Grantham - the Streamliner years

[Atso]

Some of us had to escape all the way home and then drag ourselves into the office this morning. Luckily the traffic was light and I was home not long after midnight.

 

Very remiss of me not to thank all the people who came to see us and make positive comments, most especially those who purchased the DVD. Steve (Atso) showed me some incredibly clean and detailed resin castings of fish vans in 2mm, which would go well with Tim Watson's beautiful P2.

 

Nice to see Pelmet Tom Palmar as well and I was sorry not to be able to introduce myself to Stationmaster Mike, who was roped into Yard Box for a while, I noted.

 

Thanks, of course, to Nick Freezer and the MRC for looking after us so well - the new accommodation, contrary to what I'd been told, was much closer than the former establishment - and the friendly, smiling AP staff, who could teach one or two other venues a thing or two about civility.

 

Hi Jonathan,

 

It was great to see you (and everyone else as well as meet Roy and Barryo for the first time) and I hope that you enjoyed the show. Thank you for the feedback and kind word regarding the fish vans. These were actually produced using a substandard mould as the release I'd used to make the two halfs didn't work and I had to cut them apart. Unfortunately the Dia 23 master has been damaged so a new print will need to be ordered. However, this has given me the opportunity to do a couple of minor redesigns to make casting easier as well as add the chalk boards to the van (which you so kindly pointed out was missing!).

 

Friendly, smiling AP staff? Things have changed since I worked there (in the ice rink: 1997-2002) as the events staff were typically anything but (at least to us teenagers working in the 'dive end' of the building!). Speaking of which I made a return visit on Sunday evening with the better half and had a skate. I've not done too much of that over the last year and ache from it this morning (from the exercise though. I didn't fall over despite having a go at jumping and spinning again!!!).

Edited March 26, 2018 by Atso

[Tony Wright]

Some of us had to escape all the way home and then drag ourselves into the office this morning. Luckily the traffic was light and I was home not long after midnight.

 

Very remiss of me not to thank all the people who came to see us and make positive comments, most especially those who purchased the DVD. Steve (Atso) showed me some incredibly clean and detailed resin castings of fish vans in 2mm, which would go well with Tim Watson's beautiful P2.

 

Nice to see Pelmet Tom Palmar as well and I was sorry not to be able to introduce myself to Stationmaster Mike, who was roped into Yard Box for a while, I noted.

 

Thanks, of course, to Nick Freezer and the MRC for looking after us so well - the new accommodation, contrary to what I'd been told, was much closer than the former establishment - and the friendly, smiling AP staff, who could teach one or two other venues a thing or two about civility.

Jonathan,

 

I echo everything you say, though, being retired, I didn't have to go anywhere this morning. 

 

 

Your two carriages look very pretty indeed.

 

 

I don't think I managed to mess up the shed's operating too much. My new J6 can just be seen. Thanks for giving her a run (the coupling is now fixed properly!). 

[Atso]

I hope you volunteered to do a 3 hours unassisted operating session managing North Box and Yard Box together when you visited the layout. They would have been ever so grateful.

 

Graeme, I'm usually all for volunteering and getting involved. However, on this occasion, a look at the sequence book and complexity of the track plan made me decide that discretion was definitely the better part of valour!

[jwealleans]

Sorry we didn't get to have an intro Jonathan but Graham more than made up for it...

From where I was standing the railway ran perfectly adequately while you had the levers, Mike. Hopefully we'll be down into your manor again - we are due at Stevenage next year and Southampton after that, with (I gather) the possibility of more.

 

isn't your office a Model Railway?

I wish. Freezing cold and smells of horses.

 

Friendly, smiling AP staff? Things have changed...

Two distinct groups. The dark suited individuals encouraging us to leave on the Saturday could have done with a day at charm school (although I was probably past my personal best as well by then). The hi-vis group managing the car parks and traffic in and out were invariably friendly, smiling and helpful. It makes such a difference to your day.

Edited March 26, 2018 by jwealleans

[LNER4479]

We did have the official photographer present, so there will be more and better images along in due course.

Well, not so sure that they're better; some are in fact very similar, but here they are anyway.

 

Thought I'd attempt a stage-by-stage series of photos of the setup. Here we are a few moments after having arrived just to prove that it really all does fit in a LWB Transit. Harvey has immediately taken up his position as security guard. For some reason there was an outbreak of 'organ' double entendres - can't imagine why?

 

Now with everything unloaded and the van retired to the car park.

 

Scenic boards are up whilst the fiddle yard gang lags a little behind. Hazardous exercise erecting a layout, hence the hi vizzes...

 

Ta daaa! The barrier fairies visited in the dead of night....

 

Now with added people. I deliberately stood back to capture the layout in this most magnificent of settings.

 

Couldn't resist this little line up of Gresley A1s. Teak sets 1 (Flying Scotsman), 2 (Junior Scotsman) and 3 (Leeds Quint) have just finished their last run and await packing up at 1600 yesterday afternoon.

 

Jonathan has said it far better than I could have in terms of thanks and acknowledgements so little else to add really. For the record, this was Grantham's tenth show as a full layout so definitely a momentous show all round.

 

We now have the spring / summer 'off' but there's plenty to be getting on with in the meantime...

Edited March 26, 2018 by LNER4479

[Tony Wright]

 

One other Grantham image from the weekend (also on Wright Writes). 

 

That's about it; I didn't really have too much time for picture-taking. 

[Jesse Sim]

Bracing myself for the short trip to AP today. Jesse, you certainly should get hold of a copy as you do feature. Tom (Airline Tom), you were in the first cut I saw but I have a feeling you may now be in the outtakes.

 

No cakes and no tea ladies this weekend, so do forgive us if the privations all become too much.....

But how does my hair look?

[Jesse Sim]

Layout is looking superb, I always get a bit jealous when I see this stuff posted, makes me miss the fun I had at Warley. 

 

Hope everything ran smoothly with no hiccups? 

 

All the best, see you all very soon. 

[St Enodoc]

Hi Jonathan,

 

It was great to see you (and everyone else as well as meet Roy and Barryo for the first time) and I hope that you enjoyed the show. Thank you for the feedback and kind word regarding the fish vans. These were actually produced using a substandard mould as the release I'd used to make the two halfs didn't work and I had to cut them apart. Unfortunately the Dia 23 master has been damaged so a new print will need to be ordered. However, this has given me the opportunity to do a couple of minor redesigns to make casting easier as well as add the chalk boards to the van (which you so kindly pointed out was missing!).

 

Friendly, smiling AP staff? Things have changed since I worked there (in the ice rink: 1997-2002) as the events staff were typically anything but (at least to us teenagers working in the 'dive end' of the building!). Speaking of which I made a return visit on Sunday evening with the better half and had a skate. I've not done too much of that over the last year and ache from it this morning (from the exercise though. I didn't fall over despite having a go at jumping and spinning again!!!).

Don't remember the ice rink but we used to go roller-skating there in the 1970s.

[jwealleans]

But how does my hair look?

Too long, of course.

[gr.king]

Just don't let Battery Sergeant Major Williams see it, for goodness' sake....

[The Blue Streak]

Just don't let Battery Sergeant Major Williams see it, for goodness' sake....

 

Not sure if Jesse would even have been born when "It Aint half hot Mum" aired on the Tele.

 

I doubt that in our PC correct world it will ever air again

 

[Barry O]

A bit of team work from the Grantham crew..
On Saturday afternoon at the Show my weathered A4 Silver Link lost a bolt from its motion. Result...a badly out of quarter driver.

Jonathan found the missing bolt and washer, Tony requarterd the offending wheel and Roy Mears refitted the bolt.
Locomotive was tested and returned to the active fleet.

Thanks chaps!

Baz

Edited April 3, 2018 by Barry O

[fishytrains]

Thoroughly enjoyed seeing the layout on the Sunday of the show. Spent an enjoyable period of time watching the trains go by. What a masterpiece!

 

Mike

[andykwilkinson]

Just a quick note that another batch of Grantham DVDs have been made.  These will be handed to Jonathan at this Saturday's Ely show (our 40th!) so that they can be hand-delivered to your distribution warehouse up north sometime soon ;-)

[Theakerr]

How do we get a DVD in the GWN (Canada)

[jwealleans]

Contact Red Leader (LNER4479) and he'll sort you out. They will be available via the A1 Trust in the future I believe but for the moment he has the stock.

[LNER4479]

How do we get a DVD in the GWN (Canada)

PM sent. Thanks for interest shown.

[Norton Wood]

A little off topic, but LNER related all the same,

 

What are peoples thoughts if interested in the Oxford Rail RTR N7?

 

 

 

[jwealleans]

My thought is that it has its own thread here.

[Jesse Sim]

Just watched the DVD, excellent job, lovely film.

 

I feel very humbled for the feature of me adding the supports to the station canopy, thank you very much. 

 

Cant wait to see you all at Tony's. 

[Barry O]

And now we have two threads how wonderful!

Comments about the loco should stay in the loco thread. This thread is about Grantham....

 

Baz

[LNER4479]

Evening All,

 

Bit quiet - due to no less that TWO quick trips away over consecutive weekends. A short travelogue follows:

 

We start with a favourite subject of mine - signals! Is this the last or one of the last operational gantries on the national network? Interesting to find it still in use as here's been a re-signalling scheme nearby which has swept away a whole tranche of lovely semaphores!

 

Any guesses? (before you look at the next picture!)

 

This might give it away! Took a trip behind what is now regarded as 'heritage' steam on the UK's only rack railway up a well-known mountain.

 

This train was somewhat smaller than this photo first lets one - check out the Lilliputian driver! Where's this then?

 

Onwards (on the day of all the excitement in Windsor), taking advantage of the excellent multi-gauge interchange facilities at the top end of the Festiniog railway (which is also a clue as to the location of the previous photo!)

 

The Festiniog was as impressive as ever (we treated ourselves to the grandeur of brand new Pullman observation car no.152, only two weeks in traffic), but it is dwarfed when sat alongside the mighty Garratts of the Welsh Highland Railway (a personal fave).

 

We made use of the latter railway as one is meant to, to visit the pretty village of Beddgelert

 

We take our leave of this trip as No.143 (built Manchester, 1958) retires to shed at the end of her day.

 

And now some further locos you're unlikely to see on a LNER-themed thread...

 

A blue one(!)

 

A suvvern one (to get Mr Duck excited)

 

And at least one that had a right sounding whistle!

 

Whatever your allegiance, congratulations to the lads and lassies of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway for extending their already excellent railway to the honey-pot Cotswold town of Broadway (where the pic of 70013 was taken). If the numbers we saw travelling are anything to go by (OK, it was a gala) then it should reward them splendidly.

 

 

Anyway, never mind all that. E's just stalling for time! What about any actual progress on Grantham?! Well...

 

... I can report a smidgin of progress on the Quint set. All the underframes have now had their intermediate coupling plates fitted and the resin bogies are being prepared. Hopefully it will all be on its wheels now before too long and then we can do some running trials before adding further details.

Edited May 29, 2018 by LNER4479

[31A]

Evening All,

 

Bit quiet - due to no less that TWO quick trips away over consecutive weekends. A short travelogue follows:

 

DSC02375.JPG

We start with a favourite subject of mine - signals! Is this the last or one of the last operational gantries on the national network? Interesting to find it still in use as here's been a re-signalling scheme nearby which has swept away a whole tranche of lovely semaphores!

 

 

 

As far as I know the gantry at Harrogate is still in use; in fact I thought that one was the last as I didn't know about the Llandudno one.

 

Anyway, thanks for the lovely pictures!  Portmadoc looks a bit different these days.

[St Enodoc]

DSC02375.JPG

We start with a favourite subject of mine - signals! Is this the last or one of the last operational gantries on the national network? Interesting to find it still in use as here's been a re-signalling scheme nearby which has swept away a whole tranche of lovely semaphores!

 

DSC02471.JPG

This might give it away! Took a trip behind what is now regarded as 'heritage' steam on the UK's only rack railway up a well-known mountain.

 

DSC02759_crop.jpg

A blue one(!)

2735 - Thought the first one might be Ludo and confirmed when I enlarged the pic. Pity whoever built the model used the wrong typeface on the signal box nameboard.

 

2471 - I wonder who Snowdon Lily was/is?

 

2759 - I like blue Kings (not referring to Graeme of this parish).