petes blog

I just have to share a new book with you which I bought this morning:  Western Steam in Devon and Cornwall by Michael Welch (Capital Transport  £19.95.)  This is the best book for a long while and rates along side the Keith Pert books. Why is the best – well it’s simply the quality of the colour shots. This book is a must for all BR WR modellers. This is where books of the future have to go. Why? Try this shot – it tells us all the story of the pressflos in colour.  So, we now can say the first batch of pressflos were made by Butterly and painted yellow,  the next batch were from Gloucester wagon were as in this photo painted fawn. In this batch in black and white photos look yellow or could be grey, but colour shows us their true colour.  Then they were re- painted in bauxite. This also confirms that in the photo at Exeter with the 47xx the preesflos were also in fawn.

What is it with the media last night after Network Rail told us that more trains ran on time than ever before the tv news crews went to find whingers Enough enough stop this witch hunt why do you not ever bother with delays on the motor ways! simple there that bad it would take more time than you have and there no group of people to  blame. Come on your sounding like a broken record now.

It faster by road!!!!!!!

Heres some photos to going on with till I do a blog on Tuesday.If you went you know how good it was if you didnt you still have Sunday and Monday.

May 20th 2009 – I visited three railway sites today, that over fifty years ago would have been places where I  stood and watched  the trains go with my Grandad, but today I was asked by the signalmen themselves to visit the boxes for the last time because they are closing on Saturday afternoon when the guys move onto other more up to date boxes.

I first visited Coundon Road box  in 1949 as my Auntie Ginny lived nearby and on the bus journey there we would be held at the gate and I would sit and wave at the train.  The Coventry Rugby ground was next door and I remember the corner shop (today we would called a deli!)  which roasted its own coffee in 1949 – wow that was posh. I had me first teeth removed at a dentist round the corner and my present for being a good boy was a signal for my train set !  The signal box at Coundon Road ,  which opened in 1876,  was at its  height during the  second world war as it was surrounded by munitions factories.  There was a station there where we’d take the train to Nuneaton and a coalyard where my Aunt got her coal.

Three Sprires Junction:  This box was the first box on the line past where I was born so I know this very well as it was part of my life for 17 years. The area was where Coventry pit was situated and the  trains lifted the coal out in those early years after the war all night. You could hear them coming for miles, most were Super Ds, now there is no trace of the route, infact  there’s no box as it was burnt down years ago. But there is a fantastic LNWR over bridge with the Coventry football club in the back ground.

Hawkesbury Lane:  Still looking like the last time I saw it over thirty years ago,  built in  1896, a pure LNWR box.  The station or holt used to be opposite and my mates’ dads factory was just up the way. We went fishing, we did cycle speedway, and yes we watched trains from what then was in the country.

What a great day I had – thanks lads and ladies it was a fun to to go back almost sixty years. As always the railway stops for one moment and then moves on just as its always done.The best of luck to you all.

I see the Americans are to get trains that go over a 100mph wow! That’s  progress

From Rons Gallery some nice blue locos. Pre view of Rons gallery. Contact Ron for details.

Heres the way it was at the end of steam. Photos are from Ron Chaplin who next week will have his own gallery. Here a few photos to get you going.

These locos were weathered over 30 years ago.  In the photos also taken that long ago the water strikes look grey they are infact beige. Yes, 30 years ago, and done by Brian Caldecott then in Sutton Coldfield.These are all 10mm gauge 1.

Here is one of the first wagons from our research. Its buit by Chris Louth so any questions should go to him.

After all the debate  of ” is there or isn’t there”  a Yellow Pressflow here’s the answer and the proof. The photo was taken by the late Keith Pert (I have just put a collection of his photos together for Book Law due to be published later this year).  In Keith’s  collection there are photos of two or three pressflow trains in steam days, this is the only one with yellow wagons in it. So there you are but thats not the end because if you look at the photo you will see two other colours. So back to the Airfix model you know the one with the box with the yellow painting on. We checked what the instructions told you to do and their advice  it to use  M15 deep cream! But just to keep the debate going if you look at the box lid you will see that the pin down brake is the length of the sole bar. Also the ladders do not go on to the top of the tanks. So is this one of Butterly batch of wagons? We will make the yellow asap.

If you missed Reading at the weekend here are some photos to bring you up to date. The Class 20s is out so  you  should have your  pre orders by next week.

There will be more pressflows in two weeks,  as  sold all the ones I had  for Leamington.

STAND BY LATER FOR A SHOCK…………….. later!.

Just a point which I dont wont to make too much of it, but there are lots of names you will be familiar with from the industry who we are delighted have joined as members  -  remember they’re  railnuts  just like the rest of us  so please forget what they do for a living and treat them as you would any other member. We are all nuts together!