Deliberately Old-Fashioned 0 Scale - Chapter 1

[Nearholmer]

Aha! I think that’s one of those GE locos that USATC had that look life 44 Tonners, but are actually bigger (65 tons??). Several were sold after the war to a departmental line in the Landes, and I have a vague feeling that they were somehow owned by SNCF for a brief period - some were in proper, not preserved, service until very recently.

[PatB]

9 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

Aha! I think that’s one of those GE locos that USATC had that look life 44 Tonners, but are actually bigger (65 tons??). Several were sold after the war to a departmental line in the Landes, and I have a vague feeling that they were somehow owned by SNCF for a brief period - some were in proper, not preserved, service until very recently.

Looks a lot like one of these, which was Lionel's effort at a 44 Tonner, but which was stretched to fit an existing chassis.

[Nearholmer]

Just checked, they were GE 75 tonners, of 500hp. Lionel would have done well to label it accordingly, but I think the real things were rather rare locos, a small batch for USATC, and a few for domestic and other overseas customers, not a huge seller like the baby version. [in fact, the ten for USATC are believed to have been the only ones, so super-rare]

 

I did have a specific thread about 44 Tonners, which wandered-off into these, and I posted links to videos of them in use, but blowed if I can find the thread - it seems to have entirely disappeared! Annoying, because I also put notes about French built-under-license versions of the Whitcomb 65 Tonner in it too.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Nearholmer

[Nearholmer]

Found it!

 

 

[brianusa]

For a long time, 44Tonners they were until someone saw the light that they were much too big for 44s, but fortunately they fitted the SW chassis and so became 75s.  The name remained however.

    Brian.

[St Enodoc]

11 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

I repainted in with green paint from Woolworths

Ah, Rural Green by the look of it. A tin of that and one of Spring Green were all I needed for scenery in those days.

[Lacathedrale]

I must reiterate how much this thread and the layout behind it has influenced me so much - it's wonderous.

 

[Nearholmer]

Steady on old chap; we are British after all.

 

Circumstances haven't favoured playing trains, but I must draw readers' attention to this ebay listing, for a bag of 1960s scenic flock, unopened, for the sum of £4.99. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ELK-Flock-Powder-sealed-in-packet-O-HO-OO-Gauge-1-scenery-1950-60s/184653777296?hash=item2afe390990:g:G98AAOSwp6xfmv3D

 

I really would like someone to buy and preserve it (not me, obviously), because it was made by Eric Killick, whose large cottage and former-shop-turned-workroom was on my walk to primary school. I think I may have mentioned him before, pipe-smoking former Spitfire pilot, bristly moustache, leader of what was known locally as Killick's Army (1414 ATC), and organiser of a good model railway exhibition every year at the Scout Hut. He used to brew dyed flock in big barrels, then dry and bag it. He even starred in "personality parade" in The Railway Modeller at some point. Real old-school character, who deserves more than a tatty bag of flock as tribute to his contribution to the world.

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2021 by Nearholmer

[Metropolitan H]

I think you are talking yourself into becoming the long-term custodian of the vintage "ELK" Flock powder. It would fit well with your 1950s / 60s modelling outlook - and might be useful on the newer mini layout - if you can bring yourself to open the packet!

 

Regards

Chris H

[Nearholmer]

The narrow-gauge beach railway thing is proving quite hard to shake-off.

 

We will get back to old-fashioned 0 gauge at some point, I promise.

 

 

[Nearholmer]

More distraction http://www.passion-metrique.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3599&hilit=fort+mahon

[Northroader]

Yes, there’s nothing like a stroll along the beach, pleasant breeze, the sand  beneath your feet.

https://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/your-photos-of-ice-along-burnham-on-sea-beach-tideline-as-big-freeze-continues/

[Ben B]

18 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Yes, there’s nothing like a stroll along the beach, pleasant breeze, the sand  beneath your feet.

https://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/your-photos-of-ice-along-burnham-on-sea-beach-tideline-as-big-freeze-continues/

 

Not sure I'll ever be able to read about Burnham on Sea without mentally hearing it said in John Betjemins (slightly melancholic) voice I think his doc on the branch is still on the BBC iPlayer.

[Nearholmer]

I only went there once, for an early-morning walk along the beach while camping not far inland from there. Got to a far extremity, and it started to rain a bit. By the time we'd got back it was pouring down, and we were soaked to the skin.

 

Never felt the desire to go back.

[Simond]

MrsD & I went by boat to Burnham once, walked to the very interesting railway museum & preserved line at Mangapps, spent most of the day there, wandered back via a couple of pubs, and had an excellent Thai meal in town in the evening,  It was a drear day on the Sunday as we made our way back to Dover, where the boat then resided.  An excellent reason to go, despite the weather.

 

Then I reflected, Burnham on Sea is quite a long walk (and several days by boat!)  from Burnham on Crouch

 

atb

Simon

[ChrisN]

1 hour ago, Simond said:

MrsD & I went by boat to Burnham once, walked to the very interesting railway museum & preserved line at Mangapps, spent most of the day there, wandered back via a couple of pubs, and had an excellent Thai meal in town in the evening,  It was a drear day on the Sunday as we made our way back to Dover, where the boat then resided.  An excellent reason to go, despite the weather.

 

Then I reflected, Burnham on Sea is quite a long walk (and several days by boat!)  from Burnham on Crouch

 

atb

Simon

 

I knew people in Burnaham on Crouch.  One day a couple in a car stopped a friend as he walked along the road. 

"Where is the George Inn?"

"I don't know.  I am not sure there i a George Inn.  Drive down the road and see if the hotel down there is what you want."

 

Off they drove but came back.  "No, that was not the place.  It must be here we have booked it for out honeymoon."

"Have you got an invoice or something?"

"Yes, here it is."

He read, 'The George Inn, Burnham on Sea.'

[James Harrison]

24 minutes ago, ChrisN said:

 

I knew people in Burnaham on Crouch.  One day a couple in a car stopped a friend as he walked along the road. 

"Where is the George Inn?"

"I don't know.  I am not sure there i a George Inn.  Drive down the road and see if the hotel down there is what you want."

 

Off they drove but came back.  "No, that was not the place.  It must be here we have booked it for out honeymoon."

"Have you got an invoice or something?"

"Yes, here it is."

He read, 'The George Inn, Burnham on Sea.'

 

Well, at least they'd have a good five or six hours in the car talking it through and deciding who was at fault for that.

Edited February 13, 2021 by James Harrison

[Metropolitan H]

3 hours ago, Northroader said:

Yes, there’s nothing like a stroll along the beach, pleasant breeze, the sand  beneath your feet.

https://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/your-photos-of-ice-along-burnham-on-sea-beach-tideline-as-big-freeze-continues/

Mother had relations who lived in Burnham - and I think one of them worked at Highbridge Works - but I'm not sure of the details and now never will be.

 

however, I do know that when Mother's Mother died - circa 1928 (?) - Mother went to stay with said relations and got to ride in a steam wagon driven by an uncle, as part of the local carnival parade. I assume the sun shone in those days/

 

Regards

Chris

[Northroader]

The carnival season on Costa Somerset isn’t a summer thing, it kicks off at  Bridgwater soon after Guy Fawkes night, then goes round the fleshpots of Weston and Burnham, with clubs based on local pubs working all year to provide the flashiest “float”.

https://www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk

[Donw]

aving lived in this area for quite a while  first at WSM  we can now see Burnham from the top of the garden we know Burnham and enjoy walking along the beach. Not perhaps in this weather. There is a nice 2mm model of the station seen at exhibitions.

 

Mistaking  B on C for B on  S would be a bummer. Also if someone asks the way to Burnham Beaches do get them to spell it  two e's is quite different. 

Possibly the worst error like that is the Artic driver who in Skegness asked where Gibraltar was. Across the road from where he was parked. Shame it was the wrong Gibraltar.   

 

Don

[Nearholmer]

I've bored with this before, but good lady and I booked a couple of nights at a hotel in Almeria, thinking it was in the SW corner of the town, only to discover that it was in the SW corner of Almeria province, about three hours away by ordinary service bus, on a baking hot day.

 

The rough equivalent would be thinking you were going to stay in the edge of York, but discovering on arrival at the station that the hotel was in the furthest corner of Yorkshire.

[Donw]

20 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

I've bored with this before, but good lady and I booked a couple of nights at a hotel in Almeria, thinking it was in the SW corner of the town, only to discover that it was in the SW corner of Almeria province, about three hours away by ordinary service bus, on a baking hot day.

 

The rough equivalent would be thinking you were going to stay in the edge of York, but discovering on arrival at the station that the hotel was in the furthest corner of Yorkshire.

 

No doubt you are still chuckling over that one

It can be easy to do. I have no doubt the the Artic driver and possibly his manager thought they were dealing with a UK firm so he arrived in the UK stuck Gibraltar into the satnav and it found a Gibraltar in the UK for him. These days with Google you can take a look at where something is before setting off on a long journey. 

Don

 

[Simond]

Yes it’s a fair hop from Sandgate, Kent to Sandgate, Brisbane...

[Nearholmer]

46 minutes ago, Donw said:

No doubt you are still chuckling over that one

 

Luckily, very luckily, it wasn't actually me who chose the hotel and made the booking, so my only role was to keep fairly schtum and not grumble too much.

 

 

Edited February 13, 2021 by Nearholmer

[F-UnitMad]

36 minutes ago, Donw said:

I have no doubt the the Artic driver and possibly his manager thought they were dealing with a UK firm so he arrived in the UK stuck Gibraltar into the satnav.....

Worst 'wrong place' I ever did personally as an HGV driver (sans satnav) was look for a Company in Cheadle when they were in fact located in Cheadle Hulme. Fortunately the distance between the two is not catastrophic.

I did once try to kid my transport manager I was looking for a place in Wellington, Shropshire, instead of Wellington, Somerset. The phone went very, very quiet, until I started laughing.

There's an area of Worcester called Blackpole. There's a Sainsbury's store there, which is almost a stone's throw from the Sainsburys RDC at Shire Park, just off the M5. I heard of an Agency Driver from the Black Country who was given a delivery from Shire Park to Blackpole; apparently several hours later he called in to say he had been going round for ages, couldn't find a Sainsburys, but now he was near the Tower....

Turns out he'd gone to Blackpool, Lancashire.  It's the dialect; round our way people would pronounce Blackpool as Blackpole....

There's plenty of stories of drivers going to the "wrong place with same name", but I've taken this thread far enough off-topic as it is.... (to the wrong place? Slight irony, there? ok I'll shut up now....)