One for the train buffs.

[myglaren]

My youngest lived in Pegswood for a while, had not inkling that there was a station there. Not that the trains seem to stop there.

[CitroJim]

45407 'The Lancashire Fusilier' is on its way down South from Fort William (where it has been on the Jacobite Express duties for the summer) to Carnforth today, and was stopped in at Carstairs Junction so we went down for a look.

Superb Two very classic examples of fine British rail traction there The Black Five and Class 37 Diesel might be considered amongst the finest.


Who'd have ever thought they'd both be still very much in revenue-earning service well into the 21st century... The Black Five is over 80 and the Class 37 is a bit over 60 years old... Both way beyond their original design life and still showing the new upstarts (as in your video Steve!) how it's done...

That said, both will very much be 'Trigger's Brooms' now and several times over but still very characterful and may they be seen on the rails for many, many years to come...

[NewcastleFalcon]

A musical interlude...or not if you mute it Reasonable enough visuals, not too long

Dave Goulder writes and performs songs about Railways!

So in relevant subject matter to recent themes on the thread....
The Black Five


and the gentle lyrical Settle and Carlisle...nice visuals from old cine film


Neil

[myglaren]

[NewcastleFalcon]

If I had known about that I would have sought it out, sat on it and taken a photo of it last time I was in Scarborough, back in May. Atlas Obscura which has quite a few of such oddities in its pages, does have a page about it.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sca ... passengers.

Scarborough Station’s 456 foot (139 meters) bench is said to be the longest railway bench in the world. Equal in length to 12 double-decker buses, it’s able to accommodate almost 230 passengers. The bench was constructed by William Bell on behalf of the North Eastern Railway in 1883. It was designed as part of a station-wide effort to provide adequate facilities for the growing number of tourists visiting the northern coastal resort.

Now approaching its 140th year, the bench is protected under a Grade II listing and is considered “an object of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve it.” The listing also prohibits it from being “demolished, extended or significantly altered without special permission.”

Such efforts to preserve the bench lead to a £14,500 project during the summer of 2020. The old wooden seats and backrests were removed and replaced with Accoya, a type of timber that should last for the next 50 years. Additionally, the supporting iron structure was repainted, while every nut and bolt was replaced.

Neil

[CitroJim]

I love the comment about how many it can seat

[mickthemaverick]

This was hanging in the RAF office:

The Royal Observer Corps

[bobins]

^^^^^^^

"Royal Observer Corps
21C150/34050

Built December 1946 as 21C150 as part of order No.3213, for 25 locomotives, 21C146 to 21C170 inclusive. Average cost of engines in this batch was £20,200 each; Allocated new to Salisbury shed. Nameplates attached February 1948, the name having been one of several suggested by members of the public. Renumbered 34050 29 January 1949. Collided with a Z class goods engine at Exmouth Junction in 1955 and repaired at Eastleigh Works. Rebuilt at Eastleigh August 1958; Presented with Royal Observer Corps’ ribbon’ 2nd July 1961 in a ceremony at Waterloo station by Air Commodore C M Wight-Boycott, Commandant ROC. These plaques in the colours of the long service medal ribbon were mounted below the painted loco number on the cabside.

Withdrawn from 70D Eastleigh shed 29th August 1965 having run 796,814 miles, 287,494 of them since rebuilding; stored there until November 1965 and scrapped by Birds, Morriston, Swansea December 1965."
https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/a ... ographies/

Built: (Brighton) December 1946. Rebuilt: (Eastleigh) August 1958. Withdrawn: August 1965.

So now you know

[NewcastleFalcon]

Many of of the photos of now long disused railway lines and their rolling stock are in black and white. Yes very arty and some very atmospheric. No need for me to tell you this one is in colour. Brings it to life.

Needs to be large
The Wannie Line Woodburn-Scots Gap Freight

Spoiler: show

enlargement purposes only

Neil

[CitroJim]

I'm very happy I've been to Scots Gap - thanks to you Neil So that awesome photo has some significance

Amongst the old railway fraternity now there's quite a lot of interest in colourising old black and white photos and in some cases, it can look very good... Some are a bit exaggerated with rather too deeply saturated colours...

I'm assuming there's a bit or software or even an AI assistant that does the majority of the donkey-work involved.

You don't say if the one above is colourised or an original colour photograph. Whatever, it's a real cracker and full of atmosphere

The engine's got plenty of steam to spare, as witnessed by the safely valves lifting... Looks like the train is empty'ish and is on a falling gradient...

[mickthemaverick]

Am I right in thinking that is a Fowler Jim?

[NewcastleFalcon]

You don't say if the one above is colourised or an original colour photograph. Whatever, it's a real cracker and full of atmosphere

Does look like a bit of colourisation has taken place but I agree with you its an excellent image. Taken July 1966.

The loco is a LNER J27 Class (NER Class P3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NER_Class_P3

Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Thanks Neil, this is what I was thinking of:

Bftw

[mickthemaverick]

I had a very enjoyable lunch in MK with Jim today and he passed on the last issue of Steam Railway magazine which I began reading when I got home. I had to post this up as it amused me. There was a 7mph collision between the Flying Scotsman locomotive and the Royal Scotsman carriage stock in September last year and the RAIB (Rail Accident Investigation Branch) published their report. A number of recommendations were made regarding observation duties and permitted numbers on the footplate. However the one that amused me was that the Strathspey Railway Company's train operator Belmond have made changes in the way they store wine bottles on the train in future!!

BFTM

[CitroJim]

Talk about getting their priorities right Mick