durham light infantry Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Divn't gerruz started aboot the buses, Marra. John Howm ar sposed to get tee Sacriston knar? 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted February 11, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 11, 2017 Shanks's pony..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 Can't even use this company any more.... Whether they would have survived in the current climate is debatable, though this one is still running - which considering some of the buses they had when I was in Durham is a little remarkable. Not sure about the fetching pink, however..... We have the daft situation in our village that the Newark to Lincoln service which is supported by Lincolnshire County Council passes through our village but isn't allowed to pick up or set down because we are in Nottinghamshire. The bus back from Lincoln then lands us in Newark AFTER the last bus from Newark to Coddington has left. The Lincoln bus goes back again passing through the village but first stop is 4 miles away back across the border..... Joined up thinking at its best. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 12, 2017 Author Share Posted February 12, 2017 (edited) Sunday working Well, much of Sunday spent working. Having been to Doncaster show yesterday the guy selling stock boxes wasn't there. I've used a spare (ie nicked from something else) Really Useful Box and used spare foam to make a stock box for wagones, aka Box 3. Already existing Box 2 will have a mix of wagons and locos in it while box 1 is just locos. I did get a good browse through the Industrial nameplates on 247 Developments stand, and REVENGE and RESPITE now have new plates that are reasonable. I'm probably going to leave the ones on REVENGE clean and weather RESPITE's a little. The fact it is a little wonky is too obvious. I also got a set of JUNO plates, which now adorn the cabside of the small Ruston diesel. The roof of the screening house having settled into a slightly bowed shape due to my not supporting it properly I decided to make a feature of it, gloss varnishing the middle. Algae-type grot and matt surrounds the obvious large puddle in the middle. A little more to do before I'm 100% satisfied with it but it is getting there. Another eBay purchase was some fencing and garden gates in laser-cut card. This is the little piece I used to fill in the gap at the back between the house and the start of the wall. Since I'd only used about three inches of the fence, which claimed to have four feet of the stuff, there was rather a lot left over, so in proper preservation society fashion.... .....the running line has now been fenced off at the platform end. With a visiting set of Royals they might at least have repainted it. In typical early preservation and small NCB fashion the fence doesn't extend the other side of the platform, so there is nothing to prevent anyone wandering through the shed and out on to the running lines at the left hand end of the layout. Once upon a time trainspotters were trusted not to get themselves run over. Note also that nowhere on the entire layout is there a high-vis jacket or vest. Enough of this. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be..... Les Edited February 12, 2017 by Les1952 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 Some more figures arrived this morning, and I found the packs of Springside lamps I had bought a couple of weeks ago. I've restuck the wonky nameplate on RESPITE and it is now straight. Sixteen locos will carry a lamp, mostly on the left of the buffer beam, (or bunker) at the end that is towards the screens. I'll try to get into the workshop tomorrow and take some photos. The other job today has been painting the orange bits on Bachmann "Sixties and Seventies miners" grey. I don't remember surface workers in orange and hi-vis boiler suits when there was still steam. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 GOT THERE! No Place is now set up and working at Sileby show, with the stock all present and ready to go tomorrow morning. Only two minor problems. Having decided to keep the securing nuts and bolts attached to the parts they hold together one pair decided to undo themselves due to road vibration. The bolt was easily found (it fell onto the layout) while the wing nut is somewhere in the car. Moral - take a few spare wing nuts and bolts with you - Hawthorn Dene has a supply in the travel kit. More serious was that the points didn't work. The problem here was traced to a wire having vibrated out of the clip fastener on the Peco CDU- meaning the layout needed to be put back on its front to get at it. Many thanks to Hugh of Syston MRS who has better fingers than me and managed to cure the problem. Next CDU I buy won't be a Peco one, but one with sensible connectors for the wires..... No doubt other problems will arise in the morning, but at least the yellow peril has managed to negotiate the WHOLE layout - much better since I took the decision to run the DJM Austerities bunker-first into the screens. Pics (if I get chance) tomorrow. Les 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesperus Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Really liking the layout and all the little details. I don't think the X5 went through Chester-le-Street. Change at Washington for the 6? You've got me wondering if a trip into the loft might be a good idea..... Les 20 years ago the Durham to Bishop Auckland bus (that I went to school on) was the 6. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 Really liking the layout and all the little details. 20 years ago the Durham to Bishop Auckland bus (that I went to school on) was the 6. Now I remember it as the 57, a three-way joint service (United, Northern and SDO) that ran through every half-hour from Sunderland. There was also the 56, (United and Northern) that ran through from Newcastle every half-hour, giving a bus every 15 mins from Bishop to Durham via Spennymoor. On the Spennymoor part there was the OK Newcastle service that missed Durham, plus a Gillett Brothers to West Hartlepool and a Wilkingson/Trimdon Motor Services to Stockton overlaid on those two. Each of the last three ran hourly, so that made 7 buses an hour along the main road from Bishop to Spennymoor. That was a long time ago- Durham County Council took it into their heads in (I think) the seventies to get all the county's bus routes numbered in the same series. Remarkably the 1 from Darlington to Tow Law stayed as the 1. There was just something about SDO that (at least viewed from Darlington) made them seem a cut above the rest... At least here in Newark we've got Marshalls who are trying to keep up a high standard. Les 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two_sugars Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 The service 40 between Sunderland and Hartlepool was also a joint service between the three companies . .Going to Sunderland, you bought a ticket to Easington Village, and then another from there to Sunderland. The 45 service was run by Northern, between Hartlepool and Newcastle, and the x5 was the "express" limited stop version. Again, ticket to Easington Village, and then another on a different machine to continue.. I seem to remember the SDO taking over the un-used Engine Shed at Philadelphia and also being absorbed? into Northern. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 I saw this layout today. Very impressive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 I saw this layout today. Very impressive. Very many thanks for the compliment - you should have introduced yourself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 The service 40 between Sunderland and Hartlepool was also a joint service between the three companies . .Going to Sunderland, you bought a ticket to Easington Village, and then another from there to Sunderland. The 45 service was run by Northern, between Hartlepool and Newcastle, and the x5 was the "express" limited stop version. Again, ticket to Easington Village, and then another on a different machine to continue.. I seem to remember the SDO taking over the un-used Engine Shed at Philadelphia and also being absorbed? into Northern. John SDO became a Northern subsidiary in the thirties and was absorbed in the early seventies, not long after getting the NGT Group's first Leyland National, in blue and white. It didn't survive long enough to be repainted poppy red. I'm not sure if it was burnt out or irreparably bent in a shunt. The last SDO vehicles were the OTY-M Atlanteans. I also remember a ride late at night from Newcastle to Hartlepool on a Sunday in 1974 or 1975 on the 40 (or 45), via Sunderland. For some reason there were no trains that evening. Single-deck Alexander-bodied Fleetline. Arrived cold and numb then had to wait 15 mins in Church Street for the last bus to Owton Manor (where my flat was at the time). Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 18, 2017 Author Share Posted February 18, 2017 Pics from day one at Sileby The layout largely ran well all day, though certain combinations of loco and wagon didn't work too well, and uncoupling wagons (or the carriage) with metal loops on the coupling has proved problematic. The coupler hook lifts OK (repelled by the track magnet) then the mini-magnet attracts itself to the bar of the coupling on the other wagon and stays coupled. We pulled a rake of three wagons that way, just held on by the magnet on the loco being attracted to the coupler of the first wagon... The Q6 and K1 had a run apiece but will stay in the box tomorrow and not be used at shows in future- they take too much track space. I'm also going to have to weight the rest of the empty hoppers, again due to magnet issues- I've got the lead strips in the bag for tomorrow. The layout set up with Geoff concentrating on what he is trying to do - most likely remember the number of the next loco he was using. The Beattie takes a turn on the passenger. It ran like a dog in the morning until I had a go at the wheels with a small wire brush. It is now perfectly behaved- moral is clean ALL wheels and keep a record of doing them! A couple of WDs in the shed yard. 71515 and 65 were in regular use, of which 65 ran rather better- probably having cleaner wheels. Also seen is 49, the worse performing of the two Hornby WDs. RESPITE ran well, as did Dapol WD REVENGE. Coming back from making the tea I found Geoff had filled the ward with engines, trapping them all the wrong side of the coach in the platform leaving me having to raid the spare locos to find something to take the train out. front row is the Yellow Peril, Smelly NELLIE, the Ruston 88DS, and 0-6-2T no.42. Behind are D2388 and the Beattie. Lurking in the coal road is USATC No.36 with Peckett No.66 on shed. Thiis was the more reliable of the two Pecketts, again most likely through having cleaner wheels. By contrast the screens only had REVENGE and No.49, the latter having failed to uncouple from the wagons it had propelled in. One wagon mentally marked as "don't couple this one directly to the engine" Lastly a close-up of the figure at the top of the platform steps - "Rucksack Man", who looks not entirely unlike my old friend the late David Duffey. Evidence around of my not having remembered to Vacuum the layout before the show...... Time for bed..... Les 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyram Posted February 18, 2017 Share Posted February 18, 2017 I was impressed by the David Jason figure too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 19, 2017 Author Share Posted February 19, 2017 (edited) Sileby day two Layout well recieved by the punters. Most things ran quite well most of the time. One or two things to sort out before the next outing. One poor joint to dig out and pack so the rails both sides of it are the same height- if necessary removing a fishplate that hasn't gone in. Wagons (and the coach) with metal couplings at either end to have them replaced with nylon. This is because the magnet on the other vehicle lifts the coupling then attaches itself to the metal coupling - I'll try to take a couple of pics that explain. Some wagons need additional weight as the track magnets turn the wagon over. Wagon fleet can be upgraded, repainted as necessary, now that I know which are the lemons. Lemons can be disposed of. Longer term, some more lead to be crammed into the kitbuilt locos to impove their pickups. Steel loop couplers to be replaced by nickel silver. A bodyguard to be provided for their Majesties. One extra booking, at Hinckley in October (one-day show). Les Edited February 19, 2017 by Les1952 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted April 7, 2017 Author Share Posted April 7, 2017 Found them! Quite a lot of weeks ago I took a batch of hopper wagons to the clubroom to run and forgot to bring them back (though I thought I had....). Last night they turned up, having been discovered buried under some stuff next to one of the layouts. They are now home again. Once I've weighted the empties and finished sorting out the coupings there will actually be enough 21 ton hoppers to operate the layout properly. It got a little hectic at Sileby operating with only 4 empty and 3 full hoppers..... Now there are 7 empty and 6 fulls, with a few others to occasionally ring changes. Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted April 16, 2017 Author Share Posted April 16, 2017 A few (seven to be accurate) purchases at York show, nameplates from 247 Developments. Most of the Lancashire W-series Austerities, WASP, WARRIOR, WARSPITE, WIZARD and WITCH together with three others including FLORENCE. FLORENCE will go onto one of the brass kits, possibly the STAGSHAW that is next to arrive. I looked at Lancs WDs for a loco that hadn't been fitted with a Geisl (to give a new identity to "old"71515). I looked them up and decided the best was WEASEL before looking at the plates again and finding it not there. The loco will become WITCH instead as this one seems to have escaped the Walkden round of modifications. I'll use WARSPITE or WARRIOR on the GWR 1361 class when that arrives from Kernow. There are plenty of candidates for the other plates. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted May 4, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 4, 2017 Are you going to paint the "Stagshaw" Shotton Yellow?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 (edited) Are you going to paint the "Stagshaw" Shotton Yellow?? No - it is in Tanfield black. I'm still waiting to hear that it is ready for collection. Thinks- I must ring David Temple tomorrow to find out if he is in as I'm in Darlington on Saturday visiting my sister. "To Do" list being compiled for No Place- Sort out the track bump Clean all wheels and rails repaint "old" 71515 as WITCH in unlined Lancashire red, then weather heavily if time.. Find recipients for "Hazard" and "Charles Nelson" nameplates which have arrived and which I specified too large for the Pecketts, and also put nameplates on the Pecketts. They may become WASP and FLORENCE, but I have a smaller plate for NEPHERTITI, which might yet grace a diseasel. Soak test the hopper wagons with wider couplings until I'm happier with the uncoupling and propelling which was a little too "hit and miss" last time out Find a way of getting a little more weight in the small Ruston and Knightwing diesels, and into Smelly Nellie, 0-6-0T number 7 and James the black Hunslet. One or two detatched figures to glue back A thorough vacuuming This lot not necessarily in that order, but marking about 600 exam papers in gaps between modelling sessions- the exam marking stretches right through to the GCR show. No wonder Croft Spa is staying on end. I've also got the two new masts to replace the broken one on Hawthorn Dene to paint...... Quiet times ahead. Les Thinks- old 71515 could become HAZARD as a reminder not to let liquid Poly anywhere near DJM transfers...... Edited May 9, 2017 by Les1952 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted May 12, 2017 Author Share Posted May 12, 2017 A couple of images that got missed recently I bought a pack of laser-cut ladders and an oil tank kit at Newton Aycliffe show a few weeks back. The oil tank is somewhere in the "being done" pile - I went off up the Danube before finishing it and had forgotten about it when I got back. As I'd managed to lose a doorway off the wagon repair shop I decided to distract from it with one of the ladders. The missing doorway has since turned up and will be securely glued to the shed wall and the ladder... A second ladder has appeared in one of the yards at the back of the layout. Only ladders three and four still to site. Another recent purchase is a foot for the fiddle yard. The trader I bought it from (?Nick Gillman?) was a little bemused that I only wanted one. Now installed at the base of the fiddle yard leg, it should stop the problem we had at Sileby of wagons rolling from the fiddle yard onto the layout. Enough for now. Les 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted May 19, 2017 Author Share Posted May 19, 2017 Working on stock Firstly "old" 71515 and "new" 71515. the old one got a thinned coat of Railmatch red, which promptly dried streaky and horrible. Several coats later it looks b-awful. However it is resistant to wet-and-dry. Moral is don't use superannuated Railmatch paint. At some date when I get the chance I'll enquire after a new saddle tank from Dave and rebuild it. In the meantime it will have to work for its living. "Old" 71515 is now WITCH, by the way, and will eventually get full matt grot- it is on its way at the moment. Shame about the grotty tank as it is turning into a decent runner. Some of the "lost" hoppers are starting to make an appearance, this time ones marked as NE getting patch painted. I'll source some transfers before too long to finish the job then they'll be weathered properly. I'm not sure yet what to do with the black Jackson one, and the Loco Coal wagon is probably going to be heavily weathered and distressed. However with only a fortnight to the next outing it isn't going to happen before Sleaford. Just visible is a wide coupling bar on the Loco Coal wagon. More pics later, but the combination of wide bar at one end and narrow magnetic coupler at the other seems to be working, at least on trial, with none of the random derailments we were getting at Sileby. I'll know more after Sleaford. Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted June 2, 2017 Author Share Posted June 2, 2017 All packed up ready for Sleaford Show tomorrow. I'll try to take the camera and the video thingy to get some pics etc while we're there. Since it is a one-day show I'm only taking two stock boxes. One with 15 locos and the latest addition of a Heljan railbus, and the other with the passenger coach and the best behaving 15 wagons. Barring doing anything stupid it should be a good day. I've had an enquiry about taking the layout to Nottingham show in 2018 or 2019 or 2020 or 2021. I've also had one for Rise Park (Hawthorn Dene has already been). I'll offer them for 18 and 19 in either order and suggest Croft Spa if they want a layout in 2020. Les 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted June 3, 2017 Author Share Posted June 3, 2017 First batch of pics from Sleaford. All a little yellow but that is the colour of the overhead LEDs. There wasn't as much ambient light in the hall as it appeared. The Hudswell Clarke is now running a lot better than it has, and took a turn on the passenger despite having to be coupled manually as its loops are now at the wrong height. That will be corrected before the layout goes out again. The new railbus did some work, though as there were two of us operating for much of the day it spent a lot of time in the layover siding. Here it is loading while a train of fulls heads off to the fiddle yard behind it. I'm not sure if there is a close up of the welders. If this repeats an earlier pic so be it. If not, the welders are cutting up track from the narrow gauge tubway that at one time graced the site. A pair of WDs on shed. To the left Hornby No.49 (which dared to run on the passenger without a lamp) and to the right DJM WITCH, now programmed to its works number. Only a couple of minor problems setting up. The rebuilt railjoint decided to become an insulator and had to have a lot of extra solder added, and the power lead to the points was temperamental at first rectifying itself just as I'd resigned myself to having to resolder here as well. One or two of the wagons were a little temperamental but with all the missing hoppers found there were more than enough to play with. More pics to follow, and I've got a couple of not very good (a bit too yellow and dark) videos to upload onto YouTube. Les 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted June 3, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 3, 2017 I think you have got the welders gas trolley upside down there.... Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 I think you have got the welders gas trolley upside down there.... Andy G oops. Will be corrected, many thanks. Mind you from the way they have the stuff they're cutting up "stacked" I don't think they're all that bright. Les 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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