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Yorkshire next at Kirkstall and Horsforth, more of Dad's photos from June 1976 He had gone to see Hardwicke and Evening Star double heading a train. Kirkstall Class 108 Morecambe to Leeds June 76 J5305 Kirkstall Class 108 Leeds to Ilkley June 76 J5307 Kirkstall LNWR 790 Hardwicke and 92220 Carnforth to York The Fells and Dales June 76 J5309 Horsforth 55007 Kings X to Harrogate June 76 J5315 Horsforth LNWR 790 Hardwick and 92220 June 76 J5316 David

Many thanks to Team Grantham for letting us pose some samples on the layout at the weekend. Here are some pics:

Places in Scotland beginning with "G" this morning. Glen Douglas 37037 Glasgow QS to Oban 11th May 85 C6901 Glenluce P&WJR viaduct over A75 and Water of Luce July 74 J3831 P&WJR = Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway. Grantshouse Class 47 down ex pass Aug 77 C3517 Greenock Princes Pier bridge over A8 July 74 J3849 Greskine Class 47 down Aug 73 J3341 David

Swayfiled on the ECML on Stoke Bank for this teatime. Swayfield Class 47 11.50 Edinburgh to Kings X Sept 71 J2770 Swayfield Class 55 9012 16.00 Kings X to Edinburgh "The Talisman" May 72 J2918 Swayfield Class 55 9020 16.05 Kings X to Harrogate "THe Torkshire Pullman May 72 J2919 Swayfield Class 47 1987 18.30 Kings X to Hull July 72 J2955 Swayfield Class 47 No 1109 12.40 down Kings X to Hull Oct 72 J3112 David

A few more images. Pretty rubbish but taken to check viewing angles. I do check these things, honest. I'm finally starting to get a feel for it. Rob

A set of what are really reference photos of Crianlarich in 1973, 85 and 86. Some were taken from the train - I only used to put my head out of the window of a Mk1 door at places where I knew there was a safe clearance! Crianlarich view south July 73 C1349 Crianlarich July 73 C1351 Crianlarich loco shed 11th May 85 C6843 Crianlarich 11th May 85 C6844 Crianlarich 11th May 85 C6894 Crianlarich 11th Oct 86 C8056 David

Quarry Hunslet 'Holy War' rumbles into the Wharf at Port Nadolig with some rubble trucks.

Stanier stunner 46245 'City of London' rolls onto shed

A few black and white photos for teatime. Basford Gas Works Ruston 4wds Victoria c1952 JVol4135 Bobbers Mill 8F up mineral c1952 JVol4136 Bullwell 8F 48502 up goods c1951 JVol1116 Cinderhill Nottingham to Mansfield line view south c1952 JVol2186 Loughborough Class 5 down goods c1949 JVol2250 David

A couple for lunchtime. The first is Dad and his younger brother on their first "locomotive" in 1929. The second is from a German postcard of the "Flying Hamburger". My grandparents visited Germany in 1935, my great aunt lived there then, I think she was something in the Britsh Embassy, I know she was fluent in German and Russian. Dad and his younger brother 1929 img551 Hamburg Der Fliegender Hamburger Hamburg to Berlin in 2 hr20 min 160kmh max 820bhp from an oldpostcard David

Little Mill, a level crossing on the ECML in Northumberland for today's final bacth of photos. They were taken in 1974 and 1983. Little Mill Class 47 down May 74 J3707 08.45 Leeds to Edinburgh "The North Briton" Little Mill Class 40 down freight May 74 J3708 Little Mill Class 46 Edinburgh to Bristol May 74 J3709 Little Mill April 83 C6028 The signal box has gone. The building in the centre of the photo is I believe an old lime kiln. Little Mill Class 254 HST down July 83 C6105 going away David

A trip to Crich this morning to see some trams in 1974, 1989 and 1983. Crich Glasgow 812 Aug 74 J4016 Crich Glasgow 115 Aug 74 J4019 Crich Sheffield horse tram 15 Aug 74 J4022 Crich Glasgow tram 1282 April 79 C4450 Crich Sheffield 510 Aug 83 C6203 Crich Paisley 68 Aug 83 C6204 David

Saturday morning rolled around and having had no better offers, it was back to the show. I like to record a general view of the layout for posterity and by the time I got set up to do this one, the Rapido boys were there with their goodies. No-one can resist a Single, although the one I already have will remain single, I'm afraid. A chance for everyone else who missed them last time around to catch one. Mine has been a faultless performer at every show we've done and there can't be many weathered ones about. I only know of one other who's been daft enough to do it. Graham mentioned our visitor from Down Under, who brought with him this based-on-a-Ks J3. Readers of the Little Bytham thread will already have seen it performing there. I'd spotted the replacement Stirling tender (from LRM) but I didn't look underneath where it has the Mainly Trains J52 frames. It mainly (exclusively?) worked the Ambergate trip and performed beautifully all the time we had it. I started to do my usual survey of what was out the front, but was interrupted fairly quickly. I did see this trio of Atlantics in the shed. We had a bit of a game with the Atlantics: there are 8 GN ones in all (not counting the brass one) of which 7 are C1s and one a C2. One C1 (3251, in the background here) is reserved for the Leicester set as it has tension lock couplings. One (4432) is a heavy hauler and works turn and turn about with the Pacifics, so should not really ever come on shed. Of the remaining 6, 4401 failed on Saturday and is still awaiting works, but there should still have been 5 in traffic. By Saturday afternoon we had not a one round the back and were really scratching around for suitable locos. By mid-morning Sunday I think we had all of them again, yet that was a further one and a half times round the sequence. It's a bit odd and just as well I acquired all those K3s during lockdown. Just a little left, the north end pilot caught in mid-move when we stopped on Friday evening. Graham and I, with others, have the sad task of disposing of Caroline Middleditch's railway collection so it's nice to see a small reminder of what a good modeller she could be. Chris H posted another selection of views from Saturday on Flickr, so if there's no objection I'll add a few of those here: The shed looks fairly empty here, nothing moving up or down and nothing on the main lines. 4217 is largely a static exhibit these days, being used for track testing in the main. I think the J6 is 3622, a NuCast one I acquired last year. I'm guessing the A4 is 4466 Herring Gull just on the length of the nameplate (Gadwall would be the other contender). It looks like a Tom Foster weathering job so it has to be one of those two. Chris has then turned left to look at the shed throat and the queue of engines waiting to depart. The A4 is Osprey, one of the two allocated to Grantham. I think that one is a detailed Bachmann model. 6229 will probably be going to pick up the down (loaded) High D y k e working you can see in the previous picture and 4114 will probably be going on another trip to Ambergate. Moving down towards the Great North Road bridge, it looks as though the incoming empty Ambergate wagons are being dealt with. Below the shunter there's been a mishap and a job for the scenery team at Newcastle. Some movement on the main line, though: K3 4005 has the up Aberdeen perishables passing the stabled Leicester set. I didn't recall that 4005 had worked this train as well. it usually alternates on the Scotch Goods with 4771. 4005 is from an SEF kit with the GN cab and was painted by Larry Goddard. I've skipped a little way here: we're back at the shed throat and 2548 Galtee More has just come off a Leeds train and is coming on shed. Atlantic 3275 has also appeared, most likely off the quad set which can be seen in Platform 5. A few moments later, Galtee More has vanished, most likely out of shot to the left in order to get onto the turntable. 4494 has not yet moved, but behind it 4114 has, as predicted, picked up the Ambergate trip and is getting ready to depart. Above the brake van, the Atlantic which was in the south end loco spur has crossed over and is backing down onto the quad set to take it Up towards Peterborough. In front of 3276 is another C1 which we haven't seen much, 3272. This one is ex-Hitchin, scratchbuilt at King's Cross Models and after some fettling has turned into a reliable performer. It's had a replacement motor and gearbox from High Level (one of the big coreless ones) and been festooned with pickups. I just need to sort out the loco/tender coupling and it'll be done. Let's finish with this lovely shot Rob Allen kindly posted back up the thread of 2752 Spion Kop in the Down loco spur. This is one of mine, based on a Hornby NRM 4472, weathered in the Tom Foster manner and a bit of a favourite. Am I the only one who thinks that the NRM A3s are generally better performers than the normal range ones?

Local farmer reads headlines in newspapers..... Have you seen the Panniers? Concern raised as they appear to be missing Our roving reporter goes on search to find them!!! Keep reading for latest news

Some French photos for a change this morning taken at Calais Maritime and Calais Ville. I had just done my A levels and we had been staying with friends in St Avold and stopped to look at trains in Calais before catching the ferry back to the UK. It was the first time I'd driven in France. Calais Ville SNCF 141R Paris to Calais Maritime Aug 67 J1026 Calais Ville SNCF 231G Lille to Paris and X23000 Aug 67 J1031 Calais Maritime SNCF Y7283 shunting Aug 67 J1033 Calais Maritime SNCF 141R 1276 light engine Aug 67 J1034 Calais Maritime 050TQ12 Aug 67 J1038 David

Some more recent photos for a change taken at the Tanfield Railway, near Gateshead on 17th June 2017. BSC_3857 Marley Hill Bagnall Gamma in the loco shed 17th June 2017 BSC_3870 Andrews House Hawthorn Leslie 21 Linda 17th June 2017 BSC_3872 Marley Hill Hawthorn Leslie No 2 17th June 2017 BSC_3876 Marley Hill Stephenson Twizell 17th June 2017 BSC_3888 Andrews House RSH exStewart &Lloyds 62 17th June 2017 David

A couple of snaps this evening after getting back from the pub showing how things are progressing with some of the buildings plonked in place:

Afternoon out at the SVR visiting the model railway exhibition at Highley started at Bridgnorth 76079 coming in Ran round and on to the shed and back off again A Quick Look on the footplate Hampton loade signal box 20142 Western heading for Bridgnorth Inside the exhibition, absolutely loved this layout, loosely based on fairbourne with driving cars and loads of detail Temple Bridge Back to the station for the train to Bewdley Western up front Colas HST Bewdley Token exchange DMU back to Bridgnorth DMU stabled for the night Taw Valley Safety brief tomorrow

I've left this a few weeks so as not to identify the show. To explain, as some background, I am a "person of colour". I have been modelling for 43 years, and as an adult and serious modeller for 30 of those. I attend exhibitions regularly, my modelling interests are eclectic and this means my knowledge of the prototype is wide. I also, to be frank, have greying hair, poor fashion sense, am a bit overweight and often have Halfords paint on my fingers. I look like a modeller more now than I did when I started this adventure. I speak English as a native and have all my own teeth, no accent. At a recent show I was looking at a layout and the operator looked at me and said "these are trams, they run in the street in places like Croydon or Manchester". (I've lived in both). I smiled and asked a question about what chassis were being used. He looked back at me and said "they work from electricity in the rails which the motor in the tram collects". I tried again but got a very similar answer. I thought... hmm maybe just a mansplainer. I said thank you and moved off. I was watching an adjacent layout when a young (white) woman with a child approached the layout. The layout owner chatted away naturally and explained all sorts of things that were going on, even why he had chosen not to have the trams pick up from the overhead. I looked at her and, while you can never judge, she didn't seem to be a hobbyist, just an attendee, yet was getting a good in depth guide to the models. And then another chap came up to the stand and I could see the modeller pointing to bits on the layout and smiling away. I wandered off. I swooped round for my 3rd circuilt of the show and it brought me back to this layout again. The operator was joined by his mate, I assume. A particularly nice kitbuilt tram made its way round. I said to them both - "Ooh that's lovely, and it's crawling along so nicely - what motor is in it". A mumble back and I got "it's a special one, made in Austria". I thanked them and walked off, assuming it must be Halling (could he not have said that). I was a few feet away and there was no one else at that layout, and I heard layout operator number one say "Honestly, I thought we were safe from them in this hobby". Operator two said "Hah, you turn on the bloody TV and they're all over reading the news". I left the show. So this is a post specially for those two gents if they are reading. Or others who think like them. What do you need me to do. Do you want me not to come along to an exhibition as it makes you feel unsafe or angry. Should I give up the hobby completely? Is the entrance fee I've paid for the 20 or so shows and swapmeets this year not worth the effort to be nice or just decent. Or my spending in model shops large and small. This has happened a couple of times before, in a roundabout way, but not for a good decade. I think the delayed shock of it and the sheer ruination of what should have been a nice Saturday drive out, have certainly affected me. I went to no events the following week, not becuase I feared something similar again, but because the capacity for joy had been knocked out of me. Fellas, if you two are on here and reading this, please feel free to send me a private message and explain why you needed to be like that.

A black and white photo taken near Rigby by Dad in July 1950. David

My preferred view of a departing train. But I know quite a lot of people prefer the one from the bridge, so here it is.

Always worth stopping at Grantham to watch the trains go by 😀

Being a quiet bank holiday it was time for the WKT to make a dash along the main line being pulled by one of our friends......the Pannier Close up the business part of the set up, probably the most interesting bit I have ever built with special thanks to Mr Wolf and his pump design that made it possible. Just waiting to hear from Railtec about the transfers, been a while now.

The Stockton and Darlington at Fighting Cocks and Etherley. The ones at Fighting Cocks were taken when Mum and Dad went on a weekend trip led by Ken Hoole in 1975. Fighting Cocks Class 101 damaged June 75 J4396 Fighting Cocks June 75 J4397 Fighting Cocks site of 1825 station building looks later June 75 J4398 Fighting Cocks June 75 J4399 Etherley 08225 18th May 85 C6940 David

Another Doncaster engine, this time an A3, Diamond Jubilee, with new double chimney. This is another Up Leeds, due through here at 10.05am. A visitor from afar this afternoon.

Tight curve anyone ? To be fair the rest of my layout is 3' minimum, which is more appropriate for non - main line stuff in EM. Otherwise I must admit that I really don't like seeing 'train-set' curves on model railways.

Some photos around Leigh on Sea on the London Tilbury and Southend, mainly of the usual Class 302s. Leigh on Sea Class 308/2 Sept 74 C1786 Leigh on Sea Class 302 293 down July 77 J5727 Leigh on Sea Class 302 246 up July 77 J5728 Leigh on Sea 302 239 Shoeburyness to Fenchurch St Sun 5th March 78 C3695 Leigh on Sea 302 302 Shoeburyness to Fenchurch St May 79 C4555 David

Another angle on 60506 as it waits to remove its stock. And from the north end carriage sidings, another look at Deltic just beginning to pull away.

You have been warned Your worst nightmare has been answered.... 6 Panniers and a Puffer Now please sit down and take a deep breath. I expect it was the Puffer that threw you over the edge?

Just a typical Sunday morning with the washing still out!

Another whole pale print of Dad's at the west end of Nottingham Midland. As usual he was taking advantage of his track permit. The Kodak Retina camera was one he kept for a number of years, I can remember it. David

Evening all, Just in from an evening spent in the garage, finally doing some work on the layout due out at Wells. Things didn't go quite to plan as I ended up making a few amendments......Frankly, it's going to be damn close.

Idling on an early morning move.

OK - so that was the Bristol show. Not a simple show for us as the logistics were probably the most complex of any show we've done to date. But I think we gave a reasonable account of ourselves in the circumstances. If you happened to be leaning on the barriers this morning at around 11am, you'd have seen us at our best as we achieved a sub two hours cycle round the full schedule ... and then lunchtime cover arrangements kicked in! Somewhat spontaneously, within the last hour of winding down, we ran the following train which, if I'm allowed to say, did look rather splendid: There'll be more to follow over the next few days, I have no doubt ... but, so far as tonight goes - that's all folks 🙂

You mean these two??? April 2020....

Patrick Stirling runs on past the J6, and will have begun to accelerate away. and now, all parcels transfers having taken place, 64177 can wander gently down to East.

Just arriving

A very busy day, so I have only one image ready, Diamond Jubilee through the arch. This afternoon's visitor was Andrew from far away Australia, and known as Woodcock 29 on here. A very pleasant three hours mainly spent chatting. Did he see any trains run? Don't be silly.

As the late afternoon sun drops in the sky nothing much is happening in this backwater. Date taken 9.5.1982

This evening has seen track cut and temporarily laid in place. Bay still needs wiring up and the rest of the clay laying arond the engine shed. A tidier view than the last. Platform ramp will be cut off. An embankment will be to the right and will follow the bay around. Rob

A hitherto unknown volume of sound announces the presence of Deltic, which now appears beneath the bridge. Its Saturday duty is the 8.18 KX- Filey Holiday Camp, which it will take as far as Doncaster. And on this day it gets to haul a load more commensurate with its power and potential, as there are thirteen carriages behind it. This is as the camera saw it, as I couldn't be bothered to shop the whole thing just to remove one crease, even though it does manage to get right behind the locomotive. You seem to like Deltic, so here is a close up, again as the camera saw it. It is an imposing beast.

Something of a mixed bag of photos along Great Eastern lines. Frinton on Sea Class 309 Walton to Liverpool St July 75 J4528 Thorrington 309625 Liverpool St to Clacton 2nd Nov 79 C4861 Thorpe le Soken Class 305 Colchester St Botolphs to Clacton July 75 J4529 Harwich Mar 75 C1878 Mistley quayside where there was once track July 75 J4532 David

Well, thank you to the Rapido guys for keeping the thread moving while we all apparently went off for a long lie down in (separate) dark rooms. Two three day shows in fairly rapid succession felt like quite hard work, although I have to say I was impressed with the Bristol show. not having been before. We had quite a leisurely setup compared to the usual pre-show scramble and it was spread over two days, so it all felt much more relaxed than it has on many other occasions. We had time for a spot of indulgence: I had planned to run this during the last hour of the show when we pack up, but having no ballast in it at all it couldn't move any trains, so we sent it out on test. I'm very much hoping to have it completed for Newcastle in November. Friday morning, then, back into the swing of it... I'm afraid I have a complete mental block about where those coal wagons start and always end up with them in the wrong road. But hey, who cares? Tom's not here so we'll put out an extra few dozen wagons to shunt with. Steve keeps coming back, despite the rest of us. I'm not sure about that mixed train he seems to be making up there, though. I'm not sure what happened when Roy pressed that..... Once the show opened, as you can tell, we were flat out the whole afternoon and evening.... Both the blue pointy ones seem to be out and running, though, so we were obviously entertaining the masses. Afterwards we retired to a nearby establishment. Would you buy a used A4 from any of these men?

A little progress on the viaduct wall:

OK, I give in here is a solitary Pannier....try to hide in the trees

What no Pannier!!! If squint and hold your head to the right I think you can just make out one about to enter the station from the black hole.....! 😉

With attention focused on Grantham recently (York and Bristol shows), you could be forgiven for thinking that there was not much happening on HotN. To some extent that's true, but I have been plodding on in the background. Yet more pre-wiring of point motors. These are the depot entrance points. And now beginning to take shape. There will be separate entrance and exit arrangements, aligned to the usual one-way system round the depot. The pointwork leading away towards the locos is the entrance pointwork, with the inbound servicing road curving off to the left. Bottom right leads to the exit, whilst the Princess Royal waits patiently for the roundhouse exit track to be linked up to the newly laid points. Best of all ... All 24 roundhouse roads are laid! (and pre-wired) Getting to the point whereby I need to start creating a proper control panel soon ...

Back to it today, 805 to Holyhead again strike day so a full oxley On the up side again so had to wait for a trian to pass before being allowed to cross the mainline by the signaller Quick walk around to check for chocks and not to be moved boards Crewe Into Chester where we uncoupled Bangor holyhead, as the station had avanti units in the platform I had to stable on the wash road catamaran and ferry in the harbour Lifeboat Back to Chester for coupling back up before heading off to crewe Crewe And that was that, same again tomorrow then I’ve copped for a toton tripper on Friday before the weedsprayer on Saturday and another possession at Bangor on Sunday!

Another one from the bridge, which doesn't work quite as well, I think. One more of Wolf of Badenoch, off on its way to the carriage sidngs. I suspect that PMV should have been taken off before that happened.