Rail Speeders Conquer The Railroads!

Posted on August 15, 2015 by snitchthebudgie

Allan sent me this link, from the “Train Fanatics” site.  I’m not sure such a rail tour would work in the UK – imagine the problems on the London commuter lines – and I guess all our lines are just too crowded.  The article says that…..

 A massively popular hobby among rail enthusiasts, organized clubs exist across the United States and Australia providing organized, safe and legal ways to travel the rails on these wild machines!

It is not uncommon to have 40 or more cars lined up on excursions that can last for several days, covering hundreds of miles. All participants travel in a group with the host railroads permission for the use of the tracks. Crossing guards are used at intersections since the speeders do not have the right of way over vehicles.

The rail speeder, otherwise known as a motor car, was invented as far back as 1896 when a vehicle was needed to help the maintenance of way crews and track inspectors to move quickly to and from work sites. Early speeders were human powered pump types later followed by gasoline powered engines.
These types of speeders were later replaced by pickup trucks with flanges to allow them to hoist themselves onto and off of the tracks. The speeders left from the earlier days are now owned by hobbyists and can cost several thousands of dollars to rebuild and maintain.

And here’s a link to the YouTube video….

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The tram that survived the Hiroshima bomb

Posted on August 13, 2015 by snitchthebudgie

An interesting little video on the BBC website, as we come up to the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima atom bomb….

One of the few remaining trams which survived the Hiroshima bomb has been restored to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the attack.

It has been repainted its original colours – blue and grey – and has video testimony from survivors on board.

After the blast, the city’s tram system was back up and running in only three days.

I was amazed that they got the trams running, from overhead lines, in such a short time.  Watch this fascinating little video here.

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More holiday snaps – this time from Switzerland

Posted on August 11, 2015 by snitchthebudgie

ESNG Cha(I)rman Allan is as habitual in his holidays as I am – Switzerland and trains.  As last year, I have a received a series of emails describing his adventures….

Hi all.
First day of our holiday in Lauterbrun.  On turning up at the Hotel Oberland, and after being greeted by Mark and Ursula (the management), was given an envelope that was left by Benson (Peter & Yvonne Bretts dog from Winco).

Starting the holiday the way they mean to carry on….  The second photo is the view from the hotel.  The weather looks similar to Somerset.

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Next, the rear of a rather fine preserved steam loco….

Came over here by postbus from Meiringen via Grimsel Pass. On way up we had low cloud/must but once over the summit on the way down to the Rhone Valley it was brilliant sunshine.

Saw this DFB loco there but did not travel on train as it waits here for nearly two hours and it was expensive.

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Model or full size????

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ESNG meeting – 6 August 2015

Posted on August 9, 2015 by snitchthebudgie

Another non-meeting tonight, I’m afraid.  With the Chairman and Treasurer on holiday, and Japanese Paul also missing, only 5 of us made the meeting.  So no trains running, just a good chat and home.

Not much ESNG news, so here’s another ‘believe it or not’ scene for your railway…..

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However, I’m beginning to get my head around the 2016 show, and the first flyer is ready.

2016 flyer single

 

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Shepton Mallet redux

Posted on August 7, 2015 by snitchthebudgie

It’s the start of the school holidays, so for the 19th time in 20 years Maxine and I went on our annual pilgrimage to the ‘New Wine’ church conference.  Once again, there were 12,000 people camping on the Bath & West Showground near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, in the south-west of the UK.  And of course it rained.  The now Archbishop of Canterbury said that he had been to New Wine for seven years running and it rained all eight of them.  Still, it was an excellent week!

This year, I remembered my camera, and took some pictures of the miniature railway that is on the Showground, run by the East Somerset Society of Model & Experimental Engineers.  Most of the main line is dual gauge 5″ and 7¼” gauges (just a little larger than ‘N’ gauge).  Each year at New Wine, ESSMEE open up the railway for the day and offer rides for all and sundry.  I took the photos below, and especially like the Garratt locomotive.  Despite the small size of the engines, the smell of ‘steam’ is still most evocative.  And note that the sun was shining that afternoon!  Read more about this little railway at http://www.essmee.org.uk/ .

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Almost a model?

Posted on August 5, 2015 by snitchthebudgie

A picture from the BBC website, of derailed engineering trains in Scotland.  This looks remarkably like our ESNG layout on a bad day (and I suspect most modellers will identify with the incident!)

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According to the article:

Two trains carrying ballast for engineering work have collided on the track near Cumnock in Ayrshire, Network Rail has said. No-one was injured in the incident which took place at about 11:20 on Saturday but a number of wagons derailed and the track was damaged.

The line, which was closed for the weekend for engineering work, will remain shut for several days.  It is believed one of the trains ran into the back of the other.

A spokesman for track owner Network Rail said: “At approximately 11:20am yesterday, in a Network Rail work site, two ballast-carrying trains collided, resulting in the derailment of some wagons of each train. No-one was hurt in the incident but it has resulted in some track damage. Once the derailed wagons have been recovered the repair work will take approximately three days to complete. Therefore it is expected the line will remain closed for a number of days.”

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London Bridge rebuild

Posted on August 3, 2015 by snitchthebudgie

Our local paper the Sorry Error, whoops, Surrey Mirror published these aerial photos of the London Bridge rebuilding project.  This rebuild will increase the capacity of the through tracks that feed the Thameslink lines through to north London.  It will no doubt be a good thing, but the present disruption to commuters is pretty extreme.  The Shard looks pretty impressive over part of the station concourse.

For us modellers, we are unlikely to aspire to modelling London Bridge in any form, although the through lines past the old Ewer Street stabling point, and the smaller terminals at Cannon Street and Holborn Viaduct could appeal.  However, these shots remind us what good prototypes urban railways can make, squeezed into the available space and winding their way – in this case on viaduct – between the buildings.

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Up the Junction

Posted on August 1, 2015 by snitchthebudgie

Just before we went on holiday, I made my last visit to offices in Kew Bridge, reviewing designs of the river crossings for a gas pipeline in Turkey.  This has been a regular trip, from Redhill to Clapham Junction and then back out of London to Kew Bridge.

Changing trains at Clapham Junction is always interesting.  Routes from London’s south and south-west termini, London Waterloo and London Victoria, funnel through the station making it one of the busiest in Europe by number of trains using it, 100-180 per hour except between midnight and 5am.  On a typical brief visit transiting between platforms one will see trains and liveries from Southern Railway, South West Trains, Gatwick Express and London Overground.  Occasionally one can also spot the odd goods train, although most cross-London traffic is in the quieter night hours.

One of the delights of Clapham is the complete hotchpotch of architecture on the main footbridge spanning all the platforms.  On my last visit I took my camera, and these random shots record my visit…..

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Off my trolley – Pacific Electric at its best

Posted on July 30, 2015 by snitchthebudgie

Browsing (as one does) I came across a New York Subway site with this excellent picture of a Pacific Electric PCC car at an unknown, but very modellable location.  (OK, New York site, PE picture, does not compute…..  but it’s still a great photograph).

The spindly palms and the large white houses would make a good backdrop to an interurban or trolley line.

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PCC 5010, photograph: Joe Testagrose, 10/1950

 

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Five things you can do to be happier right now

Posted on July 28, 2015 by snitchthebudgie

Most people are wrong about the things that will make them happy.  Professor Paul Dolan, speaking at the Hay Festive, said it’s actually quite simple.  I’ve adapted them for model railway use – I think they still work!

  1. Listening to a favourite piece of music – Add sound to your locomotive.  Or just make sure music is available in your railway room.
  2. Spending five more minutes with someone you like – Attend more model railway club meetings and exhibitions.  (That assumes you actually like the other members).
  3. Going outdoors – Garden railway, anyone?
  4. Helping someone else – Working together on a modelling project is (usually) fun.  And passing on ones experience in modelling (but only when asked) is always most satisfying.
  5. Having a new experience – Build something in a new scale, or from a new railway company, or from another country – but without giving up your main interests.
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