Owd Bob

The 40 005 pic' was more than likely 40 055 with the white paint streaks on the front as seen at Guide Bridge 1982.

Have you got any pics' of the others Mike?

Yes, he was very wary alastairq of what i'd say and do about him being on the wrong side of the gates but he behaved himself whilst i sat on my own station in the cooling shade from the hot lovely weather, and sat supping a decent brew of 'Yorkshire' tea.

Funnily enough i worked at the King Billy in the Early '80's when we put a beer garden in the back yard for 'em, it did'nt last longThere was a time Apollo when i'd well and truly have sorted them out myself.... but i'm not the man i used to be, with two heart attacks a broken neck and back in the recent past, and now i'm all held together with metal bits, an hernia op' has been much needed for three years now, and cancelled five times, and my last back building op' has been postponed and cancelled three times in just as many years....so don't bury me, just weigh me in for scrap! They know all that, and they play on it, knowing there's nowt i can do about now myself, it's not hard to pick on someone who uses a crutch or two, and you should see the types we get visiting them, all are alike, all violent threatening thugs, who always give us the evil threatening stares and mouth obscenities at every chance. The rules don't apply to some folks. No lock down rules for them either. Too many do-gooders and social workers are and have been getting their soft lefty ways for too long protecting scum like this, and this family is well known to them, the law protects the criminals in my own opinion and my experiences of things. We have a generation or two who can't do anything unless they are told how to by some so called experts, and so many people need their hands holding and their noses and other parts wiping for them these days 'cos there's no such thing as thinking for themselves or using any common sense or decency.

Thanks David, yes it's bad here some days and there's often days when we don't know why we bother to waste time and spend/waste the little dosh we have in staying, trying or carrying on at all, you would think anyone would be happy to live in such a lovely aspect and area, it's not really fair on all those poor folk who live in a flat and no access to a garden at all. It's hard enough being in lock down but even worse with these evil scum ruining every day and every chance of privacy in your own garden in all this lovely weather we've had. We'll see what happens later this year and will no doubt make a move away this time, because despite what others may think there is no one to help, forget the local councils and the Police. Believe me we've tried even with a lot of evidence gathered over several years and more! I don't believe in giving in to jealous bullies but for our own sanity maybe we should make a tactical withdrawal. Best thing is i'm learning with playing around with the bigger stuff and maybe i can move on even if its a flat and use my new found knowledge elsewhere. You just watch now that i'm finally ready to finish off my two wagons and make a start on the loco' chassis with the new welder....it'll go cold, wet and windy again! A Dog pic' whilst i'm here, he's not been in there for a while since i put a gate on each end.

The north end of Warrington B.Q. Was a weed strewn station in the mid' 1990's for a good few years.

Nice to see you and your brill' pics' back again 4630.

....dig another hole and hope its just full of good usable soil and hope its not a mine shaft, i've not enough rubble to fill one of those up! I can always use the cobbles as rocks or edging, i can't ever get enough. A few more pics' which may show and explain it better, some old carpet tiles are put down marking the route around from the gate and then it's a long straight northward up to the shed, curving gently passed the trailer where it meets the other end of the already laid track through another gate. The area from the end of my lean-to (where the Castrol signs are) to the other shed is wide open to the bar stewards from hell next door, a new shrub bed has been made to the left of the track bed and some 2ft. tall laurels have been put in, although it could take several years before they grow tall enough to keep us private and hidden from their envious jealous eyes and vocal bullying tactics, sadly they have'nt killed each other yet but there's time yet.

Sorry John i make the wagon sizes up as i go along and i have no sizes for 7/8ths scale V' skips. I just make cardboard templates for the 7 &1/4 " stuff i build until they look about the right size and shape, my two skips are made to carry a good 20kg. of ballast or sand in each but we'll see how that works out soon. A bit more progress in making the track bed formations, that's if i'm ever to join the ends up. The whole of any future route was dug out and down to a foots depth and all the good under laying soil was removed and used elsewhere to form beds, the 20ft long trench was filled with rubble which we have plenty of dumped all around the back yard. The existing track side plants and some recently thrown on grass seed is shooting up and the shrubs are bushing out and filling up the gaps nicely. A hole was dug two feet deep until we reached the original soil levels for a shrub swmbo wanted to plant near the gate, four full stone cobbles and half a dozen red engineering bricks came out of the hole, all i would presume from the old mine workings and the demolished nearby railway viaduct......so we've even more rubble to hide and another hole dug out somewhere to hide it in A stone path was laid up to the existing end of the track, mortared in level so any future track coming through the gate will meet up with the existing levels where the old van is parked up by the side of the house.

25-5-20. Crows Nest Junc' Hindley, 66102 on the bin-liner. i'll only go out to here as its only a mile away from my home and i'm sticking to the rules the best i can, the main thing is i'm in a big field with the farmers permission and well away from anywhere and anybody else, and i'll only go out if i really need the number.

A few from Wigan & Warrington Stations. Cl.86's include, 261, 231, 423 and 612

Many thanks for all the info' Rob, i just ordered the Slaters wagon kit from a certain shop in Blackpool.

I've no idea who they were unveiling the name, i was just passing by at the time, and it was swmbo who said take a pic' i would'nt normally bother with owt like that. Whilst i'm here, here's a few bad pics' of an 80 something? Stabled on SP depot 1980 on wheel skates. From memory it sat there for a few days, but do's anyone know what would cause this loco' to be put on them?

I've not been getting any notifications even though i have this layout on following, so sorry i have'nt posted before now, i'm just catching up. Loving the layout and the wagon and its weathering is spot on Rob, i admit that i know nowt about wagons at all and i would really like one for my layout, can you please tell me if this is one of the same type in this 1980 pic' of mine with the 25 at SP depot? Here's a pic' of then GL allocated 08 486 and maybe a future plough project for you, Pic' taken from Bristol TM. 1980. Cheers Bob.

Brill stuff Saxo! Just caught up with this layout and now i have it on daily watch. Loving the 37's.

An 87 renaming ceremony at a Crewe open day i think!

Nice pair of Bristolians.

Nice one 44690 i see you caught the smoke in the last pic' from the big fire! From here i thought it was you with the chip pan ...

Best wishes and regards to a quick and full healthy recovery to you both Martin, i know you'll never give up the fight!

66 100. 19-5-20. Passing Crows Nest Junc' Hindley Lancs' 1.59 pm. On the Tees Yard to Knowsley binliner.

Another lot of my bad scans from the early '80's. Early morning mist and Sunrise over the Co-Op glass works as a 47 approaches Springs Branch Junc' from the south on the WCML. 47 243 passes Springs Branch depot heading south with some full but clean looking MGR wagons, note the two stabled sandite vehicles DMUs. 47 ??? passes Parkside on the Liv'-Man' seen from just behind the Huskisson memorial. Lastly 47 315 on a Sunny SP depot.

A named 47 passing Parkside/ Kenyon on a Trans Pennine, a white roofed 47 inside Reddish shed. Taken around 1982.

Thanks Paul, i'll try all that, but i've a feeling i'll be back in touch by pm

Paul i would'nt have known if you had'nt said what they were! You're a clever bloke, can you please tell me how do you attach your layout details/links at the base of your postings? I bet a lot on here think i only post my old pics' and not actually model/make stuff as well.

A very rough and industrial background from around 1980-81-ish. Pics' taken from land Just off Dean Lane Manchester and not far from Newton Heath depot. I was working as a landscaper/gardener at the nearby Ferranti factory (You can just see the factory buildings at the top of the embankment)when and where we were asked if we could go clear up and level off a bit of land by the track side, i think it was once all sidings judging by all the ballast we encountered? Gardening being a seasonal thing our boss jumped at the chance of some much needed extra Winter work. Whenever i got a chance i'd jump off the machines and snap a few passing DMUs. My boss did'nt like the fact that i spent more time watching the trains than grading stuff out! This whole area including the whole site of the Ferranti factory is now all housing, and only the ornate frame work of the road bridge is recognisable from these few bad pics' I've tried to clean them up with my limited lap top knowledge & its functions the best i can!