Annual Pilgrimage!!!!

I know I've had a moan about this before but this is all that's left of Crimpsall works at Doncaster!!!!
The actual spot where Mallard and Flying Scotsman came into being now looks like a wasteland.
I'll probably not bother going round there again,,, whats the point!!!!

To add to my gloom on walking back to the station I noticed that 2 public houses which have probably heard more railway stories than most are also looking in danger,,,, "The Plant" which is right next to what is now the Wabco entrance is having serious remedial work carried out on the structure and the next time I wander off down memory lane it will probably be a nail bar or tattoo parlour!!
Wonderful.
"The Railway" which is between "The Plant" and the station appears to be shut or in very serious trouble,,, I did notice that they have a new Pub Sign swinging in the breeze advertising it as "The Railway".
The picture on the sign is of a GWR King!!!!! you can probably spit from the bar onto the ECML and some corporate prat has decided that sign is adequate,,,, that picture may be why business tailed off,,,, if so,,, serves you right.

One good bit of news is that whilst sitting on the station platform I noticed a Dad with his 6 or 7 year old son on the other platform,,, Dad was videoing stuff going past and son was obviously filling in his Ian Allan book,,, and seemed to be really enjoying himself,,, "well done Dad,,, we need you"
In fairness there were a considerable number of youngsters on the platform spotting,,, probably because it's half term,,, mind you the majority of other anoraks were probably older than me!!!!

 You may wonder why I have got a picture of Jack Bruce leaning against a shed,,,, if only you knew.
Whilst building Salmon Pastures in my shed I have probably listened to Jack Bruce more than anybody,,, although it may be a close run thing with Django and Fats Waller.
He shuffled off this mortal coil last weekend and I feel pretty sad about that,, for me his music is a very important part of me,, and that he has gone needs officially recording.
Good on yer Jack,,, did you have a railway in that shed????

Oh Happy Days!!!!

What a cracking photo,,,,, I was doing something very similar at Little Bytham last Friday.
The kid on the far left with the nobbliest knees since mine last saw daylight on Donnie station in 1963 is not checking his latest text he's checking his latest cop,,,, oh what fun we had,,,, lucky lucky boy and I can still remember most of it!!!

Have to admit though I never went spotting in my school cap,,, for sure it would have flown off when I was being chased out of the back of Crimpsall works and more importantly it had my name embroidered into it!!!!

What a challenge it all was!!!    Like a red rag to a bull!!! No grumpy old git was going to stop my cops.

Inspiration!!

Yesterday,,, [all my models seemed so far away],,,, I had the real pleasure, with the majority of the Potter Heigham Fine Scale Group, of visiting Little Bytham,, the home turf of a certain Mr Tony Wright.

Only one word springs to mind and that is "Inspiration".

Personally it is fortunate that Tony has a very healthy interest in all things Eastern Region/LNER but the other members of our group, who's interest are Southern/LSWR, Western/GWR, & MGNR/NNR/Diesel/Steam [what a well balanced group we are!!!] seemed to enjoy themselves equally and  no matter what your interests are the "quality" of Little Bytham speaks for itself.

Tony openly tells the tale that he has been "very fortunate" to be able to recruit some pretty skilled "assistants" in helping him create his own "Valhalaland" but for me to be able to experience close up what IS possible in this wonderful hobby is very worthwhile no matter who or how it was achieved.

It runs like a dream and I think that is very important,,, what is the point in building something that really looks the part if it "DON'T WORK", and it looks the part because,,,mmm,,, why do's it look the part,,, "clutter" or perhaps more importantly the lack of it,,, what can I say apart from the fact that it just looks right, and I'm pretty sure that is more to do with planning than skill or luck!!.

In modelling terms yesterday was a very significant day, how that will benefit us all here down on the pasture's I'm not altogether sure,, but,, believe me yesterday will have a positive effect on what we are trying to achieve here down at the mucky end of the hobby!!!

I attach a couple of shots of pastures motive power "lording" it at LB,,, one thing I did learn is that they would both have looked a lot better if they had been finished and weathered!!!
There you are,,, the visit is having an impact already!!!

ENJOY

A Fowler/Mongrel/Hornby/Comet/Crownline/Hybrid,,, with Limo-Cab
and
A D9 without handrails,, [and various other bits],,, and looking far too pristine for it's own good,,,
BUT,,  I have to say I was incredibly proud when they both held their own when it came to tractive effort/ pulling power,, and both of them informed me on the debrief back home that life is so much easier when the trackwork is extremely functional as well as pretty and I've added the promised bits of weight to the boilers.

!!!  

The Great Bake Off,,, well close

Whist recently looking round the loft for something else which I had put "somewhere safe",,, and once again couldn't find it for the life of me I occasioned upon a battered old folder,,, "mmm that's interesting" I mused and had to look inside,, and low and behold it was the original rough notes of what I intended to include in my proposed layout which transpired into the original boards of Salmon Pastures ,,,, along with it in the folder were some old invoices from a model shop in Farnborough & the wonderful West Coast Kit Centre near Bristol,, and the invoices were dated 1994,,,, cripes I thought that's 20 years ago,,, that's a long time and I nearly had much more hair in those days,, well well 20 years of pasturing,,, dosen't time fly when your happily modelling!!!!

As I haven't got a thumbs up or down button on this steam blog I'm warning you now I can feel a 20th celebratory rant coming on:

Why am I paying for a TV license,,, I am not in the least bit interested in baking cakes which reduces the content of what I might want to watch on telly by about 40%,,, I'm even less interested in talentless numpty's who cannot dance, sing, ice skate or whatever but just want to be on tele and become a "celebrity",,, and that takes the content down even further to about 7.5% and that includes the news!!!

It's a complete waste of my hard earned dosh,, why do we legally need a license to watch absolute tosh!!!!

It's a mystery to me,,, mind you I did glean one useful bit of info the other evening and that was that Bruce Forsythe was older than sliced bread!!!!! Now that is no surprise to me at all,,, and it BLOOMIN SHOWS,,, if ever there was a case for "social euthanasia" it is our Brucie!!!! give it a rest you old git and let some sprightly 60 year old have a go,,,, 

Anyway I was also reminded the other day that I have not been blogging for some time,,, CORRECT,,,, I've been far too busy modelling,, working,,, caravaning,, Welsh Walesing,,, and reunioning,, but you'll be pleased to know I'm back,,, and before long we will be able to post pictures of the Pastures equivalent of Newtown + the new entrance building + some shots of the latest finished loco's to grace the coaling stage down our way.

I won't apologise for not blogging as I've been having the time of my life,,, and it's just dawned on my that blogging is actually more fun than,, corrie,,emma,, [read the next one in a high pitch scream] east-enders and whatever other drivel auntie Beeb is conning us with these days.

We are all jumping in a car next Friday to visit Little Bytham,,,, cripes,,, I'd better polish my shoes for this one and I'd like to say make sure my parting is in the right place but just like decent TV my parting departed years ago and what was a parting is now just a large pink void,, mind you it's an experienced void and I really  am looking forward to a day at LB.