great northern

Sun Castle is having rather a short stop, just three minutes booked. The FO 5.05 KX-Newcastle, running out of course, now appears, with a gleaming Happy Knight at the head. It was usually far from clean, but in the summer of 58 Top Shed acquired it, and photos show that they immediately put it into 34A condition.

I don't know. Have you?

The last of the plonks for the time being. If we thread our way carefully htrough the stock and clutter to the left, we will get a view of our local A2/3 Sun Castle heading the 4.40 FO Doncaster -KX.

What a jolly good idea that isn't.

We can't have a portrait of one signal box without doing the same for the other, so here is Crescent Junction box. I could take that photo because the WD had moved its wagons out of the way, and here it is again, now crawling past the B17 towards the signal at danger ahead.

Another angle on the tranship shed. The problem with this is that I have a change of level to the right, which was not there on the real thing. Not very inspiring, so we shall look at a WD coming round the bend with a pick up goods from Ashburton Grove as well.

Next plonk looks at the tranship shed, and its surroundings. I didn't intend to do anything more here, as it was off scene, but now we've extended down the road more, I think I need to look at it again. I have to say that no immediate solution springs to mind. Then I thought you should be given a loco to look at, instead of wall to wall plonks, so here is a side on close up of a lovely B17.

But it can be very good mitigation...... with the right lawyer, of course.

Oh no, I don't think so, my mate Clive is mischievous, but never malicious.

What do you mean "in case"? You always have one concealed about your person, and even if you don't you find one which I've tried to hide, and use that.

Yes, I agree Ian. I think it was just a momentary bout of madness on my part. PN will continue, and I will content myself with finding minor tweaks and additions to keep me going.

Oh that would never do Ian. Steve, Phil and I all live in the hope that one day when he brings more cut and shuts to show us, they will have been painted. I couldn't do anything which ruled out that possibility, however unlikely it may be.

That is a very nice thought, and I wish that it was possible. Unfortunately it isn't though, for a number of reasons. The immediate problem is that the room in only 10ft wide, just enough to allow three foot radius curves into and out of the station and fiddle yard, so there would be no room to insert the necessary junctions. Then, even if I could do that, we have to look at gradients. I dislike them and avoid them, and in this situation I'd be looking at sharp curves on steep rise and fall sections, which is not a good idea. My Pacifics have to handle up to 13 coach trains, which they would not be able to do. I should say that over 30 years ago I tried something of that sort, and it was a bit of a disaster. Finally, if the new scenic section was to be at the front, it would go over my cassette road and access to the main fiddle yard, which is essential to allow me to run the sequence as it now works. I don't like pouring cold water on suggestions which are intended to help me, bit in this case I have to conclude that it just can't be done.

Now we have been granted special access to mr slightly posh person's garden to get this view. from there, and in complete contrast, we went and pointed the camera down to the far end of Cowgate. A bit more detail needed down here, and it would help if the camera ceased warping walls.

A look along the main station building. and what you would have seen if you were walking up Station Road towards the forecourt. But you would have been looking to the left to see the trains, wouldn't you?

On with the plonks, though this one does feature some locomotives as well,,, and a diesel. and a look at the side door of the hotel.

On with the plonks. Looking along and past the water tower... and a look at North box and a neighbouring hut.

Something different now. Just over a week ago, I got what at the time was a rare sunny day, so I decided to get as many images as I could, which meant some plonks, well quite a lot actually. Of course since that time sunny days have been regular, so now I have a full image store anyway, but never mind. This morning's star is the little Sentinel, together with its ex GN departmental coach. Very rarely do I get in the whole width of the layout, but this one did, and so didn't get any cropping.

If I'm on my own I always follow the sequence, as I like to have a purpose for what I'm doing. When I have visitors I run trains that are in the fiddle yard and which aren't going to get stock in the wrong place when I start the sequence again, and try to satisfy any requests people may make. You may remember that when Rob and Mick tried to run things there were immediate problems caused by my insistence on having crossovers at each end of the fiddle yard and thus creating constant conflicting movements, so it has to be one operator really, and as I'm the one person who knows all the command numbers without having to look them up, that means me. I'm too idle to go through 366 slides and amend them, so some of them are out of date. I know that, but anyone who doesn't would run ito problems. Eric always brings some locos, but we can't run them as they are DC. I have had some visiting DCC fitted ones, and they are always welcome. If I were to succumb to temptation and have what David Jenkinson called his "funny trains", I'd have been in the bankruptcy Court years ago. I just wouldn't have the self discipline to know when to stop acquiring yet more stuff. It has been difficult enough to keep myself on the straight and narrow with things that actually did run through PN in my period. A D2 is still very tempting though, but if I give way to that, I shall immediately think of something else as soon as I have it. Having said all that I do have fun, but for me it comes from recreating what I remember so well even after all these years, and knowing that I've done what I can to make it realistic. My spirits always rise when I have a B17 standing at Platform 6! Point rodding? No chance, as it would be a huge job, and one I am certainly not now equipped to tackle. I did discuss it with Peter Leyland once, and we came to the conclusion that if it was going to be done at all, it really had to be done at the time when the track was being laid. On reading all of this again it does come over as being a bit negative and sound as though I am firmly set in my ways. That would be because I am!

I've been up and given it another really good looking at, Phil, and I still can't see how to handle the south end. Next time you are here hopefully you may be able to give me some ideas. And if you are down that end Clive will find it much more difficult to smuggle a bus onto the bridge. He won't be able to do it from the other side, because he'll be afraid of getting stuck again. There were only the two sidings, so I can't add more, but its a pity I didn't think of a foldy down section for the two I have. Too late now, of course, and I'd probably be too idle to put all the stock on there every time anyway.

So, on the 9th of the month I took this final photo of the departing A5. then it was four whole days before I ran the layout again, and I hadn't finished off the move to the fiddle yard, so it was still there, and I really can't be expected to remember what I did four days ago, can I? So I took yet another photo. It has definitely gone now though.

Another 9F emerges from the yards and heads off to satisfy London's insatiable appetite for coal. And the A5 is off on its way home to Grantham, it now being 6.15pm.

On goes the Class 10 diesel, with its Blackstone engine no doubt making a bit of a racket. Meanwhile in the bay a Class 105 diesel multiple unit will also be adding to the din. from the opposite direction we can see the Class 105 again, plus the huge bonus of a view of the absolutely wonderful Class A5 tank engine.

The only alternative would be to go back up into the loft, and I fancy that even less than I did in 2010 when I last abandoned it. I've been and run trains today in comfort, but up there it would have been awful.

We haven't. John, as it wouldn't be very spectacular. I well remember as an overexcited ten year old going down to Lincoln Central having heard that the ECML trains were to be diverted on a Sunday, and being very disappointed, as very little happened and we rapidly got bored and went and tried to sneak round the shed instead. So, even if I just ignore all the somnolent intervals it wouldn't be a very long sequence.