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Peterborough North


great northern
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10 hours ago, robmcg said:

Extremely nice photos of the recent 9F, Tango and plonk, much appreciated.

 

I had wondered how often and how many Tangos, RODS, 01s, O4s and any other freight engines used to add to congestion at PN in the 50s...  so will ask now, given that I have been photographing an ex-WD 2-8-0.

 

As to spotting in various locations, I am a tad younger than you being born in late 1950 in NZ but even here we were surprised by the speed of change from steam to diesel, not too much different to the UK, finishing in the North Island in 1968,a fraction later in the south, but somehow even in 1960 it seemed as if it would last forever.

 

Thanks Gilbert for the window on PN in 1958. Beautiful stuff.

 

edit; my most treasured possession from Christmas day 1959 when I was 8 yrs old was 'The Observer's Book of Railway Locomotives of Britain' by H.C.Casserley, 1958 edition, which in spite of all the odds, house moves, motorbike crashes and more,  I still own and enjoy.   Clearly 1958 was an important year in the progress of mankind.

How many freight engines? A lot, though by my period it really should be almost exclusively WDs and 9Fs. London's appetite for coal was still insatiable, so trains of the black stuff were slotted in wherever possible. I've just done a rough count based on my 1956 Freight WTT, and found 20 Class F or H trains from New England to London, mainly Ferme Park, and that is between 6.00am and 8.00pm. There were a lot more overnight.

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11 hours ago, great northern said:

How many freight engines? A lot, though by my period it really should be almost exclusively WDs and 9Fs. London's appetite for coal was still insatiable, so trains of the black stuff were slotted in wherever possible. I've just done a rough count based on my 1956 Freight WTT, and found 20 Class F or H trains from New England to London, mainly Ferme Park, and that is between 6.00am and 8.00pm. There were a lot more overnight.

 

No wonder New England shed had a 'working engine' reputation.  A WD or 9F plodding by must have been part of the scenery, or nightime soundscape.  

 

I've never really recovered from the loss of urban trams myself. In those days city buildings had proper grime, in London at least.

 

Beautiful photos just now thanks. Edit; Although try as I might, I still think Thompson has a lot to answer for regarding his Pacifics. How did spotters react to such as 60515?  Boo hiss?

 

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12 hours ago, robmcg said:

 

No wonder New England shed had a 'working engine' reputation.  A WD or 9F plodding by must have been part of the scenery, or nightime soundscape.  

 

I've never really recovered from the loss of urban trams myself. In those days city buildings had proper grime, in London at least.

 

Beautiful photos just now thanks. Edit; Although try as I might, I still think Thompson has a lot to answer for regarding his Pacifics. How did spotters react to such as 60515?  Boo hiss?

 

Spotter's reactions? Aged 11 to about 14/15 it was really all about collecting numbers, so boo hiss was for the ones we'd seen before, with the exception of A4s. We realised they were something special. During the few remaining years before they all got swept away, I did start to realise that there was something wrong and ungainly about the Thompson Pacifics, and I thoroughly disliked Ivatt 4s, of which a lot came to Lincoln after the closure of the M&GN.

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Just been catching up with this thread, and love the old stories about the day trips and going on of the old railway. Can I make a suggestion to add a bit of difference. Once a month, we have a random loco failure needing replacement or a wagon or coach needing shunting out of a train with a hot box. These things happened, especially the hot box on wagons, but in model form? I think the decoder failure needing a replacement is so close to real life as to need a special award for prototypical modeling.

 

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4 hours ago, cheesysmith said:

Just been catching up with this thread, and love the old stories about the day trips and going on of the old railway. Can I make a suggestion to add a bit of difference. Once a month, we have a random loco failure needing replacement or a wagon or coach needing shunting out of a train with a hot box. These things happened, especially the hot box on wagons, but in model form? I think the decoder failure needing a replacement is so close to real life as to need a special award for prototypical modeling.

 

That is exactly what came into my mind when this occurred. I need to stick close to the sequence, as I'd be forever paging up and down if I didn't, but things didn't always run as planned, and what I do should reflect that. As it happened, this one would not have caused big pathing problems, but most other incidents, particularly on summer weekends, most certainly would.

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6 hours ago, great northern said:

Spotter's reactions? Aged 11 to about 14/15 it was really all about collecting numbers, so boo hiss was for the ones we'd seen before, with the exception of A4s. We realised they were something special. During the few remaining years before they all got swept away, I did start to realise that there was something wrong and ungainly about the Thompson Pacifics, and I thoroughly disliked Ivatt 4s, of which a lot came to Lincoln after the closure of the M&GN.

Interesting point about the Ivatt 4,s Gilbert . I seem to remember them on specials to the Horse race meetings at Market Rasen. I don’t know what they were loaded to, probably  9/10 coaches but after dropping the punters they didn’t seem to turn round but went off in the direction of Grimsby and always seemed to have a struggle up the gradient . I suppose they were used because there were plenty spare after the closure of the M&GN . I always thought they came from the Midlands though but I suppose they were spread around to replace the ageing 4Fs which were still very occasionally being used on Bank Holiday excursions to Cleethorpes.

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34 minutes ago, jazzer said:

Interesting point about the Ivatt 4,s Gilbert . I seem to remember them on specials to the Horse race meetings at Market Rasen. I don’t know what they were loaded to, probably  9/10 coaches but after dropping the punters they didn’t seem to turn round but went off in the direction of Grimsby and always seemed to have a struggle up the gradient . I suppose they were used because there were plenty spare after the closure of the M&GN . I always thought they came from the Midlands though but I suppose they were spread around to replace the ageing 4Fs which were still very occasionally being used on Bank Holiday excursions to Cleethorpes.

After the M&GN closure no less than 27 of them were sent to Boston! Goodness knows what 40F was supposed to do with them. Quite a few had come to Lincoln by 60/61 though. They may well have been used as pool engines, and trains such as the ones you mention would have been exactly the kind of thing one would expect them to give them some employment. I don't remember seeing the Lincoln engines actually doing very much. There were always plenty on shed.

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3 hours ago, great northern said:

After the M&GN closure no less than 27 of them were sent to Boston! Goodness knows what 40F was supposed to do with them. Quite a few had come to Lincoln by 60/61 though. They may well have been used as pool engines, and trains such as the ones you mention would have been exactly the kind of thing one would expect them to give them some employment. I don't remember seeing the Lincoln engines actually doing very much. There were always plenty on shed.


Gilbert,

 

My father has mentioned that the Ivatt 4’s had certain features that were not popular with the staff at Lincolnshire sheds.  The brakes being the main gripe.  Apparently, you had to keep steam pressure high to avoid the brakes coming on.  One of my father’s  colleagues actual got into argument with his driver, over the steaming qualities of a Flying Pig whilst approaching Peascliffe and in a fit of anger threw the Firing Shovel in the firebox!!!!!

Perhaps the M&GN men were just pleased to have brand new locomotives after half a century.

 

Paul

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13 minutes ago, Flying Fox 34F said:


Gilbert,

 

My father has mentioned that the Ivatt 4’s had certain features that were not popular with the staff at Lincolnshire sheds.  The brakes being the main gripe.  Apparently, you had to keep steam pressure high to avoid the brakes coming on.  One of my father’s  colleagues actual got into argument with his driver, over the steaming qualities of a Flying Pig whilst approaching Peascliffe and in a fit of anger threw the Firing Shovel in the firebox!!!!!

Perhaps the M&GN men were just pleased to have brand new locomotives after half a century.

 

Paul

I don't remember my uncle Tom saying anything particularly derogatory about them, though of course they were viewed with suspicion, being foreign. He was used to driving K2s, which was the best Boston had for many years, and which were well clapped out. He preferred an A5, though I think the cab had a lot to do with that.  I suppose just the cab on an Ivatt would compensate for quite a lot of failings. I bet they rode better than a K2 as well.

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12 hours ago, Flying Fox 34F said:


Gilbert,

 

My father has mentioned that the Ivatt 4’s had certain features that were not popular with the staff at Lincolnshire sheds.  The brakes being the main gripe.  Apparently, you had to keep steam pressure high to avoid the brakes coming on.  One of my father’s  colleagues actual got into argument with his driver, over the steaming qualities of a Flying Pig whilst approaching Peascliffe and in a fit of anger threw the Firing Shovel in the firebox!!!!!

Perhaps the M&GN men were just pleased to have brand new locomotives after half a century.

 

Paul

 

Paul, I assume this failed to improve the steaming of the Loco.:senile:

 

a Happy New Year with fewer bridge strikes.  

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OK, there has been a hiatus, rather a long one actually, but I now decree that it is time for the return of the polls.

 

Today, we shall search for what, in your opinion, is the best name carried by an A4. Simple as that. No geographical knowledge required.

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9 minutes ago, great northern said:

OK, there has been a hiatus, rather a long one actually, but I now decree that it is time for the return of the polls.

 

Today, we shall search for what, in your opinion, is the best name carried by an A4. Simple as that. No geographical knowledge required.

 

A happy New Year to all.

 

Merlin.

 

 

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14 minutes ago, great northern said:

OK, there has been a hiatus, rather a long one actually, but I now decree that it is time for the return of the polls.

 

Today, we shall search for what, in your opinion, is the best name carried by an A4. Simple as that. No geographical knowledge required.

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2 hours ago, CUTLER2579 said:

 

Paul, I assume this failed to improve the steaming of the Loco.:senile:

 

a Happy New Year with fewer bridge strikes.  


Derek,

 

I’m well aware of the results as the Fireman involved is still with us and causes occasional mayhem at the local Railway Club, when it’s open. 
As for bridge strikes, the chalkboard is cleaned down ready.  Springfield Road closes on the 4th January.  3 more months of traffic delays ahead.

 

Paul

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