Peterborough North

[great northern]

It is in the nature of Man to be wary of change. Yet here we have a chap in his 70s making changes and discovering benefits along the way. A lesson there for us all.

  Dealing with some at the golf club is a very good lesson Ian. That's made me realise that it is dangerous to get too set in one's ways. I have to find ways to keep my brain, what's left of it anyway, active, and this latest scheme has really helped there. Any feelings of staleness around operation have gone, which is great. No doubt sooner or later I'll need to think of another challenge, but that'll be good too.

 

The best thing is that I managed to find something which was possible and enjoyable for me to do without running into the physical problems which advancing age brings.

[great northern]

Shall we have another look from on high? It seems that our man wants to see what's happening behind the D&E fence.

 

The answer is nothing much, as it is lunch hour.

 

Trains keep running though, and another shiny loco comes into view. Grantham cleaners are responsible for this one, and the train is that 9.47 Newcastle relief which has a different formation for just about every weekday. That's a nice challenge. Was I up to it? That must wait till tomorrow.

[Woodcock29]

Hi Gilbert

I don't think you would have wanted to play golf here today - 40C. Fortunately only really being a social golfer I only played 9 holes this morning.

 

Love the photos please keep them coming.

 

Andrew Emmett

Adelaide

[Clive Mortimore]

On arrival at the door, one crawls to gain entry. It is then possible to stand up without much difficulty, and to move around quite easily. To get to the window side, one crawls again, and then has to perform some interesting contortions in order to get upright. I've put foam sheets down where knees have to contact the floor, and I now wear knee pads too, which has helped a lot.

 

The restricted room at the far side is proving to be a good thing, as I only have to put on a bit of weight to be reminded how tight the clearance is, so it's good motivation for keeping reasonably slim, and fairly supple too.

Having visited Peterborough North and seen the "far side" I would have got stuck had I ventured there.

[trw1089]

Having visited Peterborough North and seen the "far side" I would have got stuck had I ventured there.

When I visited Clive I got in OK, but nearly didn't get out (and no, it wasn't because my pockets were filled with myriad varieties of coaching stock...)

[Mallard60022]

Having visited Peterborough North and seen the "far side" I would have got stuck had I ventured there.

 

Not if you had used the Duckworth Stableclean Broom Twist Method mate. I use that but without the Broom, when I go to the dark side at PN and have yet to get stuck over there requiring attendance by the Pompiers.  Such fun. 

Ar$£

[great northern]

Hi Gilbert

I don't think you would have wanted to play golf here today - 40C. Fortunately only really being a social golfer I only played 9 holes this morning.

 

Love the photos please keep them coming.

 

Andrew Emmett

Adelaide

Hi Andrew,

 

I read that as minus 40 at first!  Very true though, we moan like hell if it gets above 30. Works both ways though. Yesterday we had about 5c, a biting wind, and constant heavy drizzle that soaked through everything. Thank goodness we were only playing twelve holes.

[great northern]

Now look chaps, we must not over dramatise. Should you get stuck, I just keep you supplied with water until you are slim enough to free yourself.

[great northern]

Another photograph taken from the tight side.

 

Then a peek through the arch, as we haven't had one of those for a while.

 

One of the most beautifully proportioned front ends ever designed.

 

Now just a two and a half hour wait to see if Bachmann can match Hornby by announcing absolutely nothing at all of use to a late fifties ER modeller. I suspect they can, and will.

[Mallard60022]

Another photograph taken from the tight side.

10 wagons.JPG

 

Then a peek through the arch, as we haven't had one of those for a while.

8 65 arch.JPG

 

One of the most beautifully proportioned front ends ever designed.

 

Now just a two and a half hour wait to see if Bachmann can match Hornby by announcing absolutely nothing at all of use to a late fifties ER modeller. I suspect they can, and will.

 

Couldn't resist......

[great northern]

Bachmann duly matched Hornby, but let's look on the bright side, perhaps no new tooling in 00 may mean that the V2 appears sooner.

 

Through the arch, we see the name of the loco.

 

and further along, a look at the stock behind it, which I promised to show. The train literally had a different formation for every weekday, but this is the Friday only formation, and you will recall that it is always Friday at PN, except when it isn't.

 

[Woodcock29]

Bachmann duly matched Hornby, but let's look on the bright side, perhaps no new tooling in 00 may mean that the V2 appears sooner.

 

 

Realistically I like the fact there is nothing new to purchase as I can focus on building the very large stockpile of loco and coach kits I have without having to upgrade RTR locos to my satisfaction! Although having said that I'll probably get an LNER green V2 when that finally arrives in 20?? However, I do believe that Bachmann continue to miss a trick by not producing an LNER post 1928 black D11/1 with red lining, there must be a good market for such a model.

 

Andrew

Edited January 16, 2019 by Woodcock29

[great northern]

Quick pics, as it's a shopping and golf day. A J6 travels light and tender first on its way to a stint on the Ramsey branch. We get two GN locos for the price of one here.

 

Then one last look along the whole of the layout from the North end.

[FarrMan]

Gilbert

 

Lovely photos looking along the whole layout - it must be quite a large room!

 

I was thinking that the trackwork looked a bit too tidy, and trying to think why. I came to the conclusion that it was all the point rodding and signal wires, especially by North box. It would be very fiddly to do, though, and probably not worth it for the benefit gained, especially at this stage. Do you know if anyone has modelled these features anywhere?

 

Keep the photos and comments coming.

 

Lloyd

[CUTLER2579]

Gilbert

 

Lovely photos looking along the whole layout - it must be quite a large room!

 

I was thinking that the trackwork looked a bit too tidy, and trying to think why. I came to the conclusion that it was all the point rodding and signal wires, especially by North box. It would be very fiddly to do, though, and probably not worth it for the benefit gained, especially at this stage. Do you know if anyone has modelled these features anywhere?

 

Keep the photos and comments coming.

 

Lloyd

 

Lloyd,

Tony Wright on his layout Little Bytham is in the process of doing exactly that.

Regards,Derek.

[Toftwood]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching 'Grantham the Streamliner Years' at the Chiltern Model Exhibition last Saturday, Stevenage.

 

Pete

[great northern]

Gilbert

 

Lovely photos looking along the whole layout - it must be quite a large room!

 

I was thinking that the trackwork looked a bit too tidy, and trying to think why. I came to the conclusion that it was all the point rodding and signal wires, especially by North box. It would be very fiddly to do, though, and probably not worth it for the benefit gained, especially at this stage. Do you know if anyone has modelled these features anywhere?

 

Keep the photos and comments coming.

 

Lloyd

25ft by 10 Lloyd, but it is two rooms knocked into one. There was no-one to tell me I couldn't, you see. Point rodding? As Derek says, TW is doing it. Having asked him how he felt about it, I gathered that it is an "interesting" experience.

 

I suspect that, had I intended to do it all, I should have factored it in from the start. It is extremely doubtful that I shall contemplate doing it now.

[great northern]

The tripod sidled over to the fiddle yard, and gives another look at the revised Up side.

 

Across the way, and back in the "real" world, the 9.55 Newcastle slows for its stop.

 

Is it the case that A3s were somewhat spoiled by the addition of double chimneys, but that A4s actually benefitted from it?

[davidw]

The tripod sidled over to the fiddle yard, and gives another look at the revised Up side.

12 Up FY.JPG

 

Across the way, and back in the "real" world, the 9.55 Newcastle slows for its stop.

11 eagle.JPG

 

Is it the case that A3s were somewhat spoiled by the addition of double chimneys, but that A4s actually benefitted from it?

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. A3s single or double to me look great. Though not the few double chimney v2s. Not sure why.

A4s definitely improve with a double. I've had many double a4 chimneys off Graeme King, if you were want 60023 to be reworked, a crest change would be easy. Wrt to a3s deflectors I've mixed feelings.

Edited January 16, 2019 by davidw

[CUTLER2579]

Gilbert,

 

"Is it the case that A3's were somewhat spoiled by the addition of double chimneys, but that A4's actually benefitted from it?"

 

In my opinion both classes benefitted from it both aesthetically and in  proven performance wise.

 

The first is purely a personal viewpoint, but the second is a proven statement.

 

As for the Smoke Deflectors ?   I will sit on the fence on that one as I am undecided.

 

Regards,Derek.

[great northern]

Gilbert,

 

"Is it the case that A3's were somewhat spoiled by the addition of double chimneys, but that A4's actually benefitted from it?"

 

In my opinion both classes benefitted from it both aesthetically and in  proven performance wise.

 

The first is purely a personal viewpoint, but the second is a proven statement.

 

As for the Smoke Deflectors ?   I will sit on the fence on that one as I am undecided.

 

Regards,Derek.

I should have qualified what I said, Derek. I was talking only about appearance, as those who knew best all agree that performance was transformed.

[great northern]

Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. A3s single or double to me look great. Though not the few double chimney v2s. Not sure why.

A4s definitely improve with a double. I've had many double a4 chimneys off Graeme King, if you were want 60023 to be reworked, a crest change would be easy. Wrt to a3s deflectors I've mixed feelings.

Poor old number 23 is trapped in a perpetual state where it is about to go into Plant for general overhaul and double chimney. For some reason which I can't explain, I want to keep it as it was in August 58, whereas I can tolerate number 32 with a double chimney it didn't get till November.Don't look for any sense in that, there is none.

[great northern]

Golden Eagle at rest this morning.

 

It was allegedly a particularly weak engine till it got the double chimney, but I love the bird names, and can't justify most as the Scots snaffled nearly all the best ones, so 23 it had to be.

 

For those who like this sort of thing, here's what lives in the Down side of the fiddle yard now.

 

Road 13 remains empty, not because of superstition, but because I can't think of anything to put in there!

[Clive Mortimore]

Golden Eagle at rest this morning.

12 eagle 2.JPG

 

It was allegedly a particularly weak engine till it got the double chimney, but I love the bird names, and can't justify most as the Scots snaffled nearly all the best ones, so 23 it had to be.

 

For those who like this sort of thing, here's what lives in the Down side of the fiddle yard now.

13 down FY.JPG

 

Road 13 remains empty, not because of superstition, but because I can't think of anything to put in there!

A nice pretty DMU?

[great northern]

A nice pretty DMU?

Now now Clive, You've seen for yourself how pampered and cossetted DMUs are at PN. Why, they even have their own dedicated spurs in an exclusive and most sought after corner of the fiddle yard. Anyway, one unit wouldn't even start to fill up that road. However, there is an interesting entry in Railway Observer September 1958 which goes like this. " On Friday 1st August there was no stock available for the 3.59 relief KX- Cleethorpes, for which a number of two car diesel units were sent empty from Lincoln to constitute the first public multiple unit diesel train out of KX. The next day five two car diesel units formed the 6.50 Grimsby-KX and the 3.52 return."  How about this.... You build it, and I'll store it in Road 13. :jester: