Artless Bodger

On 10/06/2023 at 17:05, 009 micro modeller said:

Is the battery loco at MoSI in Manchester actually used for the demonstration line there?

It seems it was, at least in 2017, as in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdiWwlV52ek

On 10/06/2023 at 08:47, NZRedBaron said:

I was just curious, you see- one idea I have running around my head is that the (fictitious) light railway that I'm planning to create has an unusual 'house style'; due to the fact the light railway has some limited running rights onto the mainline, many of their locomotives are industrial tank engines that have been rebuilt and mated with second-hand tenders from old main line engines, turning them into tender-tank locomotives not unlike the George England locomotives originally built for the Ffestiniog Railway.

Weren't some industrial locos 'licensed' (if that's the right word) to run over certain stretches of mainline? Locos so licensed were fitted with plates to identify them, issued by the mainline company over whose tracks they could run. I can't think of any off the top of my head but I'm sure there are examples in issues of Railway Bylines. As these locos were probably outside cylindered and 0-4-0 or 0-6-0 tanks I would have thought the principle might be extended to tender from tank conversions. 

Adding a tender would possibly reduce the waggle factor too, the drawbar would be more stable than typical loco - wagon drawgear.

I was surprised years ago to see photos of German railway lines with unfenced adjacent roads, including one with a young family cycling along mere metres from passing trains. On mentioning to a colleague with Austrian roots, his response was in the nature of, 'well who'd be stupid enough to go onto a railway line anyway, people don't wander in the middle of the road.' 

11 hours ago, billbedford said:

It looks like a WW2 ambulance train. B12s were the preferred locos as they had just about the best route availability for their power. 

I seem to remember a photo of one on the metropolitan widened lines, on a hospital train from the kent ports - was this possible?

The Midland coal yard at Maidstone East had its own road weighbridge near the entrance, I helped a school friend in the Kent Archaeological Society to photograph the station goods yard and coal yard around 1970 when the coal yard was disused. Iirc the equipment was marked Butterley on the castings.

 https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=18.7&lat=51.27857&lon=0.51967&layers=173&right=BingHyb

The adjacent LCDR goods yard had its own weighbridge evident in the maps linked.

16 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

The old BR London Division Revenue Inspectors were red hot (and the HQ Revenue Inspectors were even hotter) and if it was one of them - which it certainly sounds like - I'd be amazed if he'd forgotten a facewhile doing a. 3 car set.  I can also guess exactly why he did what he did because somebody being lax about showing any sort of reduced fare authority, such as a Network Card, immediately arouses suspicions.  And not having a card out of a plastic wallet ready for inspection when he asked to see it would be more than enough tp make some of those blokes suspicious or, probably in this case, make sure that he was making his point.

 

I knew several of them quite well having known them before they got. a Revenue Inspectors job and it was quite am using watching one in action on our branch back in the days when they used to carry out irregular evening ticket checks.  They used to rake in quite a bit of cash, and sometimes get a really good nab with not only people without tickets but also those using out-of-date season tckets or altreing the date on a season ticket..  I seriously doubt if anything got past them back in thise days.

I remember them being quite firm at Maidenhead in the morning peak at the entrance to the subway, physically blocking a 'smart gent' who cut it fine (he was after joining the fast I'd just descended from) and would not stop to show his ticket. He missed his train and used quite ungentlemanly language - the sort of thing that would have got him arrested these days. 

I'd never had to remove a network card to show both sides before - usually showing the front in the wallet window (the wallet issued with the card). From memory they were not photocards though, unlike the one I had to have for my monthly Reading - Maidenhead season.

At an earlier time, on a SR service from Reading to Waterloo I had my ticket inspected, and punched, 3 times en-route by the same inspector - ended up like a lace doily. Being younger then I was presumably obviously a 'wrong 'un'. 

On 20/05/2023 at 20:06, Wickham Green too said:

Last time I was on a train was Thursday ............ Guard on outward train ✔️ Guard checked tickets ❌  -   Guard on return train ✔️ Guard checked tickets ❌ ........... revenue protection NIL.

Quite a change from an experience I had in the late 80s. I travelled from Maidenhead to Paddington after work one evening, and used a Network card (I think that's what it was) to buy my ticket at MHD. Not the usual guard but a revenue protection inspector (gold braid on hat) came along soon after MHD, I handed him ticket, showed card in plastic wallet, he insisted I take the card out and hand it to him. OK, on he went. Later he came back through the train, asked for my ticket again which I showed in the plastic wallet beside the card. He insisted I take both out and hand to him. I remarked that he had already checked both. As a consequence on each pass though the unit he insisted I remove both ticket and card and hand to him. The train (3 car unit) wasn't particularly full either, he must have had a very bad memory, or a very good opinion of his position.

I had an inkling it was somewhere around the north bank of the Tyne - the blue and yellow concrete benches look just like the ones in the centre of North Shields. Head Gardener (Mrs Bodger) lived in North Shields for a few years when working in Newcastle. Annoyingly for a lot of the time North Shields metro station was under redevelopment (no shelter, temporary access stairs etc) and no service at weekends when I went up to stay, we never did get to see it completed before her job moved to Bristol. Her flat had a view up river to the Tyne Commisioners quay, and down river to the mouth. We used to see the DFDS ferry pass each morning and evening. A favourite evening walk in the early days, before the station redevelopment started, was along the river bank from Fish Quay (vicious gulls)  to Tynemouth, then back on the metro.

5 hours ago, rogerzilla said:

Ah yes, they were doing that in the late 80s too.  I never saw if they changed the loco, or just put it on the other end.

I travelled to work regularly 1985-1989 from Reading and recall watching the 47 run round a cross country service in platform 8, using the middle siding, more than once. However I did also see a 33 back onto the country end of a train in platform 9 on one evening, the shunter had to raise the buckeye on the carriage and push the buffers back, so possibly the loco was changed that time, train departed across the junction onto the B&H. (Must have been a 33/1?).

I think on occasion there was a 47 in one end spur off the middle siding but perhaps this was station pilot rather than one awaiting a loco change?

Never took any photos unfortunately - having a camera at work was a sackable offence.

C3127 - has made me realise the LTS emus had proper tail lights, whereas the SR emus of similar appearance used red blanks in the headcode blinds. I wonder why the SR stock didn't have installed tail lights?

On 13/05/2023 at 23:35, keefer said:

I never realised CEPs got Mk6 & B5(S) bogies - presumably reclaimed from REP/TC?

That's one possible source. I seem to remember Southern CIGs at Victoria running on the older style bogies (not what they had been built with) notably the motor bogies. I think I read there were bogie swaps to put the newer type bogies under SWT CEPS upgraded to greyhound status, or some such. Memory is a bit flaky here though. 

J1638, Monsal Dale viaduct - is this about the location the LD&ECR would have crossed the dale at much greater height? From what I have read the viaduct would have been c. 300' tall, similar to Kinzua in Pennsylvania. Though it would have impacted sorely on the view, it would have been an impressive structure.

Guilty on many counts above.

Church over a tunnel

4 track - well not a tunnel but an overline structure / bridge

Short terminus platforms, 4 carriages, but an inordinately large engine shed to serve them

No people - except the driver of the pelican

Mixed periods - pregroup to BR blue

Busses on bridges

No signals

Inaccurate wagon lengths / underframes 

No head or tail lamps

No ballast on much of it

I could go on but it's already too depressing, and as I was already despondent about the layout trainset, it has prompted me to start the big dig. First remove the church plateau and overline structure - that leaves me with the more prototypical 90 degree cardboard cutting, at least I dont have to dismantle half the scenery to clean the track or recover wayward stock.

The terminus will go - it's only a parade ground for my stock to get dusty. It will give us more storage space.

That will leave the roundy-roundy, then it will really be JATS - just a train set and no longer (if it ever was) fit to show its face on here (or anywhere else for that matter).

Hey-ho, such is life.

PS, I enjoyed it - mostly - while it lasted.

On 16/04/2023 at 10:10, Metr0Land said:

 

Not quite over a tunnel but Kildale station in N Yorks always looks to me like the line cut through the churchyard when it was built.

St Mary Redcliffe too - the harbour branch did run under the churchyard.

2 minutes ago, DaveF said:

 

 

I think it was the 1200 ton Marion 5323 stripping shovel which had 4 caterpillar shoes making moving and slewing easier.  It was the only one of its kind in the East Midlands Quarries.  As far as I know the other machines were 100RBs for actually moving the ironstone - (source -Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands, Part VIII South Lincolnshire, Eric Tonks, available from Booklaw).

 

David

 

Thank you David, I've seen references to the Eric Tonks books before, so I should buy a few. I've seen some video of stripping shovels at work in US open cast coal - impressive machines. I believe Marion were responsible for the Saturn V transporter too - with multiple caterpillar bogies.

Last time I passed by (pre Covid) the up loop at Ruscombe was still partly intact though disconnected, just gaps cut into one rail to install the OHL posts, seemed odd that the track hadn't been completely lifted. Rather surprised too that the metal fairies hadn't helped themselves to the bits left between.

Some tantalising glimpses of cranes behind the trains in your photos - the big white object a walking dragline perhaps?

I don't know how much remains now since Clevedon Pier was restored, but it was originally built using a lot of redundant Barlow rail.

The Medway bridge at Maidstone East (locally aka 'high level bridge') is now a truss, it was a bowstring until upgraded (for boat train traffic in the 20s I think - pictures in Maidstone museum show the bowstring with SECR tank engine). It has ballasted track, but this is to accomodate the pointwork on the bridge - prior to the changes for Eurostar diversions there was a trailing crossover, incorporating a double slip in the down line leading into the down bay and goods yard.

This bridge was my 'prototype for everything' for occasions at club where the question of ballast on girder bridges was raised.

The first photo at Acton Bridge, an interesting comparison of the weathering on the platform building rooves, moss and debris on the down side under the trees, the up side looks comparatively clean.

J3979, the sheeted opens near the front look as though they may be china clay for the papermills near Aberdeen - Stoneywood (now closed).

On 07/04/2023 at 21:00, franciswilliamwebb said:

The "What If" angle was something I thought a lot about for a GC layout that eventually fell victim to a house move.  My plan, as far as it got, was big on Peaks and Brush 4s👍

 

A nice burst of "What Was" from YouTube, some diesels amongst the steam...

 

Interesting to see palbrick wagons in one of the trains. Thanks for the link.

On 16/04/2023 at 15:21, DaveF said:

Rannoch view north 11th May 85 C6862

My first trip to Scotland, with my wife to be, staying with her aunt in Perth. One trip we did on a brilliant sunny day like your photo, was a circular ticket; train to Pitlochry, post buses via lochs Tummel and Rannoch to Rannoch station, then train back to Queen Street and finally class 40 hauled back to Perth. A perfect day out and the best possible introduction to Scotland I could imagine. The other memory from that trip was standing on Kinnoul Hill by the watchtower and watching the 26/27s on the Dundee trains with the river Tay as backdrop.

21 hours ago, Jeremy C said:

although the stepped arrangement of the edge of the roadway is worth noting.

Perhaps due to the infill being panels?

4 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

 

East Farleigh : 14/1/93

 

 

New Hythe : also 14/1/93

Thank you Wickham Green too for these photos. East Farleigh was a delightful place with the Egyptian style waterworks building adjacent and overlooking the mediaeval bridge and lock on the Medway Navigation. There was a nice pub too on the bank above the railway, overlooking the station, though as I was underage, the family had to go into the garden round the back. The goods shed was extant then.

New Hythe box is now closed, since the level crossing was replaced by an overbridge (set of photos of its construction somewhere else on RMweb). Just after 5 with two passenger trains due and also sometimes our oil train arriving late, the staff driving out of east mill would chance it as the lights began to flash for the barriers - one or two colleagues got fined for it. Never bothered me as I couldn't drive and caught the train. If the oil train arrived even better - it had to cross the crossing to the advance starter before backing upgrade to enter Brookgate siding - a 73 with diesel on full power, restarting 1000T was something to behold and hear!