"Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

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Graeme Leary
GNR C1 4-4-2
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Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 9:43 pm

Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by Graeme Leary »

You're far too kind John but the real test (ie a REAL TEST with tried and true rules, nightwatchmen, drinks trolley, 'strategy' etc etc) of you v us starts out here on 25th November. Hopefully we won't be bothered by obscure rules (made up for glorified rounders) then.

And on that note I trust any cricket afficianados are aware of the 'The Duckworth Lewis Method' , - no not the rules but a hilarious album by curiously enough, 2 Irishmen (Thomas Walsh and Neil Hannon), explaining in song some of the aspects of the great game. Well worth the listen.

Grantham still amazes me - just a pity it was not out on show somewhere during September; I would have changed my entire itinerary around just to see it.

Graeme Leary
jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 4208
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 am

Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by jwealleans »

Grantham is now back from Southampton and safely stored away until preparations for Leeds begin at the end of the summer. Another excellent weekend - top quality show and top notch accommodation as well. Special mention must be made of the pie on Saturday night: a real winner for the social secretary (Mr. King).

There were some trains involved and even time for the odd photo on Sunday morning.

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A couple of general shots of the layout before opening. Roy, Graham, Andrew and Tom in view.

On Sunday we seemed to have stopped at a point where the yard was much more empty than usual, so I parked the camera in a few places it can't usually go and tried some low level shots.

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This is looking north up the goods yard towards the granary and station.

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Turning slightly left, the photographer sees Yard box, two porters dragging a trolley past John Smart's horsebox, 4412 and 5429 on shed in the background and the south end pilot in its customary place. Dave Hammersley (Roxey Mouldings) beyond.

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Further left brings us squarely to the pilot and the gas tank which lives in the same spur.

As well as the usual troubleshooting and quick maintenance jobs on Sunday, I wanted to run the new Quad set which is under construction round the path it takes on the layout. That meant departing North Yard, transiting Platform 2, reversing the width of the station into Platform 5 then departing again via South Fiddle to its home in North Road 6. Here it is (successfully) carrying out the reversing move.

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What I didn't know on Sunday morning was that Mrs. W was also snapping away showing what we get up to when the public are safely queueing outside. So here are a few informal shots of what was going on:

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The Official Photographer was taking some pictures of something I (obviously) can't disclose.

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Tom was either practising his shunting or doing his nails.

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The DVD has to be started and then reminded to repeat.

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Obviously it's all work, work, work in the fiddle yards, the engine room of the layout.

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That includes intensive discussion and evaluation of the grey ghost.

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Barry and Jean having far too much fun. This was Barry's first weekend with us and remarkably he was still smiling when I dropped him off at the station on Sunday evening.

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Almost the whole operating team on Sunday: Graham, Jean, Barry, Roy, Graeme, myself and Andrew. Paul and Tom, as we've seen, were busy at the South End.
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All thumbs
H&BR Q10 0-8-0
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Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by All thumbs »

What a marvellous set of photos! I couldn't get to Southampton so thanks for posting them.
Be gentle! Returning to the hobby after more than 20 years away...
Graeme Leary
GNR C1 4-4-2
Posts: 751
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 9:43 pm

Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by Graeme Leary »

Great photos and please make my May UK trip really special and tell me Grantham will be on show somewhere in the north between about the 18th - 26th.
Graeme Leary
jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 4208
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 am

Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by jwealleans »

Sorry, Graeme, our next outing is Leeds in October.
Graeme Leary
GNR C1 4-4-2
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Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2011 9:43 pm

Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by Graeme Leary »

Ah well, maybe have to delay my return to the antipodes!
Graeme
jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 am

Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by jwealleans »

After a lengthy hiatus, Grantham is finally preparing for the next appearance at Leeds at the end of this month and there was a running weekend to refamiliarise us with the layout and troubleshoot any recalcitrant mechanisms. It was quite an understated affair, not many of the regular crew were able to make it. Nice to have Steve Pearce (31A on RMWeb) with us both days and I hope we haven't put him off for life.

I mainly photographed newer locos and cameos round the engine shed, which is generally right in front of us as we take tea or have lunch and so lends itself to spotting what might be good pictures.

Both the J6s I seemed to be building for ages made their first appearance. This is 3523 on a down mineral, getting an extended run on Sunday morning.

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In the running sequence, whatever it had been doing brought it on shed as it later turned up on a passenger working.

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The other one, 3554, also ended up on shed, here in company with 4493 Woodcock and C1 4401.

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Later in the day and the running order all 3 had moved on, to be replaced by two generations of East Coast workhorses, C7 706 and P2 2005.

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Round the back of the old shed, Mr. Nicholas has always professed to be a big fan of 6229.

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While at the front of the new shed the pioneer A1 made an appearance after being relieved on a Leeds express.

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Your intrepid photographer was not going to miss an interesting wagon in the yard. LNWR glass wagon from a Mousa Models resin kit.

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While at the far side of the running lines, it looks as though an LMS cripple was having to be unloaded.

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Later on in the day there was some deviation from the booked motive power on some services...

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... which I'm afraid Barry took as an excuse to be very silly indeed.

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For those who can't believe their eyes:

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I have to say it had an impressive turn of speed - at one point it was peeling it's own stickers off through sheer velocity. Other than one short length of platform, it turned out to be in gauge as well.

This was probably more plausible, though pretty far fetched in its own right.

https://youtu.be/gsNamDbjMR8

Now onwards to Leeds. Just before we do, though, a picture by Barry Oliver from Sunday morning including the live Skype coverage we laid on and two of the most assiduous viewers - Messrs. Smart and Leary - watching the layout stirring into life.
BO_running_weekend_Oct_2021.jpg



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nzpaul
LNER Thompson B1 4-6-0 'Antelope'
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Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by nzpaul »

Good to see you take it seriously enough to have to fastest train ever created running on Grantham. Lap time? :lol:

Paul
jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by jwealleans »

I didn't time it, so I can only say 'a hell of a lot faster than Mallard'. There is video, so we should be able to find out.
Danby Wiske
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
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Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by Danby Wiske »

jwealleans wrote: Wed Oct 06, 2021 6:01 am ...Mr. Nicholas has always professed to be a big fan of 6229.

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I'd love to see the O4 pulling the Coronation Scot over Shap...
jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 4208
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 am

Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by jwealleans »

One day, when he's gone for his lunch.....
jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 4208
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 am

Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by jwealleans »

The red rocket in all it's blurred glory:

https://youtu.be/V6liwTSUh4M
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manna
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Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by manna »

G'Day Gents

One of my favorite layouts.

manna
EDGWARE GN, Steam in the Suburbs.
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kimballthurlow
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Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by kimballthurlow »

Thank you.
Those little videos were most enjoyable, as were the detail pictures of the stock and layout.

I note that the curve superelevation worked a treat under speeed test.

Kimball
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nzpaul
LNER Thompson B1 4-6-0 'Antelope'
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Re: "Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

Post by nzpaul »

Hang on, so you guys are live streaming on Skype. This could be the encouragement I need to download one of those dreaded social media apps, assuming you'd all want to see my ugly mug???
I'm also enjoying the videos, although my own experience suggests you were going easy on the Turbo Car.....pretty sure they're good for quite a bit faster if one ignores the risk of injury to those standing near a bend. :roll:

Paul
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