ago. Currently sitting in the pending box for inclusion in my ex-LMS rake.

Spotters at New Street in the early days of NE/SW 125s. Photo ©2016 C E Steele Not sure of the exact date but the next shots on the film were a Class 210 wired for test running but with most of the seats not fitted, then some taken in January 1982

I mentioned the lack of LMS Opens and Composites also P1/P2 stock in their range to the Man From Hornby yesterday. He hinted that they were thinking of revisiting their coach range in the future to look at what gaps may need filling.

Don't know about Mr Y but he lightened my wallet by a few pounds.. The T9 will be running a Crankex complete with correct headboard tomorrow.

If I missed my bus at Woolworths in New Street I just walked up to the Town Hall and caught it at the GPO Sorting Office in Paradise Street.

The earliest reports I've seen in the railway mags was around the end of 1960 or beginning of 1961. That would tally with my own memories when three of us bunked off a school trip to the museum to see what was on the morning train from Euston. It was snowing at the time and the loco was a Stanier Pacific, 46243 I think. We managed to slip out and leg it down Hill Street to see the train and back to rejoin the party without being rumbled.

Don't think it will be as obvious as the missing row of rivets.

As far as the Coronations are concerned I think it was part of the Worcester Street bridge which was the problem. The offending bit was demolished during the Inner Ring Road works c1960.

In their twilight months Castles worked a lot of stopping trains in the West Midlands. This one is at Claverdon on the Hatton to Bearley line with a three-coach Class 2 working from Leamington to Gloucester in 1964.

Missing link?If it's the one on Warwickshire railways I know the one you mean. There's a Peter Shoesmith photo of 4918 at King's Norton on Geoff Dowling's Flickr site. As fo a Prairie at New Street, I've not heard of that before. When a Castle worked a railtour up Lickey it was taken off at Bournville due to clearance issues. However, there was a reported instance of a 94xx tank piloting the Up Devonian into New Street in the early 1960s.

I thought it may be coke from Swan Village Gas Works a couple of stations north of where the picture was taken. This picture was while the local coal yards were still in use, Small Heath depot was mechanised and took over the Birmingham traffic during 1966.

Although not with short trains Castles did use the Bumble Hole branch to get from Snow Hill to Wolverhampton during engineering works. It's normal use was for the Dudley to Old Hill autocoach and 64xx but it was classified Dotted Red which meant Red class locos could use it at low speed.

A very late Toad working at Tyseley, reputed to be February 1965. By the state of the loco this is probably correct. http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrt1028.htm

Don't use all the same type. Looks like three variations amongst four on this working. I think it could be coke from the look of the load. http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrhs1589.htm. Very late for a pannier working as only a few were left at this point, mostly working around the West Midlands, but it still has the early emblem.

Apologies if any of these have been up before, and the fact that some are wooden, but they show some nice variations of what coal wagons looked like around 1959. All taken at Water Orton and on John Turner's Flickr site. First a fairly clean 16t welded construction with top and bottom doors. The pressed side door looks as if it may have been acquired from another wagon. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/23533329305 The 7-plank to the left was still in Stephenson Clarke livery. It looks to have had some grey paint on the ironwork but nowhere else. Note one splis-spoke and one plain spoke wheelset. To the left of it is a rivetted 16T with pressed end door. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/23424858492 The two wagons above are also seen in ths photo of a typical local freight at Water Orton in those days. The wagon to right of the 16T in the siding is an ex-Lner 6-plank E93463. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/23303528639 On the other side of the station a rather dirty Cupboard Door version, which looks to have had a couple of recent repairs, next to an LMS 7-plank M270567. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/23424843172 This is probably the same train as above. An ex SR 8-plank with steel underframe, S11006. The ex-PO 21T to the right has split spoke wheels and a very short white stripe, whilst the 7-plank to the left is still in PO livery. https://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/23303526959

In the late 1950s there were up to about 18 trip workings per day pathed each way between Bordesley and Washwood Heath. Also there was a Washwood Heath to Morris Cowley and Hinksey to Washwood Heath. Other short notice trains ran to Honeybourne. On the Midland Line itself there was a regular working for a WR engine and crew from Gloucester to Washwood Heath via Lickey, usually a Hall but sometimes a Grange.

Another Toad off region in revenue service almost managed to creep into this shot of Washwood Heath in 1963 http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrwhg1006.htm