Peterborough North

[great northern]

The Up Fair Maid sneaks in while our man's back is turned, so this is all he can get.

This does however give me the opportunity to tell you what made me laugh so much the other day. You will see that the DMU is in the bay, having arrived from Louth. I thought the time had come to stop winding Clive up and let it run again. However, and I promise this is true, as it entered the station it started making a nasty screeching noise, and so it really has been failed this time.

 

This should be a Gateshead A4, but we've missed getting the number. Actually, I did take a photo, but somehow the camera managed to shake so it was useless. I also took one of the DMU as it arrived, but the background was very fuzzy, so that had to be binned too.

Anyway, fear not, because some one was looking through the arch.

[great northern]

Awoken at 1.10am by the burglar alarm going off. False alarm, of course, caused I think by a bit of spider web moving across a detector. It took a while to get back to sleep, so today will be a quiet one.

 

This morning we have Sir Ronald from the bridge.

A rather closer crop than usual. Then from ground level and the other side of the bridge.

 

I do feel that this makes a striking image, so you will see plenty like it. Station Road is what makes the difference again, of course.

Edited May 18, 2023 by great northern
spelling

[great northern]

Here's Heaton's Ocean Swell, reversing into number 4 bay, where it will wait to take over the Heart Of Midlothian.

First though there is another Leeds to come through, behind New England's disreputable Duke.

[great northern]

This morning I have had a very pleasant and unexpected surprise. More about that later. For now, we shall follow the Duke's progress.

 

I put that lamp on very carefully.

[great northern]

Last look at 60508.

 

 

Then on the Up the Inverkeithing Goods comes through.

[great northern]

The other side of the grubby V2. I've seen this train referred to as the Up Scotch Goods, but if it was it certainly didn't have Pacific haulage as did the Down train.

Emerging from the gloom. Another attempt at a more cheerful sky, but I'm still not convinced by it.

[Welly]

^^^

The bottom picture looks like the sun gone behind a cloud when the shutter was released.

[jazzer]

On 16/05/2023 at 11:11, great northern said:

It was indeed, hence my change of emphasis from WDs to 9Fs. Theoretically, a 9F could do a round trip from New England to Ferme Park in under 8 hours. I say in theory, because practice then was to prioritise passenger trains, so they would still have spent considerable amounts of time waiting in loops, or queuing to get into New England coal roads.

Line occupation by coal trains delaying passenger trains between New England  and Ferme Park had been a problem for years.  There was an interesting article in Trains Illustrated Annual many years ago about how Gresley tried to solve the problem by having fewer but heavier trains of 100 wagons loaded to 1600 tons, for which Gresley designed his P1 class 2-8-2’s, the most powerful steam engines built in Britain with a tractive effort of 42,000. lbs. They also had a booster powering the rear trailing axle, driven by a small auxiliary steam engine fed by the boiler, which the driver could activate  when starting or travelling uphill. The booster could add another 8000lbs to the tractive effort.  
Unbelievably, nobody thought to check whether all  the loops could actually hold 100 wagon trains, but some of them couldn’t so they still finished up occasionally holding up expresses until they found a loop long enough. They were also heavy on coal and hard work for the fireman even without the booster activated and apparently became a firing job to avoid. The boosters were removed after a few years and the two P1’s were scrapped in about 1945 after about 20 years or so service. The boilers were transferred to Pacific’s.

I mention this basically failed experiment because it puts in perspective the brilliance of the 9f’s.

[great northern]

One more look at that V2.

Still not convinced by blue skies. 

 

As soon as the line is clear, another Ivatt rolls in, The train is from Yarmouth, but this Ivatt will have taken over from another at South Lynn.

 

[great northern]

Modernisation intrudes again this morning, as D209 runs in with the Heart of Midlothian.

 

Soon it is whistling away at the platform end, while waiting to be released to New England.

Another visit from Peter Leyland today, and more finishing touches to Station Road to be applied.

[Bloodnok]

12 hours ago, great northern said:

One more look at that V2.

Still not convinced by blue skies. 

 

I think the issue is with the contrast between the lighting on the layout and the sky. The clear sky indicates there should be direct sunlight, but the model doesn't reflect that. An overcast sky would suit that image better. A photo with brighter lighting would suit a blue sky.

The photos of D209 work much better with the blue sky -- there's defined shadows and light on the side of the locos.

Edited May 21, 2023 by Bloodnok

[great northern]

Ocean Swell has backed on, and is ready to depart.

 

Another 9F is on the Down slow, but there is no chance of it being allowed across into the yards.

[great northern]

The 9F is seen from Platform 3.

and there is a moment in the spotlight for the N5, basking in the unaccustomed sunshine and waiting to be called on to do something. A couple of vans to shunt, maybe?

Now I musr prepare for the arrival of Timara.

[great northern]

Timara duly arrived, as usual with goodies. I haven't had time to prepare images yet though, so you will have to be patient.

 

For now, we can look at both sides of Ocean Swell as it starts away towards home.

 

Photos taken on Thursday just gone, at last a day with plenty of natural light, so blue skies look rather more convincing.

[great northern]

One more view of 60517, but this time with the waiting 9F in shot as well.

Not long before the next train on the Down. Ex works Doncaster v2 60881 left KX just eight minutes after the Heart of Midlothian with a Monday and Fridays only Leeds/Bradford.

[great northern]

Time to reveal goodies. Not new locos, you will see very few more of those, but two from the pre Timara era. First is KX A1 Curlew.

 

This was previously a bit flat and one coloured. Uninspiring and bland. But not when Timara has finished with it. It now has character and individuality. Name plates put in the correct place as shown by prototype pictures, and other subtleties which Timara may like to tell you about.

 

Next is Doncaster A3 Diamond Jubilee, one of the earliest double chimney conversions, having left the paint shop in early August. Previously far too dirty, even Doncaster would have struggled to get it that bad in such a short time, and frankly it offended my eyes so much that I really didn't want to use it. Timara found a September dated photo which showed that 36A had actually kept it clean.

 

 

Again a loco which now has character and which I shall look forward to running on top link work, which I'm sure it did, once the crews and other authorities had realised how much its performance had been transformed. Once more I will leave Timara to add any further details she wishes to share with you.

 

[30368]

1 hour ago, great northern said:

Time to reveal goodies.

 

As always, wonderfully weathered locomotives. My favourite being picture one of Diamond Jubilee. Just first class and I agree Gilbert, Timara's work transforms the flat surface that most proprietary locomotives are finished in.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Ray Flintoft]

On 17/05/2023 at 09:04, great northern said:

Happy Knight doesn't seem to have been a very well liked engine, as it moved shed about 15 times during its short life, including a very short stay at Annesley. New England kept getting rid of it, but it kept coming back. In June 58 it was sent to KX, where it was promptly put into Top Shed condition, probably for the only time in its life, apart from the first few weeks ex plant. It was even used on a few of the top expresses, but KX got rid of it quickly too.

 

 

I have read somewhere that New England crews regarded 60533 as on a par with the A.2/2's but inferior to the Thompson A.2/3's. York men I have talked to said much the same about 60526, although opinions could vary widely even from the same shed.

        Food for thought anyway.

                                     Ray.

[great northern]

4 hours ago, Ray Flintoft said:

I have read somewhere that New England crews regarded 60533 as on a par with the A.2/2's but inferior to the Thompson A.2/3's. York men I have talked to said much the same about 60526, although opinions could vary widely even from the same shed.

        Food for thought anyway.

                                     Ray.

On a par with the A2/2s doesn't say much for it. Their annual mileage was awful, and they seem to have spent most of their time on the slow trains to and from Kings Cross.

 

533 seems odd though, in that it changed shed 13 times in its life of 14 years. No other member of the class moved more than 6 times. New England had it from new for a month, sent it to Copley Hill, got it back seven months later, but returned it three months after that. It came back just one month later! It then spent four years at New England, by far the longest it stayed at any shed. Then it was off to Grantham for two years, back to New England for nine months, Grantham again for nine months, then Kings Cross got it, but only for six, when it was returned to Grantham. Six months later back to New England, but just seven months later they got rid of it to Doncaster. It managed to remain there for two years and nine months, but I've seen quite a lot of photos of it on Doncaster-Leeds slows during that time. Then back to New England one more time, but only for nine more months, when it was withdrawn in the mass cull of June 1963.

 

From what I've read, sheds had their "good uns" and did all they could to keep hold of them, but that certainly didn't happen with 533. Strange really, considering it was a double chimney engine, and they were considered to be much better than the single chimney ones. The history does suggest though that sheds were more inclined to get rid of it as soon as possible.  But in all classes there seem to have been some that were extremely good, some average, and the occasional black sheep, so one can't tar a whole class with the same brush.

[great northern]

This evening we continue to follw the progress of 60881.

This is a slightly different angle, which I personally rather like.

 

Then  a head on shot.

 

 

I quite like that one too, and the sky seems to fit, for once. It was a day with plenty of light though.

[Timara]

To add to what Gilbert has said about the latest returnees, here are a couple of photos of Curlew, which I hope illustrate some of the minor changes she's had during her sojourn in "works". 

 

I have a feeling this is one of the earliest A1s on the layout, but Gilbert will hopefully be able to correct me on that! The original finish was more or less a lightly dusted-over factory finish, with the numberplate having been removed from above the door straps to on top of the original.  This area needed tidying up and you'd now never know it had once been like that. The tender crests were changed as well, because they weren't quite in the right place, never mind the right hand one needing to be the "incorrect" forward facing type. I didn't need to bother with changing the cabside numbers, thankfully!

 

 

There's something deeply satisfying about seeing an A1 in a reasonably clean condition, though not entirely spotless.  Even more so in rear 3/4 view such as the image below. Both images taken using my tablet, incidentally.  I've shown Gilbert how to use his new phone to do similar, so fingers crossed! 

 

 

With regard to 60046, seeing the original "finish" fall off after application of Isopropyl alcohol was very satisfying indeed. I don't know what the original medium was, but it was not pleasant to look at! At least I know that it's removable without much ado, saving many hours of elbow grease! The tender crests didn't survive, alas, so they were replaced, but the numbers were carefully retained (HMRS on both locos), saving a full renumber. With my stock of numbers now at a premium, anything I can save changing is very much appreciated!

 

 

 

[45568]

7 hours ago, Timara said:

 

With my stock of numbers now at a premium, anything I can save changing is very much appreciated!

 

 

 

Timara,

              Might I suggest you look at Fox transfers numbering as a substitute for the HMRS? I have been using them for some years now since the HMRS Pressfix items became unavailable.

 They are waterslide with absolutely minimum carrier film and come in a variety of sizes, also cream which matches Hornby rtr numbering very well, and the correct off-white shade which suits Bachmann partial renumbering.

https://www.fox-transfers.co.uk/prototype-10-inch-steam-cabside-numbering-58503

Here is an example as applied to a Hornby A2/3 repaint.

 

And a partial renumbering of a new Bachmann V2

 

The crests and lining are also by Fox on the A2/3.

No connection other than as a very satisfied customer!

Cheers from Oz,

Peter C.

[great northern]

We have another V2, very clean again, but this time because it isa Top Shed engine. It is bringing in the 1230 Doncaster-KX.

An interesting mix behind the tender.12 cars, not a MK1 to be seen, and  no catering.

[great northern]

More of 60854, from the bridge...

Such a nice view now, and rather better than the one from Spital Bridge, I reckon. We can watch it going under the bridge too.

[great northern]

A lovely little Claud has come down the engine road and is having a rest in the old shed yard.

 

It did not interfere with Enterprise bringing in the Up Ripon.

 

Picking Steve @31A up from Newark station in a while, and we shall be joined by Phil and Clive this afternoon. I have forgotten to buy a tool for extracting Clive from tight spaces.