Our world in miniature, hobbies

Hi all Comedy script writers often rely on real life situations for their material as it can be as amusing as any staged event. One of the reasons that some locomotive classes rarely trespassed outside of the normal stomping grounds was where specialist service or equipment was required. So, I just wonder what conversation is taking place between the fitters & cleaners, here at Bramble Grove, where West Country loco 'Wilton' awaits coaling & watering? These locos were a revolutionary design which included chain driven valve gear, electric lighting, as well as many inovative basic service procedures. I need a workman to be scratching his head whilst the chargehand searches out the service manual.

Hello Philip, Nice to see you are hard at it working on OUR railway. Another name for you - The Coventrian. I am sure you will come up with the appropriate one before long. {:O)

Hi Dutchman, My mum's ladies wear shop in White St, was called Mercia Gowns on the deeds. Unfortunately, the sign-writer put Marcia Gowns on the hanging sign, so Marcia gowns it became.

Hi all & especially the ladies, Just in case you might have thought that our model railway is a domain of us males, please have a look at this video. ladiesrailway Over the years I have met several lady railway modellers.

Well I had a gander at Ms Kirk's video, I was so impressed by her presentation and knowledge that I even had a look at another one of hers, 'Cleaning and Dusting' and I haven't even got one to dust The only experience I have of such things is the real one that was in Bedlam Lane with the little hut thing and we knew 'Ginger' the shunter (is that the term?) the man that shunts 'em anyhow. He was a great character. The men said it normally took two to do the job but Ginger could manage on his own. Don't know if that is true or Bedlam Lane mythology.

Bolton Trinity Street was my favourite station in the whole of the UK so I'm delighted someone's recreated it in model form I know one called Jane Sullivan. Mind you she used be called John Sullivan

Gosh, Foxcote , I knew him too, as well as Roy, the regular signalman there. Pulling off the down home scorched their trousers on the brazier in the winter. When cycling home from Pam's (my girlfriend then) I often went inside the box so as to watch the two loaned engines returning to Nuneaton shed at 10.20pm on a Sunday. Roy who lived in Nuneaton, later became Coventry station inspector. He died some years ago, leaving a widow & lovely family.

There were some characters in that area, there was a little cottage along there and an old man named 'Fred' lived there and he 'did up' motorbikes in his front room, he was great as well. There was a bungalow by the crossing as well and a nice couple lived there, his name was Jack and he had one leg. Norm K would know them all as well. Well well...

Hi all & Top secret I was always very friendly with Roy & came to know his family well. They came to our home several times in later years. Roy, sometimes hitched a lift on these returning locos if that was the last train of his shift. One Sunday when I was on holiday, he had fixed it for me to go with him. So after he had secured the box & signed off, both of our bikes were loaded into the guards van (it was a pair of black fives & a guards van) & I enjoyed a cab ride in the second engine all the way to Nuneaton. My dad was waiting for us at Nuneaton and managed to pack us both & the bikes into his Hillman estate. The end of a fantastic day for me.

Is that the very hut?

Hi Foxcote Yes, yes it is. Please o'h please, a signal box, not just a hut............ It had over a dozen locks & levers in it. Thank you for the picture with a class 25 going by.

Morning I obviously have a lot to learn with the trains topic, apologies for the lack of respect with the 'hut' it will not pass my lips again It is a major topic on this forum and I used to blank all the conversation on it cos I don't understand any of it - however, I shall now read them all and learn stuff and send you photos you will have seen hundreds of times Oh forgot, last night we were discussing Ginger et al and we forgot but you know the blokes in a gang that mends the track and does things with sleepers (proper job description pending ).... well we used to call the Bedlam Lane Gang, 'The Railway Children' they used to come to us and the chip shop next door in a truck on a regular basis and we always had a great laugh with them.

Signal cabin

Hi all I am in trouble as well!

Well. I'm sticking to 'Kunzel Cake' topics, I've gone right off railways