Owd Bob

I saw that great 31 pic' elsewhere on the web several months back and was quite shocked when i saw it and really p!££$d off i'd missed seeing it.

I like it, i can just imagine them on the line from Manch' to Wigan. replacing the 142's

2-12-'19. Newton -le-Willows.

2-12-'19. Newton-le-Willows. 12.56pm. 66 778 heads west on the Drax - Liverpool biomass.

Such a shame the facebook users and certain other groups don't share and post more pics' and info' on here. This place for me is about as 'Tech' as i can manage. For all those that do post regular on here i do thank you for keeping us up to date on the 142's demise.

New World In The Morning. Roger Whittaker.

Early In The Morning. Vanity Fare.

.Thanks very much DRS, are'nt those old class 87 names?

I'm hoping to get there on a local service from Daisy Hill station and hopefully it'll be a last bumpy ride on a 142 pacer before they all go. Course i'm only really coming to see the 'O' gauge class 76's on Netherrwood and the TGB scrap layout.

Bette Davis Eyes. Kim Carnes.

Can anyone please tell me the names of 028 & 030? My three year old platform 5 book is well out of date and so has no names for them in it. They passed me that fast today that i only really got the numbers off the pics' later when i got home. 802 203 was very well patronised and about another 30 folks got on it at Newton.L.W. at 1.42pm.

I got left at and had a good hour (1.00pm - 2.00pm) on a chilly & misty Newton- Le -Willows station today whilst her indoors went doing some shoppain at a nearby garden centre, and i was lucky enough to see a few that are still new to me, inc' a couple of 68's, 028 & 030, and an unbranded 802 203. and a passing 66, 66 778 on a biomass train.

Better get them dendrochronology tested for a deffo' date... i agree that quite old for uneducated me is probably the 1930's as well, i don't think they'll last much longer now they are exposed as the local boy racers and drug scum gather on that bridge most evenings and will probably use them as a toilet again.

Love Song. The Damned.

I often wonder just how old some of these sleepers must be seeing as they were probably quite old and used by the time they got cut, shaped and erected as fencing. Don't see many like this anymore especially left in and around the Wigan area like this short surviving stretch at Crow Nest Bridge, Hindley. I hope his bit survives because there's been some recent shrub and tree seedling clearing on the bridge which is now exposing the fence more.

29-11-19. Crows Nest Junction, Hindley Nr. Wigan. 1.30pm-2.30pm. A bit of a frosty day and the 142's are still around in numbers here, with 003, 024, 048, 046, with 094 coupled to 089 being the latest units new to be seen in this area i think?

I've nothing to report on any further track laying or trackbed construction, and the rocks around the pond feature sank back and some fell in to it due to the vast amount of rain we've had lately, hopefully i can get a stiff mix of cement under and around them all this weekend. I got all mechanical and drilled out and then tapped a 1/4 inch thread into the axle bearing blocks to fit new grease nipples into. Trying to keep to the seven and a quarter societies guidelines for maximum widths and heights etc. which means the height of any cab roof from the track bed can't be higher than 110cm, and with the max' width being 60cm. The width is plenty at 50cm for my wants but it looks like i'll have to make a sunken foot well in-between the bogies if i'm ever to sit inside any future cab i may construct. 15mm box section tubing has been bought in and chucked on the growing pile of metal for the cab' frame construction. Heres a couple of pics' i have found for loco' ideas'A centre cab Irish loco' built by Walkers of Wigan and a 1915 Hudson loco'

Cheers Mike, nice to know i'm appreciated by some for what i did and my small input for the garden rail hobby, looks like i have a free 15mins' of fame as my old loco' is featured on a poster...looks like it could be a good new show, so i may well go. Glad i kept the card templates i made for the cab and saddle tank for it, i do have another tank ready rolled so to speak. Had a peep in my very damp shed yesterday and it stinks! I did'nt realise how much stuff i still have left in there, and all those plasticard and coffee stirrer made Green wagons as above are still sat in the old set of drawers. Hopefully i can use them again one day soon at local 16mm meet ups. Must get the 'Prisoner' buildings finished one day as well.

Cheers Apollo Until i find some more cheap track or win the 'pools' the bigger line is stuck with just 5.mtrs. of track for now, and at nearly 200 quid per 10mtrs. new, it will have to wait a while yet. My new ponds side walls and the rocks around it sunk and caved in last week due to all this rain and the over-spill leaking from it Just been out and bought some sand and cement to fix it this weekend, so i hope the local TV weather woman was right last night and its going to be dry this wickend

Last of the lot of old pics' i have left, apologies for any repeats. A few snowy ones whilst its nearly that time of year again.

York Station 1982. Not exactly in the landscape but i'm clearing my scans off my old lap top so i'll stick it here if its ok.

A couple from York in '82, and one from Crewe '83.

Barry here is an idea i was going to use or may still do, if it helps you and you fancy making your own storage tanks using deep picture frames and empty baking containers, these 6" x 4"plastic frames are now very brittle having been on the wall in our kids bedrooms for 20 years but i'm sure new ones even wooden ones would'nt cost too much and could easily be covered in self adhesive or embossed brick papers. Thanks for the link Jim, i'll watch this new topic from now on.

I saw the actor Patrick McGoohans charactor driving a very nice looking SM in an episode of 'Columbo' last Sunday afternoon on the 5USA TV channel, it was in an ep' called 'Identity Crisis' and i'm sure i'd seen the same car in another Columbo ep' before.

Stray Cat Strut. Stray Cats.