Raised On Steam

Thanks Brian, I'm still a bit of an RMweb newbie and didn't know this. I'm even more pleased to find out the J27's been a high scorer for years! I just hope the lovely Q6 has sold well enough to be an incentive for more RTR NER.

I'm pleased to see the J27 has made it almost to the top of the LNER table!

Surely even schoolbairns would know that one ha ha

Thanks everyone, I thought that was the draincock rod but just wanted to make sure after reading the review. I also couldn't work out why the Hornby Mag reviewer wanted a screw coupling either, a three link yes.

I dunno if anyone's raised this already but can someone clarify for me, how many of the Q6's had steam reversers? I thought all of them, and NELPG's engine does, but my Hornby seems to have a reversing rod, and this feature is highlighted in the (very nice) review in Hornby Magazine.

Have you swapped the tender on that one?

I'm in with the Q6 crowd. Finally got time to give my late crest engine a first run today. Looks awesome and nicely captures the balance of gracefulness and guts of the original. I'll add a bit of weathering eventually but for now enjoying it in all it's pristine glory. This is the first brand new engine I've managed to buy since getting back into the hobby and it was worth saving up for. What a little beauty it is!

Rope haulage……?

Necessity is the mother of invention, and here're a couple of my home made tools. Soft jaw holders (very battle scarred): 'Round bend' wire bending jig:

I saw the LNER version in action at Bowes Railway model show today and it's a smasher! Looking forward to getting mine later when the late crest ones are released.

I've cycled the length of the line at various times from Tyne Dock up to Consett and I find it very disappointing that, unless I've missed something, there are no info boards that give any hint of what the former trackbed was used for and its importance and the unique features it had. Apart from a few remaining bridges and Beamish tunnel the various dog walkers could be forgiven for not realising it had ever been a railway at all!

I had a cycle up there this afternoon to watch for a bit. It was quite depressing the speed and enthusiasm of the diggers pulling the bridge down. It'll be a memory in a day or two. It's a pity they can't mend roads that quickly!

Inevitable I guess but such a shame.

The like I put on your post was a 'sad day' like. In happier TD/C news I found Trains Annual 1964 in a second hand book shop at the weekend :-)

Is Leadgate bridge still standing? I haven't been up there since I cycled past it last autumn. Would that bus garage be the old Venture depot? I was working for Northern buses at the central works about the time those pics were taken and a couple of the blokes there were ex Venture and not long transferred down from Consett. Both called Davey I seem to remember. Much like in railways the old loyalties died hard and they were both Venture men forever ha ha