Plawsworth, County Durham

[52A Modeller]

I am currently researching and building a model of the East Coast Main Line to include Plawsworth Station and Kimblesworth Colliery Junction and sidings.

I think the question has already been asked on site and on a number of cheap imitations (it is the sincerest form of flattery) but does anyone have any information, drawings or photographs of the railway and it immediate environs on this part of the line?

Plawsworth seems to have been a very illusive station and I can find very little in the way of photographs. Kimblesworth Colliery Junction is even more of a mystery to me.

Can anyone help. I am approaching despiration and if the situation doesn't improve I might end up with a train set, rather than a model railway.

Thanks,

Bob

[AndyRush]

Undated large scale track plan in the BR/OPC collection held at the NRM under reference 21190.

Have you tried the Ken Hoole Study Centre?
http://www.darlington.gov.uk/Leisure/he ... nhoole.htm

HTH

Andy

[PinzaC55]

I have an undimensioned track plan of Plawsworth circa 1873 HERE http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3984452727/
and a postcard view HERE http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/4965208888/
The main building was a "standard" NER type for the period similar to Low Fell HERE http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3497608955/

[52A Modeller]

Thanks Andy and Pinza, I must pay a visit to the study centre but it won't be easy for the moment.

Thanks for the photographs and track layout. I suppose Low Fell has long since been demolished but I think Chester-le-Street is the same design. I plan to visit at some stage to take photos and measurements.

Detail of the signal box is a bit more difficult. As for Kimblesworth Junction, it looks like an impression of what it might have looked like might be all I can come up with.

Thanks for your help.

I've already started laying track so I'll post some photographs soon.

Bob

[PinzaC55]

You're welcome. BTW there's also an excellent view of the main building on page 47 of "A History Of North Eastern Railway Architecture - A Mature Art" by the North Eastern Railway Association. If you mail me your email addy I can send it to you, plus another photo I have. I've only seen one (distant) photo of the signalbox and it was a bog standard NE 1a type the same as Chester Le Street only not as tall.

PS the box for the Kimblesworth branch was Chester Moor Colliery and I have a photo of it in NER days.I also forgot to mention that the book states that the stations on the Pickering to Seamer line were built at the same time and to the same pattern as Plawsworth. Since they all still exist you could get dimensions from them - the one at Ebberston is a tea room so you could have a look round.

[52A Modeller]

In an attempt to keep my plea for information about Plawsworth, I would like to share my work in progress.

P1010174.JPG (45.65 KiB) Viewed 11731 times

This shows the goods yard looking south, out of the yard and towards the main line. The sort of photograph of the real thing which is possibly impossible to source so you'd have trouble in questioning the layout. Consider that a challenge as any response can only help me get it right.
This should be in the model section but the subject started here so I'll continue until someone complains.
Thanks,
Bob

[52A Modeller]

Hello again,
At the risk of becoming a bit of an irritation, I've realised that one way of attracting attention is to add attachments.

So, if I encourage more people to view I'll increase the chances that someone will visit who can help with information about Plawsworth and Kimblesworth Colliery Junction.

The last photo could have represented a location anywhere on the network, so, to at least pinpoint the correct area I am attaching one of Dave Bradwell's finest. K1 62022 was a Blaydon loco. I don't know if it ever spent any time at Plawsworth Goods but here she is.

Hope you like it and hope someone can help.
Regards,
Bob

[52A Modeller]

Hello Again,
I have not yet reached the point of desperation yet. I'll give you plenty of notice before I get to that point.

Anyway, just to let you know what I'm up against, see attached, what I have to go on at Plawsworth.

I thought this shot (however out of focus) was more appropriate to this section of the forum.

By the way, just in case you forget, any information about Plawsworth and Kimblesworth Colliery Junction would be smashing.

Thanks,

Bob

[52A Modeller]

I don't even have the original bridge at the station to go on.

Help!

[52H]

Hi All
I remember working the Durham goods from Gateshead, we shunted at Birtley then Chester-le-st then Plawsworth and Kibblesworth Colliery.Kibblesworth cabin was on the Up side of the main line opposite the North end of the loops. If my memory is right there were 2 lines on the Down side.The line furthest away from the cabin ran Northward on a single line to the colliery about a half mile away crossing over the 163 road. It was operated by a token. Hope this helps. We usually had a K1. 52H

[52A Modeller]

Hello 52H,

Excellent information. Your recollection of the layout sound correct according to "old maps". The single line to the colliery would have crossed the "Great North Road", formally the A1, now the A167.

Do you recall the type of box at Kimblesworth? I can'y find anything.

Also, what were the movements at Kimblesworth?

Anything would be a great help.

Regards,

Bob

[52A Modeller]

Hello again 52H,

What were the movements at Plawsworth? The track layout doesn't look very convenient for working freight into the yard. I suppose you'd have to reverse into the yard.

Do you have any recollections of the the K1 used? I have another to build and would like to recreate actual operations. What would be the train's make up?

Thank,

Bob

[PinzaC55]

I took this photo at Plawsworth in 1979 which at least gives you some impression of the south end and viaduct. The road bridge is still the original one seen on the postcard except that on electrification they removed the arch and put a prefabricated concrete arch on top of the existing abutments.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinzac55/3486583325/

[52A Modeller]

Hello Pinza,

The shot of the 31 at the viaduct is excellent. The view of the access viaduct (now demolished) is very useful.

There is still some useful information to be had from the current bridge at Wheatleywell Lane. Yes, the abutments are original and I have taken rough dimensions of the bridge, assuming they are generally as they were. The station bridge should be quite easy to reproduce. The access viaduct will be a bit more of an approximation.

I might give Plawsworth viaduct a miss. I would need about 5 foot and this length would be better used to make the colliery siding more convincing. We'll see how it goes.

When I've got something worth seeing I'll post it in the modelling section.

Thanks again.

Bob

[52H]

Hi all
You shunted Plawsworth in the up direction. Usually a wagon or two for the wharehouse and perhaps a couple of wagons for the coal man and sometimes agricultural machinery. When you got to Kibblesworth you took any empties into the colliery and took landsale coal back to Lowfell yard. I think we often used 2024 on this job.