Our world in miniature, hobbies

It could be mistaken for the Northern Lights, Philip !

Hello, Seeing recent posts on our forum, I'm more determined than ever to incorporate a horse and dray yard on our railway here. Over the years, folks have told me about the horse & dray days. The now late Ron Owen, recounted to me the tragedy of where his dad was leading a loaded horse and dray, out of the Foleshill Rd exit, from Courtaulds yard, adjacent to the canal road bridge, when he was struck by a tram.

A model of this boat would look nice on your railway:

Very nice, both the cart & the narrow boat.

Hello, My post 1122, back in May on this topic, shows my interest in the position of signals placed on a platform. I know it's strategically correct, but was far too high. The train driver would snap his neck trying to see it. Also, the operational stand with cable counterweight would be beneath the platform, so quite invisible. Seeing another example of such a semaphore signal last Saturday, I decided to put it in permanently. I hope you like. It's a made up signal from my scrap box of mostly Hornby parts, but it's certainly grown on me. The signal is a junction signal, which allows access to the main single via the crossover points, to the running line disappearing in the distance. Please give a wave to our members Pat & Mayjan, who have been stood behind the bench for over fifteen years.

I hope you let them sit down between takes.

Hello, This picture demonstrates the silly height of the platform signal. Also, what used to be a very common sight of parcel vans & coaches. Traditionally, parcel coaches were often out of use passenger stock or guards accommodation, but with the introduction of the Red Star parcel service, new purpose built parcel coaches were in use, one at either end of normal express passenger services. The system worked well for those who knew how to use it. We took our parcel to a train station, for delivery to another train station. The service lacked good publicity, so folks just didn't know how it worked. Say if I had a parcel for Helen. I know that Helen is on a direct line from Coventry, so I would take the parcel to Coventry station, then phone Helen to tell her it's going on whatever train, can you pick it up at your station. If you knew how it worked, it was a brilliant service. Not just a next day service, Helen would have her parcel in a couple of hours. A bit longer if a change of trains was involved, but I always tried to avoid that. Hope you like that.

Some years back a woman accidentally left the airport in Switzerland with my suitcase, leaving her own on the carousel. Eventually mine was returned by train, in just the way you describe Philip.

Hello, That's wonderful Helen. To avoid parcels having to be man-handled, I would often take the parcel to Nuneaton, Leamington or in some instances, Birmingham. It started in 1963. Even coping with perishable stuff. The weakness was poor communication between the sender & recipients. So parcel offices became cluttered, needing staff to control it. Also politics got in the way with possible infringements with Royal Mail. It was closed down at the Minelium! If mum or dad knew that I was working in B'ham, I would sometimes get a phone call from them, "You & Pam's dinner is on the train". They gave me the label number & details. We never missed our dinner or whatever it was. It had to be Birmingham, as they would take the parcel to Bodmin Rd, now Bodmin Parkway. Those trains don't come anywhere near to Coventry.

Hello, I've added the advanced siding signal to the bracket frame. They were mandatory where a running line that served passenger trains, continued to a dead end siding. There weren't many dead end branches around our area, but space dictates them on our Holbrooks Railway. Birmingham had some, with their unique style. I've used one of there's at our Longford branch end. I thrive with little details like that on our railway.

Hello, Sundays were often an odd day for public transport. I believe even today, train crew are not forced to work on a Sunday, a hangover from those days. During the fifties, Sunday train travel often used diversionary routes, much fewer trains anyway. My mum running her shops, her holidays started on a Sunday. My Sunday school was right next to the now long gone Foleshill station, where I would sometimes sit & watch nothing. Maybe a wonder around the goods yard, seeing trucks & vans in the sidings, doing nothing. Just now & again, I would hear the twang of the signal wires, then the peace shattered by a train of empties or even a diverted passenger. So, as I've wandered into home after a busy duty day at my chapel, I've done the same at our Hall Brooks. Nothing moving. Even the figures on the platforms are asleep. Yet, I enjoy it in almost the same way as seventy years ago. It was a huge thinking time, as indeed it is now. Best wishes everyone. Our forum is alive & welcoming.

Hello, Evening sunshine captures the colours so much better, I hope you agree.