The human side of the railway...

[Rugd1022]

Photo by Bill Reid : Aberdeen in the early days of the NBL D61xxs...

 

[jbqfc]

some from the Spa valley railway 

 

 

John

Edited August 21, 2023 by jbqfc
posted the same pic twice

[Stuart A]

Cleaning the front of the Azuma I'd just arrived on from Leeds last Wednesday

[Rugd1022]

Photo by Anthony Guppy ; well known railway snapper Brian Morrison captured at Taunton...

 

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

6 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

Photo by Bill Reid : Aberdeen in the early days of the NBL D61xxs...

 

Bill had a wonderful story to tell of the day he was sent to Inverurie Works to get an ex-works engine ready to depart.  it was the usua practice to send a Fireman up to the works to do this but Bill had never had the job previously.  So he was amazed to find when he got there that that the engine he had to 'get ready' was steam powered and not a diesel - and he had never worked on a steam job prior to that day.

 

Fortunately the works staff were happy to explain to him what he had to do and I think all was well in the end but I'm fairly sure from what he told me many years ago that it was the only steam turn he ever worked!.

[Rugd1022]

Old school footplate work on the Glos & Warks today...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Besley]

That last picture is timeless 

[4069]

1 hour ago, John Besley said:

That last picture is timeless 

I see an anonymous-design modern signal box, CCTV camera and picnic bench which are rather jarring.

Edited August 24, 2023 by 4069

[Oldddudders]

5 minutes ago, 4069 said:

I see an anonymous-design modern signal box, CCTV camera and picnic bench which are rather jarring.

Beauty is in the eye of...... Heritage railways do their best to recreate a lost past. I'm sorry if this doesn't meet your fidelity standards. 

[PhilJ W]

59 minutes ago, 4069 said:

I see an anonymous-design modern signal box, CCTV camera and picnic bench which are rather jarring.

 

52 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Beauty is in the eye of...... Heritage railways do their best to recreate a lost past. I'm sorry if this doesn't meet your fidelity standards. 

I hadn't really noticed them until they were pointed out.

[St Enodoc]

4 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Beauty is in the eye of...... Heritage railways do their best to recreate a lost past. I'm sorry if this doesn't meet your fidelity standards. 

I'm sure @4069 will answer for himself but the picnic bench, in particular, stops the photo being "timeless" IMHO.

 

That doesn't stop it being a lovely picture though.

 

Heritage railways do have to walk a fine line between authenticity and practicability. Some, including this one, achieve it better than others.

[Stoke West]

9 hours ago, 4069 said:

I see an anonymous-design modern signal box, CCTV camera and picnic bench which are rather jarring.

Looks like the new non standard box built at Over Junction when the new bridge over the Severn was constructed  on a different alignment . Im sure i've read (the Over Jn box design ) was something to do with Gloucestershire county council and planning permission

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, Stoke West said:

Looks like the new non standard box built at Over Junction when the new bridge over the Severn was constructed  on a different alignment . Im sure i've read (the Over Jn box design ) was something to do with Gloucestershire county council and planning permission

This is a problem facing all heritage lines, they have to comply with modern standards of safety and hygiene as well as building regulations.

[4069]

There's nothing wrong with what the GWSR have done at Cheltenham Racecourse. My point was about the claim for the picture, not the scene itself.

[Holmesfeldian]

Something from the collection of the late Mick Martin, no idea where it is or who the locoman is.......

[keefer]

Inverurie shed?

Certainly one of the old steam sheds retained as a stabling point, maybe in the Glasgow area?

Edited August 25, 2023 by keefer

[John Besley]

16 hours ago, 4069 said:

There's nothing wrong with what the GWSR have done at Cheltenham Racecourse. My point was about the claim for the picture, not the scene itself.

 

Sorry I just meant the setting, should have looked harder at everything first before commenting 

[The Stationmaster]

On 24/08/2023 at 20:38, 4069 said:

I see an anonymous-design modern signal box, CCTV camera and picnic bench which are rather jarring.

The signal box did it for me - very clearly not original GWR.  

 

But what about the engine's exhaust?  Many a Shedmaster would have a fit if he saw something like that although I have got one of my own photos of a 'Modified Hall' making a distinctly mucky display of exhaust on a banana train on the Up Goods at Reading.  

But nothing like the fierce, fire dragging, blast displayed by 7903 in the photo posted above which looked am lmpsot like someone doing a small coal and dust 'special' for the photographer.

 

[Rugd1022]

Penzance, Saturday 5th April 2008, D1015 in disguise as D1068 waits to back out to Long Rock and run round the stock, Driver Andy Floyd stands in the door way looking out for the tip to set back...

 

 

 

[LMS2968]

14 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

But what about the engine's exhaust?  Many a Shedmaster would have a fit if he saw something like that although I have got one of my own photos of a 'Modified Hall' making a distinctly mucky display of exhaust on a banana train on the Up Goods at Reading.  

But nothing like the fierce, fire dragging, blast displayed by 7903 in the photo posted above which looked am lmpsot like someone doing a small coal and dust 'special' for the photographer.

Unfortunately, what happened on the big railway back in the day and what happens in preservation don't always gel. I remember when 2968 visited another (best remain anonymous) railway and I was the owner's rep on it. I noticed that the safety valves were more or less permanently blowing off. I mentioned this to the driver, whose exact words were, "Oh, we don't worry about that sort of thing!" My thoughts were along the lines of, "Well, it's your coal bill."

[John Besley]

1 hour ago, LMS2968 said:

Unfortunately, what happened on the big railway back in the day and what happens in preservation don't always gel. I remember when 2968 visited another (best remain anonymous) railway and I was the owner's rep on it. I noticed that the safety valves were more or less permanently blowing off. I mentioned this to the driver, whose exact words were, "Oh, we don't worry about that sort of thing!" My thoughts were along the lines of, "Well, it's your coal bill."

 

That's poor enginmanship, I do wonder how many of today's footplate crew have studied the BR Enginmans hand book and read footplate books to see how to run an efficient loco saving on coal and water, adjusting the secondary air flow with the dampers and the firehole door makes a massive difference.

 

Firing a little and often also means having a nicely run down fire to dispose off at the end of the day as well - my record on the SDR was 12 shovels from Errol Lonsdale to chuck out, pressure gauge just on the line all day, safety valves never lifted all day, and never short of steam - best driver as well - Dave Knowling - helps

[Rugd1022]

Liskeard, 17th March 2008...

 

[PerthBox]

On 25/08/2023 at 21:48, keefer said:

Inverurie shed?

Certainly one of the old steam sheds retained as a stabling point, maybe in the Glasgow area?

I think it’s Fort William - 

 

 

[Matt37268]

On 26/08/2023 at 16:33, LMS2968 said:

Unfortunately, what happened on the big railway back in the day and what happens in preservation don't always gel. I remember when 2968 visited another (best remain anonymous) railway and I was the owner's rep on it. I noticed that the safety valves were more or less permanently blowing off. I mentioned this to the driver, whose exact words were, "Oh, we don't worry about that sort of thing!" My thoughts were along the lines of, "Well, it's your coal bill."

Is this the same railway that that thought it was a good idea to run it without taking the handbrake off on its tender? 

[John Besley]

I had a Footplate ride on my 60th birthday on 35006 the crew wore nothing resembling BR footplate issue clothing not even a grease top which spoilt it for me...I wore my BR jacket a tie and my grease top and heard the comment from the signalman 'how come our visitor looks the part where as you dont'