Sheffield Exchange, Toy trains, music and fun!

[stevea]

Hi, Clive

That does look rather nice - the body sides do look the part on a 107. I'm impressed by all the work on your Trans-Pennine too. I do lament the passing of the heritage dmus. Used to despise them when I was younger, but what I wouldn't give to travel on them regularly now... Went to the Llangollen dmu gala a few years ago, and it was all good, but the 104 with all the rattles that I used to hate was an unbelievable nostalgia trip. The units I really miss are those that graced your new home county for many years - the Derby 114 heavyweights that were based at Lincoln for most of their lives. Nice and comfortable, quite quick off the mark by the standards of the day, and a good view thanks to the shallow seat backs. Always plenty in Sheffield, too...

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi, Clive

That does look rather nice - the body sides do look the part on a 107. I'm impressed by all the work on your Trans-Pennine too. I do lament the passing of the heritage dmus. Used to despise them when I was younger, but what I wouldn't give to travel on them regularly now... Went to the Llangollen dmu gala a few years ago, and it was all good, but the 104 with all the rattles that I used to hate was an unbelievable nostalgia trip. The units I really miss are those that graced your new home county for many years - the Derby 114 heavyweights that were based at Lincoln for most of their lives. Nice and comfortable, quite quick off the mark by the standards of the day, and a good view thanks to the shallow seat backs. Always plenty in Sheffield, too...

Hi Steve

 

 114 is just a longer 107

 

and yes there is one on SE. I will also own up to a MTK one that is nearly as old as me and not finished.

[danstercivicman]

A few pictures from tonight's running,

 

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A Class 125 DMU departs

 

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Followed by a Black Five on a suburban

 

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The Trans-Pennine is out on the main line.

 

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A 2P 4-4-0 reverses back out of platform 7.

 

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An eight car train formed of four 2 car Met-Cam DMUs.

 

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The Trans-Pennine waits for a route into the station to be set as the Met-Cam train passes by.

 

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The Trans-Pennine weaves its way through the point work to Platform 3

 

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Trains waiting to take you on an adventure.

 

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A replacement TSO made from Tri-ang Mk1 coach bits in the magic spares box.

 

Edit, the Trans-Pennine power car in the photos is the fifth coach in the train, so it is propelling four coaches over all that point work and no derailments. Tension-locks and Peco points.

Great stuff

[Zomboid]

That rip off of the Kings Cross throat looks excellent to my eyes, particularly seeing trains on it.

[stevea]

Hi Steve

 

114 is just a longer 107

 

and yes there is one on SE. I will also own up to a MTK one that is nearly as old as me and not finished.

[stevea]

Hi, Clive

Talking age is a slippery slope for me. The first 114s were less than a year older than me. As regards the 107/114 comparison, the bodies were different lengths of the same basic thing, as you say, but the 114s were blessed with the lovely gurgle of the unsilenced (in the early days) 230hp Leyland Albion engines. Handsome dmu fleet on your layout, and a promising trackplan on which to run them. Probably the best era of all, with steam and diesel side by side.

Regards

Steve

[Andrew P]

Watch out Clive, I'm back, and catching up. hahhah.

[Clive Mortimore]

Watch out Clive, I'm back, and catching up. hahhah.

Oh Damn that is spiffing news.

[Andrew P]

Thank you Colin

 

I had an empty room at Christmas I now have a functioning train set. I am now in a position to commence modelling at my own pace doing which bits I want to and when. I have piles of part built stock, luckily I can pick them up when I want to, do a wee bit of work on them and then pack them away as the mood takes me. The Trans Pennine unit is a good example, this time last week it had no motor and the TSO was a Lima coach which wouldn't have matched the rest of the train. It now works and all coaches come form the same manufacturer.

 

I wanted a layout where operation was the important part. A realistic track plan for the station was essential, hence based on the 1977 remodelling of Kings Cross and operational potential of Derek Shore's Avondale which I have admired since seeing it in the Modeller in 1970.

 

When driving a train into the station I can see the station in my minds eye, who need scenery when having fun.

Who needs a Train Set when you could watch a Video? hahah      

Edited May 5, 2018 by Andrew P

[Clive Mortimore]

No operating or modelling tonight, totally knackered where I have been up in the loft laying insulation. The loft is not tall enough to stand in so my neighbour , who kindly helped, and me were on all fours. Being a bungalow there was a lot of loft space to cover. Another thing about older properties is all the "modifications" to the electrics over the years. I wouldn't let the geezer who wired up the lights anywhere near my layout. Let alone the plumbing. I had been up and lagged the pipes before it became cold this winter, only to find another pipe today, thankfully I had some spare pipe lagging.

[Andrew P]

No operating or modelling tonight, totally knackered where I have been up in the loft laying insulation. The loft is not tall enough to stand in so my neighbour , who kindly helped, and me were on all fours. Being a bungalow there was a lot of loft space to cover. Another thing about older properties is all the "modifications" to the electrics over the years. I wouldn't let the geezer who wired up the lights anywhere near my layout. Let alone the plumbing. I had been up and lagged the pipes before it became cold this winter, only to find another pipe today, thankfully I had some spare pipe lagging.

Be careful at your age mate, it's a BIG drop if you get things wrong.          

[Clive Mortimore]

Be careful at your age mate, it's a BIG drop if you get things wrong.        

All done. Hopefully I never need go up there again in my life.

[Clive Mortimore]

Has anyone else noticed Bachmann in blue has won the FA Cup :yahoo:

 

 

Ramona Bachmann scored two of Chelsea Ladies goals to beat the team in red.

 

Let's hope the chaps can repeat the same thing when they meet another team in red in a few weeks time.

Edited May 5, 2018 by Clive Mortimore

[Regularity]

I wouldn't let the geezer who wired up the lights anywhere near my layout. Let alone the plumbing.

You have plumbing on your layout?

[Clive Mortimore]

You have plumbing on your layout?

Doesn't everyone, how else do you drain the blood away from the abattoir?

[Mallard60022]

Are Bachmann really Remoaners?

Lofts.......such fun.

P

[Regularity]

Doesn't everyone, how else do you drain the blood away from the abattoir?

Of course, if you went DCC, then there would be no bloody difference!

[Clive Mortimore]

What a good day I have had with Matt, Satan's Goldfish. We ran the layout without too many incidents, one derailment and a few operator minor errors.

 

It was great to see someone else drive the layout and appearing /pretending to understand my system. We even managed to have two trains arrive together, some thing one person cannot do and later two leave simultaneously. Both these actions looked good. And at one point in time there was a freight train trundling around.

 

Matt took some photos of the events even some cine film. When he gets them back from the chemist I am sure he will share them with us.

[newbryford]

. We even managed to have two trains arrive together, some thing one person cannot do and later two leave simultaneously. 

 

The real test is one arriving and one leaving at the same time.

 

Cheers,

MIck

Edited May 7, 2018 by newbryford

[Regularity]

The real test is one arriving and one leaving at the same time.

 

Especially if they have to cross over from left to right, and right to left...

 

(Don’t scoff: I really have experienced an operator suggesting that on a different layout.)

[Clive Mortimore]

Well the signalman is denying any wrong doing and is blaming the driver of the 2P for not putting on the brakes. :nono:

 

He in turn is saying the guard left the train without the handbrake being applied.

 

And the guard is blaming his wife for the upset tummy he had and had to rush to the loo before he had a personal accident.

 

The stationmaster is blaming anyone who gets in his way......

 

.........the young lad in the parcels office is blaming the station cat because there is no else left to blame

Report on the collision where 40663 went through the buffer stops at Sheffield Exchange.

 

I have carried out my full investigation by interviewing those involved and the railway staff who witnessed the events of 30th April 2018.

 

It has been established that there was nothing wrong with either the locomotive 40663 or any of the coaches of the train despite both being found with the brakes fully working but not applied. My conclusion is that there is some human element which needs to be looked at.

 

Here are some extracts from the interviews I had with the staff.

 

Train driver Mike Enterprising Western. "Well you see when we stopped I thought young Stu (the fireman) was going to put the brake on. I didn't think to check he had, I was in a bit of a hurry to join the card came in the parcels office before taking the engine back to the loco shed. I was also distracted by the young ladies stroking the station cat.

 

Fireman Stu Stubby47. "We came to a halt and I thought Mike was going to put the brake on, he likes to be in charge. Distractions? Yeah there were some nice looking birds giving Tiddles the station cat some attention. My mate Andy Peters , the parcels office boy he has taught the cat to look cute at young ladies. That way he then goes over and starts to chat to them about the cat and hopes things progress from there. In fact talking about Andy I was hoping to see him about the darts down the Engine and Tender that night so that was on me mind as well."

 

Station Master Phil Mallard. "I was proceeding to the parcels office for two reasons, one to find out if the rumour there was a card school going on  was true and the other, young Peters is due promotion and you cannot promote someone who cannot make tea. It was my understanding that it was his turn to make the tea. When the next thing I had a locomotive on my concourse. Anything unusual on the concourse apart form a locomotive? Well I did think to myself, if those young girls making a fuss of Toddles the station cat were my daughters I would not let them out dressed like that.

 

Guard Mick Newbryford. "I  apologise for saying I had an upset tummy earlier on but if Mrs Newbryford found out I was distracted by the pretty ladies making a fuss of that manky cat she would be upset. Well it could have been thinking how much trouble I could be in that which made me forget to put the hand brake on.

 

Ticket Collector Ian Titan. "I was really looking forward to my break, young Andy in the parcels office was making the tea, nice cuppa. And a quick hand of cards, but I don't think I should mention that. Once I have checked all the tickets, I don't take notice of the trains so I do a bit of people watching. Tiddles the cat was up to its normal trick of getting young ladies to stroke him or is it a her, when CRASH behind me was a blooming great engine where it shouldn't be." 

 

Parcels van Driver Simon Regularity, "I turned up to set up the card school between my rounds, I couldn't park where I would normally there was a bunch of stupid women cooing over Tiddles, young Peters cat. I mean the station cat but if wasn't for Peters feeding it, it might have to earn a living by getting rid of the mice. Out of nowhere this big black engine appeared, scared the life out of me."

 

Parcels Office Head Porter Andi Dagworth. "Just before the locomotive crashed through the buffer stops I had sent young Andy off to make a brew and was keeping an eye out for old Mallard in case he came across the card school, Tiddles was up to its normal trick of seeking attention form a group of teenage girls. Otherwise everything was as boring as it usually is."

 

Station announcer Peter Western Sunset. "About the time of the incident there is a lull in my busy important job so from my lofty position I can observe what is going on. Yes I saw the train arrive, both the driver and the fireman seemed in a hurry, very unusual for loco crew. The guard, what a misery he is, also seemed to leave the train early. Mr Mallard was striding across the concourse 'Aye Aye, I thought to myself, someone is in trouble'. The parcels van with that card cheat turned up, he is like clock work when it is time for a game. I was quite surprised that they all didn't bump into each other as they were all staring at the females huddled around lovely Tiddles. When it happened, I thought the station was going to collapse. It has taken me ages to get over it."

 

Platform Porter Tim timbowilts, "I didn't see nuffin. OK old Mallard on the warpath, so kept out the way". 

 

Not only was there the locomotive crashing through the barrier but a parcels train was diverted into the wrong platform so I have decided to combine the two incidents into the one report as the action of the signalman bears some similarity to what was happening in the station.

 

Signalman Mike Stationmaster. "All I can think as to what happened was I could see in the far distance a few young women giving Tiddles some affection, and I must have pulled the wrong point lever where my mind as considering asking young Peters in the parcels office if I could borrow Tiddles to get rid of the signal box rats."

 

Parcels Train Driver Clive Mortimore. "When I realised I was going to be on the wrong platform and I could see the train in front of me moving away from me I realised  that there was something wrong and applied the emergency brake".

 

Although not an eye witness to the advents I thought I should interview the parcels office lad Andy Peters. "That was the day Stu and I were supposed to have been playing darts at the Engine and Tender, I had been asked by old Dagworth to put the kettle on as his card mates were going to be arriving soon so I was busy and all I heard was a crash. You want to know about the station cat, well yes I do feed Tiddles, she is a nice cat. Very friendly with people. Sometimes when I am doing my job on the concourse she will be purring away where some attractive young thing is making a fuss and I will go over and have a chat, she is a great ice beaker. After the crash Tiddles came running in to the parcels office very frightened."

 

Now earlier on it was reported that the station cat was not to blame. I think that is the case but had the parcels lad Peters not trained it to look cute for young ladies then more of the staff including Mr Mallard would have been paying attention and not been distracted thus neglecting their duties. I recommend all staff involved to be retrained and that includes the cat.  

 

I think Driver Mortimore should be commended for his quick action saving an even worse disaster by stopping the parcels train.

 

Lt. Col. La De Da Hyphen Poshname (Rtd)

Edited May 7, 2018 by Clive Mortimore

[newbryford]

It could easily have been summed up in two words.

 

Operator error.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Clive Mortimore]

The real test is one arriving and one leaving at the same time.

 

Cheers,

MIck

That is on the agenda for next time.

[newbryford]

That is on the agenda for next time.

 

The real test will be two arriving and one leaving.

 

Or - two leaving and one arriving.

 

That would be so much fun to watch Dave T in that situation........ I would pay for a ticket!

 

Cheers,

Mick

[stevea]

Not too sure, I need to study photos and videos of terminus stations outside of London. I am not going down the route many seem to go , that loads of people on every platform evenly spaced. A couple of the platforms will have people waiting but they will be more densely spaced at the barrier end thinning out to about half way. One or two will have a crowd leaving having their tickets inspected. Otherwise railway staff going about their business avoiding the station master and work.