Grantham - the Streamliner years

[jwealleans]

You did well to see 10000, it was failed on Saturday afternoon and didn't (as far as I know) appear again.

[Clearwater]

It wasn't moving but to fail it, impressive prototype fidelity!

Edited November 28, 2016 by Clearwater

[Al.]

With the problems we had with Remagen, I didn't get to look around the show too much. I did find time to visit Granham and I can say I'm very impressed with the layout. Late 30's LNER had always been a favourite of mine.

 

Here are a few photos.

 

 

 

 

 

Al.

[jwealleans]

It wasn't moving

That was why it was failed. I put it on to a train round the back and it didn't move. I was later told by Mr. King that some of the valve gear had become misaligned and caused a jam.

[grob1234]

That was why it was failed. I put it on to a train round the back and it didn't move. I was later told by Mr. King that some of the valve gear had become misaligned and caused a jam.

 

And if its gonna happen, its bound to happen at the biggest show on the calendar! Bloody typical!

[Revolution Mike B]

I tried so hard to see this layout but couldn't get anywhere near due to it being 3 deep in spectators.....both days! That says a lot about it.

 

Well done for keeping so many people entertained at the weekend

[Tony Wright]

Some pictures I did manage to grab at the weekend of Grantham. 

 

As usual, because of my incompetence with computers, all of these have also ended up on Wright Writes as well. 

 

Perhaps Red Leader might like to comment on what's new from its last showing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Woodcock29]

Hi Graham

 

What a wonderful show you appear to have put on with Grantham at Warley. For those of us from afar photos on the website are one way we can see the layout.

 

Many thanks to those who took photos and posted them here.

 

Andrew Emmett

[Mallard60022]

Hope you are OK Jonno? Probably those awful lights at the NEC gave you your 'problem'?

Thanks for the pics Tony; the last one almost replicates one of the only shots I took at Grantham (1962, not 1938).

Hope you have all recovered.

All the best.

Phil.

[jwealleans]

...if its gonna happen, its bound to happen at the biggest show on the calendar!

It's fair enough, Tom. You always get failures at shows, unless you're especially lucky. I've come back with a failed C1 (3276 - loco to tender plug connector fell to bits) plus another one with a Kadee too short (my fault for not taking any spares). The coupling came off the new refrigerator wagon and the coupling on the new carriage unscrewed itself (again my fault for not putting Tacky Wax in the threads).

 

I also had a pickup tangled in the wheels of one of the O4s, but Roy fixed that on Saturday. We take a small workbench with us and he can deal with small repairs on the spot.

 

It's most often new vehicles or very old ones which cause problems, or if you try to use them in different ways. The parcels train, for example, always runs in the same formation, as do all the teak rakes. In theory they ought to be interchangeable, but it doesn't always work like that. Wagons are often more problematic as they are shunted into different combinations at every show, but as we have plenty it's easy to just take any which misbehave out of traffic.

[grob1234]

It's fair enough, Tom. You always get failures at shows, unless you're especially lucky. I've come back with a failed C1 (3276 - loco to tender plug connector fell to bits) plus another one with a Kadee too short (my fault for not taking any spares). The coupling came off the new refrigerator wagon and the coupling on the new carriage unscrewed itself (again my fault for not putting Tacky Wax in the threads).

 

I also had a pickup tangled in the wheels of one of the O4s, but Roy fixed that on Saturday. We take a small workbench with us and he can deal with small repairs on the spot.

 

It's most often new vehicles or very old ones which cause problems, or if you try to use them in different ways. The parcels train, for example, always runs in the same formation, as do all the teak rakes. In theory they ought to be interchangeable, but it doesn't always work like that. Wagons are often more problematic as they are shunted into different combinations at every show, but as we have plenty it's easy to just take any which misbehave out of traffic.

 

I think you did remarkably well to have such few failures. Although I've not exhibited myself, I can imagine that taking stock to exhibitions puts a huge strain on the locomotives and carriages. Especially the kit built stuff which is more delicate. I think most of the things I've made would be in bits before they even got to the show! The pictures of the layout look great by the way, and it sounds like it was a very popular layout for the punters. Hardly surprising really! Well done.

[drmditch]

 You always get failures at shows, unless you're especially lucky. I

 

I hope the J54 behaved itself, in it's very few movements!

[jwealleans]

Didn't see it move, David, but I put it out at the beginning of the show and boxed it up at the end, so I can only assume that it did as required in between.

 

I took the GE Cattle Box along in order to pose the Cawston photo, but that fell by the wayside. We'll have to see whether we can manage it at the next running weekend.

Edited November 28, 2016 by jwealleans

[gr.king]

10000 may well have been seen on Sunday, as I put it back into running order after breakfast on Sunday, before the show opened. I had no influence over the selection of locos for the express passenger turns and was too busy to notice what ran, but it was available.

 

On a more serious note I've heard this morning that some of Grantham's coaching stock has gone missing. A set of Pullmans and a couple of GNR Howlden (low roof) 45 foot non-corridor coaches (etched) probably count as "hot" property if seen or offered, so please keep eyes well peeled. It seems poor Henry the hoover has been kidnapped as well....

[grob1234]

 

On a more serious note I've heard this morning that some of Grantham's coaching stock has gone missing. A set of Pullmans and a couple of GNR Howlden (low roof) 45 foot non-corridor coaches (etched) probably count as "hot" property if seen or offered, so please keep eyes well peeled. It seems poor Henry the hoover has been kidnapped as well....

 

I really do despair.

 

I hope the missing items are recovered soonest.

[drmditch]

I really do despair.

 

I hope the missing items are recovered soonest.

 

Likewise

[Tony Wright]

10000 may well have been seen on Sunday, as I put it back into running order after breakfast on Sunday, before the show opened. I had no influence over the selection of locos for the express passenger turns and was too busy to notice what ran, but it was available.

 

On a more serious note I've heard this morning that some of Grantham's coaching stock has gone missing. A set of Pullmans and a couple of GNR Howlden (low roof) 45 foot non-corridor coaches (etched) probably count as "hot" property if seen or offered, so please keep eyes well peeled. It seems poor Henry the hoover has been kidnapped as well....

Graeme,

 

When did these items go missing, please? If during the show it would have meant someone with long arms (though the barriers did get closer and closer). If, after the show closed, then could it possibly be an exhibitor? 

[LNER4479]

Just delivered the hire van back, so can now 'take stock' a little.

 

Thanks for all kind comments. A few prompt responses...

 

The chap stood next to me asked what the trackwork was and was surprised at the answer (Streamline code 100).

 

As an ECML fan I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this layout again, with its accelerated "real" timetable and accurate stock for period.  However, the sight of the non-stop Silver Jubilee running into the up yard and having to be reversed into the station for the point to be changed did give some comfort to us mere mortals! 

Ah - you noticed that did you? We hoped we might have got away with it! The layout generally behaved itself throughout the weekend which was such a relief at such a big show. Most 'oops' moments were down to human error. I managed to reverse the van train half the layout whilst concentrating on something else - so, yes, we are all human and mistakes were pretty evenly spread. I hope it didn't spoil people's viewing too much - there is a lot to concentrate on.

 

Otherwise, on the Saturday we got through the schedule three times (as near as dammit) in nine hours continuous operation which is our best sustained performance yet. Despite its title, you're not going to see all the streamliners during a 10 minute stay - it's not that sort of layout. But I hope a sustained visit is ultimately rewarded - perhaps a bit like visiting the real place all those years ago?

 

Thanks - we had a brief chat with Tom whilst my son was identifying locos, principally 10000, in the shed. Sadly he, my son not Tom, went a bit shy and wouldn't converse further!

I think I can answer this apparent 'mystery'. At the start of the day on the Saturday, a viewer offered us the chance to display a model of 10000 in original 'Hush hush' form and said loco duly sat on the shed for that time. I suspect that is the 10000 that is being referred to! Our 10000 - or should I say 3279's 10000 - was back in action on the Sunday and certainly had at least one gallop round the layout because it was me that put it on a train!

[Willie Whizz]

I was really pleased to see "in the flesh"  the way Grantham has developed since I last saw a substantial portion exhibited as a "work in progress".  Very atmospheric indeed, much more so than just miles of open countryside (and nothing much else) can sometimes be in modelling terms.  And the quality of the coaching stock looks superb.

 

However, was it just me or did people find that the crush barriers seemed to be set unusually far away from the layout, compared to how most of the others at Warley were being displayed?

 

I appreciate that the physical presence of the 'shed operator' and their control panel out front means that, in "footprint" terms, Grantham's design has - for all practical purposes -  an irregularly-shaped bulge along its frontage (!) which inevitably pushes things back a little; but the combination of that with the somewhat wavy manner in which the barriers were set-out (certainly on the Sunday) meant that the only place it was possible to get reasonably close and see any real detail was right by that said operating position (where a quite worried-looking young man seemed to be doing sterling work for much of the afternoon).  I had really hoped to get another good look at those amazing signals and the expresses as they rounded the curve, but the view of the 'North End' of the layout was so far distant from the barrier that in real terms it might as well have been nearly half a mile away.

 

Understand entirely that this may have been out of the owner's & operators' control and down to Warley/NEC  ... but it may perhaps be something to bear in mind for future outings when the location within a Hall is considered?

 

Otherwise though, brilliant - and still getting better!

Edited December 1, 2016 by Willie Whizz

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

an irregularly-shaped bulge along its frontage (!) which inevitably pushes things back a little;

 

rather like many of the punters

[LNER4479]

I hope the J54 behaved itself, in it's very few movements!

Yes, David, it was fine, thanks!

 

Graeme,

 

When did these items go missing, please? If during the show it would have meant someone with long arms (though the barriers did get closer and closer). If, after the show closed, then could it possibly be an exhibitor? 

Chaps - just dealing with this at the moment. Do you mind if we keep it separate from this thread? I shall be asking Andy where the best place is to start a - hopefully short - thread to bring attention to this. I'd rather it didn't dominate the main thread. Everyone's kind comments is a great tonic at the moment to what is a bit of a deflating occurrence after an otherwise successful show appearance. For completeness sake, the theft occurred in the Premier Inn car park last night so not actually directly connected with the show per se.

 

Thanks.

Edited November 28, 2016 by LNER4479

[Willie Whizz]

Graeme, I will gladly edit my post again to remove the reference if you prefer as it didn't occur "during" the show?

 

Malcolm

[LNER4479]

Some pictures I did manage to grab at the weekend of Grantham. 

 

As usual, because of my incompetence with computers, all of these have also ended up on Wright Writes as well. 

 

Perhaps Red Leader might like to comment on what's new from its last showing. 

 

Grantham Warley 16 01.jpg

 

Grantham Warley 16 02.jpg

 

Grantham Warley 16 03.jpg

 

Grantham Warley 16 04.jpg

 

Grantham Warley 16 05.jpg

 

Grantham Warley 16 06.jpg

 

Grantham Warley 16 07.jpg

Tony, many thanks - once again - for yet another lovely set of photographs, and in such a short photo session. Quite brilliant.

 

In terms of the new items:

 

Newly delivered D2 and P2 have been seen on this (and your) thread before during their construction phase but now sport their freshly-applied Ian Rathbone paint jobs. Absolutely exquisite.

 

Newly installed signals were put into working order in time for the show - just(!) - so I hope were appreciated (for those who particularly enjoy such things). The North Box operators certainly enjoyed using them.

 

The last view down the platforms is certainly most pleasing and shows the work of several of the team having burnt midnight oil. It's interesting how relatively enclosed the station looks and that is no doubt due to the presence of the canopy on the left hand side covering plat 1 (bay) as well as extending the main canopy on platform 2. My laziness at not bricking the platform sides of plat 4 bay is however shown up - as is the east face of the loco shed. As always, more to do yet...

[LNER4479]

I was really pleased to see "in the flesh"  the way Grantham has developed since I last saw a substantial portion exhibited as a "work in progress".  Very atmospheric indeed, much more so than just miles of open countryside (and nothing much else) can sometimes be in modelling terms.  And the quality of the coaching stock looks superb.

 

However, was it just me or did people find that the crush barriers seemed to be set unusually far away from the layout, compared to how most of the others at Warley were being displayed?

 

I appreciate that the physical presence of the 'shed operator' and their control panel out front means that, in "footprint" terms, Grantham's design has - for all practical purposes -  an irregularly-shaped bulge along its frontage (!) which inevitably pushes things back a little; but the combination of that with the somewhat wavy manner in which the barriers were set-out (certainly on the Sunday) meant that the only place it was possible to get reasonably close and see any real detail was right by that said operating position (where a quite worried-looking young man seemed to be doing sterling work for much of the afternoon).  I had really hoped to get another good look at those amazing signals and the expresses as they rounded the curve, but the view of the 'North End' of the layout was so far distant from the barrier that in real terms it might as well have been nearly half a mile away.

 

Understand entirely that this may have been out of the owner's & operators' control and down to Warley/NEC  [EDIT:  or even a reaction to the 'security' issue if some stock has indeed been 'lifted' during the show, which is appalling]; but it may perhaps be something to bear in mind for future outings when the location within a Hall is considered?

 

Otherwise though, brilliant - and still getting better!

Thereby hangs a little bit of a tale.

 

I appreciate that the Warley show organisers have a lot to take into account and that at a show like this we are a relatively small (or at best average-sized) fish in a very large pond but it is a fact that the layout is designed for viewing on two sides so we do suit a corner position. For whatever reason, when the floor plan came out, we had not been allocated such.

 

I did attempt to position the barriers slightly more favourably on the Friday night - but when we turned up Saturday morning, someone had put them back straight again! However, as the day progressed, the barriers did gradually assume a profile more like that which I had set out! The same effect didn't quite seem to happen on the Sunday.

 

Apologies if it took the edge off your visit but - as you suspected - it was largely beyond our control.

[jwealleans]

As promised, my photos from this past weekend. I confess to not being entirely across what's been added scenically since Woking as we haven't had a full running session and the chance to look it over or have a guided tour, but hopefully 4479 will correct anything I miss/misdescribe. As I think he's already pointed out above, much of what I've pictured is better shown in Tony's pictures back upthread.

 

 

 

A couple of overall views to start with. This is the first time we've had Tom Palmar's pelmet complete and in use and it really helps frame the layout. The LED lighting strips are also very effective.

 

 

Loco storage before we started. One thing we're seldom short of is top link motive power, even without the P2 holding area slightly out of shot to the left.

 

 

 

Construction of the new signals have been illustrated on RMWeb, but they were in operation for the first time.

 

 

Replacing the plain card mockups of the station buildings has been the main effort. This is the view over the turntable to Platform 5.

 

 

At the end of Platform 5 are two new buildings. The one on the right contained the oil store and the footwarmers, together with something I've forgotten.

 

 

 

A barrow crossing and porters have been added at the south end. When the Official Photographer next visits, we're hoping to recreate the famous incident with Percy and the scarf.

 

 

Further back up the far platform, a new canopy and signage as well as buildings.

 

 

Together with the obligatory bookseller.

 

 

The Rustons bridge.

 

 

Tucked right away in the back corner, stables for the shunting horses.

Edited July 11, 2018 by jwealleans