Peterborough North

[great northern]

Do I sense mutterings of discontent at the lack of new photos for the last couple of weeks? Or is it just my stomach rumbling? Anyway, in my usual selfless way I have given the taking of some more photos of trains priority over the highly urgent task of planting out my spuds. So, what meets our eye just before 1.00pm on this rather cloudy day? Modernisation, that's what. Such passengers as there may be on the 1256 arrival from Louth have the benefit of this wonderful and clean new form of rail transport. Well, that's what the Publicity Department will have told them anyway.

 

The DMU is discharging its passengers, while the driver has already set the next destination of the unit.

 

It's all a bit hectic at the North end. The signalman in North box has allowed the relief engine for the soon to arrive Down Heart of Midlothian to use the crossover to get from the engine road into number 4 bay. This is however probably one of his last actions as a BR employee, as he has left the signal which should be protecting this movement in the off position for the Down main. I really must get these signals motorised. The DMU has already reversed across into number 5 bay, to await its next working.

 

Mercifully the rare Heaton A3 has cleared the Down main and is at rest before any accident could occur.

 

Can anyone tell me why lamps always manage to move into silly positions just before photos are taken?

 

Anyway, all is now clear for a local A2 to roll through with a Down Leeds relief, and another wonky lamp.

 

And finally all three of the stars of today's show side by side. I wonder what ate part of the A2's front number plate? I wouldn't want to meet something with teeth like that on a dark night.

[BMacdermott]

Hello Gilbert

 

Those photos really capture the essence! Many thanks.

 

Brian

[Mallard60022]

The sideways on shot with that lovely blue/white RI board just oozes atmosphere.

Good job the bog cart was only 'discharging' passengers...................... it also looks really good under that cream 'gable end' to the roof; great colours.

Was Booklaw really 'rare' then?

Quack

Edited May 5, 2013 by Mallard60022

[Clive Mortimore]

Thank you Gilbert for the photos of the wonderful and clean new form of rail transport.

[hornbyandbf3fan]

Great photos

[cornish trains jez]

The sideways on shot with that lovely blue/white RI board just oozes atmosphere.

Good job the bog cart was only 'discharging' passengers...................... it also looks really good under that cream 'gable end' to the roof; great colours.

Was Booklaw really 'rare' then?

Quack

 

I agree! I've seen many photos taken of station boards with a fine steam loco in the background. Very atmospheric.

Best regards,

Jeremy

[great northern]

The sideways on shot with that lovely blue/white RI board just oozes atmosphere.

Good job the bog cart was only 'discharging' passengers...................... it also looks really good under that cream 'gable end' to the roof; great colours.

Was Booklaw really 'rare' then?

Quack

All of the Heaton engines were rare down our way Phil, as there was only one rostered working for them daily South of York. Actually Book Law was one of the first A3's I saw. It was at Newark in 1955, and I hardly ever saw it again after that. The White Knight was another I saw regularly that summer, but rare as hen's teeth from then on. Isn't it incredible that memory can be so clear about trivial things from nearly 60 years ago, but I can't remember things that happened yesterday?

[HerbertHopkins]

 Isn't it incredible that memory can be so clear about trivial things from nearly 60 years ago, but I can't remember things that happened yesterday?

 

It's called old age mate! Lovely photos though, particularly the one with 'Mons Meg' passing the running in board.

[Mallard60022]

All of the Heaton engines were rare down our way Phil, as there was only one rostered working for them daily South of York. Actually Book Law was one of the first A3's I saw. It was at Newark in 1955, and I hardly ever saw it again after that. The White Knight was another I saw regularly that summer, but rare as hen's teeth from then on. Isn't it incredible that memory can be so clear about trivial things from nearly 60 years ago, but I can't remember things that happened yesterday?

Sorry G, what was that you said......?

P

P.S. Laira's pet cat in 1959 was called IKB.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Mallard60022

[simon hudson]

Mr Duck can you please confiscate  Gilberts golf clubs(go on hide them I dare you)

 

as there appears to be a shortage of photo's lately

Edited May 7, 2013 by simon hudson

[Mallard60022]

Too big for the beak I'm afraid, but I have tried building a nest in the bag..........................

Quack........

[great northern]

Mr Duck can you please confiscate  Gilberts golf clubs(go on hide them I dare you)

 

as there appears to be a shortage of photo's lately

Much though I would like to respond to this scandalous and subversive suggestion, I don't have time, as I'm off to play golf........near Peterborough.

[mario de prisco]

Hi Gilbert

 

per queste ultime foto  non mi basta davvero il pulsante "Like This" e sento il bisogno di complimentarmi e ringraziarti per le foto che hai pubblicato.

Soprattutto la quinta per diversi secondi non capivo se fosse realtà o modellismo!

Bravo!

Ciao a tutti

Mario

 

for these latest photos is not enough the "Like This" button and feel the need to compliment and thank you for pictures you've posted.

Especially the fifth, for several seconds did not know if it was real or modeling!

Bravo!

Hello to all

Mario

[Mallard60022]

Mario, we (some of us anyway that have not had an advantaged education or are ducks) shall be learning some Italian as a result of your friendly posts. Ciao.

[CUTLER2579]

Mario, we (some of us anyway that have not had an advantaged education or are ducks) shall be learning some Italian as a result of your friendly posts. Ciao.

 

Or simply Quackers !!           (PML)

 

Regards, Del Boy   ( Duck Ridden  Borough of Peckham)

Edited May 11, 2013 by CUTLER2579

[TerryD1471]

It's called old age mate! Lovely photos though, particularly the one with 'Mons Meg' passing the running in board.

 

I prefer to call it "ever-growing filing cabinets of memory". If you think of our memory like that, is it any wonder that it takes longer for our retrieval systems to work? We can't help it if at our tender ages, we know shed-loads more than these youngsters who are a long way off drawing their pensions? It's easy to search memory banks that don't have much in them.

 

I had a conversation along these lines yesterday with a very lively 76 yr old who said to me "I hadn't looked at it like that; I feel much better now!"

 

You can't help it, Gilbert and Dave, if you know lots of stuff! Rejoice in that fact and accept that age still has some advantages.

 

Edit;- nearly forgot to say that I am still enjoying the chronicles of Peterborough enormously!

 

All the best from the dampish West

 

Terry Davis

Edited May 12, 2013 by TerryD1471

[coachmann]

In addition, our generation came into a vastly different world that had changed little since the late 1920s and remained that way due to world war and lack on money until the late 1950s. Probably no generation has had to adapt to so many changes in such a short space of time while witnessing both gains and losses.

Edited May 12, 2013 by coachmann

[great northern]

I prefer to call it "ever-growing filing cabinets of memory". If you think of our memory like that, is it any wonder that it takes longer for our retrieval systems to work? We can't help it if at our tender ages, we know shed-loads more than these youngsters who are a long way off drawing their pensions? It's easy to search memory banks that don't have much in them.

 

I had a conversation along these lines yesterday with a very lively 76 yr old who said to me "I hadn't looked at it like that; I feel much better now!"

 

You can't help it, Gilbert and Dave, if you know lots of stuff! Rejoice in that fact and accept that age still has some advantages.

 

Edit;- nearly forgot to say that I am still enjoying the chronicles of Peterborough enormously!

 

All the best from the dampish West

 

Terry Davis

Thanks Terry, good to hear from you. Oh, and that is the most comforting explanation of memory loss I've heard in a long time. In fact I'm going to write it down so I don't forget it when it gets buried pages back on the thread. But then what if I forget where I wrote it down? Perhaps I should write it down in several places?  But then I'd just get even more confused. I give up. I'll go and run some trains instead.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Gilbert,

Haven't looked in for a while, but P'boro North is really coming along a treat. That subtle colouring, with nothing done OTT, is very effective. Like the sky too.

Peter

[great northern]

Is it really a week since I posted any photos? I must have been out enjoying myself, though I don't remember doing so. Anyway, here are a few more shots, starting with a Class C which originated from Inverkeithing, which is a long way up North. Don't get excited about the motive power though, as there has just been an engine change at New England, and you know what that means......

 

Yes, another of the unkempt local V2's. I'm coming to the conclusion that blue skies really don't look right, so you may be in for perpetual gloom, which come to think of it is pretty prototypical so far this year.

 

As some of you rather liked this view, somewhat to my surprise I must say, I shall in my normal way attempt to curry favour by repeating it.

 

This one is an attempt to use the extremes of light and shade in the railway room to my advantage. Perhaps you would be so kind as to use some of these new fangled buttons that have appeared to tell me whether I have pulled it off.

 

Another experiment here, as it occurred to me that not all photos show everything in great detail, so a contre jour shot with the loco in shadow might not be out of place? The train is from Yarmouth via the M&GN by the way, and it left Yarmouth four hours and seven minutes ago. Good job it is corridor stock, though I suppose it has stopped at plenty of lamp posts at various stations along the way.

 

Another back lit attempt. I'm beginning to wonder if those Hornby Gresleys don't look too bad if well weathered? The layout really should have a lot of them, and the cost of a lot more professionally built ones is prohibitive.

 

And finally the Heart of Midlothian appears.

 

And draws up alonside the relieving engine. Those Tyneside men have lost the other headboard again.

 

Tracery pulls forward to go on shed, having amassed another 76 miles towards her career mileage of over two and a half million, while a B17 waits in the background to take a late afternoon train to Harwich.

 

And one more shot of number 59, with the Ivatt 4 in the backgound, having reversed its stock into the station carriage sidings. I remembered half way through these shots to increase the brightness of the sky, but I'm still not convinced.

[fishytrains]

Lovely shots as usual. I particularly like the experimental ones of the loco casting a shadow.

 

Mike

[Peter Kazmierczak]

The shot of the Ivatt on the Yarmouth passing the North Box is especially effective Gilbert.

[davidw]

Interesting just finish working on Tracery

[Mallard60022]

Good grief Gilbert is that a female spotter (nearest end of platform) in the second shot of the Midlothian? If not his Headmaster (I know it should be Headteacher but this is 1958) needs to tell him to get a haircut and point out that his shorts look like some French girl's skirt.

Headboards - scrap value remember!

Hornby Gresleys - agreed.

Flying Pig - beautiful thing making even an A2/3 look sleek.

Penultimate shot my fave.

Quack.

[LNER4479]

 

Tracery pulls forward to go on shed, having amassed another 76 miles towards her career mileage of over two and a half million, while a B17 waits in the background to take a late afternoon train to Harwich.59 4.jpg

 

Interesting just finish working on Tracery

 

I shall be 'having' her as well(!), as LNER 2558, part of the 1930's Grantham allocation.   She 'stars' on the front cover of the Cawston 'LNER at Grantham book'. With the latter influx of A4's (and newer A3's) she became a GC engine (Leicester Central) for many years, before ending her days under Mr Townsend's charge at Top Shed (presumably the cleaners haven't gotten round to her yet?!). My father knew her well in her GC days and I remember our canal boat being named after her (complete with 60059 number!!). What a wonderful, elegant name for a steam locomotive (not so sure about the cabin cruiser!)