TRANS PENNINE DELTIC REPRISE - Saturday 30th December 2017

MARK THE LAST DAYS OF THE ‘DELTICS’ ON THE TRANS-PENNINE SCHEDULED SERVICES TO LIVERPOOL. D9009 ‘ALYCIDON’ APPROPRIATELY RE-KINDLES THOSE MEMORIES.

Sunday 27th December 1981 was the last day that the legendary ‘Deltic’ locomotives worked scheduled services across the Pennines to Liverpool, when 55009 (D9009) ‘Alycidon’ worked the 12:05 Newcastle - Liverpool forward from York, later returning on the 19:10 Liverpool - York. A headboard inscribed ‘Trans- Pennine Deltic Lament’ was carried along with a wreath. The westbound routing was via Bradford Exchange, returning direct via Batley.

This special excursion, some 36 years on, re-calls the spirit of that last working. 55009 ‘Alycidon’, courtesy of owners the Deltic Preservation Society, will leave York and Leeds late morning and head westward via Brighouse and the challenging Copy Pit climb into Lancashire, through Blackburn and St. Helens to arrive in Liverpool’s Lime Street station early afternoon.

After a two hour break, and with our trainset turned*, ‘Alycidon’ will return east, taking exactly the same routing as 36 years previous, via Manchester Victoria, over Diggle and through Huddersfield and Batley to set down in Leeds and York early evening to complete its featured haulage of our excursion.

Using Riviera Trains coaching stock based in the Midlands, a range of joining stations are offered as above, with class 68 haulage to, and return from, York.

* To release ‘Alycidon’ from the buffers at Lime Street an optional hours mini tour will run via Earlestown and the Ince Moss Curve, hauled by a class 68.

The on board catering will include a full buffet service and real ale.

 

Estimated Timings
Joining Stations	Depart	Return
Willington	0800	2130
Derby	0810	2115
Chesterfield	0840	2045
Sheffield	0900	2025
Doncaster	0930	1955
York	1100	1825
Leeds	1125	1800

Fares	Adult	Junior	Party of 4
Standard Class	£92.00	£46.00	£348.00
First Class	£129.00	£89.00	£496.00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE PEACE AND LOVE TO ALL

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas for this year, I hope you enjoying a break from work (spare a thought for those still working they doing an awesome job) and get to spend time with friends and family. Also sending out the love to anyone missing this year, think of them, raise a glass too them and "Eat, Drink and be Merry".

Missing you so much Dad.

You always fulfilled my wishes, giving me whatever I wanted. Your presence in my life I had taken for granted. After your death my whole world has gone into a frightening void. When I had you, I had it all, now everything is destroyed. This is my repentance, my regret, I know you cannot hear me, but I still want to say, Dad I miss you and I'm sorry ... We had so much still to do together and despite the years that have passed I find it so hard to carry on without your love and influence. 

I think for many this year has not been that wonderful we sure lost a lot of friends and legends so it's time to remember and never forget. Let us also move forwards to the new year, life is only as good as you make it and you have to let yourself live too, although this is something I don't allow myself and it is now time to do more, stop making excuses and get out there. 






Let's remember the wisdom of the late Rik Mayall as we venture towards 2018. 

• All men are equal therefore no one can be your true genuine superior.
• It is YOUR future, It is yours to create, your future is as bright as you make it. 
• Change is a constant of life, So you must never ever lose your wisdom. 
• If you want to live a full and complete human life you have to be Free. Freedom is paramount. 
• And finally ... LOVE IS THE ANSWER.

HILLINGDON RAILWAY MODELLERS OPEN DAY -- SATURDAY 16th DECEMBER

http://www.hillingdonrailwaymodellers.co.uk/

Soon to be looking forward to the sixth and final open day of this year at Hillingdon Railway Modellers which will be held on Saturday 16th December 2017.

Feels like a long time since I paid them a visit so want to be bringing along a few of Dads models for a run, I will hopefully get there for the afternoon with a few items in my bag to try out and given them a run as it's always a popular day and doors open to the public at 10:00am. 

Club Events For 2018

Date	Description
17 February	Test Track Open Day (confirmed)
7 April	Test Track Open Day (confirmed)
9 June	Test Track Open Day (confirmed)
25 August	Test Track Open Day (confirmed)
27 October	Test Track Open Day (confirmed)
15 December	Test Track Open Day (confirmed)

Address 

Yiewsley Baptist Church

74 Colham Avenue
West Drayton  UB7 8HF

* the entrance is at the side of the church down a path and the doors at the end should be open, don't try and enter the main doors of the church. 

Owing to rental costs of the hall there is a cover charge of £4 but there will be two extensive O Gauge and OO Gauge Test Tracks available and have recently added a three track N Gauge circuit too (Pic Below) all up and running so if you have anything you wish to see get a good run do please come along.

N GAUGE TEST TRACK 

There are always plenty of refreshments available, Tea, Coffee and cold drinks for the youngster, in addition the freshly made bacon rolls are highly recommended. (just don't scoff them all before I get there!!)

It should be stressed that these ARE NOT exhibitions, so please bring your own locos and rolling stock to run. At busy times we may have to introduce time slots so that everyone can get a chance to operate their stock. Here's a short clip of one of the earlier open days YouTube LINK

Below you can see a busy picture of their 8 road yard in O Gauge it's a very extensive track and will give your models a very good run. A few photo's taken from the previous open days are below, if you read back to some of the earlier postings in this blog I have tried to show the variety of excellent models on show, these guys are truly experts in their craft I only wish I had some of their talents and skills.

People will bring a wide variety of stock to run, nearly all are kit built though and the skills / detail is incredible.

Everyone will get their turn I promise.

This picture gives a good idea of the size of the O Gauge test track, you can give your models a really good work out here. This can also transform into an exhibition layout called Grindley Brook a scenic section replaces the long straight down the back.

This layout was recently shown at the Warley show at the NEC Birmingham in November. 

A few more pictures from some of last years Open Days, though they mostly focus on the O Gauge track there are also Test Tracks available for OO and N Gauge too. There are many society members on hand who are both extremely friendly and knowledgeable too so if you have any problems with modelling or questions they will be more than happy to try and help i am sure. 

THE BUSY OO GAUGE TEST TRACK

LONDON UNDERGROUND STOCK MAKE A WELCOME APPEARANCE

N GAUGE TEST TRACK

BRIGHTON BELLE IN "N". SOON TO REAPPEAR ON MAINLINE TOO

HOW TO GET THERE:

If you are Travelling by Car

Check here for Parking Options.

Nearest Railway Stations :

West Drayton [0.34 miles]

MAYFLOWER MODEL RAILWAY SHOW -- 9th DECEMBER 2017

Saturday 9th December 2017

LOCATION;
Venture Centre 2000, 
Bromley Road, Lawford, 
Manningtree, Essex CO11 2JE

OPENING TIMES:  10am - 4pm
ADMISSION:  Adults £4.00   Concessions £3.00       

A new Pre-Christmas exhibition is being held in aid of the St Helena Hospice charity. Around 16 layouts will gather with trade support at the Venture Centre 2000 from 10am until 4pm to raise funds and have a pre-christmas model show.


Refreshments provided by 1st Lawford Scouts Group including Tea/Coffee, Bacon/Sausage Baps and Burgers plus more. Accompanied children are admitted Free!

List of Layouts Attending :
N GAUGE
Circleton Village - N
Dawes Lane - N
St Nicholas Woods - N
Musbury - N
Hindenbach - N
Brankdowne Junction - N (Below)
OO GAUGE

Oakley Green - OO (Above)
Cato Pass - OO
Terminus! All Change - OO
Hopewell Springs - OO
Tobyham - OO
Stanhem Quay - OO
Jakes Yard - OO
Trinity Dock Street Bridge - OO
Grafton-On-Sea - OO
Mariposa Yard - HO
Wendsleydale - O:16.5

Nearest Railway Stations :

Manningtree [0.83 miles] 

Mistley [1.64 miles] 

Wrabness [5.41 miles] 

Great Bentley [5.92 miles] 

WARLEY NATIONAL MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION 2017

The Warley National Model Railway Exhibition is held in Hall 5 at The National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham B40 1NT

November 25 - 26 [9:45am - 6:00pm]

This mammoth event will feature the O Gauge exhibition layout "Grindley Brook" from the Hillingdon Railway Modellers.

Entrance at the NEC Piazza. Free WIFI is now available within the hall, so instant sharing of what you are seeing will be one of the possibilities. There will be over 90 model railway layouts, and over 150 specialist trade stands too. 

Check out the Hillingdon Railway Modelers own Facebook page and show your support too. 

Their floor plan for the hall featuring all the exhibitors and trades can be downloaded from this LINK. 

O GAUGE CLASS M7 SOUTHERN REGION NO 42 [SOLD]

7mm SCALE [O GAUGE] CLASS M7 MODEL
BUILT FOR SOUTHERN REGION No.42

Most probably built from an old CCW Kit made from White Metal and Brass and the rest would have been scratch built by my late father. Not sure if it's his attempt at painting and lining but it's not the best if honest and maybe deteriorating with age as I know this was out on display for a long time at home. 

Believed to have a brass boiler and smoke stack but rest being white metal. Certainly the cab roof is made from that material and as a result is a lot heavier than other similar sized models that I had in my possession. Despite the paint job needing a little work it's still a very well built model and has the level of detail I see on all of Dads models. 

There's still plenty of detail inside and out as expected from one of Dads models, the paint job is in a Malachite Green rather than the later and what I would call the traditional Darker Green of the Southern Region. That probably helps to date the model a bit more into the early part of the 20th Century and I am still of the opinion that it would look even better with a fresh paint job and relined, of course that would need someone with a talent for such things. 

The model's roof is detachable which I feel was deliberate to allow access to the interior detail, it wasn't showing any signs of being broken just simply able to slide on and off. Could be easily fixed down on a permanent basis using any suitable brand of "super glue" or resin. The interior details are clear with brass pipes and levers, plus the Driver and Fireman figures, and all the external details are intact including rods, rails, buffers and brake pipework. 

Overall a very tidy looking model of it's age. 

BY TRAIN TO WINDSOR CENTRAL AND RIVERSIDE ...

 ... THE LONG WAY AROUND!
Recently took a day out to travel to Windsor but instead of the train from Feltham I went on a bit of a tour via Hayes and Harlington and then Slough so I could have the short ride over the Thames and into Windsor Central station.
 
Our journey took us out on the route 90 bus to HAYES AND HARLINGTON station, this was a regular haunt of mine when I was a young boy and a trainspotter, now it's the junction for the trains to Heathrow and appears that a recent addition is the reintroduction of the old parcels bay platform, now platform 5, where there are regular services back to London Paddington formed by class 387 GWR electrics no doubt reliving congestion on commuter services. The picture (right) showing the pending departure of an 8 coach service from the bay platform at Hayes back to London while our incoming service to Reading is about to arrive and will take us up to Slough station where we will change in order to pick up the branch line to Windsor Central.
 
SLOUGH (Home to the Slough and Windsor Railway Society (below)). Changing trains here at Slough to pick up the short branch line round to Windsor Central station from platform 1. While waiting for the shuttle service noted that the Slough and Windsor Railway society is located across the car park in what appears to be part of the old Grade II listed station and is known as "the manor". 

The Society is the custodian for Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST "Slough Estates Ltd No.3", a 1924-built steam locomotive which operated for 50 years on the Slough Trading Estate Railway and has been loaned out to run on the Middleton Railway in Yorkshire. Our short wait for the Windsor service allows us to enjoy a few passing HST's (just like being a kid) but I miss the variety of waiting for a Class 47/50. The branch line is connected to the London bound main line but rarely used, only for stock movement and the occasional royal service. 
Our train arrives and we make the busy six minute trip into WINDSOR CENTRAL GWR Station built 1849 (opened 8th October as Windsor). 
Completely redeveloped over the years and now just the single platform with max room for three coaches, though the redevelopment work has been designed to still look like a Victorian Station of the GWR. Allowing for the tourists to depart first you step out with Windsor Castle ahead of you and have to walk through the many coffee and gift shops before you can exit properly out onto the main high street with the walls of Windsor Castle ahead of you. 

WINDSOR AND ETON RIVERSIDE

Built by London and South Western Railway in 1849 (opened on 1st December 1849) the second station to open in the town that year, now run by the new franchise known as South Western Railway. 

They've taken over but are yet to re-brand their stock which will of course take time though they have acquired some of the lovely new trains (Class 707, below) which I was able to hop on and take back home to Feltham. 

They do have that "new" smell and feel to them, a nice ride back compared to some of the older stock I can remember running this route. 

46th ANNUAL WIGHT MODEL RAILWAY GROUP EXHIBITION 2017

Saturday 4th November 2017 - Sunday 5th November 2017

LOCATION: 
Medina Leisure Centre, Fairlee Road
Newport, Isle of Wight   PO30 2DX

OPENING TIMES: 
SATURDAY 10am - 5pm    SUNDAY 10am - 4.30pm
ADMISSION: 
Adults £6.00  Concessions £6.00 
Children £3.50  Family £15.00  

This will be their 46th annual show and will once again be at the Medina Leisure Centre in Newport. Good access by car or public transport which is great if you are already on the Island, but if you are travelling over from the mainland then you will either need to drive or use the Southern Vectis bus no.9 (Ryde-Newport via Fairlee) which stops right outside every 20 minutes. The leisure centre is about 15 minutes walk from Newport Town centre, from the mainland, passenger ferries arrive at Ryde (for bus no.9) or West Cowes (bus no.1). They have also agreed to let us use the leisure centre car park for FREE this year. Entrance fee is still fixed at 2014 prices which includes a complimentary show guide.

The exhibition is in a large gymnasium hall, 10,000 sq.feet / 936 sq. metres which the council assure us will be heated this year! It has good, step free access throughout and is suitable for push chairs and disabled people. Because the leisure centre closed it's cafeteria last year we will be providing refreshments ourselves this year. 


List of Layouts Attending :

Ventnor
00 Scale "Might Have Been" 
 - Set in Ventnor, Isle of Wight (right). 

Children's Playground - 00 scale layout where 'Thomas and Friends' rush around all day until the children stop playing with them and go home. 


Howbourne - N Gauge Layout.
  - Set in 1970s South Wales Preservation Era.Tilgate - Club Members' 00 Scale Layout. 
  - 1960s Southern Electrics, steam and diesel services. 
High Falls Logging - 00n9 / Mixed Gauge Layout. 
Chapel Falls N Gauge 
Grafham Water DCC Layout Set in East Anglia 1960s 
New Mere P4 Finescale. Developed Since Last Year's Show. 
Newport West N Gauge 
Schonfrau BBW Z Gauge Micro Layout 
Smartsvill N Gauge Layout 
Streetley 00 Scale Shunting Puzzle. 
Tarrant Valley Railway OO9 42 Foot Long! 
The Hill N Gauge Layout. 
Gauge 1 Demonstration Layout 92 Feet Long! 
Sandown MRC Club Member Layout N Gauge.
Vintage Hornby Trains 0 Gauge Splendour!

Wimborne Station (left)
00 Gauge 
 -- Highly detailed layout of the station and its trains in the 1960s 




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