Category Archives: Museum Exhibits

Chasewater Railway Museum – First published June 26th 2009

Chasewater Railway Museum

First published June 26th 2009 – There’s been a lot of comings and goings since then, so Maybe have another look!!

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At last it’s happened – all the cases have lighting. 

No more watching our visitors pressing their noses to the glass to see what we have in our collection.  What a relief!

Our latest addition is a model of a locomotive boiler, based on a Royal Scot class loco.  849

Another of our newer items is a local warning sign, originally from the top of Ironstone Road,  from the level crossing above the ‘Rag’ public house.652

One  other local item is the train staff for the single line from Walsall Wood colliery to Norton Junction on the LNWR.  It’s the black one at the front.

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Our museum is well worth a visit, so why not come along?  It’s free!

In a couple of weeks, 12th July, (2009) we shall be holding our model railway exhibition, and there will be one layout in the museum.

Next on the agenda, as far as I am concerned, is a laptop for museum use.  Life would be so much easier.  One has been promised, but when………?

We did get one shortly afterwards (not new) but now, in 2015, it is approaching complete knackered-up-ness!!

Chasewater Railway Museum – A couple of new items

Chasewater Railway Museum 

A couple of new items

I suppose that should be ‘old’!

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Firstly, a round enamelled badge 1″ diameter.  London & North Eastern Railway St Andrews Ambulance Association.

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Another LNE item – an oval cast iron wagon or parcels van plate.  Dukinfield 1927.   Size:  6.5″x 4.375″

Chasewater Railway Museum – Museum Archive – An addition to our coal mining memorabilia

Chasewater Railway Museum

Museum Archive

Additions to our coal mining memorabilia
As you are no doubt aware, without the coal industry there would be no Chasewater Railway, as the original line was built for transporting coal, although passenger services were introduced from Brownhills to Aldridge via Walsall Wood. We are always glad to receive artefacts from the mining industry to display in the Museum.
Baths Invitation

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The latest of such items to come our way are an invitation to the opening of the Pithead Baths at Wyrley No. 3 Colliery, Great Wyrley, on August 14th, 1954, and The Bather’s Handbook.
These items came to the Museum from a former employee of the Colliery, his first job after National Service with the RAF.

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Bather’s Handbook and invitation to opening of pithead baths formerly belonged to Mr. Frank Tisdale.

Chasewater Railway Museum – Master Cutler Headboard

Chasewater Railway Museum

Master Cutler Headboard

 

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This is one of the Museum’s prize possessions.

One of the LNER stainless steel ‘Master Cutler’ headboards. It was donated to the Railway Preservation Society after the organisation undertook probably the first hire of the Flying Scotsman by a preservation group.

This comprised a return Sheffield Victoria – Marylebone excursion on 15th June 1963. This venture resulted in a loss of £100 – a large sum in those days!

flying-scotsmanThis photograph shows the Flying Scotsman uncoupled from the train on arrival at Marylebone Station, London.

Chasewater Railway Museum – Bench refurbishment

Museum Bench refurbishment

One of the Museum exhibits is an old Railway Station waiting room bench.

This is a North Staffordshire Railway item, purchased from a sale in Stoke-on-Trent in the 1960s

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Having seen heavy use over the many years of its life, the fabric covering was badly worn, exposing the horsehair filling.

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Using the money generated from the ” bench fund” table situated outside the museum room, the bench has been recovered and re sprung.

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Photo’s by Chasewater Stuff & Oakparkrunner.

An excellent job was carried out by Steve Wade, a local Upholsterer, who has a workshop at the rear of 59 High Street Walsall Wood WS9 9LR.

Steve can be contacted on 07903337000, or at Stephen.wade@sky.com, and he will be pleased to quote for any upholstery work. Details and photo’s of Steve’s work can be found on his website http://www.stevewade.biz/

Chasewater Railway Museum – what’s inside the loco…

Chasewater Railway Museum

What’s inside the loco…

 

Sectional Model No. 849

This model was purchased by the donor, Allan Preston,  from the makers in Bury, Lancs in 1979. It was produced along with 3 other models for Bangladesh Railways, but was not sent due to there being no Letter of Credit forthcoming. The other 3 were probably scrapped. It is loosely based on a Royal Scot Class locomotive.

Chasewater Railway Museum – one of many lamps!

Chasewater Railway Museum 

One of many lamps!

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This is a level-crossing gate lamp, well restored and painted by Nigel Canning.

After seeing use at Brownhills West when trains were running into the bay platform it was put into stores until it came to light and Nigel got to work on it.

Unfortunately, the origin of the lamp is unknown.

Chasewater Railway Museum – Signal Lever Frame

Chasewater Railway Museum

Signal Lever Frame

A very nice addition to the Museum collection was this 7-lever signal frame.

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The frame came to Chasewater from the National Railway Museum in 2012.

For more details about Hemyock on the Culm Valley Light Railway, Great Western Region, click on the link below.

Some Early Lines – Culm Valley Light Railway

 

Chasewater Railway Museum – tea-up!

Chasewater Railway Museum

Tea-up!

Some pictures of part of our collection of railway crockery – this time from the Great Western Railway.

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Chasewater Railway Museum – Another Nameplate

Chasewater Railway Museum

Another Nameplate

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Carol Ann No.1

or, as she started out in life,

Carol Ann No.5

0-6-0ST Hunslet 1821/1936. Bought new. Still at Holly Bank 1957 – since scrapped.
Robert Nelson No.4 and Carol Ann No.5 (Hunslet 0-6-0ST 1800 and 1821 respectively, built 1936) were named after the Colliery Manager’s two children.
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On transfer to Littleton Colliery in NCB days – November 1959 – Carol Ann was renumbered ‘1’ by grinding the ‘5’ off the nameplate and screwing in a ‘1’. This was because Littleton already had a loco ‘Littleton No.5’

05212 Carol Ann No.5 HE 0-6-0ST1821-1936 Holly Bank 05213 Carol Ann No.1 0-6-0ST Pic Stan Cartwright