Electric C3

[James Vette]

CaptainK - Thanks for painting an even gloomier picture of the future As for the steam loco convert , it has already been done ! A full size standard gauge facsimile of 70013 `Oliver Cromwell ` that I have working at the Great Central Railway has been built under a cloak of secrecy for the new James Bond movie . It is constructed in glass fibre , has a smoke and steam generating unit built into it for realism and a battery powered electric motor in the tender . It cost a fortune to build and was tested in secret on the Great Central Railway between Loughborough and Leicester last year . It will get driven to destruction on a viaduct that is blown up in the View attachment 9248movie . Best thing to do with electric propelled classics if you ask me !
There have been a few embellishments made to the film version to make it look more like a foreign locomotive from the original .

I miss these trains so much.

 

[CaptainK]

Hi CaptainK . A lovely part of the country to live plus steam trains thrown in too The West Somerset Railway Railway is a great line with great scenery . You really should make time to do a Steam Driving Course with them , you will love it

Thanks it is lovely down here, Quantock Hills and the Steam Trains. I am 100% going to do the steam driving course when I can. 2019 was a busy year for me, so didn't get chance.... something to do with weddings and stuff.... 2020 again was a bit busy - something to do with me working for the NHS and apparently something about a pandemic? I'm told it made the news..... and the WSR closed down temporarily because of it. 2021 the WSR is still temp closed, I still work for the NHS, there still is a pandemic and I have the joy of all my weekends booked into the future doing decorating on two houses and moving and so forth.
But yes, I will do the course. Back when I was a nipper I went to Crewe and rode on the trains there. I've also commanded a Steam Traction Engine around an arena which was huge fun. I've also been on the footplate of steam locos and shown around there etc. So it is my dream to have a go at driving them too.

I love your Penzance station photo - before I read your text I knew it was Penzance as that is where I was brought up. Oddly, I might have even been on the platform when those photos were taken - I know my dad, bruv, and I used to go and see the Steam trains when they were in.

 

[Roscobbc]

From '62 onwards I lived a couple of gardens away from the main Liverpool Street/East Coast line. By then most rail traffic was electric or diesel (that wonderful sound of Deltic's) - night time for a few year the goods trains were still steam powered........

 

[antijam]

I have fond childhood memories of travel by steam back in the '50's - particularly on the Bournemouth Belle from Waterloo to Bournemouth to visit my grandparents. My Grandfather who lived in London during the week but whose home was in Bournemouth (he owned a fruit and veg business in Covent Garden - another lost icon) would consign me to the care of Mr. Penfold, the guard on the 'Belle', to ensure that I got there safely (not something possible these days I imagine). As the train passed through Southampton right by the docks, it was always an exciting moment to see if one of the 'Queens' was in port.

The 'Belle' was usually hauled by a Merchant Navy class loco, a subject of awe in itself to a child....



...Happy Times!

 

[Chuffer]

Thanks it is lovely down here, Quantock Hills and the Steam Trains. I am 100% going to do the steam driving course when I can. 2019 was a busy year for me, so didn't get chance.... something to do with weddings and stuff.... 2020 again was a bit busy - something to do with me working for the NHS and apparently something about a pandemic? I'm told it made the news..... and the WSR closed down temporarily because of it. 2021 the WSR is still temp closed, I still work for the NHS, there still is a pandemic and I have the joy of all my weekends booked into the future doing decorating on two houses and moving and so forth.
But yes, I will do the course. Back when I was a nipper I went to Crewe and rode on the trains there. I've also commanded a Steam Traction Engine around an arena which was huge fun. I've also been on the footplate of steam locos and shown around there etc. So it is my dream to have a go at driving them too.

I love your Penzance station photo - before I read your text I knew it was Penzance as that is where I was brought up. Oddly, I might have even been on the platform when those photos were taken - I know my dad, bruv, and I used to go and see the Steam trains when they were in.

It would be an amazing coincidence if you were at Penzance that day . It was 31st October 1998 and the train was called the `Stannary Staniers ` as it was hauled by two locos designed by Sir William Stanier - Chief Engineer of the LMS . You can find some video of us storming up the South Devon inclines on Youtube . Not very brilliant quality and weather was crap but gives a good feel of it . I have never driven a traction engine but would love to have a go . I might get lost though as there are no rails to guide me Get the decorating done and get out there once lockdown is over . And a big to all you NHS workers . I was Assistant Hospital Engineer at Northampton General Hospital back in the late 1970`s .

 

[Chuffer]

From '62 onwards I lived a couple of gardens away from the main Liverpool Street/East Coast line. By then most rail traffic was electric or diesel (that wonderful sound of Deltic's) - night time for a few year the goods trains were still steam powered........

Yes indeed , those Deltics were proper diesels and fortunately several are preserved . As a lad I used to go to the East Coast Mainline north of Peterborough with my mates and watch them roaring across the Fens at 100mph . You could hear that distinction hum of the twin Delta configeration engines from miles off . You might have been lucky to see the last hoorah of the famous Gresley A4 Pacifics from your garden back then too . I was lucky enough to do a few main line stints on 60009 `Union of South Africa ` , one up the East Coast Mainline to York and another was a 5 day job from Bridgnorth to Birmingham - Crewe - Carlisle up the West Coast Main Line and then southwards over the Settle & Carlisle line back to Crewe . Then back to Bridgnorth on the final day . That was a cracking trip

 

[Chuffer]

I have fond childhood memories of travel by steam back in the '50's - particularly on the Bournemouth Belle from Waterloo to Bournemouth to visit my grandparents. My Grandfather who lived in London during the week but whose home was in Bournemouth (he owned a fruit and veg business in Covent Garden - another lost icon) would consign me to the care of Mr. Penfold, the guard on the 'Belle', to ensure that I got there safely (not something possible these days I imagine). As the train passed through Southampton right by the docks, it was always an exciting moment to see if one of the 'Queens' was in port.

The 'Belle' was usually hauled by a Merchant Navy class loco, a subject of awe in itself to a child....

View attachment 9335

...Happy Times!

Oh my ! You have triggered happy memories there Antijam . Often used to go down to London in the 60`s just travel from Waterloo to Bournemouth in last few years of steam . We used to `bunk` Nine Elms engine shed before the journey and then `bunk` Bournemouth shed when we arrived . I have loads of black and white photos of Merchant Navy`s and the similar West Country and Battle of Britain Class loco`s . Like you we always hung out the window passing Southampton Docks to see if the `Queens` were in port . Happy days !
Never thought I would get to do it for real in later life on the same type of loco and same route , well at least as far as Worting Junction before swinging west via Salisbury to Bristol instead of Bournemouth on 34045 `Ottery St. Mary` as per photo of us passing through Clapham Junction.

 

[CaptainK]

well at least as far as Worting Junction before swinging west via Salisbury to Bristol instead of Bournemouth on 34045 `Ottery St. Mary` as per photo of us passing through Clapham Junction.View attachment 9338

Another interesting coincidence for you Chuffer - despite living near Penzance growing up as above, I was born and raised for a few years in "Ottery St Mary"

 

[Chuffer]

Another interesting coincidence for you Chuffer - despite living near Penzance growing up as above, I was born and raised for a few years in "Ottery St Mary"

This is getting spooky ! Keeping up the Bournemouth connection , she was allocated to Bournemouth from 1959 to 1964 . The loco I was on was really 34027 `Taw Valley` masquerading as Ottery St. Mary for a year or so as Phil Swallow the owner just fancied the idea . Don`t tell me you also lived in the Taw Valley area too ??
Fortunately` Ottery St. Mary `also evaded the scrap mans gas axe after 24 years languishing in a scrapyard and is now operational too .

 

[CaptainK]

Alas not, I'm out of coincidences now..... except that we both own Corvettes

 

[Chuffer]

Alas not, I'm out of coincidences now..... except that we both own Corvettes

That`s good enough for me

 

[Roscobbc]

My most memorable and significant family holiday was in the late 50's/early 60's. With my parents and two younger sisters we went from Essex with my mother's recently divorced twin brother to Wales in his ex-police Wolseley 6/80 towing a small caravan. My parents used to take cycling holidays in North Wales before marriage and loved the scenery. My enduring memory was the narrow gauge railways - Ffestiniog and Talyllin and exploring some of the (then) unrecovered track. I guess then if was relatively early days for them as major tourist attractions.

 

[antijam]

It would be an amazing coincidence if you were at Penzance that day . It was 31st October 1998 and the train was called the `Stannary Staniers ` as it was hauled by two locos designed by Sir William Stanier - Chief Engineer of the LMS . You can find some video of us storming up the South Devon inclines on Youtube . Not very brilliant quality and weather was crap but gives a good feel of it . I have never driven a traction engine but would love to have a go . I might get lost though as there are no rails to guide me Get the decorating done and get out there once lockdown is over . And a big to all you NHS workers . I was Assistant Hospital Engineer at Northampton General Hospital back in the late 1970`s .

Just one more ( tenuous? ) coincidence - in 1942 I was born in Northampton General Hospital !

 

[Chuffer]

Just one more ( tenuous? ) coincidence - in 1942 I was born in Northampton General Hospital !

Entirely too many coincidences amongst C3 owners !

 

[Chuffer]

My most memorable and significant family holiday was in the late 50's/early 60's. With my parents and two younger sisters we went from Essex with my mother's recently divorced twin brother to Wales in his ex-police Wolseley 6/80 towing a small caravan. My parents used to take cycling holidays in North Wales before marriage and loved the scenery. My enduring memory was the narrow gauge railways - Ffestiniog and Talyllin and exploring some of the (then) unrecovered track. I guess then if was relatively early days for them as major tourist attractions.

I love North Wales too and try to get up there at least once a year , I feel like it is my spiritual home . My first holiday was with my parents to Barmouth in 1957 and my earlist memories were of the `Cambrian Coast Express ` hauled by shiny locos with polished brass name plates rumbling over the Mawddach Viaduct into Barmouth . I learned later that they were `Manor` class locos all named after country manor houses . Fast forward 30 years to the summer of 1987 and I found myself part of the crew with 7819 ` Hinton Manor` for a whole week hauling daily service trains between Machynlleth , Aberystwyth , Barmouth and Pwllheli . The coastal and mountain scenery was even more breathtaking from the footplate than from the carriage windows and I was in 7th heaven
By the early 60`s , summer holidays were regularly in Llandudno and well remember visiting the Ffestiniog and other narrow gauge railways. Two shots of us at Machynlleth Station and running along the shoreline near Aberdyfi .