Peterborough North

[great northern]

B1 61207, waiting for the signal to take its empty stock down to the carriage sidings. I'm sure that the fireman is even now walking along the platform in order to change the lamp accordingly.

 

 

Although it is not unknown for my confidence to be misplaced. You will never know.

[Rail-Online]

On 03/11/2021 at 13:34, great northern said:

Rather belatedly, we come to the other goodie which arrived with Tim last week. The delay was caused by a combination of lack of daylight and lack of memory.

 

Some time ago I snapped up a couple of cheap new Hornby B1s on E Bay, and they have been with Tim since. Other things kept getting to the top of the to do list though, and so only now has the first one been Timmed. Some thinking was necessary before deciding on identities, as I had to take into account both the requirements of a Saturday sequence, when I get round to it, and the different haulage capacity of Hornby and Bachmann B1s. There were quite a few 11or even 12 coach duties on Saturdays, so I needed to make sure that Hornby locos covered them.

 

As these were all E Lincs trains to and from Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Skegness, at least one more Immingham engine seemed to be a sensible option. Trawling through various websites I found a dated photo of 61142 in July 58 on one of the weekday expresses, which I found quite interesting, as it had been out of shops for some time by then, as evidenced by the early crest it carries. 40B must have liked it though, as it had been bulled up for the London job, though there must have been lower mileage engines around.

 

 Tim had to work from a thumbnail image this time, but has done the usual excellent job.

 

 

 

 

61142 had its smokebox numberplate with the edge picked out in white together with white or burnished smokebox door hinges during 1959 when it was one of Imminghams 'pet locos' - has Tim been able to do that?

 

Tony

Edited November 10, 2021 by Rail-Online
additional info

[great northern]

1 hour ago, Rail-Online said:

61142 had its smokebox numberplate with the edge picked out in white together with white or burnished smokebox door hinges during 1959 when it was one of Imminghams 'pet locos' - has Tim been able to do that?

 

Tony

The 1958 photo he worked from showed the numberplate picked out, but not the hinges, so he has done it like that. One of my others, 61098, which featured recently, has both.

[great northern]

Aboyeur has the 6.10pm Leeds/Bradford relief, which stops here, as you can see, so there wasn't really any need to stop the J6.

 

 

You may notice that, rather than a pole, we have a water crane bag sticking down the A1's chimney. Hopefully it will not have discharged any water. This is one of those shots where I have to crane my neck a bit painfully in order to see the view finder properly, and obviously I didn't crane it enough, as if I had,I would have seen the other offending crane.

 

I didn't bin this, as it is otherwise quite a nice shot, and it is so crowded at this end that if I'd managed to avoid this, something else would probably have taken its place.

[great northern]

The Heart of Midlothian is next to appear. Grantham A3 Galtee More will have taken over at Grantham, and now runs non stop to KX.

 

 

 

 

 

[great northern]

Time to have another look under the roof.

 

 

The headboard did actually sit that high, which can't have done much for aerodynamics.

 

Flu jab yesterday, covid booster this morning, what an exciting life I lead.

[great northern]

An eventful day. Duly jabbed, bit sore now, followed by a visit from Tim, not bearing goodies this time though. When he was here a fortnight ago, he did some track repairs, but unfortunately I got problems with stalling and occasional derailments, so he came back well in advance of the next scheduled visit to sort it out, which he soon did, both expeditiously and successfully. Then, just before lunch, he decided to have a look at the problem point on the Up slow, which has defeated the efforts of a number of eminent people over quite a long period. TW did get it working again for a while, but unfortunately it broke again. Conversations with Norman Saunders, who built it, didn't get us much further, and then came the virus and Norman's sad demise.

 

For that reason, no trains have run on that stretch for at least three years, which mucked things up considerably. Anyway, Tim gave me a fairly complicated account of how he thought he could get it working again, though not for a while. But then fortified by lunch, he dropped out the Tortoise, and for the first time what was below could be seen. As usual, I'll leave Tim to explain the technicalities, but suffice it to say the repair was effected in short order, as were a couple of dead sections which we then discovered. So now the trains run again on the Up slow, and that is a really big plus. I'll take some photos when we get some light to be able to do so.

 

We had a zoom session planned to sort out one or two things with the control system, but the chap who is helping with it has gone sick, so that had to be postponed. Normally that would have been rather irritating, but the progress elsewhere meant that it didn't really cause me much concern at all. Definitely a very good day.

 

And so to your evening image, which brings yet another A3, Sandwich this time, with the 5.35 Leeds-KX.

 

 

[Timara]

On 10/11/2021 at 07:48, Rail-Online said:

61142 had its smokebox numberplate with the edge picked out in white together with white or burnished smokebox door hinges during 1959 when it was one of Imminghams 'pet locos' - has Tim been able to do that?

 

Tony

 

As per below.... 

 

 

[great northern]

A little short of energy this morning, but otherwise fine. Sore arms are less so. I shall have a quiet day.

 

Back to PN, and the East shuttle has again been entrusted to our lovely little ancient J15.

 

 

It has a bad attack of dandruff. I must remember to dust things before use.

 

Anyway its passengers have been delivered in time, if they so wish, to walk across the platform ready to board the 6.20 Leeds, which is in sight, and slowing for its stop.

 

 

Yet another Grantham A3, Enterprise this time.

[Timara]

As mentioned by Gilbert above, a little more about the restoration of the up slow to operational use....  This has been a little problem for a while and I'd been trying to think of non-invasive methods of rebuilding it, where the trackwork wouldn't be damaged.  In short, it was the proverbial elephant in the room and I tried to focus on other things....  Effecting the repair on the point at the north end of the layout piqued my curiosity a little, so I went for another look, as you do....

 

From above, it didn't really make sense and I couldn't see how it had even worked before; my plan for rebuilding said area was originally going to be fitment of an Exactoscale adapter plate underneath and two new droppers from the switch rails, going into a pair of tubes in the operating arm under the baseboard.  There is plenty of room for this arrangement and I've used said method for many years on my own layouts.  So, I took the motor off and then it dawned on me how Norman had built the thing in the first place.  It took very little time to do, needing just two short bits of 0.4mm n/s wire, with a right-angled bend to fix to the bottom of the switch rail tips.  Looking back on it, I'm wondering why I just didn't take the tortoise off back when it failed three years or so ago, but that's how it goes....!

 

 

[Oldddudders]

Few things on a layout are more satisfying than finally implementing the definitive fix for a problem that has bedevilled operations for years. Well done!

[great northern]

Enterprise now waiting the signal to depart, and with nothing growing out of places where it shouldn't.

 

 

Except for a post and lamp, and the ever present water crane, this time attacking the dome. Nice view otherwise.

[Clive Mortimore]

15 hours ago, great northern said:

A little short of energy this morning, but otherwise fine. Sore arms are less so. I shall have a quiet day.

 

Back to PN, and the East shuttle has again been entrusted to our lovely little ancient J15.

 

 

It has a bad attack of dandruff. I must remember to dust things before use.

 

Anyway its passengers have been delivered in time, if they so wish, to walk across the platform ready to board the 6.20 Leeds, which is in sight, and slowing for its stop.

 

 

Yet another Grantham A3, Enterprise this time.

Oooo a J15. Nearly as lovely as a 2F.

[great northern]

Why did I take this photo? I really don't know.

 

 

Just coaches really, a bit boring. Never mind, we also have the other side of a lovely A3.

 

 

[St Enodoc]

2 minutes ago, great northern said:

Why did I take this photo? I really don't know.

 

 

Just coaches really, a bit boring. Never mind, we also have the other side of a lovely A3.

 

 

Coaches? Boring? Never!

[Tony Wright]

On 11/11/2021 at 22:14, great northern said:

An eventful day. Duly jabbed, bit sore now, followed by a visit from Tim, not bearing goodies this time though. When he was here a fortnight ago, he did some track repairs, but unfortunately I got problems with stalling and occasional derailments, so he came back well in advance of the next scheduled visit to sort it out, which he soon did, both expeditiously and successfully. Then, just before lunch, he decided to have a look at the problem point on the Up slow, which has defeated the efforts of a number of eminent people over quite a long period. TW did get it working again for a while, but unfortunately it broke again. Conversations with Norman Saunders, who built it, didn't get us much further, and then came the virus and Norman's sad demise.

 

For that reason, no trains have run on that stretch for at least three years, which mucked things up considerably. Anyway, Tim gave me a fairly complicated account of how he thought he could get it working again, though not for a while. But then fortified by lunch, he dropped out the Tortoise, and for the first time what was below could be seen. As usual, I'll leave Tim to explain the technicalities, but suffice it to say the repair was effected in short order, as were a couple of dead sections which we then discovered. So now the trains run again on the Up slow, and that is a really big plus. I'll take some photos when we get some light to be able to do so.

 

We had a zoom session planned to sort out one or two things with the control system, but the chap who is helping with it has gone sick, so that had to be postponed. Normally that would have been rather irritating, but the progress elsewhere meant that it didn't really cause me much concern at all. Definitely a very good day.

 

And so to your evening image, which brings yet another A3, Sandwich this time, with the 5.35 Leeds-KX.

 

 

Well done to Tim for fixing that point, Gilbert.

 

I thought the 'fix' might be underneath, but I struggle these days myself squirming underneath baseboards to make adjustments - it's the knees, I'm afraid.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[St Enodoc]

4 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Well done to Tim for fixing that point, Gilbert.

 

I thought the 'fix' might be underneath, but I struggle these days myself squirming underneath baseboards to make adjustments - it's the knees, I'm afraid.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Too much fast bowling.

[great northern]

Not much light available today, but nevertheless I decided that there should be a grand reopening of the Up slow, and that a record of it should be made.

 

I think the best thing about what Tim did on Thursday was that it wasn't even on the list of jobs to be done. It had been filed under "perhaps later" for far too long, so to see it completely remedied in short order was a huge bonus. And when I thought about things again later, I realised that it had been out of action since before the Midland sidings were put in, so there was a real incentive to see what I can now do. Here then is a WD on its slow progress around the back of the station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

and finally just about to start its journey back across the whole formation to get to the Up main, and shortly thereafter out of the way onto the slow goods line.

 

 

 

Plenty more angles to play with, but that will do for now.

[great northern]

Back to the sequence now, and Enterprise is pulling away towards its home town.

 

 

[Tony Wright]

18 hours ago, great northern said:

Not much light available today, but nevertheless I decided that there should be a grand reopening of the Up slow, and that a record of it should be made.

 

I think the best thing about what Tim did on Thursday was that it wasn't even on the list of jobs to be done. It had been filed under "perhaps later" for far too long, so to see it completely remedied in short order was a huge bonus. And when I thought about things again later, I realised that it had been out of action since before the Midland sidings were put in, so there was a real incentive to see what I can now do. Here then is a WD on its slow progress around the back of the station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

and finally just about to start its journey back across the whole formation to get to the Up main, and shortly thereafter out of the way onto the slow goods line.

 

 

 

Plenty more angles to play with, but that will do for now.

Some splendid images Gilbert.

 

I'm delighted that the Up slow is now fully-functioning again. 

 

One point, if I may? Though I never saw Peterborough North in steam days (it was being rebuilt when I first photographed Deltics there), surely the full minerals will have come from New England Yard (on the Up side of the main line)? That being the case, it must have crossed over both the Up and Down mains; if so how are the Down main signals able to be pulled 'off'? They're visible in the first three pictures. 

 

If I've got this wrong, then my apologies. If not, I assume the signals are not electrically interlocked with the pointwork? 

 

Or, has the WD come off the Midland road from Stamford? It can't have originated off the M&GNR.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[great northern]

36 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Some splendid images Gilbert.

 

I'm delighted that the Up slow is now fully-functioning again. 

 

One point, if I may? Though I never saw Peterborough North in steam days (it was being rebuilt when I first photographed Deltics there), surely the full minerals will have come from New England Yard (on the Up side of the main line)? That being the case, it must have crossed over both the Up and Down mains; if so how are the Down main signals able to be pulled 'off'? They're visible in the first three pictures. 

 

If I've got this wrong, then my apologies. If not, I assume the signals are not electrically interlocked with the pointwork? 

 

Or, has the WD come off the Midland road from Stamford? It can't have originated off the M&GNR.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

The usual explanation, I'm afraid. It was just inattention on my part. I'd forgotten, again, to return the main signals to on after the last train passed, and I was in a hurry to get the photos of the WD done while I had a brief period of sunshine, so I missed that completely. You are absolutely right, of course. Any express coming through would have found a line of mineral wagons across its path, and even at 20mph that would not be a good thing.

[great northern]

This morning's view is of Sandwich resting at Platform 2, before tackling the last 76 miles to KX.

 

 

Sorry about the ground signal. I think a mole may have been responsible for pushing it upwards. 'Tis in the wrong place any way, so I must get around to dealing with that.

[great northern]

Sandwich has departed, so Platform 2 is now available for the arrival of the last E. Lincs slow of the day.

 

 

[great northern]

Yet another A3 comes into view, this one bringing the 6.35 Hull under Crescent Bridge.

 

 

[great northern]

Time for another of our occasional look at what's behind the tender, and the 6.35 Hull certainly has an unusual mix.