APOLLO

We Wiganers are quite friendly. We teach visitors how to communicate at Wigan North Western before you get out of the station !! Brit15

We have our own passports in Wigan !! As to ID, why ? - I know who I am !! (everyone else can sod off !!). Brit15

I always liked the old NE region colours of light blue & white with orange nameboards. Many of there colour light signals with long hoods were distinctive to the region also. I have one of the last NE region timetables with an orange cover, from 1967 if I remember. Not very thick compared to others !! Brit15

There's only one game worth watching. RIP Inga. Brit15

As I mentioned David Jenkinson earlier, I was doing a bit of Googling and found this interesting little video. Brit15

Buckingham is a superb layout I have been a fan of since the 1960's. I'm glad it still exists. I still have the Railway Modeller "Denny Special" in which his gas works always intrigued me - perhaps persuading me to join "The North Western Gas Board" as an apprentice technician at Wigan gas works back in 1969. Peter's method of making gas holders got me into bother with my mum, laminating / gluing layers of cardboard round two cooking pans of differing diameter !!!! Other layouts that fascinated me in the 60's were Frank Dyers "Borchester" and David Jenkinsons S&C layouts, often mentioned on here. Here is another short interesting passenger train on my O gauge layout. Lead Loco is an Atlas F9 painted by me B unit is a home made unit from two A units, still awaiting final painting / lettering The Baggage car is a Williams cast resin body, painted & finished by me. The green combine is a La Belle wood kit, nicely built and finished, an ebay bargain. Finally the last coach I bought as an unfinished home made shell from Norman Wissendens shop many years ago. It was glazed and painted but needed a roof, interior, bogies and couplings. The roof is a solid piece of wood, the observation end needs a bit more sanding / filling. Finished in Southern Pacific "Daylight" livery, just needs lettering. Interior seats etc from a Bachman Underground Ernie building !!! The prototype had a flatish roof. Such short, mixed consist trains were common up to the 60's or so all over the USA. Brit15

And that comment opens a whole new subject - running strange, unusual but prototypical trains (long or perhaps preferably short). Mix of stock / loco power etc. Anyone run them ? - I do on occasions. One offs though (as per prototype). Here's one, on the high mine branch where it should not be - a test run !! Loco is a Rock Island (ex Union Pacific) F Unit as per prototype. The Coach (Combine) is a presumed hand built ebay bargain as is the Caboose / Flanger. An odd assortment but a short train that, to me, "looks right". Brit15

July 1971, age 19, steam hunting in Germany, first stop Hamburg. We spied this Deutsche Reichsbahn loco on a Berlin bound train and I took these photos with some trepidation, thinking the guy on the steps was Gestapo !!! Trips behind steam Hamburg to Westerland, Rheine to Norddeich and Koblenz to Trier followed. A most enjoyable holiday and first trip overseas (by boat from Harwich to Hook V Holland) I bought a Rokal TT pacific in Trier and was a little miffed when I found out it would not run through my Tri-ang TT pointwork. Not to be outdone I fitted the outside loop with modified GEM points ans all ran OK (altered the guard rails inwards a tad). I still have the loco in a display case. Brit15

Holiday to Germany 2006, the fantastic Technik museum at Speyer. This is the first exhibit in the entrance foyer, recognise it ? Why it's the engine that won WW2, better than any German engine they admit !!! There's even a Jag or two in there !! And some locos, like this monster. A huge model railway layout also. Can anyone translate this ? It was on the one of the coaches below. Das U boat englander crew !! Well worth a visit if you are over there. Brit15

The bridge over the River Kwai would make a good model - Nothing like in the film though. The nearby museum is well worth a visit. The military cemetery across the road is very well kept. Brit15

Pendolino bogies are powered, and in my experience they run smooth and quiet at all speeds, and through point work etc. Also they are getting on a bit in age now. NOT looking forward to their replacements. And HOW will HS2 stock perform ? Brit15

There is a common sense / safety balance to be drawn between the two "extremes", erring of course on the side of safety. Agree the safety culture is not very advanced in Thailand. Brit15

Thai railways cope just fine during floods - Diesel Hydraulics !!! Brit15

Just to complete the picture (ran out of Mb on last post) here is the flood on the other (west) side not far of rail level last December. Footpath unwalkable past here. All these pictures (and more) were put in a report by compiled by neighbours & myself to all the relevant authorities. To be honest we might as well have prayed to the rain gods !!! Urinating in a strong headwind is the Wigan phrase oft used !! Brit15

West Coast Main Line 1.5 miles north of Wigan, near my house. Barley Brook passes under the line twice within 100m, and floods in high rainfall. The northern culvert (on my side, the east of the line) is shown here a couple of weeks ago after heavy rain. This was reported to Network Rail last year by myself (separate occasion). They sent a guy out when it was pitch black but promised to look into it. The problem here is definitely within the railway fence. We residents have problems further downstream, these are United Utilities / Wigan MBC problems though. We also had the Environment Agency visit. They're as useful as a chocolate fireguard. "Remedies" are still in progress (NOT the culvert shown below though, no one bothers about this as it floods the railway land on the other side !!. All photos taken on the public side of the fence. Same culvert other (west) side, took some finding in the dense vegetation !! This is the downstream culvert normal flow last August. This is the downstream culvert during flood last December. It is backing up from another culvert further downstream under a road embankment (owned by Wigan MBC), Network Rail promised a full inspection of this culvert. Results as yet unknown. I keep my eyes on this lot, (and more) especially after heavy rain. Some houses nearby got seriously flooded in December. We have a local neighbours whatsapp group (useful) and have all the contact details ready, along with names, email addresses etc. Yes they were helpful (Except the EA), but the brook infrastructure, culverts etc was designed over 150 years ago !! Luckily (for me) the railway is on a 1in150 incline rising out of town, so we are pretty high up. If the flood reaches rail level it will just run south and cause mayhem elsewhere !!! Global warming or lack of maintenance ? - Both I reckon. Brit15

Here are a few shots taken the other day of my O gauge garage layout. I had to take out and repair a leaking window unit do took the opportunity to stick my head and the camera through and take some shots at angles I cannot normally observe. Would have been more pleasant in summer !! Back of the Diesel Depot, I'll paint that oversize home made brass £2 ebay "bargain" signal one day !! High & Low level yards / stations. Looking across to Echo Canyon. The B unit will get its Rock Island maroon (LMS Crimson Lake I think !!) soon. Panoramic view !! Brit15

Same at "The Gas Board" - British Gas etc. Whilst attending incidents we were also told to direct any questions etc to a higher manager, who often attended. If not on site his phone number was given to the press - that got him out of bed and on site quick on many occasions !!!! Or tell them to ask Sid !!! Brit15

These are useful for the non DCC modeller !!!! Brit15

Stereo too - one at each end !!!! Brit15

I read about such a system with distributed speakers under the layout in an American model railroad magazine quite a few years ago. The sound moved speaker to speaker somehow. Model locomotive sound doesn't hack it for me, especially steam, it just does not seem right. Having said that I have two O scale non DCC sound fitted locos. Both Atlas. Both bought s/hand off ebay, and the first one I did not know it was sound fitted (F7 diesel loco) - scared the living daylight out of me when placed on the track and power was applied !!! The other is a 0-6-0 steam switcher. The "chuff" of which is (to me) unrealistic a tad annoying. On both locos a low voltage starts the sound but no loco movement occurs untill a higher voltage is applied. Various air pump sounds, gurgles, bangs etc are generated. To sound the horn / whistle you toggle the reversing switch, a quick double toggle action sets off the bell noisily !!. You would think the loco would reverse but it doesn't unless you stop it. Very noisy (like many Yanks !!). I don't particularly want anymore, but they are nice locomotives, run and haul well. Brit15

This is one https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H43490/2024-02-28/detailed Brit15

Nay, HS2 is a wonderful development with world class engineering. It's the bats bits that ain't being built that causes angst. Brit15

HS2 Bat tunnel costing £40Million being built. Lucky bats !!!!!! Here is Wigan Wallgate's bat tunnel !!, looking towards Bolton / Manchester. The station building (a listed structure), main road and a row of shops are built on it. As you can see the bridges (2 of them) are in a poor condition and are held up by these contraptions. Bolton to Wigan is currently being electrified, but not here to Wallgate due to the above (many £££££). It will go to nearby North Western, so no electrics to Wallgate or even trains to Headbolt Lane (Kirby) or Southport by the new secondhand bi mode 319's possible. A total shambles of an "investment" in trains and electrification if the above is not sorted, which in the current economic climate it very much seems it won't be. THIS (and many, many other similar infrastructure atrocities) is what we flat capped, clog and shawl wearing third class northerners want a bit of investment on. We are not overly bothered about HS2, 225 mph, and many £millions spent on bats and great crested newts etc. Oh and get these b***dy strikes sorted. THEY are killing our railways (and affecting my daughters new job in Manchester). Brit15

Great modeling idea - something different. Lostock Hall, August 1968, just a few days to go. Now replace these with three electrics !! Brit15

I use a piece of fuse wire left in place - but the applicator needle still blocks. Handy tip re pin. Brit15