recollections of a magical childhood
Do you remember the little 25 pounder gun that fired matchsticks?!!
Yep! Every lad in Britain must have had one of those!
Talking of cap guns (see page 11), it's curious that in those times there was so much emphasis on Cowboys and Indians as boys games, lots on the TV, but now that era is hardly ever referred to?
We also used to spend many playtimes with magnifying glasses trying to set fire to scraps of paper...... or someone's trousers. And at my school, if you could build enough pressure, you could pee out of the toilet window onto the kids sitting on the bench in the playground (hopefully, while they were eating their sandwiches)! The girls were always skipping with their skirts tucked into their knickers, doing handstands against any convenient wall, or playing Hop Scotch...what the hell was that all about?!!
Then later, around 1963, I recall there was a series of chewing gum packets with Beatles photos inside...collected quite a lot of those but don't know where they went..probably worth a fortune now!
Beginning to sound like ....on a Friday night with a shilling in my pocket, we could go to the cinema, have a bag of popcorn and an ice-cream then buy twelve gobstoppers and still have enough money left to go home in a taxi and give mum sixpence change, isn't it?!!
Trains, Trainspotting & Bournemouth Central
Just thought we ought to include this (Right)as it was quite prevalent when we journeyed to Bournemouth. The link to the picture states – “…When I was young the mainline from London Waterloo to Hampshire and Dorset had beside it fascinating signs saying "You're in the Strong Country" or, as in this case, "You're approaching the Strong Country" - adverts by Strong's Brewery of Romsey, Hampshire. Then at about the time the Bulleid Pacifics disappeared (1967), Strongs were swallowed up by the giant Whitbread brewing company, who quickly imposed their bland corporate identity. So I suppose the signs went around this time too…”
Regarding Boscombe Pier and the gap we recalled (see page 4), I found this; “….The Boscombe Pier Company was formed in 1886 and the first pile was laid on 11th October 1888. Designed by Archibald Smith, the 600-foot pier opened on 28th July 1889 but, initially, was not successful. The local council took over the pier in 1904 and erected buildings at the entrance and on the pier-head. Facilities included a busy steamer landing stage. In 1940, the pier was breached for defence reasons. (Not the Luftwaffe then!) In 1924/5 and 1927, the head was renewed in high alumina concrete and, between 1958 and 1960; the neck was reconstructed using reinforced concrete….” So now we know........................more here and on Bournemouth pier on the same website.
Sorry, keep finding bits and pieces of interest.....Not particularly connected to our reminiscences but this site brings back the atmosphere of our train spotting days: Nine Elms Shed
Also, video (right) shows just how dirty and grubby these places had become by 1967!
Nine Elms.mp4Below are 3 VHS Railway tapes that I transferred to my PC then edited for the website...............
Southern - The Holiday Line edited.mp4Southern Steam Finale The Spring of 1966 edited.mp4Over the Somerset & Dorset - Bristol to Bournemouth edited.mp4I didn't know you'd stored up these videos. They certainly brought back the atmosphere of those steam days. I enjoyed recognising the various camera locations well before the narrator identified them; possibly because of the time I'd spent building the TS2013 Southampton to Weymouth and the London Suburban routes.
Most of the engines certainly got down to a sorry state by the end of steam - it was quite a dirty smutty world in those days, wasn't it! Plenty of wheel-spinning going on.
I even spotted the ubiquitous duffle bag sported by one young rail enthusiast at Waterloo.
The videos have been sitting on a shelf and not watched since the demise of VHS players being ubiquitous in every household! As you say, despite the crappy quality, they do "take you back" to our childhood days.
When I was watching them I thought of you identifying the locations that I know you are familiar with.
As you say, the engines' condition was, in the main, pretty run down. We certainly hit the sweet spot when we were trainspotting. Most steam had disappeared by '67 and, consequently, was starting to deteriorate by '64 just about the time when we were moving away to other interests! So, just through being born when we were, we got to catch the best of the end of the steam era.
I noticed the duffle bag as well!
Pathe News Loco Spotters video here
Just a little aside......AGAIN! Remember we were talking about sweets and not recalling Werther's Originals? Well, I looked up Werther's Originals on Wikipedia and it turns out the ads are one big scam. They are (or were) made by a German company and weren't introduced into the UK until the 90s!!! Just thought it was interesting; Werther's Originals, and if you read the TALK page on Wikipedia...quite amusing!!!
(Above) An interesting, high-resolution aerial view of Bournemouth Central station being built.
The canopied building to the lower right is the original Bournemouth East which originally was the end of the line which ran from Ringwood through Hurn and Christchurch. It later became Bournemouth Goods. Excerpt from a website that has now gone... “A new 'Bournemouth (East)' opened, on the other, i.e. the western, side of Holdenhurst Road, with the old 'East' station relegated to Goods working. This new station was designed by William Jacob, the LSWR's Chief Engineer, and was a much more imposing edifice than the original station, though at this time, it was still a terminus. It was apparently designed to resemble a 'winter garden' (in keeping with the architecture of the fast-growing town of Bournemouth) with an impressive overall roofed (glass canopy) station. As well as the two 'main' platform/lines through the station (still in use), there were two 'through' roads (though the east-west connection to Bournemouth (West) & Poole had yet to be completed) and both the up and downsides had small bay platforms. An engineering/locomotive depot was located at the western (Poole) end of the station.”
Bournemouth East - apparently there were many complaints about the poor facilities at Bournemouth East station when it was a terminus. I believe it only had one platform.
Originally the line reached Bournemouth by way of Ringwood, Hurn and Christchurch and terminated at Bournemouth East (which later became the goods yard) it was single track all the way from Ringwood. Bournemouth itself was a small settlement; basically, just a Health Spa and Bournemouth East Station was described as merely a single platform with a shed for passengers. When they built the direct line from Brockenhurst there was much fuss about continuing the line through to join the Bath line end on at Bournemouth West. (It would have almost passed through Bournemouth Square! What a difference that would have made!) The Bath line from Broadstone to Weymouth had reached Bournemouth West earlier. The 'well to do' incumbents of Bournemouth didn't want an unsightly railway running through the middle of Bournemouth town or the residential area for that matter but eventually had to give in when it was promised the link would be constructed in a cutting so the trains were not visible. Thus Bournemouth Central station had to be pretty (like a Winter Garden) as low as possible and the line had to progress out of sight as much as possible in a circuitous route (3 miles I think) then over that fantastic double viaduct to Branksome. I have some photos of the viaduct under construction and will send if you like.
Thanks for that and "yes", please send any photos you have.
I was having a look around Flickr and saw this photo (above). Can you work out what aspect of Bournemouth Central is in the background? Is it the sheds before construction was completed (or not far underway)?
I've not seen that view before but it looks very much like the early construction of Bournemouth Central Station.
There is more information about the photo here.
I now notice that this place, the Bournemouth Steam Laundry, can be seen in the photo above and so I have created an image, below, showing its placement.
Those pictures of Bournemouth East yard are interesting. I don't particularly remember it being there in our day but suspect it was. When we moved back here in 1992 it was a small business park with a small B&Q but now seems to be offices and extra parking for Buses.
It would appear that the large building to the left of the shunting yard is the town's tram depot - see below!
The source of this photo states "The photo appears to have been taken to compare the two 1950 Corporation Leyland buses from a batch of thirty. The bus on the Station bus stop has just been refurbished by BCT including the removal of its front stairs to increase the seating capacity to 58, the one passing awaits the same treatment and remains for the time being in original condition as a twin stair 48 seater".
The Square & then the Studland Ferry
(Left) A view of the Haven Hotel from the Studland Ferry. In fact, in the bottom left-hand corner of the above photos, you can see the gates of the Haven Hotel. There's quite an interesting story to the history of the hotel - HERE
Front row; Morris Minor, Rover P4, Austin A40 Somerset, unidentifiable, Armstrong Siddeley (moves back in the photo on right!)
Back row; unidentifiable, Ford Popular, Austin Devon and Ford Prefect
Lots more information HERE
I would guess this is from the late 20s early 30s. Having just checked the link above the ferry started in 1926 and this version appears to be the same one as those above but before the superstructure bridge was added.
The ferry at that time looks very small; possibly only accommodating one bus and three or four cars.......just imagine how long the queue would be if it was the same one now!
It's a little bigger than it looks in the above photo but, you're right, it is still quite small compared with today's ferry. According to the website linked above "Ferry No.1 was steam-driven and originally constructed to carry 15 cars; later modified to enable 18 cars to be carried. The service was popular from the start and in the first rather short summer season 100,000 passengers and 12,000 cars were ferried across the 400-yard harbour mouth. The ferry was taken over by the military for most of the war, Studland Bay being used as a training ground. After the war, the ferry was in need of an extensive refit and the road too required substantial repairs, and the service did not resume until 1946. Ferry No.1 returned to service for another 12 years but suffered many failures. For a short while, a second ferry was used during the extended refits of Ferry No.1"
Good ones!
I remember these going across the ferry from Swanage. "When Bristol L6B HRU 452 was new to Hants & Dorset in December 1948 it carries a half-cab coach body by Dutfield, with seats for 30 passengers. In June 1958 it was rebuilt by Hants & Dorset for use as a driver-only operated bus, being given a full-front for this purpose, although the coach seating was retained. In this photograph, taken in May 1959, HRU 452 is seen laying over between duties at Swanage railway station; at that time the terminus for Hants & Dorset's bus routes in Swanage was at the pier approach - it was not moved to the railway station forecourt until the summer of 1976. HRU 452 was in service with Hants & Dorset until April 1962."
Back to Products of the 50s
How about Barratt’s Sherbet Fountain with a stick of liquorice in it (already covered), Liquorice allsorts, Dolly mixture, Gobstoppers, Sherbet lemons, packets of Spangles, Love Hearts, Fizzers and some sort of lavender sweets that smelled of mothballs, Barratt’s sweet cigarettes made of chewing gum wrapped in edible paper with red ends. Advertisement for Rowntree’s fruit gums with the boy shouting “Don’t forget the fruit gums, Mum!” and Black Magic Chocolates.
Shrimps...and Snowballs (soft white meringue stuff covered in hundreds and thousands).
A bit random, but I seem to remember a cast metal crocodile nut-cracker of my parents.
Yes, me too, vaguely.
A bit like this in dark bronze?
The Black and White (yawn) Minstrels and Charlie Drake ('ello my darlin's!). Giving the TV a bash when the horizontal hold got dodgy!
Oh yes, I remember Michael Miles...Take Your Pick and the 'Yes and No' interlude with Bob Danvers-Walker?? On the gong! Hughie Green had a bit of a dark background I believe. I can't remember the name of the 'thick ditsy' little girl who brought him the questions on Double Your Money. "I wanna tell you a story...erm Max Bygraves"
And, hey didn't we use to do the voice of the puppet "Daisy May"? i.e. "My name's Daisy May"...etc. and there was the other puppet, a dandy type with a monocle......
That was Ray Alan and Lord Charles
Goodness, how did we manage to squeeze entertainment out of so very little.....no wonder we went out a lot!
Don't know why but when coming across the name Pearl on T.V. the other day I suddenly recalled the names of Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson........Eurovision 1960? They weren't really 'our cup of tea' entertainment-wise, but from memory, they seemed to have featured a lot on TV in the early 60s.........goodness knows why! Just a thought.
Crikey, yes! So strange how these things pop into your head!
Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson - Sing Little Birdie (United Kingdom) Eurovision Song Contest 1959.mp4The Allisons-Are you sure- (1961).mp4On the left, Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson - Sing Little Bird, Eurovision Song Contest 1959 and, on the right another one I remember, The Allisons with Are You Sure, in 1961
We were watching an old recording of Michael Portillo's Great British Railway Journeys (or whatever it's called) last night and I saw a bottle on Churchill's desk in his old war rooms in London which I thought was a pot of glue (see right).
At first, I thought it was a bit like the ones we used to use as children, but they were a sort of wasted plastic bottle with a rubber cap that had a chamfered applicator with a slit in it so that when you pressed it onto the card or paper you were trying to stick the slit would open and the glue would run out and be applied! Clever stuff! I see to remember that the bottle had a red label and the cap was definitely red rubber. So I did a search but could only find American and French ones. What make was the UK one and can you find a photo?
I think it was 'Gloy'; the brand but in a small glass bottle in those days. It was a bit messy if I recall correctly (see right).
For heavier jobs, there was something thicker and more messy but I can't remember its name ...may have also been under the 'Gloy' brand name?!
Neither were particularly good if I remember correctly, but we had to live with what there was in those days.......and then came Superglue!
GLOY!!! Well done! From that, I found the earlier version of the glue that I thought I peeked on Churchill's desk (see extreme right)
While I'm here pondering, have we mentioned that in our younger days, 'Nanna' Wood always used to knit us identical woolly jumpers (but in different colours) for Christmas presents? I bet there are no photographs of them!
As for the matching jumpers, there definitely are at least a couple of photos of them on here - Page 2 about halfway down - us by the pond. Also Page 14 about halfway down - us walking on the prom. Those ones are not identical but DEFINITELY knitted by Nanna! Funnily enough, today, I added a very interesting find - a photo - to our website (almost at the very bottom of Page 8) which refers to the photo(s) of us walking on the prom' - check it out!
Also, but not relevant to our young days, I always have a chuckle about when I visited Mimosa with a girlfriend; Nanna would be knitting in front of the TV in the evening and, when a hot sexy scene cropped up in a drama, she would start knitting much faster! ....those were the days!
The same thing happened when watching TV with my parents. I remember Dad getting very fidgety (crossing and uncrossing his legs and puffing heavily on his pipe!) when I was in the room when something a bit "fruity" came on. I particularly remember an episode of The Forsyte Saga. Following extensive research and video editing (see video link below!!!!) I see it was from 1967 when the dastardly Soames rapes the attractive Mrs Soames (Nyree Dawn Porter). Poor old Mum and Dad didn't know what to do with themselves!
The Forsyte Saga Edit.mp4I just stumbled on these on the Pinterest site
Corona.
Yes!
School Snake Belt.
We've covered that one (nearly at the bottom of Page 14)
Nanna's Wartime Dried Milk Tin
Crickey - I remember that now. Great find!
Quink.
Yes, yes. I remember you could get different colours and I went through a phase of favouring the green version (my green period as I like to refer to it!)
Fred Barker and Olly Beak with Wally Whyton.
Blimey yes! The Five O'Clock Club on ITV!
Your fortune?
Yep!
Beech-nut Gum
Wow, I'd forgotten them!
Muriel Young (Scrummy as Hayley Mills)?
Yes, I think so!
Pipe as smoked (vigorously) by my Dad during The Forsyte Saga (see above)!
Did you ever waste hours with one of these kits?
I certainly did. I remember getting the ink all over my hands!
...and what Aunties Helen and Flo' used to buy me for Christmas (I didn't like them!)
I can't remember anything they bought me. I've probably wiped it from my memory as they were so awful!
...steamin' and a rollin'.
Funny how that theme tune is so easy to recall!
London Buses & Trolleybuses
Apart from London Transport RMs and RTs, there were also Green Line RF coaches. At one time I came to Chingford from Tolworth on one. Can't remember the route but must have been a nightmare to keep to time through London.
I remember them, plus RTL's (I thought the L stood for "Long" but apparently it was for "Leyland" as they built some on that chassis rather than AEC. Plus RTW - I think that actually was for "Wide"). Also, GS coaches and I thought there were GF's but cannot find anything on them!
I remember GS's because they used to turn round at Esher near me....... There’s a website here that has all the details!! And all the rest here
That site does have GFs listed!
I didn't use the buses when I came to see you but was absolutely fascinated to see dark green RTs, etc. when I was used to a solid diet of red ones! Did this route come your way? I know it has Berrylands station on the route display but it seems an odd destination.
Yep! The 418 was the Berrylands bus.....but the final destination is a bit odd. It ran from Kingston station and it usually terminated at Leatherhead. Perhaps it was an extra or maybe an extended service of some kind.
There seems to have been a variety of destinations for route 418 (Kingston, Epsom, Bookham Station and Ashtead - and there may be others) according to these three pages - One, Two and Three
Nice to see those old RT's...I say old, although to me style-wise, they still look pretty good compared to many other even newer buses. The 406 avoided the Berrylands estate altogether so I never travelled on it...as mentioned in the notes, there was even an 'Express' version of the 406 which only stopped at the main bus stops.
When I get round to building Kingston Station I'll have to remember to detail in where the buses turned.....the drivers and conductors of both services used to nip off down to the station café for half an hour before heading back to Leatherhead/Bookham. In their absence, any passengers turning up could board the bus and await the conductor's return to pay their fare. Buses were a much friendlier mode of transport in those days.
An example of that comes to mind when I was bus driving for Wilts and Dorset. one of the original Hants and Dorset drivers told me that on summer Sundays returning from Salisbury, if they were early, the driver and conductor would stop off at the pub for a swift pint just before Ringwood then leisurely wend their way back to Bournemouth. .....happy days!
..and there were London Trolleybuses. They had different coloured seats (sort of bluish-green). Big long side seat over the rear double wheels. Accelerated quite fast as I recall.
I later found this video which is worth including due to the trolleybus link (deerr!), the very evocative and contemporary music track (you'll be tapping your toes to each tune!), the locations (more on "your side of the river" than mine) and, finally, the old cars all of which you'll recognise and especially the rather stunning Cadillac de Ville convertible (at 09:45)......
.....I was more staggered by the sheer number of Mk2 Ford Prefect/Popular(s) there were around - especially in black - which I would have considered quite an unusual colour for that model. Well, unless it was the same car in every shot! I also noticed the trolleybus driver giving the 'I'm pulling out' hand signal....... imagine if we only had hand-signals on the motorways today!? 'Ki'-'nell!'
I particularly remember routes 601, 602 and 603, and I'd forgotten that they all had that flared rain-strip along the top of the windows which gave them a distinctive appearance........and don't the Routemasters look fabulous! They were a terrific design icon. I don't like the new London bus with that weird curling rear window following the rear staircase. Naff! Loads of Ford Prefect/Anglia/Populars about weren't there?
Yeah, a nice reminder of those years.
A couple more photos of this impostor travelling around Bournemouth
On the left photo we have a Vauxhall Viva from 1965 following a Hillman Imp. Then in front of the trolleybus is a MkII Jaguar (or Daimler) and a Ford 105E Anglia. Coming towards us is, I think, an Austin Princess followed by another Anglia and a Standard Vanguard. Parked up is a Morris Minor and a WHAT? I sort of recognise the car someone is (un)locking but not sure what it is. Over to you Trevor! A nice split-screen VW Camper emerging from a side road or driveway after a young lad on a racing bike with drop handlebars!
My neighbour in Berrylands had one which I reckon it's a Triumph 1300. A similar-looking car was the Triumph Toledo but it was slightly smaller I think.
A driving school favourite at the time I recall.
On the right photo is the tail-end of a Triumph Herald behind which is a Wolseley 1500 and a Ford Prefect/Popular. Passing behind and setting off up Bath Road is an open-topped Yellow Bus.
Red Rovers for travelling around London.
A London Transport rover ticket was about 4/6 in the early 60s
Yeah, I thought so too, but not in '61 according to the image on the right!
N.B. But I have since realised the difference may be between a Child's and an Adult's ticket.
On Saturdays, I used to travel up to London with a schoolmate and we'd just board random buses or Underground and go. We didn't care where...with egg sandwiches (Pooh!) in a Duffle bag (now there's an item you don't see now and who gave it that name?) for a picnic.
Getting really random now!! I recall that every London Underground station used to have a chocolate vending machine branded as Nestlé's which sold Nestlé's chocolate and was frequently used when we were in London.
An early and later version!
(Above) Talking of vending machines, the Milk and Orange ones were popular at one time. Not sure they would pass any H&S laws these days though
(Above right) Wrigleys was another one seen everywhere
(Right) Sharing a Kia-Ora Orange drink on Waterloo Station in the early sixties
I stumbled upon this today and wondered if you could remember the kiosk and, if so, where? I have a vague recollection and the image appears to be on a Southern station. The link is here
I'm really not sure if I do remember such recording kiosks. One of those things where it looks so 1960s I must have seen one! The first photo looks as though it might be at the most northerly end of Waterloo (i.e. by platform 23?).
In fact, on closer inspection, I've just noticed the Fire Extinguisher has a printed label 'Waterloo' on it! Just read the website and it states "Like this one, photographed in 1967 at Waterloo Station"!
The stubber plate on the back of upstairs Hants & Dorset bus seats, so you could stub and sling your fag ends all over the floor gangster style. Also, funny ashtrays on the trains that pulled up and tipped their contents on the floor. Not great contenders for the British design kite mark.
Did we ever get lighting in our railway coaches to work? I know we experimented with those pea bulbs but we were too young to tackle phosphor bronze or wire connectors rubbing against metal wheels that we would have had to fit.
Another unfinished project I think...like the track ballast (mentioned on page 8) and point motors....station buildings ....erm rolling countryside...proper signalling et al.
Oh yes, I remember my Dad got us a few bags of granulated cork for us to use as ballast but we never got to it. Similarly, we bought point solenoids but couldn't work out what to do with them!
A couple of years ago June got me a book of aerial (motoring-related) photos most of which were taken in the 20s and 30s. I don't know why but I enjoy looking down and working out where everything is, even when flying, I like to have the window seat so I can imagine being a bird with a great vantage point. One of the photos is of the North Circular Road near where the "Cork Manufacturing Company" was, where my Dad worked:-
It was taken in 1927 so the factory must have been built soon afterwards because Dad worked there beforehe went away to war in 1939.
I remember those two great big concrete pylons at the edge of the road which have now disappeared. Do you?
In this image (right), the factory has gone and has been replaced by a shopping park (the Cork Tree Retail Park).
A couple of strange facts; firstly, it was my Dad who brought a cork tree back from Spain and planted it in the factory - and that is where the name of the park came from.
And, secondly, Bristol Street Motors (a part of the company I worked for) has constructed a Vauxhall dealership there, after I retired.
I actually ended up writing to Waltham Forest Council to let them know about the origins of the name of the retail park and they were interested as they were due to erect a plaque about the tree. Marion and I ended up funding the production and placing of an additional plaque about my Dad's involvement in the planting of the tree.
Some more "Cork Manufacturing Company Ltd" & Langite-related images. N.B. the Sports & Social pass is dated on my Dad's birthday
More information here
Being chased by the farmer when we went fishing in the Stour......also fishing on that bend near New Road where a bungalow owned a bit of riverbank plenty of minnows I recall. We also caught eels which Mrs Mitchell cooked for Mr Mitchell I think....".....eye of newt and foot of toad...heh..heh!"
Just something I stumbled upon. A strange combination of station models this. Don't know whether he's really caught the atmosphere of Bournemouth Central though. Rather too spread out I thought and very few trains passed through without stopping did they?!
To be fair he does say it's a work in progress and the layout seems huge but with a bit more attention to detail, it could be so much closer to the real thing - even with just a bit of elevation into the engine sheds!
I have looked (over the years) for an accurate and detailed track plan for Bournemouth Central but have never been able to find one. Have you?
No, I haven't either. Much of the platform layout can be worked out from photos and from memory but I'm not sure about the double/single slips or how that long siding, which the M7's used to draw the first part of the London bound trains back into, fitted into the platform/engine shed entrance. Of course, we could never actually see the track layout in the sheds because we were exactly level with it. We couldn't see how the track to the turntable was linked in or how the engines got over the back for coaling/ash disposal. I think we tried to walk into the yard once but lost our bottle with all the staff about!!!
I knew we'd end up doing this! So here, roughly, is what I remember of the Bournemouth Central layout. As I've said, I'm not sure of the double slip positions, but I know a light engine could manoeuvre from the down platform(3) across to the up through line (via the down through line), and then (with much wheel spinning and fuss) charge for the slope up into the engine shed across a double(?) slip. Somehow about ten minutes later the engine would be over the back, almost out of view, having the fire cleaned and being coaled up.
It all looked very cramped from our spotters' position, but this must have been an illusion to some extent as there were so many facilities dotted about the yard including the turntable, the breakdown train ensemble, what I presume was the crew tea room, the maintenance lifting sheer legs and was there a coaling crane or was it a wagon-ramp affair. For one thing, I wonder how they got coal wagons into the yard over the back and into a position to unload them ready to fill loco tenders!!
Anyway, you can redraw this where you remember it differently.....
Do you think these graphic (right) is of any help?
Yes, it is.
I don't remember ever seeing a Bulleid Q1 at Bournemouth but quite often saw one shunting at Surbiton on my way home from school. As far as I recall they were nicknamed Coffee Pots though additional research suggests Charliies was another nickname. In an entirely different sense we used to talk about foolish people as being "right Charlies" in those days!
[partial extract from Trevor's email - lost some in the transition to this new website platform]........... No, I didn't realise at the time what he was really up to; i.e. rebuild the SR on a computer....does he intend to animate these graphics do you think? Nice idea though very time-consuming....perhaps one aspect of the future of railway modelling? How about an X-box or Wii version where you have to drive a train or operate a signal box by waving your arms about!!!!
I have actually travelled to Waterloo from Bournemouth by train just once since we moved here and was hoping to remember all the sights we used to see. However, the modern train is so insulated from the world and fast and the lineside scenery has changed so much that I found it difficult to keep pace with what I was seeing! Sadly much graffiti about on the bridge abutments too.
Where are we going from here...I'll have to think.
Regarding your last email, it sounds like you have not discovered the world of train simulators!
Watch the video and then you can start searching for more!
Well, you're right...I didn't know there were all these guys making simulator videos! Just to be picky...the Peppercorn pacific has been animated in mid-gear which means the valves aren't moving and thus the pistons wouldn't be moving either! Hey, but that's just being fussy!
They don't just make the videos. The simulator is a program on the PC which you "play" as you would a model railway and what's on YouTube are videos of them operating the programs.
I've just found this report which while pretty interesting in itself, also includes a map of the principle track layout at Bournemouth Central (shown above). Still no idea of the loco yard though.
It's a pity this site didn't have anything except Bournemouth West. This website should help us flesh out the track plan a little more. This is where the true track plans are (see the bottom of page 36). Sounds like I need to get in my car and drive to the NRM in York!
I have found a link to a photo archive site called Colour-Rail on the David Hey website here which, itself, has a lot of good stuff on it. You can preview the photos they are trying to sell and some of these give some clues:-
This may have the track plans in?
Postscript: I have just bought it from Amazon so we shall see!
I have just found this incredible model railway (of our dreams) - here which will also help with the track layout.
Well, what can I say? That layout is an incredible achievement, isn't it! I think it'll help us build our version. I wasn't sure where one or two of the bridges were based but it's absolutely brilliant. I didn't realise the station extension had that roadside appearance when first built. Although I must query the number of trolleybuses.....were there really that many in Bournemouth....I reckon someone has a little fetish there!!
