Castle Aching

[Edwardian]

Boo hiss. Have you been to central Birmingham recently? Uncrecognisable from 30 years ago!

 

Not since the library bit the dust!

 

No doubt that was extremely unfair.  Please forgive the inevitable prejudices of an East Midlander and accept his humble apologies!

Methinks someone has been reading too much Dan Brown. Some say one page is too much...

 

Yes.  I would say that!

[Edwardian]

Dan Brown is a mere Jonny-come-lately ....... I haven't read his, but read Ashe, Baigent, and others, then Umberto Eco, who is reckoned far wittier than Brown, and has said very scathing things about him.

 

Quite.  Watch out for his pendulum, though!

[Nearholmer]

It would be stretching a point to suggest that this has anything at all to do with Railway modelling, so I apologise in advance, Edwardian, but anyone who is interested in what Mr O'Doolight is really studying, should understand two things about him: that, immediately before his work on the WNR, he assisted Charles Piazzi Smyth with his surveys in Egypt; and, that, during his youth, he was led, by his father, into deep study of the works of Blake (brilliant explanation here by Ashe http://www.blakesociety.org/?powerpress_pinw=1601-podcast ).

 

Mr O'Doolight's retirement project is twofold: to explain to as wide an audience as possible how what most people see as his greatest failure, the slowly subsiding foundations of The Shepherd's Port Grand Hotel, is in fact an augury of huge importance; and, an attempt to reconcile or unify Blake's and Smyth's views of why the people of the British Isles are, in slightly different senses, chosen.

 

Kevin

[Edwardian]

It would be stretching a point to suggest that this has anything at all to do with Railway modelling, so I apologise in advance, Edwardian, but anyone who is interested in what Mr O'Doolight is really studying, should understand two things about him: that, immediately before his work on the WNR, he assisted Charles Piazzi Smyth with his surveys in Egypt; and, that, during his youth, he was led, by his father, into deep study of the works of Blake (brilliant explanation here by Ashe http://www.blakesociety.org/?powerpress_pinw=1601-podcast ).

 

Mr O'Doolight's retirement project is twofold: to explain to as wide an audience as possible how what most people see as his greatest failure, the slowly subsiding foundations of The Shepherd's Port Grand Hotel, is in fact an augury of huge importance; and, an attempt to reconcile or unify Blake's and Smyth's views of why the people of the British Isles are, in slightly different senses, chosen.

 

Kevin

 

I shall listen with interest, thanks.

 

The Rector who spliced me to the Mem tried to stop us having Jerusalem as a hymn at our wedding, on the ground that it was not canonically sound to suggest that Christ had visited these shores.

 

I had a word with him.

 

We sang Jerusalem.

[Andy Kirkham]

I shall listen with interest, thanks.

 

The Rector who spliced me to the Mem tried to stop us having Jerusalem as a hymn at our wedding, on the ground that it was not canonically sound to suggest that Christ had visited these shores.

 

I had a word with him.

 

We sang Jerusalem.

 

I've no idea whether Blake had the  inclination to believe such a crackpot legend, but what I think Jerusalem is saying is that it really doesn't matter whether those feet really did walk upon England's mountains green. We should nevertheless be inspired by the idea, and strive to make our country a better place.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Andy Kirkham

[Edwardian]

I've no idea whether Blake had the  inclination to believe such a crackpot legend, but what I think Jerusalem is saying is that it really doesn't matter whether those feet really did walk upon England's mountains green. We should nevertheless be inspired as if they had, and strive to make our country a better place.

 

That was largely the text of my sermon to the Rector, yes.

[Northroader]

"Bring us our chariot of a burning dean goods..." yes, I suppose so...?

[mullie]

The

 

I shall listen with interest, thanks.

 

The Rector who spliced me to the Mem tried to stop us having Jerusalem as a hymn at our wedding, on the ground that it was not canonically sound to suggest that Christ had visited these shores.

 

I had a word with him.

 

We sang Jerusalem.

And of course there is the reference to "Dark Satanic Mills" a reference often debated.  We had it at our wedding as did my parents I believe. It is after all a a great melody though like a lot of hymns and carols not easy to sing for some because of the range required.

 

A great hymn in my opinion.

[Edwardian]

"Bring us our chariot of a burning dean goods..." yes, I suppose so...?

 

Well, it is to be hoped that this will not prove necessary!

[corneliuslundie]

I am glad to see a fleeting glimpse of the raison d'etre of our thread, but I think I can pull together all our recent discussions in one fell swoop (is that a mixed metaphor?) and please our webmaster.

The other essential reference in recent discussions is Alfred Watkins' "The old straight track", surely the definitive work on ley lines.

Well, you are saying, what is the link with railways, apart from the fact that they tend to be long and straight?

The link, my colleagues, is Van (in Welsh y Fan). Once upon a time there was a mountain well supplied with lead ore, in the middle of Wales. Of course, to get the lead to the customer needed a railway. Hence the privately built Van Railway linking the mines with Caersws on the Cambrian Railways (plural always please) main (?) line.

So where does the literary reference come is, you are puzzling?

The answer to that one is simple: John Ceiriog Hughes, a famous (well, somewhat famous) poet was manager of the line.

And ley lines, you are even more confused?

Apparently, there are important ley lines in Van and people who care about such things are now wanting houses built there to align suitably with them, much to the concern of the local planners who are rather more concerned about lead pollution.

Finally, my brethren (normally the signal for another half an hour of sermon but I shall be brief), I am not sure it would have been a Dean Goods. More likely a rather undersized LNWR locomotive being thrashed to within an inch of its life, and therefore having a cherry red visage.

I rest my case, m'lud.

Jonathan

[Edwardian]

Had to go up to the Smoke today. As I made my way to platform 2, for the 10 o'clock service to the Land of the Prince Bishops, guess what pulled into Platform 1?

Edited December 2, 2016 by Edwardian

[Shadow]

Is that the Hogwarts Special!

[mullie]

Had to go up to the Smoke today. As I made my way to platform 2, for the 10 o'clock service to the Land of the Prince Bishops, guess what pulled into Platform 1?

An amazing feat, it appears to have arrived defying gravity!

[Edwardian]

Well, I could point out that this is the first time l have attempted to upload a picture from my 'phone, which it is.

 

I could add that l had a few jars on't way t' station.

 

I'll tidy up in the morning.

 

Night, night

[Dava]

46233 had been to Lincoln for the Xmas Market, nice day for it!

 

Dava

[Dava]

46233 entering Lincoln yesterday lunchtime. Not a great photo but lovely to see. She'll be back later this weekend. Great Western locos due to run from Tyseley have been ruled out of gauge this far East and 46201 is not running.

 

 

Edwardians would have enjoyed the Christmas Market today!

 

Dava

[Edwardian]

Snatched a couple of hours yesterday to start work on the second 6-wheel brake third.

 

The current view is that this will be a 5-coach rake of 'modern' (late '80s or early '90s) 6-wheelers representing the WNR's faster 'mainline' services, between CA, via Birchoverham Market, and the north coast.  That said, the line is not so long that the company considers it necessary to provide lavatory accommodation or any additional luggage space apart from that of the 2 brakes.  These coaches would be broadly equivalent to the contemporary 6-wheel cross country stock of the GE and GN, but rather better than most of what the M&GN was running at the time!

 

The planned middle 3 coaches are 6-compt. Third, 5-compt. Second, and 5 compt. First/Second Composite.

 

As before, the cut-down Triang clerestory bodies have been married to spare Ratio Midland ends to provide an arc, rather than semi-elliptical, roof profile.  

 

 

 

 

[Nearholmer]

Continuing excellence on the coach front.

 

Because it is a horribly wintry night, I'm imagining creaking across a dark and misty Norfolk heath in a train of these things, the sole occupant of a compartment lit by a sputtering gas lamp. The journey seems interminable, and I know that I will be deposited at a station that also has only one feeble gas lamp, and be left to walk the remaining three miles home, along a deserted road, hemmed on one side by huge and dripping trees, between which I will catch only rare glimpses of a crescent moon. Even now, the mist is turning to frost on the fences at the line-side, and I turn-up the collar of my coat, in chilly anticipation.

 

K

[Donw]

Continuing excellence on the coach front.

 

Because it is a horribly wintry night, I'm imagining creaking across a dark and misty Norfolk heath in a train of these things, the sole occupant of a compartment lit by a sputtering gas lamp. The journey seems interminable, and I know that I will be deposited at a station that also has only one feeble gas lamp, and be left to walk the remaining three miles home, along a deserted road, hemmed on one side by huge and dripping trees, between which I will catch only rare glimpses of a crescent moon. Even now, the mist is turning to frost on the fences at the line-side, and I turn-up the collar of my coat, in chilly anticipation.

 

K

 

You remember those days then

 

Don

[mullie]

Continuing excellence on the coach front.

 

Because it is a horribly wintry night, I'm imagining creaking across a dark and misty Norfolk heath in a train of these things, the sole occupant of a compartment lit by a sputtering gas lamp. The journey seems interminable, and I know that I will be deposited at a station that also has only one feeble gas lamp, and be left to walk the remaining three miles home, along a deserted road, hemmed on one side by huge and dripping trees, between which I will catch only rare glimpses of a crescent moon. Even now, the mist is turning to frost on the fences at the line-side, and I turn-up the collar of my coat, in chilly anticipation.

 

K

If you'd said Cambridgeshire I would have assumed you had arrived at the light railway platform at Upech St Mary?

[Dava]

Sounds like Emneth or Shippea stations in Norfolk!

 

Dava

[TheQ]

Continuing excellence on the coach front.

 

Because it is a horribly wintry night, I'm imagining creaking across a dark and misty Norfolk heath in a train of these things, the sole occupant of a compartment lit by a sputtering gas lamp. The journey seems interminable, and I know that I will be deposited at a station that also has only one feeble gas lamp, and be left to walk the remaining three miles home, along a deserted road, hemmed on one side by huge and dripping trees, between which I will catch only rare glimpses of a crescent moon. Even now, the mist is turning to frost on the fences at the line-side, and I turn-up the collar of my coat, in chilly anticipation.

 

K

Except for the gas lamp that sounds like today!!!

[The Stationmaster]

Continuing excellence on the coach front.

 

Because it is a horribly wintry night, I'm imagining creaking across a dark and misty Norfolk heath in a train of these things, the sole occupant of a compartment lit by a sputtering gas lamp. The journey seems interminable, and I know that I will be deposited at a station that also has only one feeble gas lamp, and be left to walk the remaining three miles home, along a deserted road, hemmed on one side by huge and dripping trees, between which I will catch only rare glimpses of a crescent moon. Even now, the mist is turning to frost on the fences at the line-side, and I turn-up the collar of my coat, in chilly anticipation.

 

K

 

Gas lamps - isn't that all a bit modern for the rural eastern lands at the turn of the century?   By gosh sir I'll have you know the nationalised remnants of God's wonderful were still using oil lamps at lesser rural stations into the (early)1960s.  And could such a perhaps impecunious railway as is in mind here have afforded the technicalities to manufacture and store (or purchase and store) the admirably effective gas developed by Herr Julius Pintsch?

[Edwardian]

Gas lamps - isn't that all a bit modern for the rural eastern lands at the turn of the century?   By gosh sir I'll have you know the nationalised remnants of God's wonderful were still using oil lamps at lesser rural stations into the (early)1960s.  And could such a perhaps impecunious railway as is in mind here have afforded the technicalities to manufacture and store (or purchase and store) the admirably effective gas developed by Herr Julius Pintsch?

 

Interesting question.

 

Coach-wise I was thinking of some 'modern' coaches, like the 6-wheelers, that were gas-lit.  I thought I should have some older 4-wheelers that were built as oil-lit and have not been updated.  No electrically lit stock!

 

But what about the station?

 

Castle Aching village does not run to street lighting, but the station will have lamps.

 

Oil?  Sounds likely.

 

If gas, there being no mains, would I have to run a Corden-type tanker from the Achingham Gas Works siding to CA?

[TheQ]

Most villages in Norfolk still have no street lighting, which I like, our nearest street light is about 4 miles away.

 

 

Edwardian,  Are you going to reference the Warennes and D'Albanis somewhere on the layout?