Peterborough North

[great northern]

A train arrives from the far East.

Yarmouth. You can't get much further East than that, without getting wet. Meanwhile from the South comes the 1040 KX- Grantham, 60048 Doncaster in charge.

It can have a ten minute rest at Platform 6. This is the return trip of the 7.30 Up Grantham, and I assumed it had the same formation. It doesn't, but that has now been corrected thanks to the new miracle cassettes. I was torn between this wider view and a cropped version.

I toned down highlights and brightness on this too, and it looks better to me.

 

 

[great northern]

Focusing on A3 Doncaster again this morning.

This is a nice view, and one which for some reason I don't seem to have tried before.

This, on the other hand, is a regular angle, though I do seem to have got more of the train in focus this time.

[great northern]

First meeting of the New Year tonight. Business as usual with the addition of trying to guess what we will be asked at the forthcoming AGM. Such fun.

 

No meetings at PN, but another Pullman comes into view. This time it is the Up Yorkshire Pullman, a Copley Hill turn. That means an A1, and this time it is Abbotsford.

The extra lights make all but one of the signals much easier to deal with, and so much crisper. It does take quite a long time though.

This one was still a bit difficult though, so some dodgy bits have been cropped, which probably improves it in the end.

[great northern]

Never allow yourself to be distracted. This can happen if you do.

Now we've missed the Queen of Scots. Small boys will have convinced themselves that they may have missed a cop, but then they know little or nothing about loco rosters.

and of course it was only Kittiwake yet again, anyway.

[Flyingscotsmanfan]

The first Pullman coach looks like it’s wonky or is that just the camera? Other than that great photography as always.

[great northern]

The first Pullman coach looks like it’s wonky or is that just the camera? Other than that great photography as always.

Corridor connectors catching, but as you say, the camera makes it look worse than it really is.

[great northern]

I've had a busy day, so just time for one image before bed. The 1.12 to KX is leaving, the same B1 as always in charge.

[great northern]

It would help if I attached the photo.

[great northern]

My brain was somewhat addled last night, and so I got things out of sequence. What you should have seen was another shot of the Queen of Scots disappearing into the distance, with another look at 60048 as a bonus.

 

The next running session was when the B1 went off on its way to London. After that the sequence told me there should be an Up coal, which was very exciting, or a little bit anyway, as it is the first run of this rake since its length was augmented. I wanted to excite all of you too by taking a photo which revealed its impressive new dimensions, but that proved to be very difficult to do. This was the first attempt.

 

What I meant of course was that it was the photo that proved diffiicult. No suggestion at all that the days when some of you were capable of getting excited are over. Good lord no.

[Oldddudders]

No suggestion at all that the days when some of you were capable of getting excited are over. Good lord no.

I believe his Duckship’s signature might lead one to think that, actually.

[great northern]

I believe his Duckship’s signature might lead one to think that, actually.

He's just being modest. He does get excited, but in a very placid sort of way.

[great northern]

I haven't thought up the excuse yet, but I managed to get things out of sync again this morning. This shot of an Ivatt heading a Yarmouth train should have come first.

Look how crisp and clear the area under the bridge comes out now it is better lit. Of course it now looks too bare, and I shall have to think of a backscene of some kind.

 

While the camera was on its tripod, I took a few more of the helicopter shots you seem to like. We are now hovering just above and behind Crescent bridge.

 

From up here you can see that more desert is appearing over by Platform 6. It will be exterminated.

[Market65]

Oh dear! The Daleks are coming!

Seriously, it will be the completion of the extermination of the desert, and how good it will look. The longer trains are looking very good, much more like they were in reality - that long coal train being a good example of what you’ve achieved. And the photo’s are as good as ever.

Just one final point. Those bookcases on the wall next to Spital Bridge seem so empty these days. If so, are they really needed anymore, and if they aren’t, then could they be removed without damage to the layout? It would further improve things at that end of the layout.

 

Best regards,

 

Rob.

[great northern]

Oh dear! The Daleks are coming!

Seriously, it will be the completion of the extermination of the desert, and how good it will look. The longer trains are looking very good, much more like they were in reality - that long coal train being a good example of what you’ve achieved. And the photo’s are as good as ever.

Just one final point. Those bookcases on the wall next to Spital Bridge seem so empty these days. If so, are they really needed anymore, and if they aren’t, then could they be removed without damage to the layout? It would further improve things at that end of the layout.

 

Best regards,

 

 

 The bookcases are very heavy Rob, and very hard to get at. My joiner has talked about rigging up temporary supports so that he can lay a four inch plank across and access parts we can't reach, but I just shudder to think what the results of a slip might be, so I'm very reluctant to try it. The bookcases would be even more difficult, as they would, I think, need two people to support the weight as they came down.

Edited January 12, 2019 by great northern

[great northern]

I hate it when I feel that I'm going down with some sort of virus, but it won't just come out and get on with it. At least then you know there will be a few days of yuk, but then it will go. I shall try to ignore it. I took loads of photos from on high, but few featuring trains, so I shall mix things up a bit.

 

Having banked around very steeply, our helicopter now allows a view of the 9F from the other side of the bridge.

 

Now we switch back to the sequence, and the appearance of the Up Norseman. Top Shed cleaners have really gone to town on Lord Faringdon today.

[CUTLER2579]

I hate it when I feel that I'm going down with some sort of virus, but it won't just come out and get on with it. At least then you know there will be a few days of yuk, but then it will go. I shall try to ignore it. I took loads of photos from on high, but few featuring trains, so I shall mix things up a bit.

 

Having banked around very steeply, our helicopter now allows a view of the 9F from the other side of the bridge.

5 to bridge.JPG

 

Now we switch back to the sequence, and the appearance of the Up Norseman. Top Shed cleaners have really gone to town on Lord Faringdon today.

1 34 1.JPG

 

Top Shed cleaners indeed.          It's been cleaned Up Norff    

[geoff west]

I hate it when I feel that I'm going down with some sort of virus, but it won't just come out and get on with it. At least then you know there will be a few days of yuk, but then it will go. I shall try to ignore it. I took loads of photos from on high, but few featuring trains, so I shall mix things up a bit.

 

Having banked around very steeply, our helicopter now allows a view of the 9F from the other side of the bridge.

5 to bridge.JPG

 

Now we switch back to the sequence, and the appearance of the Up Norseman. Top Shed cleaners have really gone to town on Lord Faringdon today.

1 34 1.JPG

 

Love the picture of the 9F.

[great northern]

Top Shed cleaners indeed.          It's been cleaned Up Norff    

I can explain that. Knowing that there were, allegedly, no cleaners on Tyneside, the Top Shed crew gave number 34 a very special clean before it went up North, and as it is a very nice sunny day, few nasty smuts have landed during its travels.

[great northern]

Banking sharply once again, our intrepid birdman gets this shot looking towards t'other bridge.

 

While, firmly on solid ground, our other man captured Lord Faringdon simmering at the South end of Platform 2.

 

[great northern]

Extra golf today, and still feeling a bit under the weather, so the railway scene has been neglected. A couple more high level shots are all that is on offer.

Another sweeping turn shows the rear of that coal train, and gives an idea of its total length. Quite a bit of loco coal included on this one.

 

then another look along most of the length of the railway room. This really brings home to me how fortunate I am. For most of my life this would just have been the wildest of dreams. However, we all decide where our priorities lie, and I chose this above the fast cars - I'd already had plenty of them - and expensive foreign holidays. No regrets.

[CUTLER2579]

I can explain that. Knowing that there were, allegedly, no cleaners on Tyneside, the Top Shed crew gave number 34 a very special clean before it went up North, and as it is a very nice sunny day, few nasty smuts have landed during its travels.

 

The "Top Shed" cleaners are KLEARly very perceptive  .   

[great northern]

Another minor triumph. Could I put together the Wednesday and Friday only Up Norseman? Yes, I could.

 

There can't have been many formations in which half the train was catering cars. Here though we have FO,RF, RSP and dining SO. I wonder how much food they sold if the passengers had had a rough trip from Norway?

[Oldddudders]

It is in the nature of Man to be wary of change. Yet here we have a chap in his 70s making changes and discovering benefits along the way. A lesson there for us all.

[richard.h]

These high level shots really show the depth of the layout, how on earth do you reach the far side for maintenance and to take all those marvelous photos?

[great northern]

These high level shots really show the depth of the layout, how on earth do you reach the far side for maintenance and to take all those marvelous photos?

On arrival at the door, one crawls to gain entry. It is then possible to stand up without much difficulty, and to move around quite easily. To get to the window side, one crawls again, and then has to perform some interesting contortions in order to get upright. I've put foam sheets down where knees have to contact the floor, and I now wear knee pads too, which has helped a lot.

 

The restricted room at the far side is proving to be a good thing, as I only have to put on a bit of weight to be reminded how tight the clearance is, so it's good motivation for keeping reasonably slim, and fairly supple too.