"Grantham - The Streamliner Years"

[Atlantic 3279]

I am not the oracle in this case, but my memory and diary notes indicate that Grantham's date for Leeds has been put back to 2020, so beware of making / altering any plans until confirmation is forthcoming.

[Graeme Leary]

Thanks Atlantic 3279 - will just have to keep my ears and eyes open in the hope that it's appearing sometime during September when we intend to be 'up North'.

Graeme

[LNER4479]

Hi,

I'm afraid that Grantham's appearance at the Leeds show has indeed been put back until 2020 as we already have a busy show schedule for the 2019/2010 season and appearing at Leeds in 2019 was just one too many.

Sorry for any false hopes and consequent disappointment cause

[Graeme Leary]

Fair enough - judging from what I've seen of Grantham it's not exactly the sort of layout that can be set up without a lot of forward planning. Will content myself with following postings as they appear.

Many thanks for the confirmation

Graeme

[Hatfield Shed]

So worth seeing at the CMRA St Evenage show. I was particularly impressed by the replication of the full range of traffic, with the black engines earning the corn to fund the operation, that enabled the wide firebox power to put on 'the spectacular'.

[jwealleans]

Thank you for those kind words. I don't think we were ever quite at our best at Stevenage, but we have had praise from some knowledgeable spectators so perhaps we weren't as below par as we thought - or par is getting better as we develop.

Some photographs from Sunday morning before the heat and the hoi polloi assailed us once again:



Motive power going on and off shed. This was roughly halfway through the sequence and we see a single visitor from both Gorton and Darlington in among Doncaster's finest. Sir Nigel appears to be taking some bigwigs on a shed tour.



Further along the shed roads, what was by then the grandfather of modern East Coast motive power along with one of its descendants. A rather satisfying collection of wagons in the background too.



This is the view round the very back of the shed complex, looking up at the end of the goods reception and refuge roads and the back of the new shed. The granary building dominates the far side of the lines. You'll see why I was here in a moment.



At the end of the Ruston Hornby factory sidings, Roy Mears' Y7 acting as works shunter. The usual Y3 (Dapol) had failed and this was drafted in as a temporary replacement.



This is what we came to see, though - newly installed and working, the light controlling the single-carriageway underpass next to the Ruston works. It really needs a filmed sequence to show what it does, but what it does is work, in that it controls the movement of the road vehicles and stops them colliding.

[Hatfield Shed]

... I don't think we were ever quite at our best at Stevenage, but we have had praise from some knowledgeable spectators ...

I would have liked to have had some conversation, following a very satisfying long period of observation, but unfortunately a telephone call intervened, and off I had to go (elderly member of the family, with significant disabilities). The difficulties of exhibiting a large layout are well known to me personally by the 'been there a good many times, and not going back to that' experiences of my youth, so anyone brave and determined enough to do this and to such a high standard wins my admiration. Despite a few operating problems it looked so well overall with such stock variety as to be most impressive. I will be back for another viewing at whatever next showing is most convenient.

... newly installed and working, the light controlling the single-carriageway underpass next to the Ruston works. It really needs a filmed sequence to show what it does, but what it does is work, in that it controls the movement of the road vehicles and stops them colliding...

Was that not working on Saturday? A very satisfying collision occurred when the LNER van caught the slower moving green truck on the curve atop the hill after the underbridge. It actually replicated closely the slow speed collison between two trucks on a wet surface that I saw in Hertingfordury on the A414 while a small boy, when that road had the sharp narrow bend going eastward after the White Horse and roadside granary. Top marks for that!

[jwealleans]

i generally had my back to the roadway as well, so I'm not sure what it was doing at any one time, but from talking to Paul and Tom on South Box, the horsebox was fouling in places and missing stops or getting stuck. The driver also has a very heavy right foot so it does have a tendency to catch some of the others up, especially when they start getting tired.

There are more vehicles on the way, so the queuing system should come into play more and regulate them better (ideally) such that that kind of thing doesn't happen so often.

We're not out again until Spalding this year, then Southampton and Leeds next. Beyond that I haven't got written down, I'm afraid.

[Hatfield Shed]

Thanks, I keep an eye on the exhibition announcements so will pick a convenient one in due course. The CMRA show is my 'regular' one. Always good and now adding to its charms by being easily accessible from the ECML with just a ten minute walk for me from home to staton. Which is all rather pleasant.

[LNER4479]

So worth seeing at the CMRA St Evenage show. I was particularly impressed by the replication of the full range of traffic, with the black engines earning the corn to fund the operation, that enabled the wide firebox power to put on 'the spectacular'.

Thanks for that - I don't think I could have put it better myself in terms of the intended ethos of the presentation of the layout and the way it is operated. Glad you enjoyed your visit.

[Chas Levin]

Another big 'thank you' for the Stevenage outing, hugely enjoyed watching the layout running (in spite of the heat in that room!)

[LNER4479]

Another big 'thank you' for the Stevenage outing, hugely enjoyed watching the layout running (in spite of the heat in that room!)

We was 'Smokin!'

[Chas Levin]

We was 'Smokin!'

You certainly were and I could feel the wind in my hair (what's left of it) as the Flying Scotsman went by

Do I see though that Grantham TSY will not be at Ally Pally this year? Very sorry if that's the case - I realise these things have to fit in with everyone's schedule and that everyday life sometimes intrudes into important things like railway modelling ( ) but as a Londoner I'm always very pleased when you visit the South

[LNER4479]

Do I see though that Grantham TSY will not be at Ally Pally this year? Very sorry if that's the case - I realise these things have to fit in with everyone's schedule and that everyday life sometimes intrudes into important things like railway modelling ( ) but as a Londoner I'm always very pleased when you visit the South

Well, we were there last year and it is highly unusual to get invited to the same show two years running...

Next suvvun(-ish) outing is Spalding in Nov 2019, followed by Sarfhampton in Jan 2020.

[Chas Levin]

Well, we were there last year and it is highly unusual to get invited to the same show two years running...
Next suvvun(-ish) outing is Spalding in Nov 2019, followed by Sarfhampton in Jan 2020.

Oh - I didn't know it's unusual to do the same show two years running; I guess that may be because the organisers want to rotate exhibitors and cater for the widest possible range of interests?
In that case, Spalding it must be and Southampton might be an excuse we a weekend on the coast, whcih will make my wife happy... though slightly outside traditional LNER territory I fear