113 – Chasewater Railway Museum Bits & Pieces No.2
From ‘Chasewater News’ Summer 1987
Permanent Way
Under the leadership of Chris Chivers a small group of workers have made a start on clearing the lineside undergrowth along the running line whilst a group of students spent a week clearing the passing loop beyond the current limit of operations.
The line has been weedkilled to give a more workmanlike look to the track and a catch point has been installed on the loco shed siding.
Work is now centred on the point connecting Nos. 2 & 3 roads in the compound, which were comprehensively written off by the new diesel!
From the Archives
Something which we expect to make a regular feature of in Chasewater News in which we feature anecdotes and snippets from items in the Museum Collection. We begin this feature with items of local interest taken from the LMS Sectional Appendix to the Working Timetables dated March 1937.
Stafford
Stafford No.5 to Venables Sidings (LNT). Drivers of trains not conveying passengers, proceeding to the LNE line must be prepared to receive a green hand signal when passing No.5 signal box. The exhibition of this green hand signal will indicate that Venables Timber Yard crossing gates may be across the railway and drivers must be prepared accordingly.
Norton Branch
Five Ways Mineral Branch – between Five Ways and Conduit new Sidings. In addition to LMS trains, the Five Ways Colliery Company’s engines work over this branch, and the Conduit Colliery Company’s engines work over a section of the branch between Conduit Colliery Sidings and Conduit Junction, and between Conduit Colliery Sidings and Conduit New Sidings.
Two keys are provided for padlocking the trap points – which must be obtained from the pointsman at Conduit Junction and must be returned to him on completion.
Five Ways
Before proceeding towards Five Ways, the guard must satisfy himself that the Colliery Company’s engine is stationary, and must set the road for the single line to the Colliery Sidings. The line between the trap points and the sidings is used as the Colliery Company’s shunting neck, and on arrival from Conduit, train men having to place wagons in the sidings must at once place the signal provided for the purpose to danger to warn the Colliery enginemen that they must not come out on the shunting neck from the Colliery Sidings. Before returning to Conduit the signal must be taken off, its normal position is ‘clear’.
After placing wagons in the sidings at Five Ways, engines waiting for loaded wagons must stand on the single line protected by the trap points before a train worked by either the Colliery Company’s or the LMS men leaves Five ways towards Conduits, the trap points must be set for the running line, and after the passage of such train must at once be reversed and securely padlocked for the trap by the guard.
Curator’s Notes
Peckett 0-6-0ST Hanbury
The Conduit Colliery locos referred to in the above would have been the four or perhaps five Manning Wardle 0-6-0STs in the Company’s ownership at that time. Locos known to have been at Five Ways were the Peckett 0-6-0ST Hanbury and a Kitson 0-6-0T. None of these locos survive but our museum does contain one nameplate and one worksplate ex Conduit Colliery and a brass No.2 off the Kitson.Coppice Coll. No.2 0-6-0T Kitson 5358-1921
East Somerset Railway and Cannock Wood
‘Cannock Wood’ No.9 in LBSC Livery
Older members may recall that when the E1 was sold to the Lord Fisher Locomotive Group in 1978 regular reports of its progress were to be received. We make no apologies for giving news of the loco which left Chasewater nearly nine years ago. The loco is now 110 years old – the hundredth engine built at the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway’s works at Brighton by William Stroudley and the doyen of the Cannock & Rugeley Colliery Co. fleet from 1926 through nationalisation and into National Coal Board days until withdrawal in 1963.
It is of interest to note that despite their intention to restore the loco to main line order as BR 32110, it never carried that number in service. All reports refer to her as ‘Cannock Wood’ or number 9.
The boiler has been removed from the frames and detubed. A boiler inspection has revealed the probable need of a new front tubeplate and the definite need of a new inner firebox with consequent restaying and a new foundation ring. It is estimated that a further £20,000 is needed to put the boiler into a steamable condition. The wheels have been sent to Swindon for tyres and bosses to be turned. New side tanks are required. Springs are being re-tensioned. Loose horn guide bolts have been replaced. Much platework is being replaced and a new bunker is virtually complete. The frames have been needle gunned and received two coats of paint, new footplating is being fitted to the frames.
Eccentric straps, big end straps, connecting rods and valve roads have been cleaned, checked and are ready for re-fitting. More news in future issues.
From the Museum
On Tuesday April 14th we suffered yet another break-in at Chasewater. This time it was the LNWR 50 ft brake coach which was the subject of the robber’s intensions.. Having failed to gain access through the end door nearest the waiting room, and the lock refusing to give way on the normal entrance door used, the miscreant managed, presumably at some length, to chop his way with a pickaxe through one of the double doors on the platform side. A quantity of railway rule books and the entire collection of some 160 odd LNWR postcards was taken plus a few other books and sundry items.
The following week saw the return of some items following a visit by Ralph Amos to a second-hand bookshop in Walsall which some of the books had been sold to by the criminal. Unfortunately some pieces had already been sold by the shop owner who was unaware that he was dealing with stolen goods.
Latest news is that the police have picked up a Walsall man who confessed to the crime, amongst others as one might suspect.
There is some good news to report. There is now an annex to the museum coach in the form of the recently restored ex Midland Railway circa 1880 four-wheel passenger brake which sees a display of railway prints, etc. on Open Days. A selection of Chas. Butterworth’s very fine drawings was displayed therein on April 26th at the Railwayana Fayre.
Additions to the collection include official postcards of the LNWR, GNR, L & Y, Furness Railway and cards from the following railways which are all new to the collection. Corris, Cambrian, LNWR and LYR Joint, GCR, NER, SECR, LSWR, Metropolitan Railway and Douglas Southern Electric Tramway. Other nice additions are a ticket from pre-preservation days of the Talyllyn Railway and an LNWR ‘Birmingham’ dinner fork, courtesy of Rob Duffill.
Chasewater Railway Museum 