Peterborough North

[JeffP]

I've not seen that, what's it called?

 

I like the one where you point the phone at the radio and it tells you what's playing, who by and off what CD. Shazam.

[ianwales]

Rob Kinsey spent four solid hours operating, during which time we got through less than one sixth of the sequence. My guess that six two hour sessions would do the lot seems to be way out.

 

Hi Gilbert

 

I think I have mentioned before that a friend of mine has a model of Chippenham on which he runs a sequence representing the 24 hour timetable, there are something in the way of 320 moves in that time and he reckons it takes about 12 weeks to get back to the beginning of the sequence operating twice a week.

 

Ian

[Coldgunner]

Given the compression of scale, is time compression included in your workings? If so what are the maths?

[great northern]

Given the compression of scale, is time compression included in your workings? If so what are the maths?

 

I was never any good at maths I'm afraid. All I do is run as the sequence tells me to. I have found that I am perfectly happy to see the trains running slowly as they should do, and even more surprisingly that I have very little desire to do any continuous running. When I'm operating on my own, which is nearly all the time, there aren't very many occasions when two trains are running at the same time, which is a good thing as managing one thing at a time is hard enough these days. So, they just appear in turn. If booked to stop they do so for an appropriate period, but I probably compress real time 5 minutes down to a couple.

[great northern]

Another very pleasant surprise this afternoon, when I got an e-mail from andyrush telling me about a new source of Peterborough images. Of course I got onto it at once, and just a few quick views show a treasure trove of information. Many thanks once again to Andy for letting me know about this.

 

Here is one image which had me jumping about with delight.

 

 

The image is copyright of Ben Brooksbank and licenced for reuse. Now, funnily enough only a couple of days ago I was browsing through " British Railways Steaming Through Peterborough" for the umpteenth time, and I noticed this gentleman's name as the photographer of some of the images. That caused me to wonder whether there was any way of finding any more that he might have taken. Thanks to Andy, there is. So, an 04/8 did work South of New England- this is captioned as a working to Little Barford power station near St Neots. I can hear Tim sharpening up his cutting tools even now. There is a shot of an 02 on Down empties too! I'll be trawling very carefully through all of this lot when I have a bit more time. The trauma caused by losing so many golf balls this week is receding already.

[Coldgunner]

Sometimes I wish Peterborough Station was still like that, it will be interesting to see how the new re-development works out. I took a wander down the NVR line from Peterborough last week and its suprising how much evidence of the old lines still exist. Maybe the NVR will run into Peterborough North soon enough.

[andyrush]

Glad to have been able to assist with the white ball trauma!

 

In the shot of the O4, the extra leading brake is for the run-round that had to be performed at Tempsford, which included the loco running wrong line down the up main and then a propelling move along the up slow before the tender first move across the fast lines to the down slow through the ladder crossing at the south end of the station. The trains were limited by the sidings at Little Barford which were mostly 30 wagons in length and are an ideal opportunity for your 'unlikely' engines to perform a fill-in turn from New England.

[jonny777]

Many, many Ben Brooksbank photos can be found on the Geograph website, at:-

 

http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=29850360&page=1

[great northern]

Other things seem to have taken over for the last few days, but this morning I actually got round to running a few trains. First on the list was an early evening local to Leicester. Spital Bridge shed haven't turned the loco, but with a nice modern cab like this the crew shouldn't mind too much.

 

 

Next on the Down main was something that hasn't featured before.

 

 

Hitchin's named B1 Madoqua heads a Welwyn Garden City Class D.

 

 

 

1027 is a standard Bachmann split chassis loco, but I was very lucky with this one, which runs absolutely silky smooth. I still think the Bachmann body does look very much like a B1, but perhaps I should do something about the moulded coal. Mind you, I've only had the loco about 15 years so no surprise that I haven't got round to it yet.

 

 

Then on the Up we have a late afternoon arrival from Grantham. It's taken nearly an hour to do less than 30 miles, but has provided a service for the villages on the way. Sadly, not enough villagers took advantage of this, and the stations will shortly close and this service will be no more. I've avoided controversy by not rostering an L1 to this train, given the debate as to whether Grantham L1's did actually run to Peterborough. I'm on solid ground with this one as I have a photo of this loco on Stoke Bank with just such a train. This ex GC Coronation tank was a Boston engine, which my uncle Tom drove regularly, though he never mentioned to me that he had been up and down Stoke Bank. If he did, he would not have broken any speed records with this lovely loco.

 

 

Another view of this massive but still graceful engine.

 

 

Now a chance to compare Hornby's new B1 with the Bachmann model, though it's not a very fair comparison really IMO, given that this is 2012 technology and the other one most certainly isn't. Anyway, 1098 is clearly an Immingham favourite as it has the bulled up hinge straps which 40B applied, and is in charge of the afternoon KX - Cleethorpes service.

 

 

Here she is at rest at Platform 3.

 

 

And about to pull away. 1098 is a very recent addition, which must be why I forgot to put any lamps on.

 

Everything has been very black during the last couple of sessions, hasn't it? Well, here at last is a splash of colour.

 

 

Top Shed favourite Tracery has a Leeds- KX train. She was one of the first A3's to get a double Kylchap, though surprisingly not during a general overhaul. She visited Doncaster in July '58 for a light casual repair, and emerged with it. Special pleading by Top Shed?

 

 

Last one for the time being, the classic view from the Down platform, with Tracery well on the way to her almost unprecedented lifetime mileage of over 2,600,000 miles.

[Timara]

It'll be interesting to compare 61098 with 61207 fairly soon Gilbert. Both being rather clean and the latter being one of the new Bachmann models, with cab glazing tweaked somewhat.

 

I do know which I prefer to work on though....!

[Gravy Train]

Some very atmospheric photos there Gilbert, I have noticed the signal box roof has come adrift, and the handrail wire bent slightly, i know it is easily done,like when i caught the finial :-)

cheers

Peter

[great northern]

I'm still determined to get some decent photos from the operating well side, so here is the result of the latest experiment - more ISO, less brightness and some tinkering with Digital Photo Pro. I'm still not convinced, but I'll keep trying.

 

 

Belatedly, I realised there was something missing from the old engine shed yard, namely a V2 standing as main line pilot. My excuse is that I haven't (yet) got enough of them to run all the trains to which they are rostered, so I can't spare one sitting idle. It should be there though. I just wonder how the standby engine was chosen? Would it have been one of the shed's best V2's, just in case it had to take over the Elizabethan? Or, more likely, I fear, a run down example that no-one wanted for normal duties? Photos don't help much, as the outward condition of most of New England's stud suggested they were on their last legs, whereas internally some at least were pretty sound. I've chosen one still in black livery, so due for works soon. Someone has superglued lamps, which would be inappropriate, on the rest.

[great northern]

Cold, miserable and wet here, so no outdoor activities - back to running trains. We've reached 6.00pm now, and the evening train to Kings Lynn via the M&GN is ready to leave. Why does the Ivatt look clean? It's a South Lynn engine, and there was a bit more time for such things as engine cleaning there.

 

 

I've just downloaded Photoshop CS 5.5 on trial, and used it to crop and resize this image. Seemed nice and easy.....

 

 

Here is the Down Tees Tyne Pullman behind Sir Nigel. Those two lamps are level! I checked and adjusted them when I first looked at the image, so why do they come out like this?

 

 

Looks even worse on this one. Sorry we just passed a signal at danger, but until I get them motorised this one refuses to stay in the off position.

 

 

 

Just to prove they are Pullman cars. ( and that I do try to get the signals set correctly). At this point Photoshop stopped being quite so easy, and distorted the lining on Fingall.

 

 

Now we have Mallard standing in Platform 3, and a J6 approaching wrong line on the Up main. For those who haven't read all 75 pages of the thread, this was one of the many peculiarities of the track layout at Peterborough North. The Up main was signalled for bi directional running, which allowed workings like this from the South yard, which was on the Up side just past Crescent Bridge to get into New England yards, also on the Up side, without blocking both Up and Down main lines.

 

 

And that's why this signal sat at the North end of Platform 2.

 

 

Another peculiarity to end the session. Why is the world speed record holder hauling a load like this? I see lots of captions asking what Pacifics had done to deserve being relegated to such duties, but it was in fact just a pragmatic thing. Those who have been paying attention will remember that Mallard brought in the Down Heart of Midlothian earlier. Her next duty though is from Grantham, so this is a revenue earning way to get her there, although I suspect the 6.15pm local wasn't much of a money spinner.

[micklner]

Is th A4 body on correctly as the whole of the nearside appears to be deformed? . Very bizarre if straight., you can get lens distortion but not that bad !!

[sixoh8sixoh]

Is it not just the near side lamp is higher?

[micklner]

More than that, compare the distance between the top of the rail and the body. You can also see more of the top of the nearside bogie wheel as well (that maybe the angle of the photo) in one of the photos as well.

 

On further looking the signal to the right has a lean as well. perhaps its something caused by Photo Studio.

Edited April 3, 2012 by micklner

[TerrySVR]

Fabulous layout surprised you have time for golf, what make are the signals Gilbert they look very impressive.

[great northern]

Is th A4 body on correctly as the whole of the nearside appears to be deformed? . Very bizarre if straight., you can get lens distortion but not that bad !!

 

You are right Mick, I've had another look, and the body is not quite on correctly. It'll have to wait a little while though -it's difficult enough to put all the bits back together when I can see properly, let alone when, as now, I can't! It is definitely leaning to the right, though the camera has exaggerated it a bit.

[great northern]

Fabulous layout surprised you have time for golf, what make are the signals Gilbert they look very impressive.

 

The signals were all scratchbuilt by Ken Gibbons Terry, using MSE parts. He's done a great job, and the LNER's preference for big bracket signals does help make them look impressive too.

[TerrySVR]

Thanks they certainly help make this a stunning layout. Keep the pictures coming.

[great northern]

I've now had time to look at all the Ben Brooksbank images on the Geograph website, and decided it was time to try to recreate one of them on the model to see how close, if at all, I'm getting. Frankly, I have mixed feelings, but I'll share it anyway, and would be grateful for your comments. I can't get my photo from quite the right angle or height, but then I don't have the real Crescent Bridge to stand on, and I don't have the type of lens that Mr Brooksbank was using either, but subject to that at least it is possible to tell that it's supposed to be a model of the same place. My temporary overall roof is compleletly wrong, but Gravy Train will put that right, and it will make a considerable difference. It's hard to tell how much of the compression in my photo is caused by the fact that my layout is too short, and how much is caused by the lens used to take the original shot, but I always knew it had to be compressed anyway, so that doesn't come as a surprise. I've clearly got a lot of work to do, but I suppose really I'm not too downhearted about the result.

 

 

OK, here is the original. It is copyright of Ben Brooksbank, and licenced for reuse. Please see the Geograph website for full details if you are considering publishing it further.

 

 

And here is my effort. I tried to get similar rolling stock to those on the original, but without much success.It's not the same 9F either. And I know the headcode is wrong! However. looking at the original, which has a Class E code, are there "not less than four" fitted wagons at the head of the train? They don't look fitted to me. Anyway, it's the overall effect that I'm trying to judge. Take into account please that the loading dock on which the lorry should be standing isn't there yet, and that I can't fit in any more of the hotel. Oh, and that I haven't figured Photoshop out yet to be able to get rid of the clutter in the background. So, what do you think? Please be gentle with an elderly incompetent. I really do not fancy making those telegraph poles by the way.

[S.A.C Martin]

Gilbert, you do yourself a great disservice. The reality of the layout is incredibly close to the reality of the history behind the layout. Just astonishing.

 

EDIT: And what cements it for me - the depth in your photograph, matching the depth in the original. The hotel in the background, the signals and bridge in the distance. That is pure artistry.

Edited April 4, 2012 by S.A.C Martin

[Michael Delamar]

i think thats superb.

[Coldgunner]

Not a bad job. The age old pictures you post are superb, its tweaked my interest in local history a bit, can you recommend any books about Peterborough North and Peterborough East station?

[Taz]

Superb

 

The only thing that stood out to me when comparing the two was the size of the lamps. But you've alrady discussed that earlier in the thread and unfortunately it's just something we have to live with in 4mm.

 

Keep up the good work