Axlebox

Looking forward to a trip over the Pennines, 1st time Croft has been out in years...can't guarentee a class 25/0 on the day...but you never know what might turn up!

This years Newcastle show (11th and 12th November) is likely to be the very last public outing for Blackgill. All of thanks to Eddie Ford for sharing your work with us and young Dr Ford for the wonderful photos here abouts. Final testing underway with a J25 ambling up the colliery exchange sidings…

Great videos John, what most visitors don’t realise is that every signal (inc ground signals, calling on signals and distance signals) are all working and correctly interlocked…can we have some videos of the signalling please? A/box

…as usual I built nothing and talked the hind legs off a donkey. Great to be part of this annual tradition, thank you to everyone who came, thank you to all the demonstrators, exhibitors and traders…but the biggest thanks goes to the kitchen crew. (Mr G of North Yorks says the new team in the kitchen were every bit as good as the old team , praise indeed.)

...are you happy now Porcy? I've not seen the shows cake list yet...probably best to get in early, you know what Mr Gallon's like around cakes. A/box

...you missed out the bit where I drink some tea...

Hopefully I'll spend all day talking...

WORKSHOPWISE 2023 Saturday 21st October 2023 10.30am to 4.30pm A day of practical modelling demonstrations from members of the NE & Borders EMGS Area Group and guests Layouts Alston [N], Corrieshalloch [2mfs], Middle Peak [EM] and 2022 Chairman’s Challenge winner West End Drift [EM] With David Dunn’s slide show ‘Railways of the North East’ Trade Support from EMGS Trade Officer and more… And not forgetting some rather good catering Stannington Village Hall Main Street, Stannington Morpeth NE61 6EL All this for only £5.00 admission (Admission includes a cup of tea or coffee on us) (God willing I'll be there having fun with some wagons - probably some airfix lowmacs)

They shared the freight workings with J25s for many years...and ran the Darlington-Penrith and Kirkby-Tebay passenger trains...Whilst on a Stainmore theme, how about a GER E4 with a Darlington cab option...or a BR 3MT (77000- 77019)

...or even Lion with additional copper and brass fittings/lights/generators along with a range of rolling stock with similar additions...the whole point of steam punk was imaging the modern world, but created by Gothicly minded Victorians. Surely, if you were starting a range of steam punk models you would discuss with the steam punk community...weekend in Whitby anyone?

Whilst riding on the Metro replacement 'bustitution' service to Jarrow, Uncle P and I spotted this crossing in the middle of nowhere... https://www.google.com/maps/@54.9820634,-1.5150437,3a,75y,58.35h,61.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sTwwbTNekShgoROuUT6e7-Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 Britain from Above and the National Library of Scotland confirm it as the line into the 'Bede Metal Works (Copper)' on Wagonway road in Hebburn (South Tyneside).

Last time I was here it was 1968 or 69…53 years ago at least! Uncle Porcy went looking for paint and came back empty handed…

I hope Uncle Pawsea (of this parish)…gets his Q6 coaled and weathered in time for the Manchester Christmas show this year…no pressure Pawsea, but you just have to share the sounds it makes as it slips and slithers it’s way up from South Pelaw…

I was going to dip my toe in the guessing game Poole, so that’s my cryptic guess…

…those little P17s were robust little hoppers and lasted a lot longer than you’d think…

Meanwhile, in a field, on the Norfolk side of the Suffolk border…a late build, vac fitted Conflat L

...was there a couple of weeks ago, still the same condition.

Thank you to Keith Smart for arranging a great day. I understand this was his last and next years show will be under a new stewardship. It’s not a big show but what a room full of talent, thank you Keith for starting this annual event. Also thank you to the ladies in the back room who kept them all refreshed all day…

From Roger Goodrum's Flickr site...Rochester 1973 and 16tonners from above...

Its that time of the year again when the Reivers from across the disputed lands get together for a day of model railwaying with a distinct twist towards the finescale...all in a village hall at Stannington, Northumberland. The North East and Borders section of the EM Gauge Society will be holding their annual Workshop Wise show from 10:30am to 5pm on Saturday 8th October at Stannington Village Hall... A plethora of quality layouts, including a first outing for part of Richard Nice's 'Barnard Castle' (EM), a trip south for Ray Nolton's 'United Mills' (P4), Graham Hudson's award winning 'West End Drift' (EM) and Mick Simpson's collaboration with Iain Rice, 'Pit Hill' (2mmFS)...are just 4 of the invited layouts. There will be up to 9 demonstrators on hand working on every aspect of model railways. Famous local author, Dave Dunn is back this year with a show of railway views from the Armstrong Trust collection. ...and of course the legendary Stannington Bacon Butties (get in early as they have been known to run out in the past). You can find the show with...NE61 6EL for SATNAV lovers or just off the A1 and behind the Ridley Arms pub for rest of us. All this entertainment for £4. https://ukmodelshops.co.uk/event/23822-NorthEastBordersAreaGroupEMGaugeSociety_Exhibition

Ridsdale, still in use by BAE (or was last time I drove past)...apparently there are still some rails set in the concrete where the sidings were... https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1248806

...nicely polished lorries without a scratch on them, they look French to me. ...Otterburn is still in used by foreign armies to train, only they don't come by train any more. (from the redoubtable Ernie's Railway Archive)

You could just make the links yourself...this is my standard method, see pic below...the wire is 0.31mm nickel silver tightly wrapped around a 1.5mm x 3.6mm form tool (which comes out at 4.5" x 10.75" - a scale version should be 3" x 10.25")...There is a short length of 0.31mm brass soldered to the top of the tool...you carefully saw through the links using the 0.31mm brass to guide the saw...and hey presto you have a hand full of links in about a minute! You can make them any size you like, I just find slightly fatter links a lot easier to use and you don't notice the extra girth at normal viewing distances. Clean up the sawn ends and then link together and close up with some fine pliers. The hooks come from Ambis (this being an LMS one)...you do have to go at them with a file/wet and dry to get the subtle shape to the hook...always best to refer to a full sized hook...just keep everything rounded so it doesn't snag on the links...also, very slightly countersink the hole in the hook for the links, to prevent them from jamming when you least want them too. BTW, the 0.31mm brass wire on the form tool is there to give you that extra bit of metal that you lose to the saw cut and ensures the links are a perfect fit when bent up parallel. The real thing is here... https://www.cs.rhul.ac.uk/~adrian/steam/RCHWagons/images/rch1007.PDF

You haven’t taken into consideration my distress at waking up at 2am to find my nearly naked hirsute Uncle leaning over me with a microphone in his hand…and you wonder why I’ve prematurely aged…

Uncle Percy, I retain the copyright on that soundtrack, so either negotiate the right to use it or desist henceforth from broadcasting it on a public forum, Your nephew, AB, ps I accept payment in half pint instalments.