Lord-Claud-Hamilton

Certainly plenty of inspirational images in this book. I've driven round much of the area.

This looks interesting too, been fascinated by this line for years.

 

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Thank you very much for the advice Gentlemen.......much appreciated.

Gentlemen,

I am looking for a book on the railways of Lancaster as a Christmas present for a family friend. 

He is not (yet) really a railway enthusiast, but always shows an interest, especially in his home town of Lancaster....he lives in deepest darkest Norfolk now!

He just remembers the last days of steam, through to BR Blue.

It's not a location of interest to me and my online searches have not found the number of titles I expected.

So I wondered if many of the experts found on RMWeb could recommend some books for us to consider?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Chris

There is an abandoned Brake Van on a disconnected siding just SE of Manea station on the Ely to March line. 

My "doodling track plans" to "building layouts" ratio probably stands at about 1000:1 and I knew I'd dreamt up a scenario for York Rd in the past. I managed to find the old Anyrail file in a folder on the hard drive. Amazingly I'd got it down to 6' x 18" in OO! A Class 31 + 3 Mk1 suburbans would be a comfortable fit. The limitations of space and Peco streamline geometry make for a glaring compromise, but handbuilt track and a larger available area to work with would certainly make for an interesting project.

 

KX.jpg

I love layout idea's like this. But how would you 'backdrop' a layout like this....I guess a photo across the track to the stabling point?

I have been thinking carefully about what is proposed and the main thing which has emerged from my thoughts is that Govt/Grayling/DafT is actually taking one of the most critically helpful aspects of privatisation and reducing it to a far more complex and potentially unworkable situation than is currently the case and what's more it appears to be being proposed purely from a viewpoint of ignorance.

I hope I don't sound too cynical, but could this be  ".....a deliberate attempt to make a Public Sector entity fail", rather than 'ignorance'?

"We've tried everything we can think of to make NR work, including the biggest investment in the Railways since Victorian times, and it still doesn't. What else can we do but ask the Private Sector to do the job?" 

Probably just me getting carried away with my 'Conspiracy Theories' again. I'm sure we would have noticed if something like this had happened before in the Public Sector. 

Genuine question, as I'm not as knowledgeable on these matters as many of you, but is there a capacity issue between Ely and Ipswich....or is it more between Ely and Ely North Junction?

I estimate/guess that there are six paths an hour (?) through the single line section between Soham and Ely. But I cant see how all those paths are used at the moment.

Or is this for future growth on the line?

Apologies if I've missed summit obvious here.

I'd love to know exactly where that 59 was taken. I'm local and it looks so familiar, but....

Stewart

Could it be just north of the A14? That could be the A14 bridge on the far left and the electricity pylon might right as well.......hard to tell so just a guess really.

Are the shots of the 37, 56 and 73's taken at Waterbeach?

[Edit: I don't think my location for the 59 is correct....had the wires got that far?]

I don't suppose Mark and Dennis (Ely Platform Staff) feature on the layout do they?

Yes, very close for me as well.

I wonder what year the photo was taken?

That first photo could Chesterton Junction just north of Cambridge.

The bridge in the background looks very similar to the one that crosses the River Cam.

Plenty of 70s around then, how many are there now? I gave one on containers a wave passing Wolvercot bridge yesterday at 2pm

I passed one approaching Reading (on the way back from a day spotting at Cardiff Central) at 1925 yesterday. That was on Containers as well.....

I dunno what was up with me yesterday. I missed loads on the way down (incl a 60 on Tanls just before we entered Newport!) and on the way back.

I passed three of the Colas 70's on short Engineers train at Swindon yesterday at 09:15. I'm not certain what they were working, but I've been told that they were 803, 804 & 805.....is anybody able to confirm this and/or get a photo of them please?

[Whoops - just noticed I posted this question in the 'Discussion' section. I'll delete and move it if required]

 

this one was my first/last landing on the Ark watch f4 002.

My Dad served on the Ark during the 60's......not certain exactly when without checking. He also served on the Albion, Bulwark and two others I can't remember.

I dont remember him talking about the F4's, so maybe that was after his time. I know he served with the first Carrier based Buccaneer Squadron. There was another jet as well but my memory is terrible..........Sea Fire's and Fury's (correct?) were the main stay when he first went to sea.

I finally got to have a trip on the ‘Busway’ on Saturday (20/08). I caught the train from Ely to Cambridge first, so got on the bus at the railway station.

Initially the ‘Busway’ Stop was difficult to find, but now I know where it is, it’s ideally placed. In the past, I would have had to walk/taxi/bus into the bus station and then catch a bus to St. Ives. So, in this situation, this is ideal for me.

The Guided Buses have been in use on the St Ives (via the A14) route for a few years and, despite complaints in local media since the route opened, I find them reasonably comfortable. My only complaint is that the seats are a tad slippery, so going around some bends and stopping had me slipping off the seat!

This was only an issue when ‘Street Running’ and not a problem once on the actual Guided Busway.

The return fare was £5.40, which I feel is a reasonable price in comparison to the cost of using other buses within Cambridgeshire.

I found travelling on the Guided Busway section reasonably quick, comfortable and quite interesting.

Although it took longer than the A14 service (which I’ve used a lot in the last 10 years) I actually enjoyed the journeys to and from St Ives. But that might just be the novelty I guess.

For some reason, I did find the different services/routes offered confusing. This doesn’t usually happen but maybe it’s just a case of ‘practice’.

I can see how some people will find this new service very useful, but I can’t for the life of me see how it’s ever going to help relieve congestion on the A14, which was the point of the investment in the first place! The targets for predicted usage are ridiculous and will never be achieved. The bus was less than half full on both of my journeys.....something that I don’t think would have happened with the old service.

The problem is the ‘Street Running’ sections. You can go as fast as you want between St. Ives and the Science Park, but as soon you get onto Milton Road, and other routes into the City Centre, you are still going to get held up.

I did hear a Council Bod say on the radio that he didn’t think people would notice the true benefits of the route until after the kids returned to school and the A14 got busier. He might be right I guess, but I’m not convinced. I don’t see anything about the service that will convince people to get out of their cars and onto the bus enough to make a difference.

Time will tell........November should be long enough in my opinion!

My best mate walked home along the route from Cambridge Science Park to St Ives on Thursday (7th) and nearly keeled over when a bus passed him!!!

I'll take my daughters for a ride on it during the Summer holidays.......assuming it is actually open by then!

I've never built a model railway before.....despite owning quite a bit of kit built N Guage stock that has never been used. So maybe it's time to start!!!

Would fitting Liverpool Street, Bishopsgate AND Spitalfields into the permitted space be considered creative enough?

Maybe the people in Cambridge will have the chance tomorrow to get rid of the idiot councillors who commissioned this waste of money

If only!!! Those individuals are long gone and will never be held accountable.

Two excellent posts by RANGERS and Richard E which pretty much sum the situation up.

In theory, the Guided Bus might be a better option if you work on Cambridge Science Park, or the Business Park across the road. But if you work, or want to get to, any other part of Cambridge (like the Town Centre) then I'm convinced it'll be of no benfit at all.

The track bed from St Ives to Huntingdon is not recoverable, so a complete new route would need to be built. I also think a Flyover would be needed to connect to the ECML just north of Huntingdon.

The money wasted on the Busway could have been used to bring the A14 up to the standard it should already be, introduce a decent Bus service and convert the track bed into what it is now in reality.....a Cycle Path! All this could have been done already and probably saved some money to boot!

^^^

I was scanning old Rail Enthusiast mags recently and came across an article about the Fen Drayton branch closure and that the CCC wanted a guided busway as far back as 1992!

I dont suppose you scanned that article did you? It would be interesting to read.

I do wonder if the cases for an ordinary bus only road ( enforced by rising bollards ) with passing places where needed or bus only lanes built by the A14; or even upgrading the A14 to motorway standard have been examined at all?

This is exactly what should have happened.....or perhaps a single direction (into Cambridge am, out pm) Toll Road would have been better.

You'll recognise the prototype of Diddington Mill then!

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php/gallery/image/18112-corn-mill/

Wow....can't believe I missed this post.

Yes, I do recognise it. What an excellent model. I can remember my Dad taking me there when I was a nipper.

I'm old enough to remember when the A604 between Godmanchester and Cambridge was a dangerous single three-lane carriageway and it took the death of an ambulance driver in a crash to prod the powers that be into even thinking about an upgrade.

 

Chris

Yes, so am I. We lived in Bar Hill until I was 6 ('73) and my Dad worked in St Ives for Sir Clive Sinclair. We then lived on The Bronx (North Arbury for those that don't know the area) while the A14 (as it is now) was being built. I remembre seeing 37's hauling mineral wagons along the line.

I also worked on the Cambridge Science Park (Napp - my Mrs still does) for 15 years and remember seeing Dutch (is that correct) Liveried 31's hauling old Hopper wagons between Barrington and Fen Drayton Pits. It's a small world....until three years ago I lived in Fen Drayton over looking those same pits!

The problem with a connecting the line with the ECML is the amount of new trackbed required between St Ives and Huntingdon. Perhaps if RAF Alconbury had been converted to a Freight Hub as discussed somne years ago (and again recently) it might have been worth while. But even then, freight trains from Felixstowe would have had to reverse at Cambridge.

Personally, I doubt that the Cambridge system will ever open. The local buses have slogans on them, saying "When will I run on the busway?"

CHRIS LEIGH

I agree entirely and, as i said before, what really annoys me is that the people that agreed to this, despite all the objections, are long gone and wont be held accountable!

All that was needed was decent direct express bus services straight into Cambridge from St. Ives, Huntingdon and other towns/villages along the A14 corridor that encouraged people to stop using their cars.

IF (Big 'IF') the Northstowe development went ahead then the trackbed could have been converted into a single direction (according to the time of day) toll road.

As rail enthusiasts we would all like to say the line reinstated, but I never felt it was a viable option......expecially the service described by CASTIRON.

It's reported in the latest issue (650) of Rail Magazine that CCC feels "it is increasingly unlikely that the guided busway on the former St. Ives line will be fully commissioned until next year.............because the contractors have still to satisfactorily complete six outstanding jobs......"

Words (that I could repeat to you good people) fail me!

Shame they didn't reinstate the railway line instead.

As much as I would have liked to have seen this happen, it wouldn't have worked either.

There were much cheaper and practical options that should have been used instead.