The Alnwick to Cornhill Branch

[Sassanid]

Hi,

Please - could anyone recommend a good book, with lots of pictures ideally, about the GNR Cornhill Branch (Alnwick to Coldstream). Is "Border Country Branch Line Album" any good?

Many thanks in advance in anyone can help.

Andrew

[50A]

Hi Andrew.

Take a look at the Northumbrian Railways website at

http://www.northumbrian-railways.co.uk/cornhill.html

There are pictures old and new of the line to Coldstream and some recommended reading.

Andy

[Bullhead]

Is "Border Country Branch Line Album" any good?

It's well worth tracking down for its wide selection of high-quality, mostly BR steam era, B&W shots.

[Sassanid]

Many thanks guys. I have yet another question if you don't mind me pestering you - and I appreciate this may now now be impossible to answer.

On the 8th March 1941 A3 Pacific Bayardo (2578) used the line because the main ECML was bomb damaged. Would she have been painted black at this time and been fitted with a single chimney?

Sorry for the daft questions - but I fancy doing a bit of modeling and information on the line is a bit scarce.

Thanks again,

Andrew

[Colombo]

Andrew,

Bayardo would have a single chimney and it would probably still be painted in fully lined out apple green passenger livery.

The loco was rebuilt as an A3 from an A1 as early as 1928.

Colombo

[Sassanid]

Thank you Colombo. Now to see if I can find something that can be adapted in O gauge. Apparently Bayardo had to run along the branch line with the train, tender first - and had to be helped up to the summit of Alnwick Moor by two 4-4-0 locomotives.

[Colombo]

They must have had along and heavy train urgently required to get through for the war effort.

Was it a troop train?

Colombo

[Sassanid]

Don't know - the article didn't say. Probably not though as the article says it was the 10:05am from York to Edinburgh. Out of Alnwick up to the summit of the moor I believe is around 1:50, and it took the train a total of 2.5 hours to get from Alnwick to Whittingham Station - a distance of 9.75 miles. Hardly record breaking stuff. Presumably it then carried on North on its own (tender first) as there is now where to turn round at Whittingham either.

Do you think it would be possible to convert the Hornby Great Northern into the Bayardo? It has the right dome, funnel, tender and paint scheme - but the Hornby one is an A1 rather than a A3. Is it easy to remove the transfers with out damaging the plastic? Apple Green Engines want around £500 for a custom one in OO. I can get a brass Bachmann one in O gauge for around £650. Any other suggestions in any gauge other than N will be gratefully received.

[x568wcn]

TMC custom finish, formally the model centre, but taken over by Model Zone, still running as TMC Custom Finish
http://www.themodelcentre.com
they do all the a4s and a3s (and many more) in any livery you want, they retail around £135

Hope this helps.
I was in the formaer model centre's head office last week, but didn't go in the custom finish area, jus the warehouse and office, and there's engines everywhere, even the top of filing cabinates in the office!