Peterborough North

[Oldddudders]

40 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

I think that sums up DCC for me.

Yawn.

[great northern]

How can any idiot hit a drive 255 yards, and then take five more shots to cover another 80? Still, despite the frustrations, I did enjoy being back on the course again.

 

Here's the J6 slowing towards the signal ahead, which refuses to allow further progress.

 

 

 

and here is the reason, Arguably the most famous A4 of them all runs through with the Flying Scotsman. How could such a significant engine have been allowed to be cut up?

 

 

I know Mallard took precedence as the world record holder, or that was the excuse anyway, but why not both?

[St Enodoc]

Just now, great northern said:

How can any idiot hit a drive 255 yards, and then take five more shots to cover another 80?

This idiot could manage the second bit with ease but the first bit would be more tricky.

[great northern]

Silver Link continues through the PSR, passing Sun Castle, which will follow on behind.

 

 

60014 is now approaching the bridge, and of course we have a man up there, who is still experimenting with photographic angles.

 

 

Even with quite a severe crop, this turned out to be very difficult to photoshop, but it does seem promising. Is it better though without the crop?

I tend to take photos in the afternoon, but that is when the sun is at its strongest and directly into the room, which is why roofs in particular get bleached out. Perhaps I should get my act in gear and get up there earlier.

[SR Chris]

Difficult to choose between them, I think the cropped view works best with that lighting.

[john new]

24 minutes ago, great northern said:

Silver Link continues through the PSR, passing Sun Castle, which will follow on behind.

 

 

60014 is now approaching the bridge, and of course we have a man up there, who is still experimenting with photographic angles.

 

 

Even with quite a severe crop, this turned out to be very difficult to photoshop, but it does seem promising. Is it better though without the crop?

I tend to take photos in the afternoon, but that is when the sun is at its strongest and directly into the room, which is why roofs in particular get bleached out. Perhaps I should get my act in gear and get up there earlier.

Like you I would have cruel cropped - taking more off the top to get rid of all the green wall and then custom filled the, now much smaller, green chunk top left. On the left the water tower is dead space from which everything could go left of the building by the tank wagon as Is everything to the right of the signal arm. I would probably have left more than your crop on the R/h edge then filling the residual sliver. It would also look good in mono, which gets rid of the slight green tinge top right corner.

 

I edit the SLS Journal, this is not meant as negative criticism, it is how I would have approached cropping the above image if I’d planned to use it in the magazine. It keeps the vitals but looses the unnecessary.

Edited September 11, 2019 by john new

[Oldddudders]

The background is simply lost in the marvellous perspective of a train snaking gently through the PSR. One of the best pics for a while I think, in either full or cropped version. 

[great northern]

4 minutes ago, john new said:

I would have cruel cropped - taking even more off the top to get rid of all the green wall and then custom filled the, now much smaller, green chunk top left. On the left the water tower is dead space from which everything could go left of the building by the tank wagon as Is everything to the right of the signal arm.

 

I edit the SLS Journal, this is not meant as negative criticism, it is how I would have cropped the above image if I’d planned to use it as our cover shot. It keeps the vitals but looses the unnecessary.

John, I am very grateful for that input. There can't be anything better than the opinion of a magazine editor! Please feel free to continue to comment, as it will help me considerably.

[great northern]

I spent quite a while on Spital Bridge the other day, as I thought that while I was stuck in there I might as well take some time over things. Thus, I gradually tried to get the camera further along towards where it is possible in reality to see over the parapet to take photos. Tonight we have two more images in that progression.

 

 

This one is probably about the same position as the last, but with the camera angled a bit more to the right. It is promising, as well as being nice and sharp, with good depth of field.

 

The next one inches the camera a bit closer to the wall, but alters the angle rather more to a panoramic view.

I did manage to get a bit further still, but that must wait until tomorrow.

[trw1089]

It does warm my heart to see that J6 trundling along PN.  I hope it is behaving itself!

 

Cheers

Tony

[thegreenhowards]

I think the first of those two is one of, if not the best PN picture I can remember. So life like.

[great northern]

24 minutes ago, trw1089 said:

It does warm my heart to see that J6 trundling along PN.  I hope it is behaving itself!

 

Cheers

Tony

Running as well as it looks Tony. I was really pleased when an opportunity to feature it arrived so quickly.

[jukebox]

I'm usually quietly content to "Like" your photos Gilbert, but as other's have commented, that earlier shot is quite special, and deserves to be singled out.

 

Great work!

 

Regards

 

Scott

[great northern]

So, time for the last shot from the bridge. Thanks for the very kind comments and likes, which are a great confidence booster. OK, so now I tried to get the camera still closer to the wall, and I liked what I saw through the viewfinder, save for the fact that part of my body was included in the shot, and I couldn't flatten myself against the wall any further. So, I put the camera on five seconds delay, pressed the shutter, and ducked!  This is what I got.

 

 

It shows up bits that Tim and I never thought would be seen on camera, so I'll have to address those, but otherwise it is getting nearer to the prototype angle. I also felt that by cropping the sky down the panoramic view worked better. As always, comment and further very helpful advice will be welcomed.

 

Soon after the Flying Scotsman accelerated away, our lovely little J3 appeared, running back for servicing after a morning shift on the Ramsey branch.

 

 

[FarrMan]

Gilbert

 

That last photo from Spittal Bridge is more or less as I remember it from sitting on my bike at the end of the parapet, and is so realistic. The only two bits that I am seeing standing out are the gap between the two lines on the right, and the gap behind the water tower. Have you got a suitable old photo that you could use as a backscene there? I would have thought that there should be a good few taken from that spot over the years.

 

Thanks again for giving me and others so much pleasure.

 

Lloyd

[TrevorP1]

I really like that Gilbert, somehow puts me in mind of Cuneo’s famous painting of Clapham Junction - but a much better engine!  I’ve cropped it a bit tighter to see how that looked. Or maybe let the engine come a bit farther...

 

Excellent photo though, one of my favourites of all you’ve done!

 

[landscapes]

47 minutes ago, TrevorP1 said:

I really like that Gilbert, somehow puts me in mind of Cuneo’s famous painting of Clapham Junction - but a much better engine!  I’ve cropped it a bit tighter to see how that looked. Or maybe let the engine come a bit farther...

 

Excellent photo though, one of my favourites of all you’ve done!

 

Hi Gilbert 

Great Photo, I do think the cropped version looks a little better.

 

But a very nice photo showing the extent of your layout all the same.

 

Regards

 

David

[great northern]

To crop, or not to crop?  I tend to alternate, because some people have said that they like to be able to see the whole extent of the layout.

[great northern]

11 hours ago, FarrMan said:

Gilbert

 

That last photo from Spittal Bridge is more or less as I remember it from sitting on my bike at the end of the parapet, and is so realistic. The only two bits that I am seeing standing out are the gap between the two lines on the right, and the gap behind the water tower. Have you got a suitable old photo that you could use as a backscene there? I would have thought that there should be a good few taken from that spot over the years.

 

Thanks again for giving me and others so much pleasure.

 

Lloyd

This image intrigues me Lloyd. Can you help with it. A bit of the parapet appears on it, so is it possible that someone is standing on something, and thus able to get a different angle?

 

Photo is copyright of Andrew C Ingram.

 

This is what we'd have seen if we'd been lucky enough to be there in the mid/late 50s. It could well be 1958, as 60902 had its last general at Doncaster in Jan 57, and may still be black. Look at the horizon. I worry when I can't get it sharp, but on this and other photos it can hardly be seen. With Spital Bridge shed just to the left, and all the other smoke being produced in the area as well, is this what things looked like most of the time?

[St Enodoc]

9 hours ago, TrevorP1 said:

I really like that Gilbert, somehow puts me in mind of Cuneo’s famous painting of Clapham Junction - but a much better engine!  I’ve cropped it a bit tighter to see how that looked. Or maybe let the engine come a bit farther...

 

Excellent photo though, one of my favourites of all you’ve done!

 

I see that you've retained the flock of starlings Trevor...

[great northern]

And now the usual evening photos. 60523 has the road, and heads North.

 

 

and just a little later, the W1 appears on its usual morning duty.

 

 

[great northern]

4 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

I see that you've retained the flock of starlings Trevor...

That's what happens when you enlarge the thing, as I well know. It also happens when I hit "sharpen" at the end of the shopping. Things then appear that I couldn't see before. It is then, of course, not possible to do any further editing.

[great northern]

Off to Chesterfield shortly, on what looks to be a lovely day. It never rains at PN of course, so 60700 has a dry passage. Some days I just don't get sharp enough images, probably to do with the light, so this first shot didn't get shopped.

 

 

No such problems with the next one though.

 

 

I still couldn't get the exposure as I wanted though, and you get a good view of the sharp curve that does not exist in reality. A good shot of the layout as it actually is, despite all that.

[FarrMan]

12 hours ago, great northern said:

This image intrigues me Lloyd. Can you help with it. A bit of the parapet appears on it, so is it possible that someone is standing on something, and thus able to get a different angle?

 

Photo is copyright of Andrew C Ingram.

 

This is what we'd have seen if we'd been lucky enough to be there in the mid/late 50s. It could well be 1958, as 60902 had its last general at Doncaster in Jan 57, and may still be black. Look at the horizon. I worry when I can't get it sharp, but on this and other photos it can hardly be seen. With Spital Bridge shed just to the left, and all the other smoke being produced in the area as well, is this what things looked like most of the time?

Gilbert

 

I think that the photographer must have had a step ladder. It is possible that they were particularly tall - remember that at that time I was not very tall, in fact I never have been, but it gives me the impression of being from more than just above the parapet.

 

There was often quite a bit of steam about, and I do not remember what was seen beyond Crescent Bridge or much of what was to the left of the station from that location, though I was of course much more interested in the trains than the surroundings at that time.

 

Going back to a theme of some time ago, Looking at this photo, I do not see much obvious point rodding, but what does stand out, and I also remember it now that i have been reminded, is the signal cables almost forming a fence to the right of the train. Was this the boundary between GNR and MR?

 

Lloyd

[great northern]

A long day today, so I'll catch up tomorrow. One ready image only in the bank, and here it is, the W1 in black and white.