Chasewater Railway Museum
July 2017 Newsletter
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Posted in Chasewater Railway Publications, News
Tagged Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Burntwood, Cannock, Cannock Wood, Chasewater Railway Museum, Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Hazel Slade, Heath Hayes, Hednesford, July Newsletter, Lichfield, Norton Canes, Old Railway Lines, Pelsall, Steam Trains, Walsall, Walsall Wood
The visitor numbers for May were a little lower than in recent years at 1,584.
We’ve received some very nice items during May, not least from former local residents Sue and Diana Windsor. Sue sent the following email:
‘My grandfather Albert Edward Rose was a train driver in the collieries and I have some photos of trains at Fair Lady Pit Heath Hayes, Conduit Pit, photos of my grandad and other work colleagues on the engines. There are a few old newspaper cuttings about the history of the local collieries. There is also a letter from the then Prime Minister, Mr Attlee sent to the coal workers dated Jan 1951 asking them to work harder due to the threat of a coal shortage and finally a postcard in memory of the men who lost their lives in the Grove Pit disaster of 1930.
The museum was delighted to accept the offer.
Click on a photo for a larger version and use the side arrow to move to another pic.
The following item is a very well put together scrapbook of photos and postcards donated by Mrs D.Lawton in memory of Mr.K.Lawton, who had a footplate ride when very ill and Mr.M.J.Layland.
These two items were given to the museum by one of the very early members of the Railway, Laurence Hodgkinson, now, of course, at Amerton Railway. The first item is an LNWR ticket rack and the second, a poster board heading from Hednesford.
Our Curator, Barry Bull, donated a fine LNWR pay check from Camden.
David Bathurst donated his collection of Chasewater Railway mugs to add to our ever-increasing catalogue of railway –related items.
The original ‘Alfred Paget’ 0-4-2ST No.204/1861, acquired new by the Cannock Chase Colliery Company, scrapped by NCB at Chasetown circa 1952. ‘Paget’ was the family name of the Marquis of Anglesey, one of the major land-owners in the district, and Chasewater Railway has kept the name – now on a Neilson engine.
We believe that Albert Rose would probably have driven these locos at some time during his career at Coppice Colliery and Conduit Colliery.

Kitson No.2 (5358-1921) at Coppice Colliery (Fair Lady) Heath Hayes, after the name ‘Thomas’ was removed on Nationalisation in 1947.
An unusual view of the Coppice Colliery (Fair Lady) at Heath Hayes. Certainly one that I hadn’t seen before.
This photo shows Neilson loco ‘Alfred Paget’ and Hawthorn Leslie ‘Asbestos’ with The MSL coach.
The museum had a visit from Diana and Sue Windor on May 19th. They used to live locally and Diana’s father was a loco driver at the Coppice Colliery, Heath Hayes, (Fair Lady) and the Conduit Colliery at Norton Canes.. Diana, Sue’s mum, celebrated her 90th birthday on May 18th. Her father, Albert Edward Rose, was born in 1902. The ladies gave us a selection of photographs, the first of which are shown here. We also have other items, including newspaper cuttings, which will be shown over the next few days.
Click to enlarge.


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