mac1960

They used to block the footpath when it was open before as you can see from the videos of Black 5 shunting the sidings. I am also a little sceptical of 3000 people a day and I do know it’s on the 3 Peaks walk not Pennine Way . Pennine Way comes over Pen-Y-Gent from Malham Tarn then heads up Ribblesdale I have walked both. I think the 3000 doing all or part of 3 Peaks maybe a once a year or so spike as I have certainly never seen that many though it’s an about 10 years since I last did it. As for disabled access it does seem an expensive way of managing a problem , especially when the lifts break down which they will. Ramps would be better if you really need to do it. It would be intriguing to see the figures for disabled use of the facilities there to get an idea of the scope of the issue compared with other Stations which largely do not have bridges or indeed underpasses on the S&C. Oh and before anyone shouts me down on disability discrimination, my wife is clinically disabled from a hit and run in 1997, but won’t admit it 👍, so I am well aware of the issues. It is good however to see the return of rail hauled stone freight .

A quick update, the sheep, or to be more precise the Ho Sheep have arrived, and have been planted so to speak. Also in the background the more Eagle eyed will have noted the arrival of telegraph poles , Phone Box, Planters on the platform, the later a legacy of the Station Master Mr Taylor, who had moved onto Settle by our time period, where he continued his winning streak for station gardens. His replacement alas did not have his Green fingers, and the boarders were by now a shadow of there former selves. However they have now been reinvigorated by the Friend's of the S&C and I am sure Mr Taylor would heartily approve of their efforts. I will try and get some better pictures upon my return, though Richard is on a charge it seems, so more may arrive before then. Anyway more Lamb this evening but hopefully not so plasticky 😀

I think also Castle Cement train and some steel goes over there and there maybe some residual coal traffic but not at the levels of a decade ago which probably effectively covered the costs or at least helped with some or the essential maintenance that had been missed and proved to be required.

Just found out that Horton Quarry is being resurrected ,hopefully this summer. They say on Wiki that rail link stopped mid 60,s I thought it was early to mid 70,s anybody know? Don’t worry there will not be any 66,s on Horton, though given the lack of change up there you could go to Blue Diesel and Tarmac / Tilcon wagons easily. Cheers Mr Mac

Wickham Green Disabled access trumps local objections I am afraid. I am not sure why they need a bridge as it’s not like there will be that many stone trains and you could still use ramp. Funnily enough if you look on S&C layout thread on here, you will see our representation of the S&C in 5hat area.

Jeff Thank you for the kind comments about Horton, and we consider it high praise indeed from yourself, given the excellent nature and quality of your own modelling. The reason for the use of N gauge was that we wanted to place the railway in the landscape so to speak and as I am not blessed with a space large enough to do Horton in OO or EM it was N gauge or 2mm. Years ago we both had seen Luton Hoe which was a Bedfordshire Midland mainline and branch layout, which perfectly showed what you could do in that scale. The later 2mm in my admittedly limited observation does seem to sometimes be a little troublesome. Richard has more experience due to work on Millsbridge where it is a bit “intermittent “shall we say. Also given the distance that you view Horton at, we think we can getaway with it, but we will leave that for others to say. Anyway I am away for a little this week so it’s Richard’s baby so to speak. I look forward to seeing further progress in time on Gill Head when the Mojo comes back 👍 All the best Mac

A short update, as its late, and an early flight beckons for me. Well courtesy of Sankey Signs, Horton now has her official name, and the fine detailing is coming along well, and our grass fields are finally completed, and fences are also appearing around the run down station, as that is how it was back then, rather then the brightly painted pastiche we have now . That by the way is not a dig at all the friend's of the S&C who do wonderful work keeping the station and line very pretty. However unless you go back to the pre WW1 or just post WW2 (on Mr Taylors watch ) things were not so bright, and I hope we have captured that with the use of autumn hues, and the run down feel, as if you look at the various photos and indeed 8mm film of the line and location , that is what you had in the mid 60,s. Anyway the back scene has been tried for size and works, and now it is most definitely with Richard to work his magic for the last time on this model / canvas and I could not be happier having worked with him, and all the other suppliers who have contributed with their skills and or materials on this build. We are just now building, if you forget the pun, to the finale, though there will be more little detailed cameos before that, but the back scene is the last large job, which has just been started, though it may take sometime as we don't want to rush it. Cheers Mac

Glad to hear that you are maybe looking again at the model. It’s getting a little lonely on the S&C models thread ? All the best Mac

Ruston sorry looking at it on phone and it appeared to have an Orange / Yellow hue. I will await the completed product. 🙄

Griffgriff The Dutch have built a new freight line from Rotterdam to the German border to free up paths, perhaps doing up GC for similar use would have created those paths required at a fraction of the cost of HS2. Capital projects in UK seem permanently blighted. Mac

Nick I am in Japan in a month so will follow up on your recommendation. Cheers

My Grandad had a soft spot for std 5, but he was operating over the Pennines where creature comforts were more appreciated. However before transfer he was on ECML and said A1 Peppercorns were his favourite, he didn’t like A4 at all, and worked on them pre war when they were in good shape. His comment like “Race Horses light and flirty” . A1 “dug in “ his fav Kestral and Kiitywake I vaguely remember, he died 1984. On Jubliee which he worked on later “ poor on banks but good on the flat” . So runs to North Wales from West Yorkshire a rough ride on the hills, but good West of Warrington. His S&C knowledge was limited to being pushed onto it occasionally but appreciated what the crews had to do up there, especially in winter as he recounted to me once. Unfortunately I was by then interested in other things and perhaps didn’t spend as much time listening to him as I would know. Sadly my error which I fortunately I made sure I did not repeat with my own parents. Cheers Mac

I am sorry but I don’t remember them being that dirty . The early 70,s was an advertising age of quite bright colours, anybody remember the Canadian Pacific Containers in US / Canada or Alfred Bell Purple Container trucks on M62 over here , which were bull nosed Mercedes in early 70,s . The barges were quite clean. I moved away mid 70,s so not sure how distressed they became before their demise, but the one my friends Father looked at buying was still weathered Orange from photos and that was about 1973/74. Cheers Mac

Any recommendations for mechanical wheel cleaners for locomotives and stock. Cheers Mac

2nd a lot better, that bow is a noticeable thing with them. Watching you build this due to the close proximity to where I lived, and indeed live for part of the time, and my experience as a young man in Yorkshire Coal Field makes it a very interesting project to observe for me personally. Mac

I was at Uni in Sheffield late 78- 82, Four year course, and I remember bumping into 50s a number of times on a Friday when I was going to see friend's and girlfriends in Newcastle . 50 came off at York every time usually 47 or occasionally 46 on . My best memory was coming home in winter I think 1981 before Christmas. Newcastle finished after us, so went up to enjoy pre Christmas student life with friends and travelled home to Huddersfield. Unfortunately massive snow and ice. Control pulled everything availability together as points frozen in carriage sidings. We ended up with a varied rake of Mk1 , buffet, and post vans. Big mistake putting a Deltic on the front ! Trainspotters leaped on, by the time we got to Thirsk no room at the Inn ,but someone opened the door ! 5 students on platform one being me. Deltic off at York and Train spotters left . I don’t remember the Deltic that caused this unfortunately. Cheers Mac

Duncan Thank you for the kind comments. As for the exhibition circuit we will have to see, as I, and indeed Richard, have quite an intensive and distant work schedule, and indeed our location in the UK and height would limit safe exhibitions at certain times of the year ( we live at the same height as Ais Gill). So can I say watch this space, but it maybe awhile, however it may possibly be in print earlier if you know what I mean, which will give greater details. The other thing is it is designed as you will have seen, for the fiddle yard to be in the front of the model so under the hill you look over, which means at an exhibition you need an operator in that space which would push the viewing public back a little. However as I said we will see. Richard would like to take this up as a sideline, but I have quite enough building 1 to 1 in real life, but I am getting older and will retire, so we will have to see about this and future models. I know we will not do one this size though, or do the Ho to N Gauge perspective as it really extends the build having to look at various times in two perspectives though looks great. When we have finished, and everyone or even a majority say wow, then I dare say we may reconsider that, but neither of us are getting any younger! Thanks again and keep dropping in. Cheers Mac

Thanks Figworthy I will mention to Richard as he is doing this end of the build and I am sure he will appreciate it. Mac

Well another day and another bridge, this being a slew version of the one at Kirkby Stephen, and is a road bridge and has that Midland Red / Blue brick feel. Apparently quite a bit of swearing involved getting the brickwork right, it may have nearly been a bridge too far apparently. Both this and the occupation bridge now need weathering, and those are the last of the large structures to be done, so now back to the Grass again !! After this there is the fencing around the station and the smaller stuff like signs / people / sheeps / benches / AWS / Signals etc and of course the critical back scene. As I said earlier we were both concerned about the two slew bridges being a bit twee / bookend like but doing one in stone and the other in brick really makes them different, and as the back scene is curved we really feel it should work well, but we will see. You can tell we are growing in confidence with what we are about on this now , its only taken a few years, but we both are now saying we are getting there !!

vv Actually yes, as I am back to the weight I was at Uni which was just under 13 stone and I have dropped 6 stone since a change in diet and limited Lager. The Larger was due to typing on I Phone alas, and that's my excuse anyway 🫣

Just a quick up date as the first slew bridge on the occupation lane has been completed and now just requires weathering. This one was based on the one at Waitby the other one is based on the one Kirby Stephen. So one more bridge to go, and some further grass works (Richard still thinks he can make it better !!) then down to the finer detailing and the back scene. The latter has been the cause of much debate as Richard does not want to have breaks in it it and would like t do it on one roll but there is the problem of placing into place when built in the room it which it will live. However we have note in the N Gauge Magazine this month that Copenhagen Fields has a painted back scene with visible joints and we greatly admire that model so if good enough for Kings Cross its good enough for Horton !

I was a Lager drinker back then and can say I don’t remember any of the stuff in the pubs we we went to post shift in the mines in West Yorkshire back then. I vaguely remember Kestral, Hoffmeister , and something called Ayingerbrau which was I think John Smiths. I have to say all were supremely unmemorable and switched to Cider for awhile. Mac

Dunalastair Big Pie Country back then. Cheers Mac

Yes that is the one. Cheers Mac

Big Geordie was the big UK dragline I remember in the UK but if you really want to see epic engineering have a look at the German Lignite Opencast which are on a totally different scale . I fly over them coming home to Manchester from Frankfurt and it is mining on an epic scale.