Great West Road - transfers & I’m not talking football!

[southern42]

Thanks everyone for your kind comments.  Ray and I went our own ways, sometimes literally, when it came to taking pics of the big toys.  It was only by chance that we had a reasonable coverage of Old King Coaled and friends.  The edited videos came together with some sort of thought and planning whereas the original photography just happened.  I didn't have a plan, anyway.

 

Andy, we drove straight home from Didcot - quite a long drive, but made good time.

A bit different from the Great Western Run we had on Friday via the Llangollen and Severn Valley Railways.

 

Ray had to run the length of the platform to get this one of 5322 just as it was departing.

 

I caught this one at the other end as we were leaving.

 

Then, on to Kidderminster. Cafe open but only a Sleeping Car and this on view.

 

And, as we've got rodding, etc on Camel Quay, I decided to take these.

 

 

 

Hope you enjoy.

 

Polly

 

[Castle]

Hi Ray and Polly,

 

I don't know, you drive all that way to get away from Didcot and one of 81E's locos follows you home! Lovely shot of her too.

 

The semi - circular strip guides the tub onto the 'rails' on the flip down panel and this is a standard style building so it was common to a lot of sheds, built in different sizes to suit location and size of loco allocation.

 

Kev - correct about the coal tubs!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

Edited April 7, 2014 by Castle

[Andrew P]

Thanks everyone for your kind comments.  Ray and I went our own ways, sometimes literally, when it came to taking pics of the big toys.  It was only by chance that we had a reasonable coverage of Old King Coaled and friends.  The edited videos came together with some sort of thought and planning whereas the original photography just happened.  I didn't have a plan, anyway.

 

Andy, we drove straight home from Didcot - quite a long drive, but made good time.

A bit different from the Great Western Run we had on Friday via the Llangollen and Severn Valley Railways.

 

Ray had to run the length of the platform to get this one of 5322 just as it was departing.

5322.JPG

 

I caught this one at the other end as we were leaving.

IMG_1009 80096.JPG

 

Then, on to Kidderminster. Cafe open but only a Sleeping Car and this on view.

IMG_1010 SVR Observation car.JPG

 

And, as we've got rodding, etc on Camel Quay, I decided to take these.

IMG_1012 SVR Wrangaton Signal Box.JPG

 

IMG_1014 Wrangaton Signal Box.JPG

 

IMG_1015 SVR compensators Wrangaton Signal Box.JPG

 

Hope you enjoy.

 

Polly

Hi Both great pics, I like the LLangollen, some great scenic's along the route, very much the same with the SVR of course.

 

If you ever go to Didcot again Pendon is well worth the visit, but do check the opening times as there a bit limited.

 

Glad you got home safely and had a good weekend inhaling some of Britain's finest sent's, far better than Channel No 5.

 

Bodge

[southern42]

Hi Ray and Polly,

 

I don't know, you drive all that way to get away from Didcot and one of 81E's locos follows you home! Lovely shot of her too.

 

The semi - circular strip guides the tub onto the 'rails' on the flip down panel and this is a standard style building so it was common to a lot of sheds, built in different sizes to suit location and size of loco allocation.

 

Kev - correct about the coal tubs!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

 

Hi, Castle.

The last time we saw 5322, it was still in WWI livery:

http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/locos/5322/5322pic_02.html

 

As you point out, 5322 was on loan at 'The Croes Newydd Special' Spring Steam Gala 4th-6th April.

We also had the pleasure of seeing 3802 and BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T no. 80072 which was carrying no. 80096, a locomotive once based at Croes Newydd.

 

Time for a few more pics, then.

 

 

 

 

 

Polly

[Kev_Lewis]

Kev - correct about the coal tubs!

 

Woohoo! Is there a prize?

[southern42]

Woohoo! Is there a prize?

 

Filling the empties? :scratchhead:

[Kev_Lewis]

Filling the empties? :scratchhead:

 

Can I borrow your shovel?

[southern42]

Will this do, Kev? It's just lacking a bit of coal dust and signs of oxidation. It came with fireman and driver who are waiting to be painted.

 

Edited April 8, 2014 by southern42

[Kev_Lewis]

Ah, but I model in 7mm.

[southern42]

Ah, but I model in 7mm.

 

...but I see you've started on the track work. Now there's a bit of inspiration.....

 

Polly

[The Stationmaster]

Will this do, Kev? It's just lacking a bit of coal dust and signs of oxidation. It came with fireman and driver who are waiting to be painted.

 

IMG_1194 shovel by Mike Pett.JPG

Beware, that's not a GWR pattern Fireman's shovel.

[southern42]

Beware, that's not a GWR pattern Fireman's shovel.

 

It's destined for a BR (Southern) loco along with the crew. 

So, not to worry, Mike.

Does anyone 'do' GWR shovels or their crew?

 

Polly

[The Stationmaster]

It's destined for a BR (Southern) loco along with the crew. 

So, not to worry, Mike.

Does anyone 'do' GWR shovels or their crew?

 

Polly

Various 'GWR' footplate crew models are available but I'm not sure if the Firemen in them have the correct shovels.

[Kev_Lewis]

Polly,

Many, many thanks. I didn't realise that you followed my humble modelling.

 

Mike.

Well spotted. You got me out of that one!

[southern42]

Humble or not, I do like to see what you all do.  There's so much to learn and, more than that, I find it all so fascinating.

Oh, and I love the cricket match you had in 4mm.  Ever since I saw the Hornby pavilion I knew I would have one, RTP or scratch built, on my layout, and with one used by the railway men at 81C there will be one out there - the rest of the pitch will probably be where the viewer will be standing coming in for tea. Dad's family were into cricket, hence the interest and days watching Test matches on the tv after school.  When our family came along, I never seemed to have time to sit down and watch so lost touch a bit until the week we got the Ashes back - I followed it online at work!

 

Polly

[southern42]

I said I was expecting something in the post, here it is with the Duke of Gloucester.  We're talking 2012 after Bittern's run as Dominion of New Zealand and when Tornado went blue.

 

A couple of photo shoots on Camel Quay.  The dock sidings seem about the right distance apart for the first one - so a useful exercise, here. This was this afternoon - so excuse the halo effect from the sunlit window - and was a test for a diorama on the old 81C diesel roads.  The canopy was a quick mock up, not quite to scale, with supports from a RTP station canopy blutacked to a canopy cut from black card, with a missing section as on the prototype, and held in place on the layout with more blutack.  Crude but it gives the idea.

 

The resultant pic is from a screen shot of my photo alongside the image from the 71000 web blog.

Image: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d9Xh2S1Wsf0/UAXMsEq7vPI/AAAAAAAAAM0/I1XcQartnng/s1600/photo.JPG

Blog: http://71000dukeofgloucester.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/steam-at-southall-duke-and-bittern.html

 

I'll leave it to you to have fun with spot the difference. 

 

The second photo is one taken this evening and shows off the two locos a bit better.

 

 

Polly

[Andrew P]

Who's a lucky Girlie then? very nice and I do like the mock up, it works well on QC by using the dock as the depot concrete base.

 

Bodge

[southern42]

Who's a lucky Girlie then? very nice and I do like the mock up, it works well on QC by using the dock as the depot concrete base.

 

Bodge

 

VERY!

I didn't realise that Bittern had made significant appearances at Southall until last year's previous edition of Bittern disappeared off the market.  How's that for bad timing? So, seeing SK on the Hornby stand at Barrow Hill, I asked him about it.  In his not giving anything away friendly tone, he suggested I wait and see.

So I waited and now you see.      [Copied your thingy...]

Polly

[southern42]

Beware, that's not a GWR pattern Fireman's shovel.

 

I've had to trawl (no, not trowel) of 4mm fire irons and see that there are sets available with circular ends presumably for hanging up.

Most seem to have the crossbar at the top.

So, what distinguishes a GWR set, Mike?

I've had a quick look for a pic of a prototype one on a loco but I'm sure one will turn up eventually, however long that takes.

 

Polly

 

 

Edit: to add a little word (to)

Edited April 10, 2014 by southern42

[The Stationmaster]

I've had to trawl (no, not trowel) of 4mm fire irons and see that there are sets available with circular ends presumably for hanging up.

Most seem to have the crossbar at the top.

So, what distinguishes a GWR set, Mike?

I've had a quick look for a pic of a prototype one on a loco but I'm sure one will turn up eventually, however long that takes.

 

Polly

 

 

Edit: to add a little word (to)

You'll find some useful info here Polly, wrong scale for you alas.  GWR shovels were made for tough men and so were a decent size, not like the puny teaspoons used by some lesser Railways.

 

http://www.heritagesteamsupplies.co.uk/Z-Heritage-Steam-Supplies/Shovels,-Rakes/Firing-Irons/p-297-992

[Coppercap]

 

Not a lot of people realise it, but GWR shovels were also designed for use by right-handed men. To the uninitiated, a right-handed GWR fireman's shovel may have looked like any other shovel, but it took a GWR fireman to show it to it's greatest potential.The GWR drivers only allowed their firemen to use the left hand side of the cab, and trying to put coal through the central firehole is not easy if the shovel is held in a left-handed manner, hence the right-handed shovel. Incidentally, the GWR only employed right-handed firemen, but when they were promoted to driver, they had to retrain to use their left hand for using the regulator.

Some drivers apparently used to draw a chalk line along the centre-line of the cab (with a no-mans-land near the firehole), so the fireman knew his place exactly, and how far over he was allowed to go. If coal was spilled on the drivers side, the fireman would be in deep trouble, and if he got coal on the drivers shoes, then he'd find all his hard work would really go up the chimney! 

Edited April 10, 2014 by Coppercap

[southern42]

I'm guessing, then, that the blade or handle was set at an angle or the handle was longer on one side of the shaft.

Possibility - the left hand side of the blade was deeper than the right to hold the coal if allowing some tilt as it went into the fire hole.

Not that I've done any firing, of course, just thinking of how they might be different.

 

And with today's technology there could be all sorts of extendable and swivelable varieties...at a cost.

 

Or, in summary, a shovel becomes a right handed one when it is in the hands of a right handed person.  Give it to a left handed person and it becomes a left handed shovel. 

 

Time to go, I think....

Edited April 11, 2014 by southern42

[The Stationmaster]

I'm guessing, then, that the blade or handle was set at an angle or the handle was longer on one side of the shaft.

Possibility - the left hand side of the blade was deeper than the right to hold the coal if allowing some tilt as it went into the fire hole.

Not that I've done any firing, of course, just thinking of how they might be different.

 

And with today's technology there could be all sorts of extendable and swivelable varieties...at a cost.

 

Or, in summary, a shovel becomes a right handed one when it is in the hands of a right handed person.  Give it to a left handed person and it becomes a left handed shovel. 

 

Time to go, I think....

I think you hit the nail on the head just before you left Polly.  A big advantage of right hand drive GW engines was that they could be fired right handed without the Fireman getting behind the Driver - that was one reason why some of the early BR Standard arrivals on the WR were less than popular with older Drivers.  But the Region didn't issue new shovels when the Standards arrived and they hadn't issued different shovels when numerous left hand drive engines ran in GWR hands during WWII - Firemen simply fired left handed or, if the Driver allowed, fired right handed still and plenty of Western took to left-handed firing without too much trouble (once they'd got used to it).

 

And yes, according to various Enginemen of my acquaintance there really were a few Drivers who drew a line down the centre of the footplate - and were regarded by all & sundry as miserable blighters! (other words beginning with 'b' are available to choice )

[southern42]

Mike, I'm reminded of incidents in John Drayton's On the Footplate such as similar comments on right hand drive and shiny boots, spotless overalls and the oily rag cleaning up ahead of you.  I dip into it quite often, mostly because I enjoy it.  Although, more often than not, it takes a few readings and info from elsewhere before I "get it."  "Elsewhere" includes Castle's kindly given tour of Didcot Railway Centre and of the 4079 Pendennis Castle project.  It's great we have such generous and hard working proponents.

 

And remembering the blue 90007 Sir Nigel Gresley at Didcot last weekend, here's a pic I came across taken at 81C in 1965.

http://www.sirnigelgresley.org.uk/pics/lge/b008.html

 

 

 

 

 

[southern42]

Earlier today, Ray noticed the sun shining through the window on Bittern.

 

One I captured yesterday as the sun lit up the cab - and no, the manifold isolation valves shouldn't be red.  Maybe it's doing a Mallard impersonation.   Some careful repainting will soon fix that.

 

Polly