Boris

The photo with the Thompson BZ is quite interesting as they must have been on the verge of being banned from passenger trains at this point, officially anyway. I do like the Thompson 6 wheeled parcel brake, its an interesting vehicle and for a shortish layout makes parcel trains more interesting.

Now I definitely know which Eddie you are. How are you and the Mrs keeping?

That shot of Scarbados is fantastic, I like the 08 with the shunting pole over the drawbar on the front end as well. It shows what we've lost passenger service wise at Peak times in the past 40 years, TPE run the standard weekday service on Easter Monday and the trains are rammed.

It is a bit sick and there is a huge difference between puttering round Didcot and dragging a train up to Goathland

Long post and wittering warning. Firstly lets have Manston passing Jacksons UWC just past Weaverthorpe at about 1245 today: First up we have one of the older signals at Weaverthorpe after the bracket was removed (before it fell down) a few years ago, W14 Down section signal to Seamer (originally Ganton) Next we have M14 signal, I believe of 1966 resignalling vintage, likely to be replaced with an LED head and new post in the not too distant future. Next up we have a series of photographs from Mick Elliott one of the local MOMs of the building that was the "signalbox" at Scampston Junction on the York to Scarborough line and it controlled access from Scarborough to the Whitby line (although general opinion is that it closed before the line to Whitby from Scarborough opened), it dates from 1866 and would have had a second floor. It would have held a lever frame but never had block instruments, having closed before block signalling was introduced, so technically I suppose was a ground frame! Anyway it was used latterly as a coal shed by the nearby crossing keeper (and house!) and was in decent condition until the tiles fell/were removed and it is now deteriorating quite badly. Interestingly you can still see where the frame supports would have sat in the flagstone floor. Common to this box, Weaverthorpe and the removed Heslerton station (I think) the ground floor was designed to be used as an office for goods or the local weighbridge, hence the window and fireplace.

It took me a while to work out what you meant by Filey triangle, but I forgot that Royal Oak boxes were still there in 1974 and Filey Holiday Camp station would be open for another 3 years

That wouldn't surprise me at all, its a contract that's really old now and the guy who owned Hartland died years ago, the loco then passed onto his family who aren't really sure about grandads eccentric hobby and it has been opined in the past that they only wanted the loco restored so they could sell it for more money - that however is definitely hearsay. I'm sure that the NYMR could negotiate some use out of it, but atm they have more important projects like getting their other mainline loco restored and starting the great oil firing experiment.

And someone fluffed the plate cutting for the thermic syphon. And one of the boilersmiths was made redundant in February, neither of which will help. 3672 is now a favourite project because of oil firing, 825 is mainline certified and shouldn't need that much work after the last overhaul was extensive and 80135s boiler has been going in circles for almost as long as Hartland

Hard to believe its 1994 and that building in the background is still in oriental blue, although its didn't look long for this world in that photo.

D49/1 4-4-0 No. 62720 'Cambridgeshire' awaitingdeparture from Seamer station with a Scarborough - Hull stopping train in the early 1950s with what appears to be an NER tender. Interesting that at this point the Forge Valley line would still be in use and this is the only photo I have ever seen that shows the third platform at Seamer. Photo by W.A.Camwell.

The Scarborough Spa was great fun at Scarborough yesterday and the inbound working ended up terminating at Seamer The morning 802 service to Leeds failed just inside the signal in platform 1 at Scarborough and blocked the job up, it ended up with the charter accommodated at Seamer and TPE trains held at Seamer and Weaverthorpe and the Northern service stopped on the branch, after a bit of too and fro the charter terminated at Seamer and TPE & Northern took the passengers into Scarborough whilst the stock shunted into Seamer sidings to run round and get ready, the locos ended up at one point next to each other at the cabin end of the sidings so the crews could use the cabin toilet and water cooler. Eventually the 802 was bodged and sent to Doncaster so the Black 5 and support coach could go to the Excursion sidings for turning and watering whilst the 47 brought the stock down later from Seamer. The train was about 75 minutes late departing Scarborough, I have a couple of photos from staff who were on duty that I will try and post, but this should explain some of the weird photos online of just a Black 5 and support coach at Scarborough etc.

I recently acquired a load of documents relating to a train vs lorry incident at Station Gates box in Driffield in the 50s, plus the eventual Special Instruction notice that went up in the box to prevent a repeat happening. Is anyone interested in me posting their contents?

That's a bizarre piece of kit, I think wood burning locos never really took off in the UK because of their tendency to launch sparks all over the shop and the relatively large supply of coal. I'm guessing it wasn't really intended to have a huge draw over the grate with the drive arrangement so as to stop large portions of the fire vanishing up the chimney, I'm not into steam locos at all, but I really do like this thing, its a bit different.

You definitely deserve an award for the most bizarre items in the foreground!

The back to back measurement is slightly different I believe - or so I was told at Crich many year ago. Also I had no idea such railways existed aside from the Beamish one, this is a brilliant thread and gives me some ideas for a day out