Castle Aching

[Edwardian]

Someone remarked in another thread that, if we'd had a revolution c1918, as some thought probable, we would have had the most conservative communists in the world. An annual tea by a river-bank certainly supports that view.

 

5:15-5:30pm The Overthrow of Capitalism (if wet, in the church hall).

 

Well, that's Jeremy Corbyn; 'jam and [new] Jerusalem'!

 

It'll be spinsters cycling through the autumn mists to communion next ....

[Compound2632]

Well, that's Jeremy Corbyn; 'jam and [new] Jerusalem'!

 

It'll be spinsters cycling through the autumn mists to communion next ....

 

In the 1890s, elements in both the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches were involved with radical politics - including that former Archdeacon of Chichester, His Eminence Cardinal Manning, Archbishop of Westminster. And of course Labour's roots are more Methodist than Marxist.

[Edwardian]

The carriage in the postcard you posted would appear to be the Great Eastern's 50' clerestory royal saloon built for the new king; presumably this was dual-fitted.

 

 

 

I really must remember what I post and re-post!

 

This has panels above the waist congruent with GE practice, but it is not the saloon pictured in outline on the GERS web-site, the layout appears a little different.  This coach is not shown a clerestory, and the surviving saloon is not either (see below). 

 

 

 

 

 

"Please explain".

 

The £43 14/6 for transporting his Grace of Devonshire's carriages, trucks, horses and dogs from Rowsley to Cark compares with the monthly wage bill of £180 for the 42 traffic department staff at Rowsley about that time. The stationmaster got £125 pa.

 

 

 

Well, if hounds, they are 'couples', for which you need an even number.  

 

EDIT: forgot to add pictures ..

Edited November 28, 2017 by Edwardian

[Compound2632]

I really must remember what I post and re-post!

 

This has panels above the waist congruent with GE practice, but it is not the saloon pictured in outline on the GERS web-site, the layout appears a little different.  This coach is not shown a clerestory, and the surviving saloon is not either (see below). 

 

 

 

 

Well, if hounds, they are 'couples', for which you need an even number.  

 

EDIT: forgot to add pictures ..

 

It took me a moment to work that out too. Reading the GERSoc website closely, the diagram is one of several 41' saloons, there was also a 50' saloon, the only GE royal saloon with a clerestory, built at the accession of King Edward VII. I agree the carriage now at Beamish looks more 50' than 41' but the 50' saloon was extensively rebuilt when it became an inspection saloon, so it might be the same one - though doesn't look at all like the photo!

 

Thanks for the hound couple clarification. Perhaps there was a spare?

[martinT]

 

Well, if hounds, they are 'couples', for which you need an even number.  

 

Forgive my total ignorance of all things sporting but would they have taken a terrier (or 3)?

 

Martin

[Edwardian]

Forgive my total ignorance of all things sporting but would they have taken a terrier (or 3)?

 

Martin

 

Good point!

[Regularity]

Forgive my total ignorance of all things sporting but would they have taken a terrier (or 3)?

 

Martin

Only if travelling on the LBSC....

 

(Sorry)

[Compound2632]

Only if travelling on the LBSC....

 

(Sorry)

 

On the latter day Great Western, it would have to be a Dukedog.

[corneliuslundie]

And before that a Bulldog, rather more useful (I have difficulty envisaging a canine dukedog - one wearing a crown perhaps)

Jonathan

[Edwardian]

And before that a Bulldog, rather more useful (I have difficulty envisaging a canine dukedog - one wearing a crown perhaps)

Jonathan

 

 a coronet, perhaps?

 

Meanwhile, for old times' sake ...

Edited November 28, 2017 by Edwardian

[Regularity]

a coronet, perhaps?

 

Meanwhile, for old times' sake ...

I can only say that, in thanks for providing that photo, you must have a kind heart...

[Hroth]

 a coronet, perhaps?

 

Meanwhile, for old times' sake ...

By gum!

 

What size ducks is MIss Dollmann feeding?

[Northroader]

Why is she eating her iPad?

[Nearholmer]

That's an iPasty. Can't you tell?

 

If she was holding it up a bit, you'd be able to see the Ginsters logo on the back.

Edited November 28, 2017 by Nearholmer

[MickRalph]

The kids gave me a 70th birthday treat at the old Petworth station, which I combined with a trip on the Bluebell, of course.608C894C-14D0-4D5A-98EF-8351A9CA669E.jpeg

What a coincidence - for my 70th birthday in February I was taken for Saturday lunch on the Bluebell's Pullman Diner (where I am a signalman at Kingscote); of course, I dressed in the Edwardian costume which I use for Santa Victorian/Edwardian Specials.  This was followed a couple of days later, on my actual birthday, by a night in one of the Pullmans at Petworth.  Sheer elegance!

 

Mick

[Edwardian]

State of play, so far.

 

Need to get the cork down.  Did try this, sticking the printed track layout onto it, but bodged it hopelessly.  The PVA caused the cork to buckle, but, worse than that, somehow it seems to have distorted the printed track layout, so things no longer aligned the way they did before I cut all the wood! 

 

I think I have enough cork left, and I will re-print the track layout.

 

I believe that I have assembled sufficient material to start on the points.  Centre stage are the components very generously fabricated by Don W.  I have to do some swotting up on his notes, and then actually get on and do something.

[Nearholmer]

I've become something of a corkophile over the past three years, and I've adopted two ways of sticking it down, either:

 

- neat PVA, in relatively thin beads or blobs, which allows a bit of slithering about to get position right; or,

 

- contact adhesive, which I put on the back of the cork, then place and press down the cork, pull it up again, allow glue to nearly dry (a minute or two of noxious fumes), then lay the cork again, positioning very carefully, because it will now 'grab'.

 

In both cases, I use very little glue, not seeking to get anything like 100% coverage, and I lay the cork carefully, one end to the other, to avoid humps - a bit like wallpapering horizontally.

 

I've only found the need to weight it down where the cork hasn't been left to 'settle' in a flat position before laying, or is the less good stuff.

 

I only use a small amount of glue, because I'm indecisive, and it makes removing it and cleaning-up after track alterations much easier!

[Regularity]

PVA, applied very thinly to both the wood and the cork and it will stick almost instantly. Apply weights to keep the pressure on, preferably overnight.

 

Job done.

 

That was a tip given to me by a neighbour who was a joiner. He gave me two further tips.

1) Nothing is a good as Resin W, even though it costs more it is like a more expensive tool and saves money in the long run;

2) Act as though you are self-employed (as he was!) and that you really don’t want to waste a single penny by using too much glue.

[Northroader]

What’s the cork? The dear old eu have been trying to reduce the drain on cork bark, in addition it’s not as fashionable for decorating, so it’s harder to get. Wickes still stock foot square, eighth inch thick, tiles, but they have seal on one face. I prefer unsealed to be surer of the glue bonding, either to stick the cork down to the baseboard on the lower face, or to fix the ballast on to the upper face of the tile. This means surforming the seal off, which is a pain. I agree with the comments to use pva glue to fix the tiles down, it works well.

[Nearholmer]

Cork suppliers to the gentry: http://www.charlescantrill.com/

 

Top notch stuff.

[Compound2632]

And before that a Bulldog, rather more useful (I have difficulty envisaging a canine dukedog - one wearing a crown perhaps)

Jonathan

 

I am his Highness' dog at Kew

Pray tell me, Sir, whose dog are you?

 

- engraved on the collar of a dog given by Alexander Pope to Frederick, Prince of Wales.

[Donw]

Sticking cork down does tend to be a one shot job. if you can get the alignment right and roll it down onto the glued surface it seems easy but it is tricky to adjust using a fast setting PVA.. Can I suggest the following before gluing the surface align the cork onto the baseboard using drawing pins pin down one end. Draw pencil lines along the sides to help with alingment. roll back to the pinned end and apply glue to one half ( not the pinned half) and roll the cork down following the pencil lines. Move the drawing pins to the glued end carefull roll back to the glued side taking care not to rip the cork at the glue edge. Apply glue to the other half and roll that down a few mor drawing pin may hold that edge down. Ideally a sheet of ply covering the glue can be placed down with a spread load like books just sufficient to hold the cork to the surface.

 

Applying the print you can try the same tactic care is needed not to stretch the print.

 

Regards Don

[drmditch]

Having used cork tiles for many years, I have found the following works for me:-

 

Cut and fit all pieces required for a selected length/area.

Carefully mark/number each piece, and mark 'which way is up'.

Clean whole area to be laid. (otherwise lumps and bumps get everywhere!)

If using Resin Wood glue:

   Apply even thin coat to whole baseboard area

   Place cork down (the right way up!) and

   Weight down with board/timber over the whole area and heavy weights.

   Leave to dry

 

For my new railway I am using a Spray contact adhesive from my nice local timber merchant. This works even on the 'finished tiles' mentioned above, although I always (except when I get confused) stick these glossy side down.

  Create a 'spray booth' - old box or similar!

  lay cork (right way up - ie top down!) in booth

  Spray with a light coat on cork

  If possible, also spray light coat onto baseboard - masking where sensible (it's horrible stuff to clean of track!)

  Wait three or four minutes

  Lay down cork pieces one at a time, always working from a 'known edge

  Press down firmly

 

By the way, I also found some good plywood of exactly the same thickness as the cork tiles. Very useful  for baseboard edges and other places needing a solid fixing. It came from one of the big retail 'hobby and craft' shops.

[Poggy1165]

All this talk of hunting reminds me of an article I saw (perhaps in Forward the GCRS magazine) about the hunting specials that once ran from Marylebone. Apparently the GCR main line (for all its faults) was convenient for three or four major hunts. You could take your horse(s) to a suitable location by a train that would also convey yourself. Presumably there were sufficient well-heeled folk in London who followed the hunts to make this exercise worthwhile.

 

Coursing events (in autumn/winter) were also a major source of traffic for the railways. Not only were the greyhounds and owners conveyed (to places like Altcar on the CLC) but also large numbers of punters as back in the day the sport was extremely popular. Haydock Park, when it started, was as much a coursing venue as it was a racecourse, though I think it was "park" coursing, an artificial form where the hares were introduced rather than living there naturally. 

 

As to the Empress of Austria, I believe she rode quite regularly with the Cheshire Hunt. On one occasion she was present when the MFH lost his temper and told some chap who had broken hunt protocol that he deserved to be taken to Tarporley and b******** by six Irish navvies. This was of course in the days before PC and presumably the Empress took the outburst in her stride.

[Edwardian]

All this talk of hunting reminds me of an article I saw (perhaps in Forward the GCRS magazine) about the hunting specials that once ran from Marylebone. Apparently the GCR main line (for all its faults) was convenient for three or four major hunts. You could take your horse(s) to a suitable location by a train that would also convey yourself. Presumably there were sufficient well-heeled folk in London who followed the hunts to make this exercise worthwhile.

 

Coursing events (in autumn/winter) were also a major source of traffic for the railways. Not only were the greyhounds and owners conveyed (to places like Altcar on the CLC) but also large numbers of punters as back in the day the sport was extremely popular. Haydock Park, when it started, was as much a coursing venue as it was a racecourse, though I think it was "park" coursing, an artificial form where the hares were introduced rather than living there naturally. 

 

As to the Empress of Austria, I believe she rode quite regularly with the Cheshire Hunt. On one occasion she was present when the MFH lost his temper and told some chap who had broken hunt protocol that he deserved to be taken to Tarporley and b******** by six Irish navvies. This was of course in the days before PC and presumably the Empress took the outburst in her stride.

 

Fascinating stuff, and a very enjoyable read.  Of course, it would take a winter scene to do justice to the hunting traffic once carried by the railways, but would be quite a theme.

 

Once upon a time, during the Armchair Years, when the pre-Grouping bug first bit, I devised a project that, like Castle Aching, was largely led by a wish to model local architecture, in this case that of Melton Mowbray. Now, strangely, I was not such a fan of all things Midland as I now am, and, so, l planned a fictional version of the LNW-GN joint line complete with a, frankly, very Buckinghamesque terminus, though it had an extensive cattle market rather than a gas works, and an open country section featuring exchange sidings with an ironstone line. At the time, I possessed a brick garage, 20' x 10' (oh for that luxury now!), and the layout was designed to go round three sides of it.

 

Being a fictional line to a fictional town, a sort of parallel universe not-Melton Mowbray, I had to come up with a suitable Leicestershire market town name.  I tried Market Mowbray and Castle Mowbray, Melton Bosworth, and, no doubt, a good many others.  Then I thought of linking the town, not to a market or to a keep, but to an ecclesiastical foundation.  With fond memories of a childhood visit to Cadeby, inspiration seemed with me at least so far as the naming of the project was concerned, and I plumped for Melton Prior, which, or rather, who, was not a town at all, but a well-known Victorian war correspondent!   

 

The setting is hunting country par excellence with the Quorn, Belvoir, Fernie and Cottesmore all nearby. 

 

Well, of course, all that was quite beyond a novice; one only has to consider the slow falterings of the far more modest and much simpler West Norfolk project to see why. 

 

One good thing to come out of it was many happy hours researching the line, which is noteworthy for having had a station named for a nearby fox covert, John O'Gaunt.