Peterborough North

[great northern]

We are now reaching the heights of fantasy, as a Dundee A2 appears at Platform 6.

 

 

 

but normality soon returns, in the shape of that Ivatt again.

 

 

 

then the real Platform 6 comes into use, as A3 Doncaster pulls in with the 1040 KX- Grantham.

 

 

[FarrMan]

On 16/09/2019 at 14:08, Tony Wright said:

I've got enough of my own to finish, I'm afraid.

 

 

 

 

These shots illustrate how much I've done already on Little Bytham, but, more-importantly, how much is still to do. I'm using MSE etched/cast/nickel silver rod components, and lots of solder! 

 

I know Gilbert likes to keep his thread related to PN, but I hope these are relevant. Point rodding was so much a part of our steam-age infrastructure, as to be essential (at least to me) on a model of the period. 

 

Still, there's a fair bit of my work on PN, and Gilbert has done some of the scenery on LB. 

 

Anyway, I don't really do paid model railway commissions any more, other than as barter. However, I suppose if I got into trouble with drink-driving.................................

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Tony

 

Delighted to see these photos of your progress with point rodding. It just shows how obvious it was in many locations, and adds to another already excellent model. Not being so familiar with Little Bytham, as it was closed by the time I was traveling that line quite regularly, I cannot comment on the accuracy as I can with PN.

 

Gilbert

 

Ignore that youngster Clive's niggling - the point rodding at PN does NOT look at all obvious from the photos, so can easily be ignored. What I thought did stand out rather, especially when viewed from the Midland outpost on the down side, was that fence, or signal wire line, whichever it was.

 

Re the use of Platform 6, I only remember it being used for Peterborough East or Leicester trains. I tended to travel to Nottingham, Leicester, or occasionally Kings Cross, so I do not remember the trains into East Anglia. I do not remember any of the bay platforms being used for trains at all, as by 1960 all the stations between PN and Grantham had closed, as had the M&GN Joint line.

 

Thanks again for excellent photos of an excellent model.

 

Lloyd

[great northern]

13 hours ago, 35A said:

 

In my time I don't recall ever seeing anything head south from platform 6 on a main line train. Certainly trains towards/from March used to use platform 6 in both directions. Anything on the main line used to use the up avoiding line (the centre road), not infrequently. In contrast, I can only remember seeing anything other than goods traffic use the down avoider (nearest the camera) on one occasion.

Many thanks. There is nothing more valuable than personal memory of someone who was there at the time. I had a good idea that the GE trains used platform 6 in both directions, and I have photos of both M&GN and E.Lincs trains heading north from there, though I think both of those also used number 4 bay.

 

The line occupancy of the Up main was huge, so I did wonder whether perhaps some of the KX slows may have started from 6, but it seems they did not. They will, I think, have just fitted into number 1 bay if they had no more than five on, and there were no vans parked in there.

 

My WTT doesn't show what used the Up slow, though it can be worked out more or less, but I'm sure that at times of peak pressure the more important main line expresses were routed round there to get in front of a stopping train. I have photos of Pullman services doing that. On the Down side, Platform 6 at least allowed the slower services to be put inside there, leaving the main free, so I can't see why, except in emergency, passenger trains should use the Down slow. I suspect there were restrictions on that happening anyway.

[Tony Wright]

3 hours ago, FarrMan said:

Tony

 

Delighted to see these photos of your progress with point rodding. It just shows how obvious it was in many locations, and adds to another already excellent model. Not being so familiar with Little Bytham, as it was closed by the time I was traveling that line quite regularly, I cannot comment on the accuracy as I can with PN.

 

Gilbert

 

Ignore that youngster Clive's niggling - the point rodding at PN does NOT look at all obvious from the photos, so can easily be ignored. What I thought did stand out rather, especially when viewed from the Midland outpost on the down side, was that fence, or signal wire line, whichever it was.

 

Re the use of Platform 6, I only remember it being used for Peterborough East or Leicester trains. I tended to travel to Nottingham, Leicester, or occasionally Kings Cross, so I do not remember the trains into East Anglia. I do not remember any of the bay platforms being used for trains at all, as by 1960 all the stations between PN and Grantham had closed, as had the M&GN Joint line.

 

Thanks again for excellent photos of an excellent model.

 

Lloyd

Thank you for your kind comments, Lloyd. 

 

Ignore that youngster Clive's niggling - the point rodding at PN does NOT look at all obvious from the photos, so can easily be ignored. What I thought did stand out rather, especially when viewed from the Midland outpost on the down side, was that fence, or signal wire line, whichever it was.'

 

I'm not sure the point rodding 'can easily be ignored'. There's a load of it to the left of the W1 in this shot below, and it will increase dramatically towards the 'box. There's also some to the right of the sand drag. 

 

What the view shows is the run of signal wire posts, with several pulleys on them. 

 

It was suggested I make the rodding for PN. No thank you - there were 'miles' of it on LB, and there's a lot more on PN.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[great northern]

3 hours ago, FarrMan said:

Tony

 

Delighted to see these photos of your progress with point rodding. It just shows how obvious it was in many locations, and adds to another already excellent model. Not being so familiar with Little Bytham, as it was closed by the time I was traveling that line quite regularly, I cannot comment on the accuracy as I can with PN.

 

Gilbert

 

Ignore that youngster Clive's niggling - the point rodding at PN does NOT look at all obvious from the photos, so can easily be ignored. What I thought did stand out rather, especially when viewed from the Midland outpost on the down side, was that fence, or signal wire line, whichever it was.

 

Re the use of Platform 6, I only remember it being used for Peterborough East or Leicester trains. I tended to travel to Nottingham, Leicester, or occasionally Kings Cross, so I do not remember the trains into East Anglia. I do not remember any of the bay platforms being used for trains at all, as by 1960 all the stations between PN and Grantham had closed, as had the M&GN Joint line.

 

Thanks again for excellent photos of an excellent model.

 

Lloyd

One of the main reasons for choosing 1958 was that the main line parlys and the M&GN were still running. I've seen bay 4 referred to as the "Boston Bay", and I have lots of evidence for E. Lincs trains starting from there.

 

The point rodding would be an almost impossible task, and as you rightly say, it isn't prominent most of the time anyway. As far as I'm concerned, it is either all or none at all, and the latter wins hands down. I'd do that signal cable run though, if only there wasn't such a length to it.

[New Haven Neil]

Ahhhh 60100 Spearmint - right up there with the N5 for me!  Toram Beg's loco. 

[FarrMan]

4 hours ago, Tony Wright said:

Thank you for your kind comments, Lloyd. 

 

Ignore that youngster Clive's niggling - the point rodding at PN does NOT look at all obvious from the photos, so can easily be ignored. What I thought did stand out rather, especially when viewed from the Midland outpost on the down side, was that fence, or signal wire line, whichever it was.'

 

I'm not sure the point rodding 'can easily be ignored'. There's a load of it to the left of the W1 in this shot below, and it will increase dramatically towards the 'box. There's also some to the right of the sand drag. 

 

What the view shows is the run of signal wire posts, with several pulleys on them. 

 

It was suggested I make the rodding for PN. No thank you - there were 'miles' of it on LB, and there's a lot more on PN.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

Tony

 

Good point. But with all the track and other paraphernalia, I tend to agree with Gilbert that usually the point rodding is not glaringly obvious, and probably except just by the signal boxes, does not stand out as an omission. Perhaps it is because you have a much better eye for detail than I have.

 

I do think your work on the point rodding at Little Bytham is well worth it, and thank you for the time and patience expended on it.

 

Lloyd

[great northern]

We will stick with the commonplace tonight, though there are more Scottish visitors to come.  Another angle on 60048, patiently waiting......

 

 

As the Yorkshire Pullman appears on its way South.

 

 

[great northern]

More Yorkshire Pullman this morning.

 

 

A different angle here, which I rather like, but it does allow the light from the windows to cause havoc with the lattices.

 

You may have noticed that I've been doing some different skies lately. Which do you prefer, those or the now familiar neutral background?

[KNP]

I like the sky with hint of movement/clouds.

[35A]

On ‎21‎/‎09‎/‎2019 at 15:16, great northern said:

One of the main reasons for choosing 1958 was that the main line parlys and the M&GN were still running. I've seen bay 4 referred to as the "Boston Bay", and I have lots of evidence for E. Lincs trains starting from there.

 

Very true. Even into the DMU era, the Grimsby/Skegness trains used to start from 4. Platform 5, on the other hand, was pretty much disused by the late 60s, apart from for recessing failed locos or replacement locos awaiting the arrival of a semi-failure on a down train - plus the 20:02 Crewe Royal Mail train (a TPO and a BG). 4 became generally disused from the closure of the Spalding line at the beginning of the 70s, apart from the odd Leicester/Birmingham train that started from Peterborough.

 

For example, until around 1972, there was a loco and stock working from Leicester at teatime, usually around 4 coaches, hauled by a pair of Class 25 Sulzer locos. After arriving in platform 2 it would head into Nene Sidings, where one class 25 would detach and head for platform 5, to take out the Crewe mail. The second class 25 would run round, take the down avoiding line to just north of Spital Bridge, before propelling back into platform 4, where it would form the 20:20 departure back to Leicester (I was lucky enough to get a cab ride throughout on this move, a couple of times). In, IIRC, May 1972 the passenger service was turned over to a DMU and the locomotive for the Crewe mail became a Finsbury Park Brush 2 (Class 31), straight off the first of the three loco-hauled King's Cross to Peterborough commuter trains. 

[great northern]

Another look at Sun Chariot, an almost mythical loco down here.

 

 

In avoiding the dreaded pole coming out of the chimney, I cut off part of the tender.

 

In the real world, Aboyeur came past with the Queen of Scots.

 

 

That left Doncaster free to start the last 29 miles of its journey to Grantham, passing another Ivatt on a Yarmouth train. I'm not too sure now why I was so determined to have the M&GN trains, as by 1958 there was no variety of locomotives at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[great northern]

So why did I hit the wrong button? Here's the photo.

 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

45 minutes ago, great northern said:

Another look at Sun Chariot, an almost mythical loco down here.

 

 

In avoiding the dreaded pole coming out of the chimney, I cut off part of the tender.

 

In the real world, Aboyeur came past with the Queen of Scots.

 

 

That left Doncaster free to start the last 29 miles of its journey to Grantham, passing another Ivatt on a Yarmouth train. I'm not too sure now why I was so determined to have the M&GN trains, as by 1958 there was no variety of locomotives at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Gilbert

 

All these Scottish locos, and no point rodding, is this a bit of Rule Number One?  I am shocked at someone who is so strict on things being the summer of 1958.

 

I won't mention the fast lines on the GNR had been upgraded to flat bottom rail with BR Mk1 base plates, because I might get told off from another GNR layout owner who models a similar period.

[great northern]

10 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Gilbert

 

All these Scottish locos, and no point rodding, is this a bit of Rule Number One?  I am shocked at someone who is so strict on things being the summer of 1958.

 

I won't mention the fast lines on the GNR had been upgraded to flat bottom rail with BR Mk1 base plates, because I might get told off from another GNR layout owner who models a similar period.

Sometimes you are quite a naughty person Clive.  The Scottish locos were but fleeting guests, but point rodding will never arrive, unless of course you are volunteering? Remember that gap at the back of the layout is only eleven inches wide. And of course the summer of 58 only applies except when it doesn't. Deltic and its baby brother?

Of course I won't mention what you haven't.

[great northern]

Here's another wildly improbable visitor.

 

 

It's a shame this sort of working didn't happen much, as it makes a very nice picture.

 

Next we have Doncaster a little further on its way to Grantham.

 

 

and finally this morning, a local B1 waiting to leave with the 1.12pm stopper to KX.

 

 

 

 

 

[great northern]

Another look at the B1 as it heads for London. It has been on this duty for days, must be due for a boiler washout.

 

 

Once it has gone, the line is clear for one of our on loan 02s to come through.

 

 

[great northern]

The monsoon has reappeared, so indoor pursuits will take precedence today. At the moment, it isn't light enough to see anything much though. That could be why I just typed a semi colon instead of an L. I have now put the light on.

 

All the action is on the Up side at the moment. Grantham's Centenary is on the 9.47 Newcastle, which acts partly as a relief for the following 9.55, but on some days includes a portion from Tyne Commission Quay.

 

 

A few minutes later, the 9.55 appears, Gateshead's Sir Walter Scott in charge.

 

 

Isn't it remarkable? Those lamps looked OK to the naked eye, but the camera says otherwise. They have to go.

[Bogie]

Maybe it's because the photo is B&W that makes them stand out.  They are the only white things in the photo.

 

What does the colour version reveal?

[great northern]

36 minutes ago, Bogie said:

Maybe it's because the photo is B&W that makes them stand out.  They are the only white things in the photo.

 

What does the colour version reveal?

That is a remarkable coincidence!  Normally I would have processed the RAW version, and then deleted the others. For some reason, probably senility, on this occasion I processed the JPEG in colour by mistake, and then did the RAW, after which I decided it looked better in monochrome. The result of thar rambling explanation is that I do still have a colour shot for comparison, and here it is.

 

 

Still look horrible, I'm afraid, as do the signals to the left, which I cropped out when I processed the right image.

 

 

 

[Bogie]

Okay I will now slink away into the shadows and not comment further. . . .

[great northern]

16 minutes ago, Bogie said:

Okay I will now slink away into the shadows and not comment further. . . .

Please don't do that. Comment is welcome on here. Some weathering would tone them down, but really they need to be replaced. I've got some much smaller ones, if I can stir myself to get on with things.

[great northern]

Trying to drill out tiny lamps. Not many done. Tonight's pictures again feature the A1 on the Newcastle.

 

 

 

 

The next time you see Sir Walter Scott, he will, I promise, carry better lamps. Unless I forget, that is.

[great northern]

All the action seems to be on the Up at present. Next to appear is a very mixed goods from Colwick, on its way to Kings Cross Goods. I'm not sure what the photographer has used to reach this height, but it does give a different view.

 

 

Whatever it is can hover, as can be seen from this closer shot.

 

 

[Tony Wright]

6 hours ago, great northern said:

All the action seems to be on the Up at present. Next to appear is a very mixed goods from Colwick, on its way to Kings Cross Goods. I'm not sure what the photographer has used to reach this height, but it does give a different view.

 

 

Whatever it is can hover, as can be seen from this closer shot.

 

 

Good to see you today, Gilbert,

 

And many thanks for lunch and a good chat.

 

I'm glad the new carriages ran well. They look entirely in-place!

 

Remember our talk about observation. Regarding 61828 in the picture above, is it one of the few originals which later got left-hand drive? I know some did, but it was unusual. I assume it's a Bachmann RTR loco, with the later-style cab? If so, it's unlikely to be appropriate. 

 

I really must seem like a bl00dy nuisance whenever I call or make observations! I could, of course, be wrong.

 

Regards,

 

Tony.