Lickey Incline: 2008

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Wolverhampton Steam Shed 1967

See links for the Youtube version of Nick Hedge's men and steam photographs taken in 1966 and 1967 at Wolverhampton Oxley shed

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Gloucester Warwickshire Railway

If you are visiting the GWR steam and diesel heritage railway in the Cotswolds at Toddington over a weekend or for a few days a good place to stay for luxury bed and breakfast is the West Wing Abbey Manor just on the edge of Evesham. See http://westwingabbeymanor.blogspot.com/
From here you can explore many parts of the Cotswolds and don't forget to visit the Winchcombe Railway Museum for a really different railway heritage experience.The GWR has a station in the village. For the followers of the Turf there is also the GWR's Cheltenham Racecourse Station

In addition to a scheduled service, the GWR hosts a number of galas, enthusiasts’ events and events for all the family throughout the year, including Santa Specials, Paddington Bear, Fish and Chips specials and dining trains.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Working the Lickey Incline

Notes from the SLS Midlands Forum April 2008 on working the Lickey Incline

In steam days virtually all of the up (South West to North East) trains had to stop at Bromsgrove for a banking engine. Then as now the chief horror to be avoided was stopping - "if you stop, you stick". A modern HST can rush the Lickey but physics still plays its part and while it may hit Bromsgrove at 110 mph by the time it gets to Blackwell it's down to 88 mphDescending the Lickey with unfitted goods and mineral trains was a nightmare and about half of all trains were probably out of control by the time they reached the Bromsgrove.Heavy braking led to a blue haze from overheated brake blocks and in diesel days' fears that the red hot blocks would set fire to congealed grease and oil on the engine bogiesTwo frightening incidents were a driverless 47 taking its rake of wagons and guard's van containing a traumatised guard downhill. In steam days an Austerity ran out of control, was diverted into the platform road at Bromsgrove, where it hit the points so hard that it fell off the rails but fortunately regained them.The locos remembered from steam days as working up and down the Lickey and banking were:

Norris 4-2-0sClass
9F 2-10-0s
Stanier 8F 2-8-0s
Austerity 2-8-0s
Midland Compounds
'Jinty' 0-6-0s
GWR 2-8-0T and 0-6-0 PTs
Big Bertha - 0-10-0s
Jubilees
Royal Scots
Black Fives
Hughes' Crabs 2-6-0s

The Bromsgrove footplatemen preferred the GWR panniers tanks to the 'Jinties'

Acknowledgements to Stephenson Locomotive Society.

For a full report on this seminar see the 2009 SLS Centenary Book to be published next year

Friday, August 29, 2008

James Cholmeley Russell

Read the biography of James Cholmeley Russell at http://jamescholmeleyrussell.blogspot.com/, a key and controversial figure in the development and life of the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Company that later became the Welsh Highland Railway. The original article was published in the Welsh Highland Heritage Society Journal but new material on his life is gradually emerging.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Hornby Dublo Catalogue

Hornby Dublo Catalogue , originally uploaded by Boxbrownie3.

Introductory page from 1950s Hornby Dublo model railway catalogue showing controller, couplings and electric signals and points. Note the very non PC smoking father!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Hornby Dublo Book of Trains

Hornby Dublo Book of Trains, originally uploaded by Boxbrownie3.

Brilliant combination of the art of the photographer and the skill of the studio artist

Produced in 1959 for the launch of the Hornby Dublo 2 rail model railway range, some of it based on the old 3 rail range but many new products particularly the plastic injection moulded SD range of railway wagons

Hornby Dublo 1950s catalogue

Hornby Dublo 1950s catalogue, originally uploaded by Boxbrownie3.

The Classic 3 rail Hornby Dublo model railway multi folded catalogue leaflet. Duchess of Montrose at the head of "blood and custard" tin plate coaches about to leave the wonderful die cast Hornby Dublo station buildings. Passengers are those handpainted lead figures that are now so collectible.

Hornby Dublo Accessories

Hornby Dublo Accessories, originally uploaded by Boxbrownie3.

Do we have all these?

Hornby Dublo advertisement 1938

Hornby Dublo advertisement 1938, originally uploaded by Boxbrownie3.

Thrilling news!

Tri-ang Railways 1963 Cuneo Cover

Tri-ang Railways 1963 Cuneo Cover, originally uploaded by Boxbrownie3.

Cuneo was Tri-ang 's favourite artist for a while in the 60s. And did stuff for Gamages Toy Catalogue as well! Great picture with lots of allegorical overtones - the old and the new, the changeover, late 20th century technology versus early 20th century technology, romance versus modern technology, the triumph of man over the elements - Brunel died very shortly after the bridge opened etc...And where is Cuneos's mouse?

And who owns the original of this great picture now?

And all for a toy/model railway catalogue!

Clifton Rocks Railway - funicular

Clifton Rocks Railway - funicular, originally uploaded by Boxbrownie3.

What it used to be like - catch a tram along the Avon Gorge and then catch the Clifton Rocks Railway and have tea in the Grand Spa (now Avon Gorge Hotel)

Clifton Rocks Railway

Just added link to Clifton Rocks Railway restoration project. Richard Webster and I jokingly discussed this in the 1980s - now it might happen!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Steam Index

I've just added a new link for Steam Index which is a fantastic resource for any one interested in steam locomotive history and railways - it has bibliography, magazines, abstracts, patents, indexes, patents and biography.

All it seems by one man Kevin Jones - born at about the same time as the A4 Pacifics!