A little bonus – Allan’s video of a Routemaster leaving Forest Row. It’s driven by Pete of ‘Pete and his bus’ and interestng Routemaster bar conversion!
Some bus pictures today, as Allan visited East Grinstead for the bus rally on Sunday morning.
My favourite LT bus, I think, the little Guy Special (GS.)
Two RTs…
Some RF’s….
A Routemaster…
Some rather more modern vehicles….
And being the Cha(i)rman, he had to stop for a cup of tea, and watch the buses, mug in hand….
And as for me, mojo improved and I went and did some modelling yesterday. As usual, working out how to do something and finding that it works improves ones outlook on life!
It’s one of those weeks when my modelling mojo is very low. I have a string of projects that need finishing but none of them appeals. Perhaps I need to break out another plastic kit, or try a diversion into Patagonian narrow gauge. I suppose it’s common enough for one’s enthusiasm for a hobby to come and go. I’m grateful to have several, so in an emergency I can retreat into a good book.
So today’s offerings mostly reflect my current mood. My father obviously was a very wise man, and I’m looking on the bright side of life….
If this were the UK, it would be Liverpool.
Nigeria bought some ex-BR HST units. I’m surprised no-one thought of this for the East Coast Main Line. You could get so many more passengers in (plus chickens etc.) It would make an interesting model?
And here’s the rather more restrained repaint!
Could be a model?
I think this will be my next project. Plenty of scenery and absolutely no wiring. In fact, I think it will be DCC with a chip in the tree. Possibly with bird and squirrel noises.
Off to play Scrabble…
I thought that this evening would be the first for a long time with just chat and no trains. But after half-an-hour or so six of us had trickled in, so we set up the layout and ran some trains. Mind you, half the attendance spent the evenings discussing ailments and their dislike of computer banking and the like.
The other half played trains…. It seemed to be an American night. My D&H rake ran almost impeccably all evening.
Simon ran a variety of trains….
Chris brought some sanity to proceedings with a British goods train.
And despite the slow start, a good time was had by all!
Just a few odds and ends for today….
This is a modelling challenge for someone. The cost of the figures would probably be far more than the cost of the rolling stock…….
This is a pretty rural scene. And then the German Pacer arrives! What an oddity, but it would make a lovely model.
I had a look, but only on Shapeways. I wouldn’t want to be the one glazing all those windows.
Some fine modelling here in this rather long video from Japan. I find looking at modellers work from other countries often gives me new ideas. The Japanese seem especially good at the micro-layout – probably to suit their housing.
Jago Hazzard takes to the high seas….
My memories of exploring Hong Kong in 1981….
In 1981, Hong Kong had just one tunnel and one Mass Transit Railway across the harbour, so exploration was generally by bus. To explore HK Island, you got on the bus and rode to the terminal, then rode back. The China Motor Bus route 11 to Tai Hang Road was run by old London Transport buses sold out of service. Rejected by LT, in HK they chugged up the steep hill to Tai Hang Road and at the terminus a little man refilled the radiator from a watering can. Inside, you were still advised to phone “Abbey 1234” in case of complaint, and seats had genuine LT mocquette that was loved by the cockroaches living over the rear engine. I was also fortunate to just catch the Kowloon-Canton Railway before electrification, when old diesel engines and American style coaches were replaced by multiple units. And the Star Ferry ride across the harbour offered the best 60 cents (first class) of entertainment in the world.
A different time! I didn’t even mention the trams, where another few cents would give you a top deck view of the shops, businesses and commerce of the island.
And 30 years later, Jinan in the PRC was still running trolleybuses…
Next time, reports of another ESNG meeting.
It’s been a whole 11 days since the last ESNG meetings – one of those odd months where the 1st Wednesday and the 2nd Sunday are in completely different weeks. Seven members turned out today to run a few trains. It’s definitely spring – no heating needed in the hall and it was still light when we had finished out post-meeting curry. The usual suspects….
I couldn’t resist Rail’s half-price offer on EFE J94 tank engines. I ran in my new two, both of which ran perfectly and smoothly straight out of the box.
A rather long train from Allan, that mostly stayed in one piece.
Derek’s M7 was running very well, and coping with a van and three coaches!
Neil ran a variety of European stock….
Fairly modern goods from Brian…
Two Revolution models in action…
Trains passing…
And, of course, we finish with Brian’s video….
Off to the romantically named Pratts Bottom this morning for the Orpington & District show. Having been to Birmingham in the week, it was good to have Mr Dawes driving, and just spot bluebells, lambs and other wildlife. The show was worth a visit – small, much the same size as our ESNG show, but with some interesting exhibits. A few of my favourites follow….
Typically, I liked the minimalistic London Road Sidings (OO). Recycled from a previous layout, this little line is 4′ x 6″, plus a fiddle stick. A diesel refuelling point without sound – something very much in its favour.
Even smaller, Allons Y (OO9). A rotating pizza layout with French narrow gauge. Again, very simple and very satisfying.
And can’t get any smaller. ‘A Train Set for Christmas’ (1:12 scale, 3mm T gauge). Dolls house furniture and Japanese T gauge trains.
My professional interest was caught by the ‘Little Sewage Works Railway’ (Gn15). I think they got the processes right, but not much Health & Safety for the operatives. The layout guide noted the lack of smells – I also noted the lack of filter flies over the filter beds with a few wagtails having a free meal.
French O gauge on Croix St Piere.
Top of the hill on Alspitzbahn (HO), an Bavarian rack railway.
Denton West (O), an LMS secondary main line.
Ashenden Junction (N), a compact little line.
And lastly Hillside Park, Nigel’s layout complete with a new name!
Maxine and I spent a few days in Birmingham this week with friends, so I left the computer at home. So today I just have a few pictures to show and tell.
Some more of John Atkinson’s excellent EMU pictures. First Earlswood in 1979, five minutes walk from home. We moved in shortly after the resignalling, so never saw Earlswood North signal box, lurking under the bridge in one of these photos. And we never saw platforms 3 & 4 also pictured below.
Next, Redhill in 1978, 1979 and 1982.
Three pictures of the handsome LBSCR J class 4-6-2T. There were two in the class, and one survived to carry a British Railways number. (Unlike the larger 4-6-4T locos, that were rebuilt into 4-6-0’s.)
Further afield, this is Stuttgart in 1980. The new, tunnelled, through station is close to completion, replacing this terminus, where all through trains reversed.
And even further afield, a very modellable scene from the Lehigh Valley in 1950. A trolley line passes under the main LV; perhaps the Lehigh Valley Transit?
Another modellable scene – Crabtree Crossing, near Belvedere on the North Kent Line. One of those wartime signal boxes built to withstand a near miss from a bomb. Unlike the other big-four companies, the Southern continued to build these boxes well into peace-time. I suppose the North Kent Line has always been a bit of a war-zone….
ESNG meet again on Sunday, so I’ll have a few club pictures as get into next week.
Sorting through some old photos whilst writing my travel memoirs(!), I came across some old Hong Kong transport photos. They date from the late 80’s, though a couple are probably early 90’s. The first set of tram photos are taken in Johnson Road, Wanchai. In the background of the first photo is Hopewell Centre, where I worked on the 51st floor on several visits, and for an entire year.
The next three are taken in Central District.
And an old Guy Arab V bus, operated by China Motor Bus on HK Island.
And now for something completely different, three pictures of the Brighton main line from the loft room window in our old house. Again late 80’s.
And not from 2024 (have we lost our sense of humour?)
Birmingham New Street 2022….
Birmingham New Street station has once again joined in the fun for April fool’s day by revealing ‘plans’ for slides down to platforms from the main concourse.
If you clicked on this link excited to find out more, unfortunately metal slides won’t be a feature for passengers at Britain’s biggest station outside of London.
Despite them potentially being a fun way to catch your train, standard stairs, lifts and escalators will continue as the concourse connections.
2016 in York….
Flying Scotsman sees red
“Virgin Trains has today announced that customers will soon be able to catch a steam train to work, as it’s revealed that the original Flying Scotsman locomotive will be joining its fleet later this year on its East Coast and West Coast routes.”
So said Richard Branson’s jokers, with the special offer of 25% off your ticket “for customers who help shovel coal on their journey”.
Apparently the National Railway Museum had agreed to release the Scotsman back into service:
The makeover will be taking place at the museum in York, where fans of the iconic engine can watch the transformation as it’s painted during the museum’s fantastic Scotsman Season.
2013, BBC and elsewhere….
Train spotting ‘goes 21st century’. Could train spotting provide the key to the future of the rail network?
From today numbers on the side of trains, traditionally noted down by enthusiasts, are being replaced by barcodes which spotters can more simply photograph on their smart phones and upload online.
Some are up in arms but the brainwave from North Yorkshire Moors Railway has wider implications for the rest of the network.
Northern Rail has adopted the idea and is asking passengers to join in taking photos of trains while they wait at stations to help provide more network information and cut costs.
Countryfile, 2012.
Contractors digging a section of HS2 outside Birmingham have discovered a series of parallel rows of monoliths running for hundreds of metres. Some archaeologists believe the stones, which are laid end-to-end, form the basis of a primitive tramway system. “The position of these huge granite stones is unlike anything we’ve ever seen from this period,” said Professor Doug Deaper, from the South Shropshire Neolithic Institute, who led the investigation. “At first I assumed they had fallen this way, perhaps having been originally set out in a circle as is normal for most structures and monuments for this period. But when we looked at the geophysical survey of the area, we found that the stones ran for 2km in an almost-straight line.” Ground mapping sensors create a geophysical survey of the subsoil in a field./Credit: Getty Closer examination of the stones revealed groove marks where either wooden or stone wheels may have carried carts of quarried stone, wood and other vital resources between settlements. Further lab testing found traces of animal fat around the grooves, which may have been used to grease the chassis of carts. “The HS2 archaeological excavations have already unearthed numerous remarkable finds, but this is the most astonishing of the lot,” said Rob Attar, editor of BBC History magazine. “If confirmed, this will transform our understanding of Stone Age Britain and may offer a radical new solution to the mystery of how the creators of Stonehenge transported the giant megaliths that make up the monument.”
And Copenhagen 2016…
Residents of Copenhagen who visited the square in front of the town hall were greeted by a strange sight. One of the subway cars from the city’s new subway, which was under construction, appeared to have burst up through the pavement. The subway car actually was a retired vehicle from the Stockholm subway. It had been cut at an angle and loose bricks were placed around it, to give the illusion that it had crashed up from below.
The stunt was sponsored by Gevalia Coffee, whose advertisements had an ongoing theme of vehicles popping up in strange locations, with the tagline “Be ready for unexpected guests.”
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