LNER4479

Sometimes you sleep on things and ... not so much 'two steps forward ...' as maybe trying to avoid ploughing on regardless. Nothing drastic, but ... You might not have picked up on this but the partially laid fan of points for Upperby goods sidings was bothering me so ... up they came! To be replaced by this rather more simpler arrangement. Now installed, with sidings adjusted and relaid to match. One factor is that these points are right under the operator's nose so are not motored. Prototypically, they would have been set out thus so that the shunting staff are on the outside of the sidings and not stepping over rails to change points. The alternative of having three curved points on the furthest siding wasn't really working geometrically. It does however alter which siding becomes the longest ... Sidings now being extended in the Carlisle direction. Your eye will no doubt be drawn to the suspicious card circle, however! Yes, second 'thunks' has resulted in the decision to include the outside, 60ft turntable (as per prototype). It fits, just ... but only by curtailing one of the goods sidings! So, Upperby yard is now 4-and-a-half sidings rather than 5. Thinking here is that, without this turntable, everything that needs turning has to use the roundhouse turntable ... perhaps not the wisest of ideas? With this decision, the track plan for the depot is finalised. Let's take a tour: 'Country' end. Locos will (normally) enter the depot via the Y-point behind the 3-way point. They then take the left hand route over the following Y point to take them on to the ash disposal road, followed by the coaler. This will be the normal sequence of moves round the shed - but it can be bypassed by taking the RIGHT hand route through the Y point. To the right, just plonked for now, is the pointwork that leads to the depot EXIT (in normal circumstances. Between that and the wall are a series of stabling roads and two roads of the carriage shed. Work is proceeding in laying the roundhouse roads. 16 down; 8 to go. As well as the furthest away roads not being full length, note how three roads in the 5 o'clock corner (as viewed) are also slightly shorter, so as to allow the outside roads a little more room to breath. Won't be readily apparent at normal viewing angles. In total, and not including the entrance / exit roads, 7 of the stabling roads are still full length and will thus take a Pacific. And the remainder of the yard looks like this. Having had ashes disposed and been coaled, all locos (apart from Pacifics) can turn and then run back (to the right) using the crossover onto the through line. Otherwise, locos continue on towards the siding and headshunt area that was curiously known as the 'Burma Road'. Above the 60ft turntable is the area where many pictures of my beloved Duchess Pacifics were taken, with the roundhouse in the background. Very keen to replicate that! Compromise, as ever, is the watchword; however, I do believe that this finalised layout does capture the main features of the old 12A and provides capacity for up to 40 locos. The most notable omission (perhaps?) is the old coal hole - felt it would have just have been too cramped to fit it in. Onwards and upwards 🤓

Latest report is a combination of two visits - the first was curtailed due to a ... er ... industrial injury 🤕 Anyhow, here's work on the last ladder of points in the fiddle yard, the Up entrance points, seen here temporarily laid out top left. And now laid out for keeps, with the down exit line being installed beneath. Meanwhile, down at the other end of the room, further baseboard construction. And thus we have the final board in place for Doncaster station itself 🙂 It's quite a long way down to the other end. With this progress, we're within an ace of starting to lay track in the scenic area. So this stretch of cork has been painted, in preparation. This is the south end junctions board. Next visit, hopefully 🤓

Yes, another jolly day in BarryO's model railway room. Shock! Horror! Diseasels!! We did nonetheless identify this corner, alongside the approach tracks of the main station, as a potential site for diesel stabling sidings, maybe even a small depot? The sort of thing the ER was rather better at doing than the LMR (the latter all too often trying to adapt existing steam facilities rather than purpose building something new) Anyhow, here is the result of a day reaching over, drilling square holes etc. Room for up to ten of the things, more if shunting locos are let loose. I'm sure it'll be bulging at the seams before long🤨 Whilst I had the camera out, went for a roam round the rest of the layout. Goods sidings full of trains. The NCB exchange sidings and colliery branch (RHS) is the next (last?) task. Loco depot full of proper engines. Some of them even moved when threatened with a controller. And the main station, now looking rather good with platforms. And looking the other way, towards the goods depot. A very pleasant day; thanks to my host for supplies of tea, bacon sandwiches and evening meal prior to my departure 🤗

Nice vid. Jesse. Enjoyed watching that! 😀

Good grief - that really is someone's kit mountain (looking thru adjacent lots as well). Trying to be 'good' here so that mine isn't too tall, come the day ... Thanks for highlighting.

So .... Tracklaying proceeds at Upperby. Following the installation of the adjacent slip point, the goods lines are being laid. Note the point rodding runs under the tracks, for those points where a point motor cannot be directly installed. And following round to the removable section. Meanwhile, the five roads for Upperby goods yard are also being laid. This then accurately sets the space left for ... ... Upperby shed (12A). Here are the first three points, constituting the depot entrance (off the Y-point beyond the three-way point) It's all going on.

And another ... And, given that we have all 35 to call upon ... ... she'll be in this little lot somewhere.

Hi 60093(!) Great to see you back up and at 'em in the loft 😃 All the best for your continued recovery; can't have been an easy last 12 months for you. Funnily enough, I was watching a Waverley route video just the other day and that featured a Crab, allegedly stopping for a blow-up at Shankend, on the southbound climb to Whitrope. Either a case of mistaken identity ... or that's at least two recorded instances? Like you, I hadn't previously associated the class with the route; however, one suspects in the general 1960s rundown under the LMR, anything went.

I came across the attached some years ago and keep a careful hold of it. A reminder of how far we've come ... and to question by return the all too common 'elf n safety gorn mad' accusation. In the research for Grantham (trying to maintain some relevance!), I came across interesting snippet that, back in the day, the ground floor of the water tower opposite Grantham main station was designated as the local railway morgue ... Railway Safety Report 1972.pdf

Aargh - sorry to have missed you 😔 It’s very easy to ‘zone out’ in the middle of a show - priority is always on trying to put on a good show and keep things moving … a constant challenge on a layout like Grantham. Glad you enjoyed your visit nonetheless and hope to catch up on a future occasion😉 Thanks for the photo.

SO .... Back home with the layout after being part of the York show. No pictures from me, I'm afraid - I think a few others might be on the way - but the ever-excellent and prolific 'DCC125' graced the layout on Saturday afternoon (by the looks of it). That wasn't actually our best day but DCC125 has given us a nice record of the event nonetheless and has captured some of the more ordinary trains in the middle of the schedule, which makes a nice change: Thanks - as ever - to all members of 'Team Grantham', those who stopped by to say 'hi'. And a special mention to @Clive Mortimore who kindly mucked in with the team during the thankless task of packing it all away after show time 😇

I think you'll find JW that 2550 is Blink Bonny and is ALSO on the Grantham roster! Here's Galtee More in the classic platform end viewpoint at Grantham. If nothing else, a gratuitous plug for this weekend's York show 😃

And now with the full circuit up, stock set out in full swing. Not quite sure what happened here with the camfone?! Instinct was to delete it but decided it was a bit arty-farty so here it is. It was really intended to show the stage at which main layout is up but with front depot boards still to add (they are over on the right hand side) See you tomorrow 🙂

And a perfect cue for some pix of mine ... Here it is all in the back of the van. Backed up for unloading. This is how close we were to the unloading point. Those familiar with the venue will know where we are. Set up proceeds steadily.

Now you really shouldn't go around saying things like that; it only prompts me to post even more photos ... Here's a slightly more three-quarter view of the thing. They are not without their charm, although the older, more rounded examples are more aesthetically pleasing. One of these days, we'll configure a trip so as to have at least an overnight in Nordhausen, where the HSB rails form one tentacle of the town's tram system. Have done it once before but it's over 10 years ago now. Only one steam working being the main disincentive!

No problem at all - fascinating to see the railway in the immediate post-DR era. Clearly today's HSB is much modernised, well-polished etc. But I stick to my guns in saying that it's a working railway, not a preserved one. I can only experience this version of 'real' steam as it is in the 21st Century. Envious of anyone who was able to visit the railway in more workaday times.

Yes, 222 seems to get used turn and turn about with the others. We saw it a lot on this visit. I've seen it in the past on the TraditionZug. According to previous news item, the green Mallett is due back for the summer but not sure whether they'll be using that on its own, unless a reduced formation?

Ooh - nearly forgot. A bit of video: Our train back down the Brocken on the Monday was slightly late (shock horror!). This delayed our entry into the passing siding and so the uphill train was caught at the signal. Here it is doing an impressive re-start on the 1-in-30. In truth, loco well within itself with the standard winter formation of 7 carriages (8 in summer) and light passenger loading, not to mention dry rail. Still impressive enough though?

At Alexisbad, we went our separate ways, Dave and Steve continuing by railcar to make the connection at Eisfelder for the steam back to Wernigerode. We simply headed back to Quedlinburg, with the sun obliging most of the time. Time for a quick snap at Gernrode to capture more of the station site. Orignal station building on the left. Quedlinburg is the other UNESCO town in the area, with an almost unbelievable 2000+ wooden frame buildings listed as scheduled monuments. These are a couple of towers along the wall of the NEW town area (ha!) 'New' as in 13th(-ish) century. Successfully rendez-vous'd back in Wernigerode, dining at the Altora 'Restaurant 1835' where the train delivers drinks to your table. Good trains, good company, good beer ... LOTS of good beer(!) Right - about this show ...

Thanks for your interest, David. Hopefully it's evoking happy memories? They were observed, I can assure you. Our last full day in the Harz saw us head out to Quedlinburg, another interchange point where new meets old. Viewed from the balcony of the 1030 Harz train, the Thale-Halberstadt trains cross at the same time, making a model connection with the HSB. The Thale-bound train also - enterprisingly - departs at 1030(!) thus allowing for a playful 'race' out the town, as the two sets of tracks run alongside each other for the first half mile. This first stretch is the converted (standard gauge to metre gauge) link; at Gernrode, the tracks swing sharply over to the right to gain the original narrow gauge route of the delightful Selketalbahn route, Gernrode being the previous interchange back in the day. The traditional style shed at Gernrode is still in use for the loco allocated to the steam-hauled trains on the route. You can see which road they regularly use. The nature of the route changes completely beyond Gernrode. Bucolic seems a very appropriate adjective. There was some evidence of use by walkers as well as railway enthusiasts along this stretch. Finally, the loco's identity is revealed! And it was indeed the loco and stock we saw at Drei Annen Hohne two days earlier🙂 The regular loco for the route, unique Krupp 2-6-2T 6001 assumed to be on winter maintenance? Alexisbad is as far as the steam diagram runs in the morning. It is another junction station on the network, demonstrated by the railcar from Nordhausen making a connection, also reversing here to serve the short branchline to Harzgerode. (Part 2 to follow)

He'll be on his own. Mind you, would be perfectly practical. No loco depot, no goods yards, no stock shunting ... zzzzzzz

Not total fantasy, GN. Some years ago, I did see a picture of one of the Canal quartet at the buffer stops at The Cross. And there's a (well-known?) John Aylard photo of 60068 heading north at Wood Green with a fitted goods from Kings Cross goods yard, complete with newly fitted double pot and 12C shed plate. The latter definitely running in.

Day 2 (Tues) in the Harz and we did our own thing, Steve and Dave having a further trip up the Brocken, plus the trip to Eisfelder. We, meanwhile took the train to Goslar (semaphores now consigned to history 😢). Town pretty quiet; ideal for our look round. Back at Wernigerode, partook of the ... ahem ... road train (bimmelbahn). Doesn't really count, does it? 🤔 This does though! The 3pm off Wernigerode Westerntor (bang on time, as you can see). Thus enjoyed another ride up to Drei Annen Hohne. This is the occasionally used mid-section passing loop. Once again, the mid-afternoon '3 trains meet'. Rendez-vous'd here with our fellow travellers, who'd enjoyed another sunny and clear day on the railway. Always worth hanging around at Wernigerode main station at the end of the day. Here, 7247 disposes of its stock off the Eisfelder (train is propelling away from the camera in this shot). Lovely, end-of-day lighting for photography in the shed yard. Steve took careful note of the puddles n reflection effects for possible incorporation on Finsbury Square in times to come!

Well, for what it's worth, we travelled on 17 different trains to / from Wernigerode and during our stay there (not including the HSB trains themselves). Every one of them ran as planned and - notwithstanding a couple of hairy moments - all connections were made. Apparently, El Jobbo is a 'lucky charm' when on his travels 😇

Continuing with the 1025 from Wernigerode. Digging in to the lower stages of the climb up to Drei Annen Hohne. Now on the climb to the Brocken, passing the earlier 0940 returning train, berthed in the passing siding to allow us a clear passage onwards. Steve observes proceedings as the summit TV mast comes into view. A different take on the climb. This is the view looking across from the summit of a train making its way up, way below us at this point. And about 15 mins later ... here it is! Back at Drei Annen Hohne, we were treated to the sight of no less than FIVE different steam-hauled trains within a breathless 30 mins. Four such trains were as per timetable but the one on the left here was an extra, an ECS working through to the Selketalbahn! Before it could leave, the returning train from Eisfelder enters the station off the Harzerquebahn; Brockenbahn to the right. No. 7240 then sets off south. We'll catch up with this loco in a few days time.