tetleys

Doncaster was as far as my best mate Martin and I managed although we did spend a day kicking around on Scarborough Beach one summer, our travel distance was very much dictated by how many pop bottles we could find to retun at 3p a shot and no we never did nick the empties from the back of the shop to redeem through the front, Martin's dad was a police sergeant so we were never tempted to stray from the straight and narrow.I recall a return from Kirkgate to Westgate was 1/2p cheaper than a 2p platform ticket and the staff couldn't throw us off the station, a fruitful 'bottle trawling' day might see us get the fare to Leeds which was less than a shilling.(5p new money).Living almost hand to mouth on a Wakefield Council estate certainly gave us life skills to live within a budget in later life, very happy days and a great childhood. Keep those memories coming Gilbert (Now you know why I always check your pantry for empty pop bottles when i visit P.North) Shylock Shakespeare

Race horse names on LNER locos may have been unusual but oh so much more interesting then some of the cliche names seen on other region's locos and modern image well! But wasn't a name so much more appreciated than a number, unless it was Wild Swan or Golden Fleece AGAIN! Looking through the old Ian Allen's did actually more to educate some of us nippers than school, 'Gilbert and Ellis Islands' Sascatchawen, who cared, unless the name graced a loco then some knowledgeable nipper would explain and suddenly we were edumacated into the finer points of The Commonwealth. Keep that camera busy Gilbert. Dave

Gilbert, I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to 'The Dark Side' but maybe the villains are trying to tell you something, I recall a colleague who's 'Uphill Lincoln' house was burgled and he was acutely embarrassed by the fact he hadn't had a video to steal! Now I'm going to salivate over the latest images of P.North. Dave

Don't forget to turn left at Steve McQueen's solitary cell or you'll end up surfacing in the latrines. Gilbert will be the shifty looking guy shuffling round the exhibition with trickles of golf bunker sand falling out the bottom of his trousers. All at Staleg Lufft 13. (Baden Baden Ancaster)

I've emailed Gilbert during my mind altering steroid induced sleepless night, why would anybody want to mess with drugs other than to improve health in the long term but even at 62 nearly 63 I'm still at a loss to understand as to why anybody wants permanent 'graffitti' impregnated onto their body? As always I've no intention of hijacking Gilbert's thread but I know he'd tell you himself, the first chemo gave no side effects but secondary / existing infections are proving very troublesome and so actual modelling may be on temporary hold, I cannot even risk a visit to Peterborough North such is the risk. I have spent some hospital time sketching some scenic cameos and that usually develops into the real deal, my basic board confuguration is about there. Now I need to liaise with Gilbert via email on location, location etc and a host of those little gems of GN /LNER nuances he holds within that mind of his. In the meantime I draw some of my modelling nourishment from Peterborough North. Dave P.S. I didn't so much woo the Lincoln nurses as kept them entertained with constant banter and jokes, all the staff deserve our support and gratitude and my aim in life has always been leave everybody with a smile. We get plenty on this thread so keep the 'serious lot' on the fringe.

Hi folks, I'm back into the loop after being shunted into a siding at Lincoln County for 8 days, I haven't even had time to properly email Gilbert, no doubt I'll be doing so during the early hours, I'm very much looking forward to returning to 'polite society' and part of my re-hab is catching up on this most wonderful of threads oh, how I've missed it, I've been slowly killed between two patients paying £30 a day for Hospital TV showing constant day time and reallity TV as for Saturday night viweing!!!!!!!!!!!! And they call us railway modellers sad! I am so proud to be back amongst friends. Dave

Gilbert, You think you've got problems? Chris came to my house and compare MY images to his and his fellow professionals. I'll not be spending hundreds of hours creating my new layout and then not have it shown to it's best, Chris and his fellow snappers have done so much for the hobby after all those panoramic images of the 1970's and 1980's seemingly taken from a 'Canberra'. Between you there have been some nice new vistas to reproduce. Incidentally, im glad immingham bulled up that B1 on the Cleethorpes to Kings X, she's carrying my old Lincs Police collar number 1098. Very retired of Ancaster

I praise the fact my first wife Jenny and I produced three sons and our quest for a daughter failed. Now that would have been a waste of money. Not the daughters, the sheer obcene cost of their weddings that have at least a 50% chance of failing within a nono second. As well as a really useful cement mixer the current Mrs. Shakespeare brought a mature daughter into our life who fortunately emulated Julie and me to get hitched. Julie and I 'eloped' to Gretna Green with a couple of close friends as witness's that way we didn't pay for others to feed their faces and it wasn't a complete waste of a weekend 'cos we went walking in The lakes on the Sunday. When asked my the registrar whether everything else went OK I replied, " It was that good I'll definately come back here next time!" Her first introduction to the Shakespeare humour. ( Julie and I as well as her daughter and our son in law are very much together many years later). End of the day, it's your money spend it as YOU choose. Shylock Shakespeare

When I start doubting whether I should run to bespoke track for my own re-build I just have to check out Gilbert's layout, but then my eyes move on to his signals, and, and, and, Peterborough North really should carry a Government Wealth Warning, keep those pics coming it's one of my targets to aim for. Dave

Gilbert, Had the endoscope into my stomach and duodenum today and the doctor kept get spurious background images of book cases holding a load of railway books, what's all that about, could he be a Peterborough North fan? Confused of Ancaster.

Gilbert, Don't worry about the missing tarmac along the front of the station, it's been sorted. Paston Ridings is not a thousand miles from Peterborough North and I've arranged a team of lads who generally work wherever even on nights I was wondering what copper cable might have to do with tarmacing a station forecourt though? On Moi Choild's life sur' twas not me. The boys from the black stuff down Ancaster way.

I've not previously posted on this thread but being a recent Lincolnshire immigrant (only turned up in 1974) I am familier with Lincoln and I've been following progress from the start, I am looking forward to seeing this layout on exhibition in the future, clearly a dedicated and skilled team who are making no compromises. Thank you for sharing your work. Dave Shakespeare (Ancaster)

I suppose we 'memebers of a certain age' have default layouts that very much broke the mold in a world of mediocre layouts limited by the lack of available modelling material. The ones that inspired me from the age of about 10 or 11 through the adolescent years and early married life when other interests and domestic demands pushed modelling into the limelight and eventually back to the hobby you never really fall out with are in rough date order. Peter Denny's Buckingham Ken Northwood's North Devonshire Peter Jenkinson's various Settle & Carlisle layouts culminating in his ambitious Little Long Drag. Chris Mathewman's Striving, All of the above were viewed in Railway Modeller although I saw Chris operating his Striving and his later Striven at a couple of shows, I didn't have the oportunity to attend the few available but I was equally inspired by the unsung heros of local clubs, I recall being at a very modest Doncaster show back in the mid 1970s and watching a very well portrayed Settle Carlisle by I think Grimsby on which everything was nicely weathered almost unique back then, at the same show Wakefield were displaying their Great Western layout not weathered of course that would have been heresy but both layouts really got my juices flowing. I thank them all. Dave Shakespeare

A lovely bit of Loco weathering as usual it's got that nice oily sheen but at the risk of being ex-communicated or worse (directed to a modern traction post!!!!!!!!!!!!@@@@@@@@@@@@@ I think the central 4' and general sleepers in the area where locos stop and stand just needs some gloss black/metalcote brushing in fairly well, I may have talked myself into a job for my next visit which we must schedule, I feel a need to run a certain B1. Dave

Gilbert, The over-scale lamps have always been a problem but remember how difficult it is just holding and drilling at this size I think the only alternative would be to permanently fix smaller scale lamps in place using super glue and the of course it would then be virtually impossible to alter the head codes. You can't win but at least we are all in the same boat or at least those not modeeling in O, Now there's and idea. Dave

The Red Arrows are training over my house as I type, I'll get in touch with RAF Scampton and get them to mosey on down to P.North but , today being Valentines day they usually do the 'heart with arrow' routine for us locals and I'm not sure foreigners in Cambridgeshire qualify.

Gilbert, I know we are meeting up tomorrow at my place when I could have told you but I thought I'd go 'public' and say that whilst your post has always been a magnet it has now become a surrogate layout for my own (as I'm sure it is with many followers on RMWeb) late layout, it somehow doesn't seem so bad to give up my own creative plans when I can take a regular 'quality layout fix'. You have unwittingly created a service industry, just take care that the Government don't step in to 'improve it' and cock it all up. Dave

I have no intention of hijacking this layout thread but I know Gilbert will understand and I can think of no better forum than amongst you load of reprobates to express my own thanks to Peterborough North for keeping me focused during my 'gap years' building the house and had I been able to stay focused on my own new layout it would have forced me to even greater standards and no doubt deeper pockets and searching the back of the setee for those sixpenses and half crowns I know are down there. Gilbert, Andy York and a host of others including BRM mag are giving Julie and me emense help in sorting out Tetleys Mills and the sight of my 'War Dog' trundling through Peterborough North gives me great pride and although my own situation seems dire Shakespeares do not shy away from adversity and with our family and legion of friends amongst whom I rate Gilbert very highly I now intend to fight on. When I win through I'll be back running that War Dog because Peterborough North will be my link with railway modelling and Gilbert can teach me how to help in operating it. I'll be back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dave

Gilbert, I don't want to throw a bucket of cold water on those members wearing gaberdine rain coats and bottle lensed' Cosmo Smallpiece' spectacles not to mention sawn off trouser bottoms which ended just above the knee and a packet of sweets and I'm sure they own some very nice puppies just around the corner. BUT. All this talk of Hot Pants at Peterborough North in 1958! Those delightful items did not appear until 1971-72 too late for your period and thankfully they had fallen from fashion before it became mandatory to own an A---se and thighs the size of a small country, we owe so much to the Good 'ol US of A and the sign of the big yellow M. While I'm in Grumpy Old G--T mode the Railway Coppers of the period are more likely to focus their attention on women sporting tattoos since they must have just come out of or escaped from prison or be 'on the game.' Stick to Airfix / Dapol RAF service figures and squaddies on National Service. Spoil-Sport of Ancaster

Gilbert, Whatever colour you decide on for your 1958 population please, please paint them in matt paint, check out images of published layouts and despite great attention to detail and appropriate weathering it's amaxing how many modellers are drawn to 'leather' or that's what it looks like with gloss blue footplate and station staff. Not quite as bad as standing them all on a 3'x 2' by 6" slabs of concrete though. Now where did I leave my S & M gear?

What Gilbert failed to mention was the cause of his washing machine's premature demise. Aparently he inadvertantly left his new loco and rolling stock 'wish list' in the back pocket of his golfing trousers and the poor old machine just got over-loaded. Now there are some dodgey members out there suggesting 'double decked' cassetts, have they felt the weight of some of Gilbert's kit built coaching stock? I think we need to start exploring the fixing points for the block and tackle.

Tim, What's wrong with the chimney and dome? The only ones my inexperienced eyes ever found fault with were the first Royal Scott chimney and the current V2 steam dome. I think both Bachmann and Hornby do a great service to us modellers and artisans like yourself put the icing on an already perfect cake. Thanks so much for your work and sorry about the aggro with the Hornby lube. Have a great Christmas Dave Shakespeare

And Coachman doesn't know that most Yorkshire of puddings. ...................the Tom Puddings. the early square tub shaped barges long trains of which were pulled along the Aire and calder canals from pits round the West Riding to Goole where they were lifted out of the canal to be loaded into awaiting ships for export. I'm not sure whether I ever saw a green J6 carrying such a name though. I visited Peterborough North today and as usual there were plenty of new locos to underline in my ABC, they were all beautifully turned out in varying levels of weathering and all looking very much at home. I can also confirm that Gilbert must have been a very good boy this year because Santa dilivered a brand new Hornby B17 Grimsby Town to him just after lunch and whilst we checked out his layout. I'm actually not sure kids have to be well behaved before Santa visits because according to Mrs. Tetleys I'm certainly not in that category but nevertheless I received a most welcome Christmas surprise. Gilbert gave me a 'layout warming present' a superb and bespoke Hornby B.1 61023 Hirola complete with an Ardsley shed plate (And a DCC chip)! I had my very first experience of DCC operation as Hirola circulated through Peterborough North, light engine. Sorry no photographs because Gilbert's hands were 'all of a dither' as he finally managed to extract his new B17 for closer inspection, Hornby certainly take no chances of damage during transit. I would like to thank Gilbert very much for his 'layout warming gift' to me and to Tim for his own input in turning a great loco into a masterpiece, the weathering is brilliant as it is on Gilbert's own recent additions to his meagre collection.

Gilbert, "You know it makes sense", play with the B17 for a while but let Tim work his magic on it. There's been a fewcomments made on the nostalgia of the end of steam compared with preserved steam but the fact is, if we could somehow transpose the 1960's railway on to the preserved scene I genuinely believe visitor numbers would plummet. Remove the rose tinted specs. Look beyond what perhaps we would like to remember the fact is, B.R.in the 1960's as I recall was (at least in The West Riding and I don't imagine even the Western Region was any better), totally grotty. I cannot remember where I left my reading glasses these days but I have a vivid memory of the steam railways and the infrastructure through which it operated, there was a pervading smell of fish, the stations were painted in an overall battleship grey if you could see the paint under years of soot and neglect, until The Beatles we lived in a world consisting of shades of grey. We knew nothing better so we just accepted life as it was but glamorous it wasn't. It doesn't actually detract from my own desire to re-create the period but after Gravytrain has spent countless hours re-creating Peterborough North Station and Norman has built such perfect track you just cannot run spotless locos and perfect rolling stock (The Elizabethan excepted) even your beloved B17's.With all that in mind when I visit this Friday I'm bringing half a pound of wet fish to strap under the bay platforms to help to further recreate that genuine 1958 atmosphere.

Alastair, You mention you have not modelled since the 1980s and confess to having more, shall we say 'disposable income' to lavish on your layout so we may be of a similar 'certain age'. I do not in any way wish to be patronising but I have possibly been able to spend a little more time reading similar new posts than yourself over the intervening years and since you have just started your layout may I be so bold as to suggest you scan back through layout topics and read Ian Wales post The Essence of Grantham. I'm sure Ian won't mind me saying this but his asperations were very similar to your own and he has (hopefully only temporarily) ground to a halt. He discovered what many of us found out several years ago and that is gradients are a recipe for disaster and 13' x13' is actually not that spacious unless you are modelling in N gauge, another suggestion if I may, forget chipboard that's what we used back in the 80's but it doesn't take track pins and isn't nearlly as suitable as 9mm ply. Maybe you could assess what items in your two cellars you are likely to really use during one lifetime and you might just find space for a fiddle yard in the other cellar on the same level as your main layout. I recently moved house and found the local tip is a great place to meet people! Bakewell is a stunning station and you could really create a lovely model railway and I look forward to watching it's progress but check out the mistakes the rest of us have made and benefit from them Good luck. Dave S.