APOLLO

Interesting video & write up.

CHRIS GRAYLING GRILLED OVER RAIL ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAMME AS DELAYS LEAD TO SOARING COSTS

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/chris-grayling-rail-electrification-gwr-great-western-diesel-electric-trains-trancks-damage-a8173116.html

Brit15

Isn't Kestrel in the shed behind ?

Brit15

A very interesting plan. I particularly like the 2 back to back branch tine terminals on the peninsula. I would however have the branch lines rising so they could partly cover the storage sidings below. Just a suggestion.

I'd go for it !!!

Brit15

Carlisle Kingmoor diesel depot was built adjacent to the then new Kingmoor marshaling yard for convenience I guess.

Brit15

Tony we talked briefly about the importance of the seven or so years age difference between us both when I spoke to you at Wigan exhibition last year - and boy looking back didn't those few years difference make a difference to the diversity of what we each observed on our trainspotting activities.

You saw at first hand the last days of the BR glory years at many places, not least the ECML, mid to late 50's. The latter has left such an impression that you (wonderfully) model it - and I fully applaud you for that.

While I was born (in Wigan) in 1952 my steam memories really only started in 1963, a family holiday in Ilfracombe where I saw Spam cans etc. The Damocles sword of Dr Beeching was hovering at that time. Many day trips followed on from there with my elder train mad (worse than me !!) brother seeking the last of steam. I traveled on the S&D twice, from Bath Green park to Evercreech junction, 1964 & 5 whilst on holidays, but even that lines magic had gone - the once famous express and S&D 2-8-0 hauled freights had gone - still steam ran, but just mucky standards on stopping trains. The magic of the 50's was indeed disappearing everywhere fast.

So it was up north in and around Wigan in the mid 60's I did most of my spotting. Steam was dying fast, I only vaguely remember Duchesses, Jubs Pats and Scots, but my favourite locos, Britannias ran through Wigan untill their end in December 1967. The whole landscape was also changing, coal mines, coal trains and the lines they ran on closing at an ever increasing rate. I was an impressionable youth, and though I missed steam when it finally expired in 1968, I also appreciated the new, the blue / grey coaches, the new diesels, trips to Leeds, York & Doncaster in the late 60's - early 70's. Starting work in 1969 I could afford now trips to London, and it was Kings Cross & Finsbury Park that held sway, with the occasional visit to Paddington / Old Oak Common.

I finished spotting around 1972, can't remember the reason, perhaps a change in lifestyle etc, but I didn't lose interest in trains, or indeed model railways. I've never had a period without a model railway since 1960 or so.

So I now model that "rarely modeled" era 1965/8, not just late steam and green diesels but blue ones also, with blue / grey coaches and grey / blue Pullmans. As I've written before, it's the time I remember and enjoyed British Rail(ways) best.

Each to their own, and my every respect for such.

Brit15

On the last week of BR Steam A mate, his brother and myself bought Run About Rover tickets cost £2, valid Wigan-Carlisle-Dumfries, Carlisle to Skipton, Skipton to Carnforth, and the Southport, Cumbrian & Fylde lines. My little notebook recalls

Monday 29/7/1968 Wigan to Carlisle behind D400, D409 return, did Kingmoor shed (diesel)

Tuesday 30/7 Wigan - Carlisle, Carlisle to Skipton on the "Thames Clyde Express" (double headed Peaks D148 & D31), Skipton - Carnforth - Preston - Lostock Hall - Preston - Wigan

Did Carnforth & Lostock Hall sheds

Wednesday 31/7 Wigan - Preston  - Barrow - Carnforth - Preston - Lostock Hall - Preston - Wigan

Did Barrow, Carnforth & Lostock Hall sheds

Thursday 1/8 Wigan - Preston - Rose Grove - Carnforth - Preston - Lostock Hall - Preston - Wigan

Did Rose Grove, Carnforth & Lostock Hall sheds

Friday 2/8 Wigan - Preston - Carlisle - workington = Carlisle - Skipton (D16 on "The Waverley"), - Carnforth - Preston - Wigan

Did Workington & Carnforth sheds

Saturday 3/8 Wigan - Preston - Lancaster - Morecambe - Keighley (ride on the K&WVR - out on a 4 wheeled DMU & back behind 41241) - Carnforth - Preston - Wigan

Did Carnforth shed

Sunday - The glorious (??) 4/8/68 Wigan to Preston then Preston to Carnforth & back on a Ribble rail replacement bus !! Home to Wigan, steam blown down, fire out, ashpan dropped AND THAT WAS THAT !!

Did Carnforth shed, (along with many others that day !!).

What a week for two quid - including trips on The Thames Clyde Express & The Waverley express trains !!.

Photos of above trips on my Flikr site below (last week of steam).

Brit15

The slide mount suggests this is Newton Heath towards the end of 1967. 

 

Can anyone confirm or deny these details, please. I can't see if any of the locos are in steam or not. 

 

 

s45255 42283 48765 newton heath 1967.jpg

Is the centre loco (with oval buffers) a Stanier / Fairburn tank loco ? A rare loco to find in Lancashire at the end of steam. The West Riding sheds had some - they closed to steam around October 1967 - Holbeck, Low Moor, Wakefield, Normanton etc.

It would be nice to see a definitive list of steam all shed closures in the last 2 or 3 years of steam here "up north".

Brit15

Happy days to see steam but sad to see it go.

I (we all) was / were young back then - easily lured to the dark (blue) side !!!!

Brit15

Was it either Buxton or Bolton ?

Springs Branch Wigan closed to steam the end of November 1967

Brit15

It was the 100lb of coal for an hour's steaming that caught my eye: it does about 15mph. So with a ton heaped in the back he's probably good for 300 miles, considering that the extra weight is going to up the consumption. Hope he owns his own coal mine.

 

OTOH, since it is a slow short range vehicle, ideal for the London congestion charge zone. Do we suppose it is an exempt vehicle?

It'l use more water than coal - how does he fill up the boiler water supply tank away from home ? - Fred Dibnah used street Hydrants.

Nice vehicle though I'd like one of these !!

Brit15

I have tried various methods. Concrete is an awkward "colour" in that there are many shades, also from new to highly weathered. I streaked the matt black on whilst the wall paint (called emulsion paint in the UK) was wet. The Magnolia was water based and the matt black oil based - seemed to add to the effect.

Brit15

A concrete colour / - I use magnolia matt wall paint with matt black streaked in whilst wet for weathering effect. Try a "tester pot" from your local paint store.

Brit15

Wow... that scene will set you back 640 pounds to recreate.  500 for the two cranes and then about 140 for the Star Class.  That is a star class, correct?

You could sell the tender on Ebay !!!

Brit15

I worked for a big corporation most of my life - (British Gas). We always used a mix of contractors and own direct labour on main laying jobs etc., Both direct labour & contractors management, supervisors and gangs worked alongside each other, and treated each other with respect. There where very few conflicts. It was part of my job when supervising contractors to agree on measurements etc and get the paperwork agreed and in - every Friday. Quick payment on agreed work was also written into every contract, and any (usually minor) disputes had to be sorted the following week. The contract gangs weekly wages were dependent on this - and some of them were very big and strong lads !!!.

The system worked well for years and years, Then National grid "took us over" and began with mega changes, 5000 staff had to go, and off I went with an offer I could not refuse.

Brit15

No contract needed if snow clearance was still with the local authority!

 

As Carillion had very few assets, it wasn't much more than a clearing house for service contracts, creaming off a percentage in the process. The "efficiency savings" were gained mostly from the poorer pay, conditions and pensions of the staff, a lot of whom were effectively transferred across from the public sector, and upon whose expertise Carillion depended. Politicians of all hues like to claim they're getting the public a better deal, but in reality those who gain are the top brass and the contract lawyers.

Not forgetting both politicians and brown envelope manufacturers.

Brit15

Brit15

A gravy of (crusty) Wiganers.

Brit15

For what its worth (or not !!) my father was a press photographer. He always said that only Fuji film had the colour right. This was back in the old 35mm colour slide days. He didn't shoot a lot colour though, and was a mainly an 8 on 120 Black & White Rolleiflex / Mamiya man.

I find the same today in digital photography, I have two Fuji cameras and the colour is always right, I have tried others in the past, Canon seemed to give wishy washy colours, Nikon to vivid, My next camera will be another Fuji.

Brit15

Just back from a few beers and a pie or two with friends at the local.

Railway content - I have read that the New Springs Branch at Wigan was the first branch line built to serve industry in the world, and not only that, after the death of Huskisson at Parkside earlier, the distance between two sets of running rails was set at 6 feet when this line was built, and became a standard.

My mother was born in Belle Green Lane opposite the site of the Industrial Bee Colliery, which was closed well before I was born, but I remember the vestiges of the old line, 6 years old, swinging on the level crossing gates while a clanking old "Dub Dee" passed, a long time ago, another world.

Brit15

Ahh The screaming Valenta !!

Brit15 (HST fan !!)

Long time since I posted - I must do some updates soon.

Just found this interesting site describing the Atlas O gauge range - which set me off in American O scale back in 1982 when it was as cheap as chips !!

http://tycotrain.tripod.com/atlas1970soscaleresource/index.html

Brit15

Here she is in March 68 complete with WD top feed but no yellow stripe

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/6961281477/in/album-72157625418636168/

 

48773's stripe a bit of a nonsense then?

 

Phil

There was some controversy re 8F's and yellow stripes - I seem to remember reading that they striped the wrong loco. I'll try to dig out the reference.

Brit15

Just had a look at my rail trip book (which starts in July 1963)

My last BR steam hauled train was on a cold, wet misty 25 November 1967, a round trip.

Wigan Wallgate to Liverpool Exchange  DMU M50775

Liverpol Exchange to Preston                 Black 5 45281

Preston to Manchester Victoria               Black 5 44816

Manchester Victoria to Wigan Wallgate  DMU NE51814

And that was the end of BR steam for me !!

Brit15