Sheffield Exchange, Toy trains, music and fun!

[Clive Mortimore]

Peace descended on the Morty household so I came out of hiding and cooked a very nice Xmas dinner. We had lamb and  Mrs M had something that looked like a steak but was made from quorn. We do not have meat that often due to the head chef being a veggie. I then sat down and watched the Longest Day, which I haven't seen since I was a kid.  I know there were a lot of inaccuracies that are much discussed, like many of the actors were middle aged men who would have been too old to take part in the assault landings, many were playing men far younger than them. Why were the Germans dressed in uniforms from the early war not those worn by the soldiers stationed in Normandy at the start of the battle? It was reassuring that John Wayne won the war.

[jazzer]

8 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Peace descended on the Morty household so I came out of hiding and cooked a very nice Xmas dinner. We had lamb and  Mrs M had something that looked like a steak but was made from quorn. We do not have meat that often due to the head chef being a veggie. I then sat down and watched the Longest Day, which I haven't seen since I was a kid.  I know there were a lot of inaccuracies that are much discussed, like many of the actors were middle aged men who would have been too old to take part in the assault landings, many were playing men far younger than them. Why were the Germans dressed in uniforms from the early war not those worn by the soldiers stationed in Normandy at the start of the battle? It was reassuring that John Wayne won the war.

 

The film that always amuses me is “The Great Escape” in which Steve McQueen rides a German army motorcycle which looks remarkably similar to a British 650ccTriumph Trophy that wasn’t in production until 16 years after the war finished.  He is escaping from a bunch of German soldiers that includes himself chasing himself on the same bike that he is escaping on, if you can work that out ! 

 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

1 hour ago, jazzer said:

 

The film that always amuses me is “The Great Escape” in which Steve McQueen rides a German army motorcycle which looks remarkably similar to a British 650ccTriumph Trophy that wasn’t in production until 16 years after the war finished.  He is escaping from a bunch of German soldiers that includes himself chasing himself on the same bike that he is escaping on, if you can work that out ! 

 

 

The Germans made Triumph motorcycles during WW2,

Some I drew for a wargames group I use to belong to.

 

[Northmoor]

Happy Boxing Day Clive. 

I've recorded The Longest Day as I haven't watched it for years.  Seeing about 30 minutes of it yesterday, what stands out is how only 17 years after WW2 ended, the Germans are represented quite sympathetically.  I'm sure you know that of all the inaccuracies in The Great Escape, perhaps the greatest Hollywood-ism is that there was only one American in Stalag Luft III and he was only involved in digging at the early stages.  But McQueen's motorcycle chase is still great viewing, although he didn't actually do the jumps, all the rest of the riding is the star himself.  Steve McQueen was pretty handy on a bike....

Time to do some modelling today, hopefully.

[John Tomlinson]

12 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Peace descended on the Morty household so I came out of hiding and cooked a very nice Xmas dinner. We had lamb and  Mrs M had something that looked like a steak but was made from quorn. We do not have meat that often due to the head chef being a veggie. I then sat down and watched the Longest Day, which I haven't seen since I was a kid.  I know there were a lot of inaccuracies that are much discussed, like many of the actors were middle aged men who would have been too old to take part in the assault landings, many were playing men far younger than them. Why were the Germans dressed in uniforms from the early war not those worn by the soldiers stationed in Normandy at the start of the battle? It was reassuring that John Wayne won the war.

Glad to read that the great day ended on a good note in your house.

 

Call me a miserable old g-t by all means, but I'm always glad when we get to January 2nd and the enforced jollity can come to an end. It's a shame however that it does so leaving many of the poorest in our society wondering how on earth they're going to pay the bill.

 

Best wishes for 2020 to you and indeed all the other contributors to this excellent thread.

 

John.

[Jason T]

The 2nd? Marry a Spanish woman and they go on until the 6th!

 

Merry Christmas Clive (and everyone else of course)

[Clive Mortimore]

The enforced jollity starts on the evening of the 24th and should be well over by the night of the 26th in my mind. Got to be all jolly and nice tomorrow on a visit to me brother's cos our 31 year old (who does not drive) got upset when I said with my mum dying I didn't want to go to Bedford for a family get together. "But I only see my cousins at Xmas". I did restrain myself  in not saying "You only saw them a month ago at Nan's funeral. How many times have they come to see us here or when we lived in Chelmsford and get a job and learn to drive then you can see them any time you want?"

 

Sorry for ranting on.

Edited December 26, 2019 by Clive Mortimore

[St Enodoc]

Clive, this might interest you:

 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

31 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

Clive, this might interest you:

 

 

All those Trix coaches at a very good price and I have already made my ScR 6 car inter-city set.

[jazzer]

12 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

The Germans made Triumph motorcycles during WW2,

Some I drew for a wargames group I use to belong to.

 

Oh, the complicated history of Triumph . Even more mind boggling than identifying sub divisions of Class 47’s.

 

Triumph was originally one company , which kind of sub divided around WW1 and about that time the German section became known as TWN and the British versions were exported under the name Orial , or something like that. In the world wide depression of the 1930’s the German company was sold off as a going concern, the car manufacturing side, which had appeared from I know not where, was also flogged  off to try to keep the company solvent , and I think the cycle side was sold to Raleigh. Later on , after WW 2 , the Triumph brand was sold to BSA who still made Triumphs in competition with themselves, a poor business plan which perhaps explains why the whole lot went to the wall eventually. 

I cant remember all the ins and outs of it now, but that’s roughly it.

Steve McQueens bike in the Great Escape was still a 1961/2 Triumph Trophy though , and the barbed wire fence he got caught under was not really barbed wire at all but the barbs were rubber .

Bud Ekins was the brilliant stunt double who did the fence jump in place of Steve McQueen in the Great Escape.

 

A. Norak ( twice runner up in the the Triumph owners club Christmas raffle)

 

 

Edited December 26, 2019 by jazzer

[St Enodoc]

6 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

All those Trix coaches at a very good price and I have already made my ScR 6 car inter-city set.

They were what made me think of you!

[Clive Mortimore]

[richard i]

I thought locos were cut up to make razor blades.

a rebuild more thoroughly done than Thompson on great northern

but would the tank be a really useful one? 

 

Hat coat

richard 

[Andrew P]

[Bogie]

On 26/12/2019 at 10:48, Clive Mortimore said:

Peace descended on the Morty household so I came out of hiding and cooked a very nice Xmas dinner. We had lamb and  Mrs M had something that looked like a steak but was made from quorn. We do not have meat that often due to the head chef being a veggie. I then sat down and watched the Longest Day, which I haven't seen since I was a kid.  I know there were a lot of inaccuracies that are much discussed, like many of the actors were middle aged men who would have been too old to take part in the assault landings, many were playing men far younger than them. Why were the Germans dressed in uniforms from the early war not those worn by the soldiers stationed in Normandy at the start of the battle? It was reassuring that John Wayne won the war.

 

I wonder what those who fought in that battle would think of quorn?  I had heard of a place called Quorn but had never heard of this "apparently" delightful product derived from the Fusarium venenatum fungus.  I had to look it up.

 

Your posts continue to educate Mr M.

[john new]

32 minutes ago, Bogie said:

 

I wonder what those who fought in that battle would think of quorn?  I had heard of a place called Quorn but had never heard of this "apparently" delightful product derived from the Fusarium venenatum fungus.  I had to look it up.

 

Your posts continue to educate Mr M.

 

Be careful with Quorn if you haven’t had it before as a few people can have a nasty allergic reaction to it. (I do, sadly) I can’t eat it at all without being ill.

 

Worst was not realising (forgot to ask) at a funeral wake that as my deceased mate and his family were veggies all the side dishes were Quorn. The resultant illness on the journey home from Kent I don’t want to repeat in a hurry.

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by john new
For better sense

[woodenhead]

21 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

What the heck is the Fat Commander doing inside that turret that has caused Tommy the Tank to open his eyes so wide.

 

As Corporal Jones might say 'They don't like it up em'

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi All

 

I was in a right huff this morning.

 

Following the passing of my Uncle Charlie I was lucky to been given a few bob from his estate, so the other night I treated myself to some new toys. Royal Mail in a series of e-mails told me one of them was on its way to me. After walking the dogs there was another e-mail saying it had be delivered. Well I searched everywhere to see where Gav our postie would have hidden it as both Mrs M and I were out at the same time. No sign of any parcels.

 

As Mrs M was out I went off and done my stable duties. Got back indoors and there was a note saying a parcel had been left in the hay store, also known as the car port. Yippee I thought, only to find it wasn't the one I was expecting but one form that shop in Sheffield with lots of engines in it. So happy that had arrived, but still miffed where the other parcel had got to. Well as I was unpacking the box of goodies. Mrs M came in waving a parcel in her hand. Gav our postie had given it to her just as she was leaving so she took it with her.  Good thing I hadn't got on to the shop (Jadlam Racing) or Royal mail and given them a mouth full. Excellent service form both Rails and Jadlam Racing.

 

I have three more locos on their way.

 

Off now to test run my late Xmas presents. Update will follow.

[Stubby47]

As I didn't get any railway related Xmas pressies tbis year, I will be taking myself to Kernow Model Rail shop and treating myself to something loco shaped.

 

No idea what yet though...

[Clive Mortimore]

Our intrepid photographer has just rushed to see the lady in Boots and has come back with this selection of photographs.

 

On his way to trainspot at Sheffield Exchange he noticed the GNR locomotive yard full of unusual locomotives.

Wow he thought, I better get round the other side to see what they all are.

 

He nearly dropped his camera in excitement as he approached the engineman's entrance on Diginty Street. 

 

The first loco he walked past was a B17 Footballer, a namer, very rare at Sheffield Exchange. 61669 was chosen for its name. How many old ladies are going to find themselves in Doncaster complaining they wanted to go to Barnsley and they thought that is where they are going to go to as that is what was on the engine.

This is a real rarity. I am not sure if V3s ever got to South Yorkshire, it is my railway. I needed another loco for the local services and the unreliability of the Hornby L1s made me think about something else. The LNER was not big on its own large tanks and most the pre-group  types had been withdrawn by my time period.

 

At this point our intrepid photographer had to change his film.

 

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

12 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Our intrepid photographer has just rushed to see the lady in Boots and has come back with this selection of photographs.

 

 

Knee or Thigh length today Clive?

[Stubby47]

I'm still looking for the photo of the lady in boots...

[Andrew P]

14 minutes ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Our intrepid photographer has just rushed to see the lady in Boots and has come back with this selection of photographs.

 

On his way to trainspot at Sheffield Exchange he noticed the GNR locomotive yard full of unusual locomotives.

Wow he thought, I better get round the other side to see what they all are.

 

He nearly dropped his camera in excitement as he approached the engineman's entrance on Diginty Street. 

 

The first loco he walked past was a B17 Footballer, a namer, very rare at Sheffield Exchange. 61669 was chosen for its name. How many old ladies are going to find themselves in Doncaster complaining they wanted to go to Barnsley and they thought that is where they are going to go to as that is what was on the engine.

This is a real rarity. I am not sure if V3s ever got to South Yorkshire, it is my railway. I needed another loco for the local services and the unreliability of the Hornby L1s made me think about something else. The LNER was not big on its own large tanks and most the pre-group  types had been withdrawn by my time period.

 

At this point our intrepid photographer had to change his film.

 

 

 

 

Some very nice Smokey and the Bandits there matey, I treated myself to an M7 ready for Privett Green, and there may be a Toilet / WC on its way later.

[Clive Mortimore]

New film in and off we go again.

Another green namer, this time an ex LMS Jubilee. It will possibly be renamed as British Honduras as I was stationed there when I was in the army. This and the B17 will handle the express trains that do not require a class 7 locomotive on the front. It has come with a crew, they are in the plastic bag in the cab.

I know Black Fives and Jubilees look very similar but for some reason I find Blackies far more attractive.

They even look better with a double chimney, couldn't resist this one. the tender is kit built with the correct roller bearing axle boxes. These will work alongside the existing class 5 4-6-0 locos, the Black Fives, BR standards and B1s.....and should I ever get one a B16/2 or B16/3......on expresses, limited stoppers and parcels. 

Looks like he couldn't resist taking a photo of both the Blackies next to each other.

 

For traction for ER and NER local services I decided to add a D49. Now the Hornby tender drive model use to represent a Shire class with the wrong tender, when it was retooled for loco drive they retooled the body for a Hunt class, with the wrong valve gear. I thought to myself I will convert a Hunt to a Shire, 62724 Bedfordshire (it was a Hull based loco). Looking at the model it will be easier to try and modify the valve gear and keep it as a Hunt, despite my own dislike of killing wild animals for sport.  This is one to think about.

 

When looking at E Bay the other evening at V2s I saw this one, double chimney and outside steam pipes, just had to have it. I think it will stay in pristine condition using the excuse that it is on a running in turn after a works visit. It will be joined on the express services by a Rebuilt  Patriot, named "REME" and a Britannia, no I am not having "Clive of India". I will be modifying one so that it is the unnamed Britannia. Also on the list of locos joining the roster for Exchange is another Standard 5, in black this time.

 

The new guys lined up ready for service. All have been tested as light engines, and after doing about 12 laps, including at least one backwards all have been driven across the station throat and shunted into the loco yard. The B17 managed to go into the turntable pit, then after being sorted out it shot off the turntable through the far side buffers, not its fault but the drivers.

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by Clive Mortimore

[Clive Mortimore]

27 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

I'm still looking for the photo of the lady in boots...

Just for our mate Stu, a lady in boots.