Western Champion Norwich 20th December

Carl, with your permission:-

I fully realise that this forum isnt the place for this.
But, before I got the sack from the forum up the road, one or two members intimated that they wanted the timings for this tour so, I assume, they could photograph it.
The timings are here:-


tour

Hopefully someone with feet in both camps will please post this up.

Many thanks.

Edit: OOPs.... Dont forget the hydraulic only works Liverpool Street - Liverpool Street..... the rest of the tour is a class 67.

First of all John what's this about getting the sack from 'the forum up the road'.
Which other forum do you mean...GSM?
Is there some gossip or scandal that we should know about?

That sounds a great tour and I would love to be at Reading (General) to see that.
Brings back memories of childhood trainspotting on platform 4 and cab rides to Reading West or even Didcot.

I will certainly post it over there if you wish.

....and I don't mind it being here either.

carl hibbs wrote:

First of all John what's this about getting the sack from 'the forum up the road'.
Which other forum do you mean...GSM?
Is there some gossip or scandal that we should know about?

That sounds a great tour and I would love to be at Reading (General) to see that.
Brings back memories of childhood trainspotting on platform 4 and cab rides to Reading West or even Didcot.

I will certainly post it over there if you wish.

....and I don't mind it being here either.

Thanks very much Carl.......
However, the Wizzo goes ON at Liverpool street its a Class 67 through Reading

Even though I lived in the Midlands, as a kid, I spent plenty of time at Reading station chasing class 52. Happy days.

Yep GSM I got the sack the other week. Apparantly I had the temerity to call LGB "expensive twaddle",
(I think thats what did it)
I tried to get on the next day and couldnt even see the forum.....Word has it that all my posts have been removed too.

Quite pethetic really. It was quite a good read mostly. Still, not to worry.

There are some strange things going on over there I must admit and you are not the first to be 'struck off'.

I couldn't find you under the members listing either.

I notice too that a number of traditionally prolific posters have ceased posting......

Mayhap...

You can call LGB extensive twaddle or even crap here if you want.
Some of it is, unfortunately!

Posted on GSM on this link.

GSM post

Naaa... I dont think LGB is crap, just not quite as good as some folks think it is.
At GSM, theres definately a forum within a forum going on.
Its fairly easy to spot it.

[quote="carl hibbs"]First of all John what's this about getting the sack from 'the forum up the road'.
Which other forum do you mean...GSM?
Is there some gossip or scandal that we should know about?

That sounds a great tour and I would love to be at Reading (General) to see that.
Brings back memories of childhood trainspotting on platform 4 and cab rides to Reading West or even Didcot.

I will certainly post it over there if you wish.

....and I don't mind it being here either.

There are some very strange and power crazed loonies over in GSM

Hi Guys

Just catching up with this thread!

I have huge sympathy for John - I agree GSM has become very political and it's a shame!

As a newbie to G scale I learned a great deal from GSM indeed my initial contact with Carl was via that source. However I got caught up in the politics when I quite innocently posted some pics of the new Chinese LGB copies and a furore then followed.

I think there's loads of quite genuine folk on GSM but some of the moderators belong to SPL (Society for Protection of LGB).

All we want to do is enjoy our hobby, respect other peoples opinions and get on with life.

Cheers for now

Brian

GWhizz wrote:

some of the moderators belong to SPL (Society for Protection of LGB).

Brian

OH dear. I feel your days might be numbered!!

Interesting though, that none of the moderators, or the owner, have been man enough to Email me with a reason for my ex-communication,
even though I eMailed Jason twice, politely, to enquire as to the reason.

I also note that they have not taken my two articles down, as requested.

Edit: The following is withdrawn...... I really cant be arsed.

Well, we'll see just how narrow their views are won't we!

Oh damn I 'm getting dragged into the political mire!

STET the previous remarks..

a bientot

Brian

This is not a new subject and had been previously discussed elsewhere.

I would prefer to keep a lid on it and not get too involved in denegrating what is a generally good forum with some useful information and pleasant people.

However as with many large forums you get a very wide variety of people and some extremes of ideas and discussion which can be difficult to control successfully.

Well, I have read this thread.....

.... and pondered on its contents...

and sadly conclude that.......

Western Champion will not pass anywhere parctical for me so I won't see it.

Which is a shame.

A shame dtsteam,
Travelling with the locomotive within earshot, usually within the first three or four coaches, is quite an experience. I do recall, a couple of years ago, having a signal check westbound through Totnes station with this machine. The load as I recall was 13. Hearing the hydraulic lifting these coaches up Rattery was a noise I wont forget for a long time.

Of course, I do remember them in service, and was lucky enough to have a cab ride in one, where I was able to stand in the engine room whilst we departed Paddington. Again, the intervening 33 years has not dulled the memory of that.

GWhizz wrote:

Hi Guys

Just catching up with this thread!

I have huge sympathy for John - I agree GSM has become very political and it's a shame!

As a newbie to G scale I learned a great deal from GSM indeed my initial contact with Carl was via that source. However I got caught up in the politics when I quite innocently posted some pics of the new Chinese LGB copies and a furore then followed.

I think there's loads of quite genuine folk on GSM but some of the moderators belong to SPL (Society for Protection of LGB).

All we want to do is enjoy our hobby, respect other peoples opinions and get on with life.

Cheers for now

Brian

I concur with the previous comments about GSM, it has become the fiefdom of a few self important and opinionated people.
The bulk of the chaps over there are fine, shame about the control freaks.
Incidentally be careful what you post on here regarding GSM as you could be banned, they have spies everiware

Please, please don't let all this get out of context.

I am NOT bashing GSM - I for one am very active on that forum and enjoy it enormously!

I've also noticed that things seem to have really got a lot friendlier again after the China Meltdown.

I was merely showing some sympathy with John and hopefully he can be reinstated with GSM.

Live and let live, there are many G enthusiasts active on these and other Forums why not - share and share alike - enjoy ourselves and share our hobby!

Best wishes Brian

Hello All, Just a note about yesterday. We got to Liverpool Street in good time to see the train already in the platform and 0951 we commenced our stagger through northeast London with the Western. She is in such good condition, three coaches back we could hardly hear her unless the engines were gunned at low speed. They certainly were not built with environmentalists in mind, when the engines aren't warmed up the smoke is blue, when at operating temperature the smoke is black! THere were photographers everywhere, although this happens everytime Champion works, A4 60007SNG, was also out yesterday on the same route. Once we got north of Cheshunt and lost the all shacks unit we had been following, the taps were opened and we shot off to Ely. We stopped there for a few minutes for a photo stop. Excellent stuff, the station was full of slack jawed normals wondering who this trainload of middle aged farts were. The train then proceeded to Wymondham where there was a bus tour organised to Norwich via somewhere or other. At Norwich the train traversed the south curve at Crown Point (Wensum curve I think it is called)and headed to Great Yarmouth. Reedham and the surrounding area is one of my favourite places, going through that station and taking the Yarmouth side of the juncton with the engine bellowing was brilliant. I remember stopping a class 47 hauled train years ago at Berney Arms station.. request stop! THis station consists of an oil lamp and a sleeper built platform infilled with spent ballast. The only thing it serves is the Berney Arms Pub over on Breydon Water. Of course, I have NEVER been in there!

Anyway, we arrived in Yarmouth. Oh Dear. It isn't the place I remember from my childhood.
Eventually we found a chip Emporium and went back to the station. We soon headed back to Norwich via Acle.

After a few beers in Norwich we returned to the PANDEMONIUM at Norwich Station. On the concourse there were several groups of people, some for the A4, some more for the Western, some Charlton fans, some Norwich fans, some for the all shacks to Ely(about 150) 70 % of the concourse was a wedge. However we left only 10 late which was down to the staff at the station doing a good job. Due to a combination of fairly easy timings and the locomotive being driven HARD we got back to Liverpool Street about 30 early. THis was a tremendous bonus as it meant that to get home, I could get the last direct train from Euston, instead of going via Birmngham New Street. A grand end to a great day out. A continuing tribute to the dedication and very deep pockets of the Diesel Traction Group

HEres a couple of poor Mobile phone photos,

ELY:






Great Yarmouth

Excellent.

Thanks John.

What impressive machines they were. I can picture them now pulling away from Reading General bound for Penzance or Paddington.

carl hibbs wrote:

Excellent.

Thanks John.

What impressive machines they were. I can picture them now pulling away from Reading General bound for Penzance or Paddington.

No worries Carl........ Of course, being two steps away from a V200........they are "Continental" too.

Far too modern for me to know anything about. The diesels I remember were DELTICS pulling out of New Street station in Birmingham. My physics lab overlooked the platforms at the North West end. Of course sometimes they were recovered by steam engines when they broke down, must have been very embarrassing for the drivers.

Thanks john. Even though i have lost interest in British outline, the nostalgia factor got me hooked!!!Nice pics

Mikey

French Chuffed wrote:

........The diesels I remember were DELTICS pulling out of New Street station in Birmingham. ..........

Hello FC, No Deltics near Birmingham I'm afraid, they worked on the East Coast Main Line from Kings Cross.

Well enlighten me as to what they were. They had the same profile a Deltic they were black (or was that filthy) with a British Rail sticker on the side, they belched black smoke and sounded horrendous. Circa 1962/3

French Chuffed wrote:

Well enlighten me as to what they were. They had the same profile a Deltic they were black (or was that filthy) with a British Rail sticker on the side, they belched black smoke and sounded horrendous. Circa 1962/3

hmmmmm

English Electric 10000 LMS prototype?



English Electric Type 4 1Co-Co1? These things WHISTLE...



BR Sulzer Type 4 1Co-Co1?




All probably filthy due to having to share accomodation with steam locomotion.



Sorry Carl, dont quite know how we got here.......

No...carry on. Early adolescence is coming back.

Great (British) machines, quality engineering at the time and when life was a tad less cluttered with nonsense and bureaucracy.
Cab rides and back into the next county...'sit on that seat lad and keep your hands off everything'. I couldn't see over the bloody dash, my ears were deafened with the roar and I felt sick with smell of heavy diesel exhaust.
I walked through the engine room of a 'Peak' once. It was like being in the bowels of a dragon.
How did drivers manage every day (Andy...?).