gronk the shunter

ive searched for ages to find a shot of a class 40 on the Bolton and Leigh, pretty sure this is, at Hulton sidings. lovely shot..

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rgadsdon/8513240116/

That's about a mile away from where my fictional "Over Hulton" is set! Now I must have one, and quickly!  

By the way what type of hoppers are they?

The diesel engine for the thumper is interesting.  It's on my (long term) to do list to make a pair of napiers for my deltic.

Seeing the price reduction at the signal box I'm tempted to buy a couple, but when did the modification to the cab roof take place?  Could the pre-tops roofed one be correct for 1975 ish with a renumber into the 85xxx series and a double arrow? 

What do you mean by this quote?

I meant I hope that Heljan don't do the same with the western as they did with the 86s, ie not listen to feedback and end up producing a poorer model than they could have done.

Oh God here we go again................. is this going to turn out to be another 86 style balls up? I really hope not.

I have to say that despite my reservations about Heljan's execution of the 76 (not to mention the price but let's not get into that again!!!) it really does look very convincing indeed, especially the overhead. Looking forward to seeing more photo's of it especially when weathered, fading down those primrose roofs. I'm very envious!!

Is there no way you can get the pantograph to touch the wires?, I think it would definitely be worth the effort.

Some will be needed in the Thames Valley...

 

The HLOS actually says 'New Electric Trains' for the valleys, but how accurate that is we'll find out. Plenty of pacers out there to replace.

My bet, which is based on nothing but a hunch, is that south Wales can look forward to class 313's/315's displaced by thameslink / crossrail. Then again some bright spark (pun intended) might try an put a pantograph on a pacer!

Ref electric loco's, last year Bombardier offered a TRAXX derivative for use in the UK (with 'last mile' capability) as a potential class 90 replacement for Anglia services - nothing came of it (or at least nothing has yet) but they clearly think they have a capable design.

Of course, with a bit more "strategic" planning we'd still have a fleet of 35 relatively modern 5000hp electric bo-bo locos (class 87) that could run in multiple, that would have cost nothing to buy and had a fair few years left in them until there was enough wiring to justify the higher costs of brand new loco's. At least the Bulgarian's and the scrapman were kept happy. Or am I being overly simplistic?

Also on the bbc site it says;

"an upgrade of parts of the East Coast Main Line from London to the north of England."

could this be Doncaster-Hull electrification??

Bearing in mind the apparent low cost (relatively speaking, I wouldn't mind spending 1/76 of that much on my railway!!) I'd say that the pantograph cars in merideans are a certainty, the ordering of which will be spun to say how the government are supporting jobs in Derby.....although they won't actually build them there.

40106 was rather a special loco and got repainted in green (incorrectly on the roof) during the blue era. Did you mean the locos painted during the green era and lasted longest in this livery after green had been abandoned?

I would have thought the answer is still the same, 40106, since the only reason 40106 was special if I remember correctly was because it was the last loco in green, hence the decision to paint it green again, rather than repaint a blue loco green as was the case with the Liverpool street pilot 08. However having just read this site http://www.railblue.com/rail_blue_history_2.htm it seems that the last loco in green in normal service was 20141. So why was 40106 repainted green in 1978? I don't rmember that at that time 40's were especially a big deal.

Also all class 47's were blue before 1980, all were blue by late 1977.

Better add mine. Set in the late 1970's between Wigan and Bolton in the south lancashire coalfield. Only uses 6 feet of track, not including the fiddle yards.

It really looks like glorious weather in East Yarde, then I looked out of the window and see it's pouring down with rain here again!

Keep the photo's coming, it really is a great railway you're building there.

Gorgeous layout, how I envy your grass!! And C&L track really looks the business, makes me wish I'd used it myself rather than respace Peco.

Thanks for posting these, despite being based around Manchester and being interested in railways for 40 years I'd never even heard of them!

Do the Manchester Glasgow TPI,s have good passenger loadings as it seems a long way on a dmu comfortable as the 185,s are?

Even with 6 cars they're usually full and standing by the time they reach Bolton

Fantastic collection of loco's Brian I'm incredibly envious! On your website there's a picture of illuminated dials (in a class 20 I think) which looks incredible, where did you get the dials from? And (sorry to ask so many questions) are the handles on the jltrt engine compartment doors replacements? or do they come with the kit?

Keep up the fabulous work - it's inspiring:)

There's an assumption here that "Diesel" powerplants will remain the same as they have been and that the alternative is to switch to electric, but this ignores various changes that are happenning or could be done to improve the emissions and fuel consumption of "Self powered" traction.

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That s why I said initially the last DIESEL loco/train. Hydrogen fuel cells/hybrid-electric/battery locos, something like that will take over pretty soon I'd think. Atomic powered trains anyone?

Anyone think that in 40 years when the last diesel runs (wonder if 66's or 70's will last that long) there'll be the same nostalgia as in 1968 when the last steam train ran?

I'm interested as to why you think loco's would come from a european manufacturer Burkitt. Apart from the 67's being built in Spain with GM bits and the romanian 56's have any locos ever been built and designed by a european manufacturer? I still think that the 70 may be the last ever new diesel, (but maybe we'll see another batch for DRS or someone,) after all which bank will put up the money for an oil burner with a 30 year life when oil reserves are due to run out in its life time in addition to the PR problem of emissions during climate change. Who knows what financial penalties future governments will impose on emissions?

Seems a bit weird to think about this but with climate change and the sudden swing towards electrification are we looking at the last new diesel locos/ trains ever for the UK?