FarrMan

Gilbert Have you seen the editorial in this month's Backtrack? Interesting comment about lack of information on train formations, operating procedures, etc., and looks as though it will be an interesting article on a model of Dewsbury Town Goods depot (I have not got that far yet). Made me think that I am sure that you and other contributers here would be able to produce some very interesting articles on how you do the research, as well as some of the detailed information on formations, etc., that you have found. You all (except me) appear to be such a fount of knowledge. I appreciate that you are all very busy, with not enough time for modelling (NOT that kind) but what help it could be to us thickies. Lloyd

Stewart It is a long time ago now, but when I lived in Peterborough, I never heard it called a dockey. Lloyd

Piece up here refers to a packed lunch, and so a piece hut would be where you would eat your piece, i.e. your lunch. So perhaps the photo was of the piece hut! Lloyd

Gilbert Lovely photos looking along the whole layout - it must be quite a large room! I was thinking that the trackwork looked a bit too tidy, and trying to think why. I came to the conclusion that it was all the point rodding and signal wires, especially by North box. It would be very fiddly to do, though, and probably not worth it for the benefit gained, especially at this stage. Do you know if anyone has modelled these features anywhere? Keep the photos and comments coming. Lloyd

Not looked at it in detail, but possibly Gleneagles?

Have you thought about Perth? Plenty of variety with ex-LNER and ex-LMS both coming from the south, via 3 routes, and the same going north, with three routes, plus locals, etc.

What about the A4s on the Aberdeen Glasgow 3 hour trains after they were no longer needed on the ECML? Lloyd

Gilbert Another query for you. It always struck me as amusing that Peterborough North is on the West side of the city, and Peterborough East was on the South side. I know the reason for the names, but does anyone know of a similar situation anywhere else? Lloyd

What livery is that first coach in? I am not recognizing it. Lloyd

Re the camber on Crescent Bridge, as the road is straight at this point, it should be standard 2.5% camber, which over a 12 feet wide lane of traffic would be a shade over 3.5 inches, or, at 4mm to the foot, slightly over 1mm. Would you really be able to see that at that scale? Lloyd (Retired highway engineer)

Gilbert From memory, it was not very common to see pedestrians crossing Crescent Bridge, and traffic in those days was much less than it is now, so adding more would probably make it inauthentic. Three or four years later and it could be me on that push bike - possibly with a suitcase balanced on the handlebars! You have a very realistic photo there, and very much of that time. Keep them coming, please. Lloyd

I agree with this exactly. It would be about 1961 or 1962 that I started using the trains between Peterborough and Nottingham fairly regularly. I keep seeing references to Nottingham to KX trains here, but I always had to change at Grantham. They must have ceased in those three years or so. Lloyd

Gilbert You could try some foam plastic, as is used by sign writers. For the sizes that you would need, they would probably have off cuts that you could get cheep. Easily cut, drilled, filed, etc., same as timber. If they are going cheep, just check that they are not budgies, though. Lloyd

Gilbert Sorry to hear about your cracked coccyx. Can be uncomfortable sitting down. I had something similar a few years ago, and a cushion with a hole in the middle was quite helpful. There is quite arrange available quite cheaply, and they really do make a difference. Re cassette storage, if you just use front of each plan chest drawer for one depth of cassette, could the space behind still be used for storage, etc.? It may need several drawers removed to get access to, but should be OK if there are not bars between the drawers on the cabinet. Perhaps the location in the fiddle yard for running onto the layout could be adjusted so that the whole drawer (deep enough front to back for just one cassette) could be slid into place, locking it so that the stock could be run straight onto or off the layout, through suitable orifices cut into each end. Great photos and comments. Please keep them coming. Lloyd, from Farr

Gilbert All these images of your layout are wonderfully authentic, except I noticed a few weeks ago that you had views from Spital Bridge from the up side of the line. That struck me as a wee bit strange at the time, as I can not recall ever seeing the line from Spital Bridge on the up side, only the down side. I also recalled high walls either side of the road on the up side, and the only place for spotting was on the down side, more or less over the Midland lines. I have found a picture on https://www.peterboroughimages.co.uk/view-from-spital-bridge-1960s/ showing the up side of Spital bridge from the road in the 1960's, which indicates how high the walls were. Your photographer must have been using a long ladder! If you notice, photos taken from the bridge all appear to be from the down side, which is just as I remember it. I crossed Spital Bridge going too and from school for about 5 years, and normally stopped there to see what was going on. Coming back, it was a useful rest, as cycling up the slope seen in the photo was quite steep for Peterborough. Having lived in Applecross, where the main road rises from sea level to 2,000 feet and back to sea level in 10 miles, it does not seam as bad! Incidentally, I never knew what was the other side of those walls, or in the buildings along the railway side of the road that goes off to the right, but from your model, I assume they were all in engineering dept. use. Thanks again for the pleasure of enjoying these lovely images of your marvelous model. Lloyd

Are yes. I remember those 9 hours, lying in bed listening to all the sounds of shunting, whistles, and general railway noise while I was lying in bed. how did I ever get to sleep! Lloyd

I remember catching the Colchester Glasgow train one evening in 1962 or 1963 I think, in a party to a Boys Brigade camp in Largs. Left PN at 9.15pm from memory, arriving in Glasgow Queen Street at about 5.00 or 6.00am. Then by coach to Largs. Camp sight was next to line into Largs - all standard tanks at that time. Can't remember what motive power or stock on Colchester - Glasgow, though. But all that steam still active, to disappear so soon. Lloyd

Spittal Bridge was wide enough for two way traffic. One problem was the steep gradient on the East side, with a give way at the cross roads just at the bottom. Lloyd

Again it is from memory, but Longville is the spelling I always remember. Sounds like Longueville is someone's idea of sophistication! Lloyd

Further to Stewart's reply, Routes 302, 306, 310 and 311 would have crossed Crescent Bridge. As far as I recall, no bus routes crossed Spittle Bridge. the 302 and 306 both left the bus stop on Long Causeway (from Google maps, I would suggest just outside what is now Starbucks) and turned right at the traffic lights along Cowgate, over Crescent Bridge, then turn right onto Midland Road and at the end left onto Mayors Walk. The 306 would then turn right onto Almoner's Lane, onto Muswell Road, then Right onto Priory Road, and left onto Westfield Road. It then changed to a 302, and turned left into Grange Road, left onto Mayor's Walk, and then joined the same route back to Long Causeway. The 302 did the same in reverse, becoming the 306. From memory, the 302/306 was every 15 minutes, on the hour from Long Causeway, and on the hour from Westfield Road, so would be heading over Crescent Bridge towards town at about 10, 25, 40 and 55 minutes past each hour, and away from town at about 5, 20, 35, and 50 minutes past each hour. I think those into town would be 302 at 10 and 40 minutes past, and 306 at 25 and 55 minutes past. That would make those from town 302 at 5 and 35 minutes past and 306 at 20 and 50 minutes past. I do not recall any bus stops on the Bridge, those each side being at the start of Cowgate (by a model shop) and by the Hospital, whose main entrance was on Midland Road at that time. Lloyd

Gilbert Re the bus on the Crescent Bridge, the 302 and 306 services ran every fifteen minutes between them, and then there were the extra country services to Castor and beyond, so there would be a bus in that position at least four times an hour in each direction. Lloyd

Are! More lovely photos of this amazing model. I cannot get over how realistic it is. The views from both bridges, the approach road and the station platforms are so accurate. I am finding that I am looking for myself among the spotters! Thanks for all your (and other's) efforts. Lloyd

Thanks. As my interests are more with the brass number plate brigade, I am not so familiar with the details of GNR/LNER history.

Why did it take over 100 years to straighten the fast lines through PN when the slow lines were fairly straight anyway? It appears that the slow lines were faster than the fast lines! I would have thought it would be relatively cheap to get rid of the 20 limit for through trains, especially when speed to Scotland was being promoted. Also I notice that for the second time we are being denied the sight of an A4 over Druimochter and Slocht, later this month. I was looking forward to seeing how it would cope with the last steep pull up to Slochd summit. There are some lovely spots there for photos. Lloyd

Yes, I definitely remember elephants. At such a tender age at the time, and with how long ago it was, I can't remember every detail, and took no notice of the stock or loco at the time. Perhaps a search of the the local paper records would unearth a photo. They were the Peterborough standard and the Peterborough Citizen and Advertiser if my memory serves me correctly. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, I now live about 500 miles to the north of Peterborough, so do not have ready access. I used to travel from Peterborough North to Nottingham Central changing at Grantham quite often, or if I missed the last train back, from Midland to North changing at Melton Mowbray. Again, though, a long time ago. Lloyd