MET A stock

Still waiting for the promised photos of New Mills performing at the recent Wigan Show so, in the meantime, something completely different. I was able to divert from a seasonal trip to London to look at the surviving Metropolitan A stock units, due to be replaced by the new Bombardier S stock by the spring of 2012. The A stock is almost 50 years old itself, introduced in 1962 to replace loco hauled services out of Baker Street. The iconic MET electric locos had until that year conveyed trains to Watford and Rickmansworth, steam locos taking over at the latter station for the run out to Aylesbury. However the LT network was truncated to Amersham and Chesham from 1962 with BR inheriting the services out to the county town.

Just before Christmas A stock could be seen on about 50% of MET trains. Above, an Amersham train about to depart from Baker Street.

Journeys end, the buffer stop at Aldgate, the Metropolitan's East End terminus in Whitechapel High Street.

Aldgate station at street level, the lettering above the upper windows reflecting it's Metropolitan origins when it was a through station on that companies route that continued onto the East London line. It later became the eastern terminus for MET services when through trains ceased in 1941.

A Chesham service pulls into the bay at Baker Street.

All Chesham branch services are now through trains to and from Baker Street or Aldgate, the legendary Chesham Shuttle finally expiring ahead of the new winter timetable.

At the time of writing it would appear that new S stock deliveries, a weekly night-time arrival from Derby behind Class 20s throughout the autumn, have been suspended due to 'technical glitches with their on-board computers', so said a driver. A reprieve for the A stock...good news for all fans!

Happy Christmas

Ayr to Stranraer line in 1963

Happy Christmas to all our followers from Himself, Sparky, The Guru and Artistic Director. See you in 2012 at Model Rail Scotland, Narrow Gauge South,RAILEX or the Manchester show..

We're back...

A great weekend in Wigan... super show, top layouts, great hospitality. More on the performance of New Mills in due course but in the meantime, the star of the weekend was undoubtedly..

The Guru enjoyed his lager but apologies to Sparky who, it was suggested in the previous blog, similarly lacked taste. Leffe certainly in the top league!!

The road to Wigan...is here

Yes, off to Wigan this morning. Two vans packed last night after final check of stock and some last minute detailing by Sparky. Soft Northerners seem to be struggling with a little bout of winter weather - we'll show them how to cope! And hoping that they have some decent real ales waiting for us...plus the usual 'extract of cat' for Guru and Sparky who have still yet to graduate to proper beer! Say hello if you visit the show.

Make mine a double bolster..

Himself has made two Parkside double bolsters which are now ready for weathering.
These examples are a development of the 1936 designed LNER plate wagon. First built in 1943, over 1,000 were constructed and the LMS, always quick to recognise superior work, ordered a further 1,000. BR ordered another 400 in 1950. In later life many were converted to Plate or Trestle vehicles and survived into the 1970s.

Surprising that we don't have a ready-to-run version of this widely used short bolster vehicle? Having said that you would be hard pressed to better these kits!

The wagon formerly known as Pipe

Another Parkside kit that may be ready for the Wigan exhibition. This is their 12T BR Pipe wagon, initially one of 800 built to convey pipe traffic from the huge Stanton and Staveley steelworks in Derbyshire but with the decline in those duties, often seen in general use carrying crates, cases and machinery. This one is ready for weathering and those short Bachmann couplings, if the Guru can source any as we are running low. Why can't the r-t-r manufacturers organise a decent supply of spares?

Fish to go..

The movement of fish traffic by rail declined dramatically in the early 1960s and many dedicated vehicles such as this 6 wheel van, LMS diagram 2115, one of a batch introduced in 1949, were consequently consigned to other duties.

Himself has skilfully assembled a plastic kit of this type, on this occasion from the Chivers stable. It will run as an example of those transferred to departmental use as stores vans in their olive livery. Maybe one day it will pass through New Mills behind that breakdown crane we keep promising! We do have concerns about it's ability to ride..or not.. our fiddle yard exit curves, so watch this space. In the meantime it is ready for transfers and weathering and then off to the Guru for a set of Bachmann short couplings.

LMSR CCT x 2

Two new Parkside kits are ready for transfers and weathering. Both have received their BR maroon livery but sadly this finish will be lost under that early 1960s grime!

Vehicle Diagram 2026 is another superb moulding from that manufacturer.This was the final LMS design from 1938 with a further build of 75 by BR. .

Diagram 1929 is a Wolverton build dating back to the mid-1930s.The narrow side windows echoed Gresley practice.With end doors both vehicles were classified as either motor car vans or CCTs but the side doors obviously favoured mail and parcels traffic

Mad Max

There are three forms of weathering. Firstly you get the commercial option where models in an eastern workshop are subjected to a 'brief encounter' with a spray gun of sorts that emits a monotone hue, usually along the nether regions and already speeding past the next loco before the paint has hit it. At the other extreme we are often encouraged by the model press to give everything the 'Barry' treatment. coating the plastic with a variety of expensive treatments, powders, dust etc until the item in question would not look out of place on a Mad Max film set. Scale up this 'crud' from 4mm and you get rust flakes the size of large pizzas! Fortunately there is the middle ground where a few exponents recognise that first and foremost weathering is principally about giving the model a working patina that suggests a living model rather than something straight out of the box, whether it be recently ex-works or close to the scrapyard.

However, all is not lost for the Mad Max fans! I encountered the Network Rail RHTT leaf basher set at Wendover this afternoon (a rare daytime loco-hauled and pushed trip on the MET these day) and the only thing missing was Mel Gibson hanging from the roof! The locos and wagons were lost in a fog of excreta that would satify the most Die Hard heavy weather fan!

Plated up

Our ex LNER 20T Plate Wagon has now received its transfers, Model Master decals that should fit this Parkside kit but need 'editing' to fit. However this excellent model (Parkside PC16) makes up for that slight hiccup. Now its off for some appropriate weathering and the fitting of a set of small Bachman couplings.

DP2

Photo: Steve Gibbons

No excuse for another shot of DP2. Phill Hutching's super model of this awesome one-off heads north through New Mills. With Bachmann releasing AL5s and the LMS Twins and Heljan offering early modern image types such as Lion, Kestrel and DP2, previous ready-to-run and kit versions are being superseded. Some dating back nearly 50 years, these earlier incarnations offered 00 modellers the only opportunity to add types such as these to their fleet. OK they were often quite crude and mechanically no match for today's products, but they do ooze charm and certainly command a special place on our layout. I guess the Bachmann LMR electrics will make the biggest impact on New Mills but it will be a sad day when we retire out Trix and Lilliput versions!

Clubroom move

Cooper Hire MRC has relocated to new premises. Our new clubroom provides enough space to permanently erect two or three of our layouts which will be pretty useful as we prepare for the Wigan Show next month and a busy programme of exhibitions for New Mills, Bron Hebog and Merioneth Town during 2012. Room too for a number of workbenches plus storage so watch out for a burst of modelling activity from Himself, Guru and the Artistic Director.

We've been Nevard....

All change for Low Level and trains to the Exhibition Centre

Ace layout photographer Chris Nevard has spent a day with us photographing New Mills in it's 'back to the sixties' guise for the February edition of Model Rail. We have been invited to back to Model Rail Scotland in February, see http://www.modelrail-scotland.co.uk/ for full details, and, as a major supporter of this excellent show, Model Rail will feature our WCML layout in the late steam / early diesel and electric era ahead of that exhibition.
The results of Chris's work are quite stunning as we have come to expect. Unfortunately the images are embargoed until publication but look out for spine tingling studies of Duchesses hauling the Caledonian, Princesses on the front of the Mid Day Scot,  Black 5s, 8Fs, Clans and Britannias on Anglo Scottish services and inevitably those early blue electrics and Class 40s. Chris's colour work is fabulous but his digital b/w studies really do take you back to the period when monotone was the norm and Trains Illustrated and then Railway World featured the wonderfully atmospheric work of pioneering railway photographers such as Colin Gifford. Their work was labelled the 'New Approach' and captured the decline of steam in a style that mirrored  the poignancy and social relevance of contemporary British films such as Saturday Night and Sunday morning. But I digress ....just look forward to the February issue of Model Rail!

Not fair..

Suggestions have been made on our sister Bron Hebog website that Himself has not applied himself as rigorously as some expect in recent weeks to our modelling programme . This is most unfair as the photos below bear out. He has recently completed another faithful restoration of one of Phill Hutchings WCML colour light bracket signals on New Mills. Constructed over 20 years ago they are iconic features of our layout so its great to see them back in good order.

Wigan.....without pier

Photo courtesy of Ben Brookbank

Certainly without peer, 64242 City of Glasgow speeds through Wigan North Western in charge of the southbound Caledonian during the summer of 1957, the year this titled express service was inaugurated.
I must move on from this Wigan theme but I just couldn't resist this scene which we will replicate, albeit further south, on New Mills at the Wigan Show in December http://www.wiganfrm.org.uk/

All change

Photo courtesy of Ron Turriff

A wonderfully evocative view of Wigan North Western station in the early 1960s around the period we are currently exhibiting New Mills. The LNWR provenance still features on the nameboard to distinguish this main line station from the L&Y Wigan Wallgate station,  served by Rochdale, Bolton to Southport and Liverpool trains at that time and still open today, and the GC who had also served the town. Their station, Wigan Central, continued to support a passenger service to Irlam and Manchester Central until 1964.
Mail sacks are being unloaded from the Cravens set, probably on a local service from St Helens (?) , a Black 5 rumbles through on a southbound van train and the obligatory short-trousered spotter, possibly with Dad, takes all the numbers. The duffel bag with bottle of Tizer and sandwiches must be parked further down the platform!
Magic.
The Wigan Finescale Exhibition is on 10th & 11th September, for full details go to http://www.wiganfrm.org.uk/exhibition.html

Next stop Preston..

Photo courtesy of Phil Brown

Well actually no, it will be Wigan for New Mills but we couldn't resist this lovely snap of a rather worn Black 5 pulling away from Wigan with a northbound passenger train in the mid 1960s. First coach is a Thompson vehicle so possibly a cross-country service originating from the East? Although our New Mills layout captures the WCML south of Crewe we do reflect this fascinating period on the former LNWR main line when steam played out it's final swansong, grimy but unbowed! The exhibition is on December 10th & 11th with full details at http://www.wiganfrm.org.uk/exhibition.html

Northbound...

Just 39 days to the Wigan Exhibition. It will be great to take New Mills north to Lancashire and exhibit the layout close to the WCML. Early 1960s Anglo-Scottish services will feature prominently with Duchesses, Princesses, Clans and Britannia's still vying with the new electrics and Class 40s for the premier services while a host of other steam classes right back to the G2s provide support.

Normal service will be resumed......

The Artistic Director who loads our content onto this blog has been somewhat distracted over the past few weeks. Daughter got married, then he was required to move 90 year old in-laws from Suffolk to Buckinghamshire followed by Mrs AD's special birthday tour of Italy. Reports indicate that he is recovering and normal service will hopefully resume over the next few days. In the meantime some holiday snaps fom Italy...

Peco crazy track on the metre gauge Circumvesuviana main line out of Naples.

If in doubt use a double slip!

A ride on the Frecciarossa between Milan and Naples at speeds
of up to 330kpm, certainly a land speed record for the AD!

Metal Breakdown

The Artistic Director has been promising to produce a breakdown crane for New Mills for many months so perhaps these recent photos of the Cowans Sheldon crane at the Didcot preservation centre, taken by Phill Hutchings, will spur him on.

The proposal is to use the original Hornby Dublo crane as a basis for the project. Often dismissed as a rather crude model, these photos prove otherwise and confirm that the Binns Road model makers captured much of the essence of this railway beast.

Running late..

With Himself undertaking lineside clearance work at tunnel South on the FR, in between building stock for Bron Hebog and the Guru busy at his Berkshire stables, work on New Mills has been rather patchy of late. However, here is another in our series of Models of the Week..or should that be month!

46245 City of London is one of our fleet of LMS pacifics. In the early 1960s Duchess and Princess class locos began to look rather tired, if not unkempt, a sad end to what were the flaghips of the WCML. However, 46245 was an exception due to it's regular deployment on specials and contempoary photos show it in a clean and polished state right up to it's final demise in October 1964  Consequently our model is only lightly weathered to respect this and is certainly our cleanest pacific on New Mills!  

A signal intention

New Mills is now 20 years old and although it still out-performs many younger exhibition layouts it does inevitably require regular maintenance. Himself has been refurbishing the enigmatic colour light signals built originally by Phill Hutchings and each capturing actual examples on the WCML. The bracket mounted signals that control the exit from the upper cross country loop and adjacent fast line are the latest to be upgraded.

Here is the structure removed from the baseboard and ready for some TLC. Himself will improve the components where possible but work strictly within Phils original specification, retaining the design that has proved so reliable over the years.

If you can't beat them....

Our sister blog has come up with the novel idea of presenting a 'loco of the week', a cunning device that will introduce visitors to the growing collection of Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland locos that have served Dduallt over the years and soon Bron Hebog. Not to be outdone, the New Mills team are proud to present their first LOTW, our ex LNWR G2A class 49361.

Photo: Steve Gibbons

These successful eight-coupled locomotives were designed variously by Webb, Whale, Bowen-Cooke and Beames for the LNWR between 1892 and 1922 but underwent various upgrades. Interestingly these "Super Ds" as they were nicknamed, outlived the LMS built "Austin 7s" that were supposed to replace them! They could still be found on freight traffic until late 1964. I can vividly remember them clanking through Berkhamsted on lengthy coal trains. Great survivors and The Guru's model as shown above, appropriately weathered and detailed, certainly looks the part on New Mills.

Coming Out

Let's get this over with. For those of you wishing to put faces to names here is a team photo of the Cooper Hire MRC membership, just about to head off with New Mills to the recent Derby Exhibition

From left to right, The Guru, Sparky Harrison (our regular New Mills operator), the Artistic Director and Himself. Regular visitors to our blogs will note that Rob 'Two Rounds' Waller is missing, otherwise detained somewhere north of Hadrians Wall on this occasion but very much part of our team at RAILEX last weekend.

Captions please via the Comments section but keep it decent!

RAILEX

The Cooper Hire MRC team, well Himself, the Artistic Director and Rob 'Two Rounds' Waller had a great weekend at the annual RAILEX show at Stoke Mandeville. Where was The Guru I hear you say!  It was a busy weekend at his Berkshire stables but we coped in his absence.

The succession of FR volunteer drivers, firemen, guards etc..who took over the Dduallt controls on both days - shades of Fantasy Ffestiniog -  meant that we could engage with the many spectators who follow our blogs. It was great to see you all and there is much more on Dduallt at Rob's blog site http://bronhebog.blogspot.com/ 
RAILEX is now one of the top UK shows with excellent trade and super layouts. Congratulations to David Lane who puts it all together. For us it's back to Bron Hebog and New Mills!

Back to Dduallt

After operating New Mills at Derby two weeks ago with Duchesses, Class 40s, DP2 and blue electrics thundering along the WCML with 12 coach expresses and 69 wagon freights, we are slowing down somewhat this weekend running an intensive Festiniog service on our Dduallt 009 layout at RAILEX, the model railway exhibition at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium near Aylesbury.

See our companion blog for more details http://bronhebog.blogspot.com/

Back to Blaenau

Over the years our local line, the former GC & GWR joint, has provided a route for a wide variety of passenger trains ranging from the Cambrian Coast Express to the GC services to Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester, and from the WR Pullmans to the recent Wrexham & Shropshire operation.

However, the indication on this Chiltern bubble car parked in the bay at Princes Risborough suggests a new route to the slate capital of North Wales! Sadly not the case. Recently reliveried W55034 in it's former Western Region colours worked it's first public service on Wednesday along the Aylesbury branch as part of the 'unveiling' of the refurbished Princes Risborough station and our Artistic Director was an invited guest on the day (well who else!), travelling from Aylesbury in the railcar with the top brass from Chiltern trains. Quite why this vehicle sported a Blaenau Ffestiniog destination is a mystery! Did this class ever work the Conway valley line? Answers via the comment box please.

Derby Days

A great weekend in Derby with New Mills. The Mickleover MRG certainly put on a good show, efficiently organised, good layouts and trade and well supported. We operated to our typically busy timetable and augmented our usual stock with a few gems from the Phill Hutchings workshop including his DP2 and early LMR electrics.

A busy fiddle yard with Himself and the Guru in relaxed mode on the northbound controls

We will post more photos from the show in the New Mills gallery but in the meantime here are two views that capture the weekend.

DP2 on the London - Glasgow Caledonian service.

Double headed electrics on a southbound fitted freight.

The range of real ales in some of the pubs in the city was quite staggering and we use that term in its widest sense! The Brunswick Inn, encapsulating the history of the railway works and a brew pub to boot, was a particular favourite.  We must point out however that our sampling of proper beer over the weekend was never allowed to impact on our the operation of New Mills over the two days....or was it three?
Congratulations again to the Mickleover Model Railway Group for a super show.