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Although they're not a regular site on the line, Northern do strengthen some Sunday services on the Tyne Valley Line. The preferred combination is 142+142 but a 142 with a 156 does occasionally turn up. 142/156 Hexham 11/2017. I also remember Pacer/Sprinter combinations were a regular sight on the Settle-Carlisle Line during the mid 1990s. Photos from 1996...

A few more from 1999. 66067 Tees Yard. 09/99 66083 Hexham. 11/99 66033 Haltwhistle. 11/99 66040 Riding Mill 11/99 66002 Tyne Yard 12/99

Hello Martyn I've been watching your excellent work on Crinan for some time but this is the first time I've commented...to say how superb the new backscene looks. You've succeeded really well in the difficult transition from 3D layout to 2D backscene. Keep up the good work... Regards Alan

Hi Andy Thanks for posting the video. I've got a friend who's interested in the Jinty and was wondering what it would sound like. We were watching a small 0 gauge diesel layout at a show a couple of weeks ago, and we both agreed that with 0 gauge you can't do without sound. Cheers Alan

A selection from around Tyne Yard taken June-September 1999. 66001 passing the site of Ouston Jct.

Business as usual today in the North East 66427 with 305 passing through Hexham this morning.

A selection from the WCML in 1995. 86244 nr Hardendale 86214 nr Shap Village 86226 Greenholme 87012 Greenholme 87019 Scout Green 90126 Scout Green

Hi Peter Sorry about the confusion... definitely not a lot of options when it comes to the 0 gauge track plan, while the n gauge layout continues to be a work in progress-and still without a name... dare I promise the start of a new thread next week ?? We were at the Newcastle Model Railway Show at the weekend and ended up spending much of the time talking to the owner of a small 0 gauge layout called East Dock. It's a small mpd running an 08, 31, 37s and a 40 based in the north east c1979-80. It was a very enjoyable and informative talk about fitting sound to 0 gauge diesels, installing and using DCC, and various weathering techniques for larger locos. We agreed that with 0 gauge, sound is a must, so it looks like any future 0 gauge layout just got a lot more expensive.. Cheers Alan

Thanks Peter.. though I should probably get a thread for the new n gauge layout started first The 0 gauge layout can only be a fan of 3 sidings with one kick back-similar to your plan. The fiddle yard will have to be a traverser which I've never built before. so I'll be interested to see your work. The VAA looks good, hopefully I'll be able to afford one at some point -also wish I'd bought 2-3 of those 16t minerals when they were available. Alan

Hi Peter I couldn't resist the 08. At £165 I thought it would be my one chance to own a 0 gauge loco and I picked up the brake at the same time s ordering some other stuff from Slaters. At some time in the next 2-3 years I'll probably build a small layout. Thinking about a small run down Scottish goods yard c1979-80 - three sidings and a short headshunt. For now I've still got plenty of work to do on the new n gauge layout. Unfortunately I'm far from happy with how it's progressed... too many U turns, changes of plan or being in too much of a hurry to get the work done. The latest has been a change of location from the Calder Valley to the area around Fife in Scotland! ....then there are some excellent diesel layouts on RMweb which could so easily tempt me back 00. Following Holmes Road so I'll quickly catch up with any future posts while, for now, continuing to enjoy the excellent photos and videos of Llanbourne. Regards Alan

Hi Peter Will be interested to see how Holmes Road develops. I've (so far) got the Dapol 08, a standard 20t Brake and, in my head, a track plan similar to Holmes Road, although no plans to run anything bigger than a 25 or 26. Good luck with the new layout. I'll be following and looking for inspiration. Cheers Alan

Hello James Hadn't seen Geenwood until today. Very impressed with your work. You've created a very realistic layout, with some excellent scenic work, in what is a fairly small space for 00. Also good to see you'll be running blue diesels It's seeing layouts like this tempt me to start dabbling in 00 again. Now following progress on Greenwood. Regards Alan

Snow ploughs in summer.. 20043 Doncaster, July 1985.

Hi Jeff... Still following your progress with KL2. More great photos, especially the sixth one showing the trains crossing. The view over the gate and across the field down to the track is pure S+C. Regards Alan

37602 nicely weathered after a couple of weeks on RHTT duty... bringing back memories of the original departmental livery c1991. Running two hours late through Hexham yesterday, 22/10, with 609.

68005 paired with 88001 at Hexham with the return Hartlepool-Sellafield flasks - 17th October.

A poor quality shot on a dull wet and windy afternoon. Hexham again - 37602 with 37609 on Friday 13th October.

Hexham yesterday - 9th October. 66430 with 434.

The sea is polyfilla with the bow waves topped off with cotton wool. It's painted with artists acrylics and the fine texturing is done with artists paste and gloss gel. Don't know if you've seen this book - although the kits featured are 1/700, it's packed with modelling techniques and detailed photos for warship modellers.

Away from railway modelling most of my time is spent building warships in 1/350, 1/600 and 1/700 scale, mostly Royal Navy subjects, This is the latest project built over 5 weeks during June and July.

Thanks Peter.. I didn't realise the ZHVs weren't re-painted. I've got about 15 n gauge MCOs and can't make up my mind whether to sell them or transfer them to the engineers dept. No problem if they were around into the early 90s but don't think I'll cut holes in the sides. The brake gear would be inaccurate but not a big problem in n gauge. Cheers Alan

Hi Peter Another "Like" from me for the latest photos ..especially the 40 on the MCV/ZCVs. I know many of these wagons, and converted MSVs, were later painted into Dutch livery, but do you have any idea how long they lasted in departmental use? I remember seeing a rake of them behind a 56 sometime around 1990 and the noise from the unfitted wagons rattling along behind the loco was incredible. Alan

Thanks Peter...sorry for the late reply. Been on holiday for a week. I'm looking for locos which kept the early livery well into 1992 so 37032 will do nicely. Cheers Alan

Hi Peter More excellent photos... Interesting to hear that 37032 was one of the last to keep the red stripe. Currently I'm looking for examples of 37s and 47s which were the last to loose the early railfreight livery. Cheers Alan

Two recent photos at Hexham working Mountsorrel-Carstairs. 68006 4th April 2017 68027 3rd May 2017