Castle Aching

[Edwardian]

I champ and fret and skulk in the blackness of my moods, but, I did manage a Grand Day Out yesterday, and I thank both Linny and Runs as Required of the parish for their splendid company; it was a privilege.  I hope they enjoyed themselves as much as I did and that I wasn't too unmaneagable in my manic phase. 

 

Full report with pictures to follow, but in brief we met at RailEx NE, saw some great layouts, met some great people, struck some great bargains with traders both familiar and new, and topped things off with a tour of Tynemouth and it's splendid station.  

 

 

[corneliuslundie]

The Barry Railway examples of the breed - 0-6-4Ts not politicians though it had some of those - were as I understand it not too keen on staying on the rails. In fact the later Barry Railway purchases seemed to get progressively less successful. Some of them seemed to feel that it was their duty to keep the coal mines in business.

I didn't intend to cause quite such a stir with my reference to gentlemen in top hats but I had just spent quite a time trying to find the facts about a couple of RMWeb topics among the interminable repeated political discussions.,

Jonathan

[Skinnylinny]

1 hour ago, Edwardian said:

I champ and fret and skulk in the blackness of my moods, but, I did manage a Grand Day Out yesterday, and I thank both Linny and Runs as Required of the parish for their splendid company; it was a privilege.  I hope they enjoyed themselves as much as I did and that I wasn't too unmaneagable in my manic phase. 

 

Full report with pictures to follow, but in brief we met at RailEx NE, saw some great layouts, met some great people, struck some great bargains with traders both familiar and new, and topped things off with a tour of Tynemouth and it's splendid station.  

 

 

 

It was a real pleasure to meet you both yesterday, and there were many interesting discussions. I hope it will not be too long until another meeting can happen.

A Grand Day Out it most certainly was, and Tynemouth station was absolutely beautiful. Quite a difference from Wallsend, although I did spot the Latin/English bilingual signs I had been looking for.

[Compound2632]

Back in early March we discussed Midland, LNWR, and S&DJR CCTs painted in the livery of motor car bodywork builders - Phil Sutters was interested in the S&DJR vehicle allocated to S&A Fuller of Bath. Browsing through Summerson, Midland Railway Locomotives Vol. 2, p.8, I've chanced upon another Midland example of which I was previously unaware. As is usual for photos of interesting railway equipment, some thoughtless engineman has parked his steed in the middle of the picture, obscuring much detail - in this case 1070 Class No. 128 (post-1907 number) with Deeley-fied front end. The location is stated to be Buxton, with no date given. The CCT is, I think, a Midland vehicle of 25ft length - the taller variety, D403. The firm's name is clear enough, in approx 9" letters under the eaves - MCNAUGHT & CO LTD. The following lines are obscured by the engine's cab but Grace's Guide entry for the firm helps out. This also states that the firm became a limited company in 1909, providing an earliest date for the photo. The company's address, also in 9" letters, reads WORCESTER AND [BROAD STREET,] BIRMINGHAM, where the text in [ ] is my speculation.

 

Any west Norfolk squire buying a new motor with Brummagen carriagework?

Edited July 28, 2019 by Compound2632

[runs as required]

On 25/07/2019 at 19:32, RedGemAlchemist said:

.... Was clearing out my Nan's house as she and my Alzheimer's-afflicted Grandad were moved into a nursing home this morning

......

Gosh! The above is far more frightening to us two O.F. When-eyes*  than all the foregoing heat stuff

[*as in: "when I was in Siderberani it used to be well over 40  most of the time].

 

Actually yesterday I spent a splendid day with the C in C and with Linny over in sub-tropical North Tyneside. The late summer monsoon clearly arrived early in these latitudes this year.  At Whitley Bay (the Scottish Riviera) it was humid as well as hot; canny Linny had arrived down from Edinburgh well loaded up with drinks in his backpack.

Nevertheless Edwardian, our stalwart C in C,  took the dank humidity in his stride - kitted out properly in his crumpled Airey & Wheeler cream tropical suit, plus shirt and tie and of course sensible brown shoes..

 

I learnt a lot from both, however: 'Highlight of the Day' was Edwardian waxing lyrical in fluent Barrister mode in front of the Dovington Camp layout about his time in Lincoln’s Inn as a Cavalry Volunteer (riding as a uniformed guard of the coach in the Lord Mayor's Procession - twice no less!). 

Listening to Edwardian  expound in detail about a reconnaissance Alvis ‘light brigade’ of the kind he trained in loaded onto a short 6  or 7 wagon train, the layout's operator delightedly joined-in , rooting out from his reserves still more alternative tracked vehicles for comment.

 

The clutch of listeners gathering around learned how the column was marshalled: headed by a  Sultan Command room module (a sort of tracked camper with rolled up awning stowed behind), next came the O C riding in his tracked vehicle preceding a couple of tracked (Scorpion?) personnel carriers. Next was a Scimitar with 30mm gun turret {with its only effective protection against mighty Soviet tanks apparently being 3 smoke making canisters either side of the turret) - finally came a rearguard (or maybe two) of another personnel carrier Scorpion (?).
The Light Brigade of reconnaissance cavalry was one of the last military projects of British Leyland before its passing  (into the DAF era). They were all made from aluminium to be light enough for airlifting (and to run fast in emergency).

 

But the very worst moment of my day came right at its end. Edwardian demanded to inspect the ruin that is my own ‘railway  room’. “And I thought I was untidy!”  he exclaimed before departing home.

 

I'm bracing myself for a lot more admonishment on this thread from the C in C after he returns from visiting "the APs".

Possibly RGA's opening quote may not be far ahead ....

dh

Edited July 29, 2019 by runs as required

[Martin S-C]

On 19/07/2019 at 20:28, ChrisN said:

 

The interesting thing about this painting is that the sheep have paint marks on them.  This means any sheep that is pre-grouping should have these marks on them.

Pre-Raphaelite, not pre-grouping. The sheep are clearly grouped.
 

I do apologise for quoting a post that is five pages old. I have unfortunately been indisposed building a model railway. I accept that is terribly bad form but one must at least pretend one has a hobby.

Edited July 29, 2019 by Martin S-C

[Martin S-C]

On 20/07/2019 at 20:00, ian said:

I can see a whole new field opening up for purists.

 

Modelu will be going around rare-breed farms to scan different types of sheep.

 

Nit-pickers will take a look at your layout and pronounce that your Southdown is wrong for the period and that no Texel every carried that smit-mark...

Hardly a new field for purists.

If you have Friesian cows on your model layout and it is set before 1945 you are doin' it wrong.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein_Friesian_cattle#United_Kingdom

 

[nick_bastable]

1 hour ago, runs as required said:

 

 At Whitley Bay (the Scottish Riviera) it was humid as well as hot; canny Linny had arrived down from Edinburgh well loaded up with drinks in his backpack.

 

Oh my Whitley Bay must have been a balmy 10c   ( who once stayed there in a freezing December )

 

Nick

[Annie]

On 28/07/2019 at 04:07, Argos said:

 

One of which will be appearing on my work bench in the not too distant future.

The Leitrim class were firmly Victorian engines though with first pair delivered in 1882 the last in 1889.

 

The SLNCR seemed to like the 0-6-4t long boiler format and a series of three more modern engines were delivered between 1904 and 1917, known as the "Sir Henry" class

 

Finally a later pair of 0-6-4t engines forming the "Lough" class were leased from Beyer Peacock in the early fifties.

They were actually built in 1949 but the SLNCR was skint and couldn't pay for them.

After having them lying around for a couple of years Beyer Peacock agreed to to lease them to the line.

 

 

These were the last steam locos built for any Irish railway, all the more bizarre that they are based on a long boiler design from the mid 1800s.

 

The SLNCR still falls into the Pre-grouping category in the 1950s (in spirit at least) as it one of the few lines in the UK and Ireland  that never was grouped or merged throughout its history due to the line spanning the Irish border.

 

I have a penchant for 0-6-4 tanks that I have never quite understood the North Staffs Railway new F class being another favourite.

 

 

I am also a fan of the Midland Railway's flat iron (just don't tell Compound2632........)

 

I certainly do have to say that Beyer-Peacock knew how to build engines.

[Martin S-C]

On 26/07/2019 at 21:18, Compound2632 said:

Edwardian politics: 

 

 

 

The liars dressed so well in those days.

[Malcolm 0-6-0]

On 27/07/2019 at 16:10, Edwardian said:

 

I'm sure I don't know what you mean!

 

Going to Hell in a handcart is a very old concern .... 

 

 

The porters were a rather motley lot in pre-grouping times.

[sem34090]

They still are...

Do I count as Motley?

 

"No, no, Madam - This is not Motley -if there is such a place- this is Medstead and Four Marks. I can get you to Botley if that's any help? I tell you, Madam, we serve no such station as your 'Motley'. No, Madam. No. Are you quite sure it wasn't Botley she moved to? You think she may have written the 'B' as an 'M'. I suggest you catch this one to Alton, then change again at Fareham..."

Edited July 29, 2019 by sem34090

[Hroth]

8 minutes ago, sem34090 said:

Do I count as Motley?

More Muttley to my way of thinking..... 

[sem34090]

Or perhaps a Medley? Medley and Four Bars?

Edited July 29, 2019 by sem34090

[Hroth]

1 minute ago, sem34090 said:

Four Bars?

They'd be propping you up in a corner for the rest of the afternoon after that!

 

Possibly with a collection box in front of you in aid of the Benevolent Fund...

 

[sem34090]

This is making the Medstead and Four Marks stations staff sounding rather too close to this -

"You GUARD you!"

Edited July 29, 2019 by sem34090

[sem34090]

I say, at least he wasn't working Portsmouth trains...

 

That might make him a bit 'Avant Guard...

 

Ahah. Ahah. Hah. Hah.

Edited July 29, 2019 by sem34090

[Donw]

7 hours ago, runs as required said:

 

 

But the very worst moment of my day came right at its end. Edwardian demanded to inspect the ruin that is my own ‘railway  room’. “And I thought I was untidy!”  he exclaimed before departing home.

 

I'm bracing myself for a lot more admonishment on this thread from the C in C after he returns from visiting "the APs".

Possibly RGA's opening quote may not be far ahead ....

dh

 

I say that's rather below the belt. It is a chap's fundamental right to have an untidy railway room. Agreed there should be a semblance of something that could be a railway layout or at least a baseboard underneath the piles, but other than that so long as there is the intention of the room being used for railway modelling it up the the owner how he approaches it.

 

To be sure expecting a layout to arise phoenix like from the piles of clutter may not be the best approach but it does seem to be a popular one.

 

Glad you all had a good day out.

 

Don

[Talltim]

1 hour ago, Donw said:

 

I say that's rather below the belt. It is a chap's fundamental right to have an untidy railway room.

I’ll mention that to my wife. I fear I know what the answer will be.

[Compound2632]

Disorder is evidence of activity.

[Nearholmer]

Depends a bit on “upbringing and training” I think.

 

The first year of my engineering training was spent in an apprentice training school where the tutors were railwaymen with a national service background, and I still remember exactly what we were taught on the afternoon of Day 1: how to clean-down our workbenches, polish our vices (!), and, the big one, how to sweep-up properly.

 

There were strict rules about having no tools or materials on the bench that weren’t related directly to the job in-hand, how to put files away in a drawer so as not to damage the teeth, etc etc (lots of etc!).

 

I’m not perfect, but I do still try to follow the regime.

[Andy Hayter]

I've polished a few vices in my time.  Getting rather good at some - even though I do say it myself.

 

Hat, coat …...

[Hroth]

41 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

The first year of my engineering training was spent in an apprentice training school where the tutors were railwaymen with a national service background, and I still remember exactly what we were taught on the afternoon of Day 1: how to clean-down our workbenches, polish our vices (!), and, the big one, how to sweep-up properly.

 

There were strict rules about having no tools or materials on the bench that weren’t related directly to the job in-hand, how to put files away in a drawer so as not to damage the teeth, etc etc (lots of etc!).

 

A real craftsperson had pride in his workplace and looked after his tools.  I know it is fashionable to mock the wilder excesses of elf'n'safety but a clear workspace, both on the bench and underfoot and only the required tools to hand are essential for minimising workplace mishaps.

 

Did you get to see those instruction films about keeping loose clothing away from rotating machinery too?  I think the instructors used to take bets between themselves on how many apprentices would keel over with the more graphic examples...

 

However, polishing vices sounds a bit advanced for first day apprentices...

[Nearholmer]

We got to visit the old health and safety demonstration centre in Ebury Bridge Road near Victoria, which looked as if it had existed since God’s dog was a puppy. We learned how to get our scalps torn-off by machine belting (which just shows how antique the place was!), how to smash our own skulls with the aid of a fly-press, strangle ourselves by catching a tie in a lathe, how to blow-up a flour mill with dust-explosion (working 1/12th scale model!), and a hundred other scary things.

 

We also got to watch some really avant garde safety films made by SNCF, the best of which played on the possibility that, if you walked in front of a train, you would never get to spend nights of passion with a seriously attractive young woman with long dark hair, who lived in a crossing keeper’s cottage. The BTC film unit could never have made anything so lust-inspired!

 

Vices? These were largely taught in the second year, by experienced practitioners in workshops and, especially, “area maintenance”, who were experts in all of them.

[St Enodoc]

2 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Depends a bit on “upbringing and training” I think.

 

The first year of my engineering training was spent in an apprentice training school where the tutors were railwaymen with a national service background, and I still remember exactly what we were taught on the afternoon of Day 1: how to clean-down our workbenches, polish our vices (!), and, the big one, how to sweep-up properly.

 

There were strict rules about having no tools or materials on the bench that weren’t related directly to the job in-hand, how to put files away in a drawer so as not to damage the teeth, etc etc (lots of etc!).

 

I’m not perfect, but I do still try to follow the regime.

I bet you were told not to sit on the benches either, or you would get piles.

 

As an aside, there was a particular workshop where the staff all wore white overalls. However, they all had a black patch on the backside.