Blandford1969

Wow is all you can say to that view. Such a rarley photographed location and to see such a nice view is amazing. Thanks for sharing it

If you could find a Craftsman door that would do the job, they sometimes appear on Ebay

Looks great

Class 23?

As a reminder the next Kidderminster Railway museum photo fair is this coming Saturday in the old nursery which is behind the museum. Doors open at 10 am. 

There are around 20 dealers covering a wide range of topics, plus of course the Kidderminster Railway Museum archive is available. Such an amazing range of subjects from locomotives, stations, rolling stock, in colour as well as black and white. 

Hope to see some of you on Saturday. 

Not sure if this is a help or not. You asked about the splasher tops. I was looking at some images of Lord Nelsons earlier and noticed that it looks like all of the splashers are green, see what you think.

5 minutes ago, F-UnitMad said:

I meant where would a second platform go at Highley?? 🙄😉

Its not something that is ever going to happen. If you were, which will never happen you would loose number 2 siding. The one thing about the platform at Highley is it was originally longer, However due to subsidence was cut back, you can just see the remains at the Hampton end of the station. Better when you look down from where you stop with the loco. 

5 minutes ago, F-UnitMad said:

Where would you put it???!!! 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Trains cross at Bewdley and/or Hampton Loade. 

The answer is normally into once detrained the now empty train is depending on the circumstances and direction of travel either driven or revered int the middle road. The fun for the signalman is working out what order to do it in. 

Trains can pass at the platforms at Kidderminster, normally in the loop at Kidder (currently not possible as the double slip is not currently signed for any passenger moves) Bewdley, Arley, Hampton and Bridgnorth. 

23 hours ago, rogerzilla said:

Is there any plan to add a second platform at Highley?  It always strikes me as a bit of a bottleneck, as trains can't pass without one of them unloading passengers and shunting onto the middle road.

No is the simple answer. The normal timetables are not written for crossings at Highley.  If a train has to unload and move to the middle road for another to pass its probably A a gala and B either a planned move or a signalman who has not read the timetable properly and about to have a big 'Please explain' 

The next Kidderminster railway museum photo fair is being held on Saturday 8th July. 

Lots of dealers including 'The 813 fund - currently raising money for the machining of the new dragbox which is being arranged at the moment, The Barry Coach fund, Jermey Suter, The Kidderminster Railway Archive, Duncan Chandler and lots of others. 

From stations, locos, equipment in colour and black and white there is something for everyone. Doors open at 10 and being where it is now it does not get so hot. 

Hope to see some of you there. 

13 hours ago, rogerzilla said:

I don't think the signal lights are even paraffin these says (the loco headlamps are, unless it's Taw Valley).  It's just that not much light from a yellowish source gets through a blue spectacle.  The red ones are a lot brighter.

The signal lamps are all electric. Most of the loco ones are LED in the main, although we still do have some paraffin ones

Is there any news on the FS OO diamond crossing please?

On 20/06/2023 at 00:47, skipepsi said:

You would be surprised how often ADHD and Autism occur together about 33%.  Which diagnosis can be dependent on the hospital or consultant involved.

I don't want a formal diagnosis knowing that in some areas I would be thought a lot less of. It just helps with being able to understand my challenges and also better understand ideas on how to mitigate them. 

3 hours ago, rogerzilla said:

Night running is back for the autumn gala.  Be amazed at how invisible oncoming trains are, and how weak the green semaphore lights.  Bridgnorth is well worth a visit after dark just to see them all simmering away.

 

No idea on guest locos yet.

Fingers crossed first announcement soon, and no I've got no idea what it is either. 

Whilst new work is ok the juggle of kids activities, my wife's disabilities, the occasional railway turn and juggling cooking cleaning, gardening etc means that I still just don't have the energy to do anything. I look at the stuff on the workbench but then just move some bits around.  Added to this my wife was in hospital for just over 3 weeks which added in even more with taking the kids to and from school. 

I have finally worked out in my early 50s worked out I probably have ADHD which may explain why I start so many things, but struggle to finish things. 

I have had some good days though. With my wife back I was able to do my driving turn on Saturday and with plodding up Eardington in pilot valve by the top at very slow speed did have the nice bit of being buzzed by the Lancaster at fairly low level (nice)  

11 hours ago, melmerby said:

What got saved at Barry was mainly due to it's location, which covered South Wales & West of England for withdrawn locos.

e.g. The only Midland 3835 survivor (43924) owes it's survival to the fact that it was withdrawn from Bristol Barrow Road in 1965. No others survived, not even from the Midland's heartland.

 

We also need to thank BR for generally keeping a steady flow of withdrawn steel wagons for Dai Woodham's which was his day to day scrap fodder.

The locos were really only a back up for if/when the steel wagon flow dried up.

 

Barry also had a 6th 57XX pannier, No. 3612 which ended up as spares.

It is still brought up now and then for a period of time we could keep 3 Panniers in traffic as that third boiler was being done up.  A bit like the other 15xxs that were cut up, Before my time but there was not the money to save them all and they were run into and beyond the ground. 

1 hour ago, RJS1977 said:

 

Whilst a fair number of Prairie tanks were purchased by Woodham Brothers, most of the locos I've seen in photos of the site appear to be tender locos. I can't remember seeing any photos of panniers at Woodhams, so I suspect most panniers were either bought by other scrapyards, or broken up at Swindon. 

There were not that many which went there which is why you did not see many photos.

1 hour ago, RJS1977 said:

I suspect too that preservationists tended to go for the biggest locos they could afford, because of the higher perceived prestige. Much as how now it's the "high spec" modern classic cars that tend to be preserved rather than the once more numerous lower end models that are the real social history.

In terms of selection the criteria tended to be what was in the best condition and needed the least amount of work, certainly in the 70s. By the 80s they were all in need of much more. Had it been as you say the BR standards would have gone first but as we know this was not the case. 

The following Panniers came from Barry Scrapyard 3738 ,9629 , 4612 , 9681,9682.

On 28/05/2023 at 12:16, Wickham Green too said:

Not their week, is it !!?! ☹️

I think you mean year with the other incidents they have had.

Back in the mid 90s we had a Driver who was an amazing painter who did all the lining and crests by hand. We used to make fun of 'Roy's gone for a slash in the tender again' . None of us really I think understood what was going on . He cared for his ill mum and by the time she passed and he was tested it was too late. 

He was taken too early, however we all at the time learned the message about PSA testing. In some places there are organised events such as. In my home town our local Lions group runs an amazing session with probably 40 nurses all taking blood samples. You get a result within a short period and it tells you your score and when you should next get a test or if you need to see a Doctor immediately. They have saved goodness how many lives. 

It really is so easy, quick and could save your life. Many of us just wish Roy had a test and was still around as he was an amazing mate.  

11 hours ago, Tim Hall said:

Spent last Friday and Saturday at the Diesel Festival. Busy on Friday, very, very busy on Saturday:

 

Still very enjoyable though, despite delays.

Numbers were fantastic . Time keeping was sadly  not helped by lineside fires and also a potential attempted suicide. 

7 hours ago, Old Gringo said:

 

There were leaflets out yesterday (on the first day of the SVR Diesel Gala weekend) with the date of Saturday July 8th 2023 for the next Railway Photograph Fair and all the other details looked to be the same as last year's event.

Thanks, I just need to finish labelling the 2200 new prints then and get them filed and ready. Hopefully my wife will not be unwell and I will be able to attend unlike January. 

Does anyone know the date for the July photo fair?

On 10/05/2023 at 13:11, 2251 said:

If I ever get round to it, I might work up a layout design for somewhere on the Stratford-Banbury section of the SMJ during the (fairly short-lived) period of 9F-hauled iron ore trains.

 

 

 

What a corker of a shot at Kineton

By way of an update it turns out the solution comes from the Great Western itself from 1921/ I wonder why they did not go ahead and just make the changes.  This was released today as an update.

The modification will prevent the door handle from remaining in the vertical position and therefore stop the door from being closed but unsecured. In 1921, the Great Western introduced a ‘semi-slam’ lock for trials, in which the tongue of the lock was modified to strike the internal spring before the handle was in the vertical position. To open the door, pressure had to be maintained to turn the handle to the vertical position. This is similar to how a ‘slam’ lock (or ‘double acting’ lock) works, but it differs in as much the door cannot be slammed to close it because the ‘semi-slam’ requires the handle to be turned against the internal spring pressure, to the vertical position.

The solution requires a new lock tongue to be manufactured and a minor modification to the lock case, but importantly retains the existing lock bodies, handles and springs and retains the present striking plates and springs in the door post. 

From a heritage viewpoint, it maintains the pedigree and appearance of these historically accurate vehicles whilst greatly reducing the risk of accident from a door inadvertently left unsecured.  

This solution should be relatively easy and cheap to implement. The alternatives of modifying the doors to use ‘slam’ locks or fitting new locks similar to those proposed by the Talyllyn Railway, would require modification to all doors and posts which would be very costly and take a considerable period of time to implement. 

Detailed costings are now underway, and plans must be drawn up to replace 140+ lock tongues. Operational staff will need training and familiarisation before the vehicles are re-introduced to traffic. However, it is hoped that, with a lot of determined effort, this could be completed by the commencement of the 2024 operating season.  

23 hours ago, Phil Bullock said:

But that would presumably be ok if the accuramanor driver has his hand on it…

Its a funny thing a bit like valve gear, on all engines its in mid gear.  I suppose it sticks out to me as the air valve spends so little time in that applying position during any turn with that type of valve.