Owd Bob

A few '70's style grainy pics' taken today to keep my modelling interests up and my hand in.

I have sprayed both of those products onto my brick papers purely by accident when spraying other stuff and it comes out with the same white-grey finish, which can be lightly rubbed off with the fingers if needed when dry, i left mine as luckily it gave me the finish i wanted.

18-11-'19. After a weekend visit back home my eldest had to catch the train back to her home in Chelmsford. So i saw her off from a very chilly Wigan North Western station, any excuse to take the camera out and stand on a station. I managed a few pics' of 142 023 which was sat waiting to take the 7.09pm to Stalybridge out. First time i ever really got to notice close up the handrail on the front under the windscreen which is often almost hidden by the Black paint. Nice rotted out hole under the guards side window. The Driver told me another one had just been brought back into service yesterday and he could'nt knock the service that these units have given, he also said he thought the way things are they'll be here well beyond the end of next Jan'

Word Up! Cameo.

Her dogs alastairq and we have two at the mo' but had four at one point, the one in most pics' is always with me though and likes getting in the road and is always wanting to help or play and is into everything The other is a rescued Dog and is very soft and won't ever leave her side...mind you we believe it was really badly treated in the past, the last two weeks of 24 hours a day non-stop fireworks going off did'nt help it much and the poor thing was terrified and shaking for a full fortnight. The other is'nt bothered by them at all. We love 'em both to bits despite their differences....so here's a good excuse to post some dog pics' I've been saving up and collecting stuff for the loco' build, all bargains bought of fee-bay, two 4mm thick off cuts of plate steel for the buffer beams, two 1200mm lengths of 50mm x 25mm box section for the chassis side rails and an original box of five 1970's bike sprockets for the future chain drive to the wheels, they are proper quality British made hardened steel sprockets and not brittle cast Chinese junk like todays bikes have. I'll start saving up now or more like also have to sell something to buy a new welder to stick it all together with.

Got talking to a workman on here yesterday who said they won't be done and finished until the end of Jan' next year. The Taylors Ln. bridge ends have been rebuilt in matching stones so no one can reach or see over it anymore. These two machines were dragging some long steel piling/shuttering sheets towards the end of the line, where there seemed to be a lot of men and groundworks happening, maybe all the very wet weather has caused a land slip somewhere?

A few more from yesterday on Wallgate.

Old track used as a kerb edging on Faggy Lane which runs down the south side of Wallgate Station Wigan. It's been here since i was a lad in the '60's back when the road was still cobbled. This Lane is the only such road named Faggy Ln. in this Country.

Just over an hour spent on 15-11-'19. on Wigan Wallgate between 1.15pm and 2.25pm and six 142 units were seen including 142 001. Others being..... 057, 031,048, 039, 056.

15-11-'19. 2.14pm on Wigan Wallgate Station and 66044 passes through on the Wilton-Knowsley.

With a few dry days and some appeasing to do to her indoors, a small second hand pre-moulded pond was bought local off that thar face-ache book thing by her off her phone i hate the things and won't use 'em, best thing is to keep her happy and then i can add another siding or two later on Most of the blocks and the rubble from the pond excavation hole were used to make another track-bed short spur.

Not sure if this is the right place? But it might be of help to someone. Taken at the Lancashire mining museum, Astley at the weekend. I know nothing of its history other than its original looking paint being dark Blue under the peeling paint, and the riveted 16t. coal wagon might make a good matching truck for a model.

That Gary did seem a bit of a rum one Jim, most words he spoke that day are un-printable and his accent did'nt help, but the gist of what he said was that they were two minutes early and he was waiting until the exact time to leave, and like me he had no interest in the approaching steamer at all.

I can't stand up for falling down. Elvis Costello.

Newton Le Willows. 22-8-19. The guard of the Llandudno bound unit checks his watch as 'Braunton' approaches with a single coach heading to an event on the East Lancs' Railway, Bury.

I never did get to go out for a swim yesterday, as the local lines were deffo shut, but Wigan is the place to be to see the 142's, loose women and plenty of 'Compo' look-a-likes, and all on Wallgate.

Surfin' Bird. The Trashmen.

Thought i spotted a Red/faded to Orange bonnet less late '70's kit car which i think was called a Nova? And which used the VW Beetle for its parts? Can anyone confirm my fading memory? Would be very hard to find a bonnet now i would think!

Free Bird. Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The Wigan area is still a good place to see the pacers, and now it's finally stopped raining i'll get the speed boat out and go see if i can find a few this aft'.....that's if the line has been re-opened at Atherton.

I liked the ticket as well Ian I steered well clear of owt i could'nt afford and the new centre headcode box class 40 has got me wondering who and where do i next rob the cash from for one of those. It's a trip out that sure has made my small wants list get a bit longer and shoved the 47 and 56 to the bottom. The garage is nearly finished and has been trial fitted up above the tunnel, i had to make a new length of stone wall up from plastic sheet off cuts to try to hide the layouts ply end some way or another, it's held in place with bluetak until i think up owt else to add to it. Must thank Rob for the number plates he made up for me, all are now fitted to the fleet Going to have to go out and buy some more paint and supplies this aft' to finish/weather these recent doings off better.

I could say its about time we had a few shows up here but what with the Leigh show in April we are now getting spoilt rotten. It was a great show and the MIOG Group should be congratulated on getting the main dealers and manufacturers up here to the show. The group looked to have come a very long way from the small tables they were crammed around at Leigh back in April. I got the basic shell of the garage painted up last eve' I had a small length of guttering left over from another building and the door framework was made up from matchsticks, i will finish and weather it up tonight, that's if a trip to the Dentist gos ok in an hour!

Cheers OOman! It's always better to have something to look forward to doing and not sitting around festering for too long. The garage has just had its last roof panels put on and primed up, not much bothered about the inside being seen as it's going to be put up on the dark corner above the tunnel.

Had a good day out on Saturday at the modern image show at Rawtenstall, and got myself a few supplies in which should last a few weeks. I needed some more pallets and oil drums but the main thing i wanted was some corrugated sheet to finish off my half covered cardboard made garage/Wesleys shed. Finally bought my first couple of white metal figures to mess about with, a pair of loco' jacks and an inspection platform for the shed interior detail. I had to get a couple of bags of grass scatter stuff as mine has already faded in the Sun. I must put a lid over the layout or chuck a blanket over it all.

Great to hear that it was a successful show. Very well done to all concerned. Here are the last of my pics' looking forward already to next years show!