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GRANBY JUNCTION - Shunting Siphons for the Up Parcels with a Manor!


john dew
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12 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I think the "gate" arrangements instead of conventional marks have a lot to do with that. I've seen some good match racing in some of the races but only in short bursts.

 

Gates at the bottom end of the course are far from new, but when there are two marks at the top, you usually go around the outside, not between them.

 

Looks like hostilities commence next Wednesday.

 

Adrian

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16 hours ago, john dew said:

I do indeed remember the 1987 12M racing......it was brilliant ....we were glued to the TV.  As weekend racers we could relate directly to almost everything taking place on the race course which is not the case now.

 

I had heard that the Kiwis favour Ineos as Challenger of Record but I hadnt heard the Prada group  wanted to revert to a more conventional design.......interesting! 

 

 

Many people I know were glued to the 87 event.  I subsequently had the opportunity to sail a 12M (in calmer conditions), and they were quite a boat, and one that looked similar to something that you might find in your local marina.

 

I think the Prada/Swiss thing is informed gossip at the moment.

 

Adrian

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My apologies to all........this must be my longest gap in posting for many years .

All manner of events, railway and domestic, combined to delay me from finishing the site detail of the hotel and even posting anywhere. Hopefully most, if not all, of these issues are now sorted.

There are still a load of figures still to paint so the hotel frontage looks strangely deserted but most of the surrounding infrastructure is now in place. Given luck I can take some shots and post them over the weekend.

Talking of shots, we both had our Covid jabs on Tuesday. Side effects were relatively mild.....nothing like I remember from my Army jabs many years ago. Canada is a long way behind the UK .....only 12% have had the first jab so it will be quite a while before we can get together again with all our family. Nevertheless there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Easter.
 

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Lovely to see the Hotel in its completed setting John.

 

That Box Brownie really has produced a great photo. I wonder what kids these days (Makes me sound old I know), would make of a Box Brownie and the 126 film....

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1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

Lovely to see the Hotel in its completed setting John.

 

That Box Brownie really has produced a great photo. I wonder what kids these days (Makes me sound old I know), would make of a Box Brownie and the 126 film....

Biscuits in a box? :)

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The final black and white photo really has tons of atmosphere.  Lovely buildings John.

 

Thank you for inspiring.

 

 

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0.5.jpg.5830cc6626836fd20da9b5273bea7552.jpg


A bit of trivia about life in the UK during and immediately after WWII

Before I realised that the hotel would finished up so far back from the railway I started to acquire figures and bit and pieces to detail the rear kitchen.

You now need binoculars or a cruel close up to see them but it seemed a shame to waste them

 

1924504559_1Kitchen.jpg.58ab364440d9183266c79411abc3da41.jpg
 

 

2040466167_3CooksWaste.jpg.8c025c3a1bed2f5fed6ea0a265c4536c.jpg


I intended the two cooks, having a crafty fag, to be chatting up a waitress but am still looking for a suitable figure. They had to be sous chefs (short navy/black hats) because they are actually Modelu footplate men with the cap peaks filed off.

The guy on the left has been in my bits box for years. A Montys Models dust bin man but I wanted him to be seen emerging from the kitchen so I googled "UK Pig Swill 1947".........as part of the war effort dustbins painted green with "Pig Food" stenciled on a white background were used to collect all waste food stuff.

So here is the Talbot's rack of Bins ready for the weekly pick up.

 

2065334076_4WasterackGPO.jpg.1734f76f36149b49badade7848c2473f.jpg

The Bins were issued to each street where they were often chained to a lamp post

 

1832988011_6Rovers.jpg.925fcb0f8b58e755e9842c365ebab6ad.jpg

You will have to imagine the chain!

 

5.jpg.e5b789949a4b59ff20975f51d95cfadc.jpg


Apparently the collection system continued on through the late forties although I must confess I dont remember any cans in our road.

One can never accuse Granby of lacking detail!

In other news:


John Dew wrote:
Meantime I need to run some trains......but before doing so I have to come to a decision about the geriatric storage turn table and resolve a tiresome sporadic short on the branch line.....I could be away for some time!


I have definitely made up my mind

 

1260800619_10TT.jpg.a1b2dd7e550f76cddfe376d80682909e.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by john dew
Photos 18/8/22
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I remember when we moved to Feltham in the mid 1970’s there was a pig farm have way down the road to Feltham station. If the wind was blowing in our direction, the smell was awful.

I think it’s long since gone and probably built on now.

 

Lovely scene at the back of the hotel @john dew. Good luck with the turntable and short / fault finding.

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The little scenarios and vignettes are wonderful John.

 

Is the turntable to be replaced with something from Heljan?

 

Thank you for continuing to inspire.

 

Regards,

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13 hours ago, M.I.B said:

The little scenarios and vignettes are wonderful John.

 

Is the turntable to be replaced with something from Heljan?

 

Thank you for continuing to inspire.

 

Regards,

 

Thanks Tinker......glad you like it.........hope the house building is going well.

 

I replaced the Heljan, which served the Engine Shed, about four years ago with a Fleischmann. After some initial problems, of my own making,  it has run like a dream.....super reliable.

 

The hole in the ground in the Storage yards used to have another Fleischmann. I bought it second hand for about 50 bucks in 1996 so it doesnt owe me anything. Its always been a bit make and mend but the last year or so it has become even more erratic. I finally bit the bullet and spent most of this years train budget buying a new replacement. Unfortunately I think I may have damaged the coil/solenoid which triggers the motor. Alternatively I have incorrectly re-assembled the mechanical lever system activated by the solenoid. Either way it isnt working properly. I cant recall previously wishing I lived in Essex but it would be handy right now......I suspect you would sort right away while I chipped some locos for you.

 

All is not lost.......there is a local guy we have used in the past who will hopefully solve the problem.

 

Best wishes

 

 

 

 

 

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I never planned on living in Essex either John, but it sort of "happened" (:   I hope your man sorts it - sadly we can't get to North America at the moment.

 

Stay safe and thanks again for the inspiration.  Posts on here and on Robin's ANTB definitely keep the spirits and hope up.

 

Regards,

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  • john dew changed the title to GRANBY JUNCTION Will the turntable installation ever be finished?
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Fortunately I didnt have use our local small appliance repairman. I stumbled on a couple of old threads  and discovered all was not lost. RMWeb is such an amazing resource.

 

Its still not working properly .....all the exit sidings still have to be relaid and wired. I then discovered the exit tracks were without power unless the bridge had turned through 180o. I remembered that I had to fit jumper wires to the bridge track feed.... @melmerbymodification (thank you Keith).........so  the the bridge has to be remove again.

 

To cheer myself up I went over to the Engine Shed Turntable... which worked flawlessly.

Granby Shed on a spring morning in 1948:
 

778938136_3.2ShedBW.jpg.4921f06eebf3afafaa1d006176408da5.jpg

 

658681509_4.2PassageBW.jpg.f92e41d503f35e488423febe28fed8f2.jpg

345230696_6MogulBW.jpg.a124b363e524925048031e71bc5e4e2c.jpg


Wrong locos but reminds me of the atmosphere at Edgehill in the early fifties.

Regards from Vancouver where it is definitely spring and I am amazed that I am allowed to spend any time at all in the Railway Room

Edited by john dew
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On 04/05/2021 at 17:18, john dew said:

 

 

Fortunately I didnt have use our local small appliance repairman. I stumbled on a couple of old threads  and discovered all was not lost. RMWeb is such an amazing resource.

 

Its still not working properly .....all the exit sidings still have to be relaid and wired. I then discovered the exit tracks were without power unless the bridge had turned through 180o. I remembered that I had to fit jumper wires to the bridge track feed.... @melmerbymodification (thank you Keith).........so  the the bridge has to be remove again.

 

To cheer myself up I went over to the Engine Shed Turntable... which worked flawlessly.

Granby Shed on a spring morning in 1948:
 

778938136_3.2ShedBW.jpg.4921f06eebf3afafaa1d006176408da5.jpg

 

658681509_4.2PassageBW.jpg.f92e41d503f35e488423febe28fed8f2.jpg

345230696_6MogulBW.jpg.a124b363e524925048031e71bc5e4e2c.jpg


Wrong locos but reminds me of the atmosphere at Edgehill in the early fifties.

Regards from Vancouver where it is definitely spring and I am amazed that I am allowed to spend any time at all in the Railway Room

 

That's starting to sound quite a saga John, hopefully you can get it all fixed soon. (Lovely photos of Granby as ever).

 

In the meantime, I am concerned with that huge coal train being pushed up the incline to the Coaling stage - no wonder the UK is running out of local coal - its all at Granby.   Lol

 

Sunny greetings from Spain, where it's definitely very Spring like - Sunny weather, for days, getting hotter all the time.

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20 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

 

That's starting to sound quite a saga John, hopefully you can get it all fixed soon. (Lovely photos of Granby as ever).

 

In the meantime, I am concerned with that huge coal train being pushed up the incline to the Coaling stage - no wonder the UK is running out of local coal - its all at Granby.   Lol

 

Sunny greetings from Spain, where it's definitely very Spring like - Sunny weather, for days, getting hotter all the time.

May used to be my favourite time of year in Spain - not too hot, and before the school holidays started!

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On 06/05/2021 at 13:48, St Enodoc said:

May used to be my favourite time of year in Spain - not too hot, and before the school holidays started!

 

With Spain on the "Amber travel list" we have a few more weeks of no tourists.

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  • john dew changed the title to GRANBY JUNCTION Will the turntable installation ever be finished? Hurrah! The end is in sight
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A tale with a happy ending

 

First my apologies for not acknowledging the last few posts and in fact for not posting at all for three months.

 

Just after my last post, in early May, I wasn't feeling too well. After a couple of days in bed I was rushed to hospital. I spent most of May in an Acute Care Unit with a fever which developed into pneumonia. I dont remember too much about it but I do realise I have been very fortunate.  Pneumonia is pretty unpleasant at any age and certainly not recommended for an eighty four year old!

I was allowed home after three weeks and spent most of June and July swallowing innumerable pills (which made me indolent and sleepy) and phone consultations with assorted specialists.  On top of which I had to keep out of the sun and clear of the smoke from the forest fires in the interior.

Forced indoors, I spent most of my time staring at this hole in the ground and continuing with  my futile attempts to repair the bridge of the storage yard turntable.

 

1844843957_4TT.jpg.0ae881f13bde12448a96cbed43b0bddf.jpg

I guess I could have run some trains on the rest of the layout but the non functioning turntable was just too frustrating and demotivating. 

Happily the temperature has now dropped, ** the smoke has cleared somewhat and the pills have done their job.
 
Newly energised, I decided enough was enough and solved the turntable issue by the simple but expensive expedient of buying a new one .

Actually it wasn't that simple, Fleischmann have stopped making H0/00 turntables and cleared all their spare parts. Fortunately I tracked down a complete unit in Germany. A week later it was delivered, hooked up and working like a dream!

Here is Large Prairie 4124 crawling on to the centre of the bridge

2032466973_10LargePrairie.jpg.d9bbb031678cb7d50ff5ac83fd6404c7.jpg

Lots of work still to be done....The storage tracks have to be painted and ballasted, one of the approach roads has to be re-aligned, the turntable surround weathered and blended with the baseboard and an extension made for the Scalescene retaining wall

Most of the RR&Co routines already work seamlessly so the plan is for a video, provisionally titled "The storage shuffle" to be produced in the fall.

Oh dear, I almost forgot to include a pannier:

1793615844_11Prairie.jpg.481f9320fc9326b28f1dde777ebe50bc.jpg

Regards from a happy camper in Vancouver

 

** I may have spoken too soon about the weather...the temperature is now forecast to rise back to the low thirties. At least its cool in the railway room and I have a functioning turntable to play with test.

Edited by john dew
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6 hours ago, john dew said:

A tale with a happy ending

Hi John, glad there is an improvement.  My tale has not ended yet, sad to say!  A couple of months ago I broke my hip, the classic eighty six year old problem:o.  While its been fixed the pain still exists although it will get better, so I'm told.  Like you it has prevented "workin' on the railroad" and I've got a train caught between two blocks, out of reach naturally, so no playing trains until I can get up and get under.  Getting under the layout is a lot harder these days than when it was all set up about twenty years or so ago so it may be a while yet:fie:

Always good to see your recent additions

       Brian.       About to retire to the A/C train room for a few days.  If I can't play trains, at least I'll be cool!

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