rcmacchipilot Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 As a med student and future doctor, I cant agree with Coachmans statement more, the mind needs to be kept active to keep it healthy and there is plenty of evidence to support that. At the same time I also support and understand Phil's comments, and agree one hundred percent. Recently I have seen a number of people at the precipice of retirement sadly fall of the perch with next to no warning. One of them was extremely fit and mentally active and 6 months later was under the ground. Life is too short when you get old to be doing something that isn't enjoyable. If you have work at 80 odd or something that you love doing and it makes you happy, then keep doing it. However if its not working for you then find something else to do, just keep active, be it join a club or group or find a hobby ( not that we have any problems on here ). The distinction that I wanted to make is that coachman's work isn't really work as he enjoys it, the fact that there may or may not be pay as a result is irrelevant as long as he is happy and enjoys it. Also can we please have more air shots, Its fantastic to see it in its entirety. (Something that I think many of the modern railway mags seem to have forgotten) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post great northern Posted September 2, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted September 2, 2014 I don't have much time for PN at the moment, and I'm not likely to for a while, as the disposal of Dave Shakespeare's railway and stock will have priority. I make no apologies for referring everyone to the thread I started earlier today in Layout Topics. Please help if you can. You will not only benefit Cancer Research, and perhaps in the long term ensure that people who are afflicted with the horrible form of the disease that killed Dave may have a chance of recovery, but you will also ensure that his memory stays bright, and that the things he loved, many of which he made or embellished himself, are also still used and cherished. Life goes on though, and there have been developments at PN. Peter Leyland arrived on Sunday with the latest building for the District Engineer's complex. This has proved very difficult to research, as there are few photos, and virtually none from the road side. Those that do exist were taken from differing angles, and different lenses, so it really is hard to work out exactly what was where, let alone what it all looked like. Educated guesses had to be made, and so having installed the new building, Peter spent the rest of the day putting together the next one. You should be able to tell which is which. You can hardly see the completed one on this shot. But here it is from t'other end. The siding will be extended towards Spital Bridge, and the other building hopefully gets finished next time Peter is here. I've done something rather nasty to my knee, so no chance of righting that dangly bit of card. Still I've graduated from crawling to hopping now, so things are improving. Must go, the knee wants more ice! 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Magnificent Building. On another note, can someone get Andy to PIN the sale topic at the top for a while please. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted September 2, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 2, 2014 Magnificent Building. On another note, can someone get Andy to PIN the sale topic at the top for a while please. He is, or was earlier, on top of a hill in Oxfordshire. Who would have believed even a few years ago that I would be able to talk to him in those circumstances. Anyway, he will indeed pin the sale topic when he gets back, and I think he may be going to put a header on the main forum page to draw attention to it as well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornbyandbf3fan Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I'd love to buy something, but I'm kinda of short of money at the moment. Good luck with the sale though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 He is, or was earlier, on top of a hill in Oxfordshire. Who would have believed even a few years ago that I would be able to talk to him in those circumstances. Anyway, he will indeed pin the sale topic when he gets back, and I think he may be going to put a header on the main forum page to draw attention to it as well. I had PM'd him anyway, Cheers. Bodge Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted September 2, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 2, 2014 That Leyland chappie is a bit good isn't he...........that is just superb. The brickwork weathering is breathtakingly (is that a word?) convincing. P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted September 2, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 2, 2014 I'd love to buy something, but I'm kinda of short of money at the moment. Good luck with the sale though Hi Will, I suggest you wait till we have opened all the boxes, as I reckon there is bound to be something you could have as a memento, and which you can afford. I'll go further than that actually - I'll make sure that there is something, because I know that Dave would want me to do that for a lad of your age just getting started in the hobby. Please just be patient for a little while. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted September 2, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 2, 2014 That Leyland chappie is a bit good isn't he...........that is just superb. The brickwork weathering is breathtakingly (is that a word?) convincing. P Yes, it is a word - quite a long one too. And it describes Peter's work very well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornbyandbf3fan Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Hi Will, I suggest you wait till we have opened all the boxes, as I reckon there is bound to be something you could have as a memento, and which you can afford. I'll go further than that actually - I'll make sure that there is something, because I know that Dave would want me to do that for a lad of your age just getting started in the hobby. Please just be patient for a little while. I should have more money soon thanks to birthday and article writing, but unfortunately there's a lot of ER models coming out. Don't worry, I'll be patient and thank you very much for the offer. If I get in touch again in about a month I should be able to afford a loco, if there's still any going. Thanks again Will 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 He is, or was earlier, on top of a hill in Oxfordshire. Who would have believed even a few years ago that I would be able to talk to him in those circumstances. Anyway, he will indeed pin the sale topic when he gets back, and I think he may be going to put a header on the main forum page to draw attention to it as well. "Sorry Gilbert, I'll have to call you back" were the words as we were halfway through a conversation as the call was about to get drowned out. As East Kirkby's '3 Lancasters' event turned into 1 Lancaster we headed to Brize Norton (amongst some railway photography missions) to see various NATO aircraft arriving ahead of the NATO summit (information for which was also gleaned by the wonders of modern technology). Unfortunately I fouled up the money shot of a Polish Mig29 directly overhead! Air Force One is due to arrive today and if anything disastrous happens I can expect a knock on the door from the men in black as my vehicle details were noted on a 'lets have a look' mission to Fairford. I can't tell you where else I went as that may be part of a 'where was I?' puzzler later on. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 (edited) I hear that the Welsh got worried yesterday due to the plethora of “foreign” choppers and even “Ospreys” overhead. Fairford should be interesting. Can you start a standalone thread, Andy? Best, Pete. Edited September 3, 2014 by trisonic 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
landscapes Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 "Sorry Gilbert, I'll have to call you back" were the words as we were halfway through a conversation as the call was about to get drowned out. Voyager.jpg As East Kirkby's '3 Lancasters' event turned into 1 Lancaster we headed to Brize Norton (amongst some railway photography missions) to see various NATO aircraft arriving ahead of the NATO summit (information for which was also gleaned by the wonders of modern technology). Unfortunately I fouled up the money shot of a Polish Mig29 directly overhead! Mig2.jpg Air Force One is due to arrive today and if anything disastrous happens I can expect a knock on the door from the men in black as my vehicle details were noted on a 'lets have a look' mission to Fairford. I can't tell you where else I went as that may be part of a 'where was I?' puzzler later on. Hi Andy That's a great photo of the Mig29 really sharp. Did you photoshop the exhaust on, only joking. Regards David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 Bet he did - you know Andy he abhors a single colour background! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
69843 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 (edited) Wow, it has been a while since I dropped by! The new stock is looking fantastic, and is a credit to both Tony and yourself with respects to the building of the models. Your photography still makes me feel like I've been taken half a world away and half a century ago, and for that I applaud you. It really does at times look like you've gone lineside with a box brownie/camera of choice! Edit:I failed to mention that the shots of the A4s lined up is quite lovely. A 1958 spotters dream! Further Edit: Also, congrats on reaching 250 pages of this fantastic layout Edited September 3, 2014 by 69843 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
62613 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 I'm saying nowt. Sensible 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted September 3, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 3, 2014 Sensible Not often.....but I cannot confirm nor deny I'm originally from South Shields. Man. oops......... The Jungle is flats now - posh too. I'd love to have something from Dave too (struggling to get the thread back....I cannae hold her cap'n....) if there is something within my meagre budget, I'll wait and see what develops. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium great northern Posted September 14, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted September 14, 2014 Very little has been happening at PN lately, as my attention has been elsewhere. I did have a visit from our duck the other day though, and we spent a happy hour or two running some trains, nearly all of which ran nice and smoothly when asked. For some days now, a box has sat in my railway room, but I haven't felt the time was right to unpack it. Somehow though, today I just feel differently, so I shall share with you a couple of the contents. First though, a bit of background information. Back in late 2012, I decided to get my mate Dave Shakespeare a layout warming/ Christmas present. It wasn't something we were in the habit of doing, but having seen the lovely new house completed, and the work in the railway room already started, it seemed like a good idea. So, I acquired a Hornby B1, and asked Tim Easter to transform it into a down at heel early 60's Wakefield loco, which he duly did. Unfortunately it had been considerably over oiled, and Tim found out just before he was due to deliver it that the oil had soaked through and caused patches on the boiler. Somehow, he managed to put it right, and four days before Christmas I was able to present it to Dave. It was the only time in our long friendship that I saw him lost for words! He soon recovered though, and asked if he could see it running, which we did. Typically, he sent Tim a lovely e-mail of thanks. Of course within a month came the dreadful diagnosis, and Dave's request to me to dispose of the whole of his railway collection. He asked me though to keep the B1, and run it on PN, but not to change its identity. He also insisted that I take a complete train, so I came home with a WD and loaded minerals too. Later in the year though, when things looked so promising, I took it all back to him - never was there a happier task. In the end though, the B1 has come back to me. Julie kindly told me to take whatever I wanted as well, saying that Dave would like to think that his stock was on PN. As you will see, I did take rather more, but despite Julie's refusing to accept payment, I shall donate to Cancer Research as so many of you have so generously done. On his visits to PN, Dave invariably commented on the fact that a particular A4 was never to be seen. He was four years younger than me, and so it was in the early 60's that he saw steam. He remembered seeing the occasional A4, though he claimed it was always the same ones. One of them was 60017 Silver Fox, and another what he always referred to as "Mucky Duck". I can't find that one in my combined volume for some reason, but I'm sure he wasn't referring in derogatory terms to one of the most frequent visitors to these pages. Anyway, Dave had Silver Fox, and now he no longer needs her, she has also come to grace PN. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted September 14, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 14, 2014 Gilbert, that B1 is very special for several reasons. Thanks for showing it to us. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwordsmith Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Gilbert That was a deeply moving story - I think Dave was lucky to have such a close friend as you, and I suspect that once the adrenaline of Tetleys Mills has passed you'll deeply miss him. Thank you for sharing the story and pics with us, The B1 has found a new home and you'll never run her without thinking of your dear friend, who inspired so many of us modellers. Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timara Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Thankyou, too, for posting that. I'm glad, as it were, to see that the aforementioned oil problem hasn't reappeared, going on what I can see in the pictures. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it was a great pleasure to do that B1 for Dave, even if he sadly never got a chance to see it stretching its legs on the new layout. Best, 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbertHopkins Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 Nice to see you back in harness Gilbert. I know you've been busy with other matters recently but I, for one, have missed regular updates on PN. I was speaking to 600067 the other day who told me that you seemed very down at Dave's funeral. I hope you are feeling more like your old self now. Get out on that golf course, it'll do you the world of good! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold trw1089 Posted September 16, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 16, 2014 Such a great way to remember Dave there Gilbert, especially good that it is a Wakefield engine! I hadn't realised that the B1s were so over oiled as I had a similar problem with one of mine that I weathered and oil patches appeared on it. I haven't tried to clean it off but if Tim was able to get it to rights again, there may be hope. I'm sure that those who will have some of the locos and rollingstock will find it a fitting way to remember Dave and his modelling by the occasional run, I think perhaps a policeman at the end of the platform keeping an eye on the spotting lads may ensure Dave is still watching. CheersTony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 ...I think perhaps a policeman at the end of the platform keeping an eye on the spotting lads may ensure Dave is still watching. Cheers Tony Great idea Glad to see Dave's stock living on at PN, GN. We'll all have a lovely reminder whenever you post a scene with one of his locos featuring. (Phew - managed to get a post in whilst the post numbers were running through the LMS Duchesses ) 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted September 16, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 16, 2014 4479.....I am one of the lucky ones to have some of Dave's stock and I shall be proud to have them working in the far southwest in a few months time. I see this as a really good way to pay tribute to Dave's skills. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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