Normal for Norfolk #5

Next stop, the sea front at Gorleston. 

Went down to East Anglia Transport Museum with a stop on route on the front at Gorleston. Afterwards we met up with our cousin & husband for an evening meal.

Those benches look so familiar.  I recall my grandmother and great-aunts sitting there swapping their glasses.  “Try these, Ethel”.  “Oh no Eva, mine are far better.”  At least they weren’t swapping teeth….

Meanwhile, at the East Anglia Transport Museum….  Trams (nice teeth)….

Trolleybuses…..

Buses…..

And other things…

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Next post, we’ll move onto Dave’s Welsh adventures (plus the gripping ESNG AGM!)

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Normal for Norfolk #4

As we leave the Mid Norfolk Railway, a couple of shots looking down the line….

And rural Wymondham….

And my pictures of Dereham station in 1964.  I think that I was more interested in the Eastern Counties buses, rather than the DMU’s in the station.  Dereham was an impressive junction in rural Norfolk, and extensive granaries and malthouses next to the railway.  All gone now, but I remember them well.

Allan and Ron move on to Wells-next-the-Sea, also once home to an interesting station and harbour branch.  The dynamic duo visited the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway.

Next post, southward bound….

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Normal for Norfolk #3

Allan & Ron move on to the next railway….

Overcast with periods of sun and heavy rain. Went to Dereham for a ride on Mid Norfolk Railway (MNR) and then on Wells Next The Sea for Wells and Walsingham Light Railway. Now in pub for evening meal.

Careful what you say, lads – my mother hailed from Dereham, so there might be a trace of Boadicea’s blood in my veins!!!!

A little steam and a smart Class 47.

We’re not in Essex anymore, Toto!

Allan comments…

Visited the Mid Norfolk this morning. I’ve never seen so many Mk3 coaches in one place. They were everywhere.

Hope they can restore some of them.  It looks a bit rusty to me.

Pulled by class 47 to Thuxton changing to class 142 (nodding donkey) for Wymondham.

Luxury and something else?  But Pacers are ideal heritage line stock?

A few more Mid Norfolk shots to follow.

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ESNG meeting – 23 June 2024

Sunday afternoon, and a good turnout of nine members to run trains and talk.

Long trains….

The inevitable 59’s….

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Multiple units….

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Derek’s Swiss railcar and train….

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European goods….

Some interesting American stock from Dave…

Sean’s small but noisy ‘Gronk’.

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Next meeting, the dreaded AGM.  And thank you Brian for the video.

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Normal for Norfolk #2

The North Norfolk also has its selection of diesels.  Some DMU’s – I really like the original livery with the ‘speed whiskers’ before they got safety conscious with the yellow panel.

The train leaving from Platform 2…..  Is rather small…..

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And this monster in a siding – but typical of the region.

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Some interesting parcels stock….

Sheringham is, of course, by the seaside…

You can’t keep an old milkman down (for long)…..

Look what I found on Holt Station. Have not seen a 10-gallon Express Dairy milk churn in years.

Here’s my one photo of the NNR line in 1970…

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And I’ve a nasty suspicion that the last time I visited the NNR was in 1979 on my honeymoon.  

Next time we move a little south.

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ESNG meeting – 19 June 2024

A very pleasant afternoon and evening today.  Six of us turned up for the working party, and we got some useful work underway.  Electrical contact was poor in a number of places in the fiddle yard, due to someone (probably me) using too much acid flux and not cleaning up properly.  We added jumper wires across rail joints on half of the boards, improving running.  Another session will complete the job.

Another member joined us for the fish-and-chips supper, and for the running session.  An eighth member arrived later, but failed to make a cup of tea or run a train due to too much talking!

We seem to be using the full fiddle yard at the moment, and this gives a good 12′ run for the trains.

Chris had completed another EMU, a dummy set in blue and grey.  He (generally successfully) ran a full 12 car train – very prototypical and it looked excellent, especially with the careful and accurate weathering. 

Allan’s 59 and a ‘short’ train….

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Simon’s US locos…

And finally, Derek’s interesting fuel train, complete with a wagon fitted with hoses for delivery, and two tankers for firefighting at end.

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Back again on Sunday for another running session – and hopefully a curry.

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Normal for Norfolk #1

The Dawes Brothers hit the road again, this time to my ancestral home of Norfolk.  The next few posts will have their wanderings, then Dave has sent me some pictures from deepest Wales.  Ron writes…..

We drove up via M25, M11 and A11 to our hotel in Thorpe St Andrew, which is just east of Norwich. Photos below are of the river Yare at Thorpe St Andrew.

Not far from Norwich Thorpe station, and the centre of the known universe – Carrow Road football ground.  And in the past, home of Colemans Mustard.  Nice ducks though….

Next day, we have the traditional weather update…

Overcast turning to rain. Drove up to Sheringham for two round trips on the North Norfolk Railway. Then drove around the coast to Great Yarmouth before returning to our hotel.

Or, as Allan puts it…

Between Sheringham and Holt. Lovely little line to visit.

Part of the old Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway, Holt is an attractive station.

Steam on display (not as nice as a real GER or MGNJR loco, though)….

More next time.

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Potpourri #1109

I was going to visit a club open day this morning, but the weather was so nasty I just lost interest.  I’ve got some Norfolk pictures from the Dawes Brothers to come, but today is mostly photos.  I recently joined a Facebook page of 50’s and 60’s road transport, as it kept coming up with some excellent shots that were also helpful for the modeller.

Two from the Midlands.  The second, rather more modern, Selly Oak scene would make a good model.

I can remember real petrol stations like this, where the attendant would fill the tank and kick your tyres.  I can even remember the location!

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Port Talbot in 1955.  A rough old place, but some interesting buses on show?

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Back to London.  Holloway Road in the 1950’s, Sloane Square in a snowy 1973, and the magnificent Stockwell Bus Garage – one of the largest span concrete roofs around when it was built.

Huddersfield Town football ground in 1961.  An interesting prototype?  And people don’t park cars like that any more!

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Even Crawley looked good in 1962…

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For the modeller (nuff said….)

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And to end with a little light (and well needed) relief…

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Potpourri #1108

Some interesting videos that amused me this week.  Of course, one has to start with Jago Hazzard.  Do you want to buy a station?

Where to build London’s International station….  Pick any one from eleven?

For the bus enthusiasts amongst us.  A short and long look at the venerable RT class.

Moving over to modelling, a sensible use for Airfix kits….

And a rather interesting modular system.  This seems as viable as most of the other mini-modules that people are pushing now, even if some geometry is needed.  I wondered whether one could make larger hexagons, to make a more interesting layout?  Depends on the Kato track geometry, I guess.

And finally, the Sacramento Northern on video.  The opening scenes in the countryside are just crying out to be modelled.

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Rother Valley Railway show #2

After a slight diversion to the ESNG meeting, back to Allan’s photos of the exhibition down at Robertsbridge.  Today we have the other layouts on show.  There was no show guide, so I have been unable to identify a couple of them…..

Shillingston is a tribute to Shillingstone station in Dorset, and the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway.  The rolling stock used is primarily S&DJR steam, although the layout dreams that the line continued under Southern operation into the diesel era!

Unknown, but a rather nice bit of coastline!

Again unknown, but an interesting scrapyard.  Somewhere to show all your aged and wrecked models?

Bletchinghurst, a Southern branchline.

Forest Halt.  I do like minimum size layouts.  I’m still not convinced by perspex protection to the layout though.  It seems to spoil the view and definitely wreck the photos?

Some more interesting coastal scenery on Mountwise.

Finally, Crumbling Edge MPD in N.  This little layout has come a long way since I last saw it, and the scenics look close to complete.

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