Peterborough North

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

I'll plump for Spean Bridge, and it's long lost branch to Fort Augustus, I did go through Spean Bridge 35 years ago, but can't remember anything about it, but living in Southampton at the time it was one heck of a long trip to undertake.

 

manna

[Market65]

Crianlarich it is for me too - a delightful station and junction in some magnificent Scottish scenery.

 

Rob.

[TrevorP1]

Crainlarich for me as well. Another memorable scenic spot from years ago.

[The Pilotman]

Crianlarich. Spectacular location and a wonderful name too. 

[great northern]

Something a bit different this morning. The catering section on the 7.50 Leeds was an unusual one for West Riding trains, so we got a look at it as it rolled by.

 

 

FO RF and RSP, and a different make of car for each one.

 

Once the Leeds had cleared, the C12 was able to bring in the stock for the 1033 to KX.

 

 

Poor thing looks very ancient and bent out of shape, which by this time it was. The out of shape bit is down to my lack of building skills though.

[great northern]

18 hours ago, jwealleans said:

That spreadsheet is highly reminiscent of the one I work from on Grantham to make up different consists through the sequence.   It seems to work  - at least, people other than me seem to beable to follow it.

Great minds, as they say, Jonathan.

[great northern]

Lovely poll, great to see all the photos as well as reasons for choice, and some very interesting anecdotes. Despite his pessimism, Clive was in the winning team for a long time, but then Crianlarich was mentioned, got 4 votes and came out on top.

 

Today we go back to one of my favourite parts of the country, so I'm hoping for some more illustrations and stories.

So, Country junction stations East of the ECML and anywhere from London to the Wash. I can think of loads.

[LNER4479]

Not my part of the world at all Gilbert ... but, assuming I've interpreted your East of ECML / south of the Wash description as broadly indicating East Anglia, I'll nominate:

 

Melton Constable, the beating heart of the M&GN

 

Was watching a repeat of Rob Bell's 'Discovering Lost Railways' programme that featured the route and of course he called in to explore Melton's railway history. Must have been a fascinating place in its days, fully self-contained with its own works.

 

Did you know that ... when Grantham's turntable pit collapsed in 1950, the actual turntable deck itself was undamaged and - apparently - it got transferred to Melton Constable (although quite why they needed a full 70' turntable I don't know?). When the M&GN was closed in 1959, the turntable deck was transferred again and ended its days in the King's Cross loco yard. Presumably these moves were to replace worn out existing tables?

Edited August 22, 2020 by LNER4479

[mullie]

An area I know better, my vote goes to Melton Constable today, if you'd asked me tomorrow I would have picked a different junction there are so many to choose from.

 

Drove through it many years ago, the station is sadly long gone though quite a few of the buildings survive as part of an industrial estate. Most of the rest of the village wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the railways.

 

What a fantastic eclectic mix of steam was used on the line as well as first generation diesels.

 

Martyn

[Oldddudders]

Haughley?

[St Enodoc]

1 minute ago, Oldddudders said:

Haughley?

Bless you.

[Metropolitan H]

I will go for Heacham, as I can illustrate it with one of Dad's photos from the late pre-WW2 period.

 

 

Regards

Chris H

[JamieR4489]

If Ely is small enough to count as ‘country’ then I’ll go for that. I’ve lived there all my life and it’s the namesake city for the club I belong to (despite it not actually being situated in Ely). Much of the original station survives although platform 1 has had an extension. Interestingly, the down platform (1) was on a loop off of the down main whereas the up platform was directly on the up main. The loop was taken up in the 90s I think.

 

Jamie

[David Bell]

I will go with Swaffham

[St Enodoc]

Wisbech, junction for the unique Wisbech and Upwell tramway.

Edited August 22, 2020 by St Enodoc
Not GN

[FarrMan]

Thorpe-le-Soken for me. A long time ago I stayed in Clacton for a few months. Trains split at Thorpe for Clacton and Walton.

 

Lloyd

[Clive Mortimore]

Woodham Ferrers on the Wickford to Maldon line with the branch line to Burnham on Crouch and Southminster.

[31A]

Another vote for Ely; not least as I sometimes worked there at the start of my railway career.  It seemed busy enough to me then, but in reality was nothing like as busy as it is now!

[TrevorP1]

15 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Gilbert,

 

While ECML formations on 1958 might be rather esoteric, an article about the importance of running authentic formations and how to go about doing so is well overdue and would be very informative. The process as I understand it is:

1. shifting through and interpreting CWNs;

2. comparing with photos and other records (such as the HMRS survey);

3. Sourcing the vehicles - the need for kits (and scratch building?);

4. Minimising your storage requirement and financial outlay through intelligent grouping as you’ve done with your spreadsheet/ cassette system; and

5. finally, running the trains to a timetable.

 

Writing this up with some example photos and diagrams would be well worthwhile. It’s not for everyone, but you’ve been an inspiration to me and I’m sure to many others. Sharing this best practice would be well worthwhile.

 

All power to your pen!

 

Andy

 

This is a  topic which interests me in trying to create a 3d moving picture  of what might have happened 'back in the day'. However, many of us have to start with a compromise before we've even begun our research because we cannot run full scale length trains. That aside, I try to work towards a similar system as described by Andy. 

 

My efforts concern operations in Cornwall so I have to content with, as far as types of vehicle are concerned, the apparently random make up of all but the top line expresses. By 'type' I mean construction/diagram/date, not class/number of seats etc. Of necessity, interpreting the information gathered also requires a good knowledge of carriage types - which Gilbert modestly ignores! With copies of 'Russell' and so on I'm learning but I have a long way to go! I also know the photographers whose captions can be relied upon and the authors/publishers who cause me to scream in frustration!

 

I'd be interested to know:

• How often PN trains have to be made up from cassettes i.e. every day, once a week, or before every operating sessions etc? 
• I understand some trains are exact copies but are others 'typical'?
• I'm far away from devising a complete sequence but I have a 'snapshot' of workings with, as far as I can achieve at the moment, correct stock. From this I find I can run about a dozen trains before a 're-set' of stock. I'm wondering how this compares with others?

 

[CUTLER2579]

2 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

Not my part of the world at all Gilbert ... but, assuming I've interpreted your East of ECML / south of the Wash description as broadly indicating East Anglia, I'll nominate:

 

Melton Constable, the beating heart of the M&GN

 

Was watching a repeat of Rob Bell's 'Discovering Lost Railways' programme that featured the route and of course he called in to explore Melton's railway history. Must have been a fascinating place in its days, fully self-contained with its own works.

 

Did you know that ... when Grantham's turntable pit collapsed in 1950, the actual turntable deck itself was undamaged and - apparently - it got transferred to Melton Constable (although quite why they needed a full 70' turntable I don't know?). When the M&GN was closed in 1959, the turntable deck was transferred again and ended its days in the King's Cross loco yard. Presumably these moves were to replace worn out existing tables?

+

Also had a Shedmaster who went on to be famous during his time at 34A Top Shed. Mr Peter Townend.

[DaveF]

 

I'm going for Melton Constable, mainly becasue I like the M&GN and once built a model of an M&GN station.

 

David

Edited August 22, 2020 by DaveF

[Market65]

My vote is also for Melton Constable. I’m sure I have a photo’, in a book, somewhere, of a brand new two car Cravens DMU at that station. Anyway, the M&GNRlwy is a most fascinating subject, and I would have loved the opportunity to have travelled over it’s many lines. Sadly that was not meant to be for me, but I’ve certainly read much about it, and seen plenty of photo’s.

 

Rob.

[Flying Fox 34F]

Melton Constable for me.  Always loved the M&GN. Also good to see a D13 at Heacham working an express from Hunstanton.

Gilbert ever fancied a Pre WW2 running session on PN?  There are enough folk out there with suitable stock!

 

Paul

[stewartingram]

6 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

Wisbech (GN), junction for the unique Wisbech and Upwell tramway.

You must mean Wisbech East (GE).

[Metropolitan H]

2 hours ago, Flying Fox 34F said:

Melton Constable for me.  Always loved the M&GN. Also good to see a D13 at Heacham working an express from Hunstanton.

Gilbert ever fancied a Pre WW2 running session on PN?  There are enough folk out there with suitable stock!

 

Paul

That would be the period that Grandfather Arthur Alexander Holmes was at North Box - or possibly Crescent Box at the very end of the period. He didn't like Crescent as the lever pulls were long and very heavy - but it was a Class 1 Box, while North Box was one step lower and hence didn't pay as well.

 

Regards

Chris H