ROY@34F

Robert, what an inspiration your layout is.Brings back loads of memories for me,and my cherished few years on the footplate at Grantham;before the world changed forever,and Grantham loco closed. It is a pity you have to make so many compromises,but it's the same for all of us,and you are managing well to capture the atmosphere of those golden days brilliantly so far. Your last posts re. the loco roads outside the east side of the shed prompted me to comment.Those two roads were known in my day as "coronation".Any idea why that was? Built in some coronation year perhaps? I too hope to see you at Nottingham. Regards,Roy.

John, that's brilliant and what you're so good at ; sorting photos and info out for us. The last photo shows the back of the time office building,behind which is the higher boilersmiths shop, . The A3 is passing along the goods road,possibly , but i'm not too certain about that . I'm a little vague about all the roads in the picture ..it's a long time ago !! I must confess I'm not too sure now ..when I said the shift firelighter and the boilerwashers "lived" at the back of the boilersmiths shop,I now think their home was at the back of the time office building ; I can just see Johnny Gale (a firelighter) coming out his cabin at that back door!!! (just dreaming) The middle photo ;yes you're dead right again John ;the shed walls have been demolished,and the roof you see is over the ftters shop. Sorry if I'm repeating what you've already said .

Robert, I have looked again at the photo of '7352 which John posted.It appears a lot bigger now by the way,I'm sure,if you click on it. If I understand you correctly...the old shed,as I knew it,is just out of picture to the right of the breakdown train,which you can just see the end of as I said in my last post. At the back of the old shed (ie. the south end),and attached to it,was the fitters shop and the general office/shedmasters office,all in the same brickwork. The two offices were quite small really ,considering their importance.There are odd glimpses I'm sure of this area in some photos in John's "Returning to Grantham" thread on the LNER website. Above the time office's roof (which I refered to) appears another higher roof,which I thought at first was the front of the "new shed",but I think now it is the roof of the boilersmith's shop,a brick building,quite high and standing on slightly higher ground,which also accomadated the firelighter and boilerwashers in small messrooms at the rear.Whether that building existed in the '30s.I don't know;I rather think it may have,with the brickwork and age of it,as far as I can remember. By the way.I've just thought,there is a good photo or two of the general/shedmasters office,taken from the old coaling stage area,in the early '60s ; I'm sure it's in Colin Walkers book "Eastern Region Sream Twilight",can't remember part 1 or 2 ,but I think it's the one "south of Grantham". Hope this is of some help. Regards , Roy .

Thanks for your kind comments gents.I am keeping quite well,thankyou John.I have had another look at the 7352 photo;could do with a closer view,as you say.It does look very much like the stance of Gilbert,I do remember him well. I've noticed to the right of the engine,just behind the white faced buffers,one of the windows in the time office (loco.dept),a wooden building,quite long as it also accomadated small offices for the c.m.e.(Frank Lawrence at that time),and one or two others including the roster clerk,as well as the running shed shift foremen,one "inside-in the chair",as he was known,and one supposed to be running things outside.There was also a signing on time clerk and time office runner.All the links,rosters and daily/weekly roster aterations were posted in there as well as daily notices of temp.line works/speed restrictions etc..Really the hub of activity for the day to day running of the depot. You can also just see the end of the breakdown train coach on the same track of the buffer stops.The breakdown crane/train was stabled just there (at that time,at least) I thought this may be of interest,especially to Robert if he has room for such things in his model. Regards,Roy.

John(1070),I am quite chuffed with that photo too (of 67352). I had my first fireing job on that engine on "coach shunt" as it was known. The trackwork looks familiar too,'though I could'nt picture it in previous discusions to the point that I could have settled the query . Sorry to butt in on your thread Robert.Keep up the good work on this wonderful model of Grantham.

Gilbert, I echo all the previous comments also.It is just amazing what you have achieved.To commemorate 100 what about aquiring 60056,"Centenary ",a Grantham engine in our time. Yet another A3 I know,but I'm sure you'd like to!! By the way ,I've sent you a message Re.signals. Regards,Roy.

Robert, regarding the down side platform buildings; I took a series of photos from the west view of them. ie.from the wasteland where the north end of the loco used to be.This was just before they were demolished,in the late 70's ?? Problem is I'm completely useless with computers,belonging to the steam age you understand,and can't upload them on here-I've tried before .BUT if you're ever in the Grantham area,as you mentioned you were not long ago,it would be a pleasure to meet up and show you them.They cover the extent of the buildings I think.You may of course find enough info in the meantime.PM me if you feel it would help. Regards,Roy.

That's absolutely amazing Robert.I was a cleaner/fireman at Grantham in '57/63.You have done your research and captured the scene and track spot on I think.Certainly takes me back a bit. I love the photo of Harlaxton Road bridge;you've even got the sweeping curve on it,and the associated old warfe road under the other arch;brilliant.You're working some years before my time,indeed,all of us, I suppose of course,but it's really something.Thanks for sharing it. Regards , Roy.

Regarding A4 tenders,the 1928 ones were painted black above the beading.I worked on them from cleaner to fireman on occasions,and would stake my life on it;in BR green ,of course. The later built tenders ,without beading,were green all the way up. I keep following this wonderful PN.model:brilliant! Regards,Roy.

Sorry to bring headlamps up again Gilbert,but your photos of '3940 with No. 3 speed lamps,and no fitted wagons next to the engine ! ,and you're calling it a class F again (No.4 speed).I'll forgive you though this time,as I realize you just wanted to see some trains running without too much eye strain,and to hell with what lamps are on the front . I well remember '3940 ,firing on it many a time at Grantham,from where it's been borrowed I assume!,and usually with iron ore tipplers behind,which were rare at Peterboro' I would have thought,as you say. It certainly would be nice to see a RTR "Tango",as others have said.I think I spent more time on them than any other engine in my time at Grantham . The pdk kit is nice,though I doubt I'll ever get round to build now Best wishes ,hope your eyes keep on the mend.

Thanks for your reply Gilbert,you may well be right about the lamps,and Tony Wright of course is a stickler for detail,as you say,though I have taken issue with him at exhibitions over the years over one or two things;but that would be going off topic a bit. Any way,as others have said,we're all very grateful of you sharing this lovely model of Peterboro' north as we of a certain age remember it. Regards,Roy.

OK,Gilbert,thanks for getting the headlamps right;but those on the WD in your last post (1378) look a bit alien to me.Are they Midland type ? ,being square shape,rather than the round ER type I remember in my few years firing at Grantham and KX ('57 to' 63),and which is used on the following photo of the 04. The square lamps look more like they should be on the back of coaching stock to me,but I may be wrong.I may have bitten off more than I can chew this time! Regards,Roy.

'You sure that's a class H on your 1st photo of the WD in post 1350.Are'nt they class F headlamps ?.Sorry for nitpicking on your excellent modelling.