Castle Aching

[Ian Simpson]

Not something I'd usually do for a politician, but I'm going to put in a good word for Macmillan. In the housing world he's remembered as the minister in charge when the UK built our highest-ever amounts of social housing in the mid-fifties. Most of it isn't great to look at, but the new homes were generally decent terraced houses and low-rise flats, popular with tenants and much better than the Victorian slums they replaced. There was still a chronic post-war housing shortage at the time, and the Conservatives saw council housing subsidies as a vote-winner.

 

And I was very glad of Palgrave Macmillan when I was a student, as they were one of the first academic publishers to offer their textbooks in affordable paperback versions. 

[Caley Jim]

In contrast to Euston, at the other end of the WCML Glasgow Central has remained little altered since it's extension in 1903/4, apart from the removal of a bookstall and a fruit stall, electrification, modernisation of the interior and the recent addition of an extra platform where the carriage road was between the original Nos. 11 & 12.  The fact that the concourse still functions as efficiently as it did when opened is thanks to the visionary design of Donald Mathieson.  All the buildings are curved, which ensures a smooth flow of people (no risk of folk bumping into one another coming round a corner).  Even the sloping part around the ticket offices was intentional, so that those at the back of a queue could see over the heads of those in front.

 

The extra platform was put in to handle traffic on the Glasgow Airport Rail Link, which never happened!

 

Jim

[NCB]

Good council housing started in the late 1940s. Well built, good designs for the families they were to accomodate, even had decent gardens. Then standards slumped. Tower blocks became the fashion. Cram in as many as possible. The latter now the default for estates whether public or private. I know one bit of Reading where they bought the gardens of a number of the 1940s houses and crammed in new housing on those.

[Donw]

Good council housing started in the late 1940s. Well built, good designs for the families they were to accomodate, even had decent gardens. Then standards slumped. Tower blocks became the fashion. Cram in as many as possible. The latter now the default for estates whether public or private. I know one bit of Reading where they bought the gardens of a number of the 1940s houses and crammed in new housing on those.

 

Reading Council started building in Whitley to provide homes for soldiers returning after WW1.  I don't know when my Grandparents house was built but it was before WW2. They were quite decent houses with a nice sized garden. It is true Whitley acquired a reputation  but that was more due to the nature of certain individuals rather than poor housing. Certainly it was a much nicer place than Telford Development created at Woodside in the 60s. I never lived in either but visited Whitley often and enjoyed drinking in the Upsy Down, Merry Maidens amongst others. I became familiar with Woodside in the 70s when living in Ironbridge and Broseley. 

Don

[Nick Holliday]

Good council housing started in the late 1940s. Well built, good designs for the families they were to accomodate, even had decent gardens. Then standards slumped. Tower blocks became the fashion. Cram in as many as possible. The latter now the default for estates whether public or private. I know one bit of Reading where they bought the gardens of a number of the 1940s houses and crammed in new housing on those.

The London County Council, sometimes in conjunction with other boroughs, had a major project of building council houses on large estates, with a relatively low density of around 11 dwellings per acre. The largest and most significant was at Becontree, where 2770 dwellings were built from 1921 until its completion in 1935. Other, smaller, estates were created, some distance from the central London slums that were being cleared, the second largest being the St Helier estate in Morden and Sutton, with 825 dwelling, built between 1929 and 1934, which many railway enthusiasts know due to the extensive rail network Wills, the builders, provided to distribute building materials. Other estates included Downham with 600 dwellings, Watling and Mottingham.

[TheQ]

The London County Council, sometimes in conjunction with other boroughs, had a major project of building council houses on large estates, with a relatively low density of around 11 dwellings per acre. The largest and most significant was at Becontree, where 2770 dwellings were built from 1921 until its completion in 1935. Other, smaller, estates were created, some distance from the central London slums that were being cleared, the second largest being the St Helier estate in Morden and Sutton, with 825 dwelling, built between 1929 and 1934, which many railway enthusiasts know due to the extensive rail network Wills, the builders, provided to distribute building materials. Other estates included Downham with 600 dwellings, Watling and Mottingham.

Cramming in Housing is not new, in the mid 1960's the council took most of the back gardens of two rows of houses, drove a road down between and put a line of bungalows for OAPs. This was in a small village in Wiltshire. But going back futher, in the next village to me here in Norfolk, the two side gardens of two houses were removed, and  a house built between forming a terrace, when? about 1800... 

 

Oh in the same village the Decent council houses were First started in 1935, we lived in an Identical one, though built just post war..

Edited June 8, 2018 by TheQ

[Knuckles]

Sorry with respect I still couldn't live with that rough finnish. One day this will be a wonderfully tool but I see that being in say 10 years time right now I have my doubts.

 

Sorry

 

I have a 3mm version of the same tender by SCC. Done in FED rather than FUD. Ridges almost invisible. As with the 4mm one above, the ridges are most noticeable on the rear. HOWEVER, on running a finger lightly across a bit of the end they seemed to disappear. So I took a cotton bud and gently went over the body, and ended up with something pretty smooth. I need to paint it in primer or something so that I can see exactly what I've got, but so far signs are promising.

 

 

The photographs of Edwardian's tenders is literally after it has had a white spirit soak. That is not how it looks when finished as you implied!

Like NCB said give it some effort with smoothing and you can turn out a good model. I personally use a combination of fine sand papers carefully going around the rivets, fine files for the crannies and fiber glass brush, blast of primer, repeat as needed. 3D printing isn't yet 'injection moulding,' however with effort you can get a close matching finish.

 

One side of the model will always be a bit rougher than the other depending how they orient the part as one side MUST have the support structure joined to it, and as can be seen on the rear, it is a bit rougher than the rest of the model. With FUD/FXD or Smooth/Smoothest Detail Plastic as it is now called the supports are made out of wax that are melted away so you have deposits that needed cleaning. It isn't hard, just takes a bit of time.

 

 

Re. the 3D printing - I can't help feeling that the attempt to do everything as a single print is a blind alley that's being pursued merely because it's possible, not because it's the best technical solution. The tender would be much easier to finish (and line out) if the springs were separate items - perhaps even a 3rd party whitemetal casting. I like the idea of a mixed-media virtual kit, where the CAD designer uploads the basic 3D print file along with a list of other components (from various sources) required to complete.

I agree to a degree, I put in the instructions they may be easier removing for painting and lining and then re-adding, treating the 3 spring stems as sprues sort of.

 

With Shapeways you have to remember the price of the models goes UP for every separate part, yet they also have strict (and often retarded) 'spruing' laws that mostly require sprues to be so fat the items break instead of the sprues. Hard to balance this out.

 

There is also the view that many people either don't want, are not capable of or are scared to build a traditional kit (especially etched) with all the bits separate so buying an almost completed body that just requires a bit of smoothing, painting and detailing is for some people a great boon, time saver, fear reliever and whatever else.

Trucks for sidings...

 

 

 

EDIT: I think i was quoting page 392 --- blimey this thread moves fast, like an express train on nos!

EDIT 2: Repaired the first quotes as I made a non-sense out of them.

Edited June 8, 2018 by Knuckles

[Edwardian]

The photographs of Edwardian's tenders is literally after it has had a white spirit soak. That is not how it looks when finished as you implied!

Like NCB said give it some effort with smoothing and you can turn out a good model.

 

 

 

I agree to a degree, I put in the instructions they may be easier removing for painting and lining and then re-adding, treating the 3 spring stems as sprues sort of.

 

With Shapeways you have to remember the price of the models goes UP for every separate part, yet they also have strict (and often retarded) 'spruing' laws that mostly require sprues to be so fat the items break instead somethings. Hard to balance this out.

 

There is also the view that many people either don't want, are not capable of or scared to build a traditional kit (especially etched) with all the bits separate so buying an almost completed body that just requires a bit of smoothing, painting and detailing is for some people a great boon, time saver, fear reliever and whatever else.

Trucks for sidings...

 

Hello, yes, I really should work on those tenders.  People will then see how well they come out.

[martinT]

Weren’t the MacMillan family major shareholders in the GWR?

 

Harold MacMillan was in fact a director of the GWR (I'm rather embarrassed to admit in view of what he allowed to happen to the Arch). I don't know the dates of his directorship but I rather guess that when he died in 1986 he would have been the last survivor of the GWR Board.

 

Martin

[petethemole]

Harold MacMillan was in fact a director of the GWR (I'm rather embarrassed to admit in view of what he allowed to happen to the Arch). I don't know the dates of his directorship but I rather guess that when he died in 1986 he would have been the last survivor of the GWR Board.

 

Martin

 

I read somewhere that 'Mac' was always greeted at Paddington by the SM in full top hat rig and escorted to his train, not because he was PM but as a former GWR director.

[Hroth]

Harold MacMillan was in fact a director of the GWR (I'm rather embarrassed to admit in view of what he allowed to happen to the Arch). I don't know the dates of his directorship but I rather guess that when he died in 1986 he would have been the last survivor of the GWR Board.

 

Martin

The fate of the Arch, being L&B/LNWR/LMS, wouldn't be something that would particularly worry an ex-Director of the GWR!

 

If he was a director at the time of Nationalisation, I wonder if he voted to take compensation?  I believe that the GWR board as a whole rejected compensation, but the boards of the three other "Big Four" companies did take it.

[Compound2632]

I agree to a degree, I put in the instructions they may be easier removing for painting and lining and then re-adding, treating the 3 spring stems as sprues sort of.

 

With Shapeways you have to remember the price of the models goes UP for every separate part, yet they also have strict (and often retarded) 'spruing' laws that mostly require sprues to be so fat the items break instead of the sprues. Hard to balance this out.

 

There is also the view that many people either don't want, are not capable of or are scared to build a traditional kit (especially etched) with all the bits separate so buying an almost completed body that just requires a bit of smoothing, painting and detailing is for some people a great boon, time saver, fear reliever and whatever else.

Trucks for sidings...

 

Thanks - and please bear in mind that I hadn't seen the instructions. It's interesting to understand what drives the most economical way to produce the model. And I agree that for many, the ideal is an RTP body for a RTR chassis. I just know what I'd be doing - but then I'm not very good at sticking to the instructions!

[Edwardian]

Thanks - and please bear in mind that I hadn't seen the instructions. It's interesting to understand what drives the most economical way to produce the model. And I agree that for many, the ideal is an RTP body for a RTR chassis. I just know what I'd be doing - but then I'm not very good at sticking to the instructions!

 

Apropos this discussion, I'd love to know whether the TMP O Class chassis will fit under a BTP body, because there's an opportunity!

 

Seemingly ubiquitous on the NE, and probably more likely to turn up as a rural branch engine pre-Grouping than an A or an O, there is even a nice Cumbrian BTP connection for Knuckles; they worked the Alston branch at least into the '20s and one, shedded at Carlisle, IIRC, was on the Brampton Town push-pull service c.1913-23.

[runs as required]

Apropos this discussion, I'd love to know whether the TMP O Class chassis will fit under a BTP body, because there's an opportunity!

 

Seemingly ubiquitous on the NE, and probably more likely to turn up as a rural branch engine pre-Grouping than an A or an O, there is even a nice Cumbrian BTP connection for Knuckles; they worked the Alston branch at least into the '20s and one, shedded at Carlisle, IIRC, was on the Brampton Town push-pull service c.1913-23.

 

Interesting - the mention of the Brampton Town push-pull service and the working of the Alston branch by BTPs

An old friend from 11+ times boyhood (actually my Trix-Twin 0-4-0 mate) came to stay up at Nenthead for a few days last week from near Lewes Sussex.where he has lived for 50 years.

I took him around and shewing him my secrets in the area. We ended up (too late for tea) in Brampton to look at the Phllip Webb church

a splendid example of the work of the Pre-Raphaelites. This is the only church built by the architect Philip Webb and is adorned by an exquisite set of stained glass windows designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and manufactured by William Morris.

 

It was of course built on the proceeds of the Earl of Carlisle's mining on the Alston fells and his Brampton waggonway  Afterwards we traced the whole route of the old line out from the SE of Brampton across the N&C and up through Coalfell to the site of the colliery at Lambley and so back via Alston to Nenthead.

 

He's just sent me a strage book (I'm rather struggling with) called "Thursbitch" by Alan Garner about the pre Turnpike and Georgian railway era in the upland Cheshire of the Peak District that the LD&ECR proposed crossing, part of my 17 mile round as a temporary postman when relieving the Windgather Rocks YHA hostel Warden Miss Salthouse at peak hostelling times.

If any one knows of the book I'd be interested to hear.

dh

(how was this post for being OT?)

[Northroader]

(how was this post for being OT?)

I don’t know what the Rememberancer is going to make of it.

[Shadow]

I don’t know what the Rememberancer is going to make of it.

Maybe they could just forgetabout that one post.

Edited June 9, 2018 by Shadow

[Compound2632]

If all OT topics are not to be indexed, the index will be pretty thin!

[runs as required]

If all OT topics are not to be indexed, the index will be pretty thin!

Indexer calling

Um having probs setting a feasible scope to CAs index (the thread contains a fair amount of, I think its termed: 'magical realism' holes ).

Can I invite the nomination of say 10 OT topics to be indexed?

dh

[Edwardian]

It is, perhaps, useful to be readily able to distinguish between content (model and prototype, railway and non-railway), actually germane to CA and its world on the one hand and, on the other hand: 

 

(a) other content concerning the prototype, because there is quite a lot of interesting non-GER/MGN/Norfolk prototype discussion to which many have contributed; and,

(b) the weird but interesting stuff

 

I don't envy you, David, I must say.

[Compound2632]

( c ) JA

Edited June 9, 2018 by Compound2632

[CKPR]

Apropos this discussion, I'd love to know whether the TMP O Class chassis will fit under a BTP body, because there's an opportunity!

 

 

 

Worryingly practical I know, but having built two BTPs in 4mm (OK, M&CR No. 26, which was a very close copy),  I reckon this would be non-starter as space is very limited in the boiler and firebox. I ended up putting a 1220 motor in the well tank under the cab and bunker and running a drive shaft to a Branchlines enclosed gearbox on the front driving axle. It  took an awful lot of work to build, needs a bit of adjustment now and again but runs like a sewing machine.

[runs as required]

I don't envy you, David, I must say.

It is quite interesting actually.

The main prob is that you (James) have entrusted your suggested topic index to 'a Bear of little brain' - for exmple I didn't know how to link to a specific post rather than to the page on which post # appears until you showed me. So I.am now having to go right through the trial Index I have posted re-linking to the actual posts.

 

It would be good to go back through deleting all the unfunny attempts to be funny stuff by that #### RaR

[Edwardian]

Worryingly practical I know, but having built two BTPs in 4mm (OK, M&CR No. 26, which was a very close copy),  I reckon this would be non-starter as space is very limited in the boiler and firebox. I ended up putting a 1220 motor in the well tank under the cab and bunker and running a drive shaft to a Branchlines enclosed gearbox on the front driving axle. It  took an awful lot of work to build, needs a bit of adjustment now and again but runs like a sewing machine.

 

I very much fear that you would be proved right, and I very much doubt that Bachmann/TMP are planning the O with a future BTP in mind!

 

My assumption is that, in common with much RTR, the 'gubbins' that makes it go will expand to fill the side tanks available!

 

Although I understand that wheel diameters and wheelbase varied across the BTPs, the various NER diagram book drawings are all a match for the O Class, IIRC.

[Edwardian]

( c ) JA

 

Corr, Uncle David, is that our new topic index?

[Nearholmer]

Another one to puzzle the indexiscte.

 

There absolutely must be a station on the WNR that needs this as a water tower.

 

Snapped during visit to a garden today.