rowanj

I do use the BR Database, Brian, which, at least for the LNER, seems to be lifted from the Yeadon series. I have the loco roster from 1953-55 for the A1 and A2's from a Peter Coster Volume, whch covers, among others, 50A, 52A and B, and 64B. I wish I had a more comprehensive series for thes sheds, but , if they exist, I cant find them. Quite a few changes seem to have happened to rostered services in later years. For instance, Heaton had the Up and Down Queen of Scors in 1955, as an A1 set, while in later years Neville Hill took it from Leeds to Newcastle (and vice versa), with Haymarket having the trains North of Newcastle. In both cases, A3's were the usual motive power. I'll post the info in due course All the best

A couple of locos we saw on a very regular basis pass Little Benton South. The Rails/Bachmann ES1 is taking a Brake Van to Benton Station, where there was a small Goods yard. The van was bought second-hand at Grosmont Shed on the NYMR for a very reasonable price, and I always try to get something on my annual visit. 60002 was a local A4 which was a common sight, Wierdly, during the day at Newcastle, it was more often A4's from 34A or 64B on trains than those from Gateshead. I understand that A1's were commonly used on Gateshead's A4 diagrams. 60001 was almost the last A4 I saw, along with 60016. I wish I could track down Gateshead and Heaton's loco usage/allocation for 1958/9 or so, to see what classes should have been used on what turns. 60002 is just a renamed Hornby. It was the last A4 I saw in BR service, racing North through Chathill in, I think, April 1964. Here it has the LMS rake I'll be working on in the New Year. I'm currently searching for underframe drawings to upgrade the re-sided ex-Airfix stock. And does anyone know what the Leicester-Craigendoran train had in the way of catering? Best wishes for Christmas and 2023. John

i suppose for boring reasons such as a need to sell to meet economic needs, to downsize a layout because of a house change or deteriorating health, to sell on surplus stock, to replace an older model with a more current or better one, to take out insurance on a collection, or to manage the disposal of one's estate. I'm sure there are other reasons why people sell their stock. When I decided to concentrate on the NER in BR days, several ex-SR, GWR and LMR were sold on as "inappropriate". But if you are never going to be in this position, and never sell any of your stock, the discussion is academic.

Possibly, though we didn't book it on that basis, and I have no memory of a load of rugby fans on the trains ( and, with my subsequent history of travelling with them, I would have..). A trip from Newcastle for a Sat test at Twickenham would more likely have been an out and back on the day.

If you want to retain the value of a new Rtr model, and particularly a limited edition, then don't alter it ,and keep the box. You won't have to look very far to see that even factory weathered locos usually go for less secondhand than do pristine ones. I alter or weather or rename/renumber because that is what attracts me to the hobby, in the knowledge that I'm reducing the value of the loco. At my age, and thinking of future disposal by kids with no interest in the hobby, if a locos' number fits my layout, I leave it well alone. The odd ex works amongst the grime is worth it in my world.

.Through detective work, we narrowed the trip to the weekend beginning 31/1/75. The hotel was being used by the French RU team, who played England at Twickenham on 01/02. To my shame, that was a period of low interest in the real railway, though I had begun some basic loco building, in the shape of BEC J11 and J17 kits on the ubiquitous Triang chassis. I recall the tickets for my wife and the couple who went with us were bought through the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, rather than at a BR station. I believe we left Newcastle late evening Friday, and got to Finsbury Park around breakfast time. As far as I recall, the route was the normal one via Durham, other than the terminal station. We already knew the return was from Liverpool Street, the only time I have ever used the station. My wife and I still remember crossing the flooded Fens, which looked spectacular, if spooky, in the Winter moonlight, like something out of D L Sayers Three Tailors.

I thought those services ran at the weekend, Gilbert, during the summer months. I also thought the Marylebone service went to Edinburgh, though I'm far from an expert. Seeing a twice- weekly service over a 6 month period in Winter, originating at Perth, was a bit of a surprise. I actually went on a similar service from Newcastle over a weekend in 1974 or perhaps 75. The Down train went Newcastle to Finsbury Park on Friday, returning Sunday from Liverpool Street, via Cambridge. I don;t recall where we then joined the ECML. I see there is a book on the Anglo-Scottish Starlights, which might tempt me. John

Thanks, Andy, I look forward to seeing your photos. A couple of the turns on the WTT are really odd. For ezample , what was the Tu and Thu only Perth-Marylebone? I assume it went down the GC after leaving the ECML at York? 60027Merlin may know- he visits occasionally. With luck, I;ll be building a D49 hunt from PDK in the New Year. Though not regular visitors to Tyneside in BR days, they did visit, so the kit gives me the chance to fill a small gap in the roster, and a chance to get back into loco building. An LRM J21 will also be in the pile, Santa willing.

Dec 2022 edition of Steam World has what, for me, is the first of an interesting articles on trainspotting more or less where Little Benton is located. It contains a reproduction of the WTT of major services which passed and were scheduled to stop at Newcastle - so , for example, The Elizabethan does not appear. I am reproducing it here, as I assume , given it is taken from the WTT, that there is no serious copyright infringement. If so, I'll delete the post, A couple of things were new to me, Firstly, the number of trains which ran late evening/early morning, and how much fun could be had replicating them. Secondly, the number showing York as the destination. I thought there were more Edinburgh- Newcastle services, with onlythe odd one going further South. Finally , there were a surprising number of meat and fish trains, The WTT is Winter 1959/60. so suits my purposes admirably.

A bit more accurate loco on the 24.5T minerals is this NuCast J27, Really anything like is on the Down line should be empties, but I have to use what I have, I "need" a few J27's to represent Little Benton, so splashed out on a couple of Oxford Rail models to supplement my pair of Dave Alexander kits. I'm happy with the NuCast one here, for all its' faults, representing as it does the "odd" North Blyth loco which retained the longer smokebox and wrap round boiler handrails after it lost its'superheater. The LMS rake is evidently an extra, put together with whatever Craigentinny had lying around, The buffet is being used to get it back to Heaton, but should give the passengers an unexpectedly decent breakfast. The coach was "in works" to get an errant coupling fitted, It is a re-sided Hornby on MJT bogies and underframe detail. i should really provide an LMS buffet for my Craigendoran- Leicester service. Is there a "typical" example? Loco is the Hornby A2/3 re-named to Watling Street, a Heaton loco we seemed to see all the time, I dirtied it inyo work-stained condition - Heaton's locos were usually not too bad- and I think this has been helped by the dullness of the original Hornby green.

My daughter, God bless her cotton socks, bought me this Hornby J94 as a birthday gift, She knows nothing about railways, so any stuff she sees which takes her fancy is usually gaudy, and she gives me a hard stare when I show her it painted in grey or bauxite, or whatever. This one had been painted red, and I'd intended to just spray it black as a BR loco. On testing, I found it was hard-wired to DCC, and though it ran , it did so in "reverse". So I stripped out the decoder, and wired in conventionally for DC. The motor had been in and out several times, so I had a bit of a job to get it to mesh, as the plastic threads for the pair of plastic lugs which keep the motor in place were stripped. Anyway, it works now, or at least "for now". I then found a photo of a Bagnall variety in maroon which went from BSC Frodingham to NCB Ashington in the '60's (1964, I think), where it kept its maroon lined livery. So, using Modelmaster yellow lining and Railtec NCB decals, the loco is now scruffy NCB No 52, All I've done to the body is remove handrails from the tank as well as the centre pair of steps from the chassis, and the coal hopper at the rear. Unprototypically. as the NCB had no running powers, the loco takes the 24.5T wagons back to Burradon.

I suppose Heljan/Locomotion/Rails have done their sums, but the ES1 will not sell many models if the only ones who buy it are those who can use it in a prototypical location. Even around Newcastle, it was on a very limited route, I just about get away with using theECML to get it from Heaton to South Gosforth, but even then, I suspect it more usually went via Manors North using the Nort Tyneside commuter loop. But it's a lovely model, so I suppose sales will go to collectors, and those who are less bothered about running trains of different eras and Regions together, and there are lots of those folk. Personally, I;m thrilled that manufacturers are willing to put out these locos.

No, Brian- birthday arrived late. The model is a nice runner, straight out the box. There is a bit of moaning on the Heljan thread about the price, and some queries about the livery, and some query about why such a small prototype which operated in a very limited geographical area was produced - just the usual stuff, really. There is a missing part on the roof which is very visible in photos - something to do with the switch between the overhead and 3rd rail current collection. Heljan havent made a lot of changes to show how the prototype was modified throughout its' life. I'll have a better look at how this can be reproduced without damaging the model, but otherwise I'm a happy bunny.

To be honest, I can;t remember if this V2 is a Trice or King product- they were both excellent. I stopped "serious" trainspotting in 1964, and on one of my last visits to Little Benton, saw a V2 running light towards Newcastle, This was pretty rare by then, though there was still plenty coal traffic with J27 and Q6's, along with K1 and Ivatt 4MT's. However the diesels had more or less taken over, with Deltics on the front-line services, Class 40's on the heavier freights and semi fast passengers,and 24's on more local stuff. So this photo of the V2 is from my memory bank. I went spotting at Newcastle and beyond from Wallsend Staion, and very occasionally Carrville using the ex-LNER North Tyneside EMU's. Passing Heaton, we almost always saw one of the pair of electric locos built to shunt the Quayside Branch, Though nominally shedded at South Gosforth with the EMU stock, I think they were more often than not kept overnight at Heaton. This time, the spotters see 26500 heading to South Gosforth, probably for maintenance, The loco is the Heljan/Rails model, just released and only received today, It is a superb little model. A bit of an indulgance, but a lovely reminder of days almost 60 years ago.

I have 4 V2's to call upon, One was cobbled together using a combination of Triang A3 boiler, Hornby A4 cab and Bachmann footplate. The remainder are 2 from Mike Trice and one from Graeme King, all 3D prints or resin mouldings and all 3 capture the shape really well. All 4 run on original Bachmann chassis, so far without too many problems- no split axles etc so far. This is the Graeme King version which has a regular turn on the fish empties. It was one of the last to get a General and a mixed-trafiic livery, and today, for a change, has a stopper from York to Berwick. This was an occasional service, and I was surprised to see, on a visit to York in October, that there was still a Down train which terminated at the Border rather than pushing on to Edinburgh. The leading coach is a SO, Comet sides on Hornby donor with MJT bogies.

I have used Scalelink wheels, and find them satisfactory as long as you check the tyre is fitted properly... they can be a bit off, and it sounds as though this is what happened here. I add a touch of superglue to any I needed to tweak, and always check the back to back. I've never had success with their adapter to convert them from their normal insulated state..I don't know why..so fit pickups on both sides. As has been said, like all plastic wheels they don't like soldering irons on the crankpins, but I normally get away with using standard Romfords. This is another manufacturer trying to retire, so how long his stuff will be available is problematic. His bogie and tender wheels are also very good, but, like the drivers, are generic rather than loco specific.

Trigo was a regular at Newcastle, as Neville Hill had the cross country stuff from Leeds to the North East and beyond. It was often on the North Briton and Q of Scots services as far as Central, as well as the Liverpool to Newcastle stuff. Great photo

Some time ago. I bought this Falcon Brass N15 kit when Tony was disposing of some of the estate of a deceased modeller. It doesn;t really fit my location, but I'd heard the kits could be a challenge and the CRUK cause is a really good one, so thought I'd have a bit of fun and give it a go,I've been taking a few photos of "visiting locos" for my own thread, and given the provenance, thought I'd share one here. The kit was tricky- I remember real issues with the chassis, and I needed to add a fair bit of extra detail to that in the kit. 60027Merlin was particularly helpful about cab detail, It was certainly a kit where building the basic chass, including the trailing truck at the same time as the main superstructure to check clearances, avoid binding and ensure the chosen motor/gearbox combination fits. i was quite pleased how it turned out, though I need to sort out that dodgy boiler ban line.

Just to complete my improbable set of visitors from Alba, here are the last pair. The J38 actually was a visitor from St Margaret's, and was caught on film in 1965. The photographer thought it was a withdrawn J39 on its' way to scrap (the whole class was withdrawn by then), but it turned out to be this rare beast. The loco is an ex-GBL J39, cut down tender to represent the 3500 GS, and Hornby chassis, so nothing very elaborate. I doubt a N15 ever got very far South after the last few left Tweedmouth and Carlisle Canal. The Falcon Brass kit was a bit of an extravegance, as it doesnt fit the layout. It turned up on Tony Wright's thread when he was selling the estate of a deceased modeller, with most of the cash going to CRUK. It was and is a great cause, and I'd heard the kits were a challenge, so I tried to rise to it. It actually wasnt too bad. I remember getting some great pictures from 60027Merlin to help adding extra detail, especially to the cab interior,

At around the same time as I was cutting and shutting the K4, I was doing the same to this K1/1. I can't recall the details, though I seem to remember Graeme King was the inspiration. Building up the cab was the main job. 61997 is taking a special from Glasgow University Locomotive Club back home, after a night on Newcastle's Bigg Market. presumably the buffet is only serving black coffee and soft drinks. I may be doing them a disservice, remembering my own student days.

A bit of old-fashioned cutting and shutting. The 104 is converted from the Hornby 110, following advice from the master of the art, Clive Mortimore, The 104's in the NE were 4-car units, with the motor in a trailer 2nd. In an ideal world, I'd fit a better CD motor, and I intend to replace the plastic wheels and horrid couplings on the unpowered carriages. One of these days, The train is a SO Newcastle- Alnwick. I don.t have a Scottish K2/2 to replicate Loch Laiden in a photo posted a few days ago. I keep thinking of building one from the LRM kit, and it might happen. In the meantime, a K4 has to do, and its' appearance would have we spotters squealing with delight. Lord of the Isles is a mix of GBL K3 , Replica B1, with the 3500 GS tender cut down from a GBL one with a dummy chassis under the frames. The chassis is a Dave Alexander one , with a bulked up Comet cylinder block. Dave was selling these etches for £1 each at a Show, and I bought 4, I still have one unused.

46474 was the first of the class to get to Heaton, and it stayed there a long time. I don;t recall seeing it, and am unsure what they used it for, though I do have a photo of it heading South on a freight near Little Benton. Here, it has been put into the sidings to allow a down Express to pass . It must be on one of the occasional Newbiggin or Blyth trains which went into Central rather than the more usual route via South Gosforth to Manors North. The stock is ex-Kirk, which I've been "improving" from how I originally built them "out of the packet". They have the typical mods of MJT aluminium roof and either Comet or MJT underframe parts. A couple have MJT bogies, with the rest running on Isinglass prints. I'm standardising on the latter, which are readily available, and are easy to fit. I use Hornby wheels, which are a tight fit, and I confess to having cracked a couple trying to fit the wheels into the top hat bearings. easily foxed with superglue. Non-vestibule coaches on the ECML North of Newcastle seem to have been rare birds, which is a pity as I have 3 short rakes. I'll think of an excuse ,,,,,,

65813 takes the 24.5T rake out of the sidings to Stella North Power Station. The rake is getting a run out to check the leading wagon, recently built from an old Parkside kit obtained cheaply on Ebay. It was sold without wheels, but I quite like the latest Hornby ones, and have a few in stock. My LMS rake only gets out occasionally, normally to reprsesent the Summer SO Leicester- Craigendoran. As usual, it has a Haymarket A3, in this case 60100 Spearmint, at the head. Does it stay on to Glasgow, or did the loco change at Waverley?

True, Gilbert, but just as, back in the day, I took real trips to the likes of York, Carlisle and Edinburgh, and spotted from trains to London and Manchester, I could now take virtual ones to the likes of P North, Little Bytham, and Longdrem, plus my own stuff at Little Benton. Just like the real thing....

We would have been well chuffed to see Curlew at Newcastle, certainly before it went to Doncaster in 1959, Can I use this photo in my ABC?