Berrington & Eye LNWR/GWR Joint

[PeterM]

This is my P4 layout of Berrington & Eye on the LNWR/GWR Joint Line just over the Shropshire border into Hereford.

Ongoing now for about 14 years, but still a work-in-progress, the build was recorded on RMWeb but the images got lost. I probably still do have all those historic images.

 

[PeterM]

Apart from the layout, my main focus is building the stock. One of my pet projects at the moment is the Hereford to Tamworth Postal which had unique LNWR TPO's. Here is my model of 9533:

 

[AdeMoore]

Very nice Peter,
More photos please!

 

[PeterM]

Here is the signalbox. I have no images of the real one and it was removed in the 1960's. Some of the signalboxes on the line are still there and I managed to photograph Leominster South which I think is also now no longer there. I also photographed Church Stretton both whilst it was still intact, and later when it was dismantled and a kit of parts laying in an adjacent field. I do have a photo of the next box on the line South though, Kington Junction, so I think mine is pretty close. It does have the correct amount of levers. The hedge that marks the railway boundary is still to be finished off!

 

[PeterM]

And here's the GWR Saddle Tank that shunted those wagons into the yard off the local goods (of which there were only 4 a day and one of the LNWR ones only had to stop if required!):

 

[PeterM]

Inspired very much by @Allan 's videos at 7mm - Crook Street I am hoping to borrow (highjack) the concept of replicating a segment of movements in the timetable. I have not got very far on this but am starting with the early morning mail trains that also fascinate me greatly. This approach also provides a discipline for the build schedule for some of the 39 passenger trains that ran on the Shrewsbury to Hereford in 1912 of which 16 were Expresses!

Thus far I have completed (well almost) the 03:30 Tamworth to Hereford mail train and here it is running through Berrington and Eye:

 

[john lewsey]

Fabulous Peter, and it's good to see you on WT. The postal looks great and the Precursor is very nice.
John

 

[Joe's Garage]

As John said, this is a very fine model....where have you been?
The running is superb and I really am impressed with the sweeping curve.
Love to see those images if you find them.
Thank you for posting.
Julian

 

[Simon H]

That is lovely...for me, it captures the serene splendour of the pre-grouping railway.

 

[john lewsey]

Hi Peter, keep the videos coming.
John

 

[Allan]

Inspired very much by @Allan 's videos at 7mm - Crook Street I am hoping to borrow (highjack) the concept of replicating a segment of movements in the timetable. I have not got very far on this but am starting with the early morning mail trains that also fascinate me greatly. This approach also provides a discipline for the build schedule for some of the 39 passenger trains that ran on the Shrewsbury to Hereford in 1912 of which 16 were Expresses!

Thus far I have completed (well almost) the 03:30 Tamworth to Hereford mail train and here it is running through Berrington and Eye:

My word, that's lovely! It's so rewarding trying to replicate the timetable long gone, even if, in my case, the trains are distinctly shorter than would have been the case in reality.

Cheers
Allan

 

[Allan]

Apart from the layout, my main focus is building the stock. One of my pet projects at the moment is the Hereford to Tamworth Postal which had unique LNWR TPO's. Here is my model of 9533:

View attachment 258703

Hi Peter, that's a superb coach. I have some postal vans to build in my future, what method did you use for construction? I look with slightly fearful admiration at the compound curves at the ends of the clerestory roof...! Mine will be 7mm but I think the techniques are transferable.

Cheers
Allan

 

[PeterM]

Hi Peter, that's a superb coach. I have some postal vans to build in my future, what method did you use for construction? I look with slightly fearful admiration at the compound curves at the ends of the clerestory roof...! Mine will be 7mm but I think the techniques are transferable.

Cheers
Allan

Thanks @Allan for your kind comments and much appreciated from a fellow L&NWR devotee that inspires me. I can't compete with your output though.

9533 has quite a complex history. Firstly that vehicle was unique to the Hereford/Tamworth Postal (as was 9512 that ran with it). 9533 was the only TPO with a Clerestory roof for starters. Neither were fitted with nets.

I got a lot of help from Philip Millard who was the LNWR Carriages guru and who apparently rescued a lot, if not all, the original carriage drawings from Wolverton. He supplied me with a full size copy of the drawing for (95)33. For some reason he had also built an EM model for which he sent me pics. He had used a Stevensons Carriages resin 45' roof suitably trimmed to fit 42'. So that's what I did too; so no complicated forming of curves for me. The sides of the Clerestory are etches that came with the roof, again cut to size with standard cast torpedo vents.

I had the body etched by Worsley Works having scaled the drawing on my Mac. It all sits on a Stevensons Carriages 42' underframe that is fairly standard but I used the old style casting for the vac cylinder as that's what Philip identified.

Here's another TPO that I have just completed (minus couplings). Another Frankenstein from numerous sources but again based on info published by Philip Millard in the LNWR Society Journal:

 

[PeterM]

The running is superb and I really am impressed with the sweeping curve.
Love to see those images if you find them.
Thank you for posting.
Julian

Thanks Julian

In terms of the running, the Precursor is CSB sprung as is its tender. It took 3 attempts to build a chassis that would go round my 3 foot curves in and out of the fiddle yard!

The bogie vehicle has Brassmsters torsion bar suspension bogies and the 6 wheelers all sit on London Road Models 32' Cleminson underframes that are available as separate items. Again all this helps to get round my curves that are supposedly too tight for P4.

I'll stick some pics of the layout build up soon and hopefully won't bore everyone...

 

[MoatLane]

Beautiful indeed Peter, stirs my (dim) memories of Woofferton between trips to and from Tenbury Wells. My 1950s timetable has an early-morning through train to the MT&A, rather oddly terminating at Dowlais instead of Merthyr. Possibly a portion off another train carrying mail?

Cheers
chris