159 – ChasewaterRailwayMuseum Bits & Pieces from Chasewater News Summer 1993 –Part 2 The Re-opening of the Museum

159 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces

from Chasewater News Summer 1993 –Part 2

The Re-opening of the Museum

Bob Duffill

I am sitting in a Midland Railway chair, aptly for the article, in the museum which is housed in our LNWR full brake.  The rain is tipping it down and Easter Sunday has Chris’s pipe in danger of being flooded!  As it is not very busy I’m writing this article as for some time we’ve called ourselves the Chasewater Railway and Museum Co. but have not had a museum for the last few years.

Firstly, I would freely acknowledge past members who have gathered together a very good collection of railway relics and artefacts.  The last curator being Barry Bull being Barry Bull, who put in many hours over the years.

My involvement began when, a couple of years ago, I went into the museum to tidy up and dust and polish the display cabinet.  It was soon obvious, however, that all was not well.  The roof leaked badly, the exhibits had become dirty and run down, and many items were being ruined due to lack of care and attention.

The next few weeks were spent in desperation salvaging items that had become wet and taking them home to dry out as best I could.  The house began to look like a waste paper collection point as rare items were carefully dried out.  The smaller exhibits were also taken away for safe keeping, and the larger ones moved to drier spots in the brake.

Eventually the L&NW Society found that it had enough money to re-roof the vehicle, and after much reminding and being a nuisance, Steve Organ and his helpers re-roofed the vehicle, and the top-lights were rebuilt.  Adrian Hall re-wired the vehicle and installed new light fittings.  All of the remaining exhibits were taken down and moved to one end to enable a start to be made on painting the interior.  It was decided to use the coach for Santa’s Grotto, and John Duffill did most of the scraping down and painting.  Once Christmas was over and Santa’s Grotto was taken away, I re-arranged the interior to look a bit like an office and rebuilt and varnished the display case.

Keith Poynter has made a start on painting our metal signs.  He is making an excellent job of it but it is a bit like painting the Forth Bridge, there’s a lot more to do yet!A view of one end of the museum which has been re-roofed and re-decorated and is now open to the public once more.   Pic – Nigel Canning

Anyway, the museum re-opened on our first steaming of 1993, March 21^st, it still needs work but at least we’ve made a reasonable start, and hopefully it will be an added attraction for the public, and reveal our collection to members who just did not know what we had in store.

The latest news is an attempted break-in during the week before Easter when two local youths broke open a door.  Fortunately they were heard by Chris Hatton, and he and Steve Organ apprehended one of them who will shortly be appearing in court.  The burglar alarm fitted to this vehicle is in perfect working order, so hopefully this will be our last break-in and I look forward to the museum being further re-opened in stages.

Part of the 2012 museum

Finally, if anyone has photos of the local engines or collieries we are always willing to copy them for the collection in order that we get a comprehensive display.

This final sentence still holds good in 2012.

Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Van

Bob Duffill

As Tony Wheeler has been busy working on the L&Y (ex Cadbury) van recently, I have found some information on this unusual vehicle.  The original design goes back to the 1860s when an 8 ton version was introduced with a single roof door.  With the improvement in springs and wheels, this was later uprated to 10 ton in the mid 1870s.  The vans continued in production until 1916 when the last few were made, these having double roof doors.

I am unable to date ours yet, but it is between 1875-1913.  The LMS started scrapping them in earnest from the mid-1930s and ours was probably acquired by private industry shortly after.

The van should be painted in grey (Tony’s favourite colour) with white lettering, but as a change there was a variation which I feel we should adopt.  If they were shopped in Lancashire they had white roofs, but if they were shopped in Yorkshire they were painted red oxide, carrying old favours into newer times.

Some of our wooden-bodied vehicles are in fact quite interesting and well worth having restoration work carried out.  More paint to the C&W dept’s elbow! It won’t be long before we can have a decent goods train.

Chasewater Railway Museum News Cannock Station signal box nameboard arrives

One new and a few old Museum PiecesThe Cannock Station signal box nameboard was delivered to the museum on Tuesday Nov. 14th Stan, a good friend of the Curator and the museum.  Its final resting place has yet to be decided but it is on show in the museum.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, the photographing of the museum collection continued in the stores, and I thought I might publish a few pictures of some of the station furniture which the museum has tucked away, as do many other museums, in store.This item is a roll-fronted ticket rack from about 1938.This is a wooden chair with a Staffordshire Knot carved in the back, formerly of the North Staffs Railway.Finally for this time, another wooden chair, with a cut-out letter ‘M’ in the back, from the Midland Railway.

While it is good that the museum has these and more items in store, it would be nice to think that sometime in the future (probably distant) the museum could be extended and these items could be restored to their former glory and put on show.

Chasewater Railway Museum – New Items in the Collection.

New Museum Items

Yorkshire Engine Works Plate– 2748/1959.  Purchased on 1-11-2011.From an 0-6-0 diesel electric (Janus Class) 400 horse power engine, powered by two Rolls Royce engines.  Delivered new to NCB Hilton Main & Holly Bank Colliery as their No.6 Ex Works 11-9-1959

Later transferred to NCB Littleton 8-7-1966

1988 went for preservation at Peak Rail, Buxton 14-7-1988Photo by Dave Gibson

Currently at Churnet Valley Railway.

Cannock signal box nameboard – Cannock Station signal box nameboard, 74” long replacement board with original letters.  Purchased on 1-11-2011.

This item hasn’t yet arrived at Chasewater.

 CRC Horse Brass – donated.  A decorative horse brass, blinker style, marked with the letters CRC.  Hopefully Cannock & Rugeley Colliery.  Extensive research is ongoing.  Received on 1-11-2011

 WR Teaspoons Marked ‘WR’   Believed to be from William Roberts’ Brewery of Brownhills.  Donated to the Chasewater Railway Museum in October 2011.

 LMS Timetable – An LMS time table, dated 1926, one of the lines included is the line from Aldridge to Brownhills, formerly the Midland line, the more northerly part of which is now in the hands of the Chasewater Railway.  Not many trains scheduled as by this time the passenger service was coming towards its end (1930).Our thanks to all those involved in adding to our Museum Collection.

Chasewater Railway Museum – New Additions

 New Additions to the Chasewater Railway Museum Collection

One new addition to the display in the Chasewater Railway Museum is the industrial steam locomotive nameplate ‘Wellington’, from the Manchester Ship Canal loco No.43, supplied by manufacturers Hudswell Clarke, their works number 758 of 1906.  The loco was of the maker’s ‘short tank’ variety and lasted until 1959 when scrapped.

‘Wellington’ is on loan from David Jones of Great Central Railway Auctions and is the second nameplate kindly loaned by the same gentleman, the first being ‘Bickershaw’ which was on display for three years before being returned to Mr. Jones.

The Museum does not as yet possess a photograph of ‘Wellington’ to display with the nameplate, so if anyone can help please let us know, either in the Museum or through the blog or by telephone – 07748130215.

Amongst other items recently acquired by the Museum, although not yet on proper display (but are available for viewing!) are two railway maps, the first, Airey’s Railway Map of Staffordshire and District, and the other

   Bradshaw’s 19^th century ‘Map and Sections of the Railways of Great Britain’

  This final item is of particular local interest, as they don’t come along very often.  It is a block instrument from the East Cannock Junction signal box at Hednesford.  The signal box was situated between Cannock and Hednesford where there was a junction between the Walsall to Rugeley line and the Norton Branch which went to High Bridge Sidings at Pelsall, through Norton Canes.

The block instrument was purchased by the Museum, the two maps were donated and the nameplate is on loan.

If you should have anything of railway interest that you no longer require, remember us!

Come along and pay us a visit – open every Sunday from 11.00am till 4.00pm, and it’s free!

Chasewater Railway Museum receives Full Accreditation – plus two new items

Chasewater Railway Museum

Full Accreditation – Plus two new items

The Chasewater Railway Museum is pleased to announce that it has received Full Accreditation from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, the National Standards and Advisory Body for the sector.  This follows nearly a decade of work by the museum team to meet the standards of management and care for their collections, and the building of the current museum and archive areas.

In addition to maintaining current standards, further work in developing the displays and activities to reach a wider audience will be required to maintain the Accreditation, which should help when looking at funding for future developments, and adding to the collections.  It also consolidates the museum’s place in the regional museum scene, with the access to advice and services that this provides, and the opportunities to network with colleagues elsewhere.

Thanks to everyone who has helped the Museum to reach this point in its development, and the award of Full Accreditation.  Please contact the Museum if you would like to join the team – just call in on any operating day, come along to our regular Tuesday sessions, or email museum@chaserail.com

Barry Bull,  Curator.Two new Additions

The first item was the purchase of a local item, a Block Instrument from the former East Cannock Junction Signal Box at Hednesford, where the Norton Branch met the main line from Walsall to Rugeley.The second item was a very welcome donation from one of the visitors to the Museum.  A bridge plate from the London & North Western Railway Company – location unknown.

Chasewater Railway News – Easter 2011

 In spite of the Railway not being able to cross the causeway (due to circumstances entirely beyond their control), there was still plenty of activity at Chasewater over the weekend.  ‘Linda’ and ‘Asbestos’ were both in steam running to the causeway and back and giving brake van rides, and the Hunslet was in action shunting at times.  Easter Monday saw an Easter Egg Hunt well organised and run by the Junior Section and judging by the number of parents and children about this seems to have been well supported – grand job!In the Heritage Centre the W59444 carriage is nearing completion with the reupholstered seats now in place – very smart!I popped in to see the Model Railway Group again this week; it’s good to have it running regularly although with one or two slight hitches at the moment.  I would imagine that the problems will start to get sorted out when the Bank Holiday Season is over.  I must admit that I look forward to the time when more model steam engines are running – my personal preference over diesel, sorry.In the Museum there have been a couple of new additions – a Block Instrument with bell box, LNER origin and a new brick for the collection of colliery bricks.  This was an anonymous donation of a Bretby Colliery brick – I must admit that I didn’t know where Bretby Colliery was so it was duly ‘googled’ and found to be in South Derbyshire – I was also surprised to see a photo of one on ‘flickr’!

Chasewater Railway Museum News – Our Latest Donation – From Brownhills!

Chasewater Railway Museum News

 Our Latest Donation – From Brownhills!

 While the museum was open for the Industrial Railway Society meeting and AGM, we received a visit from Douglas Birch MBE from Brownhills.  He offered, and we were proud to accept, an old leg vice, believed to have been used at the loco shed at Harrison’s Old Yard in the mid-nineteenth century.  I shall reproduce the full information that Doug provided.Barry Bull (Museum Curator) with Doug Birch and the leg vice.

 William Harrison’s, Brownhills Common.

By Douglas Birch MBE

‘Harrison’s Old Yard’ was situated on Wyrley Common near to the Shant Bridge over the former LNWR mineral line on the A5 at Brownhills West.

The yard consisted of Workshops, Admin. Offices, Loco Shed, Sawmill and Cottages servicing the adjacent Cathedral Colliery and a number of other small pits in the locality.

A crane hire company now occupies some of the original buildings.  When the Wyrley Grove Colliery was sunk in 1870 all operations and plant was moved to the new site where a much bigger complex was built, which in part eventually served two other new collieries in the Harrison Group – Wyrley No.3 (The Sinking) and Mid-Cannock, including extensive wagon repair shops, sawmill and a new loco shed with space for four engines.

My grandfather, Arthur John Birch, was Head Engine fitter around the turn of the century both at the Old Yard and at Wyrley Grove.  He was succeeded by his son Oliver, my uncle, in the early 1920s.  Oliver held the position until his death in the early 1960s.  His son Arthur John in turn succeeded him until the closure of the Grove in 1963.

I too spent all my working life in the coal industry as a Mechanical Engineer.  The first eighteen years in the Grove Pit fitting shop.  My final twenty years in the industry was as a Safety and Training Officer at Cannock Central Workshops.

The leg vice I am offering to your museum may be of interest because it is considered to be a family heirloom and has passed down from my grandfather to my father, and then to me.  I have had it in my workshop since 1953 and it was in my father’s workshop (he was a carpenter) for a similar period before that.  The historical interest is that we have always understood that the vice originated from the loco shed at Harrison’s Old Yard via my grandfather which makes it very old indeed and worthy of preservation.  It would be an awful shame if the vice went for scrap after surviving for so long.

 William Harrison’s Steam Locomotives

Cathedral Pit

‘Emlyn’                 0-6-0ST scrapped 1920

‘Black Prince’       0-6-0ST scrapped 1909

‘Agincourt’            0-6-0ST scrapped 1906

‘Success’              0-6-0ST scrapped 1913  (Purchased 1869)

‘Warrior’                0-6-0ST scrapped 1933

Grove Pit

‘No.3                     0-6-0ST Purchased new 1895 Peckett    To NCB‘The Colonel’        0-6-0ST Purchased new 1914  Hudswell Clarke  To NCB

Loco Driver – Harry Jones

Steam Crane Driver – Jack Jones  (This crane was manufactured in France and reputedly saw military service during the 1914 – 1918 war.

Loco Fireman – Charles Dalton.Many Thanks, Doug.

Chasewater Railway and Museum News – 12th April 2011

Chasewater Railway and Museum News

12^th April 2011

One or two bits of news about happenings on the railway today.  The first batch of seats for the carriage has been returned and the remainder taken away for reupholstering.

I tried to get a picture of Jason carrying some of the seats – but I missed!  I know he doesn’t carry much weight but…….

The Marston’s Baguley has been running in the yard – very well done Jason!  I shall put a clip on youtube when I have finished this post.

We hear that the work on the causeway isn’t going too well at the moment.

Preparations are going ahead for the visit of the Industrial Railway Society for their AGM on Saturday.  Three locos in steam, plus diesels, plus the narrow gauge – sounds like a mini-gala!

With the increasing number of visitors to the museum we have seen an increase in offers by way of loan or donation of artefacts.   Amongst items of note to arrive recently on loan from Michael Mayne is a very rare enamel wagon plate “Empty to Coventry Colliery, Foleshill”, also a nameplate of “Coronation”, a Peckett 0-6-0ST formerly at West Thurrock Cement Works.  Finally, three items of local interest have been loaned by Robert Cadman, these are as follows: Memorandum of Association of the Cannock & Rugeley Colliery Co.Ltd.  Regulations of the Cannock & Rugeley Colliery Co.Ltd., 1895 and finally the lease of the Cannock Chase Colliery, dated 21^st January 1867 – including a map of the area.

A section of the map of the lease area

Thanks go to all those who have entrusted us with their treasures.

New Museum Item – GWR New Year Greeting Message 1928

This piece of memorabilia from Barry Bull is a greetings message from the General Manager of the Great Western Railway 1921-1929, Sir Felix John Clewett Pole, to all members of staff for the year 1928.

The first two inside pages.Third page.Final page.

Another new item in the Museum – Updated

New to our Museum

Newly acquired by the Museum curator, Mr.Barry Bull.

One of the worksplates from the Kitson loco 5036/1913 0-6-0ST Griffin. Griffin shown here with the worksplate on the sandbox and CC&WR (Cannock Chase & Wolverhampton Railway) lettering on the side of the cab.

Griffin – Kitson 0-6-0ST 5036/1913

The latest addition to the Chasewater Railway Museum is a Worksplate once carried by the Kitson 0-6-0ST ‘Griffin’, a long time resident of the Cannock Chase Colliery Company before its transfer in National Coal Board days to Walsall Wood Colliery where the loco spent its final years from 1953 until scrapped in March 1962.

Photographic evidence shows that both worksplates which had been carried on the loco’s sandboxes had already gone missing by 1960.

Griffin was the only one of the colliery locomotives to carry the legend CCWR (Cannock Chase & Wolverhampton Railway), this being painted on the cabsides.

The Worksplate is engraved brass ‘Kitson and Co. Ltd. 1913 Leeds’ and is approximately 10⅝” x 6⅜”.  Traces of black paint on the edge show the final livery.

The firm produced its first loco in 1838 and ceased building in 1938 with over 5.000 having been constructed, mostly for main line use for railways at home and abroad, relatively few were made for industrial use.

The photo of Griffin was taken at Walsall Wood Colliery on 13th March 1961.