Peterborough North

[great northern]

Fortunately he didn't see this in time!!!!!

PO

I'm confused. Which was I supposed to be tempted by?  If it was the nameplates, no chance, rare as hen's teeth down our way, those two. If it was the lady, I have no further comment to make.

[Mallard60022]

Sorry G, it was the plates. As usual I am not so lucky. As soon as I offer some plates (well 3 lots actually; ER, SR and WR + 3 Standards) for postage only, I then discover the Buy and Sell site has gone live and I could have made a few bob! Pah!

[kevinklein]

 I then discover the Buy and Sell site has gone live and I could have made a few bob! Pah!

just looked at the buy and sell... think there will be a bit of flak flying soon... rather disappointing, for those who enjoyed nattering with people and exchanging a bit of old tat for another bit of old tat...

[Mallard60022]

Oh! I'll have to put them on my Gostude Ebay site then

G. Ostude.

[kevinklein]

we all know you are the real Gostude... we were just humoring you;-)

[great northern]

Afternoon all. Just to show that the new regime can work, here are a few images I made earlier.

Slowing for its scheduled stop, a Kings Cross A1 arrives with the afternoon Harrogate - KX working.

And now waits time at the South end. Great Central again. Seen it loads of times.

Still worth a nice side on view though.

The A1 was closely followed by another KX engine, just as common I'm afraid - Gannet, in charge of the Northumbrian.

And for those who prefer to see what's behind the engine, here are the first two vehicles - a Gresley BSO standing in for the diagrammed MK1, and a rather unusual MK1, a Cravens prototype SO.

Very busy on the Up main just now. As soon as the A4 has gone,yet another Ivatt 4 draws in with a terminating M&GN service from Yarmouth. A glistening A4 has managed to sneak in between the two passenger services, and now waits in the bay to take over the Up Glasgow, which is due soon. Thanks to the sun, the A4 glistens a bit more than I would have liked.

 

Well, that was nice and easy! Makes a change from adding a post when I've already spent a couple of hours doing the processing. Seems like I've had a good idea for once.

[Dominion]

Bloody marvelous as usual Gilbert.

I failed to get my wife to agree to railway occupation of the third floor, so my layout is in the basement, with no windows and no sunlight.

I have to take vitamin D.

So be happy and look on the bright side when the sun streams in your window and makes your Top Shed A4s glisten.

Tom

[trw1089]

Some nice looking pics there Gilbert.  I do like that Cravens SO prototype, very modern looking.  I think I see an N5 creeping into a few shots so I know a certain New Haven Neil will be happy.  Looking forward to seeing what is on the front of the Up Glasgow, perhaps a new cop for my ABC.

 

Cheers

Tony

[rockershovel]

I like the backdrop, that big gloomy sky right down to ground level is very East Anglia!

 

The detail visible under Crescent Bridge helps the picture a lot, the blank space was quite eye-catching... I don't think the exact nature of the detail matters greatly. Crescent Bridge needs some background detail so its abutment doesn't end like that.

 

I'd guess, from my just-about recollection of the pre-Queensgate town centre and old photos, that the Cathedral tower and perhaps, the chimneys of the power station would be visible in the background but otherwise, the town would not be seen in photos from track level? Except in shots like the one if the S/B A1?

Edited April 13, 2015 by rockershovel

[Mallard60022]

Is Lincolnshire generally flatter than East Anglia? Always seems that way up the 'north end'. 

The 'Gannet' shot position does it for me; as shovel intimates, the underbridge view and 'sky to the horizon, gives a real sense of perspective. Lovely.

I too very much like that prototype coach Gilbert. Who's kit was that matey?

[Clive Mortimore]

Is Lincolnshire generally flatter than East Anglia? Always seems that way up the 'north end'. 

The 'Gannet' shot position does it for me; as shovel intimates, the underbridge view and 'sky to the horizon, gives a real sense of perspective. Lovely.

I too very much like that prototype coach Gilbert. Who's kit was that matey?

Hi Phil

 

Where was that downhill slope which the brake test was done on 3 July 1938? Parts are hillier than most of East Anglia, but a lot of land close to the Wash makes area where Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk boarder each other look quite mountainous.

[bigwordsmith]

Many years ago in my youth when I was a member of a young persons political movement we decided it would be unfashionable to be so known when booking events, so gave ourselves an alternative name of "The Sahara Yacht Club'. 

 

Our inspiration came from another similarly political inclined organisation, whose real purpose was also primarily social, i.e. a meeting place for young folk of marriageable age and moderate means, who had given themselves the excellent title of "East Anglian Mountain Rescue Team"

 

I often wondered what happened to them, from the  conversation so far it sounds like their name could still yet have value...

[Clive Mortimore]

Many years ago in my youth when I was a member of a young persons political movement we decided it would be unfashionable to be so known when booking events, so gave ourselves an alternative name of "The Sahara Yacht Club'. 

 

Our inspiration came from another similarly political inclined organisation, whose real purpose was also primarily social, i.e. a meeting place for young folk of marriageable age and moderate means, who had given themselves the excellent title of "East Anglian Mountain Rescue Team"

 

I often wondered what happened to them, from the  conversation so far it sounds like their name could still yet have value...

Less of the mickey taking about East Anglian Mountain thingies. In WW2 during the Italian campaign one of the most usefull units in the mountains was 85 (East Anglian) Mountain Regiment RA http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mtn/page5.html

 

There use to ba a very good website about this regiment, I cannot locate it at the moment.

[great northern]

OK chaps, let's get some misconceptions out of the way. Most of Lincolnshire is not flat. I was born in Boston, which is, but lived for many years in Lincoln, at the North end. Between me and the City Centre was a ***** big hill, which I had to climb twice a day for years. I also had to drive up it on my driving test, in the days when you had to know how to double declutch. You didn't want to get stuck behind a lorry towards the top of Lindum Hill. I did, but thank goodness got the change into first gear right.There is in fact another way up, which involves an even steeper incline, prosaically but accurately called " Steep Hill". I've often wished that I could put the many people who have told me that Lincolnshire is flat at the bottom of Steep Hill, and say "What's that then mate?"

 

Then there are the Wolds, which are certainly not flat, and boast views and scenery as good as you will find in the Cotswolds, perhaps because they are at the Northern end of the same limestone ridge. OK, the fens are as flat as it gets, but they are only a relatively small part of a large county. The transition between the two is quite dramatic in places - drive from Sleaford to Bourne for example, and see the view as you come down off the escarpment.

 

Disgruntled yellowbelly.

[great northern]

Is Lincolnshire generally flatter than East Anglia? Always seems that way up the 'north end'. 

The 'Gannet' shot position does it for me; as shovel intimates, the underbridge view and 'sky to the horizon, gives a real sense of perspective. Lovely.

I too very much like that prototype coach Gilbert. Who's kit was that matey?

The coach is Southern Pride Phil. And as stated above lots of Lincolnshire ain't flat.

[jwealleans]

Nowhere is flat. Try riding a pushbike, you'll soon find it out.

 

In addition there are streets in Cambridge where the wind always blows in your face, whichever way you ride.

[bigwordsmith]

A very good friend of mine used to fly Vulcan Bombers out of Waddington. At the time I was the Publishing Director of a group of transport magazines, which included a couple of aviation titles, so I was able to bag a ride with him in an RAF trainer.

 

I must be honest it all looked pretty flat from 5,000 feet, until he decided to drop down and do a bit of hedge hopping.

 

I also recall a visit to Waddington when they were celebrating 25 years of the Vulcan and I happened to be working on a magazine for home video camera owners so had some kit with me. As part of the display I was out in front of the display stands - laden with the top brass, as I was filming the display with the video cam at the edge of the runway.

 

The display featured three Vulcans - take off was incredibly noisy and they all did some excellent formation flying, rolls, climbs roll outs etc, in perfect Red Arrows style.

 

While two of them criss crossed in front of the crowd doing aerobatics, the third ,quietly ( well, quietly for a Vulcan) pottered off into the distance receding out of view. When I asked "What happened to the third one?" my friend replied 'Just don't turn around" 

Sure enough about 20 seconds later the sun went out as this massive delta flew over us low and blotted out the sun. 

 

It turned out that the skipper had flown away from the airfield  unbeknown to everyone ( officially) dropped down to hedge height before circling around the Lincoln Plateau below the horizon to do a full 180 degree turn. He then flew back up towards the airfield  at about 50' AGL, hugging the hillside through the climb to pop up over the roof of the hanger in front of which sat the assembled brass.

 

OF course as he had been in noise saving mode, this meant that the plane was sinking slightly as it cleared the hanger roof, so he had to give it a burst of power to go ballistic. This meant that we were all treated to an amazing rear end view of a Vulcan on full afterburner and maximum carbon footprint mode, which of course created a small tornado and removed many of the brass's hats!

 

The next day my friend and I watched the footage and by some clever use of a ruler and freeze frame, he was able to determine that the Vulcan's tail was just 75 feet off the ground as he crossed the main runway. As he pointed out you could only pull off a stunt like that at Waddington because of the unique topography of the area - flat as a pancake with a damn great plateau in the middle of it.

 

Apparently the next day the display pilot got called into the Boss's office and given the biggest dressing down of his life for the risks he had taken and the stupid way he had used the aircraft, with plentiful suggestions that if he ever did something like that again his flying days would be well and truly over.

 

Suitably chastised, he snapped off a parade ground salute as he was dismissed, but as he was about to walk out the door, the CO said, "Oh by the way, the Air Vice Marshall did want me to let you know he thought it was a damn fine display!"

[great northern]

Nowhere is flat. Try riding a pushbike, you'll soon find it out.

 

In addition there are streets in Cambridge where the wind always blows in your face, whichever way you ride.

That's funny, I know a golf course where the wind is always in your face, whichever way you drive. It's got a hill too..... even though its not in Lincolnshire.

[great northern]

I like the backdrop, that big gloomy sky right down to ground level is very East Anglia!

 

The detail visible under Crescent Bridge helps the picture a lot, the blank space was quite eye-catching... I don't think the exact nature of the detail matters greatly. Crescent Bridge needs some background detail so its abutment doesn't end like that.

 

I'd guess, from my just-about recollection of the pre-Queensgate town centre and old photos, that the Cathedral tower and perhaps, the chimneys of the power station would be visible in the background but otherwise, the town would not be seen in photos from track level? Except in shots like the one if the S/B A1?

That backdrop to Crescent Bridge, and indeed the modelling of the bridge itself, is causing a lot of head scratching. From track level, very little of the City can be seen, but things change considerably when even a slightly higher view is used. Take this lovely shot for instance, reproduced with permission of the site owner of Peterboroughimages.co uk.

Early 50's shot of a WD crossing to the Up slow, and about as evocative as you can get, and taken from Spital Bridge. From a slightly different angle the cathedral is visible, and it would make a terrific backdrop. The problem though is that from ground level it can't be seen at all. The other very prominent feature on this photo is the power station chimney, and I have experimented with putting up a silhouette of that against the wall. That looks OK when viewed from the North end, but is completely wrong and out of scale when viewed under Crescent Bridge, where I don't think it would have been visible anyway. Further thought is needed.

[The Stationmaster]

An interesting quandary there Gilbert - thinking aloud (dangerously) might a  possible answer be to have two backscenes one behind the other?  The nearer backscene when viewed from track level would hide the second one but when viewed from the likes of Spital bridge the rear backscene would be seen over the first one.

 

Having said all that it probably creates some geometric and perspective nightmares apart from consuming space so maybe I should go away and foist daft ideas on other folk ....

[jwealleans]

Don't worry about chimneys, just look at those lovely PO wagons, slowly sagging and falling to bits and all more or less completely anonymous by now.

 

Note the coal as well, graded at the pit so there are two very distinct sizes visible. Something many people miss when filling their wagons.

[bbishop]

And an open wagon at vehicle 6, already sagging ominously.  Even though it is rated at 13 ton, and is loaded with only about 10 ton of coal, it wasn't designed for the rigours of mineral traffic.

 

Bill

[rockershovel]

Nor, indeed is Peterborough in Lincolnshire or ever has been!

 

It was at one time in the now-defunct East Northants, has been in Northants, was an independent unitary authority called Soke of Peterborough, became part of Hunts and Peterborough (although it is NOT oart of the reconstituted District of Hunts, whuch is actually psrt of Cambs) and is currently in Cambs.

 

It has never been in Rutland, either.

[rockershovel]

Regarding backdrops, I'd say that a little constructive interpretation was indicated.

 

I'd suggest that the Crescent Bridge ramp was needed, with the tops of the Power Station chimneys appearing above it. The station buildings might be backed by a very thin strip if roof ridges, with the upper part of the Cathedral tower appearing between the Great Northern Hotel and Crescent Bridge.

 

This isn't strictly accurate but I think it would provide a sense of the town and the main features.

[Fat Controller]

Don't worry about chimneys, just look at those lovely PO wagons, slowly sagging and falling to bits and all more or less completely anonymous by now.

 

Note the coal as well, graded at the pit so there are two very distinct sizes visible. Something many people miss when filling their wagons.

Those bigger lumps would probably be loco coal; even when we used to burn 'normal' coal on an open fire, we didn't get bits that big delivered. I wouldn't be surprised if the wagons conveying it weren't going to end up as kindling around a shed as well.