Greetings to everyone here from the county of North Yorkshire.
I've subtitled this as a "fairly new member" as been registered a while but never posted anything until now. I thought I'd give people an insight into me (before the nurse comes back!).
I originate from the Midlands (someone has to!) from a once busy railway and engineering town which was a main junction on the West Coast Main Line. The railway could be seen from the house bedroom window and in those days a diesel was indeed a rarity the majority being steam. At a young age I moved up to the north west where I could delight in watching the 8F's on the ICI hopper trains and also the 1930's electrics on the MSJ&A so steam electric and diesel. After a few moves now been residing in North Yorkshire for the majority of my life.
Railway interests are biased towards the LMS (naturally due to my formative years) but not the LNWR for the forerunner as most would expect but the Midland Railway. I do like the BR Standards which are rather akin to the Ivatt LMS locomotives. I have equal interests in steam, diesel and electric especially the transitional period and into the eighties. I take a keen interest in all things railway related including coaching stock and signalling. Having been a Guard on a private line I looked at accidents throughout history to give a clear understanding of how the rules and regulations were formed and expanded.
Modelling wise I've had every intention of building a model railway during and since my teens with several plans being drawn up with a few false starts. The problem of accommodating it drew each one to a close and this hasn't been resolved so it got put on the back burner many years ago and there it has stayed. However a friend of mine with a layout on the exhibition circuit asked me to help him out at a few exhibitions due to my knowledge of railway operation. This has expanded to being a regular assistant at the shows he attends with what is now his third award winning layout travelling to various exhibitions around the UK and Europe. I often carry out research for him to strive to get the information so that the models and operation is correct as far as it can be possible. He has now embarked on his forth layout project and asked me to help out with the electronic side of it which I'm currently doing.
So there we are, an introduction to me. Oh, and you'll now realise with my liking of the LMS the significance of "black five" as an LMS locomotive which was a versatile workhorse (yes I'm biased!). Those that know me will quickly realise who I am!
Black Five.
