7mm Birmingham Moor Street

Focalplane

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
Fingers crossed, we may be moving to Hampshire in April. Or May, June or July if the solicitors have their way! There is even the possibility of 4mm Shipston on Stour being resurrected in a large attic space. A garden railway as well? Not so sure.

This is our last ever real estate adventure in the UK. Unbelievable story that is best not shared. And it isn’t even over yet.
 
Focalplane

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
And the real estate saga continues. We have just rented a small house in Hampshire while the search goes on. No thought of modelling at the moment even if and when we return to the lhouse with railway room” in France. The house hinted at in the previous post was withdrawn from the market when we made an offer for it! So Shipston will not be resurrected.
 
Focalplane

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
We have taken up residence in Hampshire this week and will be heading for France this coming weekend, so some work could be started next week if I have the strength of purpose to pick up where I left off in December.

Only two Moor Street boxes are going with us, two Haywood coach kits. But there are plenty of other projects waiting.

I just realised I missed Kettering! Oh well, there is always next year, though Reading is now my nearest location to part with Gauge O funds.
 
Pencarrow

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Well done on the Hampshire move. Ditto, missed Kettering too. The good lady's car failed it's MoT and mine was borrowed. So no wandering along the A5, M1 and A14 for me. Probably for the best, I really don't need anymore projects in waiting!
 
Focalplane

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
A further update. Very simply, Moor Street is in limbo! I only have two Haywood coach kits and no tools with which to build them. Everything else is “over there”.
 
Andy P

Andy P

Western Thunderer
Hi Paul, Our purchase in Hampshire is still going ahead, and we hope to be by late April. I'll have the integral Garage, and were putting a door in from the Hall so no more going outside to the Shed.
I'll have to shorten Seven Mills Sidings a few inches once the Garage is converted into a Room.

Catch up again soon mate.
 
Focalplane

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
I just succumbed to ordering some duplicate tools, including what could be my 10th soldering iron, so that I can make a start on the two Haywood coach kits. Moor Street just moved two weeks further into the future with an extension of the French lock down to April 15th. Expect similar here, I am sure.
 
Focalplane

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
STOP THE PRESSES!

No, I have not discovered a cure for Covid-19. But a slight improvement in personal survival was obtained today by purchasing the Finney7 kit for the Churchward 47XX mixed traffic locomotive and Collett 4000 gallon tender. This seems a logical addition to the roster to be seen at or passing by Moor Street as long as it is night time; and I do intend to run night timetables for when the large prairies are tucked up on shed for the night.

But please don't refer to the class as "night owls". They were never called that back in the day.

Building a brass kit will be a challenge with the limited set of tools I have cobbled together. I may have to rebuild it once back in the Railway Room!
 
oldravendale

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
I used to see them on every visit to Old Oak Common. They were never called night owls at the time. Somebody must have made that very irritating name up for the press. :headbang: I suspect it was originated by the GW Society to publicise the new build.

Enjoy the 47XX build - see Mickoo's on here for a guide. I'll be using exactly that when I get to mine.

Brian
 
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simond

simond

Western Thunderer
Paul/Brian

I thought it might have been the name of one of the regular trains, however a quick lunchtime Google led me to a useful list here

Named GWR freight trains 1920's

the following post answers my musing! I shall refrain from using the name in future!

atb
Simon
 
Focalplane

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
The list of named freight trains is interesting and it is relevant that Robert Ferris put the reduced list pertaining to Warwickshire on the Bordesley page of warwickshirerailways.com. The GWR had two main goods yards, one to the north of Snow Hill at Hockley, one to the south at Bordesley. Bordesley would have received trains from the south which were then split up so that wagons and vans could be shuttled in and out of Moor Street Goods Station. A fifth track was added on the viaduct to facilitate this. So in fact it is unlikely that a 47xx would be seen in the Goods Station but more likely on the main line through the Snow Hill Tunnel.

Evidence of the Bordesley Cattle Station is still present on the viaduct wall, see the first posts of this thread for a photo. Post #6
 
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LarryG

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Birkenhead had a variety of named goods trains, likely named after the siding on which each was put together.
 
Yorkshire Dave

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
Focalplane said:
But please don't refer to the class as "night owls". They were never called that back in the day.
Click to expand...

oldravendale said:
I used to see them on every visit to Old Oak Common. They were never called night owls at the time. Somebody must have made that very irritating name up for the press. :headbang: I suspect it was originated by the GW Society to publicise the new build.
Click to expand...

If any locomotive deserved that nickname it would have been the SR W 2-6-4T mainly used for cross London transfer freight traffic. Anecdotal evidence suggest these were rarely/seldom seen during the day (other than on shed) due to the volume of passenger traffic. Unless of course they were operating during the day in areas inaccessible to photographers at the time.
 
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