Peterborough North

[thegreenhowards]

Gilbert,

 

With regard to livening things up a bit, I've been having a think. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you get most enjoyment from:

• the research required to produce the layout and train formations;
• the creation of the formations you have researched, whether from existing stock or new acquisitions; and
• the operation of said trains, thereby bringing your research to life.

If, I'm right, then operating a different day of the week would give you a great challenge, and would allow you to use most of your existing stock with only minor additions.

 

The other things you could try are:

• shaking it up with some special workings as people have mentioned - were there any famous railtours in your period?
• maybe adding some different freight trains - did the Cliffe-Uddingstone cement work in your period with presflos - that would be a great train to model.
• and my particular favourite...extending your sequence into the evening!

On the final point I'm making slow and steady progress with the two Thompson sleepers I promised you. I attach a picture of the state of play. The d.368 is finished apart from roof, glazing and interior. The d.369 was waiting for MJT underframe parts, but they have now arrived, so there's no excuse now.Details of the build are on my workbench thread at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/135510-coulsdon-works/?p=3324289.

 

Regards

 

Andy

[landscapes]

Tracery has a light load tonight, and so can stop before the dodgy platform signal.

5 59 2.JPG

Another A3 then arrives with the last Up Grantham local. The Grantham shedmaster has not been reading his transfer orders. Had he done so he would have noted that he should have transferred 60048 to 34A back in June. That must now be done. There are rumours that some other allocation errors have been discovered too.

6 48.JPG

 

Hi Gilbert

 

Thats a very nice realistic weathering look to your A3 60048 Doncaster.

 

Regards

 

David

[great northern]

Hi Gilbert

 

Thats a very nice realistic weathering look to your A3 60048 Doncaster.

 

Regards

 

David

Yes, it has been Timmed.

[great northern]

Gilbert,

 

With regard to livening things up a bit, I've been having a think. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you get most enjoyment from:

• the research required to produce the layout and train formations;
• the creation of the formations you have researched, whether from existing stock or new acquisitions; and
• the operation of said trains, thereby bringing your research to life.

If, I'm right, then operating a different day of the week would give you a great challenge, and would allow you to use most of your existing stock with only minor additions.

 

The other things you could try are:

• shaking it up with some special workings as people have mentioned - were there any famous railtours in your period?
• maybe adding some different freight trains - did the Cliffe-Uddingstone cement work in your period with presflos - that would be a great train to model.
• and my particular favourite...extending your sequence into the evening!

On the final point I'm making slow and steady progress with the two Thompson sleepers I promised you. I attach a picture of the state of play. The d.368 is finished apart from roof, glazing and interior. The d.369 was waiting for MJT underframe parts, but they have now arrived, so there's no excuse now.Details of the build are on my workbench thread at http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/135510-coulsdon-works/?p=3324289.

 

DSC_1623.JPG

Regards

 

Andy

 Those look great Andy, and will allow the evening to extend a little further. I'll respond to your other points later, if I may, as bed is calling.

[great northern]

We reach the last train in the sequence, the 7.20 stopper from KX. The HMRS survey shows it was worked by an A4 more often than not, and on two occasions in that week in July 58 the loco was Quicksilver, so here she is.

 

Number 15 and number 48 can exchange greetings as they pass. Two of Tim's latest and best in one photo.

 

[davidw]

Did you decide on which A4 you wanted?

[great northern]

Did you decide on which A4 you wanted?

I admit to being indecisive about this for quite a long time, but recently I've made up my mind that I'm still not sure.

[great northern]

I don't do full broadside views very often, but this one of a clean single chimney A3 was tempting.

 

We also have the reverse angle view of the two Pacifics.

[great northern]

Seven shots under handicap today , so I'm £1.50 better off.  If I had a day job, I would not be giving it up.

 

Here is Quicksilver, glimpsed through the archway.

 

As the A3 removed its stock, we also got the opportunity to look at the whole train.

A sort of BZ sandwich.

[manna]

G'day Folks

 

Tasty..........

 

manna

[westerner]

Like the B&W shot of Quicksilver.

[thegreenhowards]

G'day Folks

 

Tasty..........

 

manna

One of those rare sandwiches where the bread is more exciting than the filling!

[great northern]

Nothing moving , so our cameramen just have a wander round, and take some still life shots.

I'm finding that a really tight crop can usually make something look presentable.

[Fenman]

Nothing moving , so our cameramen just have a wander round, and take some still life shots.

2 name.JPG

3 N5.JPG

I'm finding that a really tight crop can usually make something look presentable.

A student once asked the great photographer Capa what he could do to improve his work. The maestro replied “if your photos aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough”.

 

Cropping is a wonderful thing!

 

Paul

[great northern]

Here we are, just after 1000pm, Quicksilver's passengers are alighting, and the station will soon be turned over to parcels traffic, late night sleeping car expresses, and of course frequent coal trains. We have our last look of the day under the roof.

 

It is very strange that there still seems to be a lot of light outside, given that it must be nearly dark by now. Full moon, perhaps?

 

Still a lot of light too to observe 60048 taking its stock down towards the river.

Amazing how our cameramen can get this sort of result with 1950s film. This is one of several reasons why I shan't be doing a night time sequence.

[great northern]

I'm off to watch trains go by on Little Bytham today, travelling very much faster than the speeds to which I have become accustomed. I have a couple more static views this morning, taken on a day when I just didn't feel like running trains. We have an unincumbered view of the excursion platform.

One of my favourite views on the whole layout.

 

Then our man focused on that V2 which has been the standing main line pilot all day.

It is on its last legs, so it's a good job it hasn't been called upon to do anything. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but a long time ago, so for anyone who wonders why the pilot isn't a Pacific, the simple reason is that the turntable in the engine yard, off scene on the layout, wasn't long enough to take one.

[Oldddudders]

When you say you don’t feel like running trains, yet manage to take pics, I do fear that you sometimes feel obliged to the rest of us. I would hate to think that providing pics has become a burdensome yoke. If you have a day or days when the railway is too much effort, then leave it be and don’t post. Your enormous investment in the layout must not risk becoming tedious.

[Mallard60022]

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so just take time and have a wander. This was a saying included in the Duck Chronicals, Volume 246, 1996.

Hope you enjoyed Little Bitethem and that you mentioned stuff about wagon details to the company?

Don't suppose you went to see Grabthem, the Steamroller Years at Wakefield? Looked good in the press reports.

Now, I believe both those train sets have used the Dr Who method of operations on a few occasions. Could you possibly consider a similar, but more advanced and 'forward' thinking version? There must be enough DCC fitted locomotives somewhere away from PN and the appropriate stock to provide half a dozen services in (say) the final spring of steam south of York? In fact, a considerable amount of your stock would be just fine as it is (if you squint and ignore some of the Coach Roof Boards). It might just mean more diseasels and a certain amount of prep and tidy up, but that would also give you and friends a chance to maybe give stuff a brush off and maybe the layout a spring clean and check up? I'd be up for a couple of days helping with that. There would need to be rearrangement of items to provide fiddle room, but that could be done carefully without having to store stock back in their boxes; I believe you have a good amount of spare storage space in your Loco Depots and cassette cabinets? 

There was a chap at the Retford (mini) Show at the weekend who had the best Deltic sound programme (legomanbiffo) I have encountered and others (Class 40?) really great bass and throaty roars. I know you don't like sound that much but it would only be a few blasts away from the north and south ends really if I could persuade him to visit you (he is a 36E staff member).

We need to identify some friends with DCC steam loco's of a suitable lineage as mine are not permitted. I do though have a couple of decent sounding Diseasels (31, 25, 20) and a good looking Brake Tender that would not have been seen on PN before AFAIK.

Have a think and CU Wednesday ABW.

Ducky

Edited November 19, 2018 by Mallard60022

[great northern]

When you say you don’t feel like running trains, yet manage to take pics, I do fear that you sometimes feel obliged to the rest of us. I would hate to think that providing pics has become a burdensome yoke. If you have a day or days when the railway is too much effort, then leave it be and don’t post. Your enormous investment in the layout must not risk becoming tedious.

  No worries Ian. I only do what I feel like doing, and sometimes several days pass without my visiting the layout at all. I've noticed in the past though that on the occasions when I do just take still life photos, mainly of buildings, many people seem to like them, so it becomes another option for me. As you say, a lot of time trouble and cash has gone into the layout, so I really do want to make good use of it. Anything that motivates me to get in there is good so far as I'm concerned.

[great northern]

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so just take time and have a wander. This was a saying included in the Duck Chronicals, Volume 246, 1996.

Hope you enjoyed Little Bitethem and that you mentioned stuff about wagon details to the company?

Don't suppose you went to see Grabthem, the Steamroller Years at Wakefield? Looked good in the press reports.

Now, I believe both those train sets have used the Dr Who method of operations on a few occasions. Could you possibly consider a similar, but more advanced and 'forward' thinking version? There must be enough DCC fitted locomotives somewhere away from PN and the appropriate stock to provide half a dozen services in (say) the final spring of steam south of York? In fact, a considerable amount of your stock would be just fine as it is (if you squint and ignore some of the Coach Roof Boards). It might just mean more diseasels and a certain amount of prep and tidy up, but that would also give you and friends a chance to maybe give stuff a brush off and maybe the layout a spring clean and check up? I'd be up for a couple of days helping with that. There would need to be rearrangement of items to provide fiddle room, but that could be done carefully without having to store stock back in their boxes; I believe you have a good amount of spare storage space in your Loco Depots and cassette cabinets? 

There was a chap at the Retford (mini) Show at the weekend who had the best Deltic sound programme (legomanbiffo) I have encountered and others (Class 40?) really great bass and throaty roars. I know you don't like sound that much but it would only be a few blasts away from the north and south ends really if I could persuade him to visit you (he is a 36E staff member).

We need to identify some friends with DCC steam loco's of a suitable lineage as mine are not permitted. I do though have a couple of decent sounding Diseasels (31, 25, 20) and a good looking Brake Tender that would not have been seen on PN before AFAIK.

Have a think and CU Wednesday ABW.

Ducky

Yes thanks Phil, a very good day with Tony, with much philosophising about our different ways of getting satisfaction from the hobby, but plenty of satisfaction that we can both recreate what we remember from 60 years ago.

 

The idea of a spring clean and check up is very welcome, as is your offer of help. I'm still thinking about the best way forward, but funnily enough now I've started the sequence again I'm enjoying it.

 

Tony and I talked at length about possible team operation, and speed of operation too. His sequence is much shorter, but 50+ moves can be made in a couple of hours. When we analysed it though, there are several reasons why I can't move things on that quickly, not least the fact that some of his trains can legitimately do a circuit four times as quickly as mine! Add on the nightmare complexities of the real PN which I have built in, and the crossovers at each end which make running two trains at the same time quite difficult, and I really have to accept that I must live with what I've got.

 

I'm happy to have some noisy diesel visitors, provided someone else does any videoing stuff. As to Whovian time shifts, I'm not so sure about that. One or two of David Jenkinson's " funny trains" might appeal more. Anyway we can discuss futher on Wednesday, dear chap.

[great northern]

My computer seems to be spending quite a lot of time performing handshakes with RMWeb, so quick photos. First a view from a first floor station building.

 

Then a starring role for two Southern types which usually just sit in the background.

[Tony Wright]

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, so just take time and have a wander. This was a saying included in the Duck Chronicals, Volume 246, 1996.

Hope you enjoyed Little Bitethem and that you mentioned stuff about wagon details to the company?

Don't suppose you went to see Grabthem, the Steamroller Years at Wakefield? Looked good in the press reports.

Now, I believe both those train sets have used the Dr Who method of operations on a few occasions. Could you possibly consider a similar, but more advanced and 'forward' thinking version? There must be enough DCC fitted locomotives somewhere away from PN and the appropriate stock to provide half a dozen services in (say) the final spring of steam south of York? In fact, a considerable amount of your stock would be just fine as it is (if you squint and ignore some of the Coach Roof Boards). It might just mean more diseasels and a certain amount of prep and tidy up, but that would also give you and friends a chance to maybe give stuff a brush off and maybe the layout a spring clean and check up? I'd be up for a couple of days helping with that. There would need to be rearrangement of items to provide fiddle room, but that could be done carefully without having to store stock back in their boxes; I believe you have a good amount of spare storage space in your Loco Depots and cassette cabinets? 

There was a chap at the Retford (mini) Show at the weekend who had the best Deltic sound programme (legomanbiffo) I have encountered and others (Class 40?) really great bass and throaty roars. I know you don't like sound that much but it would only be a few blasts away from the north and south ends really if I could persuade him to visit you (he is a 36E staff member).

We need to identify some friends with DCC steam loco's of a suitable lineage as mine are not permitted. I do though have a couple of decent sounding Diseasels (31, 25, 20) and a good looking Brake Tender that would not have been seen on PN before AFAIK.

Have a think and CU Wednesday ABW.

Ducky

Good ideas, Phil,

 

Some of the most-enjoyable times I've experience in running Little Bytham is when friends bring their own locos to operate. So far, I've had everything from American multi-diesel units, Korean brass, weird and wonderful industrial steam, right through to every main line class of British steam loco, not to mention some French and Italian stuff! At best, we have four different trains fizzing round (five, if the M&GNR is used - last time, a Stanier Five was seen!); the complete Dr Who scenario. 

 

I suppose what's best (and I'm prejudiced here, I admit) is that almost anything can run - even DCC; the only restriction applies to ancient RTR with steamroller wheels. 

 

Possible food for thought on PN? 

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[Tony Wright]

Yes thanks Phil, a very good day with Tony, with much philosophising about our different ways of getting satisfaction from the hobby, but plenty of satisfaction that we can both recreate what we remember from 60 years ago.

 

The idea of a spring clean and check up is very welcome, as is your offer of help. I'm still thinking about the best way forward, but funnily enough now I've started the sequence again I'm enjoying it.

 

Tony and I talked at length about possible team operation, and speed of operation too. His sequence is much shorter, but 50+ moves can be made in a couple of hours. When we analysed it though, there are several reasons why I can't move things on that quickly, not least the fact that some of his trains can legitimately do a circuit four times as quickly as mine! Add on the nightmare complexities of the real PN which I have built in, and the crossovers at each end which make running two trains at the same time quite difficult, and I really have to accept that I must live with what I've got.

 

I'm happy to have some noisy diesel visitors, provided someone else does any videoing stuff. As to Whovian time shifts, I'm not so sure about that. One or two of David Jenkinson's " funny trains" might appeal more. Anyway we can discuss futher on Wednesday, dear chap.

Thanks for a most-enjoyable day, Gilbert.

 

Next time, I promise not to cock-up the operating.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

[great northern]

Thanks for a most-enjoyable day, Gilbert.

 

Next time, I promise not to cock-up the operating.

 

Regards,

 

Tony. 

Well, you were trying to do three things at once, while conducting a conversation at the same time. A lovely day as always, and thanks to Mo for the lunch.

[great northern]

Here we are back at PN, where things happen rather slowly. It's the start of another day, just after 7.00am, and the morning locals will be in operation shortly. The Edinburgh - Colchester will be the first arrival though, and 61643 is backing into the bay to await its arrival.

 

On the Down side, the 7.35 Parly to Doncaster will be the next departure, and the stock is being brought up from Nene sidings in plenty of time. A local K3 has the job today.

 

Today's forecast is 90% chance of heavy rain, 5 degrees max, but feels like zero in a strong Easterly wind. For some reason no-one has contacted me about golfing, so indoor pursuits are the order of the day. At present though there is virtually no light, so any form of modelling is unlikely.