BR traction instructor

Glasgow central for west/central Scotland until barred due to derailments on tight crossovers. Aberdeen on the East coast occasionally with Freightliner workings, or cement from Oxwellmains…I have a picture on file of one passing Markinch with empty PCA/PCVs on such a turn…45003 in March 1980. 45012 approaching the Forth bridge from the north with empty MGR hoppers in the late 70s is another. LPG tanks from (Herbrandston) to Sighthill was another way of reaching Edinburgh for 45/46s. I have a B&W image of a 45 passing Stirling sbnd from Perth with parcels/newspaper vans on file too…I’ll have a shuftie. Found the pic…Photographer Les Riley, May 1975, 45104 on 5M20 Perth to Red Bank, Manchester. BeRTIe

Another vote here for getting the online/electronic version…makes sure that you don’t miss your fave publications issue by issue and doesn’t stop you picking up a hard copy when you see one. Pocketmags is my supplier of choice…very easy to use and you can flick between issues quickly. BeRTIe

We ain’t allowed pets in our new home and the planned rescue centres are for larger animals such as horses, so they’ll have to remain there. BeRTIe

Once we’ve moved to Cumbria, my girlfriend plans to volunteer with animal rescue centres to keep her contact with animals current…without the responsibilities & ties of having one at home. BeRTIe

London road models for etched 1800 gallon Webb & McConnell (long & short wheelbase) tender kits in 4mm…you’ll need to modify a McConnell kit to create the shorter 2 axle version. Creators of ‘Sheep Pasture’ model railway for scale drawings…PM or post your email address and I’ll give you the contact details. Gibson or Ultrascale for wheelsets but ISTR a compromise with one extra spoke on one of the styles. There were various mods to the originals so make sure you have a close up pic from each side in your desired era. Moderate to advanced modelling/soldering skills required to complete them. The picture shows the basic McConnell 3 axle tender…this kit needs modifying to the dimensions on the scale drawings to produce a C&HP water tender. 247 developments do the Webb pattern buffers. Wizard models for etched rivet strips. I ordered both long and short wheelbase McConnell tenders to compare with the dimensioned drawings/see which was most convincing. The profile of the 3 axle McConnell with centre axle removed can be seen on the laptop screen. BeRTIe

Every experienced modeller has various projects that are unlikely to ever see completion. Socialising with fellow modellers locally will allow arrangements/deals to be struck to rescue such models from never seeing the light of day again. Having a model railway approach i.e. choosing a simple prototype location, where you just watched the trains go by is the exact opposite of trying to cram every square inch of a baseboard with expensive items. Modelling a simple prototypical location will be a whole lot more realistic too. BeRTIe

Never enough fuss & attention! A few days ago he had somehow managed to wipe some of the unmentionable contents of his litter tray into one eye socket and it had set like cement. No amount of grooming would shift it. He patiently sat still whilst I removed it with a fingernail. When they first arrived we were both certain that Nala’s cute appeal would get her re-homed long before him but the opposite is true…Nala’s potential new owner has turned her down whilst Bruce’s, having heard all the entertaining tales about him, is desperate to get hold of him. BeRTIe

As a general guide Tom, it was rare for all manoeuvres to be possible at all locations. A local Method of Work that achieved the desired outcomes would be agreed amongst local ops staff. This might include authorising e.g. gravitational or fly shunting, planking or rope & capstan work…even horse power as necessary. There would normally be a limit on how many wagons could be moved in such ways at one time. Sectional Appendices include local instructions applicable to specific locations and when studied in conjunction with the period rule book, a good understanding can be gained. Some locations could only be worked in either the up or down direction but not both. Sometimes wagons could be left on the main line whilst a siding was shunted but the signalman would make it clear how long the traincrew could obstruct the line whilst serving such a location. Reading period accounts by rail staff is a good way of understanding how different railway companies approached similar issues. Local trip workings were often marshalled in such a way as to make the serving of specific locations possible. Traincrew (driver & guard) had route cards that indicated their proficiency/training to work individual locations…this helped the local Train crew supervisors to roster trained staff to work each location. A Great Northern society would doubtless have some relevant material. Here is an example of how Loads of Freight Trains instructions can influence local operations…dated 1957 but not quite your desired piece of railway. BeRTIe

In 1989 (I note your later time period) the newly introduced service ran as 6Z55 with a single Laira 37/5 hauling a mix of around 6 new, shiny Caledonian paper mill silver bullets and a few work stained Nacco examples (around 10 tanks in total in the consist)…these were at the back in a Summer 1989 Irvine - Burngullow working that I photographed nr Dumfries. A clean 37670 in Railfreight red diamond livery was the loco. BeRTIe

Noting the references to the Oban line above, the rockfall semaphores (Pass of Brander) along this line provided interesting semaphore signalling diversity. BeRTIe

Always easier with a picture…relating to the dignity with which the native Indians were portrayed at Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, mentioned in my earlier post. The street statues added great character too. BeRTIe

We had a Spring fortnight on Sanibel island (off Florida, Gulf of Mexico) 2012ish, it was around 85F all day every day and with very low humidity, perfect tee shirt & shorts weather. However, the locals said that even they leave in the Summer because of high temps/humidity and head for Alaska, amongst other cooler destinations. BeRTIe

As ever, the victors write the history and a dose of scepticism is required re what is glossed over, skewed or omitted. The wildlife and landscape displays are likely to be accurate…no real reason to distort them. BeRTIe

I would have gone for a mix of entertainment and historical accuracy but then I didn’t research the content on display to cross check it. BeRTIe

The museum of the wild west in Scottsdale is well worth a visit. BeRTIe

One of Bruce’s fave toys is a piece of string, that gets licked to death. BeRTIe

…I’ll concur with that…it was 105F (sorry) with humidity when we flew in for a three night stay in Autumn 2018…straight into the hotel pool and stay there as long as possible. Air conditioned trip to the Grand Canyon/helicopter flight over it, then straight back to the hotel pool again. The street bars had water spray around the canopies, this just turned to steam/evaporated instantly. Loads of iced drinks consumed. Flying onto Toronto provided massive temp/humidity relief, taking two 1 litre bottles of Wisers American rye with us from Phoenix airport helped ensure it…this was the fave tipple of our Canadian hosts…three of us got through a litre and a half during our week in London, Ontario. BeRTIe

Relaxed or what? BeRTIe

Nala is a somewhat nervy feline, partly because of Bruce’s boisterous behaviour but quite capable of doing a back flip if a draught blows on her from under a door too. She shrieks in her sleep sometimes, enjoys the odd belly rub but happily spends most of her time alone on a comfortable duvet in a back bedroom. BeRTIe

…the flexible pipe off the hoover serves the same way…just remember to block the other end. My late wife recounted the time when she tried to move a corner unit in an attempt to liberate a mouse that the cat had brought in but it fell off its feet and squashed the rodent flat on the carpet. BeRTIe

A combination belly rub and head stroke/chin scratch is Bruce’s preferred start to the day. BeRTIe

…why not quadruple header? Don’t forget the booked 3 x cut down cab 03s on the Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley coal workings too. BeRTIe

“You never quite know where a journey will take you…ours took us here” fitted our search for a new home in Cumbria, last week, pretty well. At first light, having left Cheshire at 06.30, we were collecting something for breakfast & lunch from the M&S food outlet at the services on the M6 just before our A590 turn for the southern Lakes/route towards our first viewing of the day. Stopping for breakfast by the beach at Bootle we didn’t know that by the end of the day a new home near the sea at Silloth would beckon in early 2022. BeRTIe

Merry Christmas all, We have a limited species list of around 20 in our Cheshire garden but an impending house move to the Solway firth has had me checking the Caerlaverock species list and reaching for the binoculars in anticipation. BeRTIe

…fostering alters the status quo, lets you support a cat in difficulty and from the off they’re advertised for re homing, so alters your bond with them…any bills are paid by the charity. My girlfriend was inconsolable after the death of her own cat but says fostering was the best possible way for her to move forward. Bruce & Nala were made homeless due to their owner having a disabled child that needed a specialised home in rented accommodation…no pets allowed. The owner didn’t have the money to house the cats in a cattery and approached the charity for help. They asked us to foster them temporarily to give the owner chance to retake them but that didn’t work out and they’re now going for re homing separately. BeRTIe