Wright writes.....

[Northmoor]

Glad to say I experienced shed visits while it was still tolerated.  Dad took me round Landore depot in 1980 and I seem to remember we just asked someone politely, being told just to keep well clear of anything moving or which sounded like it was about to.  Less than 10 years later and you really couldn't just walk into depots anymore.

[APOLLO]

The Spotters Prayer

 

Our Father, who art in Crewe
hallowed be thy name
thy locomotives come
thy will be done
on the main line as it is in heaven (Springs Branch)
Give us this day our daily cop
And forgive us our MPD trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation (that shedplate hanging off !!)
but deliver us from evil (The Edge Hill / Gateshead shed masters)
For Crewe is the kingdom
birthplace of the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Edited November 15, 2019 by APOLLO

[TheSignalEngineer]

6 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

We never thought of using a decoy! Always got caught at Bank Hall

One of our crowd had been before and suggested that he distract the foreman for long enough for us to get in and out of sight then when we were spotted he would get in himself while the foreman's back was turned, then meet us at the bus stop.

[The Johnster]

The impossibles were Bath Road and Holbeck in my memory. 

[APOLLO]

I did both !! Bath Road I walked in and asked politely, a kind guy in the mess room took pity and took me round one saturday afternoon back in 1968. 

 

Holbeck was easy IF you knew how - Just DON'T walk in the entrance. Walk round the back and climb up the low-ish stone wall then through the concrete fence in this photo where some panels were missing - straight into the steam yard & at the side of the roundhouses. The diesel shed was a no-no at Holbeck !!

 

Not my photo but brings back mountaineering memories !! I could just squeeze through the gap on the right with my Duffle bag - No chance now though !!

 

 

Anyone chalk mark headcodes on their locos ! Note 41708 on blocks to the left - Ran a hot box being towed to the K&WVR. I think Neville Hill sorted the bearings out. 4 April 1967

 

 

 

I remember reconnoitering many sheds, walking the perimeter where possible looking for suitable "entry points". Most shed fences were falling to bits by the mid to late 60's, diesel sheds (including Springs Branch) were nearly always a no go area, but for some reason Finsbury Park was a doddle, especially on a bank holiday Monday !!

 

 

Crepello on the park

 

 

Happy days. 

 

Brit15

[Natalie]

Did anyone manage to get refused access to Reddish Depot? When I visited there (1980) there were all sorts of other characters wondering about inside as well. It felt like if you walked past on the dirt path alongside you would be invited in regardless of whether you wanted to or not. 

[w124bob]

On 13/11/2019 at 20:01, t-b-g said:

 

I used to knock about many small depots in the 70s and 80s. I would say that the layouts I saw all had a degree of realism in the layout and the scenic setting. Even if they reproduced a small section of a larger depot rather than the whole thing.

 

We used to go on a weekend, usually on a Sunday. We would go to Rotherwood, Worksop or Shirebrook and Sunday was best for pure spotting as that was when the locos were all at home and not out on the road.

 

Even on a normal working day the real places were like that operationally. Loco leaves, loco arrives. That was about it. You didn't see locos aimlessly swapping from one siding to another for no apparent reason, then swapping back again, unlike some of the models.

 

So the operation of the models was entirely realistic but still deadly dull. If you build an accurate model of a dull place and operate it realistically, you get a dull layout!

 

 

If you unlucky enough to spend a night shift at Newton Heath with a certain foreman , moving the same 142 three times from one road to another was not unsually. He'd rate a busy night by the number of bits of chalk he'd worn out! 

[Coach bogie]

5 hours ago, Natalie said:

Did anyone manage to get refused access to Reddish Depot? When I visited there (1980) there were all sorts of other characters wondering about inside as well. It felt like if you walked past on the dirt path alongside you would be invited in regardless of whether you wanted to or not. 

Never. I was always asked to let them know when I was leaving. When I took the shot below, I was asked where I was going next. I told him I was cycling to Guide Bridge. 'If you hand on a bit, you can have a lift!', I was told. I was ushered, with bike, the the 76 shown, My bike man handled into the cab and given a lift to Guide bridge signing on point.

 

Mike Wiltshire.

[richard i]

1 hour ago, Coach bogie said:

Never. I was always asked to let them know when I was leaving. When I took the shot below, I was asked where I was going next. I told him I was cycling to Guide Bridge. 'If you hand on a bit, you can have a lift!', I was told. I was ushered, with bike, the the 76 shown, My bike man handled into the cab and given a lift to Guide bridge signing on point.

 

Mike Wiltshire.

I had a similar experience in Zimbabwe. At Bulawayo I turned up on shed and was invited to shunt the stock for our train to Vic falls. Then brought stock into the station  so I did not need to walk back from the depot. One of my happiest memories. 

Richard

[Michael Edge]

12 hours ago, The Johnster said:

The impossibles were Bath Road and Holbeck in my memory. 

Our way into Holbeck was to climb up through a broken window in the roundhouse, straight off the street - then try not to get caught. The comment about Reddish is right, they were always very friendly there.

[The Johnster]

Ah, but the broken window in the roundhouse didn't feature in the Shed Directory directions...

 

Bath Road was more or less impossible as the only entrance apart from the footboard crossing from T,M. across a batch of running lines, which I never felt like attempting before the safety lights were put on it in the 70s, was from the A4 Bath Road straight into the office on the 4th floor.  And there were easily observed steam locos at the Midland shed anyway.

Edited November 16, 2019 by The Johnster

[t-b-g]

6 hours ago, w124bob said:

If you unlucky enough to spend a night shift at Newton Heath with a certain foreman , moving the same 142 three times from one road to another was not unsually. He'd rate a busy night by the number of bits of chalk he'd worn out! 

 

He probably builds diesel depot layouts now.

[ROSSPOP]

  I hope  you don`t mind a b it of thread highjacking.................................................

 

................................... but as Tony and many of you are experts in all things LNER ....and I`m not at all, I would  appreciate some  1930`s livery detailing advice on a recent 7mm loco kit build.... before I apply the paint.

 

 

Now Tony you will need to sit for this bit.....  This is a completed and fully working Hatchette Partwork  build of  A4 Mallard which as many of you know is designed to be assembled entirely with superglue. The etched brass being coated with a lacquer to facilitate superglue adhesion.

 

 

 

You may stand ... as I have soldered 95% of it  ( by removing all the lacquer) with the exception of the tender above the footplate , as the sides are plastic:  and the loco cab roof which is a mazak type moulding and I`m always scared of that stuff!!

 

 

 

 

 

I would like your opinion on :-  circa 1930`s livery

 

 

 

(1)  the painting of the cab interior... how much of it , sides roof , seat backs etc would be Garter Blue and was the internal roof white???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2) was the tender front bulkhead also painted Garter Blue if so how much of it ??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)    I`ve seen the preserved Mallards  cab backhead and quite a few of the controls are painted red . Would this be so in the 1930`s ?

 

 

Many thanks in advance

 

john

 

 

 

[richard i]

Very Well modeled fly. 

I would start from mallard photos online or a visit. Then look at painting instructions for Doncaster. Must be in an A4 book somewhere, Townsend or coster perhaps. 

Looks great “in the raw” 

Richard

[Michael Edge]

The tender front would probably be blue, the red painted fittings seem to be proliferating all over preserved locos but I have a suspicion that this is spreading from model painting rather than historical accuracy. 

[mattingleycustom]

On 13/11/2019 at 09:58, Chamby said:

 

I don’t understand why Fox recommend this.  I have found that their transfers with these instructions still work perfectly well with plain tepid water.

 

Having used Fox Transfers extensively for some time I will say that while you can apply them using just warm water, in my experience adding a little washing up liquid (and I mean just a drop) does make application easier. The most important thing is to apply the transfers to a gloss finish to minimise silvering.

 

Glenn

[micklner]

Mallard has from memory, a Garter Blue cab, as is the Tender front . Never heard of any LNER Loco with white Cab roof .There are plenty of photos at the NRM A4 gathering on here and elsewhere.

Edited November 16, 2019 by micklner

[uax6]

Wasn't it Top Shed's little icing on the cake to paint the Royal Train loco's cab roof white?

 

Andy G

[Clive Mortimore]

13 minutes ago, uax6 said:

Wasn't it Top Shed's little icing on the cake to paint the Royal Train loco's cab roof white?

 

Andy G

Hi Andy

 

That was a Stratford habit.

[grahame]

Here's where those two brake wheels, I posted a pic of several pages back, went - on a Stratford brake tender. It's not finished as there's still a little to do (touching and tidying up paint, finishing off the weathering, etc.). And apologies for the poor pic it was taken quickly with a snap-gun compact as my DSLR is in for repair/service. I know the decals aren't quite correct - these angular brake tenders were heavier than the rounded type at 37t - but they are what were on the Fox sheet :

 

[great central]

2 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hi Andy

 

That was a Stratford habit.

From memory of a picture 60003 was given a white cab roof and quartered buffers for royal train duty by top shed

[ROY@34F]

4 hours ago, uax6 said:

Wasn't it Top Shed's little icing on the cake to paint the Royal Train loco's cab roof white?

 

Andy G

I seem to remember 60028 WALTER K. WHIGHAM with a white roof at one time , but that's all . There may well have been others of course .

 

Regards , Roy .

[CUTLER2579]

rOY,

It was for the wedding of F Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley; to Prince Edward,  Duke of Kent  @ York Minster on 8th June 1961.

There is a photograph in" Top Shed" by Peter Townend it could be that 60003 was the reserve engine or transported guests to the wedding.

Regards,Derek.

[ROY@34F]

9 minutes ago, CUTLER2579 said:

rOY,

It was for the wedding of F Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley; to Prince Edward,  Duke of Kent  @ York Minster on 8th June 1961.

There is a photograph in" Top Shed" by Peter Townend it could be that 60003 was the reserve engine or transported guests to the wedding.

Regards,Derek.

Thanks for that Derek . I'm sure you're spot on there .

Roy.

[New Haven Neil]

I think John meant the inside of the cab roof!