Peterborough North

[JeffP]

All this maintenance of stock, the attention to detail, the correct liveries, Tim's input...might I suggest a second railway room with a small model of The Plant?

Only joking........

[St Enodoc]

23 minutes ago, JeffP said:

All this maintenance of stock, the attention to detail, the correct liveries, Tim's input...might I suggest a second railway room with a small model of The Plant?

Only joking........

Wot, a sort of bonsai Plant?

[Dominion]

I saw a picture I think you would like. You have probably seen it already but just in case you haven't it is in Peter Townend's LNER Pacifics Rememebered. Page 115. Do you have access to that book ?

It is taken from the footplate of an A4 about to pass under the bridge before it takes the curves into the station. From that perspective the curvature looks just like a model.

[bigwordsmith]

In case any of my friends in here who have occasionally followed the Waverley Saga hasn't had a ping from RMWEb as it's been so long, I have actually just posted a new layout design over there - I've also found a carpenter to build the baseboards!

 

Now all we have to do is get rid of all the stuff in the loft!

 

 

[great northern]

1 hour ago, Dominion said:

I saw a picture I think you would like. You have probably seen it already but just in case you haven't it is in Peter Townend's LNER Pacifics Rememebered. Page 115. Do you have access to that book ?

It is taken from the footplate of an A4 about to pass under the bridge before it takes the curves into the station. From that perspective the curvature looks just like a model.

Yes, I do have that book, and I agree it does look very sharp, which it was, hence the 20mph restriction. Those curves played a part in my decision to model PN, as something like them would have been necessary anyway. Nevertheless, mine are still too tight, but it is my train set.

[Dominion]

And a marvelous one to be sure.

[great northern]

Yesterday evening Lord Faringdon worked the Yorkshire Pullman to Leeds, a KX lodging turn, and this is the return part of the diagram. The loco is still in prestige train condition.

 

 

and continues to shine, even in the gloom.

 

 

[jukebox]

That's a *very* glossy A4, Gilbert.

[great northern]

8 hours ago, jukebox said:

That's a *very* glossy A4, Gilbert.

 I have to give Tim free rein occasionally Scott. Top Shed really could turn them out like that though.

[Oldddudders]

9 hours ago, jukebox said:

That's a *very* glossy A4, Gilbert.

 

And none the worse for that. Weathering has become the modelling science of our time, and requires great skill, but ‘pristine’ - to use the trade term - locos and stock, reflecting their designer’s intention, still look better to some of us. 

[great northern]

6 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

 

And none the worse for that. Weathering has become the modelling science of our time, and requires great skill, but ‘pristine’ - to use the trade term - locos and stock, reflecting their designer’s intention, still look better to some of us. 

I was reflecting on that while on my way to Markus and Spencius just now, Ian. There is something about a loco in that condition which actually does raise the spirits, for most of us anyway. Would it be the same if all were equally pristine though?

[great northern]

More of Lord Faringdon shining bright. Under the roof again, but a bit closer.

 

 

and the side on view its magnificence deserves

 

 

 

[Oldddudders]

Just now, great northern said:

I was reflecting on that while on my way to Markus and Spencius just now, Ian. There is something about a loco in that condition which actually does raise the spirits, for most of us anyway. Would it be the same if all were equally pristine though?

Unrealistic comes to mind, of course, especially in1958! I suppose it depends how much suspension of disbelief one allows in the basic concept of modelling. We each come to our own compromise, I suggest. 

[bigwordsmith]

Totally agree that a top link loco on a mainline express out of KX should look good

[great northern]

8 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Unrealistic comes to mind, of course, especially in1958! I suppose it depends how much suspension of disbelief one allows in the basic concept of modelling. We each come to our own compromise, I suggest. 

What I was struggling to say, I think, is that anything which becomes the norm ceases to register as strongly, and thus has less pleasurable impact.  Is it the sight of the run down norm which causes the pristine to have such an effect on us?

 

For me, 1958 has to be shown as it really was, though I suspect that most of my locos are, in truth, a bit too clean.

[great northern]

13 minutes ago, bigwordsmith said:

Totally agree that a top link loco on a mainline express out of KX should look good

But not all were Peter. Looking through a book last night I found a picture of Sir Nigel himself, stated to be 1958, on express duty but really rather shabby. That may have been a temporary thing of course, but it did happen.

 

My recollection from 62 years ago is that most KX A4s were at the very least green rather than black, but few were in the state which my 60034 shows.

[jukebox]

I think it looks lovely, Gilbert....   but there's a part of me that knows that even if she'd just come from a repaint, and running in turn, that there'd be a haze across the boiler top.   It was one of the things that struck me as a lad riding behind preserved steam - how dirty they got by the end of just one day, with soot, oil, and hot water drips.

 

Take a look at Bittern, here - you can just see that dusting of soot on the green boiler top, and the front of the wedge is a satin/matt.

 

Having said all that, you know I think Tim does a masterful job on your East Coast fleet, and of course he's allowed to have one loco bulled up like it's on Royal Duties.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

 

[great northern]

1 hour ago, jukebox said:

I think it looks lovely, Gilbert....   but there's a part of me that knows that even if she'd just come from a repaint, and running in turn, that there'd be a haze across the boiler top.   It was one of the things that struck me as a lad riding behind preserved steam - how dirty they got by the end of just one day, with soot, oil, and hot water drips.

 

Take a look at Bittern, here - you can just see that dusting of soot on the green boiler top, and the front of the wedge is a satin/matt.

 

Having said all that, you know I think Tim does a masterful job on your East Coast fleet, and of course he's allowed to have one loco bulled up like it's on Royal Duties.

 

Cheers

 

Scott

 

 

I have no doubt that Tim will now rise to this latest challenge Scott. He enjoys it.

 

I think we really ought to factor in something else as well, namely weather conditions. At PN, it is always fine. Perhaps it rains during hours of darkness, but we never see that. However, should the weather conditions be less kind in Grim Oop North, say persistent rain and high wind as we have here today, yet again, an immaculate engine could be far less so by the time it reached the sunny South.

[bigwordsmith]

Working under rule 1 I have decided that at Waverley-in-the-Mist there will be a group of engine cleaners on hand to make sure that every loco on an important train is given a quick bit of spit and polish as they take on water. The historical precedent is that they were practicing for an imminent royal visit where HM was coming to open their rebuilt station and it was deemed critical by the Regional General Manager Sir Topham McHatt that the royal train should leave the station in just as good a condition as it departed The Cross.

 

Who's to say they didn't do a bit of practice at Peterborough as well?...

[great northern]

7 minutes ago, bigwordsmith said:

Working under rule 1 I have decided that at Waverley-in-the-Mist there will be a group of engine cleaners on hand to make sure that every loco on an important train is given a quick bit of spit and polish as they take on water. The historical precedent is that they were practicing for an imminent royal visit where HM was coming to open their rebuilt station and it was deemed critical by the Regional General Manager Sir Topham McHatt that the royal train should leave the station in just as good a condition as it departed The Cross.

 

Who's to say they didn't do a bit of practice at Peterborough as well?...

Two cleaners at New England to cater for an allocation of 180+ locos, Peter, so I doubt I can find enough. The local factories pay far better than I can afford, and for less filthy working conditions too.

[bigwordsmith]

OF course up in the lowlands of Scotland work was much less plentiful so the locals couldn't be choosy!

Edited January 14, 2020 by bigwordsmith

[Woollydog]

Unfortunately neither Bachmann or Hornby achieves this finish or a convincing weathered one either ...

[great northern]

Off went Lord Faringdon, but not before we got a look at the catering cars following behind.

 

 

 

The lunchtime local for Cambridge had in the meantime appeared at Platform 6.

 

 

What a lovely sight!

[45568]

On 12/01/2020 at 06:41, great northern said:

Here comes 60523, running down to wait for the arrival of the Up Sunderland.

 

 

 

You must be well in with the 'brass' at Hornby Gilbert, these have only just been announced....!!!

Cheers from Oz,

Peter C.

 

 

 

 

[landscapes]

3 hours ago, 45568 said:

 

Morning Gilbert 

 

I did like that last comment very funny.

 

your photo of 60513 Dante does show of the Thompson Pacific’s at their best, large powerful locos.

 

I did actually have a similar situation when I purchased Bachmann A2 60533 Happy Knight complete with the extra boiler pipe work.

 

I purchased etched nameplates and transfers from Fox and renamed it 60529 Pearl Diver a Haymarket locomotive only a few weeks later yes Bachmann produced 60529 in RTR form.

 

Please keep  your superb photos coming.

 

Regards

 

David