Little Muddle

[Siberian Snooper]

Useful gadgets that work with the phone, I have a Sony Cybershot that I can take the shot from my Androind phone.

 

 

[KNP]

Early morning train already with many a passenger.....

 

[Bogie]

23 hours ago, KNP said:

In order to get you the pictures I am pushing the envelope!

The tripod is just beyond stable so is leaning slightly on the back scene.

This is where remote control from the iPhone is at its most useful

 

 

The things I do for you lot?!?!?

 

We are all very grateful.

[KNP]

In 2008 when this layout started I had two GWR loco's, Prairie 4550 and Pannier 4612 was has subsequently been renumbered to 8752.

These two chugged away for many a year as the sole motive power for this layout then in March 2017 the 48xx arrived (after a protracted wait).

 

 

Then it increased again on in October 2017 with the addition of the Railcar No. 8

 

 

And since then the motive fleet has steadily increased.

 

May 2019

 

 

Rolling on to now

 

 

Four are static models, the King, Hall, Mogul and one of the Deans Goods (under loading gauge).

The rest work!!!

 

I suspect there might be a few more added as they catch my eye.

 

 

Edited March 25 by KNP

[Stubby47]

All that glorious power, and yet the crate is still on the lorry.

[KNP]

1 minute ago, Stubby47 said:

All that glorious power, and yet the crate is still on the lorry.

 

I know...…….one day...one day we'll know the answer.

Perhaps it is full of resin?

[Malcolm 0-6-0]

Aaah yes lad those old photos are grand, but the door was still on the engine shed back then.

 

You may worry about the contents of the crate, but have you considered it might be the replacement hinges that got lost.  

[KNP]

1 hour ago, Malcolm 0-6-0 said:

Aaah yes lad those old photos are grand, but the door was still on the engine shed back then.

 

You may worry about the contents of the crate, but have you considered it might be the replacement hinges that got lost.  

Hmmmm

I don't think it is the hinges as I haven't made them yet!

[KNP]

Short goods heading west......

 

Edited March 25 by KNP

[Mick Bonwick]

6 hours ago, KNP said:

 

 

I suspect there might be a few more added as they catch my eye.

 

 

They appear to be thinking that there's safety in numbers. They'll change their collective mind when the diesel-hydraulics appear, you mark my words.

 

[MrWolf]

9 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

They appear to be thinking that there's safety in numbers. They'll change their collective mind when the diesel-hydraulics appear, you mark my words.

 

 

Very true, you'll need to motorise the rest of the locos for towing failed Warships / Westerns and their trains

[Banger Blue]

6 hours ago, KNP said:

 

 

 

 

Shed Chargehand: “......ere, Bert! Ring that new controller at Swindon and ask him politely, what the bloomin’ heck are we supposed to be doing with all these Locos and remind him we ain’t St Phillips F...’ing Marsh!”

[MrWolf]

Cleaner / lighter up: "Two engines a day they told me when I started. I'm b###ered if I'm raking ash out of that lot!"

[Tallpaul69]

22 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Cleaner / lighter up: "Two engines a day they told me when I started. I'm b###ered if I'm raking ash out of that lot!"

But don't they represent lots of opportunities for him to become a passed Cleaner, then he can get to fire them, as all the firemen will be driving until the recruitment drive produces results?

[MrWolf]

Or he could be one of the smart / lucky ones. Get a job as a trainee fireman, knowing that you will be called up for military service in a couple of years. Instead of waiting for the letter, volunteer for the right regiment and get sent to Germany. Decide to stay on a few years to get your papers for driver/instructor on steam, diesel and electric traction. Demobbed and back in the UK, return to British Railways and skip half a lifetime of shovelling ash and saying Yessir!

My late father's older cousin did exactly that.

[Siberian Snooper]

I hope that the viaduct is cleared for double red locos, otherwise someone will be for tea and biscuits.

 

 

[KNP]

24 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

I hope that the viaduct is cleared for double red locos, otherwise someone will be for tea and biscuits.

 

 

 

The viaduct was, has and is being fully inspected and discovered to be a very high quality of plastic and well within structural tolerances so long as only one loco at a time crossed at no more than 15 mph.

I can confirm they have all indeed left and the station has now gone very quiet. 

Edited May 25, 2020 by KNP

[KNP]

Getting closer, better get off the line.....!

 

[Stubby47]

Not with a red tail light?

[KNP]

1 minute ago, Stubby47 said:

Not with a red tail light?

 

Well spotted.

Couldn't be bothered to change it as it is held in place with a tiny piece of Blu Tack ...

 

So the photographer is safe or has been run over before taking the picture!

[checkrail]

2 hours ago, KNP said:

Getting closer, better get off the line.....!

That's such a good pic.  Like the ground level view, and the way you've placed the auto train to conceal where the main line disappears.

[KNP]

The road to nowhere...…!

 

 

Those poor old passengers where sitting there for at least 20 mins before they released there was all the noise and shaking but no actual progress.

No 8 hadn't run for quite a while so was running lumpy but a quick blast in either direction loosened it up..... 

[KNP]

My new gadget arrived that allows me to fix my iPhone to the tripod with plenty of adjustment.

 

All for less than a fiver...

 

 

 

And the picture it took, well needs a bit of attention but here it is.....

 

 

Foggy day to me!

 

[jcm@gwr]

47 minutes ago, KNP said:

The road to nowhere...…!

 

 

Those poor old passengers where sitting there for at least 20 mins before they released there was all the noise and shaking but no actual progress.

No 8 hadn't run for quite a while so was running lumpy but a quick blast in either direction loosened it up..... 

 

Looks like someone's nicked the wheels and left it on bricks!

[The Johnster]

On 25/05/2020 at 17:43, MrWolf said:

Or he could be one of the smart / lucky ones. Get a job as a trainee fireman, knowing that you will be called up for military service in a couple of years. Instead of waiting for the letter, volunteer for the right regiment and get sent to Germany. Decide to stay on a few years to get your papers for driver/instructor on steam, diesel and electric traction. Demobbed and back in the UK, return to British Railways and skip half a lifetime of shovelling ash and saying Yessir!

My late father's older cousin did exactly that.

This is the 30s, isn’t it.  If he passes out as a fireman, he’ll have to move somewhere to get a job as one as it’s dead men’s shoes at LM.  St Phillip’s Marsh, or Taunton are favourites, and he’ll have to get digs, easy enough for a young bloke.  This puts him in a good position for the upcoming war; a reserved occupation and a shortage of loco crews means he can go through passed fireman, and on to driver before the war ends.  A tough life, he’s worked hard and had to move to one of the big war sheds, Westbury, Banbury, Severn Tunnel and the like, living in grim railway barracks and ‘hot bunking’. But he’ll be stuck there for years waiting to come home, and will only be able to do so by applying for vacancies in the firing links, a drop in pay.
 

Nationalisation will mean a wider field of lack of opportunity, but he can always get a motorman’s job on the Southern Region.  The London Weighting is inadequate, but there’s all the overtime anyone could want, if you can put up with the pressure and exhaustion.  He might be lucky and get back home or at least close by the early 60s, but just as the diesels appear and his work becomes cleaner and less strenuous, Beeching comes along and, if he’s not made redundant or has to go back firing again, those dead men’s shoes come back to haunt him. 
 

No wonder by the time I meet him in the early 70s in the mess room at Bath Road, or the Staff Club at Temple Meads, there is an air of depression, resignation, and bitterness about him.  He’s given his life to a job that has treated him with contempt, he is working for a railway that is a national media joke, and here’s this hippy Canton guard annoying him.  Kids terday, don’t know they born, never had to prep a clapped out 43 at 2am on a freezing morning in a blackout...

 

He never knew how much I sympathised with him.

 

 

Edited May 26, 2020 by The Johnster