Steam Railways

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

And certainly in combination with the Ffestiniog railway
In summer the view from the train the first couple of miles of the WHR from Caernarfon is reduced by the trees and woodland surrounding the track upto approximately Waunfawr.

Ah, Waunfawr. That's where I watched the 1966 World Cup Final (which I still say was a 2-2 draw). The family who lived opposite kindly invited us children to watch it. It was while on that holiday that I paced up and down the trackbed of the WHR, regretting that no power on earth could ever bring it back. Yet the impossible happened.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

It was while on that holiday that I paced up and down the trackbed of the WHR, regretting that no power on earth could ever bring it back. Yet the impossible happened.

There was a chap on the programme who said much the same thing, Alpie - he missed out the bit about the World Cup, though.

[mangerton]

I caught this programme about model railways at last, yesterday. Fascinating programme, couldn't take my eyes off it. I had a modest Hornby set when little, loved my Britannia loco and cool Pullman carriages. I also had one of those early Diesel engines in green, but even though I wasn't 'into' railways, I could tell it was plain and functional compared with Britannia with its very cool side panels at the front

Smoke deflectors, as they're known in the trade.

Mine was a Gresley A4 Pacific, like this. Happy days!

[Nick Armstrong]

Smoke deflectors, as they're known in the trade.

Mine was a Gresley A4 Pacific, like this. Happy days!

Smarty Pants

(I lusted after the Gresley - Mallard style of loco, and had I plunged into 'the trade' it would have been my next purchase. As it turned out, Spitfires and Messerschmitts, and then McLarens and Ferraris and the joys of Scalextric, captured my attention...)

[Vile Consort]

Oh - I've just become a board member of a steam railway (again)!

[Stillhomewardbound]

My ex-father-in-law has spent a lifetime working on at least two Britannia replicas in his adapted shed. Somehow I knew I was never quite in the family fold as over nine years I was never once asked into his shed. I wouldn't have minded but I would have marvelled at his craftsmanship. I am pleased to report though that his first grandson is a steam nut!!

[Pegleg]

Has anybody been watching Dan Snow's series about the Locomotive?

What did you think of it?

The dear old Beeb is suffering form railway mania. What with, “Steam Days”. “The train now departing”, Portillo's B&B progress at home and abroad, the Welsh railways series, Railway Walks and Locomotion, I've needed a timetable to keep up with it all. See, I've forgotten those extra journeys at http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/steamtrains/index.shtml

As Mr. Jingle might say: “Small boy, clockwork train, never electric. Duffle coat, had one , very warm, not a gricer. Born to steam, saw it all, last fifteen years. All gone, very sad.”

The opening sequence of “The Train now Departing”, where the mixed goods train crossing an unnamed viaduct fades ghost like to now derelict and empty trackbed, seems to emphasis that saddest. Pulling at your nostalgic heart strings.

In the “Holiday Line” episode railway enthusiast Barry Smith retraces the journey from Waterloo to Exmouth, Barry, who otherwise seemed eminently sensible, was reliving a childhood journey on a once popular holiday route, the “Atlantic Coast Express”. They say you should never go back, and when Barry finally arrived at Exmouth on a grotty two car diesel to witness the sorry excuse for what they call a station and all that had vanished, I wondered how he kept from breaking down on camera such was his disappointment. I felt for him, on this wet and dismal day, as he turned round to make the long journey home buoyed only by memories. Just what had we thrown away?

Now I'm virtually on the scrapheap myself, I have an overwhelming mood of melancholia when watching all this. So perhaps a does of reality is not so bad, which bring us to “Locomotion: Dan Snow's History of Railways”.

Action man Dan Snow is bustling through Railway History impervious to all weathers only dressed in tee shirt and jeans. Just to prove what a tough nut he is, he shifts a ton of stuff while impersonating a navvy for a couple of hours. In fairness to Dan he does pay homage to that hard as nails bread of men who are oft forgotten. We are spared the swing-o-meter, but get some entertaining animation of Victorian graphics and reconstruction nuggets to bring cold facts and figures to life. Dan Snow seems willing and able to do any stunt in this cause, but his is yet to be tied to the line as the locomotive approaches.

There are stories of engineering triumph and failures, of personal tragedy, and of greed and corruption and bankruptcy on massive scale. Lessons we've never learnt from.

As potted histories go, I found Dan Snow's programmes watchable and entertaining.

[Pegleg]

Smarty Pants

(I lusted after the Gresley - Mallard style of loco, and had I plunged into 'the trade' it would have been my next purchase. As it turned out, Spitfires and Messerschmitts, and then McLarens and Ferraris and the joys of Scalextric, captured my attention...)

You mean this glourious engine: The BEST of GRESLEY: Mallard http://youtu.be/pSgRYl2x2gQ

You've got me looking at youtube vids of steam, how sad is that?

I was probably only around 6 to 8 years old when I stood on the footplate of an A4 Pacific (or was it a B17?) at Liverpool Street, once the home of four tracks of the LNER. This was circa 1960, and we were there to catch a train to deepest Norfolk to holiday with one of my Great Aunts. My Dad took me to a platform on the far left as I remember, and marched me down to the front of the train to witness the massive engine. Not sure how it happened, but he lifted me up the the footplate where I stood slacked jawed for half a minute.

PS An audio archive re: the Mallard made in 1960 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/steamtrains/7327.shtml

[Ferretfancy]

I think the Welsh railway series is the best comedy on TV. There are the enthusiasts slaving away,old gentlemen with limited dentition giving interviews as if they are appearing in Under Milk Wood, the train puffing along past the half dozen protestors with placards, and finally Charlie boy pulling at the cuffs of his awful double breasted as he clambers aboard the engine --why is Wales nearly always funny? ( i'll get me coat )

[salymap]

Warning- little name drop coming up. My late cousin, WH Pinyon, was a draughtsman and illustrator and drew a lot of the publicity material for Hornby Trains, also Meccano. I had on my favourites something dear Chris Newman sent me but it seems to have disappeared. Cousin Bill painted rosy cheeked little boys, sitting on the floor with dad, dressed for the City, and admiring their Hornby train sets.

I saw one of the illustrations in the programme on Toy Trains, shown recently.

[Don Petter]

Warning- little name drop coming up. My late cousin, WH Pinyon, was a draughtsman and illustrator and drew a lot of the publicity material for Hornby Trains, also Meccano. I had on my favourites something dear Chris Newman sent me but it seems to have disappeared. Cousin Bill painted rosy cheeked little boys, sitting on the floor with dad, dressed for the City, and admiring their Hornby train sets.

I saw one of the illustrations in the programme on Toy Trains, shown recently.

Did he draw the famous 1957 catalogue picture with the father having five fingers (as well as one thumb)? That did appear in the recent programme 'Joy of Sets', though they didn't comment on it!

[salymap]

Yes Don, he did, that was on the site I seem to have lost. Well he probably did them in a hurry.Thanks for that.

[Nick Armstrong]

You mean this glourious engine: The BEST of GRESLEY: Mallard http://youtu.be/pSgRYl2x2gQ
You've got me looking at youtube vids of steam, how sad is that?

About as sad as me the other evening - I was doing a bit of the same

Thanks for the links. Mallard in full cry is indeed a wondrous thing

[mercia]

this Meccano site has illustrations

http://alansmeccano.org/index.php

[salymap]

Thanks mercia, Bill Pinyon is mentioned under 1960s but he started long before that with them. I had a little very simple Meccano but it wasn't really a girl thing.