Peterborough North

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

Have you tried putting the camera at the other end of the station roof and using the telephoto !!

 

Anyway, congrats on 700 pages of pure happiness, thank you.

 

manna

[rockershovel]

I won’t attempt to post specific images for copyright reasons, but some rather good images of parcel handling, the interior of the old station and the Engineers Depot Sentinel here. http://www.peterboroughimages.co.uk/blog/category/citycentre/railways/page/7/

[Oldddudders]

Peterborough became a Parcels Concentration Depot, not least due to mail-order companies’ traffic. These days this is the stuff of white-van man, sadly.

[Metr0Land]

I won’t attempt to post specific images for copyright reasons, but some rather good images of parcel handling, the interior of the old station and the Engineers Depot Sentinel here. http://www.peterboroughimages.co.uk/blog/category/citycentre/railways/page/7/

 

There's a nice pic about half way down of 2 porters on the crossing we saw earlier with the Class 40 approaching.  From this angle it looks like it's more or less a thoroughfare!

[John Isherwood]

There's a nice pic about half way down of 2 porters on the crossing we saw earlier with the Class 40 approaching.  From this angle it looks like it's more or less a thoroughfare!

 

The shot of New England shed in 1967 tells us where the Roadrailers were stored at that time.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Denbridge]

I wonder? You can get "cameras on a rope" (if you see what I mean), that you can poke into a car engine to inspect inside a cylinder. I believe they aren't terribly expensive either. Basically a digital lens on the end of a fibre (or wire) which allows the picture to be viewed externally. Just a thought, if they worked (at the right price) they could give some interesting shots?#

 

Stewart

Endoscopic cameras You'd certainly get some great views. I believe they are even available for mobile phones. I doubt the quality is great though.

[great northern]

G'Day Folks

 

Have you tried putting the camera at the other end of the station roof and using the telephoto !!

 

Anyway, congrats on 700 pages of pure happiness, thank you.

 

manna

I have to get the widest aperture possible under there, which costs me when it comes to depth of focus, and whenever I zoom in on anything I lose sharpness. Mind you, that may be because I'm doing it wrongly. Anyway, I find that judicious cropping gives the best results, so that's the way I've grown accustomed to dealing with it. I'll try it again as you suggest though, and see what happens.

[great northern]

There's a nice pic about half way down of 2 porters on the crossing we saw earlier with the Class 40 approaching.  From this angle it looks like it's more or less a thoroughfare!

There was no other way. Three barrow crossings, and that was it. The footbridge was only any good for pedestrians. I assume, and hope, that this was only allowed to happen because of the 20mph PSR, and that there was always a lookout in place. They would be able to see the signals on the Up with no problem, and probably on the Down too, and they'd get to know what the tolerances were when something was approaching, but even so it was an accident waiting to happen. I wonder how many did?

[great northern]

As I was saying last night, while 60506 was backing down onto the 1033, the Norseman appeared from the South. Here are two angles on their meeting.

[Mallard60022]

Endoscopic cameras You'd certainly get some great views. I believe they are even available for mobile phones. I doubt the quality is great though.

Beware of pre used Colonoscopic cameras.

Rex Tum

[stewartingram]

There was no other way. Three barrow crossings, and that was it. The footbridge was only any good for pedestrians. I assume, and hope, that this was only allowed to happen because of the 20mph PSR, and that there was always a lookout in place. They would be able to see the signals on the Up with no problem, and probably on the Down too, and they'd get to know what the tolerances were when something was approaching, but even so it was an accident waiting to happen. I wonder how many did?

Didn't we have a discussion some time ago about the infamous bell? Wasn't this used to warn the porters?

 

Stewart

[rockershovel]

Peterborough became a Parcels Concentration Depot, not least due to mail-order companies’ traffic. These days this is the stuff of white-van man, sadly.

Actually, it still is. Freeman’s and Molins may be gone, but Amazon’s vast new Depot is the hub for huge volumes of HGV traffic.

[great northern]

I can't remember if I've featured the stock of the Norseman before, but even if I have, it's worth another look. Rather posh, and lots of catering.

I'm pleased to have ticked this one off the list of trains I'd like to be able to model. What could be next? Possibly the Scarborough Flyer. We shall see. Now though, another look at Silver Link, as it passes the C12.

[davidw]

I can't remember if I've featured the stock of the Norseman before, but even if I have, it's worth another look. Rather posh, and lots of catering.

Stock 1.JPG

stock 2.JPG

stock 3.JPG

stock 4.JPG

I'm pleased to have ticked this one off the list of trains I'd like to be able to model. What could be next? Possibly the Scarborough Flyer. We shall see. Now though, another look at Silver Link, as it passes the C12.

14 and C12.JPG

Hi Gilbert, thanks for sharing the photos of the Norseman. Would there really be as little maroon in 58. You may remember that I model 1960 +-2 years could I get away with as little as that. I didn't see the period so excuse the question if daft. Edited February 28, 2018 by davidw

[Clearwater]

Gilbert

 

A quick question if I may about the dining cars in these trains. What was the quality of the food like in these services? Appreciate that at the time, your rail dining may have been slightly towards the chocolate machine on the platform but I'd be intrigued to know whether, to use a modern phrase, these would have been fine dining experiences!

 

Many thanks

 

David

[rockershovel]

Gilbert

A quick question if I may about the dining cars in these trains. What was the quality of the food like in these services? Appreciate that at the time, your rail dining may have been slightly towards the chocolate machine on the platform but I'd be intrigued to know whether, to use a modern phrase, these would have been fine dining experiences!

Many thanks

David

I rather doubt it, by modern standards. The traditional jokes about “curly cheese sandwiches” were certainly alive and well at the time, and Kingsley Amis refers to “the donkey-coloured mixture... being served in the dining car under the name of coffee” in one of his short stories (this story also contains the quite wonderful description of someone wearing a suit “looking like woven vegetable soup” which exactly describes the sort of vivid, discordant, coarser-textured tweeds favoured by some if my schoolmasters). I can’t imagine that the motion of the train would have benefitted any wine that might have been served.

 

Then again, with rationing a very recent memory, my late parents remembered the later 1950s and 1960s as a time of plenty, with exotic or just unobtainable luxuries there for the asking.

Edited March 1, 2018 by rockershovel

[Fenman]

I rather doubt it, by modern standards. The traditional jokes about “curly cheese sandwiches” were certainly alive and well at the time, and Kingsley Amis refers to “the donkey-coloured mixture... being served in the dining car under the name of coffee” in one of his short stories (this story also contains the quite wonderful description of someone wearing a suit “looking like woven vegetable soup” which exactly describes the sort of vivid, discordant, coarser-textured tweeds favoured by some if my schoolmasters). I can’t imagine that the motion of the train would have benefitted any wine that might have been served.

 

Then again, with rationing a very recent memory, my late parents remembered the later 1950s and 1960s as a time of plenty, with exotic or just unobtainable luxuries there for the asking.

There’s a sequence in The Elizabethan celebrating the “sumptuous” fare being loaded into the kitchens and later served. I seem to remember either oxtail or Brown Windsor soup was prominent (surely soup would be one of the last things you’d choose to serve on the lively bogies of the day?).

 

The staff were also filmed loading raw meat (chickens for roasting?) onto the upper shelves of a fridge, above the already loaded cream trifles - something that would today be frowned-on as an absolutely basic food-handling mistake. Food poisoning may well have been on the menu.

 

Think back to the ghastly stuff Fanny Craddock used to prepare as the epitome of fine dining. Fortunately, foodies like Elizabeth David fought back and won - mostly simpler but much tastier food (the emphasis on taste rather than decoration) is much more common today.

 

Then again, British Rail’s silver service breakfast was always a treat worth having.

 

Paul

[John Isherwood]

There’s a sequence in The Elizabethan celebrating the “sumptuous” fare being loaded into the kitchens and later served. I seem to remember either oxtail or Brown Windsor soup was prominent (surely soup would be one of the last things you’d choose to serve on the lively bogies of the day?).

 

The staff were also filmed loading raw meat (chickens for roasting?) onto the upper shelves of a fridge, above the already loaded cream trifles - something that would today be frowned-on as an absolutely basic food-handling mistake. Food poisoning may well have been on the menu.

 

Think back to the ghastly stuff Fanny Craddock used to prepare as the epitome of fine dining. Fortunately, foodies like Elizabeth David fought back and won - mostly simpler but much tastier food (the emphasis on taste rather than decoration) is much more common today.

 

Then again, British Rail’s silver service breakfast was always a treat worth having.

 

Paul

 

On the very odd occasions that my parents could afford for us to to eat in the dining car, we were impressed by the standard of food and service.

 

Bear in mind that home cooking in those days was basic fare - a roast would be confined to Sundays (if you were lucky), and a salmon steak or plaice fillet was unheard of outside hotels and restaurants.

 

The restaurant car menu was considered 'posh nosh' by all but the most well-heeled.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

PS. Gresley bogies normally made light of serving soup, if you were a seasoned waiter.

[great northern]

Didn't we have a discussion some time ago about the infamous bell? Wasn't this used to warn the porters?

 

Stewart

I don't remember that Stewart. Not unusual these days, but could you remind me?

[great northern]

Hi Gilbert, thanks for sharing the photos of the Norseman. Would there really be as little maroon in 58. You may remember that I model 1960 +-2 years could I get away with as little as that. I didn't see the period so excuse the question if daft.

My formation got what was coupling compatible David, which happened to be mainly C/C. However, in 58 there was still a lot of it about. Several years ago I did a deal whereby I swopped a lot of C/C Mk1s for other things with John Houlden, who needed more, but I've since regretted it, having looked at photographic evidence more closely.

 

I would say for my period half and half, apart from one or two of the most prestigious trains which got all, or nearly all, maroon, but for every year thereafter maroon became more common.

[great northern]

At last a subject we can get our teeth into. I won't multiquote the replies about catering standards, but here is how I see it. Firstly, I have no personal experience of dining on board. It was literally outside looking in when trains were stationary. However, although there was already a change from full meals on the way, with buffet service becoming more popular, we need to remember what the alternatives to rail travel were for the better off passenger back in the 50s. No internal airlines, no motorways and even on major trunk roads, few by passes. Even when I was travelling from Lincoln to Law School in Guildford in the mid 60s, places like Newark Grantham and Stamford had only recently been by passed, and the A1, even down towards London, still had a fair bit of single carriageway. Anyone else remember Eaton Socon?  That was always good for a twenty minute queue. Cars weren't all that reliable on long journeys either.

 

That meant I think that even for those with plenty of cash the train was still the preferred option, and they would demand the quality of food and service to which they were accustomed. The menus I have seen were quite complex, though mainly good British fare, none of that foreign muck back then. It wasn't cheap either. If anyone else has personal recollections, I'd love to hear them, though I suspect that for most of us it would have been as youngsters in the company of parents.

 

As to the level of comfort, well that is well documented. MK1 catering gave a very good chance of soup ending up in lap, so the Eastern went back to pre war stock, and used it throughout the 50s, as the ride was so much better. There was a MK1 RFO in the Flying Scotsman, but almost all the rest had Gresley or Thompson stock on heavy duty bogies. The curly sandwiches, as I recall, didn't arrive until the late 60s.

[great northern]

What's all this fuss about snow? That's what I was thinking, looking out at a mere light covering that even thawed during the day. Got out of bed this morning to see about six inches of the stuff though, and virtually no cars moving, so indoor pursuits once again, more trains to run, and more photos to be taken. There is one more view of Silver Link to come.

Hovering again, as you can see. Then I looked at the Gresley FO as it passed by. and thought that it deserved a feature to itself. I even photoshopped a sky to give it the frame it deserves.

I shall now put on a second pair of socks.

[Mallard60022]

At last a subject we can get our teeth into. I won't multiquote the replies about catering standards, but here is how I see it. Firstly, I have no personal experience of dining on board. It was literally outside looking in when trains were stationary. However, although there was already a change from full meals on the way, with buffet service becoming more popular, we need to remember what the alternatives to rail travel were for the better off passenger back in the 50s. No internal airlines, no motorways and even on major trunk roads, few by passes. Even when I was travelling from Lincoln to Law School in Guildford in the mid 60s, places like Newark Grantham and Stamford had only recently been by passed, and the A1, even down towards London, still had a fair bit of single carriageway. Anyone else remember Eaton Socon?  That was always good for a twenty minute queue. Cars weren't all that reliable on long journeys either.

 

That meant I think that even for those with plenty of cash the train was still the preferred option, and they would demand the quality of food and service to which they were accustomed. The menus I have seen were quite complex, though mainly good British fare, none of that foreign muck back then. It wasn't cheap either. If anyone else has personal recollections, I'd love to hear them, though I suspect that for most of us it would have been as youngsters in the company of parents.

 

As to the level of comfort, well that is well documented. MK1 catering gave a very good chance of soup ending up in lap, so the Eastern went back to pre war stock, and used it throughout the 50s, as the ride was so much better. There was a MK1 RFO in the Flying Scotsman, but almost all the rest had Gresley or Thompson stock on heavy duty bogies. The curly sandwiches, as I recall, didn't arrive until the late 60s.

Remember the MK1 Diner with Gresley bogies G; pic in Larkin I think it is. Maybe that was later than '58 though?

My only comment about dining is that there was a huge amount of effort put into providing food on main trains in the '50s and early '60s and on another region, where the sun shone almost continuously all year and journeys often ended at the coast or near the coast, almost every 'express' had dining of some sort. The Bournemouth line in particular was considered as presteige (as was the Brighton line I am told), both the latter being more business class I suspect.

My only personal experience of taking Dinner in the Diner (not First Class) was in 1969 between Exeter and Reading. That was delicious and a real treat.

In fact, I get a bit pi##ed off with people slagging off the railway food facilities as my experience of the casual sort of station or train Buffet products was fine, if a bit expensive.

Phine Dining 

Edited March 1, 2018 by Mallard60022

[DavidR]

I dined on the CRE back in 1962, when I did the epic WR railrover trip in a week. Because I looked just 14 ( I was actually nearer 17), the RC staff were very attentive. There was soup, followed by one of the best steaks I can remember and extra chips, if I wanted them. Ate whilst passing over those lovely Cornish viaducts on the way to Penzance. Didn't eat like that again on BR, except the odd breakfast, when I was in funds!

Edited March 1, 2018 by DavidR

[St Enodoc]

none of that foreign muck

Good grief! My grandad was the only person I ever heard use those words! They were always prefaced with "Let's have some proper food...".