Grantham - the Streamliner years

[Chimer]

Just had to post having seen Grantham in action at Southampton - wow, that's what I call ambitious.  Very well executed by a great team, with the odd snag being swiftly sorted without any noticeable impact on morale.  Particularly liked the flip cards detailing the movements, which largely explained what the loco moves on and off shed were all about.  The only down side for me was 10 minutes listening to a fellow visitor showing off his extensive knowledge of LNER safety valves and boiler bands to the duty shed driver, who was extremely gracious in his responses …...

 

Well done, chaps!

[jwealleans]

Thank you for the kind comments.   It's interesting to know how far the audience pick up on things going wrong (unless they're an obvious failure).    We always hope our less apparent deviations from the documented sequence are invisible to the average punter.   We had a whale of a time at Southampton, which was a top quality show and provided top notch accommodation as well.    Special mention must be made of the pie on Saturday night: a real winner for the social secretary (Mr. King).   Grantham is now back and safely stored away until preparations for Leeds begin at the end of the summer.

 

There were some trains involved and even time for the odd photo on Sunday morning.

 

 

 

A couple of general shots of the layout before opening.  Roy, Graham, Andrew and Tom in view.  

 

On Sunday we seemed to have stopped at a point where the yard was much more empty than usual, so I parked the camera in a few places it can't usually go and tried some low level shots.

 

 

This is looking north up the goods yard towards the granary and station.

 

 

Turning slightly left, the photographer sees Yard box, two porters dragging a trolley past John Smart's horsebox, 4412 and 5429 on shed in the background and the south end pilot in its customary place.   Dave Hammersley (Roxey Mouldings) beyond.

 

 

Further left brings us squarely to the pilot and the gas tank which lives in the same spur.

 

As well as the usual troubleshooting and quick maintenance jobs on Sunday, I wanted to run the new Quad set which is under construction round the path it takes on the layout.   That meant departing North Yard, transiting Platform 2, reversing the width of the station into Platform 5 then departing again via South Fiddle to its home in North Road 6.  Here it is (successfully) carrying out the reversing move.

 

 

What I didn't know on Sunday morning was that Mrs. W was also snapping away showing what we get up to when the public are safely queueing outside.  So here are a few informal shots of what was going on:

 

 

The Official Photographer was taking some pictures of something which I (obviously) can't disclose.

 

 

Tom was either practising his shunting or doing his nails.

 

 

The DVD has to be started and then reminded to repeat.

 

 

Obviously it's all work, work, work in the fiddle yards, the engine room of the layout.

 

 

 

 

That included intensive discussion, examination and evaluation of the grey ghost.

 

 

Barry and Jean having far too much fun.   This was Barry's first weekend with us and remarkably he was still smiling when I dropped him off at the station on Sunday evening.

 

 

Almost the whole operating team on Sunday: Graham, Jean, Barry, Roy, Graeme, myself and Andrew.    Paul and Tom, as we've seen, were busy at the South End.   Thanks also to Tom Palmar and Stationmaster Mike for turning in a shift or two on Saturday.

Edited January 27, 2020 by jwealleans

[Tony Wright]

11 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

Thank you for the kind comments.   It's interesting to know how far the audience pick up on things going wrong (unless they're an obvious failure).    We always hope our less apparent deviations from the documented sequence are invisible to the average punter.   We had a whale of a time at Southampton, which was a top quality show and provided top notch accommodation as well.    Special mention must be made of the pie on Saturday night: a real winner for the social secretary (Mr. King).   Grantham is now back and safely stored away until preparations for Leeds begin at the end of the summer.

 

There were some trains involved and even time for the odd photo on Sunday morning.

 

 

 

A couple of general shots of the layout before opening.  Roy, Graham, Andrew and Tom in view.  

 

On Sunday we seemed to have stopped at a point where the yard was much more empty than usual, so I parked the camera in a few places it can't usually go and tried some low level shots.

 

 

This is looking north up the goods yard towards the granary and station.

 

 

Turning slightly left, the photographer sees Yard box, two porters dragging a trolley past John Smart's horsebox, 4412 and 5429 on shed in the background and the south end pilot in its customary place.   Dave Hammersley (Roxey Mouldings) beyond.

 

 

Further left brings us squarely to the pilot and the gas tank which lives in the same spur.

 

As well as the usual troubleshooting and quick maintenance jobs on Sunday, I wanted to run the new Quad set which is under construction round the path it takes on the layout.   That meant departing North Yard, transiting Platform 2, reversing the width of the station into Platform 5 then departing again via South Fiddle to its home in North Road 6.  Here it is (successfully) carrying out the reversing move.

 

 

What I didn't know on Sunday morning was that Mrs. W was also snapping away showing what we get up to when the public are safely queueing outside.  So here are a few informal shots of what was going on:

 

 

The Official Photographer was taking some pictures of something which I (obviously) can't disclose.

 

 

Tom was either practising his shunting or doing his nails.

 

 

The DVD has to be started and then reminded to repeat.

 

 

Obviously it's all work, work, work in the fiddle yards, the engine room of the layout.

 

 

 

 

That included intensive discussion, examination and evaluation of the grey ghost.

 

 

Barry and Jean having far too much fun.   This was Barry's first weekend with us and remarkably he was still smiling when I dropped him off at the station on Sunday evening.

 

 

Almost the whole operating team on Sunday: Graham, Jean, Barry, Roy, Graeme, myself and Andrew.    Paul and Tom, as we've seen, were busy at the South End.   Thanks also to Tom Palmar and Stationmaster Mike for turning in a shift or two on Saturday.

Well done to all Jonathan,

 

Why can't the B3 be disclosed?

 

It's such a beautiful model, it should be!

 

 

 

It's also on Wright Writes.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

[jwealleans]

Quote

Why can't the B3 be disclosed?

 

I wasn't sure whether it was for publication.

[Tony Wright]

2 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

 

I wasn't sure whether it was for publication.

Thanks Jonathan,

 

I wasn't told of any embargo.

 

It is lovely, isn't it?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[LNER4479]

13 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Well done to all Jonathan,

 

Why can't the B3 be disclosed?

 

It's such a beautiful model, it should be!

 

 

 

It's also on Wright Writes.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

Hi Tony,

 

Thanks for these lovely portraits of 6165 on the layout. The second one in particular is a very natural viewpoint.

 

Any 'embargo' was just a touch of playfulness as its ultimate owner isn't aware that the loco has been through the paint shop and (virtually) ready for delivery. I hope to present it to him in the near future as a 'ta-daa!' unveiling. But as he isn't on RMWeb then I think our secret is safe.

 

For those not aware, this is how the joint Nicholas-King G-Train Loco works B3 Kit makes up, set off with a top notch paint finish by Ian Rathbone. Just needs cab glass and a couple of handrails refitting.

[Chimer]

17 hours ago, jwealleans said:

Thank you for the kind comments.   It's interesting to know how far the audience pick up on things going wrong (unless they're an obvious failure).    We always hope our less apparent deviations from the documented sequence are invisible to the average punter.   

 

Any "deviations" would be completely invisible if you didn't provide us punters with the sequence on the flip boards - but for me that was crucial information, which made it obvious what you were doing with engine changes, etc., and that you weren't just running trains round at random from the fiddle yard.  Now if you felt like adding station announcements, that would be ……… a bit annoying for adjacent stall-holders, I suspect!

 

I also thought it was a nice twist that you gave the non-stopping trains (including the fast fish as well as the streamliners, I noticed) two circuits to give us a couple of chances to get a decent look at them.

 

As to "obvious failures", a 4' x 1' diorama on a single board might be expected to run perfectly after a couple of hundred miles in a van, but the odd derailment, dodgy connection or sticky point on an epic like Grantham is completely excused by the ambition. 

[LNER4479]

Well, many thanks for that. I do worry at times at the amount of bloopers (some mine!) and glitches when we're at a show and whether that spoils folks' enjoyment. I am however sometimes reminded of my experience of being on stage - just keep facing the audience and smiling; you'd be amazed at what you get away with! Interestingly, when things do go wrong, sometimes you get comments along the lines of 'at least you're human', meaning that folks with layouts of their own can somehow relate to you that little bit more if you appear fallible. Shouldn't stop us from striving for near perfection, mind...

 

Before our appearance at the show recedes too far into history, some pix of mine, from the very agreeable depot operating position:

 

My Quint set featured in the run-in to the show so please forgive me for naturally pointing the camera in its direction, having arrived in Platform 5 from the Nottingham / Derby direction. If nothing else, this view highlights how I need to finish off the inner vehicles in the set. Looks like Tom is doing his nails again whilst Barry converses with Jonathan, fiddling round the back

 

The loco of choice to run with the Quint set is Graeme's peerless Atlantic, this due to the Cawston picture that so inspired me to create the set in the first place. Here, the loco takes a spin on the turntable as close cousin C2 No.3254 awaits departure from the shed as the afternoon southbound pilot.

 

Our Atlantic-fest continues with this view from the roof of the coaling stage. This is in fact another day and No.4413 is at the head of the Quint set, awaiting departure on the 3.0pm to Nottingham / Derby, the very train that Cawston photographed 88 years ago. The two Atlantics awaiting departure are once again the southbound pilot (nearest) and a goods train departure to Peterborough (New England) yard. Behind, the morning King's Cross (Top Shed) pacific turn is the first off shed, to pick up its working back to the capital. Looks like No.4475 'Flying Fox'. Completing the picture, two indigenous 'D' 4-4-0s await their turn out the front of the 'Old Shed'.

 

A slightly more elevated view as the southbound West Riding sweeps by on its way to the capital whilst Tom surveys his empire. A suitably random collection of locos can be seen, including three Grantham pacifics, the C2, a K2, K3 and a J6. An ex-GCR 'Director' is a relatively unusual visitor but the O4 from the same family of locos is more regular fare, being the locos of choice for the pre-war High Dyke workings.

 

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

I waited hours for that C2 to move at the Nottingham show a few years ago, as its by far the prettiest loco on the line.

 

Wretched thing didn't turn a wheel except when I wasn't looking.  Guess I need to sneak up on it without startling it next time...

[PaulRhB]

It looked superb with trains sweeping in round the curve on the left hand end and I arrived just in time to see Mallard accelerating towards history!

It lived up to all the expectations in the flesh  

 

 

 

 

[St Enodoc]

13 hours ago, Chimer said:

I also thought it was a nice twist that you gave the non-stopping trains (including the fast fish as well as the streamliners, I noticed) two circuits to give us a couple of chances to get a decent look at them.

I first saw that trick on the late David Jenkinson's Garsdale Road at a Hemel Hempstead show in about 1971.

[jwealleans]

That last picture's a cracker.   Mallard hurtling past, South End pilot shunting 6 wheelers, Victorian 12 wheel dining car awaiting service, Shotover with ACFI pump waiting to come off shed alongside C2, K3 and K2....  just needs a few more wagons in the yard and it'd be perfect.

 

It's nice for those of us who live round the back to see what happens under the lights: more, please.

[Barry O]

You can always ventureround the front JW...the mpd is a good place to watch the trains go by.....

 

Baz

[Barry O]

8 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

I waited hours for that C2 to move at the Nottingham show a few years ago, as its by far the prettiest loco on the line.

 

Wretched thing didn't turn a wheel except when I wasn't looking.  Guess I need to sneak up on it without startling it next time...

I think the C2 is elegant, the C1s are like a pug dog..all squeezed up..but then...Jonathan has a beautiful Ex NER Atlantic..which is by far the best looking Atlantic  on the layout

 

Baz

[2750Papyrus]

The Jersey Lilly (GC Atlantic) is often reckoned to be the best looking, though personally I prefer the 4-6-0 version such as "Immingham".

 

The shots of the completed "Valour"  look super, a worthy memorial indeed.

[jwealleans]

Quote

if you felt like adding station announcements, that would be ……… a bit annoying

 

He won't thank me for reminding everyone, but at our second outing, in Grantham itself, there was a complaint from a punter that he couldn't hear the station announcements on an adjacent layout due to the depot operator (Lord Wright of Bytham) talking. 

[gr.king]

For the utterly pedantic, the Imminghams (GC class 8F) are not the direct 4-6-0 equivalent of the Atlantics, the true equivalents being just the two 8C 4--6-0s built alongside the first pair of Atlantics. The Imminghams had coupled wheels a little smaller.

 

An un-named 8F in LNER lined green livery was on duty at Southampton show, just as it is at most Grantham outings.

 

Even though I'm a fan of at least he Northern parts of the GC (the proper bit that was the original MS&L), I think the appearance of the Jersey Lillies is vastly overrated. The only GC Atlantic I'm likely to ever allow on my own layout will be one of the compounds, not for the sake of their appearance, but purely because they were unusual,  .

[JamieR4489]

45 minutes ago, jwealleans said:

 

there was a complaint from a punter that he couldn't hear the station announcements on an adjacent layout due to the depot operator (Lord Wright of Bytham) talking. 

Maybe it’s to drown out the DCC sound diesel TMDs that seem to swamp exhibitions these days, rumbling away all weekend.

[Barry O]

5 hours ago, JamieR4489 said:

Maybe it’s to drown out the DCC sound diesel TMDs that seem to swamp exhibitions these days, rumbling away all weekend.

Not if they are near me...i tend to ask them to turn thre volume down..they generally do if they know how to. If they don't..well it has never happened...

 

Baz

[Clive Mortimore]

12 hours ago, JamieR4489 said:

Maybe it’s to drown out the DCC sound diesel TMDs that seem to swamp exhibitions these days, rumbling away all weekend.

As I have built a few diesel depot layouts in the past I fully agree about the continuous rumbling. If you ever see my Pig Lane (Western Region) the first thing you will notice is a lack of sound, apart from the Lima Pressed Steel single car.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

I wouldn't mind if there was rumbling, mostly its high pitched whistling.  Sound fitted class 20s should be against the law. I blame English Electric and their abominable whistling turbos. 

[andykwilkinson]

Jonathan,

 

On your post (27th Jan) you mention that the Grantham DVD (that I produced a while ago) "has to be reminded to repeat each time".  Some DVD recorders allow you to set it to auto repeat - but if the one being used does not then I can make a "Special Display Only DVD" which should make the (hopefully, any) DVD player go back to the start and play again - without human intervention.  I had to do this with our now infamous Thurston DVD when that was out and about on the exhibition circuit - before it's well earned retirement to a rich man's Suffolk barn a few years ago.

 

Busy with work at the moment but if this is of interest I'll make you a copy and perhaps give it to you when we next meet and you can see if that removes one more task!

 

Grantham team - layout's looking great - so many little improvements from when we filmed!!!

[PMP]

Literally asking for a friend.

Is there any evidence of the platform edges being painted white at Grantham in the 20’s to 30’s? The reason is he’s doing a painting and can’t determine if platform edges are lighter stone material, or paint.

 

[61070]

Ref. the discussion on the cleaning, filling and trimming of signal lamps (18 Jan onward, previous page).  First, apologies for being slow on the uptake.  Here's a memo and attachment received at Grantham's Yard Box from the Station Master's office in 1921.  It relates specifically to hand lamps, rather than signal lamps, but given the relevance to Grantham I hope it's of interest.  Of course these are the official instructions - which may or may not have been rigorously followed. 

There's lots more info on signal lamps and their maintenance in GNR days in Michael Vanns An Illustrated History of GNR Signalling, pages 53-55.

 John

 

Edited February 28, 2020 by 61070

[jwealleans]

Andy,

 

Sorry, I missed your post.   There's no problem with the DVD, it's the player.  It's the one we used to use in the car and it will auto repeat, but you have to tell it to do so using the remote and remember to do it every time it's started.   I expect it's not used to playing something other than Dora the Explorer and the Transformers - they seemed to go on and on for ever, auto repeat or not.

Edited February 26, 2020 by jwealleans