John Smart

Hello Arthur, Rather late on this one, but surely 'just entered my 90th year' means you were celebrating reaching 89? Please put me on the list for an F8 kit if you have not done already so. Very best wishes, John

I would like to say what a good day I have had, thanks to the Grantham operators, JW especially. I note the carriage aesthetics discussion, re-Mk1s, but there are bigger disasters with regards to the looks of railway vehicles. Many people know my views on this, but I am going to say, here, the Gresley A4s fall into the hopeless category for me. I think Gresley had an idea of this too. The GresleyA1/A3 and P1 are a rather better examples of the 20th century large steam locomotive design, from an aesthetic view-point. One could add they are less good than many late 19th Century examples, but designs have to move with the times. I look forward to the 'discussion' on this! On the plus side the A4 is more pleasing on the eye than other streamlined locos in Britain at that time. I shall put on the tin-hat now.

I have had a letter from Owen Russell, he wishes to thank everyone who has helped to identify the location. John

I suggest you re-read what HGR said. The Down train is leaving the Up Independent, crossing onto the Up Main and then will regain the Down Main over a further crossing behind the photographer. The Up Independent is not a bi-directional line. John

I may have the working for D49 368. Given the wrong line working, it is almost certainly a Sunday. The 9.25am from Leeds to Newcastle picked up an empty TPO at York on its way north. John

I have contacted Tommy Knox about 4494 on the Yorkshire Pullman. He has given these dates in 1939: March 13th and 15th. April 15th, 18th 24th and 27th. And finally May 2nd. On 3rd May 1939 it was transferred to KX. So the photo was, possibly, taken on one of these dates.

4494 was still in green livery in August 1938, so the date is not correct. I agree that the headboard looks like the Yorkshire Pullman, therefore my thought is that the photo was taken around April 1939, when 4494 was at Doncaster shed.

Jonathan and all, I thought you might like to know the answer to which train it is can be found in RO 115 for September 1938. 4900 hauled a full set of NBR corridor stock, plus one GN vehicle, as a portion of the 4pm Down on Saturday 30-7-1938. It was portion number 2, of 5 that day. The photographer was W H Whitworth at Peterborough, but 2 other photographers captured the service further south. Most notably showing the full train just north of Potters Bar. I suspect the locos in the bay are awaiting further portions, B5 6072 almost certainly one for Cleethorpes. John

Hi Frank, We could model a lot of extra trains through Clayton, but space would not permit them all. John

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Plenty of interesting excursion traffic through Clayton as well. John

Looks like I am in-the-soup again! When I have finished the excursion/theatrical traffic circulars volume there is a Quint to build. Pigeons too. John

Are LNER cab interiors 2-tone? I thought it was, what ever was on the outside was also on the inside. There may have been exceptions at individual works. Nice to know an ordinary passenger train near Coventry does not contain 'Foreign Stock' as the NER might call it. John

Hi Frank, What a special view that is of the banked goods heading Down through Clayton. I have tried to read your post on Bill's electronics several times, nothing goes in. Not really surprising, given my limited skills are elsewhere. I have even more information about excursions on the Queensbury lines, courtesy of Mr Woodward and the LNER Society. Just in the period the layout is set too. Cheers, John