Peterborough North

[fishytrains]

That last photo is absolute quality and looks totally realistic, well maybe but for some steam drifting across - or am I being picky?

 

Mike

[great northern]

Murmurations G.

S. T. Arling Esq. 

Yes, its obvious now you point it out, but then it would be to you, being avian, wouldn't it? Mind you, you do V shaped formations, don't you? or is that just geese?

[great northern]

That last photo is absolute quality and looks totally realistic, well maybe but for some steam drifting across - or am I being picky?

 

Mike

 No, you are quite right, and it is something I think about every time I do an under the roof shot. I'm by no means convinced that computer generated smoke looks right though, even if I knew how to do it.

[great northern]

The next featured train is the 1.52 Q KX - Doncaster, which obviously is required today.

An A1, but with the added bonus of a D16 waiting to run down to East. Which A1? This one.

a bit "moonscape" looking, but then I had no light at all to work with today.

[great northern]

This morning we are under the roof again. 12 seconds at f2.8.

There should be something new to look at tomorrow. In the meantime, we have daylight, and I'm off to do you know what.

[Michael Delamar]

Seen that this shot has just been uploaded to Flickr.

 

H.A. Ivatt at Peterborough (pjs,0626) by Geoff Dowling, on Flickr

Edited December 13, 2016 by Michael Delamar

[45156]

Now then Gilbert, how close can you come to replicating that image in model form?

[Mallard60022]

Yes, its obvious now you point it out, but then it would be to you, being avian, wouldn't it? Mind you, you do V shaped formations, don't you? or is that just geese?

Mostly Gooseyganders. We ducks are too bl##dy fast for Vs 

[thegreenhowards]

Seen that this shot has just been uploaded to Flickr.H.A. Ivatt at Peterborough (pjs,0626) by Geoff Dowling, on Flickr

Interesting that the front two Gresley have ventilators offset from the centreline. I knew that was the case on Thompson corridor stock, but I'd not noticed it on Gresley before. Is that of often the case?

[Market65]

Hello. The train in the photo' is composed of a Gresley BCK, and on enlarging the photo in Flickr, the vents are all in line. Then the next two coaches are Thompson, with the first one being an SK, with the vents, as expected, offset. The rest of the coaches are too difficult to decipher, but they could be Gresley. Gresley corridor stock, as far as I am aware, did not have offset vents. I hope this of some additional help.

 

Best regards,

 

Rob.

[great northern]

Now then Gilbert, how close can you come to replicating that image in model form?

I'd love to, but the absence of the Midland lines makes it impossible, which is a great shame.

[great northern]

First up tonight we have Amadis waiting time, while the relief loco for the soon to arrive Northumbrian simmers in the bay.

and then we have another "let's have a look into this corner" sort of shot.

 

 

[billy_anorak59]

Great pic of the interesting corner - looks like a photo that could appear in the British Railways Illustrated mag...

 

Did you lay the end of the siding in TT?

[great northern]

So, what delights do I have for you this morning? How about......some huts.

But for those who may find them a bit mundane, here is a lovely Claud to gaze at as well.

[Mallard60022]

I'd love to, but the absence of the Midland lines makes it impossible, which is a great shame.

 

Could you have a go now G?

P

[thegreenhowards]

Hello. The train in the photo' is composed of a Gresley BCK, and on enlarging the photo in Flickr, the vents are all in line. Then the next two coaches are Thompson, with the first one being an SK, with the vents, as expected, offset. The rest of the coaches are too difficult to decipher, but they could be Gresley. Gresley corridor stock, as far as I am aware, did not have offset vents. I hope this of some additional help.

 

Best regards,

 

Rob.

Thanks. My mistake for not spotting the Thompson! it's a strange trick of the lens on that front Gresley.

[stewartingram]

So, what delights do I have for you this morning? How about......some huts.

huts.JPG

But for those who may find them a bit mundane, here is a lovely Claud to gaze at as well.

Claud.JPG

 

Not A lovely Claud, but THE lovely Claud!. Dear old 62613, last of the class, and still with that beautiful outside framing. I wonder when she will be rediscovered in that farm building that she was locked in when withdrawn....?

 

Stewart

[New Haven Neil]

MMMMmm, Super Claud.....

[great northern]

Next in under Crescent Bridge is the Northumbrian.

Next seen fully in its pristine glory.

 

And today I had a visit from Tim, and some of you know what that means. Goodies.   Here is the first of them. Not a great picture, as the light had all but gone by the time I got the camera out, but now in the state in which 02's habitually appeared.

More revelations tomorrow.

[great northern]

So now we see the differing attitudes of Top Shed and Gateshead to engine cleaning in a side by side view. 60070 may well have been mechanically sound, but the impact on the travelling public?

And then another example of Tim's craftsmanship, this time the 02/4.

I know I've said it before, but what a well proportioned and graceful engine, considering it was designed for no other purpose than the moving of heavy freight.

[Mallard60022]

So now we see the differing attitudes of Top Shed and Gateshead to engine cleaning in a side by side view. 60070 may well have been mechanically sound, but the impact on the travelling public?

 

I have been thinking about this. At this time there was no shortage of well paid work on Tyneside. Cleaner at a dirty loco shed was not as attractive as (say) well paid dock worker, shipbuilder, local industry employee and also the opportunity of joining the services. Down in London, I suspect that the willingness of certain groups of the population to work for low wages enabled the railway to recruit relatively easily? I also suspect Mr Townend valued this supply of workers and probably arranged for them to get good pay through overtime and extra duties? Back then I suspect there were few people of colour arriving in and settling in Tyneside, however what do I know of the Social History of the two areas?

Alternatively perhaps the 'management' at Gatehead were just disinterested as I seem to remember that just across the Tyne at Heaton, the Top Link loco's were kept looking smart.

Olly Rag. 

[The Stationmaster]

I have been thinking about this. At this time there was no shortage of well paid work on Tyneside. Cleaner at a dirty loco shed was not as attractive as (say) well paid dock worker, shipbuilder, local industry employee and also the opportunity of joining the services. Down in London, I suspect that the willingness of certain groups of the population to work for low wages enabled the railway to recruit relatively easily? I also suspect Mr Townend valued this supply of workers and probably arranged for them to get good pay through overtime and extra duties? Back then I suspect there were few people of colour arriving in and settling in Tyneside, however what do I know of the Social History of the two areas?

Alternatively perhaps the 'management' at Gatehead were just disinterested as I seem to remember that just across the Tyne at Heaton, the Top Link loco's were kept looking smart.

Olly Rag. 

 

In fact it was already difficult getting labour in London by then - the Western sent people over to the West Indies to recruit staff for shed work and there were quite a number of them at Old Oak and Old Oak was always short of men to promote into Fireman's vacancies.  I have wondered if Top Shed might have used labourers to assist with engine cleaning although perhaps they had no trouble getting men into the footplate grade there and I believe Top Shed also had a Chargehand in charge of the cleaning gang which no doubt made a difference  (Cleaners actually being men 'In The Line of Promotion' - to Fireman and eventually Driver) 

[barry.wilson]

I have been thinking about this. At this time there was no shortage of well paid work on Tyneside. Cleaner at a dirty loco shed was not as attractive as (say) well paid dock worker, shipbuilder, local industry employee and also the opportunity of joining the services. Down in London, I suspect that the willingness of certain groups of the population to work for low wages enabled the railway to recruit relatively easily? I also suspect Mr Townend valued this supply of workers and probably arranged for them to get good pay through overtime and extra duties? Back then I suspect there were few people of colour arriving in and settling in Tyneside, however what do I know of the Social History of the two areas?

Alternatively perhaps the 'management' at Gatehead were just disinterested as I seem to remember that just across the Tyne at Heaton, the Top Link loco's were kept looking smart.

Olly Rag. 

 

Good point.

I believe that Peter Townend's cleaning team were mainly of Polish origin. I don't know whether they were new arrivals or men who remained in the UK after the ww2.

[Mallard60022]

Good point.

I believe that Peter Townend's cleaning team were mainly of Polish origin. I don't know whether they were new arrivals or men who remained in the UK after the ww2.

I suspect the latter. I also think I've read something about this somewhere.

Phil

[rowanj]

I have been thinking about this. At this time there was no shortage of well paid work on Tyneside. Cleaner at a dirty loco shed was not as attractive as (say) well paid dock worker, shipbuilder, local industry employee and also the opportunity of joining the services. Down in London, I suspect that the willingness of certain groups of the population to work for low wages enabled the railway to recruit relatively easily? I also suspect Mr Townend valued this supply of workers and probably arranged for them to get good pay through overtime and extra duties? Back then I suspect there were few people of colour arriving in and settling in Tyneside, however what do I know of the Social History of the two areas?

Alternatively perhaps the 'management' at Gatehead were just disinterested as I seem to remember that just across the Tyne at Heaton, the Top Link loco's were kept looking smart.

Olly Rag. 

 

I was a young spotter on Tyneside from 1960 onwards, and confess to not noticing at the time how scruffy 52A locos were. The most logical reason I was more recently given was that the volume of sheds and loco work around the Tyne/Wear/Wansbeck area meant that cleaners rapidly passed up the ranks to become footplate staff, so that particular category of worker was always in short supply. Why particular locos were not looked after by Gateshead for the prestige trains is a bit puzzling, though I suppose the sheer volume of mainline passenger work, certainly compared to Heaton, is probably a factor. Conversely, Gateshead's pacifics had an excellent reputation for their mechanical condition,.

 

Did the average passenger really care about how clean the loco was if it ran on time and the coaching stock was clean? I suspect not. Grime was everywhere in those days.

 

Gateshead's management may or may not have been interested in how clean their locos were, but they certainly were quick enough to chase scruffy urchins who they caught "bunking"

 

What a great thread this is.

 

John