Peterborough North

[jrg1]

62822 Was shedded Grantham 1/47-11/50, becoming the last of the class in service, and the only one with a smokebox numberplate.

 

Summer/49 62822 Last of Class in service.  Shedded Grantham.  Worked 0632 Grantham-Nottingham passenger, returning on pick-up goods from      Colwick, then 1605 Grantham-Boston passenger, 2100 Boston-Colwick goods, then light engine to Grantham.    

 

From 7/47-12/50 the last GCR Atlantic, 2818 was shedded at Lincoln, and working local services

[Mallard60022]

I'm being a bit slow here........detail differences on the Atlantics! was it that one was GC and the other GN?

Phil

[trk]

62822 was a GNR Ivatt Atlantic, built 1905 (top two pictures)

62918 (LNER 2918) was a GCR Robinson Atlantic, built 1906

[islandbridgejct]

I'm being a bit slow here........detail differences on the Atlantics! was it that one was GC and the other GN?

Phil

Basically one was designed by an Inchicore man and the other by a limerick man. Hope that helps.

 

Alan

[bigwordsmith]

I went to Skegness a couple of years ago in October - it was closed!

[Mallard60022]

I keep going to Cleethorpes and it is always closed..................................

P

[bigwordsmith]

From the pictures of Mrs. Duck you keep posting I can honestly say if she were my Missus I'd never be going very far from home!

[great northern]

A new day, following, unsurprisingly, a very poor night's sleep, the loss of my dear friend weighing very heavily upon me. He'd be rather cross about that though, so this morning shall be a new start, and we shall celebrate his life and influence, rather than mourning his passing. I suddenly remembered a photo I have, and searched for it. And here is Dave Shakespeare, standing beside me as we observed others doing the work, on the very first day of the building of Peterborough North. He was with me form the start, before it in fact, as it was he who pointed out to me that my wild idea of knocking two rooms into one to house the dream layout wasn't so expensive or impractical as I had thought. So, folks, whenever in future you spend a few minutes looking at images on here, remember the guy who really started the whole thing.

 

Whenever I enter my railway room from now on, Dave will be with me, shaking his frugal Yorkshire head as I unwrap yet another loco I just couldn't resist, or just quietly there watching the trains go by. What could be better than that? Incidentally, that is a very rare image you have just seen, as it was almost unknown for Dave to be standing about watching other people work - oh no, it was always him getting on with it.

[Andy Y]

 Dave S on new layout start day.jpg

 

 

"What have you bought all that lot for Gilbert? I could have got Julie to go down the timber merchants for you"

[great northern]

"What have you bought all that lot for Gilbert? I could have got Julie to go down the timber merchants for you"

"And I'll tell her to try to avoid the sheets of ply with the woodworm in".

[Mallard60022]

That's a great tribute to your friend Gilbert. You are absolutely correct to stride forward now as that is exactly what he would have expected. He was a scenics genius and you can strive to approach his standards with the remaining  scenic work required on your superb layout. Dave must have been very proud of your progress in the last few months with that coach work. 

I think he would want to continue to be entertained by our ramblings, discussions, banter and modelling. Let's all go for it.

I do hope to see you again soon Gilbert.

Phil @ 36E

Edited August 17, 2014 by Mallard60022

[bigwordsmith]

Gilbert the loss of a good friend is always a great bereavement for those of us left behind, but as my father told me when we were discussing his funeral "I don't want any misery guts, I want you to celebrate my life, not bemoan my passing - I'll not be coming back, so make sure you all toast my memory when you say good bye, and get on with the following day."

 

As you might guess we gave him a great send off, and I'm sure you and his other friends will do the same for Dave.

[bigwordsmith]

Just noticed that Mrs. Duck has now transformed into Seven of Nine - does this mean that when it comes to arguing with his good lady Mr. Mallard has come to realise that resistance is futile?

[HerbertHopkins]

A new day, following, unsurprisingly, a very poor night's sleep, the loss of my dear friend weighing very heavily upon me. He'd be rather cross about that though, so this morning shall be a new start, and we shall celebrate his life and influence, rather than mourning his passing. I suddenly remembered a photo I have, and searched for it. And here is Dave Shakespeare, standing beside me as we observed others doing the work, on the very first day of the building of Peterborough North. He was with me form the start, before it in fact, as it was he who pointed out to me that my wild idea of knocking two rooms into one to house the dream layout wasn't so expensive or impractical as I had thought. So, folks, whenever in future you spend a few minutes looking at images on here, remember the guy who really started the whole thing.Dave S on new layout start day.jpg

 

Whenever I enter my railway room from now on, Dave will be with me, shaking his frugal Yorkshire head as I unwrap yet another loco I just couldn't resist, or just quietly there watching the trains go by. What could be better than that? Incidentally, that is a very rare image you have just seen, as it was almost unknown for Dave to be standing about watching other people work - oh no, it was always him getting on with it.

 

Very sorry to hear this Gilbert, I know you and Dave were great mates so i can imagine how you must be feeling right now. I only met Dave once, I've a feeling it might have been on the day that the photo was taken, and remember having a very pleasant afternoon talking about railways mainly, but generally putting the world to rights as well. He was very good company and a really nice bloke.

 

Unfortunately I never saw Tetley's Mills in the flesh although I think I've read every article Dave wrote. He was an inspirational modeller who had a rare, possibly unique, ability to model that almost impossible commodity - atmosphere! Dave's models had it in spades, I don't now how you model atmosphere, but Dave could do it, and could do it better than anyone. He will be greatly missed in this hobby.

 

My sincerest codolences to all who were close to him.  

[Andrew P]

Great photo Gilbert, lovely memories.

 

Andy.

[bigwordsmith]

I hadn't realised it was Dave as in Tetleys - I only swapped mails with him a few weeks ago about missing his models coming up for sale. He was very encouraging about the Waverley project and happy to share his ideas

 

A huge loss to the hobby, and my condolences to his wife - I'm sure Gilbert you'll make sure she realises how much he will be missed by us all.

[great northern]

Very sorry to hear this Gilbert, I know you and Dave were great mates so i can imagine how you must be feeling right now. I only met Dave once, I've a feeling it might have been on the day that the photo was taken, and remember having a very pleasant afternoon talking about railways mainly, but generally putting the world to rights as well. He was very good company and a really nice bloke.

 

Unfortunately I never saw Tetley's Mills in the flesh although I think I've read every article Dave wrote. He was an inspirational modeller who had a rare, possibly unique, ability to model that almost impossible commodity - atmosphere! Dave's models had it in spades, I don't now how you model atmosphere, but Dave could do it, and could do it better than anyone. He will be greatly missed in this hobby.

 

My sincerest codolences to all who were close to him.  

Oh yes, you were there Rob, it was you and Tom Wright who were doing all the work, somewhere just off the photo to the left I should think. As you say, he was so easy to talk to, from the very first moment you met him. Gloriously and unrepentantly politically incorrect, but everything said with that underlying sense of humour.

 

Atmosphere?  Yes, he could conjure that out of thin air.   I spent a few precious days with him in the new layout room, and it was amazing to see how he could just pick up a couple of buildings, knock up a bit of retaining wall, and almost instantly create something wonderful. Tony Wright got it spot on when he described him as an impressionist. Dave never claimed or had any aspiration to create things which were technically perfect, and was the first to say that his work should not be viewed in extreme close up, but from normal viewing distance I can attest that the result was even more stunning than one can gather from photographs or DVD's. as you say he will be sadly missed, but just look at the number of people on the obituary thread who say that he inspired them either to start or to return to the hobby. His legacy is already a lasting one.

[great northern]

I hadn't realised it was Dave as in Tetleys - I only swapped mails with him a few weeks ago about missing his models coming up for sale. He was very encouraging about the Waverley project and happy to share his ideas

 

A huge loss to the hobby, and my condolences to his wife - I'm sure Gilbert you'll make sure she realises how much he will be missed by us all.

Don't worry, when Julie is able to deal with it, I shall make quite sure that she knows of the tremendous outpouring of shock, sympathy and respect for the man and his modelling that has already appeared on here. Andy Y and I have already started to discuss how his memory can be kept to the forefront of the hobby, and we will discuss that also with Julie when the time is right.

[great northern]

I have many memories of Dave, but I would like to share one fairly recent one, which sums the man up for me. Last year I was in the throes of trying to put together cassettes for my layout, but found that it was a job that needed three hands, while I have only been issued with the regulation two. I mentioned this to Dave, in case he could suggest a way I might be able to do the job. His response was to say that once the weather got a bit warmer I should come over to Ancaster, and we would do them together, as he has a chop saw and a nail gun. May 1st dawned fine and warm, so I was summoned. This remember was three months after his diagnosis, and while he was undergoing very harsh chemotherapy and on goodness knows how many debilitating drugs.

 

We got four cassettes done, by which time Dave was absolutely exhausted - he could hardly stand. He insisted on apologising for having to stop! In we went, had lunch with Julie, and he them said he had to go and take medication and lie down for twenty minutes. I was just grateful for the four he had managed to do, and expected no more.Twenty minutes later he reappeared, rubbing his hands, and said " Right, let's get on with it." I left with 15 cassettes, and the only reason we didn't do more was that I ran out of wood. What a man!

[great northern]

It seems like a very long time since any trains ran - those of you who have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Northumbrian must have got very bored. Life goes on though, and normal service has been resumed. Our very own Duck kindly came and spent some time with me during the week, and mentioned that he prefers the scenes from on high, so for him and those of a like persuasion, here are some helicopter shots. What's more, they are unadulterated. , for those who prefer to see warts and all. Actually there are no warts on view, but as usual plenty of extraneous objects that I didn't notice until too late. Off  we go then, and here comes a Down express, while Sir Walter Scott waits patiently in the bay.

He will have to be patient a while longer though, as this is the 1.52pm KX - Doncaster, behind a 36A based A1. "Wap" Allen we called it for some reason.

Up in the helicopter now....

You may notice, but will no doubt be too polite to mention. a large piece of white card. How could I miss that? Warts and all I said though.

Helicopter is down t'other end now, and banking fairly sharply by the look of things. The 4F on the 3.32pm to East is still waiting too.

Back to the North end, for another look at the A1s. I suspect those scissors aren't to scale.

 

60114 now leaves, and what's this?

Hot on its heels, at last the Northumbrian.

I nearly made a very bad mistake here, as I was going to crop out the workbench in the background, Had I done so though, I would have removed the N5 too, and one of our regulars might well have sent the boys round if I did that.

The Northumbrian featured a triplet set with standing bar, so I thought you might like to see that. The Tyneside business men will probably have finished their lunches by now, but no doubt the bar would be well patronised. Or would it? It is 3.30pm. Were trains subject to normal licencing hours? Can anyone enlighten me on that? I suspect they may have been, as we were all protected from the demon drink for long periods back then. And I was much too young to be allowed near it by the way.

 

The Top shed A4 draws to a standstill, and will shortly be on its way to New England.

And I suppose you want to know which one it is. Only Walter K Whigham again. By this time that white card was bugging me too much, so we have a sky, but its the last shot folks, for now anyway.

[Grafarman]

Shows how the eye tricks the brain, 'cos I didn't notice the white card until you mentioned it!

 

Beautiful overhead shots; particularly like seeing the Northumbrian's full length curving round under the bridge...lovely

 

 

David

[Andrew P]

Some really lovely pics of some classic Locos, and also some wonderful stories and Memories again of Dave.

 

Thanks,

Bodge.

[The Stationmaster]

Trains were not subject to normal Licensing Laws but I'm fairly sure that back then they might well have 'exercised discretion' in who they were prepared to serve (i.e drink as much as you could afford in 1st Class but those in 2nd might not get such liberal treatment). 

[Clive Mortimore]

Trains were not subject to normal Licensing Laws but I'm fairly sure that back then they might well have 'exercised discretion' in who they were prepared to serve (i.e drink as much as you could afford in 1st Class but those in 2nd might not get such liberal treatment). 

Hi Gilbert, Mike and all

 

I can recall travelling from Ipswich in the 70s. My friends and I jumped straight into the buffet car and joined the que.   When I got to the front of the que the train stopped at Mainingtree. I asked the buffet barman for some cans of beer, like my friends had done. He would not serve me as the train was now stationary and it was outside the licensing hours.    As soon as we were moving I was allowed to buy my beer.

[The Stationmaster]

Hi Gilbert, Mike and all

 

I can recall travelling from Ipswich in the 70s. My friends and I jumped straight into the buffet car and joined the que.   When I got to the front of the que the train stopped at Mainingtree. I asked the buffet barman for some cans of beer, like my friends had done. He would not serve me as the train was now stationary and it was outside the licensing hours.    As soon as we were moving I was allowed to buy my beer.

I can understand that as technically sales of alcohol were allowed on a train in motion which meant not when it was stationary but i reckon it was probably observed more in the breach.

 

I found it rather pleasant in the late '60s/early '70s to have a few cans of McEwans after breakfast on the West Highland sleeper back  in the days when the restaurant car worked through to Mallaig.  On a totally irrelevant point the crew of that car at that time worked the longest booked turn of duty on BR as they did Gasgow to Mallaig and back in their working day (one day on, one day off was their rostered working).