Froxfield2012

I don't know whether this will be of interest! Over some years (although not recently) I have posted photos on this forum drawn from my father's collection, which have generally been well received. The photographs have also been hosted on my Smugmug website. Recent price increases by Smugmug and the fact that charges are in US dollars mean that I no longer wish to continue paying for the site! I have therefore moved the whole collection over to a free Flickr account I have had for some years. I am, of course, aware that Flickr is owned by Smugmug and that the free site may not last forever. But for the time being, if people are interested the new url is: http://flickr.com/photos/froxfield2012 Richard

Only just got the notification Stephen. The layout was indeed 4' x 2'.

Since my daughter worked in a paid role for the NT I have been surprised that they can get anyone to work for them, paid or volunteer. Lousy people management and slave labour conditions and pay: at least at that particular venue, which should remain unnamed! Every year I keep meaning to cancel my membership!! Maybe this year I will and put the money to something more worthwhile like TR, FR or W&L!!!

The cost of a family day out have certainly risen: rarely change from £100, I suspect, and maybe more. I wonder how many of the photographers lining the trackside (especially at Galas and special appearances) make a financial contribution by riding the trains or purchasing food, goods etc? I am sure many do. I always try to make that effort but do those of us who go to watch trains always do so and how much difference would it make to revenue. Most of the great railway photographers of the 50s and 60s rarely rode a train?! At least as a paying customer?

This is just a casual observation and may be very wide of the mark, but I have felt for some time that there were too many heritage railways for long term survival. Standard gauge lines require enormous amounts of time invested to maintain infrastructure: never mind rolling stock! This May I made a visit to the narrow gauge lines in North and mid-Wales and was mightily impressed by what I found, decades after my last visits to those lines. Talyllyn, Vale of Rheidol, Ffestiniog, Welsh Highland: all were in pristine condition. No tatty run down BR Mk1 coaches there!!! I am convinced it is partly due to the scale of things and of course the originals were designed for minimal costs: imagine the size of facility required to replicate the scope of Boston Lodge in standard gauge. Then they sit in a major tourist area, with glorious scenery: no tatty inner-cityscapes. As a member of the TRPS I will confess my favouritism(!), but another factor is I think the major (and I think successful effort) to engage junior supporters in active work. I note the regular videos coming out of Porthmadog, which also highlight the efforts of their younger crew. Another major threat must be the kind of internecine strife seen at some of heritage railways over the years?!?

Update. Now I see it. The straight across bit is not down the length of the tender which is where I thought Tony Wright was pointing, bu cross the rear of the tender top!!!

The video has a lot of talk about FS tender in 1963 being cut down so that th model is inaccurate. Personally, I am not sure what Tony Wright was trying to describe. But here is a shot from 20 August 1963 showing the tender. What am I missing?

Just as an aside, I have a 1951 photograph of (possibly) 6101 at Reading with G W R on the side and no number visible up front: the number plate clips have been fitted to the smokebox door but no plat as yet.

Many of the plans in the books originated, I think as "Plan of the Month". The November 65 article makes reference to PDH's Craig and Mertonford, having a picture of the PDH version of a Ffestiniog 0-4-0 at the top. `the project is seen as something to pass the winter months indoors! Specific reference is mead to extending past the goods shed over the fireplace to another alcove as the layout would no doubt entrance the domestic authorities!!!!!!!!

Wonders never cease! I found a very similar `railway of the Month in the November 1965 Railway Modeller. With some trepidation I attach it here. Mods, please remove if it offends. Winter Layout002.pdf

I think I recall this plan in Railway Modeller back in the 60s. I believe in an issue featuring Eggerbahn (anyone remember them?). For some years I thought about having a go and carried the issue around for a while.I will try to have a look for it!

Wish I could get there! As a youngster, I went with the Reading Society of Model (& Experimental!) Engineers to the original incarnation as Greywood Central. I keep meaning to visit Great Cockcrow. Best wishes to all of those involved and I hope the weather holds!

Certainly, it was always acknowledged to be much more challenging to photograph trains travelling north, given that it would almost always involve shooting "against the light": particularly in winter months when the sun is low in the sky. This is not to deny that dramatic effects can be produced with skill and luck.

In principle, I would like an electric car but I can't see how it would be practical just now. We live in the country and, to be frank, our electricity supply is already fairly unreliable: let's say a power outage of some sort every month or two. Even though most cuts are for only ten minutes or so, I don't have confidence that the system could handle everyone trying to charge their cars. My current car does up to 500 miles or more on a full tank. Long journeys are a breeze! Re-fuelling takes a few minutes when necessary. How long does it take to charge an electric car? I keep cars for a long time: the current one is 10 reg and I have no need to change it yet! The most environmentally damaging thing I could do is likely to change my car for a new one, given how much energy is consumed in car manufacture? Then, practically every battery powered device (eg laptop computer) I have ever owned has been junked eventually because re-chargeable batteries don't last! And it seems to me that electric cars have still a long way to go to get beyond first generation problems. I am hoping that just maybe things will look different when I finally have to change my car. That's assuming I am still capable of driving!

Sorry not to have been of more help. As you will have seen, my only photo is of a BR single coach train at Lambourn! My reference to linking was just that I couldn't actually put a direct link to that older thread into my own email. So not something for you to worry about. Having looked on the Google at the one dedicated website and the clips from the Charles D'Arvelle book, I can see how you might struggle to identify rolling stock. But I am unable to help. Sorry. I hope others will happen by this thread who can be of more assistance.