ForestPines

I had tried to go down that road, but the problem is that you have to find a font (or fonts) that look authentic, and I have never been able to find one that does. You can, I have to say, see it in your example lettering in that thread: whichever filters are applied to simulate block shading and suchlike, the base letterforms simply don't look authentic in stroke and proportion. And then this becomes the issue whenever you investigate getting custom transfer sheets printed (which of course would be ideal otherwise, to avoid wasting most of the sheet!)

Amsterdam is the official capital city of The Netherlands, as per article 32 of the Dutch constitution. It is not just the largest city. When I have been to Amsterdam (or, indeed, Skegness) I enjoy annoying pedants who ask where I went. "Holland". "Ah, I think you mean 'The Netherlands'." "No, I went to Holland." (If they were a true pedant their follow-up would be "North Holland, South Holland, or the Parts Of Holland?)

Thank you! That looks ideal.

Hi all, I'm planning to put together a small collection of freight stock for a freelance 009 layout in the early stages of development, and I've hit a snag in designing my fictional wagon livery or liveries. What is the best way to obtain lettering transfers that genuinely look like signwritten lettering? I'm only thinking of something basic like the initials of the company and a number; but all of the generic alphabets I have found look far too modern to my eyes. Even the idea of commissioning a custom transfer sheet founders on the issue of finding a font to use which looks right; all computer sans-serif fonts I've found look far too obviously modern, and the wrong proportions for rolling stock.

The main "unusual" features of this years' diesel gala were a few Class A (limited stop) services in the early morning, and a shuttle service between Kidderminster and Bewdley. Aside from that it was an "every train crosses at every possible crossing place" service. Steam galas are sometimes a bit more varied with "local" services (ie 1-3 instead of 3-1) terminating at one of the country stations.

I vaguely recall someone from the Ffestiniog telling me that the original plan for the Cross-Town Rail Link had been for the Britannia Bridge stretch to be a street-running tramway, but this was scotched when somebody realised that tramway drivers, nowadays, all require PCV driving licences. So instead, legally, it's an oddly-shaped level crossing.

I'm not sure Grimoldby would ever have had much variety of traffic through it! The more important lines to Grimsby, Lincoln and Boston certainly did though, and there was of course a wide variety of motive power on holiday excursion traffic. Part of the ECML does run through Lincolnshire - Grantham is in the county.

Barton on Humber and Immingham Dock are two LNER branch termini which seem to have a relatively low photographic showing, compared to nearby New Holland Pier. Unless of course I'm looking in the wrong books!

It's routine stuff: they are trying to solicit membership subscriptions and get in a huff when someone points out they don't have a proper business plan yet.

813 was owned by the NCB for longer than she was owned by the GWR. Across all owners, she spent roughly the same amount of time (33 years) in service on her original main line duties as she did in colliery service. Her longest single home is the SVR (the 50th anniversary of her arrival at Bridgnorth is later this year) but of course much of that 50 years was spent out of service under restoration or overhaul. The rough breakdown of ownership is as follows: PTR owned & operated: 8 years PTR owned, GWR operated: 14 years GWR owned & operated: 11 years Stored for sale: 9 months Backworth Collieries: 13 years NCB: 20 years

Presumably that's a GWR addition, not part of the original manufacturer's design.

Since this thread was started traffic over the SVR's main line link has increased somewhat, now that the Northern Belle stock is stabled in Kidderminster carriage sidings - getting it in and out requires a double reversal. The SVR's most recent stock acquisition - six Seacows from DB - also arrived via the main line connection.

Incidentally, I'm sure I recall reading somewhere that provision had to be made to ensure that two broad gauge trains never entered Staple Hill tunnel at the same time. Because the tunnel had been built as part of the older, standard gauge Bristol & Gloucestershire tramroad, it didn't have full clearance for broad gauge between the two tracks.

It's still a slightly strange area. I viewed one of the flats now built on the site a few years ago: a horribly poky little place. Unlike St Pauls, hipster gentrification has completely passed the St John's Lane area by so far.

It's also in a part of England with relatively few other railways.

Hi Rob, I wasn't referring particularly to the things you've posted on this thread; more to things posted in the past on the various multiple Facebook pages associated with the line and quotes published in the press. I will try to hunt down some examples later. Incidentally a post on Facebook from September said that the line to Maentwrog Road is to be "reopened by next year" - presumably now this year. Is this still on target?

I'm not sure it *is* slate country around Trawsfynydd. The slate geology stops (or stops surfacing, at least) not very far south of Blaenau and exploitable geology switches to granite and its relatives - hence the granite quarries and lead mine along the route of the FR, and the various small manganese mines in the Rhinog hills. Going back to the main topic: it's admirable that all you TRS people are willing to jump in and pitch in and do something - and to promote yourselves publically. However I can't see, practically, how it is going to work in a way that benefits the area as a whole. There is already a very successful railway in Blaenau, so it seems slightly strange that a lot of the pronouncements in the past from the TRS completely ignore this and read as if the area is some sort of railway desert. The TRS has said they will do a whole host of things that the FR already does for the area, and are presenting them as benefits, as if the FR didn't already do them and do them very well. Moreover, as someone said upthread, "there is also the big question of the total lack of any of the facilities needed." I realise there are people on this thread who are involved with the line and volunteer on it. I have to ask: when you're there, don't you look around and wonder just exactly where all the promised and required facilities are going to go?

It was indeed months ago that the main structural beams were craned in - I think, if you scroll up this thread, I took a photo of the crane in position. I'm not sure why there was such an overrun, but I know it was rare to see much action on site whenever I walked past!

Apparently it reopened yesterday, shortly after I posted that! Maybe I should have posted it earlier...

There's the Long Ashton park and ride too. On the Filton Bank route: the Easton Road bridge rebuild is still unfinished, nearly two months after it was supposed to reopen.

I recall the Heritage Centre hiring a Rocket replica to chuff up and down the track outside on one random Saturday - I have absolutely no recollection as to why! It must have been around 94-96 as I had black and white film in my camera.

The shots of Cleethorpes carriage sidings look like they might have been taken from the top of the old sea wall that ran from Suggitts Lane towards Cleethorpes a few yards inland from the modern sea wall. 31/4s used to be very common in the area - in the mid 80s the standard formation on the South Transpennine route was a 31/4 with 4 or 5 Mk1s. I don't think Waltham Windmill had had 6 sails for very long when that was taken. In my oldest memory of it, there were only 2!

Thanks for posting that shot of the GNR concrete post that survived for many years at Waltham station. Holton Village Up Distant post was another that was still visible for a good few years after closure.

The latest post I saw about the gronk on their FB was that they were going to have discussions with the seller about its condition - elsewhere in FB people have suggested it needs about £40-50k of repair work - and come to a compromise. Nevertheless, I can't *quite* see the seller accepting less than 20% of the bid amount for it. But, hey, they must be a Proper Railway because they've now got pin badges you can buy!

That depends what crowd funding company you use to collect the money for you. The "classic" model is, as you say, all donations refunded if the target isn't met. However this campaign was using a "flexible" model where they get to keep the donations regardless. They still have to honour promised donor rewards, but that's pretty meaningless in this case - all the rewards were hedged with "...when the railway is completed". When I saw this crowd funding thing being advertised on Facebook I asked them what would happen to the money if (well, I was thinking "when" in my head) they didn't reach their target. The answer was: they would consult with the donors to see what they wanted the cash to be used for.