[Peter Ankers]

Hello John,

Like one or two others, I've just discovered your 2008 introductory posts, and also found them fascinating. I grew up in Chelmsford on the GE mainline and spent hours watching Britannias go past on the Liverpool Street/Norwich expresses. Now retired, I have moved back to my late mother's home county of Suffolk and am living in Bury St Edmunds, a wonderful town. I still have to go up to London about twice a week on average, so the first part of the journey is generally on the local service to Cambridge, which always runs into bay platform 6 which you mentioned in your initial post. (Bay platform 5 is always used nowadays by the Cambridge to Norwich service.)

Bury St Edmunds would be an interesting station to model with its twin towers. I don't know about the services in the 1950's, but I do have a 1961 timetable which still shows a similar early evening pattern if you wanted to come forward a few years. Arriving at 6.45pm and departing at 6.55pm is a through train from Colchester to Edinburgh and Glasgow, followed in the opposite direction by three trains in quick succession - the 7.04pm arrival of the through train from Liverpool St via Cambridge (conveying Miniature Buffet) terminating at BSE; between 7.24 and 7.29pm the through train from Newcastle to Colchester (conveying a Buffet Car); and between 7.38 and 7.43pm the through train from Liverpool Central to Harwich Town (conveying a Restaurant Car). Some interesting train formations and I think in 1961 you could still have them hauled by Britannias if you wanted.

Makes me think I should be modelling Bury St Eds myself !

All the best,
Peter A

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hello Greyvoices,

I have only just stumbbled across your "new" thread, will look for / with interest your 2008 vintage stuff LOL !

But given my complete understanding of your comment re - uploading pictures / track plans / etc; & still not really understanding how I do so myself as yet. Can I suggest dwb (* one of the top men mods on the forum) - has a link on his posts, which gives / leads to a somwhat "Janet & John" step by step list, for cracking this key part of making posts; however, your ramblings, without pictures I feel are fast becoming a highlight of the Forum LOL !!!!

Best of luck, Cheers,

Norm

PS. I also have pondered the Cambridge bay platform's to model, a very unusual scenario !

 

[Greyvoices]

BE WARNED. This post will contain my efforts at the more advanced posting techniques.

I feel a tad more comfortable with the intricacies of posting to this forum following an intensive course of study which involved dipping into various threads, each of which added a little bit to my knowledge. I am truly amazed at the dedications of some contributors who must spend hours each day making MRF the success which undoubtedly is. It would interest me to know the demographics of the membership but I imagine that the typical age is sixty plus.

This reminds me of a comment made by my wife many years ago when entering the German Railway Society annual show in a hall in Oxford. Encountering the dense mass of humanity and layouts, turning to me with wrinkled nose she said,"this smells like old men". I tried to convince her that the smell was in fact that of dusty layouts which spent most of the year entombed in grubby sheds and the pungency could be explained by crude electric motors that produced a by product of ozone. The question that has remained unasked for all the years since that day is how did she become such an expert on what a hall hall full of old men would smell like! (safe in the knowledge that my "ramblings" are interesting to at least one forum member I continue to ramble).

My study of the forum has made me realise that what am waffling on about is something of a hybrid topic comprising the following (now trying the list function for the first time):

1. 00 Rolling stock and infrastructure
2. East Anglia, specifically West Suffolk and part of Cambridgeshire
3. H0 East German Epoch 3 & 4 as a side issue
4. Various links and references to railway information and resources.

I have to ask if I am contributing to the correct forum? I am loathe to split across two or more threads because I just could not keep track of such complexity. A moderator's advice would be a help here.

My study of MRF has also made me realise that a successful thread is one that is "owned" by all of the contributors with the original author of the thread being merely a catalyst for like minded individuals to add their two pennarth.

Now it's to try posting an image. I am sorry but it is of the H0 layout which is to be refurbished and extended because it is booked into a show next June (I must be mad). I really want to get cracking with my 00 West Suffolk layout which I have dubbed, "West Suffolk junction" and a start will be made on that this year. In the meantime here is an image of the H0 layout,"Glatzau (Sachs.)" which depicts an East German location before the wall came down:

Perhaps another image to test my skills further:

Fingers crossed.

Best regards ............ Greyvoices (alias John)

 

[Greyvoices]

In my eagerness to try out adding images to my post I somehow forgot the niceties of correct english usage. I apologise for my bad grammar and missing words. Perhaps a string of senior moments?

But as I am posting again perhaps another image:

This is a Thompson suburban blockender built by Larry Goddard. I have not been idle since 2008 but have been steadily collecting rolling stock and locomotives appropriate for West Suffolk junction.

Best regards ............. Greyvoices (alias John)

 

[dwb]

QUOTE I have to ask if I am contributing to the correct forum? I am loathe to split across two or more threads because I just could not keep track of such complexity. A moderator's advice would be a help here.

I would suggest that you create a topic for your Suffolk layout in the "On my layout" forum - link

For discussion of your current HO Scale layout the "HO & International" forum is more likely to generate responses.

From my experience, posts/topics containing photos always prove popular.

And last but not least, I do like the photos you have posted so far.

David

 

[Anthony566]

Very nice photos ... i really like the low track view ....

 

[Brian Considine]

Thanks for the pictures - I'm intriged by the yellow vehicle near the kof.

 

[SimonBoulton]

Great photos John, the coach model looks very good and as you know I'm a fan of anything to do with the DR!

Replied to your message but not sure if it got sent okay as it's not showing in my sent messages,
Best wishes,
Simon

 

[Greyvoices]

Simon/Anthony, thanks for the positive comments. I am afraid that my photography needs a bit more care but I do like the arty effect of the out of focus standard lamp.

David, I take the point about moving my activity to two distinct locations; I'm thinking about it. I suppose that my reluctance to have two threads on the go at once is because there is so much that is common to both H0 and 00. Even with the 1:1 scale I had no problems adapting my BR philosophy for the requirements of the railways in, for instance, Germany or Switzerland. A brake test is a brake test wherever it is performed. Having said that there were some variations that I had to learn such as the fact that it was sufficient to brake test only the last wagon on a train in Italy but in Belgium the requirement is for the last two wagons to be tested which was a potential issue for trains running between these two countries. Of course we adopted the more stringent regulation across the whole of the company so that we would never be caught out with a brake defective vehicle running next to last on any train heading for the North Sea ports. This was the type of belt and braces approach I was used to on BR so it was natural to introduce it on the "mainland". Back to the subject of modelling, I abhor the idea of mixing scales and can remember the feeling of dissatisfaction I had as a child in the late fifties when double heading with my Jinty and Princess Elizabeth. I think that's enough off topic waffle for one evening.

Brian, to answer the question about the funny looking yellow vehicle on the engineer's siding on Glatzau (Sachs.), it is a whitemetal kit of a DR prototype used by infrastructure workers, a sort of eastern bloc Whickham trolley. I picked it up on an Ebay auction some years ago. If only I had the skill to make such models myself but I am blessed with ten thumbs so it's out of the question.

This is the only other photo I have of this model but when (and if) I start up a Glatzau thread in the H0 forum I'll amplify the description.

One last thing, I have received your communication Simon. Thank you. I will reply.

Best regards .................. Greyvoices (alias John)

 

[dwb]

QUOTE David, I take the point about moving my activity to two distinct locations; I'm thinking about it. I suppose that my reluctance to have two threads on the go at once is because there is so much that is common to both H0 and 00

I think maybe the solution for you would be to post in "On my layout". Start with photos of the HO model and talk about your OO plans and readers of all persuasions will take a look and then decide. Topics with photos always attract interest regardless of the subject matter.

David

 

[hoonsou]

Hello again John.
Regarding the railway carriages at BSE, I only have a sister left who doesn't remember much either... I'm a 65 year old orphan

All I do know is that my father was one of five brothers. One of my uncles owned a breeze block factory at said town, sorry city. He walked away from it and my father and us lot moved in. My father worked the factory single handed and got it back on it's feet from the dilapidated state it had been left in. He came out of it all with nothing, because once it was up and running at a profit, the other brothers sold it out from under him, so to speak. I have a couple of stories, like the cat getting stuck down a pipe that caused the toilet to back up. I'll leave the rest of that to your imagination. Another one that I honestly don't remember, is a collie dog that kept knocking me over; evidently on purpose. I've been told that I waited for her to come along and crowned her with my spade... I've been told she never jumped up on me again. Believe me when I say that that was the only time I've ever tried to hurt an animal.

The adventure to Oz started at Singapore where I was almost locked up and shaved because my hair was over my collar... it went downhill from there.

I really enjoy reading your post's though your grammar's a lot better than mine, so keep 'em coming and forget more pic's now that you're a master at uploading.

 

[Greyvoices]

I have taken David's advice and started a thread entitled, "West Suffolk Junction" in the On My Layout forum. I decided to proceed as I have been much encouraged by the reception that this thread has engendered.

As usual I am asking myself why I am doing this, why I am sharing my thoughts via this medium. I have this predilection for navel gazing (for the dyslexic amongst you I am not referring to a desire to look at sailors). If I fast forward I quickly come to the conclusion that I do it because it is enjoyable. There are two ruling disciplines in life for me, duty and fun. My wife would probably add the un-english concept of love but my upper lip is so stiff that I could never possibly admit to that.

I will close by suggesting to hoonsuo (alias Peter in Australia) that he should perhaps not disclose his identity. Do they have the equivalent of the RSPCA down under?

Best regards ......... Greyvoices (alias John)

 

[hoonsou]