Eastmoor

In the Bleak Midwinter

2012-02-11T20:10:00.005Z

If you've been travelling by train over the last week or so, spare a thought for all the railwaymen who've been working through the bad weather; whether they been digging points out, manning remote signal boxes, running things at control or wherever they've been working! They've all helped to keep things moving!

West Halton Sidings

2012-02-09T20:46:00.003Z

I'm aware that some people have noticed one category on my blog over the last few months, namely the North Lindsey Light Railway option. I've even had a few people asking me at exhibitions about it!

Nature is just begining to reclaim the permanent way at Normanby Park North following the demise of locally mined ironstone traffic.

Photo courtesy of Michael Marshall

As a little bit of background, the North Lindsey Light Railway was a line which ran from Scunthorpe up towards the south bank of the River Humber. Its primary purpose was the transportation of ironstone from the mines north of Scunthorpe to the towns various blast furnaces. It was only the low price of foreign ore which ended the line's involvement with this part of the local industry - local ore was rather lean but had the advantage of being self fluxing but cost is a major consideration and so in the 1980s iron traffic on the line ceased. Now the line remains to serve Flixborough Wharf where some steel is exported and serving Roxby where rubbish is taken to be buried deep within old ironstone mines.

A view look north towards Normnanby Park North Signalbox, this is the look that I hope to capture.

Photo courtesy of Michael Marshall

This operation was itself fascinating with industrial locos running alongside mainline locos in places! Only when the line was near Scunthorpe itself did the private railway break away to head directly into the heart of the works at Appleby-Frodingham. Once upon a time immaculate steam locos from the Ore Mining Branch headed these ore trains. However this is all gone now, though the loco shed for the Ore branch locos is still extant, albeit no longer rail connected. It was just a shame that the old water tower succumbed a couple of years back.

I'm quite sure that my interests in industrial railways and railways in and around Scunthorpe has been reasonably obvious to anyone who's followed my blog so it probably comes as no surprise that the area has provided me with a lot of inspiration over the last few years, and beyond too. And no doubt it will come as no surprise for many to learn that a layout based in, and inspired by, the area is very much on the cards. And this is how the idea for West Halton Sidings came about...

A pair of RES Class 47s top and Tail The Roxby Rambler in 1994 - the rather desolate feel of the area can be seen here.

Photo courtesy of Philip Crome

My proposed layout draws huge inspiration from my time in Scunthorpe and a couple of childhood memories - it also manages to combine both mainline trains and industrial workings. It will be set around 1992; sadly I think wanting to model things and times I remember from my childhood is a sign of getting old! At the heart of the model is a further steelworks in the Scunthorpe area. I'm assuming that another works was built by the Trent near Alkborough allowing a couple of BSC locos to visit the exchange sidings!

An extra works isn’t as daft as it seems – the Scunthorpe area has seen around ten different works at different times! It would be well placed to make the most of local ore and provide a location for a wharf for supplying by barge or sea. The included maps should give an idea of the location. If you look on Google Maps there is an area which looks like it is abandoned industrial land – as far as I know it’s just marshy waste ground and has been for a long time! A small connection to the North Lindsey Light Railway would sort things out.

An image taken from an article on the line from a rather old copy of RAIL Magazine - the operation in involving the local pilots is rather well illustrated here.

One thing which has really influenced the choice of location is something which happened about seventeen years ago. When I was about ten, my Dad arranged for a cab ride on the Flixborough Wharf branch - through his work he knew most senior managers of any large companies in the local area and knew the guy who then ran Flixborough Wharf and the result was a cab ride on the class 20 they had at the time!

We went from the Wharf up to Dragonby Sidings having first reversed half way along - this kick back was removed a few years ago, it was a a result of the original lines around Normanby Park Steelworks but had lasted long after the works closed in 1981. The driver and shunter were both ex-BR and lovely to me. The whole experience is a memory I will treasure forever! Although I've had numerous cab rides since through work (including the ECML, countless tampers and hitching a ride with the odd freight!) this memory is particularly special.

The location map shows possible routes for rail traffic. The red shows the approximate route of the NLLR; the green is my chosen route in. It goes to the centre of the site and I think it makes the best choice of route given the drop from the exchange sidings to the River level. Sidings near Whitton look more logical but that section of the NLLR would have struggled to cope with the steelworks' level of traffic. It was really a light railway there – whereas up to West Halton the NLLR was anything but a light railway! I do think the plan is quite plausible and would provide a nice operation for BSC locos complete with BR locos. My assumption is that like Skinningrove it no longer casts its own steel and receives blooms from App-Frod works. Skinningrove lost its furnaces in the seventies I think – Alkborough, I’m thinking, would have lost theirs in the eighties, after Normanby Park Works had closed with iron/steel production being concentrated at the main Scunthorpe site.

Just how to translate all of this into a layout isn't the easiest task. First of all it's grown from a small layout which could have been easily left up at home into a much larger exhibtion orientated project. Not a bad thing as I think the extra room will help with a feeling of 'open-ness' whilst allowing the yard to appear like its best years were some time ago, with plenty of spare land around it.

So this is where I have got to currently - operation will be very simple as essentially is just the exchange of wagons between the works and the main line. It should be a simple task with a decent amount of space available but resisting the temptation to enlarge the yard and add more sidings has been hard. It has however, allowed me to incorporate a couple of things which, for me, are very much a part of the industrial railway side of Scunthorpe.

The rather un-British looking Control Towers which regulate traffic around the site, although not all are now in use. The rather angular, austere looks do have a certain charm within the context of their environment and to regulate the traffic between the exchange sidings and the works an example seems ideal!

Out on the mainline an ex-Great Central Railway signalbox will be perfectly in character for the line and a lovely opportunity for a slightly run down structure displaying a make do and mend approach to its maintenance.

So this is where we are now - final designs still to sort out but hopefully baseboards will be all sorted later in the year so it actually 'exists'. Although, Botanic Gardens is the real priority over the next couple of years! Sometimes a little bit of contrast can really help productivity!

Underpinnings and The True Meaning of Christmas

2012-01-15T09:33:00.002Z

We've had a busy start to the new year; I only had a couple of days off over Christmas. But at work it's all playing with trains so I don't feel cheated or badly done to! Sadly part of the time when I was off I discovered what one main things about Christmas - getting unwanted gifts from and spending time with people you neither like nor are related to. And why would I want a boot tidy? It's just what you want - the worst bit is trying to pretend that you're delighted with the gift...

So, in the little bits of time I had I did manage a little bit of modelling. Suzi's doing an Open University degree so there are times when she wants time to herself to work and I'm left to my own devices so can get on with modelling! And I managed to move my J21 build forward just a little bit.

The brake gear has now been assembled and fitted - it's not perfect as the kit isn't quite accurate in this respect, but from normal viewing distances I hope most people won't notice. Further builds, and there will be a few, will have modified brake gear. But one of those little jobs which was rather satisfying to complete!

Day Return to Levisham

2011-12-30T20:11:00.001Z

Earlier this week we had a lovely afternoon on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway; the weather was rather dull but it some how really rather added to the whole day. We chose to go from Pickering to Levisham, it's about twenty minutes between the two and we reckoned that's a pretty good balance between length of ride and how long our pet human will last!

The southern section of the NYMR isn't as well known as the last northern stretch as it's not been at the centre of a TV drama and in some ways, despite my fondness of Goathland station, is all the better for it. Levisham has only a limited amount of stock stored in its yard and development work has been kept to a minimum. In some ways it demonstrates why so many stations like Levisham closed! It does feel very remote, a good mile and a half from its namesake village. Levisham station is kept presented in North Eastern Railway colours, and the NER signals compliment this rather nicely. Only the 'modern' crossing barriers are really at odds with this! However, the delightful signalbox more than makes up for this!

The day never really got, well, light at all... The day was terribly overcast and the with the railway following the valley floor often surrounded by numerous trees light didn't stand much of a chance! But I think it really added something; a dark overcast afternoon only makes the steam heated coaching stock all the more appealing!

A really nice afternoon with one very tired little boy as a result! It didn't stop him wanting to play with his wooden railway back home though!

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:00:00.003Z

I would like to wish all my readers a very happy Christmas!

The photo? A rather wintery view looking towards Broomfleet from Crabley Creek.

Driver's Eye View at Welton

2011-12-17T06:51:00.000Z

Recently I was very lucky to have a cab ride from Hull to Doncaster and back – despite having travelled on this section many times, it is always a very different experience to have a cab ride. For a start you have a much better, almost panoramic, view of proceedings.

Photo by Michael Kaye, used with permission.
Please see Derby Sulzers for the full set of superb photos.

What made it even more interesting is the opportunity to compare the resultant photos (I took nearly a hundred photos along the way!) with photos of a very similar cab ride. One view of my old ‘office’ at Welton really does show how little things have changed. Aside from the new PVC windows it is amazing how similar the two views are – the chimney from Cappa Pass is long gone but the Humber Bridge is still as visible as ever from Welton, weather allowing! The weather wasn’t anywhere near as good on my cab ride though! If you could see to the left in either photo the view would be very different – in 1988 a sea greenhouses would fill your view whereas now a new housing development does nothing but block the view from the train.

You can see the full set of the 1988 photos here.

Mike Cook

2011-12-16T23:49:00.002Z

Today I heard some rather sad news that Mike Cook the man behind the York Model Railway Show has passed away.

The York show is one I have attended from being a very small child and one I have visited every single year since. I’d suggest it’s an exhibition which is a focal point and highlight for many modellers, not only in Yorkshire but throughout the country.

He also produced a number of layouts including one of my favourites, Sinnington on the Pickering – Helmsley line, which was particularly nice, and a model of a very rarely modelled part of the country.

His passing represents a huge loss to the hobby.

Kirkham Abbey

2011-12-07T20:46:00.002Z

The eastern side of Yorkshire has some real railway gems. The Hull - Selby line is a wonderful example of a main line still signalled in the traditional manner for instance. The York - Scarborough line is probably better known to many enthusiasts - a traditional holiday route and also the stamping ground for preserved steam for many years. The line runs through a lovely part of Yorkshire and finishes up in one of the nicest towns on the Yorkshire coast. Along the way are a number of traditional manual signalboxes - one of these is at Kirkham Abbey.

It's a lovely example of a North Eastern Railway 'box and has been superbly restored in the lovely light blue colours of the old BR North Eastern region with a host of details which many similar boxes have had removed. It still has wooden crossing gates worked from a wheel - it seems only the trains passing by will remind you of exactly what year it is. And it must have one of the nicest views of any signalbox too, over looking the River Derwent with Kirkham Priory beyond. Just lovely.

Stately Progress

2011-12-06T21:02:00.001Z

Not sure if the title refers to the locomotive's eventual style of movement or the pace at which the build is progressing...

Anyway, just a little bit about another loco which will be part of the Botanic Gardens fleet. The basis is a London Road Models' kit, which is showing its age but is still a good starting point for a LNER J21. It'll be a Hull loco when it's finished, though the exact one has not been decided upon yet. Photos of locos in Pre-Grouping days are not as plentiful as those for diesels. When modelling a particualr diesel a quick search on the net normally brings up a few good images within minutes so you can be very sure, but here, well, not so easy!

More details to follow soon!

My New Second Home

2011-11-20T20:43:00.001Z

Some of you may have noticed that I seem to have either gone AWOL or have been posting sporadically here at times - and you may have noticed that this coincided with my final shift at Welton. Well this is my new 'second home' -

Crabley Creek Signal Box on the Hull - Selby line. Four months or so of training through Signalling School (of which more at a later date) and I've been able to move from a gate box (which isn't a block post) to a signalbox!

Steam Heat

2011-11-06T16:12:00.004Z

We had a little family outing to Pickering yesterday - a really nice ride out! Cold with the sun clearly on strike but quite a clear fresh day. And the best bit, a lovely quiet day! By this time of year most tourists have moved back home and only a handful of visitors remain. It much more civilised this way. Even the coaches look so much more welcoming at this time of year as traces of steam hang round coach ends showing the steam heating is working. That beats air-conditioned stock doesn't it?!

So lunch out, a new book and a nice stroll round Pickering made for a rather nice day!

Tim Shackleton in Hornby Magazine

2011-10-25T16:40:00.006+01:00

I must admit that I don't normally buy Hornby Magazine - there's nothing wrong with it just doesn't always have anything which interests me. In fact I've only bought two copies, and this is my second one! Though one of the reliefs at Welton use to leave his copies there and I read them!

Tim Shackleton has had a couple of articles recently in HM and his piece in the latest edition is a wonderful step-by-step weathering guide. Superb! I love his style, very readable and approachable! And the results speak for themselves. Well worth investing your four quid in order to read it!

Brake Time

2011-10-24T19:58:00.001+01:00

A little while ago, well quite sometime ago, I posted about using ancient Airfix kits to produce models of the brake vans I require. Well here is one of them beginning to take shape. While this one will prove quite cheap to produce I have 'invested' in a set of Dave Bradwell etchings for the other Airfix 'van but hopefully the two will sit nicely side by side on the layout without it being too obvious that one has exquisite etchings at its heart and the other is 'bodged by James'!

The handrails need real patience, as does apply all the individual rivets on my version - but fabricating for yourself is at least a very economical way of modelling and both version will need very similar work on their bodies. I must admit I haven't moved the duckets, even though they do sit too low but I feel they look OK and it's better to leave them than try and hide the scars of surgically moving them.

The fun will really begin when I come to fabricate the foot steps! Think I may put that off for a bit longer yet!

Slowly but Surely...

2011-10-23T20:09:00.005+01:00

Many projects have stalled recently for reasons which will soon become clear, but did manage to grab a few photos over the weekend of a few bits and bobs...

My model of one of Immingham's class 47s has come on a little bit over the last few weeks by having twenty minutes here and ten minutes there - the result is paint in most of the right places... The buffer heads are still naked brass but I'll be blackening them rather than painting them and seeing them chipped as soon as they even just touch a wagon!

So, just a few transfers and things to go on before glazing, weathering and handing it over to a friend for a nice and realistic lighting set up!

The Second Coming

2011-10-22T18:01:00.003+01:00

Perhaps some of the best news this year is that my favourtie band, arguably one of the greatest British bands of all time, The Stone Roses are to reform for a series of live shows next summer - and thanks to the efforts of Suzi and my Dad, I will be there to see it!

So you can understand why I'm just a little excited about the whole thing!

Croxley's Green and Pleasent Land

2011-09-28T18:10:00.002+01:00

A line lies in a permanent state of limbo, quietly provide a home for ever increasing numbers of shrubs and silver birches in Watford. A line closed tempoarily while a new road was built which breached its formation however the reopening has never come. The station signs still stand telling passers by of the line's presence and aside from being a little faded with moss clinging on, watching the world pass by their sleepy little stations.

The line itself was the preserve of the Watford DC electrics for many years, the units connected with this operation do seem to have their own little cult following - the Class 501 are very much associated with the suburban services out of Euston. Given the 'greenness' of the locations in the Croxley area, enough green to make a village lad feel at home, the clean, fumeless units seem perfectly suited.

In 1996 the line was breached when Ascot Road was widened to provide access to Croxley Green business park. This left a strange situation as the line was actually closed even though Croxley Green was left isolated from the national network. The solution in the short term was to provide a replacement bus service for passengers wishing to travel from Watford Junction. In practice this was a taxi provided on demand for anyone who turned up. This continued to be the arrangement until 2003 when the branch 'officially closed'.

Despite the SRA stating that the track and formation must remain intact for at least five years from 2001 but by 2002 the branch had been deleted from the Network, a year before the official closure. In September 2005 all points (including the trailing connection at Watford High Street), signals and S&T equipment were recovered from the branch, leaving it in a rather bizarre transient state. A railway essentially intact with only the odd gap in infrastructure here and there, albeit somewhat overgrown.

The most major structure still stands, fully intact, over the Grand Union Canal - a lattice structure which once carried two roads thirty feet above rather still waters. From the ground it still appears to be in decent shape - you can walk beneath it alongside the canal - and leaving a bridge like this to fall into disrepair could be very costly. Even removal could be prohibitively expensive.

But it's not just the big items which remain, even the information boards at the foot of the steps still stand, in faded Network SouthEast colours, a reminder of a time when the railway could stamp a unified identity over a huge number of stations in a very short space of time. Hard to believe now that it takes forever for new companies to rebrand even small fleets of stock.

Even the steps can still be seen leading tantilisingly upto the station. However steel gates with big padlock which holds a chunky chain in place round the gates prevents entry. Almost like a seal on a time capsule. What must be remembered is that despite its closure the route is still part of the railway and all within the boundary fences is railway property - so gaining access is still trespassing.

However, if you don't wish risk it there are plenty of photos across the internet which provide an excellent record of what remains. And with permission we're able to highlight a few rather nice examples of what remains today.

As 2005 saw the branch stripped of anything useful connected with the signalling system location cabinets remain but with doors and panels removed. Whether the doors were officially removed or were 'liberated' by non railway staff is anyone's guess, but the cabinets show the scars of all usable S&T equipment having been removed.

And despite 2005's recovery work a fixed distant, in the modern form of a distant board, remains to mark the final approach to Croxley Green. Even the remains of the AWS ramp still sit, forlornly, in the four foot with the cabinet which once supported its operation standing, rather bare, behind the signal.

Of course the final section is very much closed - especially that which no longer connects with the rest network. However, towards West Watford you can find signs of the end of what remained of the operational railway before final closure in 2003. A buffer stop stands, though oddly fencing has been erected just before it under a road bridge. Presumably to try and keep undesirables out rather keeping trains from reaching the stop block!

And just like at Croxley Green, the station sign at Watford West still stands to inform passers-by that there's a railway station there. However if you glance over the parapet wall you'd be hard pressed to even see it now through the dense tree growth now.

Tired, faded, overgrown and seemingly beyond the point of no return - the Croxley Green branch represents just another closed branch line. Just a small length among thousands of miles of closed railway lines which spread over the UK...

But this may not be the end of the line - literally or figuratively.

Even as far back as 1989, London Transport proposed an idea to see the Croxley Green branch become part of their own network, allowing Metropoitan line trains direct access to Watford Junction with the aim of providing a service with trains leaving, potentially, every ten minutes from Watford Junction onto the Metropolitan line. it would involve a short link between the Met station at Croxley and the Croxley green branch itself.

This isn't an idea which was a 'some day' idea either as it is still being actively pursued with an active campaign supporting the scheme -

Even a look at their website provides an excellent overview of their intentions, even if the 2016 goal seems rather ambitious...

What it does show it that some old infrastructure could be used again, even if it isn't in its original form. A little bit of thought and a lot of potential can be found in something which is simply lying dormant.

High Speed Rail is often cited as the future of rail travel, even the future of all long distance domestic travel but if we get blinded by the large, glamorous projects we may miss wonderful opportunities to really add to the rail network. Although the revamped Croxley Branch lacks the glamour of trains speeding through open country at 186mph it could form something very useful indeed which will benefit many people even if it is on very much a local level.

Rail's future is very bright indeed but we must be able to view the bigger picture, including all little parts which can only make the network stronger as a whole.

Further Reading

Disused Stations - Croxley Green
Bygone Lines: Croxley Green Branch
Wikipedia - Croxley Green Station
London's Abandoned Stations

Underground, Overground, Wombling Free

2011-09-19T18:06:00.004+01:00

Or Four Hours in London

So what can you do when you're stuck in Watford with a few hours to spare one evening?

Well, four of us decided to see just how much Undergound, Overground, Thameslink you can cover for a few quid!

And with the new Overground network some parts of London's suburban lines have changed radically recently. A lot of investment can be seen with some lines which had been neglected for years all of a sudden benefiting from huge sums of money. The only thing is I can't be the only who hears 'Underground, Overground' then hears the rest of The Wombles theme tune in their head! Or maybe I'm just slightly infantile?!

I'm not going to say too much as it could quite quickly turn into a list of 'and then we went here, and then we went there, and then...' however the photos will show a few highlights of where we went.

From Watford there are a couple of ways into London 'proper' - London Midland provide the mainline service but we wanted to sample the Overground and their very nice new units, the Class 378s. North of Euston these have taken over the old DC lines and are a far cry from the Class 501s which once held sway over these services.

Although 'mainline' in size they are very much in a rapid transit style internally with longitudinal seating and a huge amount of room for standing passengers. One of the nicest features are the near full width corridor connections between individual vehicles which gives a wonderful light and airy feel to the whole train whilst looking quite bizarre when he trains are in motion - especially so round tighter curves!

We wound our way into London via the East and North London lines over which the Overground unit now rule and with a few changes found ourselves at Canary Wharf - very much a contrast with my more usual surroundings. Any building over two storeys which blocks out greenery isn't good, is it?!

So with a bit of wonder past offices, car dealers, shops and restaurants which penniless trainee signallers couldn't possibly afford we made our way to the Docklands Light Railway - the driverless network which can be a little disconcerting, even if you know this is how it is or even if you've travelled on it before!

It does mean that you an have a superb view if you get a seat right at the front! And even pretend to be the driver as one of our group seemed to want to do!

The inner end takes you right into the centre of London and here it was where we turned unashamedly into tourists - enjoying a drink on the banks of the Thames over looking the Houses of Parliament! It is hard trying to convince those at home that we are down here to work! It just appears to be a jolly at times - they just don't see all the revision in the lead up to the exams!

Just crossing the Thames here was a strange experience - walking alongside the approach to Charing Cross is a little surreal; passing within yards of the approach to a mainline terminus in the middle of a city. Not that they aren't common but most big city terminus approaches are often not the nicest of areas but here, it's not like that! Plenty of tourists about even by eight o'clock in the evening. All seems very civilised to me.

Then we made out way back across London by which time the light was going so few photos taken and even fewer worth looking at! London Bridge, however, was worth trying to record - trains leaving every minute and a very slick operation indeed.

Taking in Thameslink and the widened lines back to Kings Cross before a brisk walk over to Euston and back up the first part of the West Coast Mainline to good old Watford.

Not a bad way to break the routine of hotel food I think...

The Debt Collectors

2011-09-18T15:06:00.000+01:00

Last night we popped across to York for the evening to see John Godber's new play, The Debt Collectors.

It's his first production post-Hull Truck and the dark side of the story perhpas reflects this - based around two fifty-something actors who have found themselves out of work and have turned to debt collecting which provides them with a steady income for the first time.

The story charts their fall from grace, with references further back to one of the cast who once had a role in The Bill and believes that parts he is now offered are somewhat beneath him. However their new roles turn out to be something to which they are perfectly suited yet the lack of creativity is slowly eating away at them.

The production has some delightful comic moments yet the dark side verges on menacing as time goes on and the characters become increasingly frustrated with the state of their lives.

There are full details of The Debt Collectors and its current tour to be found here.

In the Box Thinking

2011-09-16T06:43:00.002+01:00

This is how the signalbox for Botanic Gardens is currently looking - it's in a kind of limbo for now while I'm down in Watford, but it is, I hope, beginning to look the part.

Jobs left include adding slates from copy paper, windows, steps and, of course, the interior! This latter task may be rather involved as I want it to look right - signalboxes have great visibility from the inside which means that it is also easy to peer in when we have them in model form!

Retro 08

2011-09-04T20:54:00.000+01:00

Not that I really need to provide any more proof of refusing to conform, not just in my interests here but in many other ways, this hint of a future project will probably go some way to confirming my persuasion to the non-mainstream.

The blue box, incidently, contains an old Crownline chassis kit - this combined with the Kitmaster box should give a real clue as to the nature of the project! But why am I choosing to follow this route? Well, I'm not sure really! Other than I really just fancy trying this method and I think by careful budgeting it'll be cheaper than the RRP of a Hornby model, interestingly enough.

If you want to find out a bit more about the method (both practically and that behind such madness), then it's well worth finding Tim Shackelton's article in the preview issue of RailModel Digest which uses a very similar approach.

Duff Progress

2011-09-04T15:29:00.001+01:00

Life's a bit manic at the moment, well that's not entirely true, but the part at the weekends is for now! I'm getting less than forty-eight hours back home before having to return to Watford on a Sunday.

Anyway, not much time for modelling at the moment, or anything else come to think of it, but did manage to take a photo of this project. They main difference from how it appeared last time are the windscreen surrounds from Shawplan. They're superb and really help the front look just right. I'll tell you what, that Mr Hanson really does know what he's doing!

Fire

2011-09-02T23:50:00.002+01:00

Well tonight's journey home was rather interesting...

The East Coast Mainline has been in absolute havoc after 30777 Sir Lamiel and 70013 Oliver Cromwell managed to set fire to long stretches of the lineside south of Doncaster!

To really rub salt into passengers' wounds we made an unscheduled stop at Newark and the two locos were right opposite us, looped to keep them out of trouble. Thankfully despite the delays of two hours to our train's passengers, spirits were generally high as people seemed to accept that the train crew really couldn't prepare for such occurances! And I must say that East Coast's train crew, and the guard in particular, were excellent!

Although my colleague did say it was nice to have a good look at the steam locos, I think the expression 70013's fireman rather summed up the afternoon!

Summer in Doncaster

2011-08-26T21:10:00.002+01:00

Class 142, 142 016, gets ready to depart Doncaster in the height of the British summer!

Day Return to Pickering

2011-08-21T16:32:00.003+01:00

So what do you do when you've spent a week away from home discussing railways and learning about railways and the rule book? Well, perhaps a trip to Pickering isn't the most obvious thing to do!

Then again, I'm not one who likes to conform!

The whole of the Wells family (not that there are many of us) popped up to Pickering for the day - though we went up via Scarborough to pick up some cutrains, but that's another story and travelling from that way you get to see a few remains of the Forge Valley line.

Pickering's exhibtion in August each year is organised by the Scarborough Model Railway Society and is a great little show and must be one of the loveliest little venues of any show I regularly attend. The Memorial Hall in the town was refurbished a few years back and was done to a very high standard. It's far from the cold, draughty 'little' venues which many shows have suffered!

For a small show, it's good to see a decent standard of exhibit too. Thomas, who's now 19 months old, loved watching the 'North of England Line', a lovely N gauge layout with plentyof action - enough to keep a little boy happy but not enough for the enthusiast to think it just looks silly! The stock is noteworthy too, as a real effort has been made to portray LNER stock, something which still seems a novelty in N for someone who doesn't model in that standard.

Hospital Gates is a layout which is well worth seeking out - it's O but by a group for four mil' modellers and their emphasis on the scenic, something which occasionally seems like an after thought on layouts, especially small ones, in the senior scale. I strongly suspect the size and mass of rol;ling stock is the real draw for many to O guage, and I can't disagree with this, but when this is exploited alongside high quality scenic work the results can be superb!

Felton Lane Goods is a favourtie of mine - small but it never looks cramped. The one photo at the top of this write up, but follow this link to see more. Thomas even gave its builder a round of applause when he was shunting!

Alongside the high quality layouts (and I haven't mentioned them all by any means and we avoided the 'look how many trains we have' shed layout) were some interesting DCC based demonstrations - not sure the computer control methods shown are for me, but nevetheless, well presented.

We headed back into Pickering and to the station before having drink in the fresh air outside the Beckside gift Shop and Cafe watching the world go - a great weekend back home, just a shame I'm heading back down south for another week today.

When in Watford

2011-08-17T18:01:00.004+01:00

Currently down in Watford, and will be a for a little while! Though I must admit I'm not keen on being in a built up area for quite such a long time in one go! Almost forgotten what trees and fields look like now!

One consolation is the West Coast Main Line within a few yards of the hotel! Not bad, eh?!

The line is very intensive and at peak time it is one train after another! And the line speed, I'm told, is 110mph on the down main and trains heading by at that speed make quite a sight! So maybe no open country, but lots of trains to keep me sane!

Gone for a Burton

2011-08-12T23:53:00.004+01:00

I was going past Burton Agnes earlier today - it's a place known best for the stately home within the village however if you can head away from there and towards the railway, there is an absolute gem waiting for you!

It's the original signalbox at the station and it still stands, in private ownership as far as I am aware, as part of the former station buildings. Perhaps what makes it more remarkable as a survivor is that it was replaced by a larger structure and hasn't been used for its original purpose for a very long time.

The Hull - Scarborough line has a few delightful spots along its way which are well worth a visit in their own right and this is even after much resignalling and modernisation.

Final Shift at Welton

2011-08-07T18:15:00.010+01:00

My blog has been rather quiet of late - still around but seem to have been working most of the time! I worked out that I've had just two days off in the last four weeks or so!

Just finished my last shift at Welton! Moving on to what should be bigger and better things but I'll miss it hugely! It's a wonderful location which is idyllic and first thing in a morning in summer with the sun streaming over the fields and a warm breeze it's hard to imagine a nicer place to work.

I'll also miss it because of all the people with whom I've worked, especially Tony, who is the other resident at Welton, who made me feel very welcome.

If you want to find out more about Welton you can find it Facebook -

Boxing Clever II

2011-07-18T23:46:00.003+01:00

I'm not sure why but life seems to have been a bit hectic of late - I suspect Thomas is adding to this... Increasingly more mobile and ready cause havoc at a moment's notice! Anyway, in between all of this I've managed to push Botanic's signalbox forward a little. The brick's have been painted and a tasteful mortar mix washed between them. It's been very satisfying so far - especially considering the very small selection of tools required to get to this stage. This is perfect for working in less conventional places - such as work during quiet moments!

However, one job I'm not looking forward is the roof - well the slates on it anyway! It may take some time...

Bombardier

2011-07-06T23:44:00.003+01:00

Bombardier's Derby operation has recently been dealt a severe blow. The result of which will be a loss of 1,400 jobs; these will comprise 446 permanent positions and 983 temporary contracts. Having been through the redundancy process all those concerned have my sympathies and I hope that, ultimately, they all find something.

The reason behind the decision to shed the jobs is a result of Bombardier failing to secure the contract for the construction of rolling stock for the Thameslink project. The Government's decision has, apparently, been made in line EU directives. I must admit I'm in favour of free enterprises - in fact the last thing society needs are companies with ruthless monopolies which have the potential for high prices and poor value for money - but I'm not convinced that this will offer the best value overall.

Although the cost per unit from Siemens, who did win the contract, maybe less than Bombardier's tender but the long term effects could be very expensive. In the first instance there is the obvious cost of Unemployment and associated benefits and tax credits (and I hope those made redundant have a better time with the Department of Work and Pensions than I did!) and this may mean less money in the local economy which, though small, will have an effect. Education costs if any former staff make use of state funded schemes, admin associated with the whole process too and many other costs.

Original photo can be found here.

It's possible that Bombardier will win new contracts in the future, I hope they do, but you can't create a pool of skilled and knowledgeable workers easily. It could take years to rebuild this wonderful asset, assuming they can.

Please don't think that this is in any way politically motivated, it's not. I just don't want us to loose the great assets which the, our, industry has. The overall value of contracts like this should be the prime consideration; private companies need to ensure, generally, that they have the best contract at that particular time as business but when work is publicly funded I think it's different. The wider effects and costs should be, at least, considered. And I don't think this should be any different for governments of any political persuasions either. Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, has even said that the rules are unsatisfactory and has called for a review of EU procurement regulations but this will come too late for Bombardier.

The irony of all this is that the railway system in the UK could see some major developments over the next decade or so - huge electrification plans, whether you agree with them or not, will require vast resources and, of course, rolling stock to bring the plans to fruition. It will be a huge shame if all this stock is built abroad instead of here exploiting all of the engineering talent which this country still possesses.

Further Reading

RMT response to job losses announcement at Bombardier
RMT - Protests at Bombardier Job Cuts

In Search of Steam III

2011-07-03T00:12:00.001+01:00

US steam was hugely different from the breed in the UK. Everything is bigger - our 'big' locos were things like 9F's which by US standards would have barely scraped 'medium' in their description. Of course our railway was hampered by a tiny loading gauge whereas the later American railways weren't quite so constrained and locomotives were far, far bigger. And, not unexpectedly, train lengths and tonnages were far larger than the norm on our small little album. Operation is totally different from the UK too, in fact it's a case of two nations divided by a common gauge...

Even the end of steam is quite different in the two countries. Whereas mainline steam on British Railways nearly made it to 1970s with dieselisation coming quite late, in America internal combustion was embraced on a much larger scale much sooner.

The special is incredibly well written - despite having little background knowledge I was just engrossed in the articles. The style of writing is very inviting and so easy to immerse yourself in, much like LTC Rolt's style which I find so accessible. David P Morgan's text shows a real appreciation of railways in general, references to English workmen building Beyer-Garrats at Gorton really sum this up whilst rather contradicting the often mentioned theory that Americans aren't aware things which happen elsehwere in the world. After all, this could apply to certain people in all countries and their knowledge of world affairs! The articles are very thoughtfully written I think and compliment the photographs wonderfully...

Speaking of which... Philip R Hasting's photographs are superb! I think they are far better, certainly in terms of composition, than many contemporary British railway photgraphers who seemed to think the only way to photgraph a locomotive was in the ¾ viewpoint. But Hasting's photos have far more in common with later photographers like Paul Riley. And one thing I love is how human life is very much a part of many of the images - people, I think, are what the railway is all about, and it applies where ever the railway happens to be.

I really enjoyed the whole of the special; the articles have clearly stood the test of time and the photos record an age which in America is further in the past than it is in the UK.

A Day out with Thomas

2011-06-29T09:37:00.003+01:00

The title may not describe exactly what you're expecting, though it's not inaccurate at all! Just quite literal! Yesterday we, along with my Mum and Dad, took Thomas for his first ride on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. It was actually his first ride on a train in any shape or form - I think that must sound quite poor for the son of a railway enthusiast, not to mention grandson of another railway enthusiast! But perhaps it's more a reflection of the lack of public transport where we live?

Recently Thomas has shown an interest in railways - pretty much demanding railway DVDs at times! Perhaps it the attraction of big machines which move? I've told Suzi that I'll never force my interests on him, but I'm more than happy to encourage any interest he shows now or in the future! Anyway, so we ended up on the NYMR!

Aside from very loud noises which he really doesn't like, whether it's from steam locomotives or large groups of people in confined space, he loved the day. Well apart from the tunnel at Grosmont - a total lack of interior lighting in either of the vehicles we travelled in is appalling in my opinion. Certainly not ideal for small children, especially when combined with all the noises they can here from engine, couplings and the sounds being reflected back off the tunnel walls.

So apart from the shortage of bulbs in North Yorkshire an excellent day out!

Broomfleet

2011-06-24T16:24:00.003+01:00

I'm sure to many a name like Broomfleet must seem like an odd name; though East Yorkshire's railway network has had a few odd place names in its time, Wetwang perhaps being the best known of these oddities. Broomfleet itself is a small village which, without wishing to sound rude, isn't really on the way to anywhere. You have to make a conscience effort to arrive in Broomfleet, well by road anyway - a rail traveller could get off here by mistake and wonder where on earth they are!

The location has a delightfully rural feel and on a sunny day is rather quiet and idyllic. The scene is a traditional railway scene with only the barriers intruding on the traditional signalling equipment. The size of the signalbox here looks rather incongruous - a huge box controlling a tiny station, a level crossing, few signals in the middle of the country. However the size of the box betrays the line's history.

The Hull - Selby railway line was at one time a four track mainline. The route was reduced to just two roads as traffic levels dropped during the seventies and eighties. Here and there are signs of how it was; the size of some of the signalboxes and as below, where the old platforms survive. AT Broomfleet, new platforms were merely built in front of them on the old slow line formations. Sometimes what seems like a simple site can reveal a lot more if you look just that little bit harder...

Boxing Clever

2011-06-22T10:12:00.000+01:00

It feels like I've been on lates for the last few months! Well, the last 11 days, with one more to come! However, such shifts do provide a number of quiet moments and I've managed to put these times to good use!

So here we have the developing signalbox for Botanic Gardens - this is actually the third version I've built (long story!) but this has got much, much further than either of the other versions. It's been posed on our lounge window sill - the lovely summer weather, as evidenced by the rain drops on the glass, prevented photography outside!

O9 Modeller

2011-06-11T10:58:00.003+01:00

When fotopic.net disappeared a huge number of excellent sites seemed lost forever - a number are still in my links here just in case it does, as has been rumoured, reappear. Thousands of photos lost, many of which may never be publicly available again as well as records of people's modelling which are now lost too.

However some people have moved their photo collections elsewhere and one modeller has started a new blog - so if you get chance have a look at Colin Peake's new blog, O9 Modeller. It concentrates, as the title subtly suggests, modeling in O9. That is 7mm:ft scale using a gauge of 9mm. This represent railways of around 15" gauge - when it's done as well as Colin's Shifting Sands the results are quite enthralling!

Steel Carriers II

2011-06-01T22:39:00.005+01:00

I dug these out during the week - they're going to be the backbone of my new project, which should be revealed in due course. The top view shows how far I got with one last summer which will end up in a typical faded Railfreight red. That's a manly way of saying that I've painted it pink!

The remaining ones are ready to be converted to P4 and represent a very economical set of wagons. Four have come from a friend who found them surplus to his requirements and another was a small treat! The six form the length of a typical trip working which is a feature of the new project. I will still need more but these should keep me going for a while!

Thoroughly Modern Scunthorpe

2011-05-22T00:06:00.001+01:00

We managed an hour or so at The Scunthorpe Modern Image Group's first Modern Image Exhibition held just near the railway station in Sunny Scunny. To give Suzi a bit of a break this was the first exhibition Thomas had been to! So three generations of the family made the trip over the water!

There was a small selection of layouts with a pretty good selection of supporting trade plus DEMU were, appropriately, in attendance too. A nice highlight for me was the rebranded Acton Main Line (top) which is a superb piece of modelling! I think it'll be getting on for twenty years since it was started now, yet it can still stand up to some of the hobby's best. Now renamed 'Dragonby' (a name which has local connections in North Lincolnshire) and featuring up to date stock and still with Richard Dockerill, the force behind the layout originally, involved. He also had a couple of very tasty 0 gauge diesels on display too!

Everyone exhibiting at the show was very friendly and this resulted in a wonderfully laid back show which, despite its small size, was a real pleasure to attend. I hope this first show has proved worthwhile for the group and we will certainly try to make a return trip next year.

In Steam and In York

2011-05-18T20:48:00.001+01:00

I had to go to York for a safety briefing today. Going to York isn't exactly a hardship, and not just because of the National Railway Museum! Though I'll admit it does have a certain appeal!

I knew 60163 Tornado would be about before its planned test runs but a nice surprise was 71000 Duke of Gloucester was a very nice surprise when I was just on my way home!

Forty Thinking

2011-05-13T19:30:00.006+01:00

The Class 40 has been the subject of various manufacturers; Jouef, Lima and Bachmann have all had a crack at it. However, with some mixed result sin the past, so we won't cover old ground... Incidentally the old Lima model has made a reappearance thanks to Hornby's Railroad range, complete with a new motor bogie! But many people await the all new model from Bachmann which should hopefully lay the demons of the original model to rest at last.

There have been various theories have been put forward, combining Bachmann cabs with Lima bodies, rebuilding Lima bodies and making the best of the Bachmann model. However this has lurked in the workshop for a long time now; a Lima body with its nose lowered and Bachmann nose ends grafted on. The nose ends aren't perfect but look better than the rather tall Lima nose ends. The windows will need rebuilding as the outer windscreens should be angled back slightly - it may be slight but it is one of the keys to convincingly modelling the Class 37s and 40s I think. But for now Shawplan windscreen etches have been temporarily attached to aid the impression.

I don't think it looks too bad - if anyone has any opinions feel free to leave comments. I'd like to see it move away from the rather large 'to do' pile which I have amassed! So maybe it should be completed as D282?

High Speed to Hull

2011-05-11T23:00:00.002+01:00

The HST, known commonly still as an InterCity 125, still looks impressive - quite something for a design which is over thirty years old now. I think they're a wonderful piece of industrial design and the mark 3 coaches are probably the finest pieces of passenger stock to have run on Britain's railways.

This was the evening East Coast service heading for its destination of Hull recently. Still and impressive sight!

Beverley Tractors

2011-05-06T08:28:00.006+01:00

An interesting working occurred yesterday - a private charter from York to York via Hull, Beverley, Malton and Scarborough. It was operated by West Coast Railways in connection with a private function from York. The locomotives were in immaculate condition and positively gleaming and the maroon made a lovely sight amongst all the greenery which lines much of the rail network - though I don't like the small warning panels. I like thirty-sevens either in their original green sans warning panels or with full yellow ends!

No matter how many times you've seen (or heard!) a class 37, it's still a glorious site and, of course, sound. Despite their rather old fashioned noses, which even at their introduction were a slightly dated feature compared with diesels elsewhere, they have a certain charm about them. And the site of them passing beneath Beverley's overall roof makes for an interesting comparision with Pickering's reinstated roof.

With workings like this, I don't know how people can say the modern really has no variety!

Under Cover

2011-05-02T07:23:00.002+01:00

The other day, on a rare day off, we popped up to Pickering for lunch. I had genuinely forgotten that it was the start of the NYMR 175 gala - I don't think Suzi believed this but I have lost complete track of days at the moment! The only thing which reminds me of what day it is is the roster being ticked off day by day at work! Anyway, the extra activity was a lovely bonus!

It was the first time I had seen the new roof at Pickering station completed - I had reservations about the roof if I'm honest. I thought it might be rather dark and gloomy but GT Andrews obviously knew his stuff! It's surprisingly light and airy inside. I shouldn't really be surprised as Beverley station is too! The result is very nice indeed.

There is hope for Thomas we discovered - he loved seeing trains coming in and going out! As well as spending much of his time at the station making whistling noises to ape the locos he'd heard!

RIP IMechE

2011-04-27T16:57:00.005+01:00

Don't worry nothing has happened to The Institution of Mechanical Engineers! However something has happened to my model of 47 817 which was named after the institution - its diecast chassis block has swollen. It has happened to a number of Heljan Class 47 models due to reactions within the mazak chassis block. The block is a very tight fit in the body so any movement can upset things. Sadly in this case it has distored the body so the effects are sadly terminal...

I decided to model 47 817 once I had completed my degree in Mechanical Engineering at Hull, even though I've not persued pure mechanical engineering defecting to The Institution of Civil Engineers once I started on the railway! Though now, of course, I'm not in an engineering role at all! But 47 817 was a nice little token of four years at Hull.

The body is now scrap but the heavily rebuilt and detailed bogies and drive will live on in another Lima conversion. So something will live on, appropriately enough, the Mechanical parts...

Daisy Duke

2011-04-22T16:46:00.001+01:00

Unfortunately we've had to say goodbye to another cat.

I think we're a soft touch; after George died we initially said we wouldn't have any more cats as it had been a very upsetting and stressful experience at the end, and if we did have any more we'd not have another 'old' cat. That plan didn't work and we ended up with three cats from the same rescue centre from where we had got George! We took two kittens - one quite timid runt of her litter who is now just mental and one wild kitten who had been found on a main road near Hull after his mother had been knocked down. Both probably stood less chance than others of a home. And we took a little black female who was thought to be at least ten who'd been a stray taken in by an elderly lady who could no longer cope - this was Daisy.

A funny little cat really - incredibly affectionate and always wanting to sit on whoever's knee was available yet also very grumpy at times! I've never seen such a grumpy cat! But she didn't hold grudges; if you lifted her off your knee she'd growl at you and look cross but if you stroked her straight afterwards she'd be back to rubbing against your hand! We often called her Daisy Duke - she wasn't blonde with long legs but was called Daisy, no more complicated than that!

While her departure hasn't left the same hole as George's did as we still have two cats in the house - there's not the same feeling of an empty house - she'll still be missed - either as no one is fighting to sit on a knee or because no one's as committed to trying to steal food being prepared in the kitchen! Thomas had learnt her name and would shout for her - the other cats have also been looking for her.

As before I'd urge anyone who can give a home to a cat in need like this to do so - rescue centres are full of mistreated and deserving cats desperate, like Daisy, for love and attention. I don't think any animal lover would regret it.

Daisy was a funny little cat and will be sorely missed.

Low Tech Progress

2011-04-13T10:46:00.002+01:00

Quiet time over the last week has seen a little progress made with my low tech class 47.

Just a little progress - end details with new handrails, top lamp irons, buffers and steps, but they have a real impact in making it appear substantially more complete! Actually the addition of buffers makes it look like a loco rather than a work in progress! The back plates include integral steps and are from Shawplan and intended for a class 56 but work for the 47 perfectly!

This last view shows the fillet of 20 thou plastikard which has been used to give the horn cover the slightly 'learnt forward' look which Lima missed as theirs learns back and is wrong as a result. This little change just goes towards helping get the 'face' right and more than repays the effort.

And there's been one change to the spec though I can still claim it to be a budget project as I found this 'in stock' but had forgotten about it!

It's from Ultrascale, though I believe they have discontinued it - it powers three axles of the bogie and is very controllable and quiet. The previous motor bogie will go in another Lima based class 47 so won't be wasted. I just wanted to put this new bogie to good use once I rediscovered it!

A clearer view of the continuing underframe detailing which the previous post didn't really show. I think this is a huge improvement over the Lima 'box', but I'll allow you to decide if the effort is repaid.

And finally an overall view where much of the front end work can be seen - the reprofiled windows seem to work well and the new headlights and marker lights (no 2 end only) compliment the work rather nicely I think. Hopefully it's beginning to look like a Class 47 now!

Dirty Bird

2011-03-31T16:30:00.002+01:00

So who doesn't like a dirty bird?!

A version of Heljan's Falcon in its second green livery, but weathered to give it a more suitable appearance. Aside from the soon to be added headcodes, it's completely as our Danish friends intended and, although not perfect (Peter Johnson has worked wonders with the model!) it certainly works very well as a 'layout loco' I think.

Steel Carriers

2011-03-30T20:24:00.001+01:00

Quietly developing in the background is a small rake of SPA wagons, based around Cambrian kits with a few added extras.

It does seem an odd omission from Bachmann's range, especially since they have added an SPA to their N gauge range, so for now kit building is the only option. Though Filling The Gap Models could well be helping in this respect - hopefully with a 4 friendly product too!

However, their new model is some way off and I have a small pile of Cambrian kits waiting to built. However, the kits are showing their age somewhat - underframe detail is well below what we expect now. Not that I'm complaining, as it's something I'm quite prepared to do to bring it up to the standard and level fo detail I want.

So what's needed to effect this? Well the Bill Bedford axle guards replace the pivoting plastic version as they're not really suitable for P4 - perhaps it is best to replace them whichever gauge you use as they're not, in my experience, the best arrangement for smooth running unless you have very tight curves. Also new brass buffers with Plastikard details. Still to be added will be a number of castings from S Kits and brake levers will be fabricated using Colin Craig parts as well as any other things I notice!

So there you go, the start of some good old fashioned kit building! Despite the much wider range of ready to run wagons which may be 'near enough' for one's requirements, a project like this can still be a lot of fun! And once built, nothing beats seeing models you've made trundling past.

Clanking Towards Completion

2011-03-18T21:42:00.000Z

One long term project is slowing making its way to completion - just a couple of small items of plumbing to add but it's mostly there now!

You'll notice the new handrails on the tender - these use Markits WD handrail knobs to release the Bachmann knobs for the Doncaster Firebox conversion which requires extra knobs due to the new handrail arrangement. The Markits ones are much finer and you could replace all of them but Bachmann's aren't too bad. You'll also notice the Plasticine coal heap which covers a bit of extra lead to help the tender ride smoothly when running tender first.

The figure leaning out of the cab started life as a Monty's signalman. The pose I felt would suit a typical driver or fireman in the classic 'knackered/slightly p*ssed off' looking pose which many seem to have displayed when they managed a breather during a hard shift! I had to fettle his arms and shoulders to fit the WD cab window but the result is a figure who appears to fit the position perfectly. Well hopefully that's the effect!

The next stage will be numbering and then the fun of creating a truly filthy, working Dub-Dee!

Spring Sheds

2011-03-13T05:58:00.000Z

Recently the Hull - Leeds line there are some major renewals work at the moment, currently focused around Melton. This has brought a number engineering trains in for the Saturday night possesions. Finding out times can be difficult for enthusiast, but gen sites on the internet can provide the information. Even then trains like these can leave quite early. But if you get lucky the results can be rather pleasing.

One example of one of these workings was 66 099 on a long spoil train looking particularly filthy - though the dirt and dust does do an excellent job of highlighting all the details and fittings along the solebar which is very useful for modellers! The train had originated from Carlisle the previous night and was waiting to head to Doncaster.

Soon afterwards 66 154 joined 66 099 and it makes an interesting contrast for modellers looking to weather their Class 66s. Both locos were filthy but had weathered in quite different ways.

Both departed soon afterwards, both at walking pace until the reached the limits of the possession - displaying a part of rail operation that I've never seen modelled.Perhpas to be different someone could set their layout in a T3 (full blockage) possesion!?

Low Tech Class 47

2011-03-07T07:55:00.009Z

Sometimes low tech does have its advantages. It's less scary, less expensive and more forgiving. I'm sure this applies in many parts of life. And learning and developing skills on something which is perceived as simpler can be very useful experience.

This latter idea, I think, applies very validly to the current crop of RTR models - these aren't low tech by any means anymore, but learning skills on models like these seems to frighten many people. It almost seems a little bit pathetic now that people are scared to touch a model because they've paid maybe twenty quid more than the older version, but that fear is definitely there.

It seems now that with better RTR more people are actually less likely to do anything further to them. A shame as many newer models take very kindly to a little bit of work here and there to really lift them and exploit their full potential. But how do you get this experience? The answer, is low tech...

The humble Lima class 47 - basic, ‘plasticy’, eff all in terms of separately applied details (the buffers don't count!) and as common as a people carrier on the school run. But I think it still, in its own way captures the look of a Class 47 – it’s not perfect, far from it! The moulding is delightfully fine – the roof details are very good indeed. Lima’s tool makers produced wonderfully subtle results. I think it makes a wonderful project that is neither costly nor scary. Working from a base such as this, you can take it as far you want or feel comfortable. I think that it can provide the perfect learning project – something which many diesel and electric modellers have done in ‘years gone by’ when we didn’t have a choice!

In my case cost was an enormous factor – last year I was out of work and money was rather tight. The purchase of a Lima class 47 at a Toyfair in Beverley provided the impetus. An unboxed loco bought for a little over £15 was going to be the basis. It was in the correct livery too which was a bonus. The triple grey is pretty good, nice and thin too - with replacement sector markings it'll be spot on! I had spare Ultrascale wheels at home so even with a set of Extreme Etchings roof grilles the budget was still less than thirty pounds! I’m back in work now though, but the thought of a cheap but value for money, project still appeals with all the other costs which life brings.

The plan had been to replace the mechanism with either that from a Proto1000/2000 PA-1 or spare Heljan bogies (all of which are in a drawer in the workshop), but when I tested it, it ran surprisingly well! With a couple of hours' running in it was rather nice. Not as smooth as a central-motored model but very good and more than good enough for the duties I had in mind for it – once chipped, which is the only other large cost, it should be a nice reliable performer.

So, aside from a ‘Duff on a budget’ what is the intended outcome of the project? The answer fits in with a theme I am currently developing, so the model will become one of Immingham's class 47's, no 47 294. I've found various photos of it but the one which made me decide which of the Immingham ones I wanted to do was this. With it being on an ex-Scunthorpe steel working was even better! But the model will be in a condition more typical of the breed, something more like this.

So there we have the outline of the project – it’s progressed fairly well in short bursts since the summer and should soon be ready for patch painting, numbering and finishing!

My New Office

2011-02-18T16:40:00.003Z

Just a little update from me - this is my new office! It's a little bit of a change from my previous job, but it's back on the railway! It's fantastic to be back at work and being back on the railway makes all the better!

As I settle down hopefully there'll be a few more updates on here - the last six weeks have been rather hectic, although very enjoyable indeed!

Memories

2011-01-28T20:54:00.001Z

I must have got this when I was about four years old. Although i don't actually remember the exact date I do remember my parents buying it for me in the original shop at the National Railway Museum! I suspect if I wanted a book like this my interest must have taken hold of me fully by this point!

To look at it now, it seems a rather old fashioned book with the painted illustrations but looking at it now they're delightful really. The descriptions are accurate too. Looking at the entries is very interesting in its own right - I don't know of many four year olds which can write the date like that! But also the 'cops' rekindle all sorts of memories. Memories such as my first foreign holiday when I was five and we went to Austria - by train! What could be a better experience for a railway-mad five year old?! Travelling so far by train and by a sleeper service too! The notes of third rail EMUs provide remind me of the excitement of seeing these for the first time!

Perhaps it is very much of its time but it is a book which I treasure!

The View From My Window

2011-01-20T23:09:00.002Z

Well, the view from my new window!

The Ashes

2011-01-07T08:18:00.001Z

And England have won and retained the Ashes!

Three one victory in the series against Austrailia - great stuff! It's an excellent indication that test cricket is not only alive and well but also thriving.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T08:08:00.001Z

Or Good Riddance 2010!

Happy New Year!

So the whole world has now made it through into 2011 and we've left 2010 behind - and I'm glad to see the back of 2010 as it's not been a great year. But some recent news should hopefully mean 2011 will be a much better year. At least I hope it will, if it's not I'm giving up on life and I'm going to live in a cardboard box under a bridge!

So we started the new year with a relaxing day out with Fish and Chips in Wetwang! Very nice, indeed.

After our chips we headed towards Malton, but the back through Burdale where the road very closely follows the path of the Malton and Driffield Railway and can make for a fascinating visit. Burdale is a beautiful part of the wold, by-passed by most traffic as people head north towards Pickering and the Moors.

Hopefully one day trains will one day run again along this line - if the Yorkshire Wolds Railway Restoration Project succeed, which I think they ultimately will, then this is a distinct possibility.

Raise the Roof

2010-12-28T20:37:00.001Z

We popped up to Pickering today for lunch and a wander round the town - a lovely relaxed day after a couple of busy days over Christmas which seemed to involve a lot of rushing about to please other people...

Anyway, a nice bonus today was a, I suppose, preview of the roof which the NYMR are reinstating at Pickering railway station. Although there are other working stations still with their GT Andrews designed roofs in place I think this should make a rather nice feature.

There's a lot more information on the NYMR's website, including how you can very easily support the project.

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-25T06:00:00.006Z

I just wanted to wish all those who read my blog a Happy Christmas! And if all goes to plan this Christmas should be a much less eventful one than last year!

And the photo? One taken by my Dad - D9000 passing through Brough station in January 1997 shortly after its return to the mainline.

Pre-Christmas Relaxation

2010-12-23T22:40:00.001Z

As an escape from pre-Christmas, and Birthday preparations, we went to the National Railway Museum in York today.

My mum and dad hadn't been for a couple of years, so it was interesting for them (well, my dad in particular!) to see some of the changes which have taken place. It was also a chance for him to see Duchess of Hamilton is its 'new' streamlined form. With an added bonus of 60163 Tornado in the NRM workshop awaiting repainting into BR passenger green. A site which, I think, will be rather nice and one to bring back memories to far more people than the BR apple green does.

It was also a good day out for Thomas who is now very aware of things around him, and certainly more so than the last visit of his I reported upon! He didn't want to be in his pram for most of the day and was carried around and seemed in awe at many things! He seemed quite impressed with the North Eastern Railway 4-4-0, No. 1621, in particular!

A really nice way to spend a day, especially as the NRM is often wonderfully quiet just before Christmas!

Once You Pop...

2010-12-20T08:39:00.002Z

As the 'Festive' season is upon us, one thing worth bearing in mind is how useful the plastic lids from Pringles tubes are! They make superb mixing trays and palettes for weathering a when you need to use only small quantities of paint.

So as tubes are emptied on those quiet, relaxed evenings over Christmas, or more likely by relatives and in-laws who you wish would really clear off and stop eating all your food, put the lids to one side!

Jack and the Beanstalk

2010-12-19T22:18:00.005Z

On Friday night we made our annual pre-Christmas trip to York Theatre Royal.

Berwick Kaler’s Pantomime is always a real gem – as I’ve said before, it’s production which doesn’t provide a vehicle for the fading star and as such should never be lumped in with other pantomimes.

Every year Kaler brings a magical production to York – magical and always ready to throw the unexpected at you! This year is no exception – Jack and the Beanstalk but the title doesn’t give anything away when it comes to the plot! Quite what sort of mind can make the link between the Beanstalk and an invasion of millions of aliens I’m not sure but the results fantastic, helped by a core of regular actors and the classically trained villain, David Leonard.

The plot is beautifully summed in The Guardian -

"Instead, the denouement involves David Leonard's dastardly villain being crushed by an enormous chicken while a chorus of nuns swing from some bell ropes and an invading horde of puzzled green Martians looks on."

I don’t like the ‘normal’ pantomime productions so beloved of provincial theatres – they represent the very worst of both entertainment and culture. The public aren’t stupid and deserve better than tired ideas and fading, failing stars. Every year Berwick Kaler, York Theatre Royal and the regular cast deliver something so much better than anywhere else. And this is why people return year after year and travel, in some cases, huge distances to see it.

Return to Scunthorpe

2010-12-12T16:25:00.007Z

Returning to a place which is full of memories can be a strange experience. In some ways it can often be sensible not to go back but sometimes you may find yourself drawn there. Scunthorpe is a such a place for me; as a place it sits in the shadow of the steelworks and areas which adjoin the works are often quite filthy, covered in a fine layer of whatever the works has spewed out that day. The works itself is a horrible dirty place but it’s a place which holds a lot of happy memories for me, even though I was only there for a few months.

On Saturday I did return to Scunthorpe and the steelworks for a brake van tour around the site. The tours are run by the Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society, who occupy the former loco shed within the complex. The mere fact they can exist within the huge corporate entity which is Tata is fantastic and that they operate on the works’ railway system is just amazing!

The brake van tours take twice as long as the ‘normal’ tours and reach parts that the regular tours can’t. It was interesting to see things from a different perspective than I was used to. We’d been expecting to be hauled by one of the preserved diesel but a nice surprise was the Society’s Austerity tank, no. 22 in steam. The loco is a real credit to the society!

The first part of the tour took in the ‘High Line’ which is a self contained railway with dedicated locos and rolling stock which services the blast furnaces. The blast furnace staff look after their own track so it was an area in which I never worked during my time there. The wagons are interesting creations in their own right – they probably appear odd to those who haven’t experienced industrial railways. They’re much like Driving Van Trailers (DVTs) on the mainline, but are hopper wagons with a cab at one end. The do look rather sinister, or “like something from Death Train” as one of the lads I used to work with said!

This part of the works contrasts enormously with the next port of call. We took in the exchange sidings right next to the mainline – I don’t think the gleaming saddle tank would be quite what passengers travelling by TransPennine Express would be expecting to see! Following this we headed round the back of the blast furnaces before reversing and moving towards the Society’s shed for lunch – a most civilised way to conduct things!

It allowed chance for a leisurely lunch and a look round the shed – various locos ‘live’ here, both those in full working order and a number undergoing restoration. What seems strange is seeing one a Yorkshire Engine Company Janus type being restored when examples of the same type are plying their trade day in, day out round the works. The weather, as well as affecting the number on the tour, had also frozen the loco water supply! The works fire service helped out and replenished no. 22’s tank. And with the both loco and people refuelled we resumed our travels.

The second half of the tour took us right round the perimeter of the whole site – bearing in mind that the system totals around a hundred miles, this is no small journey. The first part from ‘Bottleneck Junction’, which crosses the public Dawes Lane, to the Mills Exchange Sidings (referred to normally as ‘Nine Control’ after the control tower there) is interesting being an industrial example of double track and allows for running at a much faster line speed than elsewhere within the complex. It’s also one of the less accessible parts of the site – if you were working down there, it could involve some rather ‘interesting’ routes around piles of coke and avoiding all sorts of obstacles! Having thundered out from beneath the Foreign Ore branch we coasted to a halt outside Nine Control. A long wait ensued and we would shortly discover why.

Twenty two took us between the mills – this is when the railway really feels industrial as in threads its way between enormous, towering buildings and large pieces of discarded equipment before diving into one of the mills where you immediately feel the heat coming from the freshly delivered billets which are awaiting rolling into all sorts of different sections. Almost as soon as darkness and dust surrounds you it’s gone again as you burst out into brightness as you round the tightest curve on the system which looks like it was laid in Peco setrack – it’s a wonder more space starved modellers don’t choose industrial subject where such tight curves not only look fine but are quite prototypical!

Soon we passed the Slab Bay where I spent a very cold week this time last year and slowly came up to the rear of the train ahead. A traffic supervisor coupled up and we were told what would be happening. We’d be banking a three hundred ton train up a 1 in 100 grade towards the rod mill! We had prime position just feet away from the locos smokebox and the sound was amazing! The exhaust was thunderously loud and this was undoubtedly the highlight of the day! We blasted up the grade towards Ashbyville Top adding a little to the fumes and pollution which the steelworks emits. The loco kept this going right up to the Rod Mill where the diesel uncoupled and retreated with a train of empty wagons leaving twenty two to move the wagons into the mill. The driver quite clearly enjoyed the trip, leaning out with a beaming grin across his face! Proper working steam and I wouldn’t have missed this for the world!

The final part of the trip seemed unremarkable compared with this effort but even this involved a sprint up the grade to the blast furnaces where the loco was given its head and the exhaust turned into a roar. After waiting by the furnaces we gently made our way back to the start and the end of a wonderful day.

The day brought back a lot of memories – it’s not long ago since I was there, but there were a lot of things which had which were already fading from my memory and it was lovely to be reminded of them. The only thing missing were the people I remembered.

I would encourage any enthusiast to go on one of these tours and help support the AFRPS – what they are preserving is just as important as the major heritage railways, perhaps more so as they are preserving these things in their natural environment rather than steam zoos into which many preserved railways seem have developed. We should celebrate the whole set up in Scunthorpe where an organisation set up to preserve out heritage exists alongside multi-million pound, multi-national industry.

In the Bleak Midwinter

2010-12-08T14:33:00.003Z

Snow has covered the Wolds, much like the rest of the country actually, and at times getting anywhere is rather difficult! At the end of last week, after not going anywhere for several days I went to get vital supplies as we were running low on baby milk and cat food. It took twenty minutes, four people, two shovels and a fair bit of shoving to get my car out of our road! Thankfully it's improving a little bit now. But Thomas has seen his first snow - first he's conscious of anyway - and seems to like despite the look of confusion he had when he first saw it falling.

So lots of time inside and I decided to spend a bit of time on an ongoing project. I was quite shocked to see the last update of it on here and how long has passed since. Some of you may have seen it when Botanic Gardens made its exhibition debut though.

I still think it's a lovely kit - it's not too far off from being ready for the paintshop either. The boiler is only resting in place for now so doesn't sit properly and the whole thing sits too high as it's waiting for lead weights - it's my first sprung chassis and it seem to have gone OK, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it runs.

It's providing a nice opportunity to hide away from the bad weather too!

Wakefield 2010

2010-11-28T22:16:00.009Z

Today we braved the weather and went to the Wakefield RMS’ show – the journey there was fine but the return trip was positively awful! It took three times as long as you would expect with the M62 down to just one lane and less than 25 mph! But the question is, was it worth it?

I have to say I thought it was – the standard of layouts at the Wakefield shows is always very good indeed with a wide range of eras and genres as well as different scales and standards. It would be really hard to describe in detail every layout I liked as there were so many. Worthy of mention were the two tram layouts which were being exhibited; one is one of the few tram layouts I’ve seen where the trams get a decent run! And the trams ran slowly and steadily just as many of the prototypes did. Both layouts were operated realistically and are a world away from some of the layouts I’ve seen where the trams’ acceleration would have given any of the turbo-charged cars I’ve owned a run for their money!

One of the layouts I was really looking forward to seeing was Striven which was built by the late Chris Matthewman and is now in the hands of Colin Ashby, a name well known to many modellers no doubt. Both my dad and I loved his other layouts, one of which has made a return to the exhibition circuit recently. All were EM and rather traditional in many ways. That’s not to be critical, far from it. The layouts worked well and the modelling was of a very high quality and they looked superb!

Elsewhere Law Junction was a wonderful example of modelling the current scene, and an excellent example of how N gauge can allow for long, prototypical, train formations in a reasonable space. One feature which I really liked is abandoned line –

A really nice piece of modelling with a lovely contrast between the modern mainline with its CWR and deep ballasting and the old line as it slowly returns to nature. Very nice indeed.

Of interest to me, due to its local connections, was the model of part of the Sand Hutton Light Railway in its later form with ex-military 18” gauge stock. The modelling is of a very high standard with every thing built from scratch. It’s all very nice but I’d have liked to have seen a deeper scene – it’s a hard one though. First glance I wasn’t convinced by the way it was presented but returning and watching it for longer I started to ‘get’ it. The use of flat cut outs behind the scene and the backdrop is very theatrical in concept and does seem to work well, even it if isn’t how I would have done it. Maybe it’s a good example of keeping an open mind to new techniques? Either way, I did like it.

Finally I have to mention The Gresley Beat - for many it will need no introduction but for those of you who don’t know it, it’s an interpretation of the East Coast Mainline as it heads through North London. It’s not based on any particular part but draws inspiration from various parts of the line. The result isn’t a replica in the sense of The Model Railway Club’s Copenhagen Fields, instead it is more impressionistic. And the result is superb with a whole host LNER named expresses interspersed by locals and long freight trains. I really like the layout and it has moved on hugely since its appearance at the Hull show a few years ago.

Wakefield RMS do seem to manage to maintain an excellent standard year on year which is no mean feat. I think it’s one of the best club shows in the country and not one where you come away thinking this or that ‘could be better’. Well worth the trip despite the rather long, drawn out journey home!

The Cold Light of Day

2010-11-27T21:42:00.003Z

History has an odd habit of repeating things. The last couple of days has shown this, albeit in a small way out of the hands of man.

Forty five years ago today the York - Beverley line closed to all traffic and the last day, unusually for November, was a cold time with snow on the ground - conditions where roads grind to a halt but railways can, for the most part, continue as usual.

And today, as in 1965, the Wolds were covered by a soft blanket of snow. Roads seem to sit someway below a layer of ice and travelling by car was much harder than normal but on the railway trains continued as normal as they effortlessly went about their business on rails which looked like they were laid on top of the fresh snow.

Hull 2010

2010-11-14T22:38:00.000Z

This weekend was Hull MRS’ annual exhibition – the East Yorkshire Area Group had been ‘volunteered’ for the club second hand stand. Not ideal for us as we were very busy indeed and didn’t see much of the show on the Saturday – I didn’t get a chance until the last fifteen minutes before closure! But the Sunday allowed a little extra time.

One of my favourite layouts this weekend was Duncrieve Sidings, a contemporary layout in EM. It’s a very interesting concept, one which I first saw in Modelling the British Rail Era, which involves modelling just one end of a yard with an over bridge masking the ‘other’ end. It’s a great way to model ‘big’ trains in a small space; Duncrieve Sidings is just eight feet long. You see a loco bring its train to the end of the yard, uncouple and proceed to run round. Later on the wagons disappear in the other direction. The train is only two or three wagons long in this case but the way it is presented you don’t notice it and it’s utterly convincing.

Although based in Scotland parts of it reminded me of areas around Healy Mills and the trans-Pennine route areas – the rough waste ground reminded of areas around Scunthorpe where land shows the scars of past glories. The van making its way over the ground is typical of many inhospitable access points! A really lovely layout which I think is brilliantly observed and very well presented.

Easington Lane is always a pleasure to see – the modelling is of a very high standard. The layout is wonderfully detailed and everything is toned down and weathered so it all works as one. I was quite happy just looking at the layout itself between trains! But the stock is superb – all the modelling within the group is of a very high standard – Pete Johnson’s work, in particular, is just amazing.

One delightful small layout which appeared was Gordon Luck's Fish Dock Road which is a lovely little shunting puzzle in P4 based on Grimsby Docks. Interestingly it was exhibited on a table – it normally lives on a shelf. The low height made it ideal for children and wheelchair users to see – many layouts can be rather difficult for some to see and layout height is a debate which could run and run, especially for exhibition layouts.

One exhibit which I enjoyed watching was 16mm Scale Association’s layout; live steam has a real fascination for many modellers, regardless of their interests. I always think a large scale garden railway would be great! I think something like the Ffestiniog Railway’s Prince at the head of a rake of slate wagons or a Welshpool & Llanfair loco on a goods train trundling around the garden on a summer’s evening would be very civilised!

Of course there were layouts from within Hull MRS, including Driffield and Crumley and Little Wickhill but I find I look at the visiting layouts far more as I’ve seen the club layouts on many occasions – though in the case of Crumley and Little Wickhill it’s always good to see it for the scenery alone!

I think the Hull show is one of the best small club shows in the country – maybe I’m biased? But just look at the standard of the exhibits I have highlighted here – pretty good I’m sure you’ll agree. These local shows as they do wonders for the hobby and offer something remarkably different from the big shows like Warley or the scale society shows like Scaleforum and I think it's important that modellers and enthusiasts support local shows like these.

Project 31 - Finale

2010-11-07T23:21:00.001Z

The catalyst for this project was seeing a photograph in one book of 31 171 working on the remains of the North Lindsey Light Railway just north of Scunthorpe. Until seeing this I hadn’t realised that class 31s had worked on the branch, which is now best known for the refuse trains which head to Roxby – the waste being buried in the former iron ore mines.

My thoughts about modelling the loco centred on a rather old Lima 31 which I had ‘in stock’. Initially I had wondered about using a Life-Like Proto 1000 PA-1 mechanism which is very close to Lima’s bogie wheelbase but then I looked at the Hornby class 31 which I bought when that first came out a little while back. I have explained my views on the model previously so won’t repeat them here, but I could see many of the parts could be very useful when combined with the Lima body – the Life-Like mechanism will be used in the future for another Lima re-power I suspect!

I chose to retain the Lima chassis frame as I could replicate the methods I used when I extensively rebuilt a couple of Lima 37s (to the extent some people didn’t believe they were based on Lima products!) and used Hornby class 50 bogies as a form of propulsion. Jim Smith-Wright did make use of the existing Hornby chassis block within a Lima body but I felt repeating a previously used method would speed up the initial stages of the project.

The Lima body looks right and has captures the look of the prototype far better than the newer offering from Hornby. With a bit of care the Lima body can be made into something pretty special. The photo shows how few items are required to really lift it. It also has wonderfully fine and subtle tooling which Hornby and Bachmann have so far failed to match. Hornby score well with their underframe parts – the battery boxes are a massive improvement over Lima’s. The bogies, in cosmetic terms are fairly close really – of course Hornby’s are much better mechanically but they do seem a little two-dimensional. A huge improvement can be made by removing the moulded (out of line) brakegear. The lack of brakegear is obvious – it’s often in shadow anyway and the mind will fill the darkness with what it thinks should be there! The other Hornby items which should be included are the cab interiors which are superb and with new glazing can be easily seen.

For some of you reading this I suspect you think this method is not exactly cheap – it probably isn’t but patience should find either discounted Hornby models or keenly priced second hand models. I have seen some for less than £50 on eBay in recent months. Bear in mind that I sold the body and made £20 back on that, so had I bought the model second hand the cost of the mechanism would have cost me around £30. You can get Lima models quite cheaply – at the last toy fair I visited in Beverley I saw unboxed Lima models in good condition for less than twenty pounds – I paid just £16 for a near mint class 47. Add to this the new Gibson wheels (£20) and a few new details and parts you could easily build a high spec model for under a hundred quid. To some this will seem expensive but compared with locomotives I’m building for Botanic Gardens, this is good value – I am aiming for a consistent standard across all my modelling regardless of era or genre. To put it into perspective, a good quality etched kit built to P4 standards could easily be heading towards £200 depending on the choice of wheels and motor – very easily in fact. If you value prototypical fidelity then this cost will be acceptable, but if not then I think you’ll be very happy with the Hornby 31 as it comes and will have avoided all of this messing about!

So the big question is, was it all worth while?

I have to say emphatic yes! The end result is, I feel, a model which combines the best elements of both the Lima and Hornby models. It does require more work than simply taking a ready-to-run (RTR), but the end result is far more satisfying. I’m not saying you have to do projects like this but making things yourself is very satisfying, whether is locomotives and rolling stock or scenic projects.

I do wonder if modellers rely on RTR too much – high quality RTR can save time but sometimes I think people will accept RTR which isn’t quite what they want but it’s ‘near enough’. This is also true of many of the ready made buildings now on the market. I worry that the hobby may loose some skills as a result. No one can tell anyone how they should be ‘enjoying’ their hobby, but trust me there is nothing more satisfying than looking at something and being able to say ‘I made that!’

Further Reading

Project 31
Project 31 Fades Away
Project 31 - Getting There
I Can See Clearly Now
RMweb Thread

All Change at Scarborough

2010-11-06T22:42:00.004Z

Here's a view which may provide a little bit of a contrast with my previous visit to Scarborough. The large mechanical gantry has now and new colour lights are in its place; also gone is the wonderful selection of bullhead track, replaced with modern flatbottom on all concretes. It flows beautifully through the station throat.

This is not something to despair about, this is the railway evolving, as it has done for the last two hundred years - this is progress. The old gantry isn't lost though, it'll be installed very soon at Grosmont as part of the NYMR's remodelling of the station to improve access to the Whitby line and Falsgrave box will remain in place, not as a signal box but as a memorial to the old infrastructure.

Sing Like an Angel

2010-11-03T22:02:00.000Z

Earlier this week we saw Mitch Benn and the Distractions again - they were superb! I think Mitch Benn is a hugely talented man, not just musically but comically too. And he is a genuinely funny and witty individual too. And this isn't the first time we've seen him either!

I love the warmth that he has - the studio theatre at Hull Truck Theatre really helps with the intimacy of the performance too. His observation is superb too - Sing Like an Angel is superb. It's funny but at the same time there is a sad truth in the song about the way talent contests raise the hopes of entrants. This one thing I love about Mitch Benn's work, wonderfully sharp observations.

But his work isn't just of this nature - a recent song is much different. The BBC has come in for a lot of criticism over the license fee in recent years but they have produced many things which a purely commercial broadcaster may not dare to produce. My own interests in comedy and especially that which appears on radio relies heavily on the BBC, and I agree it is something of which we should be proud -

And if you get a chance to see Mitch Benn live, I urge you to take it!

When Railways Mattered?

2010-11-01T09:05:00.000Z

The other day Thomas and I had popped out for the afternoon while Suzi was at work and I saw Traction Magazine’s new annual in WH Smith’s ‘reading room’ – for £5.95 it looked like pretty good value too with very few adverts in among the articles which is an added bonus. On the way back home I realised Thomas had fallen asleep in his seat in the back of the car so I found somewhere to stop – although he sleeps through, sleep during the day is rare for him so I didn’t want to wake him up if I didn’t have to. All this crawling really takes it out of him! We parked at Kiplingcoates station, which seemed a rather nice place to read to a railway book!

The editorial I found rather negative – as my title suggests, I don’t really agree with the leading headline of the annual. The rose tinted view of railways which was once the preserve of many the-world-ended-in-1968 steam enthusiasts seems to be spreading to diesel enthusiasts now. Having spoken to my dad, who, without giving his age away, was fortunate enough to witness a good few years of British Railways steam before it finished, it seems that the railway wasn’t something “most boys and men” took an interest in. He said with boys, it was a case of there wasn’t always much else to do!

But questioning the railway’s role in society is interesting – passenger levels are now at levels only previously achieved in the time immediately after the Second World War. But the network has changed greatly and many people, us included, rely on cars to provide our primary means of transport. The rolling stock has changed – many units have replaced loco hauled services as they’re much cheaper! But the loss of loco hauled services isn’t a reason to despair – the railway is still a fascinating place! It’s constantly changing and can still provide a great variety of stock in all sorts of liveries. I still find it a fascinating place!

But then I find articles which show all sorts of scenes from my childhood and adolescence fascinating too and this annual has plenty of articles like this. And it is amazing just how much has changed in the last twenty years. The railway has almost reinvented itself completely in parts. Scary in some ways just how much it's changed and how old it makes me feel!

Just one thing, however, which I really don't like about the annual - photos taken from positions clearly on railway property where the photographer admits to trespassing. With some of the recent examples of enthusiasts trespassing to take photos of railtours which have appear both in the railway press and the national media I feel this is a very irresponsible thing for Traction to publish.

But otherwise if you would like a bit of diesel fuelled nostalgia, at just short of six quid the Traction Annual is great value.

I Can See Clearly Now

2010-10-29T23:36:00.003+01:00

Courtesy of Pete Harvey at PH Designs was a neat little etch for 'wiper masks' which allow you to make masks where windscreen wipers would sweep. Once applied to the loco a very light dusting from an airbrush (and it must be very light unless it's filthy sandite loco!) will complete the effect.

With a bit of care to make sure the effect is nice and subtle and the results are very pleasing indeed.

Sarah Millican

2010-10-29T13:32:00.006+01:00

Last night we saw the amazing Sarah Millican!

As with Ross Noble, it was part of the Hull Comedy Festival and was a new venue for us, iScream just next to Hull Truck. It's part of the Albemarle Music Centre and is a great venue with a really lovely intimate feel which adds greatly to the performance. Not that Sarah Millican needs any assistance. She has a wonderful rapport with the audience and interacts easily - the audience also seem very much at ease with this too. Many acts can put an audience on edge with the fear of what they may ask them directly!

Much of her humour comes from her own life which is perhaps a reflection of her taking up stand up much later than many acts currently on the circuit. And it's delivered with a real warmth - you almost feel like you're sitting down with a mad friend who's explaining how her week's been.

I first heard her on Radio 4's 28 Acts in 28 Minutes and have been wanting to see her live ever since! If you get a chance to see her live, you're in for wonderful experience!

Links

Sarah Millican

"If you don't like Tangents, leave now!"

2010-10-22T17:31:00.003+01:00

Last night we saw Ross Noble at Hull City Hall as part of his 'Nonsensory Overload' and the Hull Comedy Festival! I first saw him at the Beverley Comedy Festival back in, I think, 2003. That was a night I thoroughly enjoyed!

Ross Noble says he talks 'utter bollocks' on stage and he's right, but it's funny! He invites you into his world, a world where owls wear pajamas, penguins race motorbikes, and tangents prosper. In fact most of his act is heavily unscripted and you'll never see the same performance two nights running - as the title here says, if you don't like tangents you're not going to enjoy it! But most people will.

I think he's one of the best comedians currently performing on the circuit - he's original, weird but most of all he enjoys life and his work. And this shines through his act. He's just utterly brilliant and a sheer joy to watch!

37@50

2010-10-22T11:46:00.002+01:00

Last weekend I went to the National Railway Museum's '37 at 50' event which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Class 37, or English Electric Type 3 as it then was. Despite a couple of operators letting them down there was a good selection of locos on display as well as stalls inside from various societies along with a couple booksellers.

Sadly I had to go on my own - seems none of us have been anything approaching one hundred percent over the last week or so! Even so I enjoyed the event. It had a nice mix of enthusiasts and 'normal' people in attendance. Thankfully it didn't seem to attract some of the less evolved enthusiasts who seem to attend many diesel galas!

One of ther highlights for me was, strangely, seeing the locos moving around the overgrown parts of the Museum's South Yard. With the sound of the English Electric engines it was like watching a depot fifteen years ago!

It was a very well organised event which shows that the NRM has a real commitment to traction of all kinds. Not so long ago various magazine articles questioned the NRM's views towards diesel and electric locomotives but I think events like this should remove any worries enthusiasts may have had in the past.

Scuttled

2010-10-18T16:34:00.006+01:00

This was a fun little project; Warship D840 as it was in the Summer of 1970 as it stood at Old Oak Common awaiting its fate. For enthusiasts it's a rather sad sight, once powerful locomotives standing motionless and silentwaiting to be recycled. But life will go and other stock will continue to rack up miles as time slowly forgets the fallen.

However, for modellers this provides something a little different...

At the heart of the model we have an ancient Mainline Warship, which Bachmann later re-engineered when they re-released it. The original featured Mainline's version of the 'pancake' style motor and it wasn't very good. There's a reason this loco was selected for this treatment! However the cosmetics are the same as the re-release which is rather good as it'll share a layout with other locos, including other Warships featured on here.

Consistent appearance is one thing but it must look a little different so the viewer knows it's withdrawn. This is despite D840 looking quite reasonable from a distance at this point. Its bodywork had various scars and rust patches but the paint still had a sheen to it. However for once I deviated a little in this respect as the loco has a few missing windows, including one windscreen. However the missing panel on the underframe is just like the slide!

I added various cab bulkheads so once the cab doors were removed there would be no daylight where it shouldn't be. Missing cab doors are very obvious and nicely adds to the overall look. However to finish off I gave the whole loco a coat of light dust over everything. Dust over the windows and the windscreens gives the impression that it hasn't moved for some time.

I'm rather pleased with the finished model, it's a little different and perfect for a depot layout. It becomes more of a scenic item too and took more time than the other Warships I've featured on here but I think the effort was worth it.

Birthday Outing

2010-10-15T17:13:00.003+01:00

As part of the process of advancing another year (I feel that the gap between my mental and actual age is progressively widening) we had a family outing to Grosmont on the NYMR. Grosmont, I feel, is as near as heritage railways come to recreating a country junction station especially with through services to Whitby. All that's missing is freight punctuating the passenger trains.

Don't Look Back Into The Sun

2010-10-10T16:31:00.004+01:00

I noticed this earlier today.

The glazing on this loco, a Bachmann Class 47, has gained a rather milky appearance. It was an impulse purchase at the start of the year and has been on the window sill in my workshop for some time and, even in Yorkshire, has been exposed to sunlight. Now, it's not always a good idea to leave a lot of things in direct sunlight but what worries me is that even in the 'railway room' at my parents' this could happen very easily.

Being a normal room, many of the models could easily be exposed to sunlight through a window at the side of the room - it may not be as extreme as the duff here but the effect could still be very disappointing for people. Many plastics don't take kindly to UV light and I suspect that this is the case here. I would be replacing the glazing anyway, but that's not really the point. And it has made me wonder about the stability of materials used - the last thing any modellers would want to find would be that a model which has taken many hours to construct was ruined something like this. Just something to bear in mind.

Project 31 - Getting There

2010-10-08T17:01:00.000+01:00

Well, it's nearly done!

It has been an immensely satisfying project and I'm very pleased that I decided it was indeed worth trying. Combining parts from all sorts of different sources can be a lot of fun - the result is often very personal as it becomes your own interpretation of the subject.

I think that this is a much more pleasing model than Hornby's out of the box model - though if you're happy with the Hornby model, that's fine! It didn't really require a huge amount of work or effort to complete it either. Detailing wise, with a new fan grille, handrails, glazing and roof grab irons it's easily on a par with the Hornby model, plus I think it looks much better. You could easily incorporate the Hornby lighting units too with you wished (I'm rather off most LED lighting packages though, they don't look right to me on older locos and stock). I will leave it up to the reader to decide if it was worthwhile.

I certainly think it's well within grasp of a competent modeller with care - and it is a nice way to show that if you're not entirely happy with something you don't have to put with it, you can get on and do something about it.

Maybe there should be more of this?

Further Reading

Project 31
Project 31 Fades Away

Scaleforum 2010

2010-10-06T14:50:00.001+01:00

The other weekend the East Yorkshire Area Group made the annual trip to Leatherhead for Scaleforum, the Scalefour Society's main event of the year. It’s a show I really look forward to every year – it has a unique atmosphere which is very friendly and welcoming. It’s not an elitist event at all and if you were wondering about P4 but were worried by rumours you’d heard of such things, there really is nothing to worry about as the society isn’t like that! And that’s one thing which is great about the Society’s shows; people are very willing to offer help and advice if you ask.

A highlight for many at the show was St Merryn which was very nice indeed - I saw it at Scalefour North a couple of years ago when they still had work to complete and it was good then, but here it was superb! For most of Sunday it was three and four deep! And Sunday was the quiet day too! Superb stuff!

Portchullin represented diesel and electric modelling very well indeed - the nice thing about the way things are going now, and Portchullin is a prime example, is that D&E modelling is now just another era. That's not to put it down at all, but it's an accepted part of the finescale scene and now people are making huge efforts to model non-steam motive power with as much care as many have with steam for years. The results here speak for themselves, even if my photo doesn't do the layout justice.

Similarly Brimingham Moor Street is a great example - it is also nice to see DMUs modelled to a high standard. They've been part of the railway for years but never seem to attract modellers in the way more glamorous motive does.

I must also mention Colin Craig, who is not just a very knowledgeable man but also very kind and good natured! I bought an etch for some brake levers, but he didn't have change for a ten pound note. It should have been £2.00 but I had just £1.27 in change so he smiled and said "Just give me a pound and let me know how you get on with them!" A very nice man!

And finally I'll leave you with another view of St Merryn. This is what the Scalefour Society is all about, people modelling to the best of their ability and aiming high. There's not a wheel in sight but this is unmistakably 'finescale'.

Project 31 Fades Away

2010-09-22T07:44:00.003+01:00

My class 31 has progressed quite well I'm pleased to say! It's very much on the home straight now. The photo of 31 171 I mentioned in the original post about the project shows the loco in a rather faded state. The grey was steadily loosing its density and had become a much lighter shade. I added a little rail grey to the mix of the body colour but the final effect would need a little more 'help'. The following photo will give you an idea of how much I have managed to 'fade' the paintwork.

I've used the techniques I described previously with which I've had a degree of success - though the model looks awful when the fading has been applied! The key seems to be not so much with the fading process but the application of washes of dirt to the model afterwards. This is where I differ from my normal method of applying paint and then removing it. Instead I use very thin washes applied like watercolour washes. For seam and panel lines I used a very fine brush to introduce the mix and let capillary action do the rest. It's a slow process which needs to repeated several times to build up the colour and shadows but it's very worthwhile. After these have dried I use a wide chisel brush to apply washes in key areas of the body and roof.

The next stage will be applied with an airbush - exhaust stains and dirt and dust thrown up by the loco's motion for example. This will be applied once the underframe has been completed and weathered to bring all the elements together. This is, I think, one of the most satisfying stages of modelling, when all of sudden the model exists as a whole and repays the care you took.

First Class Week

2010-09-21T17:11:00.002+01:00

I spent last week commuting to Leeds and back each day – commuting at the same time as the masses is not something I like especially. I was on a project management course administered by the Association for Project Management at Leeds Metropolitan University within their Centre for Project Management. It was a rather intensive course, far more so any part of my degree! With this in mind, plus the city centre location I didn’t really fancy driving in and out everyday. The days would be long enough as it was without having the stress three or four hours in the car everyday! Another thought was a hotel for four night – travelling is much easier and there would be somewhere to work in the evening, but it could prove expensive. So a further alternative was to go by train each day.

However, anyone who’s experience Selby to Leeds in a morning or the return journey in an evening will know that the numbers on the train make it a less than pleasant experience! All it shows is how suited the railway is to easily shifting large numbers of people from one place to another. But this wouldn’t make doing work on the train very easy. I remember this from my time in Manchester where having anything out on the table made you distinctly unpopular with your fellow passengers! But thanks to the privatised railway’s advance ticket systems there was another, not very obvious answer – First Class.

It’s normally seen as the expensive way to travel, and if you pay on the day it is – as is standard class too on some circumstances. However booking as far in advance as possible netted a selection of tickets to get me to and from Leeds which was significantly less than the price of a hotel or, possibly, petrol when crawling through heavy traffic! The key advantages? Well, up to fifty minutes each way to work and read through course material in a nice quiet and comfortable environment with a short drive to Brough and back each day. Seemed like the best choice by a long way.

Thankfully we had First TransPennine Express' class 170’s each way – I think they’re much nicer than the class 185 units which they also run – and first class is very comfortable. Not up to mark 3 coach standards, but pretty good. Every service got me to my destinations on time – the only issue was when a late running Scarborough service delayed my train’s arrival into Leeds by five minutes but we were on time by Selby. There seems a fair bit of slack in the working timetable so any small delays can easily be recovered. The only real problem for me was when we had a single two car unit instead of the usual two, two car units. First class was declassified and then full – I couldn’t do any work really this night on the train. I can claim back the difference on my ticket but that wasn’t the point at the time. But, these things happen, and life still goes on! The most annoying part of this journey was one middle aged woman who appeared to be wearing a man’s suit; she seemed an expert on everything and the whole compartment knew all about her mother’s ailments by the time we arrived in Selby.

The two stations I used are both excellent examples of their respective genres; Brough was once a village station which has now metamorphosised into a parkway station with a decent sized car park and staffed buildings. Leeds has too undergone huge change over the last few years. It used to be a horribly dingy station but is now light and airy with a real hint of many mainline stations on the continent. The only thing which annoys me is the ticket barriers. I understand the need for need to protect against fare dodgers but they do produce a real bottleneck. And the number of people with purses and wallets out as they go through, having extracted their tickets, must be a real temptation for the less desirable members of the community.

Aside from that one evening, I had a trouble free week of travelling which made the whole week so much easier. Combined with the course being good with decent lecturers and some lovely ‘course mates’, it was a really good week! The real downside was only being able to see Thomas for about half an hour a day before he went to bed in an evening. A nice extra on the Friday was the Northern Belle heading through Leeds with a Class 67 on either end!

A first class end to a first class week.

To York And Back

2010-09-10T23:19:00.002+01:00

I went to York for the first PWI meeting of the autumn last night and one thing really struck as I drove home.

The A1079 is now littered with speed cameras and long limits well below the national speed limit - I believe for 'safety' reason though if it's busy you'd do well get near the lower limit yet when it's quite it is so frustrating not being able to get anywhere near sixty on such a wide main road. As such, if I'm on my own I often leave the main road and head home on the more minor roads where I can easily follow the route of the former Beverley - York line. With the low limits on the main road, this little diversion doesn't actually much to your journey time at all!

It may seem odd to have followed the line like this so many times but it still holds my interest and so many times I notice a little remnant which I'd missed previosuly; it may only be a disused gatepost but it's another little piece of evidence that this line once existed.

One thing which struck me as I drove home was how perfect the railway would have been for my journeys last night. I could have walked to village station (assuming it could have reopened as it closed in 1959!) and caught a direct train to York, not sat in traffic in the centre of York for twenty-five minutes and very easily walked to the meeting! On the way back a short walk after the meeting to the station and then back on a late train and then a stroll from the station to our house. I could even have met a friend for a drink afterwards, I could have had a couple of pints too as I wouldn't be driving! Would be fantastic, wouldn't it?

Will it ever happen? Well, we've looked at this before but there have been a few interesting references published recently. The Minsters' Rail Campaign's website has some interesting items in its news section.

If you look at the East Riding of Yorkshire Council's website for their Local Development Framework and browse the Allocations Development Plan Document section a number of the schedules mention "Site within potential area identified for proposed Beverley to York railway line" and various maps "Potential route for Hull to York railway".

So a statement of intent? A pipe dream? Or a naive idea by people who don't really understand the true cost? Well I hope I'm way of the mark on the latter. But who knows? One thing I do think is that spending money which may go on HS2 would probably be of more economic benefit to many areas if it was spent on reopening or upgrading lines which could really benefit communities.

Maybe I'm idealistic - recent events have seen me really reassesing what I think and fell is important and questioning many things and drawing new conclusions. Idealism might not be achievable but even if you wish to make a practical and workable solution I think the idealistic starting may still help one reach the best solution. So maybe one day we will see the York - Beverley line's "potential route" realised?

The Navy Lark

2010-09-07T07:03:00.001+01:00

The title may seem to be more the likes of CPO Pertwee, but it seems a suitable title for a little bit about moreWarships! The Navy Lark, incidently, is a huge favourite of mine! Along with Hankcock's Half Hour!

This time the result is more weather beaten and distinctly more filthy than the previous Warship. This effect is, I think, emphasised by the cool light of a cloudly late summer/early autumn afternoon.

I rather enjoy weathering these locos, especially the dirtier examples. The hydraulics seemed to weather in their own unique way. The body coloured valances seem to attract dirt and never seem to be touched by any carriage washers. The dirt builds and builds as time goes by. Then as locos move further away from their last overhaul oil seems to being to seep out mixed in with fuel spills and this soaks into the dirt making for patterns which can look amazing in model form if you can carefully replicate them. The Bachmann model is a delight to work with; a solid simple model locomotive which really looks the part!

Hull's Big Bus Day

2010-09-06T17:53:00.001+01:00

Over the weekend, my Dad and I went to the 'Big Bus Day' at the Streetlife Museum in Hull. It's a rather interesting day which attracts approaching five thousand people on just one day! Interestingly, from observations, I think a larger proportion of the visitors are 'non-enthusiasts' which seems to show it is a wonderful PR exercise for East Yorkshire Motor Services!

The museum is both a superb choice of venue and a most unsuitable place! For photography if you don't have a wide angle lens you don't stand a chance! But the venue, in Hull's 'Museum Quarter' is a delightful place. The Streetlife Museum is home to one of Hull's last remaining trams, no. 132, too - the museum also houses a wonderfully restored North Eastern Railway brake van too.

It's right in the heart of Hull's old town, which is probably not what many people would expect of Hull. I often think that Hull gets a bad press, often undeserved. All cities have their problems but Hull's 'best bits' never seem to receive the credit they deserve.

The day always sees a number of preserved vehicles in attendance - the standard of the vehicles is always very high indeed. And despite being East Yorkshire's day, Hull City Transport always seems to be represented too - these are privately owned normally, although Hull City Council does own a number of ex-Hull buses but sadly they don't have the room to display them so most are sadly stored away from public view.

East Yorkshire always have new buses on display - interesting for the public and enthusiasts but also wonderful PR. Previously the Manchester City team coach has attended - this is owned and operated by EYMS' Manchester operation.

For railway modellers events like these can be wonderful sources of information and inspiration. A chance to closely inspect buses easily without causing any problems! All too often I think many layouts, including some finescale efforts, are ruined by the inclusion of untouched die-cast buses. It's such a shame when it is so easy to research buses properly - even more so when the owner and builder could never live with an untouched RTR loco on their layout yet seems happy with an out of the box EFE bus!

If you can make it to next year's event it is worth a trip - the atmosphere is always fantastic and it really shows Hull at its best I think. And, I don't wish to jinx things, but they always manage to have lovely warm sunny weather each year!

The Whistler Conundrum

2010-08-30T21:50:00.002+01:00

Class 40s, also know as 'whistlers' due to the noise their four turbos make, have been part of the railway history for over fifty years now. They're a favourite of mine even though most had been withdrawn before I was born! My dad also has a soft spot for them as he remembers them regularly working into Hull when they were new. He always said how massive they appeared! Indeed, their size was the reason for their wheel arrangement, 1Co-Co1, the extra carrying wheels being required to spread their weight! D208 was the first one he saw and this was one we had to have for Eastmoor. This was the result of a teenage project based on the Lima model and detailed using various Craftsman parts. When I finished this I really felt I'd achieved something!

Some parts of the Internet seem to be busy discussing the news that Bachmann are to 'retool' their class 40 after the news appeared in the latest edition of Rail Express Modeller. I must admit I hate the use of 'retool' - there seems to be a lot of confusion as to whether this means that we will see the results of new tooling or if the existing tool. I find it frustrating when people seem not to care that there is a difference between the two since the results of the process could be very different indeed...

Anyway, the Bachmann class 40 has had a hugely difficult life. It seems to be accepted now that the model is severely challenged in terms of dimensional accuracy which throws out the proportions of various parts of the model. As such it's not just a case of the odd misplaced grille which can be rectified by the determined modeller at home, but a something which was so compromised that it could never be corrected without virtually starting again! The rather flat and slab-like appearance of the windscreens didn't help the 'face' of the model either. Even the bogie pivots are in the wrong locations making it hard to add certain chassis details because they would now be in the way of the bogie's wider swing when they weren't in reality.

Now I don't want anyone to think I'm criticising Bachmann for the sake of it; the model in question isn't an excuse to do so. I think my views com from a feeling of disappointment more than anything else - if you look at some of their other offerings, such as their BR standard locos, the class 08 and the mark 1 range of coaches you can see just how good the results can be. This is why it was so frustrating!

So any positives at all? Well, out of the box it appears less offensive to the eye (once they sorted out the ride height) than the Lima model and it has the now familiar central motor and flywheel arrangement driving both bogies, albeit just two axles on each one. Even so it could haul a decent load quite comfortably.

Fairly soon, even in the original Rail Express review in fact, people realised that the chassis frame perfectly fitted the Lima body....

Ah yes, Lima's effort - doesn't look too clever out of the box does it?

Well, with a bit of work it can look superb. Still not a 100% but for many people it could satisfy their desire for a decent class 40. It suffers from numerous problems out of the box but with care can make a decent model, as I hope my effort with 343 above shows. Hornby are just about to release an upgrade version of the Lima model in their Railroad range - it'll have a much better motor and could provide good starting pointing still.

The wide bogies (with the water tanks widened to match) are the major and most obvious visual failing. Careful weathering can help disguise this, but here the Bachmann chassis looks so much better - my only slight criticism being the axleboxes and springs could do with more relief, but the overall effect is much better. Combining the Lima body with the Bachmann chassis seemed like it could be the way ahead for a number of modellers.

I have tried this with a couple of models - the results seemed quite promising. Certainly some of the locomotives on Mostyn built using this combination are very good indeed! The article in Rail Express Modeller (Rail Express issue 115) is well worth seeking out as it contains a huge amount of useful information for anyone modelling the forties, regardless of which route they choose.

Things do get complicated though. Despite all its faults and flaws the Bachmann loco can look ok! This is by a friend of mine, and aside from weathering Tim didn't actually do very much!

Not bad, is it? Likewise the class 40 which I saw on Thorne Yard at Pickering, looked 'right' in the context of the layout.

This does make me start to question all of the various options I've looked into and tried out in the past - all that work to work around the problems which in these two examples I can quite happily overlook and enjoy the results as decent models of class forties! This rather contradictory view does unnecessarily complicate matters for me; whilst able to accept things on work by others but on my own work I think I'm just so much more critical. Whether this is a good or bad thing I'm never sure.

One thing of which I can be certain now is that anyone choosing to model a class 40 in four mil' is that they'll never be short of detailing parts - Brian Hanson of Shawplan is due to be releasing a wonderful range of high fidelity etched parts for the class 40! I was priviledged to have a set of preproduction parts and they are superb - his new parts are taking diesel modelling forward in huge leaps!

With the new Bachmann model due soon I'm going to hold off on any class forty projects; I really want to model D282 as there's a superb photo in one book I have of it passing through the village station a few months before the lines closure. I have high hopes for the model as Bachmann's latest round of class 37s have been huge improvements on the original release.

But one thing I'd encourage all those interested in modelling the class forties is to make their own minds up. There are so many people out there ready to make decisions on your behalf but at the end of the day, if a model pleases you despite all its faults, then maybe this is the main thing? There's a wealth of information in books, magazines and on the net to allow a very informed decision to me made. I sometimes think that many models are as good as we want them to be if we're prepared to make the most of all things at our disposal and put some time and effort in. Much like life I suppose.

References

Diesels in Depth: Class 40s by David Clarke
Rail Express 115: Class 40s for Mostyn

Links

Class 40 Appeal
Wikipedia

Pickering 2010

2010-08-23T22:01:00.002+01:00

This is the first post of here for a while - life seems to have been very busy lately, chasing even the vaguest job opportunity and with a funeral thrown in. This time of year seems to move very quickly anyway and in the space of a week many of the golden fields which surround the village have now turned to a freshly ploughed shade of brown - autumn's knocking on the door now.

Over the weekend we made a family visit to Pickering, which nicely coincided the Scarborough Model Railway Society's exhibition at Pickering's Memorial Hall. A small show but with a pretty decent selection of layouts. Niddbeck Bridge is a favourite of mine - it has been mentioned here before too! It's a wonderful advert for 2mm Finescale, showing just what can be achieved in a small space.

One layout which I really liked was Thorne Yard - very much in the heart of the blue era (early eighties I think) it was well presented and is one of the few times when an exhibition layout, in my opinion, has presented DCC sound locos effectively. There was no conflict with other sounds and it worked superbly and really complimented the layout. It was, undoubtedly, helped by being in a room with no other layouts so other layouts couldn't 'leak' their sounds over it! It was placed, thoughtfully, next to a rather nice DCC demo too.

Although 00 the handbuilt track was carefully executed and at first glance you could have mistaken it for EM! Certainly positive for when we re-start Eastmoor where the intention is to build all the track in the scenic areas, which could be a large task, but the result will hopefully be worth it. Thorne Yard convinced me that handbuilt track in 00 won't look too obviously 'narrow gauge'. We returned for more than one look at the layout, which is always a good sign!

My only criticism of the show is that it wouldn't be easy to get a push chair round - the lift to the upstairs would actually be OK, but the main hall would be a struggle, I do realise that the layout of the building itself contributes to this, but we noticed that one visitor in a wheelchair didn't seem to have an easy time. So only my dad and I went in leaving my mum, Suzi and Thomas to look round the shops, they seemed to cope though! I know Thomas is only eight months old, but he does like watching things go past so it was a shame we couldn't have easily taken him round.

After the show we had a drink sitting outside the Beck View cafe which was rather relaxing and civilised aside from my mad dash across the road to I could get a few detail photos for my on-going class 24!

So, my one issue aside, Scarborough MRS' Pickering exhibition is a show which is well worth visiting if you're free this time next year!

Project 31

2010-08-03T17:06:00.004+01:00

This project has been brewing for a little while however life has been very busy of late - thankfully part of this was preparing for an interview! Waiting to hear on this, but it was nice to be able to speak to someone and not just go through online applications.

So back to modelling for a little respite and to start by being a little controversial; I don't like the Hornby 31! There's something about the body that just doesn't do it for me. I'm not sure what it is, but the overall shape just doesn't seem right - maybe the sides are too flat? The mechanism, however, is rather better than Lima's standard motor but the Lima body looks so much better to me. The curve of the bodysides look 'right' to my eyes. I must say at this juncture that if you're happy with your Hornby 31, then you'll be saved all this aggro!

When the Hornby 31 first appeared I bought one immediately, I had ordered it once it was announced but it sat in the workshop because I just wasn't happy. A new project can justify a model of 31 171 in Railfreight grey; a photo of the loco on the line provided the impetus for this model. I had Lima model which would provide the basis, but what to do for the mechanism?

Well I decided to sell the body and use the mechanism; good idea I thought, but the Lima body is just under a millimeter short than the Hornby one, so the Hornby chassis isn't a direct fit. Even with the ends filled down the buffer beams wouldn't be right relative to the cab fronts. I considered using just the main Hornby chassis block this - I even cut the buffer beams off chassis! The only thing was I thought about how about how to locate the chassis block and then thought that since the Lima chassis frame locates perfectly within the body I'd save myself a whole load of work! The lost weight can easily made up using lead. Therefore I began to cannibalise the Hornby chassis for the bogies, motor, drive shafts and the battery box details and use these with the Lima chassis frame.

The set up is very simple - the total time is about an hour, allowing for any extra ballast to dry. The work was very similar to that of 37 219 which appears at the top of my blog. Very simple cut outs at the former non-powered end and simple bearing pieces from 60 thou Plastikard with 1/8" holes to take the bogie pivots. I also fitted the Hornby battery boxes and once they were in place filled them with lead and added a flat piece of Plastikard over them to provide a seat for the motor. This was secured with silicon sealant.

The chassis was very quickly wired up using the original pick up wires to test it. The loco has now a much better mechanism (though a good Lima loco is still very useful!) and will no doubt improve further once it has new Gibson wheels. The other advantage is that the bogies have finer detail too which can only enhance the overall look.

Which brings us nicely up to date!

The rest of the work will be quite a standard detailing project, well within the capabilities of most modellers! Just a little care and the result should be very pleasing.

Postscript

For those who wish to see a little more of the project, it is currently being discussed on RMweb and Jim Smith-Wright has a variation on the same theme too.

Models on the Moors

2010-07-17T21:01:00.008+01:00

We headed for Goathland today with my mum and dad partly to see the Whitby & District Model Railway Club's exhibition at Goathland village hall. It's a rather nice little show with a lovely laid back atmosphere!

The first layout which caught our eye was Greyscroft Mine a rather nice EM guage layout based on a Cleveland Ironstone theme - right in the heart of North Eastern terrioty with some rather nice rolling stock in evidence too.

Shiftem Sidings had an interesting DCC display alongside which is something which I think could easily benefit a larger a show too. DCC still seems to be an area which is a mystery to a great many modellers. Though their display did have things which annoy me, bright light on 'older' locos!

Finally we rather liked Felton Lane Goods - a North Eastern based branch line terminus. It's a hard thing to do convincingly as there were very few minor NER termini so there's very little to work from, but this one seemed to work rather well. My dad felt it had quite a spacious feel even though in reality the boards weren't particularly deep. All done with a nice degree of subtly.

We enjoyed lunch at Goathland station, inside the old goods shed in the Warehouse Cafe which is a brilliant way to use railway buildings which otherwise wouldn't be of much use to a purely passenger railway. The day was finished off by calling into to Pickering for a drink and a chance to raid the secondhand railway magazines on the station!

Pilot's Progress

2010-07-16T21:29:00.003+01:00

A little bit of progress on a key element of a future project.

Now with pick ups fitted and new coupling rods from Brassmasters, though I'm really regretting the normal rather 'fine' coupling rods. They look a little chunky in photos but OK in reality but still something to think about.

A few things still to do - the main task left is to rebuild the front end with new steps and Bachmann's steps are a little short. There are also other smaller details but I'm rather pleased with how it's going so far!

Hull MRS Open Day 2010

2010-07-09T09:34:00.004+01:00

On Saturday we at Hull MRS held an open day at our clubrooms. Any layout within the club seemed to be on display! Botanic Gardens was there of course and we moved downstairs in order to put it all up! This meant we could give some of the stock a run too!

One item which really seemed to love its chance to stretch its legs was Chris' NER E1 which is based around a Bachmann body and a Bill Bedford chassis kit - fold up in P4! It proved to be a very smooth and controllable loco.

The items on display hinted at what will be coming up; Adrian Gilliand's first building was in place just started to help give the layout a sense of place.

Perhaps also worth mentioning that Chris' station building won its class in the club's competition! Deservedly so I think! Chris' hoppers also won their class! And finally my P1 won both Best Steam in entry and overall for painting and weathering! Good show I think!

Elsewhere a large number of exhibits filled Walton Street Leisure Centre!

One new club layout which I think will be rather nice is Aston & Ewloe - set in Wales it looks like it will be one to watch out for in the future.

Cullingden is, like Botanic Gardens, a long term project with the club, and is a large West Riding based layout in 00 - though despite being 00 all the track is hand built. It was nice to see stock and buildings on it too, as it looked so much more complete!

The club's 0 Gauge section normally have their layout up in the clubrooms so it was a rare opportunity to see the layout for the visitors.

Barrowfleet is perhaps one of Hull MRS' best known layouts and this was up in the club's annex - it still looks stunning after all these years!

It was a good chance to see some of the stock up close too; the ammonia tanks were scratch built by Steve Flint, who now edits some magazine or other(!), and an article appeared on these fertilizer wagons a few years ago. They still look excellent too!

And finally a view up the valley on Crumley & Little Wickhill - the lighting units were removed for the open day and it meant a number of different views were available. This is narrow gauge modelling at its very best in my opinion.

It was an excellent day and really shows the depth of talent within Hull MRS.

New RRV Kit

2010-06-25T22:56:00.001+01:00

Today Suzi bought me a rather nice kit which was a breathe of fresh air! Everything fitted first time, the instructions were incredibly clear, simple and well thought out and it's a prototype which is at the heart of railway maintenance in the UK too! So where's the catch? Well it's not my usual scale and it's made from, er, Lego!

Joking aside, a lot of our usual model railway manufacturers could learn a lot from Lego's approach to instructions and ease of construction for the intended market. Everything and it was clear that it had been trailed before release! Many kits I can think of are very awkward in parts and I wonder if they were ever test built!

Suzi bought because it features a Road-Rail Vehicle (RRV) and I've spent a lot of time working with these over the last few years - they are at the heart of maintenance and new build rail projects now. It's sad, I think, that Lego have realised this long before our own UK model railway manufacturers (of all sizes!) have. Even though this set is intended to be played with those for model railways wouldn't need to operate at all; they could happily sit in old yards and at access points where the real machines are left between possessions. In many ways, they'd be highly useful scenic items for modellers who focus on recent times.

I do hope at least one of the UK model railway manufacturers could follow Lego's lead and produce a small range of RRVs.

Operation 24 - Part 3

2010-06-24T21:38:00.003+01:00

So after getting all excited about some new parts the other day I spent just a little time actually working on my Class 24 while Italy lost to Slovakia.

The loco has been moving on little by little over the last few months. The cabs from the original Hornby class 25 body have been grafted onto the Bachmann body and generally patched and bodged as necessary. The Craftman roof castings have been reprofiled - this has made a huge difference to the appearance of these castings. The ends have now been remodelled as per my original drawings. All this work has left the model with a kind of 'hotch potch' appearance where it's difficult to see the overall effect because of all the different parts and materials used.

A quick mist of primer over the ends instantly united all the parts to allow you to easily see the overall effect - it will also aid final rubbering down and blending.

Obviously there is still a lot of work left to do I'll leave it up to you to decide whether the effort thus far has been worth it but my own opinion is that the 'face' of the loco is much improved over the original Bachmann product whilst retaining the best bits of the newer model.

Operation 24 - New Bits

2010-06-23T01:26:00.003+01:00

I briefly had a look at my on going Class 24 today so thought a short update was appropriate. Brassmasters have recently released some rather interesting new parts. Of huge interest for my project is this;

It's a replacement for the original pattern for underframe tanks for the Class 24 in this instance, but other products were released at the same time for other variants of Class 24 and 25. I bought these some time ago and am really looking forward to using them at last!

Having previously scratch built a similar underframe in Plastikard this will also save a lot of time and yield, hopefully, a very pleasing result! If you want a preview of what will be required to fit these parts Brassmasters have an excellent section of their website which give a step by step account. Additionally a PDF is available showing how the parts need modifying for use on a loco which has the full valance in place, just like D5096 will. Finally a new etch covers a few small things I'll need!

It's refreshing that with items such as these and Shawplan's new 'Extreme' parts, diesel modelling is very much moving forward and has parts which now allow modellers to produce models of diesels which very accurate without having to resort to scratch building most additional parts.

Cornwall 2010

2010-06-18T18:07:00.007+01:00

As I briefly mentioned when I reported on our visit to Pecorama we visited Cornwall for a week last week - we went with Suzi's parents and stayed in a cottage at the top of Golant. We decided not to refer to it as a holiday as it really was just a change of scene for us and also we wanted Thomas' first 'holiday' to be just the three of us but recent events meant this wasn't possible but we did want to make the most of being away.

On the way down we stop by the Scalefour Society's AGM, though not the meeting itself but there was a small selection of exhibits. Appropriately enough was Wheal Elizabeth, a layout with a Cornish theme!

So with a nice taster of Cornish railways we set off for Cornwall.

Cornwall is an interesting area - it reminded me of parts of North Wales where the slate industry remains are alongside tourist attractions providing a huge contrast between the middle class holiday makers with money to spend and towns struggling since their industries have declined. Similarly remains of mining and clay production stand silently and overgrown as car loads of families thunder by as they go between B&B's, holiday cottages and the beaches and attractions. Sometimes I felt that some things were rather cliched - cream teas available on every street corner in some places. Only when we ventured off the beaten track, and seeing the railways, did I feel I saw the real Cornwall. For example we visited the Seal Sanctuary at Gweek and although there were plenty of visitors seeing the wonderful work they do, it was much more peaceful.

Away from the postcard scenes it was still nice, probably nicer, and altogether much more appealing for me.

The first station we visited was St Austell. It was just to have a look really but it was timed perfectly as two minutes later an HST appeared. The station staff were friendly too; as I was walking off the station one member of staff came up to me and asked 'Did you get your shot?' Not what I was expecting and he also told me about the specials running on Mazey Day! Sadly that's the 26th June and we were back long before then!

Now I don't want you to think it was all railways! It wasn't but as Suzi is one of the most tolerant people in the world, most days involved making a visit to a station while we were out and about!

I had also decided to use film for any railway photography while I was away. The reason behind this was I often feel film has a warmer feel - many books I have have a lovely feel due to the films choices the photographers have made. Many digital images, although wonderful for records, which appear in magazines are so clear and crisp they almost seem clinical in their execution - only in skilled hands does digital seem to be able to have quite the same feeling.

We visited Polperro a couple of times and this is just a stone's throw from Looe so I asked nicely and we went to Looe too. It's a charming little station but unless you trespass in the Police Station car park you won't get a good view - and I wouldn't recommend that!

However the train lengths are rather short, being just one Class 153 unit which made the task slightly easier. If you glance away from the train and the station across the river you see just how delightful the setting is.

Par station was another 'regular' stopping point and very easy for us to get from the top of Golant! It's also the junction for Newquay where a lot of china clay services join the main line. However a problem with the branch would mean this little bit of my plan would be foiled...

The station itself is well kept and is very pleasant as stations go - likewise First Great Western's trains seemed to be equally clean and well presented.

However clean the units were, it still didn't make up for not seeing clay workings at Par! Though it was nice to make use of the bridge which has appeared in many photos I've seen over the years!

I did a little better at Lostwithiel; the first time we went down to the station we were met the barriers down and saw an HST hammer past! However Suzi suggested I had a look at the station anyway.

A couple of minutes later and 66 093 comes into view with a load of CDA wagons bound for Fowey!

I know many may not consider this to be the classic traction for china clay workings but this is still a fascinating operation and a pleasure to see whatever the motive power.

And as one who loves to weather models, the wagons would provide a lovely project! The contrasts between the bright clay and oil and grease could provide stunning results!

I never got the classic shot at Golant sadly - the aforementioned derailment, I was told, caused a number of operational problems and despite waiting at points on each day I never managed it. However, next time!

So we finished the week railways wise (aside from Pecorama) at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway. We went to Bodmin General station and, having paid for our platform tickets, made the most of the facilities and enjoyed a drink and something to eat outside the buffet while the train crew ran round.

Maybe we've taken Thomas to see too many preserved railways now; despite the loud noises and whistles coming from 5552 he wasn't scared in the slightest - other older children were however!

I rather liked Cornwall - parts of the coastline are superb. The railways fascinated me and subject to scoring sufficient brownie points I'd love to see more of them - especially in North Cornwall too. The areas we visited had some real hidden gems and if you want to step away from the usual tourist trails it's a lovely part of the world, not Yorkshire mind but not bad!

Contrasts

2010-06-16T14:32:00.000+01:00

Here's an interesting comparison of before and after weathering for ready-to-run items. The wagons are both of Bachmann's latest generation of short wheelbase wagons and as such need very little doing to them - in fact aside from couplings these two are exactly as they come! I bought both of these at Pecorama last Saturday so I'd have them in time to weather them so I could give them to my Dad for his birthday.

If you exclude the work required to get the vans ready for their new couplings (not fitted in the 'after' photo) then it was probably a total of half an hour for each wagon spread over a couple of 'sittings'. Obviously with more than one wagon you save time by not having to mix separate batches of weathering mixes, although it's worth just varying the mixes ever so slightly for each wagon to give a little bit of variety whilst retaining a consistent overall look.

The chassis were sprayed away from the bodies to speed up work - these were just sprayed with a dirt mix varied slightly over the two wagons. Remember to paint the wheels at the same time.

The bodies were sprayed with a dusty coloured mix and left to dry for half and hour or so (though overnight would be fine too) then the paint removed with a wide chisel brush moistened with thinners. This process isn't instant and you need to go over it a number of times with the brush before begins to look right. Use vertical stokes as any brush strokes left visible will mimic the action of rain running down the sides. I finished off using moistened cotton buds. The final things before reassembly was to coat the roof in grime.

So for an hour's work here are two wagons which are ready to go -they won't stand out from the crowd whatsoever, but that's the point. They will become part of the overall scene. I think this alone makes it a worthwhile exercise.

Recording the Mundane

2010-06-15T07:46:00.001+01:00

One thing which I have been considering recently is that I should perhaps make more of an effort to record some of the local railway scenes which we have around here - not just the remaining parts of closed lines which I regularly do but also those which are all around and very much current. The railway is an ever changing entity and it's amazing just how quickly things change. The view of 66 246 just inside the dock gates at Hull Docks on 31st January 2007 demonstrates this rather well. The view now is impossible due to development of the land in the foreground with large fences now present aqnd also the HAA type wagons are now a thing of the past on these workings so this is very much a historical image.

Likewise images like 158 910 at Beverley 11th of August 2008 is typical of the current scene locally but soon this too will one day be the thing of the past and if no one has recorded it what will future modellers and historians do?

Pecorama

2010-06-13T22:26:00.001+01:00

On our way back from Cornwall on Saturday (more of which will follow shortly!) we made a small detour to Pecorama in Beer. This first view really sums up the combination of model railways and stunning surroundings!

I have to admit that I hadn't realises that it's not open on Saturday afternoons - it closes at 1300 - so we only looked at the exhibition and not the Beer Heights Light Railway and gardens. We'll know for next time!

The exhibition is rather cleverly presented, showing all sorts of location where layouts could be accommodated within a house. The layouts themselves have appeared Railway Modeller at various points over the years.

I've wanted to visit Pecorama since I was around four years old! In Railway Modeller during the summer the colourful adverts for Pecorama would always appear and it always appealed to me! So finally visiting, it had a lot to live up to! And I wasn't disappoint I'm pleased to say!

Although the layouts are mostly, and unashamedly, 'RTR based' they are carefully and thoughtfully put together and some show real ingenuity in their design, fitting into their proposed environments very neatly - though I have to say if proposed something similar in our hallway, Suzi might not be too impressed! One thing which really came through was that model railways can (and indeed, should!) be fun and as sophisticated as you like.

Pecorama is well worth a visit and I do hope to return at some point in the future - although if Thomas is much older we'll need a large supply of ten pence pieces for the 'drive it yourself' garden railway! Actually, I think we'll need them for Suzi too!

Warships

2010-06-13T17:08:00.003+01:00

As I've said before, I think that Bachmann's Warship, although getting on a bit, is still an excellent base on which to build. Here we have the latest example based on the Bachmann model; not much done really after renumbering and fitting new nameplates.

The modification which has the most immediate impact is filling the pillar between the windscreens with paint! This example also has had its front end 'tidied' with the removal of the headboard brackets. Otherwise the supplied pips have been added once painted and the MU gear removed - many Warships had this removed later in life.

Finally the loco was weathered using photos so it was as it appeared in 1970 and you can see the loco sitting in the summer sun!

Recuperation

2010-06-01T17:11:00.013+01:00

Well, it's been an interesting few days...

The week started rather well when we went up to Robin Hood's Bay for our wedding anniversary and we said goodbye to one of our Rover 620ti's, which has now gone to its new owner in Wiltshire.

However a stay in hospital was both unexpected and not very pleasant! That's not to criticise the staff at Hull Royal Infirmary though - they were excellent and very kind indeed. I know the NHS comes in for a lot of criticism in the media but they made things go as well as you could have hoped. I must admit I was surprised that I got bored of ladies in nurses' uniforms asking me to take my clothes off though...!

I'd been rushed in having had breathing problems as I couldn't take deep breaths without being in a lot of pain. They suspected a blood clot but after lots of tests it was decided that it was muscular damage which gave very similar symptoms! I'll admit it was a little scary at times - and I'd not been admitted to hospital since I was about a couple of weeks old! Friends and family have been fantastic!

No idea what I've done though - one friend did suggest it was probably the shock of having to use tools at Mountsorrel instead of watching the lads do the work - he always says 'techs don't use tools!' Cheeky so and so!

I was very pleased to be back home, albeit rather sore. So just to get me into the swing of things I had a quick look at one 'on going' project.

I haven't done much; just added a couple more parts of the AWS apparatus as a form of recuperation. I also added new lamp irons as I felt that Bachmann's original were too big and clumsy and spoiled the clean simple lines of the loco. I also swapped the top feed for the Bradwell item - the Bachmann one is fine but I had the Bradwell casting in stock as it was on the same sprue as the other boiler fittings and it is rather nice! The front of the loco is really enhanced with the new lamp irons - they're made from 0,75 mm phosphor bronze strip from Mainly Trains which is ideal for this task!

So a little bit of progress on a personal project and a nice way to settle back into day to day life!

Hidden Gems

2010-05-31T15:34:00.000+01:00

Many people will have visited Robin Hood's Bay; many of them will have been railway enthusiasts too no doubt over the years who will have parked deliberately at the top car park because it's where the old station is. But how many, I wonder, will have seen this?

It's now hidden in a little courtyard where a couple of local companies have their premises behind the station out of the way of most people but still has a role within the local community though.

Remember there is so much railway heritage out, you just need to look very carefully so you don't miss it sometimes.

One of the Best Feelings in the World!

2010-05-21T08:28:00.000+01:00

For those of you who have never played cricket you may not understand this but, as a bowler, taking a wicket is always a great feeling! Though the lad in the picture is a rather good cricketer and used to play for us but just beaten here by a off break. To prove I can report in a balanced way I will add that my previous delivery had been belted through the covers for four!

Local cricket often goes unrecorded however locally we now have an excellent website - HU17.net The name gives away the area which it covers - HU17 is the postcode for Beverley and the surrounding villages. Other 'local' papars and news sites tend to be very much 'Hull-centric' and leave places like Beverley alone. So if your local the site is well worth a look and if you're from further afield, have a look to see the sort of site you should have for your community!

Mountsorrel Railway P-Way Working Week

2010-05-17T16:09:00.006+01:00

I spent last week in Leicester and, despite having a horrible end to the week, found it a rather satisfying week.

I visited the project earlier this year when as part of a visit with VolkerRail and told the project leader, Steve Cramp, that I hoped to be back at some point to assist in some way. It was the Mountsorrel Railway's first P-Way working week and the intention was to lay the junction turnout (where the branch meets the Great Central Railway's mainline) a panel then a catch point and a further two panels beyond that. Doesn't sound like much but the Mountsorrel volunteers had to overcome a rather steep learning curve in the process. However they did have the guidance of Andy Higginson, the GCR P-Way Supervisor, and the permanent P-Way staff on the on the GCR. The GC staff were excellent and great lads too!

The junction turnout was the first item to go in - due to the geometry it was a specially fabricated 'Y' B7 turnout. This had been prefabricated by Balfour Beatty. This is located at the northern end of the up loop at Swithland Sidings.

This was in by the end of Tuesday with the closure rails in place on the loop line. From this point it began to resemble the beginning of a junction! The design was obviously well thought out, very credible for a heritage project, as the geometry of every thing went together perfectly.

Following this installation work on the branch itself could continue with one panel followed by a set of traps - these are very important on this line as the branch is rather steep! Any runaways will be swiftly dealt with here, assuming, of course, they make it round the curve just before the junction! This is just 225m in radius. There was a slight confusion earlier on in the week as initially it went in at 250m. However, it was clear something was up when the sleeper ends were hanging off the ballast shoulder! So the two panels beyond the traps were manually realigned as you can see - and it also proves that technical staff such as me do indeed know how to use tools!

All that was required after this was to line and level the start of the branch - this was actually completed on the Saturday but I'd left by then. The extent of the works can be seen in this view, complete with me contemplating all we'd done from the far end.

And late on of Friday afternoon one of the works trains was stabled in the up loop and one the points were clamped to protect the mains it did look like all was set for 37 255 to take the first train up the branch!

We did have the first movement of a rail mounted vehicle though when an RRV from Morgan Est brought the signal post to be lifted in place ready to form the signal which will allow traffic to come off the branch.

So a week which achieved a huge amount - in terms of a p-way job it wasn't such a major task but for the Mountsorrel Project it marked a huge milestone and provided long term volunteers with vital experience for future works. The GCR staff were excellent and worked hard throughout the week and were very patient with some new volunteers for whom p-way work was completely new! I think all those who were involved can be pleased and proud of what has been achieved.

Further Reading:

Mountsorrel Railway's Offical Site