Peterborough North

[jonny777]

Yes Ian, your wife is right, the signals do need toning down, and that is on my list of stuff to do. Number 623 I think. The ballast is actually very subtly weathered. Norman Saunders has gone to a lot of trouble over that. The problem I think is that the lighting conditions mean that to get a good exposure on the trains the ballast tends to get under exposed and rather bleached out. Having said that, there are a few places I shall work on more, where locos would have stood for any length of time for a start.

 

As to loco rosters, my information comes mainly from Railway Observer, Trains Illustrated and Peter Coster's superb Books of..... the Pacifics. The captions to the photos in those gives some good details. Other magazines occasionally throw up nuggets of information, a recent edition of British Railways Illustrated for example gives details of the A4's used by 34A and 64B for each year the Elizabethan ran. Having gleaned what information I can, the rest is informed guesswork. I look at how long it would have taken for a loco to reach its destination and be turned coaled and serviced. I then tend to allocate it to the next train from that destination shown on the WTT, unless I have concrete information to the contrary. We shall never have access to the full information all these years later, so that's the best that can be done.

 

Having said that, of course things sometimes didn't work out as planned. When I asked Peter Coster if he could help further he told me that by summer 1958 things were pretty chaotic anyway, so almost anything could turn up on any train. That is confirmed by comments in the RO for October 1958 which says that at the end of August 40 main line locos were laid off at one time. The end of regular manning was blamed by the writer. I'm not going to take that to extremes. There are recorded instances of V2's heading the Elizabethan, but it didn't happen very often, so it won't on my train set.

 

Presumably, you have contacted Tommy Knox who was compiling a database of all ER Pacific workings?

 

Parts of this used to be online but was hacked by some idiots who get enjoyment over these things, and has been taken offline ever since. However, I think he still answers queries by email. I will see if I can find his address.

[CUTLER2579]

I have a photo of V2 60817 coming South through Retford with the Up "Elizabethian" so thats a good start. :lol: .

 

Just an Observation

 

Helpful as always,Derek.

[JeffP]

I have a photo of V2 60817 coming South through Retford with the Up "Elizabethian" so thats a good start. :lol: .

 

Just an Observation

 

Helpful as always,Derek.

 

Must have been a loco failure somwhere......

[great northern]

Presumably, you have contacted Tommy Knox who was compiling a database of all ER Pacific workings?

 

Parts of this used to be online but was hacked by some idiots who get enjoyment over these things, and has been taken offline ever since. However, I think he still answers queries by email. I will see if I can find his address.

 

I would be very grateful. I have tried to access the site without success - now I know why. I suspect he may be the best source of information there is.

[workev2000]

Just to correct my post. The 20 specials were from Peterborough to Huddersfield, and were in January 1957, so before Gilbert's modelling. Just as a note a Black Five substituted on one of the returns down the ECML!

 

Brits were very rare on the ECML north of Peterborough, but not B16s.

 

Ian

[great northern]

It's a glorious day, so I couldn't wait to see what new problems the light would give me now that the clocks have gone forward. As you will see, the answer was plenty.

 

 

We start with a local B1 just pulling away with the 3.58pm local to Grantham.

 

 

 

One of my favourite trains, in particular this Thompson semi corridor lavatory composite - I just love that name.

 

 

A view of the whole train. These are of course the exact three coaches that Hornby intend to produce later this year.

 

 

Next is another local engine, swinging under Crescent Bridge and into Platform 6 with a KX- York parcels train.

 

 

And now at rest, as it will remain for some time. I reckon the fireman had had a few before he came on duty, if the way he's attached those lamps is anything to go by.

 

 

Here's where the light gets really difficult. I am very keen to take photos from this side, but even with the blinds closed a lot of light still gets in.

 

 

This one is even more difficult, which is very frustrating as it's a view I like a lot. I really can't see a way to block out all that light, and if I could there would probably not be enough light left to get the shot anyway.

 

 

This train is a Class H from Ashburton Grove to New England. Ashburton Grove sounds like a very nice place, but alas it wasn't. You won't find it now, as the Emirates stadium has been built where it used to be. I strongly suspect that this train is what used to be termed by railwaymen " the dustbins", among other unofficial names. It conveyed the domestic waste of North London, and apparently advertised its presence even more strongly than fish trains did. I'm aware that specially adapted wagons were used for this train, but I have no idea what they looked like. I would think that photographers were too busy holding their noses to take any photos of it. I just run it as a normal class H, for which any passengers will be duly grateful seeing as the train is held at signals, and the aroma under that overall roof would have been very ripe indeed. This is one of the Hornby B1's that Tim has just weathered for me, and I suppose I should apologise to him for consigning it to such a lowly duty. It is most impressively detailed, but the lamp irons are so fine that I'm scared to put a lamp on them. That's all for now. Nothing big and green in this part of the sequence I'm afraid.

[jonny777]

The last email address that I could find for Tommy Knox is Tommy at lner-pacifics.me.uk

 

I hope that one is still current. (Replace the at with @ and delete the spaces - I edited it to avoid him being spammed).

Edited March 25, 2012 by jonny777

[Timara]

This is one of the Hornby B1's that Tim has just weathered for me, and I suppose I should apologise to him for consigning it to such a lowly duty. It is most impressively detailed, but the lamp irons are so fine that I'm scared to put a lamp on them.

 

No need to apologise Gilbert, It looks rather nice on a freight anyway!

 

It'll have a couple more friends next month when these next two join it.

[JeffP]

Gilbert, have you tried a decent flash gun and which is compatible with TTL photography?

 

And are you ever having any open days?

[andyrush]

This train is a Class H from Ashburton Grove to New England. Ashburton Grove sounds like a very nice place, but alas it wasn't. You won't find it now, as the Emirates stadium has been built where it used to be. I strongly suspect that this train is what used to be termed by railwaymen " the dustbins", among other unofficial names. It conveyed the domestic waste of North London, and apparently advertised its presence even more strongly than fish trains did. I'm aware that specially adapted wagons were used for this train, but I have no idea what they looked like. I would think that photographers were too busy holding their noses to take any photos of it. I just run it as a normal class H, for which any passengers will be duly grateful seeing as the train is held at signals, and the aroma under that overall roof would have been very ripe indeed. This is one of the Hornby B1's that Tim has just weathered for me, and I suppose I should apologise to him for consigning it to such a lowly duty. It is most impressively detailed, but the lamp irons are so fine that I'm scared to put a lamp on them. That's all for now. Nothing big and green in this part of the sequence I'm afraid.

 

Gilbert

 

Are you sure that some domestic waste trains went to New England? As far as I know they all went to Blackbridge sidings between Ayot and Wheathampstead on the Dunstable line. Unless somebody knows better, I suspect that the Ashburton Grove - New England conveyed mineral empties from Highbury Vale coal depot.

 

Nice to see a sequence with nothing big and green in it anyway! (runs for cover... )

 

Andy

[workev2000]

I have a photo of V2 60817 coming South through Retford with the Up "Elizabethian" so thats a good start. :lol: .

 

Just an Observation

 

Helpful as always,Derek.

 

Derek,

 

Now, now you know you shouldn't place temptation in front of a locoholic...... I mean I keep trying to tempt him with O1's on Colwick-New England coal trains, where the engine has gone on to London due to none availability of replacements, but so far he has not bitten... They do look as if they're going to be lovely engines from Hornby, will look fantastic weathered, I mean what a great sight at the head of a long coal train.....

 

 

Lovely day today...

 

Ian

Edited March 26, 2012 by workev2000

[great northern]

The last email address that I could find for Tommy Knox is Tommy at lner-pacifics.me.uk

 

I hope that one is still current. (Replace the at with @ and delete the spaces - I edited it to avoid him being spammed).

 

Thanks again, I'll give it a try.

[CUTLER2579]

Ian,

temptation !!!

 

I am just trying to save Gilbert hours of research. :lol:

[great northern]

Gilbert, have you tried a decent flash gun and which is compatible with TTL photography?

 

And are you ever having any open days?

 

I've tried the camera flash, Jeff, with no success, but I haven't tried a gun. TW used his when he came over last year, but even that didn't really help. It's all that light flooding in the windows that is the major problem.

 

No, there will be no open days. There are two reasons. First, there is only room for about four people anyway, and second there is the security aspect to consider. Layouts like mine don't come cheap, and I would not want just anyone to be turning up and being able to identify exactly where all these goodies are to be found. My near half century as a criminal lawyer has made me very concerned about such things, so access will be restricted to people I know or who are vouched for by someone I know. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but I have to take account of practical concerns. When I get to know people I am more than happy for them to visit, as several regular followers of the thread can confirm.

[great northern]

Gilbert

 

Are you sure that some domestic waste trains went to New England? As far as I know they all went to Blackbridge sidings between Ayot and Wheathampstead on the Dunstable line. Unless somebody knows better, I suspect that the Ashburton Grove - New England conveyed mineral empties from Highbury Vale coal depot.

 

Nice to see a sequence with nothing big and green in it anyway! (runs for cover... )

 

Andy

 

Andy, I thought I had read somewhere that they did, but I may well be wrong. It would be a very long way to go to find a rubbish tip I suppose. Never mind, it will save me a fortune in air fresheners.

[great northern]

Derek,

 

Now, now you know you shouldn't place temptation in front of a locoholic...... I mean I keep trying to tempt him with O1's on Colwick-New England coal trains, where the engine has gone on to London due to none availability of replacements, but so far he has not bitten... They do look as if they're going to be lovely engines from Hornby, will look fantastic weathered, I mean what a great sight at the head of a long coal train.....

 

 

Lovely day today...

 

Ian

 

Did I say I wouldn't have an 01? I have a photo of a March engine heading North near Westwood Bridge on the Midland lines. That has to have come past North. OK, it will no doubt have done so on the Midland lines, but all it needs is a slight derailment over there for Midland trains to be running along the Down slow. They could get back on the Midland straight after Spital Bridge. And if the New England shed master can borrow 02's and 04's for the occasional trip to London, why not an 01 too. I won't rule out the occasional replacement engine on the top expresses either, it just won't happen too often. Lovely day here too, and I'm about to have a houseful of guests from far and wide. Well, Wolverhampton and London anyway. Oh, and Bourne.

[JeffP]

Shame about the open days, but I respect your decision and understand your reasons.

[jonny777]

Yes, you cant be too careful these days. It is a great shame that we live in such dishonest times, but that seems to be the way things have gone recently.

 

Ah, Bourne. Place of my birth, and therefore full of very dodgy characters (most of them are probably my relatives). My father was trying to create a model of the station in the 1930s, but I fear that old age has caught up with him and the project has stalled.

[S.A.C Martin]

Just read your article in Model Rail Gilbert - very well done, a great read, and very thought provoking.

Edited March 26, 2012 by S.A.C Martin

[ianw1993]

Hi Gilbert,

 

Having read through this all I can say is WOW! As a young modeler this is truly inspiring stuff!!

 

Just as a thought regarding your issues with the light and the blinds, how about trying pinning up a dark bed sheet or something behind the blind just to see what difference it might make?

 

Ian

[jwealleans]

If only you could find a source of blue card, you could put that up and it would make a good background to the pictures.....

[Mallard60022]

Thompson semi corridor lavatory composite - yup, a great title & one of my favourite coach builds too!! I hate to say it but the Gresley version just isn't as 'smart'; I think it must be the smooth sides that make the Tommy look so good. I await Hornby's version and hope they reproduce those neat grab handles and door 'bumpers'. This is a very neat set of coaches Gilbert and they are beautifully weathered.

P @ 36E

P.S. saw Ramsgate Depot at the weekend. Looked quite exciting and well modernised (with a hint of the old steam shed still in evidence). However it was full of plastic bog carts in lurid colours; don't like them at all.

[great northern]

Yesterday these two photos came into my possession. They appear to be very old and worn shots of the station.

 

 

 

Of course appearances can be deceptive, and in this case they certainly are, as Tom Wright took these with his phone yesterday, and then used something called an "app", whatever that may be, to make them look decidedly old. Five of us in the layout room for several hours confirmed my view that four is the comfortable maximum! Rob Kinsey spent four solid hours operating, during which time we got through less than one sixth of the sequence. My guess that six two hour sessions would do the lot seems to be way out.

[S.A.C Martin]

Was he using an iPhone? If so I know which app that is, and it is a terrific piece of kit that.

 

But Tony has managed to get an incredible clarity and sharpness to that second shot, so possibly it is not an iPhone but something with a more powerful camera. The things you can do with mobile phones never fails to amaze me. Like a speed gun for model trains. My favourite app at the minute!

[JeffP]

I've not seen that, what's it called?

 

I like the one where you point the phone at the radio and it tells you what's playing, who by and off what CD. Shazam.