ianofsklr3

…the height of the letters on LMR 600 ‘Gordon’s nameplate?

Narrow Planet would like to know to create a scaled replica (with my Grandfather’s name) of the plate.

Before I send an email that says “I have no idea”, does anyone know?!

Railnuts,

It’s been a very long time since my last post….too long. Do not worry – I hadn’t forgotten you and I still popped in every now and again to see how things were going!

Why the post? Well, I would like to get a Bachmann WD 2-8-0 customised to carry the name of my late Grandfather with a suitable number (probably 90088 which isn’t strictly in the series). I have tried some well known model outlets (TMC, All Change) who were most receptive to the idea and very helpful, but unfortunately I have not got any further than the design stage.

Can anyone help me with this? Can you recommend anyone who can create a pair of nameplates for a WD loco in the style of ‘Gordon’ and ‘Sir Guy Williams’? I would have a go myself but because it’s to carry my Grandfather’s name I want it to be perfect and I know that if I do it I’ll be most critical!

The specifics are to create a nameplate, matching the ‘Gordon’ font with black background, copper or silver text, bordered, with an RAF crest. I hadn’t thought about a metal nameplate until now, but perhaps that would look really good with embossed text. I’m open to ideas.

Any help on this would be really appreciated!

All,

A quick note to let you in on a piece of good news -The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway will be reopening for its 2011 Season on Saturday 28th May!I hope that many Railnutters can make it down sometime in 2011 (including an endorsement from the main man if I’m not being too cheeky!). The railway will give you all a hearty welcome (and a grimey handshake).

The railway’s volunteers are working hard to get the railway ready for the new season and they are hopeful that they can secure access to the Sittingbourne Viaduct Station so that they can run public trains over the full length of the line for the first time in a long time! Otherwise trains will run from Milton Regis Halt which is midway along the railway. If anyone would like to help the railway bring Sittingbourne Viaduct Station up to scratch please look at the website for up-coming work weekends (usually most weekends and free).

Fares, timetable and terminus will appear soon on the website www.sklr.net

Lastly, use this link to a Flickr page where photos of work weekends are uploaded -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/stopem/

There are lots of photos, and I am sure you’ll enjoy them!

Railnuts,

This is a bit of fun that may amuse me more than it amuses you lot, but hey ho, just humour me!

This website was created by Mr Waterman, who has a love of trains and is well known for his role in popular music.

So, can anyone think of any pop songs with a strong railway connection? I’ll give you one for starters – ‘Loco-motion’ by Little Eva (1962) and then ‘The Loco-motion’ by Kylie(1988).

Trains may feature in the title, in the lyrics or in the music video.

Finally, happy belated birthday to you Pete – if you’re anything like me you would have enjoyed a ride on the cushions on your big day!

Hello Railnuts!

What I enjoy about our hobby is that you can never know all the answers.

Here’s one that I don’t understand and perhaps you can help. This sign was seen at Stratford station, but what does it mean?

“How important to you is it that the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway is reopened?”

Dear Railnuts. This is the question asked by Essential Land, the new owners of the Sittingbourne Mill site and the service corridor on which the SKLR runs. This includes the town-end terminus of the railway where almost every passenger alights to make the journey (no public access is possible at Kemsley).

Essential Land are supportive of the railway, but they are holding an online poll to assess how valued the railway is in the town. I imagine that most non-railway enthusiasts are apathetic, so I am asking for your help. Please take a moment to vote (it will literally take 1 minute!) using the link below.

If you want to go further, please contact Essential Land through their Facebook ‘online consultation’ and say a positive piece about the railway and how a large developer can actually use a steam railway to its advantage and create a real landmark development.

VOTE AT:http://twtpoll.com/dladw5

FACEBOOK:http://www.facebook.com/#!/ConsultSittingbourneMill

On behalf of all at the SKLR, THANK YOU!

The Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway is hoping to run trains again this October and I thought I would go along and help them prepare after almost two years of closure.

The railway aims to run trains on Sunday 24^th, Wednesday 27^th, Saturday 30^th and Sunday 31^st October between Milton Regis Halt and Kemsley Down Station. In order to achieve this aim of running trains in the railway’s 40^th year, volunteers are needed to cut back vegetation and restore the stations to operable use.

I dragged myself out of bed on Sunday morning and gathered up a packed lunch before setting off down the road to the small halt at Milton Regis. The weather was a bit cloudy but at least it was dry and I stepped onto the works train where I renewed acquaintances with old faces and introduced myself to some I didn’t know.

The halt at Milton is a modest affair and comprises of two small platforms and nothing more.  The two platforms are on either side of the track and are probably about 20m apart from one another. It is proposed to use the platform on the Milton Creek side of the railway and the adjacent ASDA supermarket has kindly donated £15k to bring the station up to scratch after two years succumbing to Mother Nature (see ‘Steam Railway Magazine’) and vandalism.

There are no run round facilities at Milton Regis and so our train was reversed back to Kemsley Down by diesel locomotive ‘Barton Hall’ which the railway acquired about six years ago.  The diesel was bright yellow when it arrived but now looks much better in Bowaters green. 

On arrival at Kemsley Down I signed up for the free day’s membership and set to work with the P’way Gang (self proclaimed as ‘Destructions Inc.’) on clearing trees and bushes down the line.  These need to be cleared to improve sightlines to the foot crossings at Burley and so that they don’t catch anyone in the eye should they be looking out the window.  Most of these are hawthorn and bramble and I have the cuts and a thorn in my knee to prove it! They are tough buggers to cut…my pair of loppers were bent out of shape and had to be left in a skip!

I asked the P’way Gang if they were going to install run-round facilities at Milton but they explained that they cannot do it in the time available as they don’t have the labour. So if any of you Railnuts are skilled at laying track then maybe give the railway a call (see www.sklr.net). I think that the loco running round the train adds interest to the public and longer term it would be a passing place should the railway want to use it at galas.  As it stands though the railway will operate perfectly well without one using two locos top-and-tailing the train.

After three hours hard work (and a brief interruption to try and help a security guard who had reversed his van into a hole where the foundations for the new road bridge are going in) it was time for lunch.  We wandered back up the line in light drizzle, the chimneys of the paper mill disappearing as we walked along an avenue of trees with the squelch of wet leaves under foot. 

Back at Kemsley Down, a spread of sandwiches and sausage rolls welcomed us and I gulped down a hot cup of tea.  We all sat round a table and shared a bit of banter as outside the rain got very heavy.  Out on the marsh the station is exposed and the wind was buffeting the refreshment room. Good job that a new roof has been installed!

(continues below photos…)

All too soon lunch was over and it was time to return to work.  Destructions Inc abandoned vegetation clearance for the day and instead set about tidying their container and sorting out some of the chairs (they are not “chairs” strictly speaking but I can’t remember what they are and “chair” will have to do) which were a bit rusty.

The Carriage and Wagon team were sanding down a coach and replacing some of the windows before the rain hit and also had to delay their work.  The team of four have recently turned out some two carriages and the level of workmanship is terrific.  The plan is to have two rakes of coaches – on in Chattendon and Upnor Railway red/cream and one in Bowaters green.  I think that the Bowaters rake will look fantastic behind ‘Leader’ when she is ready in her deep red livery.

Other members were under cover renewing the electrics in the shed or deep cleaning the refreshment room.  The feral cat Pebbles was wandering around trying to earn scraps of food with her silent miaows.

There is still much to do and it would be fantastic to see a Railnuts Working Party at Sittingbourne sometime this Autumn!  If not then hopefully you will visit the railway in what is left of 2010 or when it reopens next year in April.

I have made a flyer/poster for the SKLR who are running work weekends to try and get everything ready for re-opening in October for a short while.

Not sure how many of you Railnuts are in Kent, London, Essex and East Sussex, but if you are within travelling distance why not consider giving up a day of your weekend to help out? It won’t be glamourous work so those afraid of getting their hands dirty need not apply!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=311798217494&oid=461322775647

http://www.liverpooloverheadrailway.com/

I got distracted from work momentarily and thought I’d do a quick bit of research on the Liverpool Overhead Railway. It led me to the website above and a project by a guy who is recreating the railway in CGI. Take a look at his film – it looks really good and some of the people he spoke to thought it was real.

I don’t know very much about this railway line so please use this thread to share your thoughts. Maybe you also have some thoughts about the application of CGI to recreate other lost railways…