John Smart

"St Medard's church spire is painted on the backscene, For those interested in religion, this is a unique dedication. "

Noted in Pevsner as a rare dedication. It depends on where one is looking to for inspiration, several St Medard's are about to be 'cut-off', by fog?

Mr Smart

Jonathan,

My understanding is that the carriages were not built using teak panels, therefore the finish is painted.

There are a few eye-witness accounts in early copies of the North Eastern Express, which state many carriages were repainted with a teak finish, but others did just have overall brown paint.

One wonders, for instance, if any of the NER stock which went to the GE-Section was subsequently painted with a grained finish?

I am glad Dan is still doing some 4mm stuff - I don't think I need any more NER carriages though.

I am busy with a D&S GN horsebox at present, a few challenges mostly due to lack of clear prototype evidence.

John

I am more than a little late to this topic.

Hopefully the attached photos show that even humble non-corridor stock could get a 'teak' painted finish.

The top image is the one mentioned by Mr Scott earlier in the thread.

The second image is grained, although not too clear on the screen.

There are a couple of Casserley shots at Kirkby Stephen which also show grained NER non-corridor stock.

John

Hi Mike,

I find your finish on this model a marvel.

I think it might be much in demand for photographs.

Cheers,

John

Graeme,

I have a plan.

John Smart won't forgive me for mentioning duckets at this stage.

Thanks John.

 

I knew he didn't work the 6th March train northwards - the historical article that Jonathan pointed us to makes that clear. But, being a King's Cross man, did he not ride out on the cushions in the morning? That was what I was referring to. Or had he lodged in Newcastle the night before?

Graham, I misinterpreted your statement. My guess is the crew did indeed travel north the same day.

John

Some more details of Grantham Shed.

Great stuff from John, Roy and Jonathan. 2750 might be the 'forgotten' hero of the time - but not forgotten by us. 

 

A few more random thoughts about No.2750 and March 5th 1935.

 

The contrast between her performance - as an A3 - and the Nov 1934 run of 4472 - as an original A1 - was there for all to see. Many believe that No.4472 didn't actually achieve the magic 100 on her run, the trace from the dynamometer car otherwise holding steady at @98mph but for a momentary blip up to 100 that defies the laws of physics. But No.2750 was so far over the line (as the historical article outlines) as to put it beyond doubt - and with a heavier train. And with the same driver! The legendary Mr Sparshatt.

 

The running - southbound in particular - is of particular note because it was a day of sustained high-speed. By contrast, Mallard's great day was little more than 11 minutes of all out thrash and done with. The concentration required of a driver, in the dirty, vibrating and deafening environment of a steam locomotive cab travelling at speed, to coax the maximum performance whilst dutifully observing every signal and calculating ahead for each approaching speed restriction - all of which would be memorised in his head - for four hours without a break is quite extraordinary and not often fully appreciated. And this was a man who had already travelled north earlier in the day so was well in to a long day. No wonder he got such a hero's welcome upon return to The Cross.

 

5th March to 27th September 1935. That was the total time elapsed between this run and the public debut of No.2509, the first of the A4s. Must be unparalleled in railway history as so short a design and manufacture period for such a significant locomotive type. Which then went straight into service and handled the first three weeks of the new service without any back up until the next loco was available. Quite extraordinary.

 

Did I read or hear somewhere that Mr Pegler's first expression of interest in 1963 was actually for No.2750 (BR 60096)? But finding that it had already been condemned, he then switched to No.4472. The rest, as they say...

 

Without doubt, No.2750 and the events of 5th March 1935 definitely worth remembering and celebrating.

Graham,

You are not quite correct about Mr Sparshatt on 5-3-1935.

On the 4472 run to Leeds the Crew, Sparshatt and Webster worked both ways.

It was realised that this was too much for the fireman, at the very least. The crew from the November 4472 run only worked the 2750 train south from Newcastle, but that included the record 108 of course.

All I can say about the 4472 run is beware 'Gentlemen' with stop-watches. They are more accurate than the most up-to-date and calibrated technology of the day.

There was a whole publishing industry based on this. 

John

Evening Jonathan,

 

is it one of these?

Yes that is the other side of 23750. The buffet counter is at this end on the other side. Note the smaller windows behind the counter in the original view.

John

Howlden stock Frank.

Russ did think the 70ft Dreadnought coaches would be fine, if labelled Pullman! Although, I did like his initial reaction, not for here.

Reminder to self, Howlden stock building needs to start.

John

Goodness, things are moving on again.

Snow prevented me from coming in to do painting today, not good.

'Can we run some trains round soon please, Mr?'

John

A similar view of the spiral. Clayton tunnel top right.

This is a much grander construction than it appeared on the drawings.

John

We shall need some appropriate wagons for 4097.

There may be a few carriages required too!

I shall be ready with paint brush in hand tomorrow.

John

G'Day Folks

 

I take it, that the painting of the ballast, was done very slowly and with a small brush, as this is my next job. ?

 

manna

Hi Manna,

I am still painting the track, only one brush used so far. I am rather careful!

I will then think about weathering the ash ballast, very thin washes of grey and brown most likely.

Then the final washes on the sleepers too.

A lot still to do.

Cheers to you down under.

John

Thanks Jol.

I am not certain what colour primer Doncaster used.

I have heard a theory that the difference in the Darlington and Doncaster shade of LNER green was because they used different coloured primers.

John

I strongly suspect Doncaster cab interiors were the same colour as the outsides, but I have no absolute proof.

What I can say is that 'light stone' is not a Doncaster tradition, I do have evidence to prove that.

Jonathan your 'red' theory is interesting, I wonder where it came from?

The details of livery are often fascinating, I remember a series of articles covering LNER locomotive livery in the MRC, I think, in the late 1970s, a good deal of the information in them was dubious. But once it is published in a respected journal and models made using that information, it becomes 'fact'. NEVER use a model as livery evidence, unless it was built by a contemporary maker with a job at the works in question.

I was the LNER writer in the 'Big Four in Colour' David Jenkinson volume, we certainly didn't get everything right. And I have collected more evidence over the years.

John

TRACK PAINTING. Well done Derek, keeping going.

John

Frank,

One can manage four hours track painting, after that the quantity of 'track paint brew' is finished and so are the eyes.

The brew is much as stated elsewhere, weathering books etc. But some will need a final toning down when the rest of the layout scheme comes together. 

I have always admired Mr Kent's Blakeney in regard of the latter, a sense of overall colour. Not the least of Geoff's achievements, as most will know.

John

Humm.

Ballast type, LNER West Riding Section track lengths for the 'Queensbury' main line in the mid 1930s, these are not easy topics, particularly as the area was not a favoured target for any photographers.

John

Frank, Thanks for the reminder about how much track needs painting. A tribute to the ballast gang below.

Not all of them, but Derek and Andrew feature!

John.

Look how far we have come:

Chris,

Nice to see our efforts on this site. A good job that NER horsebox is empty. I did ask beforehand.

I know I am biased, but that ballast looks good in Derek's shots.

I have been taking pictures of bullhead rail lengths this weekend, looking at the colours!

I watched the valves working on 'Chuffer Davies' GN 0-8-0 too, marvellous.

John