Peterborough North

[great northern]

I remember staying at this castle-like hotel somewhere I think in Yorkshire, or perhaps Cumbria, after a downpour the water had collected on the flat and surrounded roof of one section of the building, which encouraged some geese to come along who kept on squawking through the night!

 

Gilbert, is there any chance of a picture of an A4, or even 'Cock o' the North'?

 

SVRlad

We are well into the evening now, so there are not many more expresses to come, four in fact. The Up Talisman is the best bet, but I won't know what is diagrammed for that until I get to that point in the sequence. Definitely not Cock o' the North, I'm afraid, as I don't have it.

[great northern]

I'm back to those strongly back lit efforts tonight. it seems I never learn. This first one really didn't work at all.

I suspected that I had jolted the camera as I took this, and so I did another one, but did I remember that when it came to photoshopping? Of course not, so I spent ages on this, and then found the second one, which being sharper, and with a heavier crop, is a bit more successful.

[westerner]

I like the way the light bleeds over the top of the loco and carriages. Very late fifties early sixties b&w photo.

[great northern]

I like the way the light bleeds over the top of the loco and carriages. Very late fifties early sixties b&w photo.

Oh, jolly good. That's what I'm after. I shall persevere with renewed confidence.

[great northern]

More black and white this morning.

The 4F now passes the WD held at signals. There actually would have been strong back lighting when attempting a shot like this in the evening. It is unbelievably easy to deal with photoshopping lattice posts when the camera is pointed in this direction, while pointing it the other way makes it near impossible.

For goodness sake, Gilbert, get a crew in that cab. Just saving you the trouble of saying it.

[Grasshopper John]

Hello Gilbert, have been following for a while your photo's are so realistic it's amazing, do you by any chance have a photo of the completed layout, I have tried looking but must keep missing the page when it was completed, well there's only 570 pages to search through

 

Regards

Grasshopper J.

[great northern]

Hello Gilbert, have been following for a while your photo's are so realistic it's amazing, do you by any chance have a photo of the completed layout, I have tried looking but must keep missing the page when it was completed, well there's only 570 pages to search through

 

Regards

Grasshopper J.

 Like most layouts, this one isn't actually completed. There is still much to be done. I'll try and get some panoramic shots when I have some time and some light to work with, though the size of the thing does make it difficult to get it all in on one image.

[great northern]

There is still one more picture of that 4F, as it pulls away past the patiently waiting WD.

Couldn't face the work needed to deal with all those lattices, I'm afraid. And then for all of those who have had enough of foreign engines, we are back to a Pacific.

Top shed's A1 Bongrace with a Fridays only express which started at Dundee, for some reason.

 

[great northern]

Hello Gilbert, have been following for a while your photo's are so realistic it's amazing, do you by any chance have a photo of the completed layout, I have tried looking but must keep missing the page when it was completed, well there's only 570 pages to search through

 

Regards

Grasshopper J.

Hi,

 

I did manage to get up to the layout yesterday, and put the camera on the tripod to get some views down the room. Horrible light though, so the quality is not that good. Here is the first one - more later.

Edited March 6, 2017 by great northern

[great northern]

 Another shot of Bongrace now.

More to follow.

[great northern]

As promised, another tripod shot down the layout, but from a different angle.

I quite like this, and it is probably as close as I can get to showing the whole length of the thing. We shall have another classic shot as well though.

This does give a nice impression of the length of the train, 12 on, which is more than the maximum I usually run, but I challenged myself to replicate the prototype formation from loose stock, as you will see tomorrow.

[great northern]

Ho hum, I seem to be getting a bit of stick lately. I now have a very swollen and painful knee. Easily dealt with by taking anti inflammatories, but I can't do that any more, as they clash with other medication. So, no golf, and only gentle walking, leaves me rather stuck up here on top of my hill. I have to crawl to get into the railway room too, so that may be a problem.

 

Never mind, one must remain positive, though as I haven't had much sleep I may be doing some of that too. Enough of that, more pictures. Here is the formation of that Dundee train the A1 was hauling. All made up from loose stock, and with only one slight cheat owing to coupling incompatibilities. From behind the tender,

four compartment BSK then

Six end door SKs. I have to say those Gresley Dia 155s are among my most favourite things on the layout. Then another BSK(4)

Standard Hornby, and the one that lets down the rake.

Then the RF/SO combination, once again with a brake between it and most of the passenger accomodation.

Then the only cheat. The FK should be right at the front end of the train. Passenger protests led to it being put next to the dining cars. My passengers, that is.

and another BSK(4) brings up the rear. I'm really pleased to be able to make up rakes like this, and of course I've finally twigged that it doesn't matter how long it takes to do it.

 

And then we shall have another high level shot. Perhaps from a passing hot air balloon?

I can't get any further back than this, I'm afraid.

 

[Grasshopper John]

WOW! Thank you Gilbert That is some Layout, fantastic work.

[Liam]

What would you chaps rather travel from Dundee to Peterborough/London in? Those Gresley/Thompson stock or a HST?

 

SVRlad

[New Haven Neil]

I'm rather partial to the Thompson coaches myself, they have a nice art deco look to them.

[great northern]

What would you chaps rather travel from Dundee to Peterborough/London in? Those Gresley/Thompson stock or a HST?

 

SVRlad

It depends on the time frame. Today, it would be the HST, as there is so little raiway infrastructure or interest left. Might as well get the journey done as quickly as possible. If I could time travel though, I'd be in seventh heaven sitting in that Gresley coach, having had a visit to Tay Bridge shed first of course. I can think of very few, if any, railway related things which would have been better than a journey from Scotland to Kings Cross in the heyday of steam. I'm sure I dreamed of it often enough back then, impossible though it was.

[Mallard60022]

Stick with the positve attitude Gilbert and may I suggest you double check about the Anti Inflamm situation as you may be able to do short term doses of tablets but maybe the gels are better for longer term. Obviously if your specialist has said nooooooooooo then ignore anything I have said about it. Also, have a little ask about possible steroid injection(s) (for your knee, so no sniggering).

Alternative to crawling into the railway room is to slide in backwards on your ar$e.

Possible assist with the sleep situation is to rig up a radio with earphones and set the controls to stun (World Service). If you can't sleep you hear some very interesting things and you can drift off when the items are tedious (e.g. stuff about US politics).

Also, certain foods are good for prep for sleep. This includes Almonds and Walnuts, Yogurt, Bananas, Raspberries and Pineapple (not all at the same time). Cereal (not sugary and not a large bowl) before bed could help; carbs from the cereal and calcium from the milk. Honey before bed can help too.

Salmon (or Tuna) is a good thing to have at evening meal time as it is high in Vit B6.

Don't laugh but lettuce can have sedative properties similar to Opium. I have the receipe............ and you don't smoke it!

Am now mellow having had a huge dose of coach spotting; superb so maybe some quiet coach spotting from books as well may work for you?

Not wishing to be a spoilsport but also leave any 'screens' at least an hour before you retire. Let your brain begin to prepare for sleep by reducing the light during that time as well.

Finally, breathing as per Yoga/meditation, once you are installed in the boudoir, works. Look it up on the web thingy. 

Last pic from Spital Bridge is excellent.

Philth.

[TrevorP1]

Thoroughly enjoyed those coaches Gilbert. 

 

Psst! Got any more? 

 

Re which is best travel in. Give me the Gresley set on the Severn Valley and an HST with the original seating layout on the ECML.

 

At the risk of being banned I like the HSTs, 40 years old and still going strong after upgrades. A bit like Gresley pacifics were or, dare I say it, GW castles.

[Liam]

If time was an issue I would use the HSTs, but a Gresley compartment from Edinburgh to London must have been something else. (And no need to worry about refreshment cars either)

[Fenman]

... (And no need to worry about refreshment cars either)

There's a wonderful scene in the BTF film The Elizabethan showing food being loaded into the kitchen car. A fridge already has its bottom half filled with magnificent-looking sherry trifles, when all the trays of raw meat are carefully packed above them.

 

With our weak 21st century stomachs, I suspect half the passengers would be dead before Doncaster.

 

Paul

[Market65]

And then you had the superb Gresley Coronation twin-arts. The FO's being the height of luxury, and all but as good as a Pullman car. We've certainly lost one or two things over the years, and must now travel like cattle in a cattle truck. A dirty carpet, and a rickety fold-down table being the only real 'trimmings'. Gresley or Thompson coaches win every time!

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

[New Haven Neil]

It would have to be in an open for me - I find the view from compartment coaches rather restricted.  Thompson, or an early MK1, I quite like them!

 

Additional thinks: We rode in a Bulleid open at the Bluebell last year, that was a very nice coach.

Edited March 7, 2017 by New Haven Neil

[Mallard60022]

It would have to be in an open for me - I find the view from compartment coaches rather restricted.  Thompson, or an early MK1, I quite like them!

 

Additional thinks: We rode in a Bulleid open at the Bluebell last year, that was a very nice coach.

Bulleid coaches were quite innovative and along with Thompsons they influenced the MK 1 design. Well that's my version.

Maunsell Opens too were very nice indeed. Built in the days when stuff was made to look good.

[Market65]

Here's an interior photo' of a first-class compartment in the preserved Thompson CL. I took the photo' in September, 2008 on the NYMR.  I think that compartment is infinitely superior, as I said earlier, to the coaches we have today.

 

 

Regards,

 

Rob.

 

[great northern]

Just back from chairing a long. but important and productive meeting, so bed calls, and I'll deal with recent posts tomorrow. You must have your evening photos though. You may have noticed a B1 on some of those high level shots, and here is how it got there.

Up Grimsby fish, about to add to the effluvia under the station roof.

and a shot from our hovering cameraman.