APOLLO

You can save a considerable sum by hanging it and tearing it correctly so there is no waste.

A month's savings here will pay the increase in your mag that you read in there !!!!

Brit15

My second favourite diesel - The "Westerners" (Class 52)

I remember a run from Newport to Cardiff back in 1967 behind D1011 Western Thunderer (has there ever been a better diesel name ?). Head out of window in first carriage, lung full of diesel fumes (though not oily 2 stroke as per a Deltic !!), long (back then) hair everywhere etc !!.

A lot like this much watched (by me) video. Great run through Truro at 7m 15 sec -- Turn up the volume !!

Good to see these locos occasionally out on the main line. Long may it continue.

Brit15

If hitting something with a hammer won't make it work then plan B is to swear at it extremely loudly, it's worth a try. In extremis, it might be necessary to read a manual and engage brain although most engineers prefer to avoid such desperation.

We used some big 'ommers at the Gas Board. 2 and a half and five pound lump 'ommers and 7 and 14 pound sledge 'ommers.

Most useful tools in the kit !!!

Brit15

10 July 1968, staying in Corbridge for a short hol with Mum & Dad, they walked Hadrians Wall, I was off to Newcastle and down to Darlington - Deltic hauled of course !!

Ancient & modern at Darlington

The day before I went to West Hartlepool in search of steam - a year too late, still an interesting trip - but that's another story !!

Brit15

Haunting Deltic sounds (apologies if I've posted these before - well worth a second listen if I have)

(cough, splutter cough !!)

It's a bit boring over here (Wigan) on the WCML these days - Pendolinos Voyagers EMU's & DMU's, and the diesel powered freight locos don't excite. There are a couple of long and heavy container trains with double headed electric locos that are very noticeable, especially northbound up Boars Head bank. They go up (and down) at one hell of a speed !!

I still miss the Britannias though !!!

Brit15

A bit harsh. Engineers have quite a poor reputation for English language skills but who would you rather designed the trains, airliners, ships etc you travel in? Also it is increasingly the case that we are reading things written by a person using English as a second language

Most engineers I have known have been very proficient with Anglo Saxon !!!

Brit15

My experiences with Heljan locos (all bought from Hattons at bargain prices - I rarely buy at RRP)

Brush 4 "Isambard Kingdom Brunel", 2 x standard green Brush 4's, Kestrel, Lion, Clayton, Bo Bo Type 1, and a green Metrovick that would frighten a police horse !!.

(Touch wood) - not the slightest problem, all run very well & nowts fallen off !!

A few weeks ago a I bought a bargain Tango 02 - again nothing adrift and she runs well and hauls superbly.

I must admit that (over the years) reading on these pages about mazak exploding brush 4's, smoking claytons and wonky 02's I have a little "concern" re my Heljan locos - will they last, etc ?

I think they will (fingers crossed !!), or perhaps I'm lucky. They are all nice looking / hauling / running locos. Every bit as good as current Hornby & Bachmann.

Perhaps a lot of the problem of bits falling off is as has been mentioned poor packaging / rough handling in delivery.. Our models get ever more detailed, ever more to scale, and so they become ever more fragile as a result. Perhaps Frank Hornby had it right with his Hornby Dublo bulletproof metal bodied locos - a couple of which I still run. They will last forever, I'm certain of that !!!

Brit15

Hi Phil

 

It doesn't matter if they are blue, green, pink with yellow dots, the level of detail and performance form modern RTR model diesel locomotives is so good who in their right mind would even think about kit, let alone scratch building them. Pity in many ways as I am sure loads of modellers would enjoy making diesels but why bother.

Back in the 70's when we moved house I packed up my TT & started in OO - lots more stuff available. I bought (and still have) a couple of the old white metal MTK kits. The Peak (class 45) and EE type 4 (Cl 40) went together OK but I could never fathom how to power those 8 wheeled bogies. A bit later the Joueff 40 and Palitoy 45 were released, and where simply superb compared to the MTK stuff - laid up for over 40 years now !!! Previously I had made several BEC and GEM "TT" white metal locos, all using Tri-ang TT motorised  chassis / bogies. I still have those too - and they still look good & work !! (though no TT layout now).

Yes modern diesel models are superb lookers, runners and haulers - to build these from scratch / kit is for the arduous model maker - not me !!

I'm looking forward to more photos of Little Bytham in LNER guise. Forward dating Tony's layout would not be, I suppose, as easy / interesting as his backdating it, though perhaps a little forward dating to include a few more early green diesels up to say Brush Type 4's may be more "photogenic", and wouldn't need the onerous task of removing all the stock etc !! 1962 had the then new Brush 4 (Class 47) together with the last ex LNER K3, and the last 2 J6's - an interesting mixture for a short while. Blue / Grey was first seen in 1964 with D1733 (Brush 4) and the then new XP64 carriages.

Anyway, it's Tony's train set - and a damn fine one at that !!

Brit15

Brit15

So I can't file and keep my own copy on hard drives - its look at only online and when subscription ends I can't view my previously suscribed for issues ?

If so I'll forget that.  

Thanks for reply D9020

Brit15

Hmmm - magazines (all of em !!) - I've far, far to many and not only have I vowed not to buy more (unless it's VERY special) I need to do a cull of my mags (from 2000 on)  probably cutting out interesting articles and using these to file in a few ring binders.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/3L-Filing-Polyester-Self-adhesive-8804-100/dp/B000J6F5NC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_sims?ie=UTF8

Anyway - I usually find Railway Modellers a superb mag - so I am thinking of a digital subscription.

Any comments re digital - I would view on my computer screen (4 x 3 format) and can you file them / put on a USB hard drive - other devices etc ?

Brit15

The end for me was the one week North West railrover ticket, ending with the last Sunday at Carnforth shed (photos in link below). No 15 guinea special for me. 1969 was my last year at school, that summer was spent chasing steam at Bickershaw and Walkden. Starting work that September I could now afford trips to London, Grantham, Newcastle etc chasing diesel exotica (Finsbury Park = exotic !!!!!).

Around 1972 we moved house, I dismantled my TT layout and went OO in our new house, my trainspotting pals moved away also, so I stopped spotting and photographing (except for a spell in the mid 80's - but everything of interest had gone by 1986).  I had the occasional day out by train (I still do) but the magic has long gone.

I've never been without a model railway since 1959 though - the flame lives on a little.

Wonderful days never to be repeated.

Brit15

Had a run out to the branch yesterday, not a lot done since Owd Bobs visit above. The track at Taylors lane end seems odd, relayed / slewed track to the left of the new seems "pointless" !!!!!

Seems more track will be laid towards up relief line (if that's its name) and seemingly nothing is currently happening at Brewery Sidings where I presume the main sidings will be laid.

A few orangemen working here and there, mind you it was Friday afternoon in Wigan - POETS day (pi** off early tomorrow's Saturday !!).

I'll revisit in a couple of weeks.

Brit15

I don't have any close-up pictures of the 'stops, Dave.

 

However, since all them were installed in 1911, it's unlikely that they'd have needed replacement by BR days. What was the average life of a set of buffer stops? Would they last over 40 years? Unless they were rammed and destroyed. 

 

How about three (later-style) GNR types and two LNER types (just to be sure)? How much, please? 

Tony, you might find this of interest. "Smashing" stuff !!

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-buffer-stop-tests-at-bradford-1945-online

Brit15

Living here in Wigan we have an almost hourly service down to London, fastest train being one hour and fifty minutes, stopping only at Warrington then direct to Euston. Good enough for most folks.

What I and everybody else up here (and no doubt many other places also) want / need is ALSO frequent, affordable and reliable services to nearby towns and cities. We are going backwards with the recent timetable fiasco.Perhaps it will sort out I don't know.

What I DO NOT WANT is an expensive HS2 service to Londinium at the expense of other lines and services.

Why is rail investment so London centric ? 

Brit15

This was posted by Sidecar Racer on 3 August in the Things that make you smile thread. Please do not duplicate posts in the other jokes threads here. In my opinion it is tantamount to stealing other members' work, in that they thought of posting it first.

Well Budgie this joke (and I suspect most others) was from a site totally disconnected to model trains. Not being a reader of every post and every thread on this (or any other forum) I gracefully accept that duplications will unknowingly occur at times. I wish others would also.

I'm tired of reading such comments by the self appointed Joke police. Lighten up mate and get a life.

Brit15

Brit15

Brit15

And by 2040 (so we are told) all new cars will be electric and we are not upgrading / renewing / building anywhere near enough additional generating capacity to cater for it - let alone the massive charging / electrical feeder upgrades required from the grid right down to individual housing. Hence the push for smart meters and smart pricing undoubtedly  to follow !!!!

Every government is in massive dept, USA, China, even Thailand above - Debt is just zeros and ones on a computer these days - yet these countries seem to manage new infrastructure on vast scales.

Quite simply our country is badly managed, from the top (all political parties) right down. Money (that should be tax revenue and invested in infrastructure here) is siphoned off in vast quantities and either held in tax havens - ££ hundreds of billions of it or goes to pay the grossly inflated salaries pensions and perks of top management etc.

Brit15

The proposed route south from Bangkok will go to Singapore passing through Malaysia. I don't think Malaysia will pay for this, (nor will Laos for the line from Thailand through Laos to China). I reckon the Chinese will cough up most, along with Thailand & Singapore. These proposed lines will benefit these three the most.

From what I've seen around Thailand in the last 4 weeks shortage of money seems to be no problem. Everywhere is doing well / booming.

Brit15

Meanwhile over in Bangkok

Not just an artists dream - I drove past the huge construction site last week

They have not started their high speed lines yet - this station, the largest in SE Asia will hub all the existing & proposed new HS Thai railways with local existing and new elevated railways, bus station, metro & underground - it's on 3 levels and is as big as an airport. They are building railways like mad over there.

Here is Donmuang, the old airport.  I was here last week staying with my wife's family. The overhead (local) line now finished, track laid and stations being fitted out. The metre gauge line below is the main line to the north. A new high speed elevated line is planned here also.

The old station

Frantic building going on over there - roads, railways, buildings, sewers you name it. Puts the UK to shame - They're not skint like we claim to be !!!!!

At least they will have built their fancy new capital city station before work starts on the HS lines (to China - where else !!!!). Map Ta Phut is the port - easy for both Thai & Chinese exports !! Work to start soon so I was told.

Other lines also planned.

All this going on NOW while we, the UK, who invented railways fart about and faff around, we can't even organise a timetable change !!!!!

Brit15

If you really want to see the general public at their best, talk to airline cabin crew .....what those guys and girls put up with is astonishing. I couldn't do it if I was offered double my money .

One of the girls years back said to me " most are OK but the bad ones are vile " , this just after having had been spat in the face.

I don't understand how normal rational people can turn into a###holes when talking to service industry staff .

On another note, my wife works in banking and can't stand women bosses , has no trouble with the male ones though ........maybe I should be worried...

Agree most airline cabin crew work very hard and awkward hours also. I've just returned from a holiday in Thailand, we flew with Emirates Manchester - Bangkok via Dubai. All flights were Airbus A380's - the big double decker, a lovely smooth & quiet plane to fly - but the cabin crew certainly have a lot of work to do on those, and on our four flights they worked very hard indeed. I always say "thank you, a nice flight" to them when disembarking. Not many others do.

A few years ago we were flying Qantas to Bangkok, the cabin lights came on over northern India, hostess with trolley asking "would you like champagne with your breakfast sir ?" - and that was in economy !! Definately worth a smile and a thank you.

As to women bosses, never had one myself, but worked with a few, some good, some bad (as were the males !!).

Brit15

That's the perspective in the mature economies, it's not how people see it in the emerging economies. I am in Indonesia just now, the country has been transformed over the last last 20 years, there is a large and growing middle class and people's lives and hopes for the future are far better. I see the same trajectory in other emerging economies. There is no race to the bottom, if there is a race then it is a race to the middle. Since people in Western Europe, North America and certain other countries see globalisation as a threat and blame it for hurting working people and the poor, there is a world outside these areas that see's the opposite.

Perhaps your right re emerging economies,.

i'm just back from a 4 week holiday in Thailand. That country is booming, especially Bangkok. lots of new overhead railways under construction, and the new triple level main railway / local railway / elevated railway / underground bus station is a sight to behold - it's as big as an airport. It puts our current railway fiasco's (yes several of them are concurrent) to shame. Not just the railways either - new construction / infrastructure everywhere.

A shame Bangkok will be below sea level in 50 - 100 years though (at least the elevated trains will continue to run !!). Thats another subject though.

Don't feel sorry for the emerging economies - they're doing fine. Globalisation IS destroying the west. (rather our lords masters and bankers are).

Brit15

Globalisation - a race to the bottom for most working folk. Only a very few winners.

It'l get worse over the coming years. 

Brit15

"There's summat about British people and steam engines - it's their contribution to civilisation"

Very true statement (from above facebook link)

Here is a young Apollo 50 years and two days ago, standing in the cab, mates brother in the firemans seat (mate took the photo) Carnforth shed.

Edited to add - Just noticed (after 50 years !!) the head code on the Clayton is 1T60 - this was used on test trains for new / shopped locos from Crewe to Carlisle - lots of discussion re these trains on the "why was this rarely modeled" thread.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/52572-why-is-this-so-rarely-modelled/page-17

So what train was this Clayton on ?

Brit15