great northern

Another wet and rather dismal day, so a single image again, showing the other side of Silver King.

The 9F had six minutes to get through the station and out of the way onto the Up slow, which it has done successfully, as signals are clear for Silver King to run through with the Talisman. Dark all day yesterday, and pouring with rain again this morning, so still no more photos taken. Good news though is that I get my screen swopped on Friday, and hopefully get a better colour balance.

The 9F is now in gloom, and has been photographed further back than normal, so that with some cropping we can see details normally not in view. Some very good news today. My NCE Powerpro is more than 25 years old, and has started to do some peculiar things. NCE are very helpful, but had to tell me its mechanical parts are about life expired, so I've been looking for a replacement. That, however, is easier said than done. NCE only produce stocks to order, and owing to the world shortage of electronic gubbins have not been able to keep up with demand. I've been on a waiting list, but no closer to a solution, so I contacted NCE again to see what chance there was of one being available any time soon. They could only advise me to try to find somewhere in the world where one might be in stock. I've been trying for over a year, but everywhere has been sold out, nevertheless I gave it another go. Predictably, out of stock kept coming up until I tried E Bay, where to my surprise and delight I found TMC had had three in stock. One had already gone, and I didn't expect the other two to be there much longer, so I got in first. Very pleased indeed, as I didn't want to contemplate starting again with a different system. We just have to reprogramme all 126 route setting macros now.

Very shortly afterwards the 9F is heading on towards the gloom under the roof, while 60143 is still awaiting the guard's whistle.

Yet another 9F passes North box on its way to Ferme Park.

I couldn't resist further investigation. With help from Steve and Clive I have established that during the HMRS survey between 4th and 10th July 1958, the following were recorded:- 2 Bogie brake vans. 1 2 axle brake. At least 9 PMVs. All were in either KX-Peterborough or KX-Grantham stopping trains, a couple of which had one on every day seen. As Jonathan says, the four wheel PMVs seem to have been very common sights on the Eastern in the 50s. There may, of course, have been others in either parcels trains or in other local services. I have a photo of an Immingham B1 with Class B lamp shunting a PMV at PN, so probably an E. LIncs train, and I know I've seen plenty of others.

No sun forecast for the next week, so we are down to one image again, while I try to find a way to get sufficient light to allow reasonable results. Sir Walter is ready to depart with the Colchester-Glasgow, but there is still parcels work going on further down the train.

On the Up, more mineral wagons are rattling through behind a 9F.

Nice try Clive. Actually, it is on its way to New England, but apart from that it would be a good idea, provided I didn't live in a conservation area, had enough spare cash, and we could figure out a way to get up to build it, as it is directly above the pond. Seriously, I wish it could be included, as it would mean I could have some locos which are otherwise always just off scene.

Framlingham again. I never saw the loco, but was very impressed with the castle when we went on a family holiday to Southwold in my early teens. Proper castle, that. Mind you, we hadn't been to North Wales at that time. Here's 61603 coming in... and then coming off.

Here comes the Colchester-Glasgow, with Cambridge B2 Framlingham at the head. This could have been a Cambridge duty, I think, and I am partial to B2s, which is reason enough anyway. It is over 30 years since Mike Russell built this for me. We still have someone up on the bridge, and he got this shot.

I didn't think about the matchboard Thompsons Tony, but one of those wouldn't have caused confusion, would it? As to the Southern van, I'm sure I have one, and I remember weathering it, but I can't find it at the moment. I'll have a closer look tomorrow. I know from the HMRS survey that Southern vans were not at all uncommon, but they seem to have been mainly attached to the KX-PN stopping trains.

In mitigation, and I did plenty of mitigation speeches in my time, I think what threw all of us was that this is a steel panelled vehicle to Dia 198, the exception to the general rule that Gresley BGs were teak sided, whereas Thompsons were steel. So good are my mitigating powers, we may all now take off our hair shirts, but we are on a conditional discharge.

60143 has completed its journey from Up to Down, and is resting out of the way in the bay. Dunno how the text got in the centre like that. Anyway, that allowed the J15 to get its parcels vans out of the way and to New England, freeing up Platform 6 for the Colchester-Glasgow.

Memo to self. Try looking at the image, rather than relying on memory. I think Steve does have a Thompson BG on the to do list, or have I got that wrong too?

Sir Walter Scott is backing down the engine road, and will cross to wait for the arrival of the Colchester-Glasgow. I'm liking these across the tracks views more and more, but I did a closer one for those who prefer not to be so far away from the action.

No, its a kit built one that Steve @31A built for me a few months ago. Definitely superior to the Bachmann one.

Three rather different BGs behind that B1. The last one is the stranger, of course, but I do have photos of them at PN, even on M&GN trains, and a summer 1958 Railway Observer notes one of them at PN on this train, marked "Return to Penzance". Not many more passenger trains to come now, so with only three on the B1 stops as close to the parcels office as it can get, and officialdom is likely to turn a blind eye to the emission of smoke under the roof.

So what's next? Yet another B1, with the peculiar Grimsby-KX parcels train that is shown in the CWN as loading to just two BGs. Tonight it has three. This being a Friday, at least it means another B1 will be in position at KX to take one of the Skegness trains the following morning. Both sides shown, as is now the norm, and in the morning we shall look at the three BGs individually.

As the 02 moves away from the camera, that run down B1 starts its slow journey to Grimsby. Our man then wastes another costly colour shot on a shabby B1. Perhaps it was the last on the roll, and time for him to go home.

The K2 is followed by a GN cab 02/2 with another load of coal. Seen from both sides, as usual.

That is a work of genius Kevin. Astounding modelling, and what a wonderful start to the day.

More of the K2, as we don't see many of them. Running past the water tower first... and then my favoured view from beyond the bridge. These panoramic views of the layout are becoming top of the list for me.

Back up onto Crescent Bridge for a final look at Hermit. As soon as it has cleared, signal comes off again, for a Boston to East Class F. As usual, 40F has turned out a K2 for this duty. In 1958, Boston had nothing bigger or more modern than a K2 for this sort of duty. The shed never had any B1s, and only ever had one K3, which stayed about three months. All that would change very suddenly though in a few months time when the closure of the M&GN released a flood of Ivatt 4s, of which Boston acquired quite a few. So did Lincoln, which didn't please the spotters at all.

Hermit runs through. Getting quite close to a call in to the Plant now, so not in the top link, but still kept nicely clean by Top Shed. Lurching off the end of the curve, with the shabby B1 and 60500 still waiting their turn.