Ian Smeeton

FEPOW Memorial Locomotive Appeal “to keep going the spirit that kept them going”. Rocks by Rail – the Living Ironstone Museum is a small volunteer run community based industrial railway museum located near Cottesmore in Rutland, England. The Museum is an educational charity and within its collection is the Far Eastern Prisoner of War steam locomotive SINGAPORE. The loco was built in the UK in in 1936 and supplied to the Royal Navy Dockyard in Singapore. On 15th February 1942 the locomotive, in company with 80,000 allied servicemen, became a prisoner of war of the Japanese upon the Fall of Singapore. The loco often worked alongside parties of prisoners unloading ships in the dockyard. Repatriated in 1953 the loco finished its military service at Chatham Naval Dockyard in 1972 before being preserved. Resident in Rutland since 1979 the loco is a registered UK war memorial to FEPOW’s. Restored to working order in 1998 the loco last steamed in 2008. Funds are being raised to overhaul the loco as a working war memorial but a few years ago these plans received a significant setback when thieves broke in and stole parts of the loco valve gear. Manufacturing replacement new parts and carrying out other repairs to return it to steam again will prove very expensive for the small volunteer run museum. However the museum plans to continue with its restoration plans but the associated costs will now be much higher. Consequently the Museum has launched a public appeal to help fund this work which would see the locomotive returned to steam rather than remain a static exhibit. A target of £40,000 has been set for the appeal fund and any donations by way of cheques should be made out to Rutland Railway Museum and handed in at the museum or sent to: RBR Treasurer, FEPOW Memorial Locomotive Appeal, 4 Main Street, Stanford on Soar, Loughborough LE12 5PY Regards Ian

Wasn't there a strike not long after the introduction of the 325s which led to the Post Office abandoning rail? Regards Ian

As long as you have your priorities right. Regards Ian

part from those actually allocated there, https://shedbashuk.blogspot.com/search?q=inverness shows the locos actually seen there. Regards Ian

I like this one Regards Ian

LEST WE FORGET : THE FALL OF SINGAPORE 15th February 1942 On the 80th Anniversary of its capture by Japanese forces the Museum held a short commemoration of the Fall of Singapore The centrepiece of the ceremony was Royal Navy dockyard steam locomotive SINGAPORE, now an official Far Eastern Prisoner of War Memorial. A wreath was laid beneath the memorial nameplate supplemented by the placing of white orchids (the Far East conflict flower of Remembrance ) to remember the 80,000 British and Australian servicemen who became prisoners of war under the Japanese occupation. The contempt for the welfare of the prisoners shown by their Japanese captors knew no bounds and they suffered a poor diet, unrelenting hard labour and harsh treatment. One in four of the prisoners did not survive their captivity. The ceremony closed with a reading of the Kohima Epitaph, When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today. Never forget Regards Ian

Go etched before whitemetal. The etches are more forgiving of lingering too long with the iron. Ask me how I know!! Regards Ian

Many years ago, a friend of mine had a pair of Tibetan Terriers. Specially bred to keep Tibetan Monks' feet warm in Himalayan winters, it is a little known fact that TT's can climb trees. Tosh had a dog and a b!tch. The dog , Monty, was often found up his apple tree. Tosh appeared in my pub one night with a very long face. Monty had climbed the apple tree, leapt across to the boundary hedge and fence, descended the other side, snuck through a gap in next doors hedge, and got the next door but one's family's English Bull Mastiff in the family way. The owner was not exactly pleased. He was threatening Tosh with all sorts. I sympathised, (after laughing my head off) I then pointed out that the Tibetan Terrier is closely related to the Shih tszyu, so if the resulting pups were sold as English Bull Shih tszyus, then he might get away with it. The Bull Mastiff's owner was mollified, the pups sold (for a very good price) and Tosh remained intact, unlike Monty. Off topic, I know. Regards Ian

Interesting, no trap from the siding. Regards Ian

Looking at this map: https://maps.nls.uk/view/104201374 It looks as if the roof extension only went part way. Regards Ian

Rocks by Rail Remembers LEST WE FORGET : THE FALL OF SINGAPORE On Sunday the 15th February 1942 the garrison commander in war torn Singapore finally ordered a cessation of hostilities. Early December 1941 had seen the almost simultaneous Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbour and invasion of the Malayan coast. The defence plan for Singapore and its naval base relied on the availability of a modern airforce and significant naval forces. However the Japanese quickly established air supremacy whilst the early loss of battleships “Prince of Wales” and “Repulse” to Japanese air attack, left Singapore dangerously exposed. Despite valiant efforts to stop the Japanese advance through Malaya British Forces fell back to the island fortress of Singapore. The large coastal defence guns at Singapore island, guarding the ocean approaches, however proved of little use in trying to repel the Japanese attack from the mainland. During the regular air attacks on Singapore naval dockyard a shunting locomotive sustained bullet and shrapnel damage. The situation deteriorated following a Japanese assault on the Island and the surrender of Singapore saw nearly 80,000 British and Australian servicemen, in company with the dockyard locomotive, become prisoners of war of the Japanese. This was a major military defeat of great significance. Accounts from former prisoners confirm that the little locomotive too was put to work by the Japanese often working alongside parties of prisoners from a local PoW camp unloading Japanese supply ships. The contempt for the welfare of the prisoners shown by their Japanese captors knew no bounds and they suffered a poor diet, unrelenting hard labour and harsh treatment. Many, having been denied medical aid, and despite the best efforts of allied medical staff in improvised facilities, died in terrible circumstances watched only by their mates. It is perhaps the greatest indictment of the Japanese military that they fully supported what was going on to the extent that as the tide of war finally turned against them they issued orders that in the event of allied invasion all prisoners of war were to be eliminated and no traces left. Only the dropping of the atomic bombs and the subsequent surrender of the Japanese in August 1945 saved the remaining prisoners from certain death. One in four of the prisoners did not survive their captivity. The dockyard steam locomotive from Singapore was repatriated to the UK in 1953 and continued its career working at the Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham until retired in 1972. Upon withdrawal the loco was preserved and in 1998 became a registered war memorial to the courage, comradeship and sacrifice of former Far Eastern Prisoners of War of the Japanese. As a mark of respect and remembrance to all Far Eastern Prisoners of War (FEPOW) the memorial steam locomotive SINGAPORE will be on special commemorative display at the Museum at the 80th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore on Tuesday 15th February 2022. A short commemoration will take place at midday when the FEPOW prayer will be read and a wreath and orchid flowers placed on the loco footplate – in memoriam. Anybody interested in this short commemoration is very welcome to attend. RbR Feb 2022

Tried that, He didn't take it! More fool him, very expensive, too. Regards Ian

The best thing about good advice, is that you don't HAVE to take it. Regards Ian

This is a small extract from a Britain from above image of Paisley Canal0 https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/SAW046354 for the full image. The top siding shows a number of PO Minerals, some recently repaired at the buffer stop end, and one with a plank missing 4th from the left. Prepare to lose hours if not days in Britain from above. Well worth signing up to the site. Free, no spam emails etc, but you can zoom right in. Regards Ian

According to my old man, I have already retired into well paid pensionhood. In reality, another 10 years to go, but I intend to enjoy them!! Regards Ian

35 years in the licensed trade working 100 + hours a week, followed by 5 years in a factory doing the second most boring job in the world (Plastic injection moulding machine operator) I DEFINITELY have the best job in the world. The Grass is SO green, I'm colourblind. Regards Ian

According to my friends, the best job in the world is Porn Star. Sounds too much like hard work to me. I think I have the best job in the world. I sit around all day watching t!ts and tw@ts I am a crossing keeper on the railway. 8 hrs max, sitting in a nice warm and dry cabin, or in the sunshine. Getting up maybe a dozen times in a shift to open the gates for motorists. The t!ts, well they are on the bird feeder. The others, well they are generally clad in Lycra, earbuds in, and likely to launch themselves across the crossing without reading the wallpaper. You know.... And night shifts are fantastic for modelling. 8 more or less uninterrupted hours to crack on with wagon kits (at the moment, more than 80 more or less complete since last April) What's not to like. Regards Ian

Oh Yes!! Regards Ian

Those look rather nice. Do you have dimensions for the axles, yet? Only asking as I may want a few to convert to 2mm fs Regards Ian

I have heard of whatever surface material being used being filed or sanded down after laying to give a suitably fine appearance. I haven't tried it yet, though Regards Ian

Not a clue, this thread moves so fast it might be 5, 10 or 50 pages back, but it was only in the last few weeks. Regards Ian

There was some controversy over the thickness of lining on verticals compared to horizontals some pages back. I have just come across this post: which may solve the argument, or fan the flames again. Regards Ian

J10667 Tortoise & Hare? Regards Ian

Possible... but Paisley St James had one. Not many sheep there. Banff, too, but according to the thread, the GNoSR didn't have any double deck sheep wagons. Regards Ian I have had a quick look for photos, but can't find the one I was looking for.

Many places in Scotland (and some in other parts) have loading banks at two levels. The lower level seems to be about the right height to roll barrels, sack trucks etc onto a van or wagon with side doors. The upper level looks to be about the level of the top plank of, say, a 5 plank merchandise wagon or mineral. No good for unloading, but useful for loading, I suppose. Why were these two level banks provided? Regards in anticipation, Ian