Gresley Junction

[thegreenhowards]

Today I feature the 1315 Harrogate - King’s Cross. This was a slightly strange train in that it was long distance but had no catering provision. It’s not the most interesting formation being all mark 1 and I struggled to put it together as it requires three CKs and three BSOs as it had portions from Leeds and Bradford. So I had to rescue a BSO and a Thompson CK  (as the nearest I could do) from the ‘stored serviceable’ cardboard box.

 

 

Sorry about the soft focus at the rear. I find I get this when I go for low shots and my iPhone is not sophisticated enough to have manual focus. I might have to dig out the big SLR for some of these shots.

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

This afternoon we have the down Tees-Tyne Pullman headed by a new addition to the Gresley Jn fleet in the form of DJH A3, 60052, Prince Palantine (an eBay acquisition). 

 

 

This set earns its keep as it forms both up and down Tyne Tees Pullmans and (suitably shortened) the up Sheffield/ down Master Cutler Pullman.

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

I’m in Spain for a long weekend of rail touring. Today I’m doing a Talgo run from Murcia up to Madrid with a 334 (similar to our 67s).

The real fun starts tomorrow with a Class 321 Alco on the PTG rail tour

 

Anyway I took some photos before I left, so back to the 1950s and on Gresley Jn we have another new addition to the fleet in the form of a Dapol NB Type 2. Here we see D6106 standing at Gresley Jn with the 1706 Broad Street to Welwyn Garden City. Whereas I choose to terminate at Gresley Jn those trains timetabled to terminate at Hatfield, anything which ran further north runs through on the down slow. So here is D6106 on a quad art rake.

 

And here is a close up of D6106. I’ve changed the number, removed the ’Eastfield’ shed plates, added the pipes etc. and weathered her, but otherwise standard Dapol.

 

Here is a video of her arriving.

 

 

 

 

[John Tomlinson]

That's a fun video, and the NB type 2 diesel on those coaches seems quite surreal!

 

I hope you enjoy your tour. Back in 2012 I went with PTG to Latvia, lead by Phil Wormald and Marion Matthews, probably the best organised group trip abroad I've ever done.

 

John.

[thegreenhowards]

3 hours ago, John Tomlinson said:

That's a fun video, and the NB type 2 diesel on those coaches seems quite surreal!

 

I hope you enjoy your tour. Back in 2012 I went with PTG to Latvia, lead by Phil Wormald and Marion Matthews, probably the best organised group trip abroad I've ever done.

 

John.

Thanks John,

 

I must be up to 20 or 30 PTG tours - probably spend more on them than Bachmann! I’ve known Phil since the ‘80s and agree that he’s very good. He’s leading this tour.

 

Andy

[thegreenhowards]

Today we feature an up coal train headed by WD 2-8-0, 90158. This is a DJH kit which has been temperamental so has been sat in the ‘to fix’ pile for a couple of years. But I dug it out again last week while I was having a DCC fitting session and did a bit of short circuit eradication and it seems to be working so here she is.

 

 

It has the worst Portescap ‘whine’ of any of my fleet but she seems to do the job. Sorry about the rather high speed - it’s difficult to control speed and the video at the same time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

The weather in Spain was gloomy yesterday and today started foggy, but has now come out with brilliant sunshine. So here is a picture of the superbly restored Alco diesels.

 

 

Back in the 1950s, it’s time for the 1735 King’s Cross-Newcastle, but that is running late today (i.e. I forgot to run and photo it before I went to Spain!) so today’s image is the 1739 King’s Cross-Baldock which was a standard King’s Cross outer suburban non corridor six set with three Thompson strengtheners (S,S,CL).

 

 

The video shows the service arriving and departing so as to show off the sound chip in this L1 which I’m quite pleased with (I had to use a B1 sound file and alter the chuff rate to match the smaller wheel diameter on the L1).

 

 

 

[thegreenhowards]

Yesterday was a long final day on the railtour, hence no post. Today I’m on my way home, but rather taking the easy way and flying back from Madrid, I’ve taken the Talgo to Algeciras, which I think is mainland Europe’s most southerly railway station and I’m now back on British soil in Gibraltar ready for my flight home.

 

 

Back in the ‘50’s and hot on the heals of the Baldock train is the 1752 King’s Cross to Cambridge and Peterborough. This is similar to the 1700 service which I posted last week, but this one was definitely double headed, at least some years, with the two engines separating at Hitchin to take the two portions forward. Today we feature B1, 61138 and B17, 61646, Gilwell Park. I have not seen a picture of 61646 on the GN, but she was allocated to Cambridge for a while towards the end of her career and as a scout leader, I had to have Gilwell Park.
 

This is the only service train which I’m aware of which was double headed from King’s Cross. As such putting it together was the first time I’ve used the ‘consist’ function on my DCC controller. It took a bit of getting used to and I had to reprogram the B17 to accelerate more slowly, but once sorted it works superbly and provides easy smooth control of the pair. Only the B1 has a sound chip, so you’ll have to excuse the single exhaust beat.

 

 

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by thegreenhowards

[thegreenhowards]

Today we have the late running 1735 King’s Cross Newcastle complete with its ex Silver Jubilee triplet dining car. Doing the honours is Gateshead A4, 60001, Sir Ronald Matthews.

 

 

 

 

[great northern]

Hi Andy,

 

Just tried to send you a PM, but was told you can't receive messages! 

[thegreenhowards]

Today it’s the turn of the up Grimsby fish heading by K3, 61826 (SE Finecast). I normally run my kit built locos for a while before weathering them, hence the ex works look. I’m not really sure of the correct traction for this train - probably a B1, but I don’t have any spare at the moment.

 

 

 

[great northern]

55 minutes ago, thegreenhowards said:

Today it’s the turn of the up Grimsby fish heading by K3, 61826 (SE Finecast). I normally run my kit built locos for a while before weathering them, hence the ex works look. I’m not really sure of the correct traction for this train - probably a B1, but I don’t have any spare at the moment.

 

 

 

Your choice Andy. K3 early 50s, B1 mid to late and then 9F through into the 60s, when BR gave away all the traffic.

[thegreenhowards]

1 hour ago, great northern said:

Your choice Andy. K3 early 50s, B1 mid to late and then 9F through into the 60s, when BR gave away all the traffic.

Well it’s nice to have an excuse to use a K3, so I think I’ll stick with my choice, although I may have to find an Immingham example in future. 

 

Didn’t Brits get involved with this traffic for a while in the early ‘60s?

 

Andy

[CUTLER2579]

Andy,

I think the Immingham  Britts worked the Grimsby to South wales evening fish trains over the old GC route to Woodford Halse & Banbury. I have seen photographs of them in Lincoln at Pywipe Junction (or a similar unusual name).

Regards,Derek.

 

[thegreenhowards]

Today we feature the 1829 Welwyn Garden City to King’s Cross. This is the return of the 1706 Broad Street to WGC which followers of the thread will remember was hauled by NB type 2, D6106. The question is will it make it back?! And the answer is ‘no’. The driver failed it at WGC and the old order was dug out to haul the return including the errant type 2. So here we see N2, 69546 piloting D6106 at Gresley Jn.

 

I tried a new camera position but I don’t think it worked. The picture is rather back lit I’m afraid, so let’s say it was grabbed by an enthusiast who spotted the unusual working but didn’t have time to get to a better vantage point.

 

The more observant of you will spot a new station building in the background. This is the beginning of my attempt to ‘de-superquick’ the layout. This is a Scalescenes kit, but will be much more unusual, I hope, than its predecessor.  Unfortunately I didn’t quite measure it accurately, so, because of the slope of the loft walls, it won’t fit in the old location without my trimming the Copula which would be a shame. So I’m going to wait for the second building and then decide where to place them.

 

In reality, rather than the NB Type 2 failing, it was a case of having tried the DCC consist function, I wanted to practice it again. This time it worked first time and both engines worked smoothly as I hope the video shows.

 

 

 

 

[croydon junction]

1 hour ago, thegreenhowards said:

Today we feature the 1829 Welwyn Garden City to King’s Cross. This is the return of the 1706 Broad Street to WGC which followers of the thread will remember was hauled by NB type 2, D6106. The question is will it make it back?! And the answer is ‘no’. The driver failed it at WGC and the old order was dug out to haul the return including the errant type 2. So here we see N2, 69546 piloting D6106 at Gresley Jn.

 

I tried a new camera position but I don’t think it worked. The picture is rather back lit I’m afraid, so let’s say it was grabbed by an enthusiast who spotted the unusual working but didn’t have time to get to a better vantage point.

 

The more observant of you will spot a new station building in the background. This is the beginning of my attempt to ‘de-superquick’ the layout. This is a Scalescenes kit, but will be much more unusual, I hope, than its predecessor.  Unfortunately I didn’t quite measure it accurately, so, because of the slope of the loft walls, it won’t fit in the old location without my trimming the Copula which would be a shame. So I’m going to wait for the second building and then decide where to place them.

 

In reality, rather than the NB Type 2 failing, it was a case of having tried the DCC consist function, I wanted to practice it again. This time it worked first time and both engines worked smoothly as I hope the video shows.

 

 

 

 

have you considered using plasticard and/or clay for the buildings?

 

Matthew

[thegreenhowards]

7 minutes ago, croydon junction said:

have you considered using plasticard and/or clay for the buildings?

 

Matthew

Not really. I’m more focussed on rolling stock and not much of a buildings person, so it took me a couple of years (on and off) to build that Scalescenes building.  Having got used to card, I think that if and when I do scratch build something, it will be from card and brick paper.

[thegreenhowards]

Today we have the arrival of the 1745 from Broad Street to Gresley Jn. (In reality this terminated at Hatfield). It is formed of a standard inner suburban mark 1 5 set hauled by N1, 69458. This dates it to 1954 or 1955 as the non corridor Mark 1 were only introduced to the GN in 1954 (I think) and the N1 was withdrawn in November 1955. In practice, I believe that the N1s were mainly used on ECS by this stage, so Hornsey must have been short today!

I built the N1 from a 3D printed body mounted on a Hornby N2 chassis. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2020 by thegreenhowards

[thegreenhowards]

Switching to the viaduct section, we see the up White Rose headed by A3, 60061, Pretty Polly.

This train is in its 1960 formation and Pretty Polly wears the wing deflectors which she carried at that time. I have adjusted the angle of the deflectors following some comments on ‘Coulsdon Works’ , so I hope they’re about right now. The train is formed from loose stock with just the core being dedicated to the train. The core is formed of a Gresley RF/RSO pair - the RSO should be an RSP but I haven’t built that yet!

 

 

It also features a Doncaster Mark 1 prototype SK, E25457 which is a 7 compartment SK with toilets at each end. It’s based on a replica FO with some windows filled in. Details of the work involved are here https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/135510-coulsdon-works/&do=findComment&comment=3609954

 

 

 

 

Here is the video. Apologies that the signal comes off rather late. I didn’t notice until I sat down to process the video, by which time I’d put the train away!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2020 by thegreenhowards
Correcting predictive text

[thegreenhowards]

Today we feature another slightly unusual commuter train - the ‘pottersbarbarian‘.  This was the 1758 King’s Cross - Welwyn Garden City and featured quad art set no 85 with First Class accommodation retained. This was the only such quad art set and followed complaints from the well healed commuters of Potters bar that they didn’t have any First Class accommodation.. It also featured an extra non corridor second class coach on the front. My version uses my standard quad-art set as I thought it was a little excessive to produce a set 85, just for one train! It is headed by D5301 of the new order.

 

 

...and here’s the video

 

 

 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

2 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Today we feature another slightly unusual commuter train - the ‘pottersbarbarian‘.  This was the 1758 King’s Cross - Welwyn Garden City and featured quad art set no 85 with First Class accommodation retained. This was the only such quad art set and followed complaints from the well healed commuters of Potters bar that they didn’t have any First Class accommodation.. It also featured an extra non corridor second class coach on the front. My version uses my standard quad-art set as I thought it was a little excessive to produce a set 85, just for one train! It is headed by D5301 of the new order.

 

 

...and here’s the video

 

 

 

 

So what happened when it was in works? What did our better's do, slum it with the rest of us ?

[thegreenhowards]

11 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

So what happened when it was in works? What did our better's do, slum it with the rest of us ?

Now that is a good question Clive. I’m always suspicious of one offs for that reason. I imagine they added a CL or two with a standard quad art, but who knows?

[thegreenhowards]

Next up we have the 1820 King’s Cross-Baldock which was another train strengthened for the peak, formed of a standard non corridor 6 set (SLO,BS,CL,SLO,CL,BS) with an added SLO. I don’t have a spare SLO, so I’ve had to use an ‘S’, but hopefully it gives the flavour of the train.

 

 

And here’s the video.

 

 

 

[croydon junction]

4 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Now that is a good question Clive. I’m always suspicious of one offs for that reason. I imagine they added a CL or two with a standard quad art, but who knows?

imagine that problem with the silver jubilee, the coronation and west riding limited weren't as bad as there was a spare set for them

[thegreenhowards]

9 hours ago, croydon junction said:

imagine that problem with the silver jubilee, the coronation and west riding limited weren't as bad as there was a spare set for them

I believe that the Coronation spare was also used for the Silver Jubilee even though the interior layout was very different..