HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME -- 52 YEARS YOUNG

30th April 1969 - 2021
Another year passes and what a weird / stressful twelve months it's been. No plans being made this year it's going to be another very quiet one at home. Having made my peace with that situation, I will still be taking a few days off leave, and seeing if I can take a ride down to the coast for a change of scene. Been working at home for the best part of the last year or more and I really need to get outside. Planning to spend some time getting some of my models out for a test and run. In particular need to get Dads O Gauge items out as not been able to get to any open days recently and of course they too are all cancelled for the time being. 

Would have usually had a day to Ascot horse racing with my older brother, and maybe a few friends but that is being held behind closed doors which I guess is at least an improvement from the cancelled meeting that was last year. So now for my birthday I used to plan a nice "present" to myself, alas that seems unlikely this time around, but always on the look out for something to add to my N Gauge model collection. Picked up this GWR Railcar before Christmas (pictured above) still on the look out for a DMU or something to add to the collection. Also have a list of places to go (as I'm sure we all do given the past year) A trip over to the Isle of Wight and also had plans for a trip to Swanage or up the York. All this can go back on hold for a while though. Instead I'll just have a quiet day, open a bottle of something nice later on and raise a glass to everyone, especially our hero's in the Health Services, and other front line staff that are keeping as many people alive as we can.

Happy Birthday Me!!

Support the NHS workers 

(like the lovely Holly here 💖)

Try and have a fun time mate. 

OO GAUGE P CLASS [0-6-0] - KIT BUILT LOCO AND PUSH PULL COACH

OO GAUGE KIT BUILT "P" CLASS
Southern Railway Livery   No.1556 [0-6-0]
Pictured here with it's accompanied Southern Region liveried 'Push Pull' Coach, it's an ex SECR (South Eastern and Chatham Railway) and both were built from kits by my late father Geoffrey Tyler. Research suggests this locomotive would have most likely been a 'Wills Finecast' white metal kit, I am not so clear on the coach but another example of a white metal kit painted and detailed to a high standard given these would have been early attempts by him at kit/scratch modelling in OO long before he moved onto O Gauge efforts for which he built many outstanding locomotives.

Model is a white metal kit which I believe was one from the Wills Finecast range, has been on display in a glass cabinet together with it's accompanied coach for around twenty years alongside with other models created by my late father. .

Conceptually, the P class locos were intended for working motor (pull-push in Southern parlance) trains. In practice though, they were found to be a little under-powered, and by the late 1920s the whole class was relegated to shunting work in locations where their small dimensions were found to be an essential asset. However, they remained fully equipped as passenger locos throughout their lives (although they lost their passenger livery after 1936) and did occasionally work passenger trains.  

The 'real' locomotive that Dad based his kit on is owned by the Kent and East Sussex Railway and is at present stored requiring a major boiler overhaul. The locomotive was withdrawn from service in 2010 when the boiler certificate expired. Its overhaul was suspended in 2017 and the locomotive was temporarily re-wheeled and moved to their carriage shed for storage. Our version of this P Class has been tested and still runs nicely which given it had been on display and not run for so many years was a pleasant surprise.

It's accompanied coach is in wonderful condition for it's age and goes extremely well with the loco. 

Although the roof to the coach is not as secure as I would like it's probably the 'glue' that has expired over the decades and will see about getting it fixed. No damage here does also give you access to the interior if you like to add passengers to enhance the realism. Pictured the underside which shows it's a kit and although looks basic there it's not as though you going to see it!! Everywhere else looks superb in my opinion.

P Class locomotive background

The South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) P Class is a class of 0-6-0T steam locomotive designed by Harry Wainwright.  They were inspired by, and loosely based on, the more successful LB&SCR A1 Class "Terriers" and eight were built in 1909 and 1910.  All eight locomotives passed into Southern Railway ownership at The Grouping in 1923, and into British Railways ownership at Nationalisation in 1948. Withdrawals took place between 1955 and 1961. 

LOCKDOWN #3 2021 BEGINS TO EASE? BUT STILL NO SHOWS, EXHIBITIONS, OPEN DAYS. VERY SAD. 😷

😷Lockdown in 2021 continues as we reach early April now, still no open days, no exhibitions, no fun. Last month I had my first Covid-19 vaccine jab now expecting to receive the second one sometime soon which now makes me look ahead to ask the question 'When can we begin to plan something outside?' Yes pubs might be opening soon but that doesn't appeal to us right now! There remains a lack of entertainment to look forward to, sport might continue behind closed doors till May, and still haven't been able to visit the new stadium on Plough Lane for my football club AFC Wimbledon it's really my enjoyment of modelling, railways, steam tours which is still being denied with venues closed. 

Hillingdon Railway Modellers will continue to hold regular Zoom meetings with their members. Pleased to see they are still getting on with their superb work, as are the London Kings Cross based Model Railway Club who also are holding zoom meetings and lectures with guest speakers. 

https://www.themodelrailwayclub.org/events/mrc-zoom-club-meeting/

Rail-Tours 
The calendar shows every tour cancelled throughout April which is sad but not surprising, will be keeping an eye on May and June which are yet to be updated, me thinks that June will be the earliest, even the regular trips on the Jacobite service between Fort William and Mallaig are off though Scotland have a slightly different road map to reopening events than England. 

Heritage Railway Services
Looks like they are beginning to open up slowly, plenty of Covid restrictions in place and advance bookings essential. 

Many Heritage Railways will be making announcements on Monday 29th March, already the The Bluebell Railway have announced some changes to feature events as follows;

  – The Model Railway Weekend has been moved from June to July – it is now scheduled to take place on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 July.
  – The first Bluebell Railway Beer Festival is due to take place in September (date to be announced).
  – Giants of Steam will be Friday 8 – Sunday 10 October rather than in September with visiting locomotives to be confirmed nearer the time.
  – The Diesel Gala which had been scheduled for July has been postponed until 2022 to allow more time for preparation.
  – The Diamond Anniversary steering group is engaged in planning the ’60+ 1′ celebrations scheduled for Friday 6 – Sunday 8 August.

While the Swanage Railway are beginning a service from April 12 which will run a steam service from Swanage to Nordon only, with Covid social distancing rules in place you can at least turn up and ride but advance booking is still preferable. Personally I'm not travelling that far yet having been shielding for so long, but would want to have a trip down when the service from Wareham is established.

Model Railway Societies / Clubs

A few societies are using social media and you tube to try and deliver something to a waiting audience here are a couple of on line 'shows' coming up soon. I've been viewing some of the bigger shows from previous years on You Tube such as Warley, Rail Wells, and this from Weston Super Mare watch the coal tipper from about 3 mins in that's some modelling skill. 

Sadly as I look at the listings for April and May everything remains 'Cancelled' with one or two virtual shows being put up in their place. Seems this might not change till after June/July time, hopefully the summer can bring about some much needed change.

The National Garden Railway show will take place on Saturday 26th June 2021. Let's hope that outdoor events can go ahead and this one could be fun.