DavidBird

Now that had me confused for a minute, until I noticed the date, 2013. Prior to that, the loop (with the 170) was the Down Goods Loop. Since then, the re-laying of Trent Jn to ease the crossings between the Erewash Valley, Sheet Stores and Main lines and the transfer of control from Trent PSB to Derby, the line has become the Down Slow. The signal seen to the right of the 170 was (before resignalling) slightly unusual in that it was a 2A R/G signal in a 4A Y/G/Y/R area. Now it is, I presume, a 4A 2-lens LED signal. Looks like Trentlock to me, with the hill in the background, Ratcliffe power station off to the right. You can even see the trail of steam from the cooling towers...

I came across this linked from FB... Not railways but simply amazing... http://www.viralnova.com/takes-pictures-of-model-town/

Re-sizing the picture from 4:3 to 16:9 for widescreen would explain the "broad gauge". If I'd watched it on ITV3-HD, it would still be standard gauge ... Another Columbo today, "Identity Crisis" (with Leslie Nielsen & Patrick McGoohan, Season 5 episode 3 from November 1975) features a scene at Travel Town Museum, Griffith Park, LA with Columbo and the Director of the CIA on the footplate of (I think) Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #664. Seemed to be no fittings on the backhead at all.

Just caught a re-run of Columbo. It was a bonus to get a "new" one, well new for us... It was "Any Old Port In A Storm" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbo_%28season_3%29 (Season 3, Episode 2) from 1973. Donald Pleasence is a vinyard owner who kills his half-brother when he reveals he's about to sell the land to a large company only interested in cheap, mass produced wine, rather than the high quality wine that he produces. I'll not reveal how he catches him, but in one scene Columbo leaves the winery and walks along outside. In the background is a line in the ground which I thought looked like a rail. As the camera pans out it is indeed a railway track, and as Coumbo turns round to ask his "just one more thing" it is seen to be a curving rail track leaving the yard. It may have been just the camera angle but it seemed to be broad gauge. Anyone know anything more about this? Columbo (looking at his notebook) - "My handwriting is so bad sometimes I think I should've been a doctor."

At Trent (not to be confused with Trent Jn) there are Up & Down loops on the Nottingham lines, so a shunt would make sense there, but at Trent Jn or SS Jn there are no loops. After I'd posted the question it occurred that it might be as simple as just waiting for another train to pass before continuing. I've just had a look at the Mandatory WTT for 74/75. The 1C20 0855 Derby to St Pancras is shown as Long Eaton 09 06, SS Jn 09/07, and 1M13 0830 Sheffield to St Pancras, Toton Centre 09/14, Trent 09/20, Trent Jn 09/211/2

I have the WTTs for summer 74 and summer 75, unfortunately not for winter 74/75, which would cover the period of the picture. In the 74 timetable the southbound 6E49 (there is also a northbound 6E49) is shown as 6E49 07 50 Empties Kingsbury to Purfleet D1150 - Class 45 locomotives TThSO AIR COY Kingsbury 07 50 Tamworth HL 07/59 Wichnor Jn 08/09 Leicester Jn 08/25 Stenson Jn 08/42 Sheet Stores Jn 09*03 Sheet Stores Jn 09*09 Trent Jn 09*14 Trent Jn 09*26 Loughborough 09/40 Syston North Jn 09/55 Leicester North 10L00 Leicester North 10L05 Wigston North Jn 10/15 Market Harboro' 10/32 Little Bowden Jn 10X34 Desboro' North 10*42 Desboro' North 11*02 Glendon North Jn 11X10 SL Glendon South Jn 11/12 Kettering 11/17 Finedon Road 11L28 Finedon Road 12X08 GL (SO times are few minutes earlier from here) Wellingboro' Station 12/11 Irchester South 12/19 Sharnbrook 12/28 Bedford North 12/37 Kempston Road Jn 12/40 Leagrave 13/12 Luton South 13/16 Harpenden 13/22 St. Albans 13/32 Elstree 13/43 Hendon 13/49 Cricklewood Jn 13L56 Cricklewood Jn 14L28 Finchley Road 14/33 Carlton Road Jn 14/36 Gospel Oak 14*39 Gospel Oak 14*41 Junction Road Jn 14/45 Upper Holloway 14/46 The summer 75 WTT has virtually the same times, I presume winter 74/75 would be the same. Hope that helps. (Edit: Not sure why the code is in colour!) But it leads me to a question. My interest is in the area around Nottingham. I have the signalling diagram for Trent PSB, and so am familiar with the layout around Trent. Just what were the "shunt for following train to pass" movements at SS Jn and Trent Jn?

Any chance we can have an approximate date on these picture please Peter?

My Derby memory is of an 08 hauling line of elderly wagons north past the station, with the brakes dragging on one of the wagons. After it had trundled past, smoke started rising from a sleeper. Eventually somebody came and peered at it, did nothing and went away again. After a bit the smoke thinned and stopped.

Thanks Rob, I never knew the link between Netherfield & Trent Lane was kept past the diversion of the Grantham line into the Midland Station. On the 1976 OS map I mentioned above, it shows a short length of siding towards Racecourse stn, I assumed this was a headshunt to retain access to the Down Sidings GF, as shown on the Trent signalling plan.

The current northern limit seems to be a few yards north of the Fifty Steps footbridge. Now I can't find a link, but I've seen somewhere that Clifton Road bridge across the line at Ruddington has been strengthened and rebuilt (unlike Ruddington Lane in Wilford, which was demolished and replaced by an embankment) The spans were formerly double track on each side of the island platform, but have been rebuilt with a single-track width span on each side. But here http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/DMS/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=tRlxAAjNfJM8mXbibqYlb%2BMtvcWE54ZdyC5GStCYnMFQAJ%2B7AC1lvw%3D%3D&rUzwRPf%2BZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3D%3D=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2FLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3D%3D&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3D%3D=hFflUdN3100%3D&kCx1AnS9%2FpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3D%3D=hFflUdN3100%3D&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2BAJvYtyA%3D%3D=ctNJFf55vVA%3D&FgPlIEJYlotS%2BYGoBi5olA%3D%3D=NHdURQburHA%3D&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3D&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3D&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3D and http://www.nottinghampost.com/Bid-turn-railway-land-cycle-path/story-20326635-detail/story.html seems to say that recently (December 2013) the land was being sold to EMRT (new name for GCR(N) Ltd), but a cycle-track and footpath may upset things. But all is definitely not lost for a linkup with a new tram stop near to Clifton Blvd. Could tram planning not have made a space for a stop to be incorporated in the future? At least, with it being a tram, not heavy rail, adding a stop in the future should not be too much of a problem. Edit: Here's the google maps aerial view of the agricultural section of the line north from Ruddington. Obvious from the air if not from the ground!

I've asked a question on this photo here http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/show.htm?serial=35&img=G-241-09, but its worth asking here, I'm not sure if many are looking at the older photos on the RCTS Mystery site. Victoria Station was closed Sept '67, but my copy of the signalling diagram for Trent PSB (1969) as here shows a double line continuing to Trent Lane. As double freight lines were relaid in the east side of Victoria Station during demolition (lasted until May 68), and the signalling diagram would be produced well before implementation in Sept 69, can anybody confirm if it was intended to retain this double line all the way from Colwick through Victoria? Why was the plan abandoned (and the Vic Centre foundations extended all the way across the Vic Stn site)?

Recently posted (6th Jan) on the RCTS website for comments, more very sad photos of the demolition of Victoria Station. http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/mysteryphotos/

"Undecipherable/Unsure of meaning"! Shame on you BR60..., "I Want To Break Free", classic track by "the greatest live rock & roll band ever" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4420308.stm) Also [pride-mode] sung by my son, aged 14, in his school performance of "We Will Rock You" [/pride-mode]

Reminds me of this one... The barman says "I'm sorry, we don't serve neutrinos!" ... ... ... A neutrino walks into a bar in Italy. Just don't ask me to explain it, it turned out to be a loose connection after all!

Or buy Trainz from here http://www.simulatorcentral.com/index.php/trainz/all-trainz/trainz-simulator-55.html for AU$19.95 (about £13), then download the route "GCR Version 2" by pflindley for free!

Save away Phil. If you're interested to see how he's done any particular location, just ask and I'll post a screenshot. I'm not sure how he does it, but when I build (and I don't get anywhere as good as he does) I concentrate on getting the trackplan and signalling as accurate as I can and trying to get just a feel for the scenery. It is done on a library system, the route "layout" contains only the data for positions of tracks and objects, these are actually seperate files on the computer. Hence a row of terrace houses, for example, can be made up from repetitions of just one or two models, or a MGR train can be made of a Class 47 and 42 instances of a single HAA wagon. A route builder can either go for maximum accuracy, which will probably mean making the buildings as well, which is very time consuming, or go for an impression using buildings already made by others. The "Trainz Community" makes most of the objects available for free and there's probably something pretty close out there already. I have used station buldings from the Settle & Carlisle pack for representing Beeston & Attenborough, not accurate but good enough for the Midland Railway feel.

Yes, "Virtual" means computer simulation. It's the only way to get a decent length into a model without the limitations of "OO"... What I meant to add is that, although my interest is the ex-Midland lines in the 70s/80s, another user of Trainz has already done a version of the GC from Annesley to Ashby Magna. Here's a few screenshots. Ruddington Weekday Cross & Middle Hill Weekday Cross Nottingham Victoria north end Bagthorpe Jcts & Arnold Road Bulwell Common Bulwell Viaduct & Dye Works Hucknall Central GC viaduct across MR & GN at Linby I must point out this is not my work, although I will be incorporating this into my version of the ex-Midland routes.

Lots of useful info out there folks! I'm building a "virtual" model of the area, see here. http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?460-Nottinghamshire-UK. A few more useful links on there, especially the Picture the Past site from Nottinghamshire archives http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/. A search for "Bulwell" and "Viaduct" brings up pictures of both the construction in 1897 and demolition in 1981 of the viaduct... I'm concentrating on the 1970s era ex-MR routes, after the GC was closed, but while most of the trackbed and civil engineering was still intact. I've just this past week started buliding the route from Radford to Hucknall, with the Bulwell viaduct as I remember it, the GC cutting through Hucknall still unfilled (a friend of my mother's lives backing onto the route, I remember the cutting, although not the tracks...)

Glad to meet you on Sun, Gary. How's Inverary? If you're coming up to the end of the line, give me a phone (PM sent!) David

No, that was Chilwell... Growing up in Chilwell in the 70s and early 80s, with Mrs Thatcher's "Roads For Prosperity" and The Serpell Report, the railways seemed to have no future. Never in my wildest dreams (OK, maybe in some of them!) did it seem possible for any sort of rennaisance. But now, there is to be a light rail line across the bottom of my road, and a brand new High Speed Line just a few miles away.

As we all know, Joanne thought up the Harry potter stories while stuck on a train from Manchester to London. On the "The JK Rowling Story" there is an external shot of a VT Pendolino, then it cuts to the interior, where she is being served by a BR-uniformed "trolley dolly"...

The barman says "I'm sorry, we don't serve neutrinos!" ... ... ... A neutrino walks into a bar in Italy.

My son felt it here, but I didn't as I was fast asleep... I prefer this link to the BGS

When I first came here in 87, the really interesting feature was that Mallaig had a through train to London! It was never advertised as such though. At that time the Ft Wm - Mallaig service was nearly seperate from the Glasgow - Ft Wm service. The midday Ft Wm - Mallaig used the stock of the early morning QS - Ft Wm train which included the day coach from the sleeper. This was a Mk2d and Mk2As. On arrival back in Ft Wm late afternoon, the stock continued through to QS (the only Mallaig-QS through train, in either direction), with addition of Mk3 sleepers, and on arrival at QS the Mk3s and Mk2d continued to Euston (via Stirling!). Hence a through Mallaig - Euston train! (Edit) Can't find a pic online, but there's a few of nice photos in "The West Highland Mallaig Extention in BR days" by Tom Noble (Pub. OPC). They clearly show a air-con Mk2 with 2 Mk1s (not Mk2As as I said earlier!) with the Mk2 at the Mallaig end of the train. And, of course, don't forget the mixed trains (Mk1s or Mk2s and OTA tanks) that continued to run right up to the end of loco-hauled passenger trains...

That's just the view from my living room window :D (Apart from the LL tractors - will Black 5s and K4s make up for it?)