James

Summer Evening at Crabley Creek by JamesWells, on Flickr

Would be nice if it was otherwise the comparisons with Crownline (including mine!) will prove a little silly!

I think it's probably on a par with the proportion of kits actually completed - I normally keep an eye on eBay for Crownline bits (as well as other manufacturers as you never know what will appear!), and often within the results a third of them will be completed models. This is a good example of what appears from time to time - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hornby-Crownline-Conversion-Caprotti-Black-Five-44756-BR-Unlined-Black-/390645702984 Very much of its time, but then again it's a while since Crownline were around!

Hardly the same - a private commission like this is a world away from the pages of Crownline conversions that used to feature in things like the W&H catalogue. Either that or people feel the RTR is near enough?

Not so long ago as soon as the LMS version had appeared RTR, someone like Crownline would have had a conversion kit available for the BR version. And it would have seemed an obvious development too; I wondered what happened to this side of the hobby?

Some of the Class 66s are beginning to become a little tatty round the edges...

30926 Repton at Grosmont Schools Class 'Repton' at Grosmont by JamesWells, on Flickr

I can top that! At a safety brief in York and on my way in saw this - And afterwards -

On a rather dark day for steam - 70013 and 30777 at Newark by JamesWells, on Flickr http://eastmoor.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/fire.html

So why didn't you wave as you passed me?

Can open, worms everywhere...

And that is, I think, the main reason why enthusiasts often don't like Thompson's pacfics; purely because they aren't as pretty as Gresley's.

They don't, not at all! The only saving might be using an existing cad file as the basis for a new part. Even then it might be far easier to start afresh. Individual and separately applied components can be used on several different models but modellers often see our own methods of chopping and joining as possible methods for RTR companies, but I'm afraid it's quite different.

Another one from Scunthorpe; Corus No. 72 at the Rail Service Centre by JamesWells, on Flickr And a slightly more obscure tamper than the last one! One which can be seen in various parts of Europe during the year! Tamping in Newcastle by JamesWells, on Flickr

I seriously doubt that; you may be able to convert an A4 into the rebuilt W1, but adapting the tooling is quite different.

A diverted London on Friday - possible again with the Hatfield reopening. To London via Goole by JamesWells, on Flickr

Services are due to be fully back to normal on 29th - it's already proved its use as we had a points failure Selby yesterday. Gilberdyke was certainly a key place then!

And what's the difference between Facebook and here? Both are social media essentially! I have the same knowledge base whether I comment here or on Facebook!

Thank you It was taken when I worked for VolkerRail who had the contract to maintain the railway at Scunthorpe Steelworks. This particular day was the funeral of one of the Senior Foreman, Charlie. I didn't know him - though with the way all the lads talked about him (they were not only very fond of him but held him in very high regard) I felt like I did - so I didn't go. That day we had a skeleton staff of four. The other three, who had known him for many years, attended the service only and we finished very early that day too. So while the service took place I was left to my own devices with a foreman's phone in case of incident. I took a number of photos that morning - the tamper in question has since been repainted from grantRail to VolkerRail colours and now carries the name 'Charlie'.

Do tampers count for this thread? VolkerRail Plasser Beaver Tamper 51001 at Scunthorpe Steelworks by JamesWells, on Flickr

Quite a few people did exactly the same mod with the original Class 37/4 when it came out - little bits with that helped disguise its shortcomings!

It seems to be a rolling programme of reintroduction on the north bank - the diversions via Selby making it easier I guess. Sounds like I'll have to be on my toes at Gilberdyke tomorrow!

Could it be route knowledge issues - our instructions warn us that some through services (those which were diverted via Selby during the blockade) may continue for a while.