don

With a nice very shiny GP38 to boot.

Farringdon view west of BR lines May 79 C4501.jpg Farringdon view west of BR lines May 79 C4501 Good evening David,some memories brought back with that picture. That little spurr off to the left was the home of The Snow Hill Banker,probably the most hated rostered job at Hornsey depot,especialy on the night turn,having your brain rattled in the cab of a 350 diesel for 6 hrs,oh how we wished for a busy night but usualy deadly quiet after 2am! Occasionaly a LT maintenance train to break the monotany and a returning south London exchange freight on its way to Ferme Park and home! Happy days? Don. David

For me it has got to be green,Clarence Yard always tried to turn them out well in the 60,s when i was working on them out of Kings Cross. They always instilled in you the feeling of great power even stood still! and that lovely high seating position. I remember they sounded at their best as they came to the top of Holloway Bank. One day while waiting to depart K.X on a northbound we had an inquisitive chap on the bottom of platform 8,who asked if he could look in to the cab my driver said ok 5 mins to go,turned out the guy was a fast jet jockey from a RAF base in Lincolnshire,as we came up to time my driver said if you fancy a cab ride just duck down! the pilot realy enjoyed the trip but declared that a ton up ride was quite an experiance,especialy as the speed limit around the Offard curves had just been raised from 70 to the 100?(it had considerable super elevation, he felt his jet was safer! But going into the engine room to shut down the train heat boiler at about Wood Green southbound was a very noisy experience even though you were coasting in at 70mph with the engines on idle. We used to feel sorry for the people who's houses backed onto the Clarence Yard fuel sidings, usually on nights the deltics would be loose coupled, engines off, to another loco if they were required to be moved. Happy all be it noisy days! Don.

Yup no.7 has arrived and again its just right! Rode on the Palmer to Soller train about four years back,nice scenic ride,highly recommended. Dont ride the Orange Express though(thats for the tourists)catch an earlier one,was cheaper too! Don.

That Britannia at Scout Green,filthy condition but a super picture. Thanks again Dave for sharing these cracking pictures. Don.

mmmm just did a 360 on that screen,a spur just long enough for one hopper car, and best of, the way the spur leads off the main and across the highway. Just ideal for the modeler.

Good afternoon Unhooked,seems strange calling you that! i have just been reading /viewing your thread and i am amazed at the project.I dont think i have ever seen a layout planned and built like this before? Everything about the layout has been so well planned and constructed,congratulations. I will be watching your progress with the utmost interest. Don.

Aha, sent my cheque off a week ago! Not being a dyed in wool Brit only modeler this is the sort of publication that apeals to me. I like railways. Don.

Thank you Dave for the WLLR pictures,been a member for years but havnt managed a visit for a couple of years,beautiful location in that Valley and the locos sound superb on the steep climb out of Welshpool. Must try for a weekend away this summer. Thank you for all pictures you keep posting and the great pleasure it gives to us all. Don.

Aha, so when my daughter and i arrive early on the 16th will you have enough car parking space available?i can see it being very very busy!!!!! Could be good start for your new venture,Pickering certainly needs it,i used to go to Levisham instead,but not been for a couple of years or so. Don.

I think Chris Ford has got it about right. Like others i enjoy reading about most things that run on rails.always something new to learn. I like the mix in SRI,i have been a long time reader of MTI and purchased as many back numbers as possible to fill the gaps. They come out regularly if a bit of inspiration is needed. Although i model the North American system i like a bit of variety and everything is welcome. I still buy the ocasional British and continental railway mag. if something takes my eye. So for me roll on SRI number 6. Don.

Hi David,J881, lovely picture of the WD at Pilmoor, don,t she look fast!!!!!! One of my favourite locos. Don.

David, i have been on holiday of the Xmas period and have just spent the last hour and a half catching up on this thread,sorry to read about your mother and i hope she makes a good recovery. Unfortunately its one of those things that beset us all as we grow older,been there got the t shirt ,unfortunately. You have provided excellent material for us all to view over the last year or so and i hope it continues ,but of course mum comes first. I wish you and your mum all the best for 2016. Don.

Dave,well what a collection of photos you have posted,marvelous,fantastic and of course cant leave out AWESOME !!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing those pictures. The other thing that stands out is the remarkable knowledge of other viewers of this thread. So thank you for the Christmas card,have good time and enjoy the new year,you deserve a break from entertaining us all. Don.

Hello Jim,fascinating,i worked on BR from 61-71 starting as a 15yr old cleaner at Hornsey with the last of steam and leaving as a second man at Kings Cross,its never out of your blood is it ! Its good to see that investment appears to be going the right way now?and your pictures and information make for good reading. Enjoy your Xmas leave and thank you again for all postings. Don.

And not announced in the recent budget but in a private meeting(heard on radio 4 science programme Thursday evening) the chancellor has given the chop to the Carbon Capture programme after millions of pounds of taxpayer and energy companies expenditure has been spent over the last four years.mmmmmm!!!!!!! Don.

Chris,rule no1 applies !!! like it run it!!!! I have a 4ft x 1ft inglenook on the top of my sideboard(seperated so free of swmbo !) its great for an occasional relaxing play.it also has a 1car kick back spur and a 18in stick to attach if required. My fleet has all been bought on price!! so no two alike,most recent a lovely black and white as delivered in 61/62 GM&O GP30 from Bachman £44.95,largest loco is a Athern blue box SD40 in CNW Lifesaver scheme bought new and untouched for £17.00 !!! off a trader at a show,beautifull looker,way to big but £17.00!! Rolling stock is a mixture, but if the price is right i will run it.The Bachman silver wheel series are excellent runners(your track will have to be VERY level or they are off) they used to be at a bargain price,good to mess with but recently prices seem to match the Atlas/Athern prices. I am building an 8ft x 9ft x 1ft Lat the moment and the current track plan is a Inglenook with 4ft long sidings and a kick back at one end and a timewaster / inglenook at the other,less track more scenery,DC /DCC powered and hand operated points. So Chris,rule number 1.enjoy the research,yutube is great and so is the American sub section of this forum as you are discovering. .

Hi Chis.loved those Paxman's(later class 15's!) i started at Hornsey as a cleaner in 1960 aged 15.we had a small allocation of these Paxmans.it was said we got them because the Stratford men kept running past red lights with them!?the brakes were very good and the locos light !!we mainly used them on jobs from Ferme Park to Victoria Docks and Hackney Docks.they were also used on some south London exchange freights but only with a reduced load via. the Widened lines(the Met) to Hither Green Norwood Jnt etc. They had nice warm draft free cabs and rode well, during the summer months when steam heating was not required they would be a loco of last resort on London to Moorgate and Kings cross commuter services from Hertford North and Welwyn Garden City. If you were long nose forward at 70MPH they looked to be quite frightening!!!!! but that high speed Paxman sounded good!!!!! The biggest drawback was that you had to manually operate the radiator grilles to keep the engine temperature at optimum.very easy to not notice a rise in temp and an impending shutdown!!! Ah.alas nowt but good memories now!!!

Hi Jim,i notice that that this Alco doesnt have any buffers?i thought that the european supplied locos had buffers in place of the American buckeyes?

Hello Dave,well i have now spent three evenings viewing this thread!! an absolute joy, so many thanks for posting all of these pictures.Some may say what a waste of time?but i think not!! a most enjoyable waste of time!!!!! I am now convinced that it was you that i had a brief conversation with on the platform at Andrews Station.i was making my first visit to Tanfield from Shipley and apologised to you for possibly getting in your way with my mobilphone camera!! hope i didnt spoil things for you. Great thread,please keep posting!!