Porcy Mane

Ya mean this one... For some reason the printers decided to flip the image of the Yard operator. Give me a couple of days and I'll probably be able to find out his name. (And the colour of his underpants) The booklet also didn't go into to much detail regarding that most of the track had recently been laid new on the Stainmore Line (to get the operating costs up thus aiding the case for closure) and then recovered for use in the yard. Many years ago a railwayman described this to me as, "Politcally sensitive but bl**dy good accounting!" Porcy

Both there on 25/01/2007. Woodlouse and local louse had both done their worst and there had been some recent attempts at burning them but they were proving quite resilient. I suppose a lot can happen in seven years. Somewhere I have transparencies of stone sleepers that the LNER had quite cleverly recycled into a style. They survived the railway by some sixty years but then somebody must have thought they would look better in their back garden. P

Bit like this... posted elsewhere. One of the two stop blocks from the Snow Plough Sidings. Taken on the afternoon as the Hownes Gill pic above. P

A bit of inspiration? One of Duncans... P

From the Flickr Page... http://cl.ly/BBTJ Opposite Lancaster Infirmary. P

French Cupboard doors? to me. The ones that were used in chemical traffic? P

I've always rather liked the way Thomas Bouch , or rather more correctly John Andersons team of navvies, turned three million firebricks into Hownes Gill Viaduct of 1858. It carried everything from Stockton and Darlington 0-6-0s to English Electric Type fours. The viaduct replaced Robert Stephenson's earlier inclined planes on both sides of the Valley and buried in the undergrowth in the shadow of the viaduct much of the masonrywork of those inclines remain. Porcy

In the not to distance past, whilst helping a forum member out with a bit of research into Broomielaw a visit was arranged to a kindly souls home that knew a thing or two about the station. After looking over many plans, diagrams and consuming many cream buns and cups of tea our visit was drawing to a close and aforementioned kindly soul said to RMwebber that he thought he had something he could have... that was stashed away up in the attic. Off he went and after a few minutes (and much clattering) he returned from the attic and presented Rmwebber with the original name board from the signal box. Not a bad outcome for a days research. Porcy

A Maxon? 15 mm dia. x 36 mm long. 10 mm centres for fixing holes. Porcy

That's the old NCB Leadgate Loco shed. Built just after nationalisation. I think somebody lives in there now to keep an eye on the "historic stuff" stored inside. You could get a good model railway in the roof space. http://www.rcts.org.uk/features/archive/image.htm?img=FAI4789&jpg=FAI/FAI4789.jpg&srch=&page=11 P

Slowly but slowly virtually all traces of the railway around Consett is being eradicated. Hard to believe the NCB used to have a wagon repair shops just to the right... P

And for the reasons outlined by Pinza. Cam Camwell took a photograph of V1 7657 at West Stanley on the 4:23 Newcastle>Consett>Blackhill (Via Annfield Plain) on the 2nd August 1948.This photograph should be available from the SLS archive sevice as they were bequeathed the Cam Camwell Collection. Likewise The Armstrong Photographic Trust has a few pics of West Stanley. One that I know of taken by Jack Armstrong is of 63467 being banked through the station on a mineral train. If you can get to the Blyth show Davy Dunn does a slideshow of Armstrong pics and he "Does requests." P

You'll probably have a similar lean on, come 3.00 am this coming Sunday morn... P

Have a look through this blokes pics. Might be a good start. A good few Armstrong Trust Pics in his photostream. Beamish Station. 4 by chrisy76115, on Flickr Google is your friend. P

You're spot on. Funny most folk can't work out were Carr House East was. West box photographs were published regularly, normally taken from the station over bridge. Good pics of it in snow in Whittles book and David Allans. Also this Brian Stephenson pic this has been published in a few periodicals down the years. https://flic.kr/p/6ecRRc P

I think you're stood about here. 54°51'52.8"N 1°43'29.6"W Cut and paste the coordinates into google maps. For Some reason the direct link takes you to Russia! P

I've been on it for a few years. After seeing (more like hearing! the train run near to my junior school) the train it stuck in my mind. As soon as the Mopok Dynamometer car was released I bought and built one only to be pretty disappointed with it once I discovered all of its inaccuracies. If you can get hold of the Hand Book on the Dynamometer car it's a great help and along with your pics from Testingtrains you should be able to build a good version from a Hornby Hworth 3rd. There was a few modifications by 1969 from the original spec. As far as the ladle wagon, I've only got as far as the diagram. Springing all those axles, and making all those axlebox/springs has always put me me off and it's a year out of my chosen timescale. Any help? Edit: Forgot to say: The "spacer" wagons on the test train where modified 1/503 (CA002A or B ) or 1/505 (CA004A or B ) or the LMS version brake van chassis. I think your original phots could have been taken by the late John Boyes.

First trial run, pics taken on 4th August 1969. Less than a mile from my hoose and I was born about half a mile down the line behind the train. You'll have seen the prints I have of this train at running through South Pelaw? Can't put them up as they are not my copyright. No doubt you have been here: http://www.traintesting.com/torpedo_wagon_tests.htm P EDIT: Forgot to say where it was. Alan you should be ashamed... Carr House East indeed... https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.7608079,-1.5240762,18z?hl=en and https://www.flickr.com/photos/ingythewingy/6432266943/in/photolist-aNp3Sc-aNp4Hp-aNp49v-aNp3un-aNp4rX-byiqCb

Word must have travelled fast about the quality of the netties as next thing a bl**dy RCTS tour turned up in a DMU. Looks like they detrained pretty quickly, took some photographs, and then disappeared of to the lurcal booza! (Along with the tail lamp and the BR staff!!!) P

Well... on Crock Croft Depot our backs were turned for less than 37 second and this turned up. Apparently the driver was desperate for the Nettie* and had to make a quick detour from the mainline. * A long time since I've been able to drop that fantastic North East word into a conversation.... P (appropriately)

And a couple more of Old 29. Forget Pullman cuisine. Guess I'll never make it as a food photographer. P

Just missed ya... by a week... The North Yorks Railway 27nd April 2014 Porcy

You'll have to be going some... 00?... EM?... P4 ... DC?... DCC??? Just asking as I might have some locos need running in... Porcy

If I had a pound for every time... No the photos are not online but probably some of them are somewhere. Very few of the photos are my copyright, although I do know the photographer or copyright holder in most instances. Sometimes I have a couple of files of photos with me if I am at an exhibition. Next time the Stanhope to Tyne Dock file is travelling will be Railex. P

I think it highly unlikely. There was a few very deep valleys (Gills) in the area. The Stanhope and Tyne railway originally crossed Stella Gill (through which the Stella Burn Ran) on a large culverted embankment. With increasing coal traffic the much of the North area of the gill was filled in to become the sidings. The Twizell burn into which the Stella flowed took it's name from it's many branches Twizell meaning branch or fork, hence "twizzle stick". (As in divining) Twizell (the industrial Locomotive) was a regular in Stella Gill sidings, regularly traversing between Morrison Busty Colliery and Handen Hold Washery. Ooops. Went off on a ramble there... Apologies. I've got an interest in Place names and Stella is one I researched out quite widely as I used to be intimate with a Trinity House vessel called "The Stella". Back to the Coal Company. I would not discount a connection as coal Company directors had their fingers in many pies (Particularly John Buddle, one of Stella Coal Co's directors.) but the name "Stella" which loosely translates to North, pops up as place name so often I doubt a connection. P