runs as required

About garages: there are a number of considerations that come into play beginning with local planning policies (supposedly) in force, then building regs (that can always be complied with by a competent builder or architect) and, not least, foreseeable potentials within the local property market . Worst of all were the collected together 'garage courts' still to be seen in many 1970s private estates as well as ex New Town Development Corporation housing - where they were invented. I remember being shown some astonishingly rare cars hidden away in a large Midlands bleak looking semi-abandoned car court alongside several bashed-in lethal-killer up & over metal doors occupied by druggies. Still very popular are three storey "town houses", from the 80s & 90s, both ex public and privately built with in-built garages and off-road hard standing before the (preferably roller shutter) door to the single garage. These can be very profitably converted to living accommodation or home-office or workshop for "white van man" (with thought given to internal alterations internally to comply with 3 storey fire regs). Most popular of all are side single garages with off-road parking for as many cars as can be squashed onto to a permeably paved former front garden. These can be readily converted into granny flats etc. as above, for added market value. As for sizing, I have observed that 'exec' style private estate developers expect buyers to be in the market for at least one of the latest and largest Chelsea tractors. It is actually very difficult to design an attractive front elevation to a detached large house with a brief for garaging two or more vehicles. At the top end of the south-east housing market, it seems you apply to build a green oak framed 'stable and garden implement store with upstairs fodder storage', and 'Hey presto ! ' in a few years, it can become another high value dwelling within a sought after rural Conservation area. In these individualistic days, GDO 'Permitted Development" rights seem to be very loosely regulated . As always, it pays to build first then apply for retro planning and building reg approval, - if ever challenged.

I've only just found the much more pleasurable prob of how to deal with 'the Rokeby Venus's Game Keeper's cottage doorway'. (How's about that for the title of a bawdy barrack-room ballad?). Our downstairs loo (at the other end of our 'orangery' from the kitchen) has a red light over it that illuminates Boeing style when it is occupied. It usefully saves many a drunken stumble in the semi dark along the back of the house over cast-off wellies, dead plant pots, and items of gardening kit. However, I would have thought the Rokeby Venus's door panelled could be more effectively protected by a rubber door-stop mounted in such a way as to restrain the the door from opening past 'just ajar' whenever the bridge is lowered into the locked down position. Can anyone recall examples of curved opening bridge sections from Victorian dock engineering that might offer precedent?

This slow OF has only just caught up with CA's brief mention of the cheapskate 'Flower class' . Wife's father was a proudly flamboyant (and notoriously difficult) director of a Manchester cotton shirting firm. He suffered from what must clearly have been severe PTSD after serving as a seaman on Murmansk convoy duties aboard HMS Honeysuckle, (never ever referred to by name - we only found his ship's plaque in his wardrobe after his death) . The only recollection his daughters ever prised out of him was being under strict orders to leave men to die. They were calling out at night to be picked up from icy, oil coated waters and could easily have been rescued. The latter part of his war after 1944 was far more pleasurable aboard a cruiser, passing through Malta and on, crossing the line in the Indian Ocean off Mombasa, down to Durban. He apparently had a shoreside fling here with a girl with a most unusual name, is still carried today by his second daughter, born in 1946! Luckily for me his death was timely: he clearly had more more ambitious plans for his daughters. He drank regularly at the "Chimes of Taxal" on best mate terms with the landlord Albert Pierrepoint. [This post lacks a railway reference I hear you say: He had a ' First Class Contract' on the Businessman's train, regularly Crab hauled from Buxton's North Western station down to London Road each day]

Having also been confused from the start, I shall try to work through my confusion: Grandma Buxton got married off by my wife just before we left to work abroad in the the mid 1960s, after she'd been left widowed with a younger daughter still at school. An advert in the Buxton Advertiser about desiring a man with a trilby hat netted Tom from a clutch of respondents, interviewed over High tea (tete a tete) at Collinsons Cafe in Spring Gardens. We were all delighted when Tom and M-in-law were married at Fairfield and moved into a big house on Lightwood Road within 5 mins of one of Tom's pair of principle boxes: Buxton and a 10 minute drive in his little Bedford van to his original Box at Peak Forest. He'd worked at PF since leaving school in the pre-war glory day's of Lemon's LMS, and spent the entire war in Peak Forest Box, often working combined shifts on his own through the night. We all enjoyed 'long Home leave' visits to Buxton where we could all play 1:1 scale trains with Grandpa Tom for the next 12 years. The kids helped him in quite a profitable hobby business in collecting scrap metal transported to Sheffield in his little white van . Now Buxton Box Nos.: Tom always worked Buxton no. 2, the big one near the Midland station (which was still open when I first met Tom and we travelled fro St Pancras "home' for the weekends). My confusion started when I found the LNW boxes labelled the other way round in picture captions and didn't trust my own memory. Since then I have looked at the two books I have: Vol 2 of 'The Buxton Extension, Whaley Bridge to Buxton LNWR' and 'Buxton to Ashbourne", both by JM Bentley and GK Fox. They each have very clear detailed maps (but not individual signal placings). As to the plaques: they only came to light when i helped the two sisters clear mother and stepfather's Norfolk retirement bungalow. I assumed they must be from No. 2 box as the Midland Home would not be visible from No 1, whereas it would be visible from the NW corner of No 2 . The Cromfords would be the same from either box. Perhaps they are a mix of both boxes. "Owd Tom" was a wily character - never without a screwdriver on his person.

Agree about the plates but they are not from the Box at the end of the Midland curve onto the LNW I'm sorry I didn't properly check before doing those Photoshop maps last night. It is in fact as 'owd Tom' said stuff "rescued" from LNW Buxton No2 the box at the south of the triangle. I have now corrected the map in the original post. Parsley Hay to Ashbourne wasn't opened until August 1899 according to G.K.Fox (Coachman) , later than the OS map.

Sorry to be a page or so behind the topics. Yes it is Buxton, Derbyshire, not Norfolk (where stepfather-in-law first thought they might downsize after retirement ) I'm not too sure what the names of Junctions were. As I understand it, the two LNWR boxes were No 1- the one nearest the station at the bottom of the triangle, and No 2 was at the top of the triangle. The RCH diagram shews another junction just S of the LNW shed. Does this map help? The 25 inch OS map is from National library of Scotland: XV.13 (Burbage; Buxton; Fairfield), Revised: 1897, Published: 1898 The kids used to be taken off occasionally by Grandpa Tom to Buxton No 2, but more usually to Peak Forest, where he'd spent the war years (he was born at Wormhill like James Brindley the canal builder) revisions: 1 source and date of NLoS map added 2 LNW SB Nos. corrected i.e. No 2 is the big one near the station (as per Tom's own recollection and literature check Bentley & Fox (RMweb's own Coachman) books

Right you Smart Alicks! Here's a little puzzle pic for you:- This board visible upside down on the layout in my earlier pic.(and re-snapped with my Huawe spy phone to make it easier for you) was rescued from a retirement bungalow off Acle Road, Norwich. Which box were they were filched from ? Clue: this particular place is not in Norfolk, (though the box may have been joint with one of the owners of the joint line running E-W across Norfolk).

How on earth did you spot that ! ? The picture was supposed to shew how far I have come in straightening out my life since you last held your nose when you entered.

Wife and I are coming into conflict about this. I want to put gloves, Yashmak and goggles on and venture out up across the green to collect my repeat prescription at the pharmacy 250 metres from our front gate ... oh and then ... perhaps drop go and drop into the local Scotswood B&Q to check on the durability of a replacement plastic toilet flush regulator (in my day a brass ball valve) ... and ... ride a motor bike dressed as Lawrence of Arabia ? Wife says "No! I have to stay in until "they" say it is safe to out". I maintain this effectively sentences us to spend the rest of our lives* under house arrest as second class citizens compared to the A team with their go anywhere indemnity badges and passports. (*or until effective vaccines are universally available)l ----------- But, in the interim, I am gradually disinterring the DCC layout that lay buried under piles of household clutter down the middle of my study (behind me as I type).

i'm certainly someone who "can't cope with the current situation" - for the last 6 weeks of lockdown and the foreseeable future, I feel far worse than "the normal state of human unhappiness" as identified by Freud . But like Killybegs, I do find it helps to keep myself frenetically busy - outside: battling at keeping the 'wild look' garden looking just this side of totally abandoned through these weeks when one can actually hear the stinging nettles remustering for new offensives, inside: actively reclaiming areas long lost to clutter and wet winter dilapidations. I'm actually close to restoring perimeter running on the big old DCC roundy-round as I rid my workroom and study from layers of Mr Toad-like past crazes, tackle overstuffed cupboards, and even venture into corners of the cellar long forgotten. I'm certain I sleep better when I've really kept on with tiring waking hours physical activity. I really hate long periods of insomnia - in the small hours all manner of anxieties coalese to seem overwhelmingly insoluble. An unexpected bonus is I've also shed a stone and a half of paunch!

Although until perhaps 30 years ago my dad’s area of Kent got an annual exodus from London of fruit and hop pickers transported originally by the SE&CR. What changed? Was it cheap flights to Ibiza?

I was in no way complaining about the NHS and the response we had in the present emergency. In fact I was very grateful for the way the East European older paramedic, who said he had grown up under a paralysing bureaucracy, resourcefully delivered what the patient clearly would feel more comfortable with. Furthermore, after two days of resting her pericarditis in bed, it has not been necessary so far to resort to the fast track self-presentation. I always remember a Finn I once worked with abroad saying "...you English are far too passive. You never ask enough questions!"

FULL MARKS TO SERVICE 111 - IN THE SHADOW OF COVID-19’S PRESENT DOMINANCE. I'd like to post about the brilliant response of 111 to my call after my wife collapsed with, what appeared to me a heart attack and stroke, yesterday evening. Ten minutes after I first dialled the call, an ambulance arrived, stabilised her, then spent the next hour and half carrying out e.c.g., blood and neurological tests before reassuring us that things seemed OK, but that they wished to take her to A&E for ‘observation’ (because of her earlier history). At this point I could see my wife was alarmed because it was not to the nearest, (and world famous) hospital just 20 mins away along the main artery of public transport routes, but one over 50 mins away. The older (foreign) paramedic explained that although the legislation required it to be the “nearest hospital”, current beaurocracy assigns ambulance crews to hospitals by post-code. He explained that if my wife refused to enter the ambulance, they would no option but to depart after leaving all the test results and full report with us - but if anything were to develop we could ‘self present’ to the main regional A&E just 20 mins away who would be obliged to accept us.

Those have got to be just the most persuasive pics of Oz I have ever seen. 2 I hadn't realised our own Durham Tanfield railway was so special. We have always loved it's works (at right angles to the running line) which you can visit on the bleakest winter weekend afternoon and warm up by the open forge hearth, before inspecting the 'yard of Hope' outside. 3 As a 'full circle' bellringer, my bell tower will be forever grateful to world famous bell founders (now former) Taylors of Loughborough for casting bells enabling us to upgrade an abandoned belfry of 4 bells into a new 8 bell ring - in good time for us to ring in the new Millennium. We first approached them with some 'dead' bells from a demolished church in Blackhill (NW Durham better known as a former NER station) which they reduced to molten bell metal to cast four new ones. These were then very skilfully 'tuned' with our existing 3 c18 bells plus the big hour bell of an 1886 clock into a musical ring of 8 (with the old hour bell as no. 8, the big heavy 'tenor' bell). The new bellringers in training at Newburn (of Swindon CME's house fame) were invited to L'boro to witness the casting of our new bells followed by the inevitable 'cold collation'.

That will be K.G. Cook - There is some fascinating reading about him here in the Steam Index. i have always had an attraction to the old railway engineering departments and their distinct Company traditions. I especially loved the drawing offices - having worked in one for a couple of years just before Beeching arrived. The whole lot - including their amazing drawing records and wonderful mahogany and brass draughting instruments got blown away - and the railway turned to Consultants . I used to know a spirited old lady (I have posted about her before), who worked as a tracer at the Plant for Bert Spencer right the end of the war. A real 'Looker", her board was obviously a honey-pot for senior engineers to 'just happen' to run across one another and weigh the pros and cons of details. She missed nothing during the period from Thompson's retirement and Pepperorn's accession. At the gathering of A4s at Shildon a few years, she talked me round the differing details of apparently the same engines, and the personal stories behind them. We'd attracted quite a crowd by the end! dh

I always come to this thread just past the top of the D curve (though I always see it as a Pen-y-ghent curve). About models: there must be a lot of us who underwent a very "techinische" style education in the environmental professions. That is designing by making models, sessional exams were assessed by the progression through very quick models that develop the elegance of the artefact (eg a bridge) through model development. Working in Africa, I found a culture where only when a project had been designed was a presentation model commissioned at colossal expense from some foreign based model makers then flown in to convince the politicos and bankers. I found it easy to raise the enthusiasm of African students by saying I want you make first and draw second (on computer these days) . "I will give a prize for the best model made out of garbage."

i'd like to boast (afore its too late on this rapid pre-grouping HST) about being with my forever impoverished Newcastle actor/entertainer son (and his young son), strolling past a tall building - when an unmistakeable voice rings out from a high window "Nathen Dan, how yer doin?" "How does JCC know you?" I asked after the brief exchange. "I used to do the sound for him when he came to the Riverside" "But it must over 20 years ago since that closed down" "Yer, it will be" I once again realised how little I know about my kids

That's it exactly ! The area served by the WNR is actually Rupert Bearland. It always puzzled me as a kid how just one small corner of our island could contain all the settings for Rupert and his pals' adventures.

Eldest found it remaindered in Durham market for around a fiver, virtually as it came out. Now I see they are about £50 on line ('spose 'cos he's a Yank) but if you click this link: q=bruce+mccall's+zany+afternoons&safe=strict&sxsrf=ALeKk03H7TxqTN8e9n_TRc3_Jl4fapEtVQ:1587826088854&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjpyvaP6YPpAhWqQRUIHbnQAmwQ_AUoAXoECBgQAw&biw=1440&bih=698 you'd only have to buy the other half of the book

Hope this may still be relevant (if only because of old fashioned older children's book) There is also Robin Barnes's "Broader than Broad" book with excellent comparative illustrations published by Camden Steam Services . One of my kids fave books in the 1970s was Zany Afternoons

Interesting query. I live overlooking the battle of Newburn Ford (1640), and was taught to ring bells in the church tower* on which the Scots positioned their cannon to rout the Royalists garrisoning Newcastle castle. It resulted in the Scots gaining (temporary) control of Newcastle coal exporting revenues. While the 'Astute minds' are sleeping, I'll slip in with a comment. Possibly 'lead' might originally really mean lead, rather than the red/brown colour you mention. I used to be very attracted to the finish that seemed to be a Crewe speciality for outdoor machinery and metal bridges. It actually glinted with what appeared to be flecks of lead close to, though from afar it appeared the usual dour Crewe darkish grey. Nevertheless it did vary between sunny and and overcast days (and smoke). Despite a lot of enquiries, nothing like it was procurable commercially - only what we argued over being the nearest BS 4800 colour *the (late Saxon, just post conquest) church tower got heavily restored after a disastrous fire around the time of the Scottish Independence Referendum. It it might delight CA afficiandos to know that the tower was given a tiled pyramid ... just in case?

Original post (with drink having been taken) deleted Very sorry nick about glibe comment on the laser printed SDJR van. I never managed to persevere with my Silhouette cutter. I watched Rob Pulham demonstrate one at a show in Kirkby Stephen (Stainmore Railway) show with James. He was making, to my mind, beautiful little 4mm scale vans and stock with radiused panelling. I managed the CAD parts of production (I used to teach it) but could never get the cutter functioning satisfactorily using styrene sheet. It seemed however often it passed there were always bits it missed.

The only gas turbine traction I ever rode were the SNCF units that ran on the Paris /Caen/Cherbourg line. They were short lived due, I understood,, for being suddenly uneconomic due to their excessive fuel consumption after that first OPEC price increase in 1973. They were publicised as Jet trains, and were as noisy! As regards GT3, I can still remember the incredulity of the 'Industrial Design' brigade at such a deliberately anti-modern 'retro' project. Not least as it seemed they were intended for the WCML which was so proud of its 'ultimate' E3000s (and where so many incidents had poor forward vision as a contributory factor).

And a lot more handsome than the raw looking 50s

Was it a ponderously slow 4 litre flathead s.v. ? I learned to drive on a 1939 Sunbeam-Talbot The WWII Humber desert staff cars would have easily been out run by a Rommel tank (or quickly run out of fuel) if they'd had the same engine under the bonnet.