Peterborough North

[great northern]

My dishwasher has died, aged only 20. This follows the recent demise of the microwave, and will eat into funds otherwise allocated to the railway. I do though seem to have taken rather a lot of photos lately, so there should be plenty to come over the next few days, if I can remember the order in which they should appear.

 

We can start with a couple more images of the Yorkshire Pullman.

I've got thoroughly confused by the way I tagged these, so they'll just have to appear in the order in which I find them.

I thought there were some more, but like the banana they have got lost, so instead we shall watch the N5 bring in the stock for the 1.12pm to KX.

Seen first from the loading bay, and cropped to need no shopping. I like those.

Taken from the steps of the signal box, with permit of course. It does give something a bit different.

A familiar view, but cropped more than usual, giving a good view of an early Thompson BSK. It also confirms the over scale nature of the water crane, which should not protrude above the stock at all.

[great northern]

Is the water crane on the roof of the guards van for when the baby Deltic catches fire ?

Allegedly. It is another example of how out of scale these cranes are, as I've just mentioned on the post I put up immediately after yours Dave. Something will be done about it.

[rockershovel]

Yes, I hesitated before posting this, but then remembered that this is a layout thread, so sometimes the temptation just to edit things to show "reality" should be avoided. In reality though, there really wasn't a lot of room. I have a picture which I can't share for copyright reasons which shows an A4 running into Platform 6. The loco is just short of the platform, but the rear coaches are still the other side of Crescent Bridge. The effect is not so marked as on the model because the prototype curve was so much less pronounced, but nevertheless it was there.

 

The same applies at the other end. Again a photo I can't put on here, but it shows a V2 just short of Spital Bridge by the sand drag, which has come out of Platform 6. Its a bit difficult to count the coaches, but I think there are twelve, and the last three at least are still alongside the platform. It really was very compressed, which is why it is one of the few large main line stations which can be shoehorned into "only" twenty five feet lenght and still look reasonably like the real thing.

 

As to the hotel area, the development needed is really to the South, to give a representation of Station Road. Apart from the hotel garden, which I really must get on with, there is not much more to be done in the forecourt area, save for fine detailing.

Yes, good points about it being a "layout" thread, and about the short distances at both ends. Crescent Bridge in particular is less than a trains' length from the S end of the current platform. It's just that somehow the perspective, or possibly the composition, of the resulting image seems wrong, in some undefinable way. This is not true of images taken under the bridge looking North, and I really can't say why it is. The new Engneering Depot buildings seem to deal very effectively with this at the N end, so perhaps the answer is more development between the GN Hotel and Crescent Bridge abutment?

[Market65]

Hi. I have been thinking that that area between the Great Northern Hotel and the Crescent Bridge needs developing, but, and it is a but, only with buildings that were actually there. There really should not be anything that is invented. This is too important a layout, of an actual place, for that. So if the space is a bit more open than might be liked for photography, then that is how, ideally, it should stay. 

 

With best regards,

 

Rob.

[great northern]

Hi. I have been thinking that that area between the Great Northern Hotel and the Crescent Bridge needs developing, but, and it is a but, only with buildings that were actually there. There really should not be anything that is invented. This is too important a layout, of an actual place, for that. So if the space is a bit more open than might be liked for photography, then that is how, ideally, it should stay. 

 

With best regards,

 

Rob.

 

Yes, good points about it being a "layout" thread, and about the short distances at both ends. Crescent Bridge in particular is less than a trains' length from the S end of the current platform. It's just that somehow the perspective, or possibly the composition, of the resulting image seems wrong, in some undefinable way. This is not true of images taken under the bridge looking North, and I really can't say why it is. The new Engneering Depot buildings seem to deal very effectively with this at the N end, so perhaps the answer is more development between the GN Hotel and Crescent Bridge abutment?

 

I can assure you that nothing will be invented, although as at the other end, if necessary it might be a case of all the right buildings, but not necessarily in the right order. Photos of the houses on Station Road are very rare indeed, I've only ever found two, and I can't now remember where I saw one of them. What used to be the Stationmaster's house, now the BTP office, is still there, and I have photographed it before it was fire damaged, but for the rest the best I can do is this.

Not very preposessing, are they? Still, right next to the railway, so I suppose they wouldn't be.

 

I can't do what I did at the other end to extend the baseboard, or not as easily anyway, as some time back I decided to taper in the baseboard at this end. To undo that now would mean a major rebuild, which I can't contemplate. At the moment, all Peter Leyland and I can think of is to do the buildings in gradually decreasing relief, and I'm not at all sure how that would turn out. It might I suppose be possible to do a flat printed backscene if all else failed. We will give it more thought, but whatever is decided, what goes in will be what was there.

[great northern]

I'm all over the place when it comes to working out what images I've already processed or posted, but here is one I found earlier.

Copley Hill's A1 Pommern takes the Yorkshire Pullman towards London, while D209 waits for the signal to complete the final 29 miles of its journey to Grantham.

[great northern]

Shopping and golf today, but just time to find a few more images I hope.

For the coachoholics, here is the rake for the 1.12pm Parly to KX. Most of these stoppers were the classic BSK SK CK SK BSK formation, usually with one or two artic twins included, but this one, and a couple of others, were formed BCK TSO TSO TSO BSK or BCK. I suppose there must have been some operational reason, though I can't fathom what it might have been.

The B1 which had been waiting in the bay has now backed on. 61282 was a local engine. Here is another slightly strange anomaly. All the other KX stoppers were well within the capacity of a class 5 engine, but this was the only one specified for such haulage, and the only one so far as I can discover that was regularly B1 hauled. Was it just a matter of finding some employment for the Thompson Pacifics and V2s that caused them to dominate all the others? We need an ex New England contributor!

A near head on view to show the difference the raising of the front numberplate made to the "face" of the B1. It also shows up the fact that I still haven't sorted the lamp problem, nor in this case a big blob of tacky wax. I must do better.

[rockershovel]

I don't think that it is important exactly WHAT goes between the GN Hotel and the abutment of Crescent Bridge, simply that the overall composition requires SOMETHING there. The images of a short row of semis, with some parking on what was presumably the otherwise undeveloped area between the houses and the tracks, with taller buildings behind, seems very much in character.

 

My recollection of commuting from Peterborough to London in the late 80s and early 90s was of a scrappy, poorly surfaced area, with the houses gone (other than the BTP office) and the car park S of Crescent Bridge, a filthy area showing every sign of having formerly been a coal yard, and notorious for vehicle crime due to BTP and the local plod both apparently regarding it as the "other bunch" turf (no cctv in those days)

[Alister_G]

I'm impressed with how you managed to centre the Beast so precisely in the B1's chimney

 

Great photos, you've really got this cropping lark down to a fine art - and it is just that, fine art.

 

Al.

[CUTLER2579]

I'm all over the place when it comes to working out what images I've already processed or posted, but here is one I found earlier.

133 and 209.jpg

Copley Hill's A1 Pommern takes the Yorkshire Pullman towards London, while D209 waits for the signal to complete the final 29 miles of its journey to Grantham.

 

Gilbert, are you sure that's not "Blue Peter" on the pullman.           

Edited February 16, 2016 by CUTLER2579

[great northern]

I'm impressed with how you managed to centre the Beast so precisely in the B1's chimney

 

Great photos, you've really got this cropping lark down to a fine art - and it is just that, fine art.

 

Al.

It is a talent given to few Al. Getting things growing out of chimneys, I mean. I think the problem is that the camera's viewing screen is quite small, and I often have to turn it at an angle, so things don't get noticed until I see them full size on the PC. By then, of course, it is almost always too late to redo the shot. I'm still figuring out cropping, and finding new things I can do with it, all very interesting and good, as it gives me more options to show views that haven't been seen before.

[landscapes]

It is a talent given to few Al. Getting things growing out of chimneys, I mean. I think the problem is that the camera's viewing screen is quite small, and I often have to turn it at an angle, so things don't get noticed until I see them full size on the PC. By then, of course, it is almost always too late to redo the shot. I'm still figuring out cropping, and finding new things I can do with it, all very interesting and good, as it gives me more options to show views that haven't been seen before.

Hi Gilbert

 

Nice photo, to good to spoil with a telegraph pole.

 

Regards

 

David

[great northern]

A bit more experimentation so far as pictures are concerned today. I moved the camera well up to the North end, in order to see what could be done using cropping instead of zoom shots. D209 was just pulling away from the excursion platform, and is seen here in a cropped but not photoshopped image. During its somewhat protracted stay yet another Ivatt 4 has backed the stock of a Yarmouth departure into number 4 bay.

Next one is a wider angle view down the whole layout, which again I have left unshopped for those who like to see the layout as it is.

This one is exactly as the camera saw it, no cropping and giving an idea of the lighting difficulties. Then I realised that I could pick out more than one bit of this overall picture and concentrate on that.

So this one just tidies it up a bit. That  length of track with the kink in it is a carriage siding by the way, and yes, it did have one on the real thing.

Then I saw that I could get a nice little cameo by cropping heavily on the left hand side, and got this. I also learned something new. If I don't retitle these when I split them into separate parts, it can get very confusing indeed.

[westerner]

I really like the first photo.

[CUTLER2579]

Gilbert, are you sure that's not "Blue Peter" on the pullman.           

 

I am afraid I may have confused some people with this comment.It was simply that Gilbert said " but here is one I found earlier."  They always had one they had made earlier on "Blue Peter" so hence my comment. I thought it mildly amusing,but then there is no accounting for Some of us and the folk we mix with .Please accept my apology.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2016 by CUTLER2579

[Alister_G]

I am afraid I may have confused some people with this comment.It was simply that Gilbert said " but here is one I found earlier."  They always had one they had made earlier on "Blue Peter" so hence my comment. I thought it mildly amusing,but then there is no accounting for Some of us and the folk we mix with .Please accept my apology.

 

 

 

Must admit it went "whooooosh!" at the time, but I get it now

 

Sorry, it's never the same when you have to explain...

 

Al.

[CUTLER2579]

Al, don't worry mate I am used to it with some of my remarks.They seem funny for that moment in time,but not afterwards.

 

Cheers, Del.

[Mallard60022]

Get down Shep, you're making a noise...........

[rockershovel]

Personally, I think the colour photos work very well; with some further muting of the palette and possibly a slight bluish tinge, the resemblance to late 50s/early 60s colour images is very effective. More please!

[great northern]

Hi Gilbert

 

Nice photo, to good to spoil with a telegraph pole.

 

Regards

 

David

I thought about doing that David, and was sorely tempted, but it is there on the model, so it stayed, even though it is undoubtedly a better picture without.

[great northern]

I really like the first photo.

It is more of a traditional layout photo I suppose, though Brian Monaghan would have climbed a very tall telegraph pole before taking it.   I just get distracted by the doorway and other such non railway things, but then I'm easily distracted. Realistically it is a shot that you otherwise wouldn't see, as I suspect it would take a very long time to photoshop properly.

[great northern]

I am afraid I may have confused some people with this comment.It was simply that Gilbert said " but here is one I found earlier."  They always had one they had made earlier on "Blue Peter" so hence my comment. I thought it mildly amusing,but then there is no accounting for Some of us and the folk we mix with .Please accept my apology.

 

 

Confused? Moi? Well, yes I was actually. I sat there thinking, "I'm sure I sold Blue Peter nearly two years ago". I even zoomed in on it, to confirm the number.   I'm getting increasingly capable of such howlers though, as you may have noticed. I thought it best not to show my lack of understanding, but I'm relieved to get the answer.

[westerner]

Gilbert we are talking about the same photo. The one I was/am referring to is the first one in post 10263 with the lightish blue/grey sky. No doors or anything else, photoshopping already done I presume. The phot just looking across the class 40 with the mucky duck (I think) behind and 3 rather large telegraph poles.

Edited February 17, 2016 by westerner

[New Haven Neil]

Ohh, I miss a day and there is a lovely set of the N5!  Life in the old girl yet.

 

Sorry if you thought I was ignoring you, G!

[The Blue Streak]

Gilbert, I really like the one from the signal box steps. I don't think we've seen one from that perspective. Very nice to see the layout from the view that would have been taken in by the Signalman on his way to work each day.