I happened to visit Birkenhead Priory this rainy pm and saw this map, which made me think of you and revisit this thread. I know the project is likely defunct, but it’s still interesting.
By the way, I also aim to model that Wapping Goods scene a few pages back, such magnificent desolation if I may quote either Buzz or Neil.
so here’s the map before I forget…
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Best
John S
Hiya, John
Many thanks for posting this; it was very kind of you to write and let me know
I sincerely hope you’ve thoroughly dried out by the time of writing
Think I’ll pop over on the ferry with the baby some time soon and check it out for myself. Hard to think what the area must have been like when the Monks first founded the abbey, although I don’t think I’d have built it so close to a shipyard
Hope nobody minds, but I’ve dug out some photos to show the layout of the yard at around the time those plans were drawn.
From this fabulous, well-thumbed, book:
It was used as a permanent way storage yard by this time, and access to the dock side for coal trains carrying fuel for the Mersey ferries:
And another:
Photos by K.Longbottom and J.A.Peden respectively.
It’s coincidental that you should bring this thread to the fore, John, as thoughts have recently turned to reconsidering the theme of this particular thread, as neither this nor my current project - GWR BLT - are really suitable for a children’s model railway, and for the life of me, I don’t know why even considered they would
Due to recent events, modelling in general has all but stopped, although I’m partly through building several semaphores for the BLT which will continue. However, both this and Minories will take a back seat while I attempt something far more suitable in the form of a traditional continuous circuit, which will be far less detailed than before, as advised by my good friend and more experienced modeller Mr. Roger Pound, but far more suitable for maintaining a child’s interest.
To that end, John, I’ve begun stock piling some older Hornby locos which I’ll service, DCC chip and perhaps even re motor if required, although the track (Hornby train set stuff) will be purchased new to ensure the best running possible (derailed trains are enough to put off even the keenest of children - or me
).
To that end, I’ve been considering a couple of plans I’ve found on line, which I’ll extend to fit into a space of approx 12 or 13’ x 5’:
Both would be slightly amended, but currently, my preference is for the first with its four mainlines, a station being sited on the set of right hand curves as you look, only the entry and exit points to the station being modelled to save time, in effect, providing the same purpose as the ubiquitous tunnel on a conventional train set.
Although tempted to run ‘anything’ as tradition dictates, I’m restricting it to (London) southern rail - I’d prefer early pregrouping but models in a particular livery that takes my fancy are beyond my budget when factoring in the cost of track etc- so it’ll be late steam in BR days which is anywhere between ‘61 and ‘67 according to enquiries thus far, although with Hornby semaphores much in evidence, it won’t be strict practice by any means, so it’s probably not even worth posting up, John.
Anyway, thanks once again, John, and I’ll catch up once I start posting again.
Thanks once again, and I’ll leave you with some photos I found online of the kind of thing that interests me.
Best,
Jon
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