Wright writes.....

[Clive Mortimore]

Hello Tony

 

I understand that some people enjoy making Overhead Line Equipment. I know I enjoy drawing it for them. I take it even with your soldering skills you might not be up to make this mast at Witham? 

 

 

 

The OLE through Witham (GER) has no standard mast from Highfields Road bridge to past Lovers Lane, 58 mast later.

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2019 by Clive Mortimore

[Lecorbusier]

29 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon Grahame,

 

OHLE might be structurally-interesting, but it must be incredibly difficult to model, and also very vulnerable. 

 

My reference to 'infesting' is to how it makes real railway photography so difficult, especially if in an elevated position.

 

strangely for me this has a rather evocative almost french feeling  ..... the OHLE adds something to the photo which makes up for the relative sameness of the homogenous motive power.

 

 

 There's also a fair bit of Mother Nature claiming back what once belonged to her. ........not good for steam railways but one of the nicer aspects as far as I am concerned of the modern day scene.

 

 

 

 

 

Rather different from the past, in these (at least) 65 years ago shots. I know which I find the more-interesting! The trackwork is incredibly complex - and far more-difficult to model than today's arrangement. ...... track work definitely more interesting, but lacks the complexity and interest of the OHLE

 

 

 

And a water crane 'infesting' that RH platform as well. And, at least eight diamonds, but no blades of grass or overgrown shrubs to be seen. What a wonderfully mixed train as well! ...... the steam paraphernalia is indeed wonderfully evocative, but the absence of nature lends a certain satanic framing to the scene as does the black and white medium.

 

 

 

 

 

Mother Nature is 'behaving herself' here, ....... cripes - as a fan of 're-wilding' and the glory/messiness of nature this speaks overmuch of sterile control.

 

It's nice to see loco-hauled trains arriving from Scarborough still. ..... agreed

 

But how much more-interesting is this? ..... depends upon ones interest surely ! There are also boy 'spotters; something not seen today. Why not? They're not interested in the modern railway! Fact. ...... or perhaps they have more interesting/addictive pastimes now .... and given the competition it takes a more mature bent of mind to see/grasp the fascination. I wasn't a spotter in my youth, but find much of interest now, and strangely the majority of entertainments/obsessions of my youth hold little interest for me know.

 

 

 

Look how the whole scene is 'infested' with all that paraphernalia! Wonderful. ...... beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2019 by Lecorbusier

[Ray Flintoft]

24 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon Grahame,

 

OHLE might be structurally-interesting, but it must be incredibly difficult to model, and also very vulnerable. 

 

My reference to 'infesting' is to how it makes real railway photography so difficult, especially if in an elevated position.

 

OK if one can get underneath, of course..................

 

 

As has been mentioned before, in October I was invited to the announcement of the Wainwright D, and had an hour at York Station before setting off home. Not on this set, but an HST later. 

 

A modeller's nightmare making all this OHLE? 

 

There are only four main running lines now at this junction, and just one diamond towards Scarborough. There's also a fair bit of Mother Nature claiming back what once belonged to her. 

 

 

 

Rather different from the past, in these (at least) 65 years ago shots. I know which I find the more-interesting! The trackwork is incredibly complex - and far more-difficult to model than today's arrangement.

 

 

And a water crane 'infesting' that RH platform as well. And, at least eight diamonds, but no blades of grass or overgrown shrubs to be seen. What a wonderfully mixed train as well!

 

 

Looking south, just two running lines visible today. 

 

 

Rather different from all those years ago! Mother Nature is 'behaving herself' here, unlike in the 'today' shot. 

 

 

It's nice to see loco-hauled trains arriving from Scarborough still. 

 

 

But how much more-interesting is this? There are also boy 'spotters; something not seen today. Why not? They're not interested in the modern railway! Fact. 

 

 

Who knows, all those years ago they might have attempted to 'bunk' 50A. I can make out at least five different classes of locos here (there would have been many more). 

 

Look how the whole scene is 'infested' with all that paraphernalia! Wonderful.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

 

Great photographs of York ,Tony  , take me straight back to my childhood spotting days in the late 1950s  ,especially no 60501 which seemed  to turn up every time I went spotting , to the extent of taking my family to Newcastle for dad's World Ship Society trip down the Tyne . ( & arriving early !) in1958 .

 I see " Coronach" went to Nunthorpe GS ; So did I but earlier  1963 - 1970 . We had a school trip to Crewe works & Crewe South shed in April 1966 with masses of steam . My O -levels coincided with the end of steam in 1968 , which probably accounts for my relatively poor showing!

  As a youngster I once tried to climb the ( shaky ) ladder on the water tower shown but quickly realised my mistake .

                                                                    Ray .

[Steamport Southport]

43 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

 

There are also boy 'spotters; something not seen today. Why not? They're not interested in the modern railway! Fact. 

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

 

I see loads of them. However I do think they try to keep more of a lower profile than previous generations. Something which middle aged blokes don't really do.

 

Look for young lads standing normally on platforms* or sitting playing with their phones, usually with headphones on. Then notice they have a good look up when something appears and then take a discreet shot.

 

 

*Not standing near the platform ends like years ago

 

 

 

Jason

[grahame]

43 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good afternoon Grahame,

 

OHLE might be structurally-interesting, but it must be incredibly difficult to model, and also very vulnerable. 

 

My reference to 'infesting' is to how it makes real railway photography so difficult, especially if in an elevated position.

 

OK if one can get underneath, of course..................

 

 

 

Difficult? Maybe, but surely it's just another modelling challenge. And probably no more difficult for some than making all the rods and motion that hangs on the wheels of steam locos. Luckily my electric powered trains are third conductor rail types which is easier to model. And, of course, OHLE isn't currently installed over the entire rail network.

 

Most people don't interact with the railway these days from above and see and photograph trains from platforms and the lineside. That means the OHLE is above the trains/locos and help adds some interest to the sky which can often be a dull plain overcast grey. Does OHLE really obscure the trains? Certainly, in my experience, not as much as clouds of steam and smoke.

 

[APOLLO]

40 minutes ago, grahame said:

Does OHLE really obscure the trains? 

 

Not when engineered like this --

 

 

 

A proper electric railway - R.I.P.

 

Brit15

[Clive Mortimore]

7 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

 

Not when engineered like this --

 

 

 

A proper electric railway - R.I.P.

 

Brit15

Two tourist artics in the same train behind 27000. Oh dear I do seem to have caught the LNER coach bug.

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Lecorbusier said:

 

Thanks for your responses, Tim,

 

A couple or more points regarding letting 'Mother Nature' have her own way.

 

Have you travelled by train recently? I did, yesterday, and for much of the journey there was no view out of the window but that of trees.

 

Cesses are not looked after any more (or not to the extent that they should be), and tree roots break and block them.

 

How can letting invasive plant species inhabit the mortar courses of wonderful brick structures be a good thing?

 

I'm all for wildernesses, but not in and around railways. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

I see loads of them. However I do think they try to keep more of a lower profile than previous generations. Something which middle aged blokes don't really do.

 

Look for young lads standing normally on platforms* or sitting playing with their phones, usually with headphones on. Then notice they have a good look up when something appears and then take a discreet shot.

 

 

*Not standing near the platform ends like years ago

 

 

 

Jason

Good evening Jason,

 

'I see loads of them.'

 

Where? None yesterday anywhere between Stamford and Birmingham (and it's the start of the school holidays). 

 

I pick up visitors to LB regularly at either Peterborough or Grantham stations, and never see a boy 'spotter (throughout the year). 

 

At Kings Cross a year ago (in the Christmas holidays) not one; nor at St. Pancras. 

 

None at York, Doncaster or Newark recently - not boys, but a few middle-aged 'spotters (or old-aged, like me). 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

[Tony Wright]

4 hours ago, Barry Ten said:

 

I instantly recognised the M&GNR crossing at Little Bytham while flicking through a very old copy of Railway Magazine - a credit to Tony's evocation of the scene.

Thanks Al,

 

With just one observation, please......................

 

A credit to the team's evocation of the scene.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

[Tony Wright]

1 hour ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Hello Tony

 

I understand that some people enjoy making Overhead Line Equipment. I know I enjoy drawing it for them. I take it even with your soldering skills you might not be up to make this mast at Witham? 

 

 

 

The OLE through Witham (GER) has no standard mast from Highfields Road bridge to past Lovers Lane, 58 mast later.

 

 

 

Fascinating, Clive,

 

And very well-drawn. Thank you.

 

'I take it even with your soldering skills you might not be up to make this mast at Witham?'

 

Definitely not, but then why would I?

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

[t-b-g]

Of course the truly modern spotter stays at home and watches on a webcam.

[APOLLO]

30 minutes ago, t-b-g said:

Of course the truly modern spotter stays at home and watches on a webcam.

 

No wonder with weather like this !!  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!

 

 

Brit15

[Lecorbusier]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

Thanks for your responses, Tim,

 

A couple or more points regarding letting 'Mother Nature' have her own way.

 

Have you travelled by train recently? I did, yesterday, and for much of the journey there was no view out of the window but that of trees.

 

Cesses are not looked after any more (or not to the extent that they should be), and tree roots break and block them.

 

How can letting invasive plant species inhabit the mortar courses of wonderful brick structures be a good thing?

 

I'm all for wildernesses, but not in and around railways. 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

I was not advocating lack of maintenance ... whether that be invasive plants on structures or graffiti. Nor am I celebrating the reduction in numbers of lines or complexity of track work.

 

However, the increase in nature ... particularly the wild wood around railway lines is for me a real positive about the contemporary scene .... and there are still plenty of stretches riding high which overlook pastoral landscapes.

 

I travel regularly between London and Oxford ... both via Paddington and Marylebone .... and I really like the increased wildness and feel of passing through nature rather than being distanced from it ... something that I believe would not be possible with Steam due to the danger of fire in the summer. I also like the fact that even when commuting in London there are stretches as one heads into the suburbs where all is wooded and green.

 

So I suppose we must agree to disagree ... I do like stretches of wilderness around railways where all does not feel manicured and controlled.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Lecorbusier

[Tony Wright]

13 minutes ago, Lecorbusier said:

I was not advocating lack of maintenance ... whether that be invasive plants on structures or graffiti. Nor am I celebrating the reduction in numbers of lines or complexity of track work.

 

However, the increase in nature ... particularly the wild wood around railway lines is for me a real positive about the contemporary scene .... and there are still plenty of stretches riding high which overlook pastoral landscapes.

 

I travel regularly between London and Oxford ... both via Paddington and Marylebone .... and I really like the increased wildness and feel of passing through nature rather than being distanced from it ... something that I believe would not be possible with Steam due to the danger of fire in the summer. I also like the fact that even when commuting in London there are stretches as one heads into the suburbs where all is wooded and green.

 

So I suppose we must agree to disagree ... I do like stretches of wilderness around railways where all does not feel manicured and controlled.

Tim,

 

One of the real pleasures about building Little Bytham was talking to the members of the 'Bytham Gang, two of the six or so lengthmen whose job it was to keep the railway formation spick and span. Sadly, in the intervening years since we moved to Lincolnshire, all have now died. 

 

They won the 'Prize Length' on one occasions - the best maintained section of railway in the district. Part of their job was to remove every tree and every shrub which grew up on the formation, on the embankments and in the cuttings (not the other side of the boundary). This was necessary to reduce the risk of fire (in steam days) in hot weather. 'Manicured and controlled'? Yes, and with pride.

 

In the decades after such routine maintenance was abandoned, we now have trees growing right up to the carriages on the Up and Down slows at LB, actually brushing against them. On the odd occasions, the trees are cut back, which just encourages more growth! Through Little Bytham now the trains literally run along a green corridor. 

 

One effect which is not beneficial in my view is that any embankments and cuttings no longer support beautiful wild flowers. There are just too many trees! 

 

As you say, let's agree to disagree.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[grahame]

59 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

 

No wonder with weather like this !!  Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!

 

 

Brit15

 

Yep, and with all this rain we've been having, should spotters brave the cold, they'd be daft to stand at the platform ends getting soaked. Much more likely to be under the canopies.

 

[APOLLO]

1 hour ago, Lecorbusier said:

I was not advocating lack of maintenance ... whether that be invasive plants on structures or graffiti. Nor am I celebrating the reduction in numbers of lines or complexity of track work.

 

However, the increase in nature ... particularly the wild wood around railway lines is for me a real positive about the contemporary scene .... and there are still plenty of stretches riding high which overlook pastoral landscapes.

 

I travel regularly between London and Oxford ... both via Paddington and Marylebone .... and I really like the increased wildness and feel of passing through nature rather than being distanced from it ... something that I believe would not be possible with Steam due to the danger of fire in the summer. I also like the fact that even when commuting in London there are stretches as one heads into the suburbs where all is wooded and green.

 

So I suppose we must agree to disagree ... I do like stretches of wilderness around railways where all does not feel manicured and controlled.

 

Increase in nature - interesting.

 

I have noticed, over say the last 20 years a real, seemingly exponential increase in vegetation growth - everywhere, not just railway linesides. This summer, after a two week holiday my large back garden and lawn had grown astronomically - a pain to sort out. Years ago mid summer used to be one or perhaps two lawn cuts a week, this year mid summer at least three cuts weekly were needed.

 

All my favourite lineside photo spots around Wigan are severely overgrown in summer - almost a no go zone. Lineside public footpaths almost impossible to walk. Is an increase in CO2 causing such rampant growth rates ? - I don't really know but it's quite noticeable something is happening. Earlier this year Network rail cleared an area to allow works for the new depot at Springs Branch - guess what - immediate & noticeable new rampant growth - stopped now for winter but just wait till spring !!

 

I suppose for some (perhaps farmers) this is a positive outcome of increasing atmospheric CO2.

 

Brit15

[grahame]

And on with a little modelling.

 

This evening I've started on constructing the little odd shaped cobbled and fenced courtyard to this terrace of handsome Georgian buildings in St Thomas Street along with St Thomas church (all in N/2mm). The buildings were, I believe, part of the hospital but later became railway offices (as marked on an old map). Now they seem to be general offices for rent. With sub-basements it's a little tricky as the front wall extends lower than the forecourt and pavement outside but I've cut the effective ground floor to accommodate the basements from mountboard:

 

 

[St Enodoc]

I've done a fair bit of modelling this year but most of it has been to do with layout construction rather than locos and rolling stock. Nevertheless, I found time a few months ago to convert my Bachmann 64xx into a 74xx. Not up to Tom Foster standard but, most importantly, as a layout loco it is already earning its keep moving china clay trains around.

 

 

 

[CF MRC]

8 hours ago, grahame said:

And on with a little modelling.

 

This evening I've started on constructing the little odd shaped cobbled and fenced courtyard to this terrace of handsome Georgian buildings in St Thomas Street along with St Thomas church (all in N/2mm). The buildings were, I believe, part of the hospital but later became railway offices (as marked on an old map). Now they seem to be general offices for rent. With sub-basements it's a little tricky as the front wall extends lower than the forecourt and pavement outside but I've cut the effective ground floor to accommodate the basements from mountboard:

 

 

Fantastic Grahame. The large entrance to the right of the red brick chapter house was the main thoroughfare between Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital when they were next to each other.  
 

An exhibition devoted to models of London’s railways would be something to see, methinks.  I wonder what others would be included?
 

Tim

Edited December 21, 2019 by CF MRC

[Killybegs]

I don't think i have finished anything this year but these two are work in progress and are ready for the paint shop.

 

 

[Tony Wright]

9 hours ago, grahame said:

And on with a little modelling.

 

This evening I've started on constructing the little odd shaped cobbled and fenced courtyard to this terrace of handsome Georgian buildings in St Thomas Street along with St Thomas church (all in N/2mm). The buildings were, I believe, part of the hospital but later became railway offices (as marked on an old map). Now they seem to be general offices for rent. With sub-basements it's a little tricky as the front wall extends lower than the forecourt and pavement outside but I've cut the effective ground floor to accommodate the basements from mountboard:

 

 

Some of the finest architectural modelling I've seen Grahame,

 

Thanks for showing us.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

6 minutes ago, Killybegs said:

I don't think i have finished anything this year but these two are work in progress and are ready for the paint shop.

 

 

Great stuff, John,

 

Just what Wright Writes is all about.

 

Showing my ignorance, what did these start off as, please? I assume they're on new chassis? SE Finecast (assuming they're 4mm)? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Dunsignalling]

9 hours ago, APOLLO said:

 

Increase in nature - interesting.

 

I have noticed, over say the last 20 years a real, seemingly exponential increase in vegetation growth - everywhere, not just railway linesides. This summer, after a two week holiday my large back garden and lawn had grown astronomically - a pain to sort out. Years ago mid summer used to be one or perhaps two lawn cuts a week, this year mid summer at least three cuts weekly were needed.

 

All my favourite lineside photo spots around Wigan are severely overgrown in summer - almost a no go zone. Lineside public footpaths almost impossible to walk. Is an increase in CO2 causing such rampant growth rates ? - I don't really know but it's quite noticeable something is happening. Earlier this year Network rail cleared an area to allow works for the new depot at Springs Branch - guess what - immediate & noticeable new rampant growth - stopped now for winter but just wait till spring !!

 

I suppose for some (perhaps farmers) this is a positive outcome of increasing atmospheric CO2.

 

Brit15

CO2 is effectively what plants use to create tissue. There are presumably limits to how much they can absorb, but it is entirely logical that, if more of it is available to them, they should grow faster and/or bigger.

 

As for what we see within the railway fence these days, in decades past, growth was suppressed by use of powerful and persistent weed-killing chemicals. Many of these were extremely nasty but their very effectiveness had created a "culture of convenience" and they were used far too indiscriminately. However, rather than tightly regulating them to ensure their use only where really necessary, they were outlawed altogether.  

 

Consequently, we now see vital brick structures effectively being eaten away. The main culprit in most cases is buddleia, which seems able to shrug off the "environmentally friendly weedkillers" (an oxymoron if ever there was one) that are still permitted.

 

Possibly more worrying is the proliferation of quite large trees growing out of the sides of embankments and cuttings at often precarious angles. Many of these will eventually become dislodged under their own weight and take a big chunk of what they are growing in with them. In my youth, such areas got burned back regularly (usually in alternate years IIRC) primarily to prevent lineside fires set by steam locomotives, but with the additional benefit that nothing grew large or heavy enough to endanger the structure.

 

It is an eternal truth that saving money on maintenance will eventually lead to greater expenditure on repair. On the railway, that will often require line closures lasting weeks or months for work to be carried out.

 

John

[APOLLO]

Last year Network Rail carried out a large tree cutting & pruning exercise on the WCML north out of Wigan for a couple of miles, most of this stretch  line is either on embankment or cutting, and very much tree lined They held a quite interesting meeting in a local church hall to answer questions for those who live lineside (lots of houses on both sides of this stretch - including mine). The work was done very well, mostly at night / weekend. Some big old trees had to go completely, some just pruned  etc. I got a slightly better view - for a while.

 

But - trees are like like Arnold Schwarzenegger -- "They'll be back"

 

Brit15

 

Edited December 21, 2019 by APOLLO
typo