Peterborough North

[great northern]

Tonight, Tracery is the star attraction again.

Although the departure of the D16 reveals the Ivatt again, apparently still waiting for the kettle to boil.

Then I tried this. Apart from the photographer seriously abusing his lineside permit, it involved a lot of guess work, as with the camera positioned here I couldn't see the view finder at all. My guess at exposure worked out quite well though. Isn't that slip lovely?

[St Enodoc]

Derek,

 

The railway still runs on tea.

 

Paul 4475

The buffet on Crewe station used to give you a penny off a cup of tea if you were on duty. Didn't apply to coffee though.

[thegreenhowards]

Rather a miserable day here, so outdoor pursuits seem unlikely. Modelling? Possibly. Another of those pictures from Spital Bridge first though.

from SB (831x970).jpg

Quite a lot going on here. We have an Up express swinging across the dog leg, yet another Ivatt on the 8.30pm to Melton Constable, the D16 off on its way to Leicester, and a couple of temporarily unemployed pilots. I tried, but failed, to get a bit more contrast into this one.

Ivatt (1280x960).jpg

Like I said, yet another Ivatt. I'm not sure why I was so keen on having the layout set at a time when the M&GN was still open, given that just about every train was headed by one of these.

Gilbert,

 

I had to do a double take on that black and white photo from Spital Bridge - I thought it was a prototype photo at first. Brilliant!

 

Andy

[great northern]

Something rather different this morning. A short parcels train with just a mile to travel from East station seemed a perfect duty for an elderly locomotive.

Such a lovely little thing, so I shot a close up too.

The crew have gone in search of tea.

[stewartingram]

The buffet on Crewe station used to give you a penny off a cup of tea if you were on duty. Didn't apply to coffee though.

Wearing my hi-vi usually gets a discount on the Underground, and often mainline as well. My mate with me doesn't wear his whilst travelling between sites, he never gets a discount

[Northroader]

The magic words were always "o.c.s" standing for on company service.

[CUTLER2579]

The magic words were always "o.c.s" standing for on company service.

 

On LT the crews loved a PNR. Nothing to do with Peterborough North Railway, but Physical Needs Relief which meant getting relieved in more than one sense..

On the Circle Line this was particularly popular at Baker Street.

[great northern]

This morning saw a very welcome visit by Andy Y, and a preliminary step forward as regards the next section of backscene. I've no time to take photos today, but I hope to do so tomorrow afternoon. Andy also brought with him a new little camera, and took some shots which will appear when he has the time to process them. For now, here is one more image, taken before Andy arrived.

As usual, what I gain in terms of light when I stop right down has to be paid for by a lack of sharpness, but all in all I think it was worthwhile.

[great northern]

Another day winds down, and another PN day is drawing to a close too. The B1 off the KX slow is running light engine down to New England.

While at the other end the N5 pilot is taking the stock off to the carriage sidings.

And that's it for today folks.

[great northern]

Early golf today, so most things will get done later on. Here though is one of those occasional "warts and all" views down the length of the layout.

The V2 is on a Down parcels duty, and sounds as though it is on its last legs.

[Andy Y]

Thanks to Gilbert for yesterday and the opportunity to place a little sportscam around the layout whilst a few trains ran, including some places where the sun don't shine (but it gets very grainy then!). It gets a nice low perspective though.

 

[landscapes]

Thanks to Gilbert for yesterday and the opportunity to place a little sportscam around the layout whilst a few trains ran, including some places where the sun don't shine (but it gets very grainy then!). It gets a nice low perspective though.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8W-IM8Ge68

High

 

Very enjoyable. Shows Peterboroufh North in a complete new light

 

Many thanks to Gilbert and Andy for putting it on the thread.

 

Regards

 

David

[fishytrains]

Thoroughly enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

Mike

[great northern]

High

 

Very enjoyable. Shows Peterboroufh North in a complete new light

 

Many thanks to Gilbert and Andy for putting it on the thread.

 

Regards

 

David

All down to Andy, as I wouldn't have a clue how to do it. He should have edited out that old bloke in the background though.

[Andy Y]

Miracles take a little longer.

[great northern]

More pictures to end the day, but not moving ones, I'm afraid. No old bloke either, but here is a Happy Knight.

There is a train behind the tender, as later shots will reveal.

 

Next train to make up was another E.Lincs local. When I set all this up, every  E.Lincs stopper was going to be a five coach artic set, but now I can vary things a bit, as the next three images show.

It all helps to keep boredom at bay.

[great northern]

Men searching for an elusive water leak, so far unsuccessfully. Another man painting windowsills in the railway room. Three other men making unwanted and annoying cold calls. That has been the morning so far. All is now calm though, and so very shortly I will get on with things.As usual, some more pictures to be going on with.

Another angle on 60533.

And a more familiar one.

 

I now need someone to do a bit of "up a bit, down a bit, a little to the right, now stop."  As no-one is available, trial and error will have to do.

 

[great northern]

So now we come to the main purpose of Andy's visit on Wednesday. The video was a very pleasant surprise. A lot of thought has been given to a backscene on the window side of the room at the North end, and I have had great expert help from Tony W in Oz in getting the whole thing off the ground. He has produced a basic background for me, I've no idea how, and also sent it to Andy, who put it all together and brought it over on Wednesday. He then did the "up a bit, down a bit" stuff, and I tried to follow instructions without destroying the very vulnerable bracket signal on the edge of the baseboard. We got it nearly right, but I had another go this morning, and did manage to clout the signal in so doing. I've done my best to put it straight.

 

Andy asked me to take pictures from various angles, so we can see where we need to go from here, and today was the first chance to do so. The whole thing is in its very early stages, so no more than an impression is available from these images, but I think we are definitely on the right track. It is difficult to move this around on my own, and it refused to go exactly where I wanted it, so apologies for unwanted sloping, and other such things. As always, views and suggestions will be appreciated.

 

As you see, where possible I just cropped to the backscene itself, though I did a fuller photoshop on one or two just to see how it would look. The silhouettes are going to have to be a lot lighter I think, and the Baker Perkins building on the back wall much lighter too, and set a bit higher which I did in one of the later pictures. I'm happy that this is going to work in the end though.

 

[stewartingram]

Ah the Baker Perkins lift tower! Been on top of that many times, whilst maintaining the Police radio site. I was told that it was the tallest building in Peterborough. It had a beautiful lift motor mechanism at the top, totally uneneclosed (H&S today?) and lots of brass and lovely machinery.

 

Stewart

[fishytrains]

I like the back scene, it definitely adds to that section of the layout. I also agree with you that it would be better a shade lighter. Will it be fixed permanently when it is right?

 

Mike

[landscapes]

So now we come to the main purpose of Andy's visit on Wednesday. The video was a very pleasant surprise. A lot of thought has been given to a backscene on the window side of the room at the North end, and I have had great expert help from Tony W in Oz in getting the whole thing off the ground. He has produced a basic background for me, I've no idea how, and also sent it to Andy, who put it all together and brought it over on Wednesday. He then did the "up a bit, down a bit" stuff, and I tried to follow instructions without destroying the very vulnerable bracket signal on the edge of the baseboard. We got it nearly right, but I had another go this morning, and did manage to clout the signal in so doing. I've done my best to put it straight.

 

Andy asked me to take pictures from various angles, so we can see where we need to go from here, and today was the first chance to do so. The whole thing is in its very early stages, so no more than an impression is available from these images, but I think we are definitely on the right track. It is difficult to move this around on my own, and it refused to go exactly where I wanted it, so apologies for unwanted sloping, and other such things. As always, views and suggestions will be appreciated.

backscene 1 (1280x788).jpg

backscene 2 (1214x835).jpg

backscene 3 (1280x946).jpg

backscene 4.JPG

backscene 5 (1280x1210).jpg

backscene 6 (1280x776).jpg

backscene 7 (1280x765).jpg

backscene 8 (1280x846).jpg

backscene 9 (1280x1065).jpg

 

As you see, where possible I just cropped to the backscene itself, though I did a fuller photoshop on one or two just to see how it would look. The silhouettes are going to have to be a lot lighter I think, and the Baker Perkins building on the back wall much lighter too, and set a bit higher which I did in one of the later pictures. I'm happy that this is going to work in the end though.

 

Hi Gilbert

 

Great I'm provident, I bet it saves you a lot of photoshopping out unwanted items and in my opinion brings the whole layout together from a photographic point of view.

 

As for my day had two trees cut down and removed this morning, did my back in lifting the last baseboard support frame stupidly on my own, but all my baseboards are now up on framework so it's now time to start looking at building and laying the new track work.

 

I really like that last set of photos as well.

 

Regards

 

David

[Mallard60022]

That scene is a great start. My only thinking would be to try to vary the tone, darker from Station to lighter beyond the bridge, or whatever gives that going away into the distance impression. Not sure that explains what I'm trying to say, however I'm talking about the view one would have had in that summer haze of August 1958.

Phil

[chaz]

Definitely worth pushing on with the backscene, even this very sketchy silhouette has an immediate effect on your photos. I did something similar on my FVRR layout. Silhouette wooded slopes behind the modelled trees do make for an impression of more space than the model actually has.

 

 

It's a very different scene to PN but the principle of a flat backscene still works. Go for it!

[Andy Y]

That scene is a great start. My only thinking would be to try to vary the tone, darker from Station to lighter beyond the bridge, or whatever gives that going away into the distance impression. Not sure that explains what I'm trying to say, however I'm talking about the view one would have had in that summer haze of August 1958.

Phil

 

Well I understand you and you're absolutely right, I was thinking the same on the way back. The fudged skyline and the sky itself needs to be a lot lighter.

 

Baker Perkins needs to be taller, the terraces need to be a bit lower and the shed roof-line definitely needs to be lower and the chimney needs to swap ends, the backscene strip needs to have about 50cm more at the left and it'll be worth taking a fake horizon on for another stretch to be seen on the ground level shots beneath the bridge to reduce the amount of photoshopping Gilbert will need to do. It'll take a couple of goes to get it right.

[Mallard60022]

Well I understand you and you're absolutely right, I was thinking the same on the way back. The fudged skyline and the sky itself needs to be a lot lighter.

 

Baker Perkins needs to be taller, the terraces need to be a bit lower and the shed roof-line definitely needs to be lower and the chimney needs to swap ends, the backscene strip needs to have about 50cm more at the left and it'll be worth taking a fake horizon on for another stretch to be seen on the ground level shots beneath the bridge to reduce the amount of photoshopping Gilbert will need to do. It'll take a couple of goes to get it right.

Remember Andy, this is a bloke (me)  making statements, who has never ever 'manipulated a photographic backscene' (slight sniggering allowed after the watershed).

However, I have seen your BCB backscene and also that from CK on Mr. Sweet's layout. Not industrial scenes in the main, but hazy, thus giving an impression of distance.

I wonder also if some sort of clever and very subtle marking could create a look of depth and shape to the frontage of the buildings (e.g. window frame 'shadows')

Phil