Bazza

A frequent phenomenon in my experience - you wait patiently for a steam special in sunshine and just as it hoves in sight, a cloud obscures the sun , but just long enough for the train to pass so you can return to your car or await your train home in sunshine.

3,7,&9 Bazza

Have to say it must be Durham Cathedral as you sail across the viaduct. I remember climbing to the top of the tower to film 6201 southbound. Was glad I was at the top long enough before the train arrived to get my breath back! Bazza

All golfers have their off days I suppose, even those at Augusta. Hope your back is returning to normal. Thanks again for sharing the procession of traffic through Peterborough North - almost like having a time travel webcam in place. Bazza

Hi Graham , great layout in the making and a very good video. Look forward to continuing progress reports. No pressure! Bazza

Hi all, Not wanting to prolong this thread, I did attempt a PM to Ben by name but the message came back that messages not accepted. But I now have a proper address and so please consider this thread as closed. Thanks for the help offered. Bazza

Hi Andy, thanks for that. Have had a response from the spares people at Gaugemaster but Heljan uk appeared rather uncontactable. Bazza

Hi Mike and 96701, Thanks for your replies - did not think to look in Railway Modeller, I had just looked on google expecting a Heljan uk website. Bazza

Hi, Trying to contact Heljan UK direct but cannot find contact details apart from Facebook which I do not have, nor want to join. Suggestions please. Bazza

One thing that is forgotten in these days of plenty is that there was a steel shortage in the early 50s, which is probably why it took so long for these locos to be built and delivered. If they had arrived earlier more of them might have had a longer life instead of the earlier types that had to be kept going as the replacements had not yet arrived. That is also a reason why 9fs were being built up to 1960. The industrial scene was so different then and hindsight is a wonderful tool.

Hi Clive, I had a similar experience when explaining those inner workings to our two sons. I suddenly realised that as we worked our way along the engine a group had assembled behind us and as we moved, they followed, closely! The things we parents do!

My 94xx happily trundling round my layout at low speed. Even without the extra details fitted it looks very highly detailed and it has been well worth the wait. Hang on in there Johnster - you will be delighted, I promise you!

My choice is 62736 The Bramham Moor, just because it was the Hornby loco in the Meccano Magazines that I read and reread as a young boy.

Flying Dutchman, 70018.

I'm going for 60514, Chamossaire, sounds very exotic! A famous racehorse in its day apparently. Bazza

I was always impressed with 60153, Flamboyant. Was on the cover of the Ian Allan combined volumes.

Christmas Greetings to Tony , Mo and all Write Writes writers! A wide ranging topic that sometimes seems to have a mind of its own but is always informative, sometimes provocative, and encourages us all to do better. We may not all have some of the skills shown on here but we can all improve. Even my locos now have lamps, and in the right places. My very best wishes for 2021 which should be better than 2020, but not guaranteed. This year started at Page 1637, I wonder what the page number will be at the end of 2021?

Hi Gilbert, just a short line to thank you for all you have done this year to help us keep our sanity. Your thrice daily showing of the procession of trains through Peterborough interspersed with asides about golf, the weather, duvet wrestling and the occasional diversions into the nitty gritty of the models and details of the real thing have both entertained and informed. Thank you for sharing Peterborough North and your life with us all. I hope you have a good Christmas, and my very best wishes for 2021 - it should be a better year than 2020 and I very much hope it will be.

I can certainly confirm that banks appear to be really slow working at present. It took months for a new business account to be set up with our present bank which was needed because a charity changed its status to a CIO and therefore needed a different account. We were an existing customer and the whole process was protracted with very long waits for someone to speak to about progress, which was excruciatingly slow. They could not look after their existing customers let alone deal with new ones! I can only sympathise with Rapido.

Hi Gilbert, your layout and the daily reports and photos are a time machine as to what the ECML was like in the latter days of steam. All that is missing is the smoke and smells. My ECML spotting was mainly at Kings Cross, Hornsey and Wood Green (as it was called then) and the stirring names, the variety of coaches and the different smell of the coal smoke (I was a WR spotter really) made a great impression on me. You bring back so many memories! Barry

There was nothing strange about all the major components being changed during a loco overhaul at Swindon. The ones fitted on arrival at Swindon may have been defective or may even be close to being due to their overhaul hours. If however they were still in good order they may well have been removed and sent out for component exchange at Laira. These components were often in short supply and it was better use of them to keep the depot fleet running than have them unused by a loco in works for an extended period. This was one of the features of the diesel hydraulics, exchange of major components at depots. It was a pity though that it had to be used so much more than originally planned.

I've been really pleased with my Ark Royal from the first run. It was certainly worth the protracted gestation wait. Great news for those who missed out on the first batch and I hope the second batch sell as well for Kernow - it really did deserve those awards. Sadly I do not need a second one but Active does look very tempting! As for the real ones, a very good looking loco but in reality overweight and underpowered and as a small class of 5 was always going to suffer from spares issues and driver 's traction knowledge.

The models on display looked really good and I might be tempted to a BR green one. Just a little concerned that there appears to have been little reaction to their being shown. With large prairie, mogul and manor around or imminent are GWR/WR modeller running out of cash?

I'm sure I remember Mk1 suburban coaches appearing in the London local services while 61xx were still around in black. However these would have been the full length versions and not the shorter ones covered by Bachmann. They were usually just one in the formation. Bazza