Pittsteel No.1 – Another photo from Laurence Hodgkinson’s collection
It wasn’t until late 1967 that motive power arrived in the shape of Pittsteel Hibberd No.1. Development at Chasewater was slow and laborious and it wasn’t until 1970 that all stock at Hednesford had been transferred to Chasewater and the Hednesford depot closed.
Posted in From the Archive, Photograph Collection
Tagged Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Burntwood, Cannock, Cannock Wood, Chasewater Railway, Chasewater Railway Museum, Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Hazel Slade, Heath Hayes, Hednesford, Industrial Locos, Lichfield, Norton Canes, Pelsall, Pittsteel.Hibberd, Steam Trains, Walsall, Walsall Wood, Wolverhampton
This time the Neilson – 2937/1882 carrying the ‘Alfred Paget ‘ nameplates – heading a freight train of wagons in various liveries (including rust!), with the Cannock Chase Colliery brake van – affectionally known as the ‘slum’ bringing up the rear.
This brake van has now fallen into major disrepair, with the chassis collapsing and breaking the sole bars. The interior of the van still remains dry. It has had a few coats of paint over the years, but, as the last known item of rolling stock which actually ran on the line in the mine-working years, it seems a shame that more cannot be done to restore it.
Posted in Photograph Collection
Tagged Aldridge, Alfred Paget, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Burntwood, Cannock, Cannock Chase Colliery Co., Cannock Wood, Causeway, Chasewater Railway, Chasewater Railway Museum, Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Hazel Slade, Heath Hayes, Hednesford, Lichfield, Neilson, Norton Canes, Pelsall, Steam Trains, The Slum, Walsall, Walsall Wood, Wolverhampton
Posted in Photograph Collection
Tagged Aldridge, Birch, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Burntwood, Cannock, Cannock Wood, Cannock Wood Colliery, Chasewater Railway Museum, Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Hazel Slade, Heath Hayes, Hednesford, Lichfield, Norton Canes, Pelsall, Rawnsley, Staffordshire, Steam Trains, Walsall, Wolverhampton
Asbestos with the Maryport & Carlisle Coach and GW brake van
I think that it could have been taken from the path from Norton East Road, or is it at the other end of the causeway? Looking on the right-hand side over the causeway, a sailing boat can be seen, so that can’t be Jeffrey’s Swag.
An early photograph of Chasewater Railway – a lot of work has been done since!!
We think that this is the area approaching what is now Chasewater Heaths Station – it’s changed a bit!! Probably taken in the late 60s/early 70s.
Posted in Photograph Collection
Tagged Aldridge, Brownhills, Burntwood, Cannock, Cannock Wood, Chasewater Railway, Chasewater Railway Museum, Cheslyn Hay, Great Wyrley, Hazel Slade, Heath Hayes, Hednesford, Lichfield, Norton Canes, Old Railway Lines, Pelsall, Staffordshire, Walsall, Walsall Wood, Wolverhampton
This is a photo in our collection but we don’t know anything about it except what it says underneath. Does anyone have any idea where on the Chase this 2 ft. gauge railway was? Or the identity of Colonel Wilson?
When the ground was being prepared for the Chasewater Heaths Station, rails of different gauges were uncovered, but we don’t know any more than that.
Latest information, from Phillip Halfpenny: It’s a Manning Wardle, No. 1371/1897. At Great Wyrley Colliery, rebuilt in 1911, scrapped in 1944. Thanks to Phillip.
Posted in Photograph Collection
Tagged Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Burntwood, Cannock, Cannock Chase, Cannock Wood, Chasewater Railway Museum, Cheslyn Hay, Colonel Wilson, Great Wyrley, Hazel Slade, Heath Hayes, Hednesford, Lichfield, Narrow Gauge, Norton Canes, Pelsall, Staffordshire, Steam Engines, Walsall, Walsall Wood, Wolverhampton
Chasewater Railway Museum is delighted to announce that the Industrial Railway Society has loaned the Eric Tonks Collection of nameplates and worksplates to the Museum for at least the next two years.
The collection comprises examples of plates from both standard and narrow gauge locomotiveswhich worked in collieries and ironstone quarries, principally in the East Midlands.
A small number of these items will be on show this coming weekend, Asbestos’ Birthday, and more in another couple of weeks at the 50th Anniversary Celebrations. We hope to have the entire collection on display in the Autumn.
Posted in Museum Exhibits
Tagged Aldridge, Bloxwich, Brownhills, Burntwood, Cannock, Cannock Wood, Chasewater Railway Museum, Cheslyn Hay, Eric Tonks Collection, Great Wyrley, Hazel Slade, Heath Hayes, Hednesford, Industrial Railway Society, Lichfield, Norton Canes, Pelsall, Walsall, Walsall Wood, Wolverhampton
In 2012 the museum received a photograph with a note from Tony Potter in Canada. These are reproduced below:
Many thanks to Tony Potter.
The Cannock Chase Colliery Co. bought 5 engines from the Beyer Peacock Company between 1856 and 1872. These were all saddle tanks with an 0-4-2 wheel arrangement favoured by the CCCC.
McClean
The first loco was named ‘McClean’ after the founder of the company and was number 28 of 1856, acquired new. Worked at the Coppice Colliery in 1949 and finally scrapped by the NCB at Chasetown in 1956 – 100 years old.
The others were : Chawner’, McClean’s partner, ‘Alfred Paget’ (Paget was the family name of the Marquis of Anglesey. This was not the Neilson at Chasewater Railway, but the name was saved), ‘Brown’ – named after the Manager and Chief Engineer around the late 1860s, and ‘Anglesey’
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. 
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.
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.
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 