Peterborough North

[great northern]

45 minutes ago, Tony Wright said:

Good evening Gilbert,

 

Not all Thompson BGs were steel - some built during the War had deal matchboard sides.....

 

 

I built this one (the leading vehicle) from a Mailcoach kit.

 

 

Comet makes an excellent etched brass kit for the Thompson steel BG. 

 

 

Have you thought of having one of these? Hornby's brilliant SR GBL luggage van.

 

 

I detailed/weathered mine (behind is my ancient Hornby/Roxey one).

 

 

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? 

 

To be parked at Retford, it surely must have gone through PN? 

 

Please (all) observe copyright restrictions on the above image.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

 

 

I didn't think about the matchboard Thompsons Tony, but one of those wouldn't have caused confusion, would it?  As to the Southern van, I'm sure I have one, and I remember weathering it, but I can't find it at the moment. I'll have a closer look tomorrow. I know from the HMRS survey that Southern vans were not at all uncommon, but they seem to have been mainly attached to the KX-PN stopping trains.

[great northern]

Here comes the Colchester-Glasgow, with Cambridge B2 Framlingham at the head.

This could have been a Cambridge duty, I think, and I am partial to B2s, which is reason enough anyway. It is over 30 years since Mike Russell built this for me.

 

We still have someone up on the bridge, and he got this shot.

[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.