Permanent Way News

The big news is that the extension has been passed for running by the Railway Inspectorate, and on Sunday October 13^th the first passenger trains officially ran over it.

On Saturday 28^th September the long awaited concrete platform for Willow Vale was delivered and has been stored next to the level crossing.

From information researched by Barry Bull, it appears that this kit of parts was once ‘Burlish Halt’ which was situated between Bewdley and Stourport.  Built complete with electric lighting and a pagoda, it originally cast around £430 and was opened on 31^st March 1930.  It is not known how long the halt lasted, but that line closed on 5^th January 1970.  Our problem is now to rebuild it, re-name it and re-open it, hopefully by Easter 1992.

Work on this and other projects will be greatly speeded up by the use of the JCB and the dumper truck recently acquired by two of our members.  Once their initial teething troubles have been sorted out, these two machines will be of immense value to the railway.

Work has continued on track maintenance, which of course now has to include the new extension.  Particular attention is being paid to the packing and alignment of the section where the new platform is to be built, as this can then be used as a datum for the construction work.

For the next phase of the extension up to the causeway, Major Olver has said that he will expect standards to be somewhat higher and that he will not tolerate the use of concrete sleepers with ‘loose’ chairs as are currently on our running line.  To get round this, several hundred ⅞ BSF nuts will have to be removed from these sleepers and replaced with new ones before track laying can begin.

Even with this extra work load it should still be possible to reach the causeway by the end of 1992, or even sooner if enough people help with the monthly ‘track bashes’.

Carriage & Wagon News

This department now appears to be expanding with a lot of new members, and a C & W yard is being established.  Work has commenced on clearing the site for the new carriage shed by moving S100’s boiler onto a flat wagon, which has also allowed the Great Eastern to be shunted out.

Midland four-wheel passenger brake – Work has continued on this vehicle with the repair of the roof and the cleaning and repair of the solebars and headstocks.

Manchester, Sheffield and Lincoln six-wheel coach – This vehicle has had a number of wooden panels replaced and some of the windows glazed.

Great Eastern six-wheel passenger brake – Glazing has been refitted to the guards’ duckets and part of the interior repainted.

Maryport & Carlisle six-wheel coach – This vehicle has remained sheeted over and no work has been carried out.

London & North Western bogie full brake – This vehicle, which houses the museum collection, has had its upper half sheeted over ready for re-roofing work to be carried out.

Wickham Trailer E56171 – This vehicle has continued to be used on passenger trains and remains popular with the public, even though one or two of its windows are now cracked or missing.

Wickham power car E50416 0 This vehicle has remained out of use, although it was used to house a model railway exhibition for the Transport Rally on October 13^th.  Work on filling and priming of the bodywork has continued.

Gloucester Trailer E56301 – This vehicle has again remained in service on the passenger train, as indeed it has done for virtually every public train on our railway since the day it was bought in the early seventies.  There are rumours that it may be taken out of service next year for repairs to the bodywork.

Derby Centre Car W59444 – This vehicle has still not entered service, and is still in blue and grey livery.  Some work has been carried out cleaning and repainting the bogies.CCCC Brake Van – Work has at last commenced on this vehicle with the removal of rotten woodwork in the floor.

GW Brake vans – These two vans have run coupled together to form the works train.

More on the Midland Railway Four-Wheel Passenger Brake

What started as a minor repair to the dog-box door has developed into a major restoration project.  Back in the early part of 1990 the door had fallen off due to rot in the door post.  This was the start of what looks like years of hard work.

Before starting it was decided that it should be returned to its original Midland condition, so research into the history of the vehicle began.  What we had was clearly a four wheeled passenger brake van, heavily modified, and obviously early Midland.

Older members remember the vehicle was purchased from the Manchester Ship Canal Company during the 1960s but little other than this was known.

After a few months of fruitless digging, we contacted the Manchester Ship Canal Company.  This one phone call produced more than all the previous ones put together.  Within three hours of speaking to their Mr. Chambers he had returned my call advising that he had photocopied all the relevant documents and was posting them that night.MR Coach 22-3-1958

All of the information given to us by the MSCC relates to the vehicle after 26^th January1953 when enquiries were being made by the MSCC as to the vehicle’s purchase.  The period before this is still patchy, but some we do know.

Drawings and photographs of other vehicles tend to make us think that the vehicle was built between 1874 and 1890 at Derby to drawing D529.  The number 68 is stamped on the inside of the solebar, so we may still be able to trace the original date of manufacture.

  Apart from being taken into LMS stock on 21-7-1920, little is known of the vehicle’s movement except that it was part of a fire train.  As M198718 the vehicle was moved to the Central Wagon Company Ltd. at Wigan on 21^st March 1953.  It was modified to ‘Cashier’s Coach No.2’ and entered MSCC service on 21^st April 1953.

The vehicle was examined by members of the Southern Locomotive Preservation Co. Ltd. at Manchester Docks on 7^th June 1966 and subsequently purchased for £40 and delivered by road.

The modifications performed by the Central Wagon Co. Ltd. for the MSCC included:

·        Removal of the vacuum brake,

·        Addition of extra roof-lights,

·        Fitting of end doors,

·        Fitting of a central partition,

·        Toilet and washroom facilities added,

·        Cashier’s pay-out window added,

·        Re-positioning of stove and stack.

Work started during the early summer of 1990 with all roof fittings being removed.  All old roof felt and canvas was carefully scraped off.  The interior was stripped out and all sealed-up doors opened.

During the last eighteen months steady progress has been made, with the cashier’s window being removed and panels fitted.  Damaged roof timbers are being removed and most of the panelling on one side has been renewed.

Assistance is always welcomed, so anyone wishing to help – just come along.

Thanks must be expressed to the Historic Carriage Dept at Butterley, and to the Manchester Ship Canal Company, for their help and support over the last two years.

D.Whittle

 0-4-2STs of the Cannock Chase & Wolverhampton Railway

Five engines built by Beyer Peacock between 1856 and 1872 for shunting at the Cannock Chase Collieries, Staffordshire.  They had remarkably long lives during which they remained practically unchanged.A view of three of the engines – McClean in the foreground, with Chawner and Anglesey in the background.  Whether the hot water being drawn off McClean is for washing purposes or for brewing tea cannot now be stated with any certainty!

The first engine, McClean, was the 28^th locomotive built by the newly formed firm of Beyer Peacock & Co., who have since constructed several thousand engines for use in this country and all parts of the world.  Alfred Paget followed in 1861, Chawner in 1864, Brown in 1867 and Anglesey in 1872.  Finally, after a lapse of no less than 74 years, when another locomotive was required, the ninety-year-old design was considered so satisfactory that a completely new engine almost identical with the originals was constructed in the Company’s own workshops at Chasetown in 1946, some parts being supplied by Beyer Peacock & Co.McClean

Brown was scrapped in 1926, but the others lasted until 1947 and the early 1950s, and the original McClean, which it had been hoped would be preserved, was not actually cut up until 1956, just a hundred years after having first seen the light of day.  It did not actually attain its centenary as a working locomotive, as it had been out of use for a few years previously, but it was the engine in this country which, up to then, most nearly achieved this distinction.Self-built Foggo

The 1946 locomotive, which received the name Foggo was still at work in the area until 1959.

Driving Wheels – 4’ 0”,  Cylinders – 14” x 20”A once-common wooden coal wagon from Cannock Chase.

12^th April 2011

One or two bits of news about happenings on the railway today.  The first batch of seats for the carriage has been returned and the remainder taken away for reupholstering.

I tried to get a picture of Jason carrying some of the seats – but I missed!  I know he doesn’t carry much weight but…….

The Marston’s Baguley has been running in the yard – very well done Jason!  I shall put a clip on youtube when I have finished this post.

We hear that the work on the causeway isn’t going too well at the moment.

Preparations are going ahead for the visit of the Industrial Railway Society for their AGM on Saturday.  Three locos in steam, plus diesels, plus the narrow gauge – sounds like a mini-gala!

With the increasing number of visitors to the museum we have seen an increase in offers by way of loan or donation of artefacts.   Amongst items of note to arrive recently on loan from Michael Mayne is a very rare enamel wagon plate “Empty to Coventry Colliery, Foleshill”, also a nameplate of “Coronation”, a Peckett 0-6-0ST formerly at West Thurrock Cement Works.  Finally, three items of local interest have been loaned by Robert Cadman, these are as follows: Memorandum of Association of the Cannock & Rugeley Colliery Co.Ltd.  Regulations of the Cannock & Rugeley Colliery Co.Ltd., 1895 and finally the lease of the Cannock Chase Colliery, dated 21^st January 1867 – including a map of the area.

A section of the map of the lease area

Thanks go to all those who have entrusted us with their treasures.