StaffsOatcake

There’s huge differences between the 22 and 29. Just as there between the 21 and 29, from which the beast was altered. But when I spoke to them at Telford /Kettering they wanted to get the 4mm 21/29 right, before they even considered either of the NBL loco’s in bigger sizes. And tbh honest I can’t blame them.

Looking forward to this model as it will fit nicely into my colliery exchange sidings.

Well still sounded good and going strong

When I go down next weekend I'll find out where the quarry is that is producing 25,000 tons of stone per day and transporting it to Port. The lorries must be backing up along the cob and down the high street. The average 8 wheeler will be taking a load of 21/23 ton each trip. So that's over a 1000 lorry loads in 8 hours. 4 loads a minute at least. Somehow, I think there's a least one too many noughts on that figure. Work is expected to go for quiet a few weeks yet so at over 125,000 ton a week we expect that part of Wales to sink slowly in the Irish Sea just in time for re-opening. lol

Some images of Crianlarich are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/staffsoatcake/6195727407/in/set-72157627627700181 http://www.flickr.com/photos/staffsoatcake/6196240260/in/set-72157627627700181/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/staffsoatcake/6196243146/in/set-72157627627700181/

The class 37 sound will be all wrong. It's based on a twelve cylinder beat rather than the 16 cylinder noise of a 16SVT installed in the the Class 40's and the 10000/1 locos. Hatton';s have a video of their 4mm loco on test and I'm looking forward to receiving mine and maybe a class 40 sound chip to add to it too.

97304+97303 off to Macynlleth again today. More testing??

Site plans that are issued are now done in both Miles/Chains and Kilometres. Bloody Napoleon!!

The cambrian coast is now essentially an ERTMS system. Only the specially modified 158 units at the 97/3's that have been calibrated to the system are allowed across the route. The testing phase still continues with a Windup (Winderhoff) thingys now been tested. The inital problems related to screen displays on the units fitted in the 158's (you couldnt see them in certain lighting conditions) but testing took a hit when a woman was killed by a light engine 97/3 near Penryhdudraeth which showed there was issues relating to calibration of the stock used on the route. There interesting arrangements with the Welsh Highland Flat Crossing at Portmadoc, and when I can be persuaded to visit it from my usual haunts in the other direction from Portmadoc, I'll go and witness the crossing process first hand that i have only read about in the FR rule book

That is what happens in a free market. those that provide the cheapest and best contract offers usually get the contracts. regardless of whether they have tugs as motive power or not. The Tugs are doomed to fade away into history as EWS loose more and more contracts. Sad state of affairs..

Should have spelt it out proper like Mack Nelly Eth

According my late fathers logs. (he logged every location he took a photograph). Both of you are wrong. he has it down at Stirling in 1961. Which may be right as he was based at Stirling castle at that time as part of his army service

there a few different nose ends in this gallery Flickr 37

The is the scene around Leek Brook in June 1982 or 1983. 25086 did the honours on one trip and 250xx the other. When I sent report to Rail Enthusiast magazine they mis quoted me and it sounded like 47136 to 25086 was also attached. 47136 was working the Oakamoor St Helens sand train. I never sent any more information to Rail enthusiast

The City of Stoke-on-Trent is the conurbation that includes. Tunstall, Burslem (the Mother Town and one time largest of the 6 towns), Hanley (not the largest, but most central and with most main A roads running through and meeting in it (this is it used to be decided where a city centre was) and now the main shopping area which is why the council like to refer to as the City Centre), Stoke upon Trent. ( the city admin district and home to the main Station with a through London service, which is why it became SoT), Fenton and Longton

Leek Brook is the correct railway spelling and the village is Leekbrook Bramshall nr Uttoxeter was Bromshall on the railway

Finally my Flickr site contains most of the images from my old fotopic site. And there are also some new ones. it can be found here and there are 1400+ images to have a look at. I've not finished grouping them yet but all have a brief description. So go and have a butchers. Flickr Site

Carless Fuels at Bradwell/Longport. This used to occupy both sides of the line and was served by a service from Immingham and in later days was class 37 hauled.

I've found this in my late fathers collections of slides. My father was based at Stirling castle when he served with the army, at various scottish locations. I'm not sure if this is Stirling or not Sorry about the quality.

That's reassuring. When did freightliner drivers last work the route, as I've obviously missed an opportunity for some rare motive power on the route? Hoping the 70's get a chance to show their power on the drag from Stoke junction to Caverswall as that should be a bit more entertaining than the slow and I mean slow progress of the sheds over the hill. The 60's certainly put the sheds to disgrace on that climb with a full load. Blue Tug on LBT-Ratcliffe

That's a bummer FLHH drivers are not route cleared for Stoke-Derby at present. usually go via Lichfield-Burton.

They ran as a result of the collapse of Fastline as DBs steeped into that contract. The LBT - Ratcaliffe runs I've only recorded working in the early months of the year. It'll be interesting to see if they run this year

I wouldn't want the bogies off 70012. Thats what it landed on when it was dropped. &005 is reported to now be at Loughboro

they work a bit further a field that just the Fiddlers ferry circuit Here is 60010 and 60085 doing the honours on the LBT to Ratcliffe runs 60010 60085

It did and the and engine room fire was the result