Peterborough North

[LNER4479]

1 hour ago, Tony Wright said:

Hornby's brilliant SR GBL luggage van. And put it into one of my express freights (the fourth vehicle), only to be told by one commentator that such vans never left the Southern Region. 

 

Really? 

 

My understanding (for what it's worth) was the such vehicles stayed largely parochial in the early BR period (as did ex-GWR types?), but as the 1950s wore on - and certainly by the 1960s - they became much more common user and were seen over the length and breadth of the country. I've seen (1960s) picture of them at Aberdeen, marshalled into fish trains (were their floors strengthened or were they suitably strong anyway? Anti-corrosive coverings?)

[jwealleans]

The 4 wheel ones were obviously very popular as they're all over the place (certainly in East Anglia) by very early in the 1950s.

[Woodcock29]

On 08/03/2024 at 05:12, 31A said:

Bachmann are actually bringing out a completely retooled Thompson BG which will no doubt be streets ahead of the current, dated, model.

They've arrived apparently as I've just received an email from Bachmann announcing that.

Andrew

[great northern]

Framlingham again. I never saw the loco, but was very impressed with the castle when we went on a family holiday to Southwold in my early teens. Proper castle, that. Mind you, we hadn't been to North Wales at that time. Here's 61603 coming in...

and then coming off.

[31A]

12 hours ago, Woodcock29 said:

They've arrived apparently as I've just received an email from Bachmann announcing that.

Andrew

 

Thanks for the heads up Andrew, I'll expect a call from Monk Bar Models sometime soon then!

[Clive Mortimore]

1 hour ago, great northern said:

Framlingham again. I never saw the loco, but was very impressed with the castle when we went on a family holiday to Southwold in my early teens. Proper castle, that. Mind you, we hadn't been to North Wales at that time. Here's 61603 coming in...

 

and then coming off.

Coming off to go to Spital Bridge locomotive shed for coal, water and turning.

 

A bay window at the Spital Bridge end of the layout room and you could cram in the essential parts of the shed. A few Black fives and 8Fs for the sidings, job done.

[great northern]

1 hour ago, Clive Mortimore said:

Coming off to go to Spital Bridge locomotive shed for coal, water and turning.

 

A bay window at the Spital Bridge end of the layout room and you could cram in the essential parts of the shed. A few Black fives and 8Fs for the sidings, job done.

Nice try Clive. Actually, it is on its way to New England, but apart from that it would be a good idea, provided I didn't live in a conservation area, had enough spare cash, and we could figure out a way to get up to build it, as it is directly above the pond.

 

Seriously, I wish it could be included, as it would mean I could have some locos which are otherwise always just off scene.

[great northern]

On the Up, more mineral wagons are rattling through behind a 9F. 

 

 

[great northern]

No sun forecast for the next week, so we are down to one image again, while I try to find a way to get sufficient light to allow reasonable results.

Sir Walter is ready to depart with the Colchester-Glasgow, but there is still parcels work going on further down the train. 

[great northern]

On 08/03/2024 at 19:38, LNER4479 said:

My understanding (for what it's worth) was the such vehicles stayed largely parochial in the early BR period (as did ex-GWR types?), but as the 1950s wore on - and certainly by the 1960s - they became much more common user and were seen over the length and breadth of the country. I've seen (1960s) picture of them at Aberdeen, marshalled into fish trains (were their floors strengthened or were they suitably strong anyway? Anti-corrosive coverings?)

 

On 08/03/2024 at 19:45, jwealleans said:

The 4 wheel ones were obviously very popular as they're all over the place (certainly in East Anglia) by very early in the 1950s.

I couldn't resist further investigation. With help from Steve and Clive I have established that during the HMRS survey between 4th and 10th July 1958, the following were recorded:-

 

2 Bogie brake vans.  1 2 axle brake.  At least 9 PMVs. All were in either KX-Peterborough or KX-Grantham stopping trains, a couple of which had one on every day seen. As Jonathan says, the four wheel PMVs seem to have been very common sights on the Eastern in the 50s. There may, of course, have been others in either parcels trains or in other local services. I have a photo of an Immingham B1 with Class B lamp shunting a PMV at PN, so probably an E. LIncs train, and I know I've seen plenty of others.

Edited March 10 by great northern
spelling

[Oldddudders]

On 08/03/2024 at 20:45, jwealleans said:

The 4 wheel ones were obviously very popular as they're all over the place (certainly in East Anglia) by very early in the 1950s.

And this was the original prototype, with an illustrious history. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavell_Van

 

 

[great northern]

Yet another 9F passes North box on its way to Ferme Park.

[great northern]

Very shortly afterwards the 9F is heading on towards the gloom under the roof, while 60143 is still awaiting the guard's whistle.

 

[great northern]

The 9F is now in gloom, and has been photographed further back than normal, so that with some cropping we can see details normally not in view.

 

Some very good news today. My NCE Powerpro is more than 25 years old, and has started to do some peculiar things. NCE are very helpful, but had to tell me its mechanical parts are about life expired, so I've been looking for a replacement. That, however, is easier said than done. NCE only produce stocks to order, and owing to the world shortage of electronic gubbins have not been able to keep up with demand. I've been on a waiting list, but no closer to a solution, so I contacted NCE again to see what chance there was of one being available any time soon. They could only advise me to try to find somewhere in the world where one might be in stock. I've been trying for over a year, but everywhere has been sold out, nevertheless I gave it another go. Predictably, out of stock kept coming up until I tried E Bay, where to my surprise and delight I found TMC had had three in stock. One had already gone, and I didn't expect the other two to be there much longer, so I got in first. Very pleased indeed, as I didn't want to contemplate starting again with a different system. We just have to reprogramme all 126 route setting macros now.

[great northern]

The 9F had six minutes to get through the station and out of the way onto the Up slow, which it has done successfully, as signals are clear for Silver King to run through with the Talisman.

 

Dark all day yesterday, and pouring with rain again this morning, so still no more photos taken. Good news though is that I get my screen swopped on Friday, and hopefully get a better colour balance.

[great northern]

Another wet and rather dismal day, so a single image again, showing the other side of Silver King.

[great northern]

Silver King gain, photographed from the very far end of Platform 2.

I thought I might have found a way to disguise the end of the bridge, but sadly it didn't work.

[great northern]

This evening we feature the driver's side of 60016. Still no light, but today was a hospital check up anyway, and that takes up quite a while, as I park three miles away and walk there and back. Still all clear, and only two more check ups to go. Possible sunny periods tomorrow.

 

[great northern]

Possible sunny periods are apparently no longer possible. If this carries on I shall have to resort to artificial light. In fact I shall definitely have to, as there are only two images left. Here's 60016 again, my favourite panorama from under the bridge.

[Anthony]

This is such a perfect image, composition, lighting, depth and so on - what a joy!

 

Never mind restricted light photographs, so reminiscent of those days of my youth by the level crossing  at Offord!

 

Anthony

[65179]

On 08/03/2024 at 19:45, jwealleans said:

The 4 wheel ones were obviously very popular as they're all over the place (certainly in East Anglia) by very early in the 1950s.

 

My current favourite in this regard is a June 1950 view of a South Manchester transfer freight with a 3F 0-6-0 pulling 3 LNER sleeper wagons, an LNER pipe wagon, 2 LMS 10ft wb vans, 2 SR 4 wheel PLVs/PMVs, an NER BZ, and a long string of opens/minerals bringing up the rear.

 

Regards,

Simon

[great northern]

The possible sunny periods that ceased being possible were in fact occasionally about after all, so the image store is replenished, but not yet photoshopped. This evening has just the one image again, and is for those who prefer close ups to distant views.

 

 

[St Enodoc]

14 hours ago, great northern said:

Possible sunny periods are apparently no longer possible. If this carries on I shall have to resort to artificial light. In fact I shall definitely have to, as there are only two images left. Here's 60016 again, my favourite panorama from under the bridge.

Any photo showing the underside of Crescent Bridge is a winner for me.

[great northern]

Lots of parcels traffic by this time of evening, the next being a KX-Leeds Class C, which had a reputation for a time in the 50s for ending up in the sand drag at Arlesey. Not today though, as it swings under the bridge behind one of our own V2s.

The light was strange when I took these, and the next one looked peculiar in colour despite all my efforts, so we get some moody black and white.

[great northern]

I have encountered an interesting conundrum, and wonder if anyone can help with answers, or can point me in the direction of someone who could.

 

I shall soon be receiving a Gresley locker composite to Dia 8, which Steve @31A has built for me as a conversion from a Hornby donor. When built, these carriages had two first class compartments seating six passengers in each, plus a "coupe" compartment seating a further three first class. There were also four third class compartments, each seating eight, so in all Harris shows the seating as 15/32. There is then a little asterix, which until now I had missed which shows below the following:- "some later with intermediate armrests and seating reduced by eight". That would at first sight mean 15/24.

 

However, when I consult the 1958 CWN I find a CK 2-four and a half, seating 12 first and 36 second class passengers. The only way that can be explained, as I see it, is that the first class coupe has been changed to second class, seating four passengers. That would indeed make 12/36. I have also found entries for CK two/four and a half with an annotation stating "First class compartment to be labelled for use of second class passengers." The total seating is then given as 39 second class. That must mean surely 2 compartments seating 12, and four and a half seating 6 in the four second class compartments, and three in the former first coupe. That would be consistent with the annotation in Harris.

 

Then I turned to the Express Publications M&GN passenger services 1954, which has long puzzled me, as it shows a large number of trains with Composite corridor (2-4), and a few with Composite corridor (2-5). As built, relying on Harris, there were none of either of these. I'm afraid I assumed Express had got it wrong. But, based on my earlier calculations , it would appear that the first coupe was in some cases altered to second class. In that case 2-5 becomes more understandable, if the coupe is counted as one compartment. 2-4 though is, to me, more of a problem, unless the coupe was no longer in use.

 

The sticking point is that Harris says nothing about later conversion of the coupe to second class, or indeed put out of use. I've searched the internet, but can find nothing at all to support that. I just can't see what else can be reconciled with the entries in the CWN and Express though.

 

Any comments, suggestions, explaining how I've got the whole thing round my neck, or giving me the identity of a man or woman who can throw light on this would be gratefully received.