Power to the Little People

Here we have a nice summer scene at Catcott before the little people moved in, the bus is driverless, there are no passengers, the engine has no crew, no animals, not even the omnipresent Bob Geeza Cat. What, no cat!?

This photograph from a few years ago does show how adding figures to our model railways brings life, for this scene would be so much better if it had a few people in it. I must admit it’s only since The 2020/2 Zombie Apocalypse of Doom that I started adding little people to my layouts, the delay being mostly due to a hatred of painting them to be honest. But then I discovered that my wife is rather good at performing such. 

Of course there are ready painted figures available, but due to the then pre war Ministry of Miniature Misery adopting OO rather than HO (probably just to be awkward and the fact that our miniature engineering wasn’t as good as that from the other side of the water), many of the mass produced ready painted inch high folk are slightly less than inch high because they’re ‘HO’ which is 1/87 as opposed to our bloated 1/76 ‘OO’ running on the same 16.5mm track. As well as being slightly smaller, they’re often far too skinny to represent the average beer, pie, curry, pizza & post pub kebab loving Brit - I most likely being one of them. 

In the various photos posted here over the last few years, none of the inch high folk are glued into place. For me, half the fun is being able to move them around - photography yielding more interest than running sessions. Useful tip, dab a little Pritt Stick (other glue stick brands are available) under their tiny feet, and you should be able to get them to stand up, certainly long enough to grab a photo or two. Running a flat file under their feet in advance helps too, for not all supplied little people and animals leave the factory flat footed, or flat pawd 🐾

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Skid Mark Monday

The morning goods slows to take the point at the entrance to the incline into Polbrook Gurney Colliery. Due to a very wet season, the trackbed is like a huge sponge and needs more attention that usual. And if you look at the sleeper tops you can see the results of a wagon that jumped the rails a few days ago, the wheels leaving a few skid marks cause by the sharp flanges. Oohh, painful. 

But all is good, for Doug, former twice in a row (‘two times’ for those who have yet to grasp grown-up language) championship gravedigger 1951/2 can work wonders with his shovel, and was able to repack the ballast around the point in just a few minutes to perfection. 

For some reason Barry Bullhead from The Ministry of Misery is here, probably in some time and motion role today. You never can tell with Barry, for he has many jobs, not all known about by his superiors. But he is no threat, for Doug has the shovel and award winning grave-digging skills. 

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Corte Mullen Junction 1986

I've just been scanning off some more of my negs and came across the set I took at Corfe Mullen Junction Crossing on a dull 9th of November 1986. This crossing was in the southernmost section of the former SDJR. 

At the time, both gates were still there and there was even a little track poking out from under the tarmac. 

This section of the line closed around 1969 when freight stopped serving Blandford a few miles northeast. Most of the route closed in 1966. 

Scenes like this are some of the inspiration for my Catcott layout. 

And for the photographer nerds like me. The film is a motion picture version of Ilford FP4. I had a flatmate at the time who worked in a film processing lab. He’d give me short unexposed ends in exchange for a few sovs. Camera? Probably a Minolta XGM with a 35mm Rokkor. The camera was a bit meh, but the lens stellar.

Midweek Monochrome

It’s a midweek miserable Wednesday at Fountain Colliery. And most usually one of Templecombe shed’s Midland 3F locos has made it deep into The Forest on the other side of the Bristol Channel. 

But in the land of the inch high, nothing is beyond the realm of possibility in this rose tinted tiny landscape. But this is one of the joys of playing toy trains, we can do anything we like of course. Though some of the musty tweed clad grumpies might get hot under the collar. 

I make no apologies for yet another black and white photograph, but truth be that I’m enjoying digging out the old cameras and dabbling in film and chemicals - it providing a bit of a break from the pure digital workflow that pays the bills. 

But most importantly we have Bob Geeza cat keeping an eye on things, so all is good. 

Nikon FE, 28mm lens, Fomapan 200 - an affordable old fashioned film from those lovely people in the Czech Republic which my local London Camera Exchange sells from behind the counter “Hello sir, something for your old camera for the weekend?”

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View Through the Back Passage

Here we are at Fountain Colliery and the view from up the back passage where the railway slips in between The Miners Arms and the lodge at the entrance of Barry Bullhead’s huge country estate financed by his ill gotten gains working at The Ministry of Misery and his moonshine side hustle. 

Every Monday there’s an inspection of the line to check for anything that requires the attention of Harry the Hammer. He can do almost anything with his trusty hammer from repacking ballast, replacing rotten sleepers, swapping out expired rail for new. Okay the latter happens very rarely on this make do and mend operation deep in The Forest. 

Bob Geeza Cat usually accompanies the operation, and he being closer to the ground has an obvious advantage over Clive and Deliberation Dave who aren’t as bendy as they used to be struggling to get to Bob’s height. Last week Bob spotted a rail with a hairline crack which when seen from human height wasn’t apparent. All was good, for later in the day Harry the Hammer sorted out the offending rail with his trusty hammer and a suitable rivet. 

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For the photo nerds, today’s photo was taken on traditional film (or ‘fillem’ if from The Grim North). Nikon FE, 55mm Micro Nikkor. Fomapan 200. Home dev. 

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Rail Replacement Bus

In Little England, shrined in law since 1883, all weekend trains have to be replaced with the dreaded rail replacement bus service. Only preserved railways are exempt from this diktat instigated by the then Ministry of Misery to make life miserable and tricky for us minions, and of course the inch high. 

But today, the inch high are very excited with the arrival of a more colourful rail replacement bus than the usual ancient heap of a vehicle. It’s also a lot bigger too due to the popularity of the service which now stops at every pub on route including several of those that aren’t. The service is also hourly with the last pick up being after the pubs shut - a most wonderful and well thought out service. So much so, that many of the regular users have suggested that the service runs all week too. 

However just in case the inch high think this is too much of a good thing, an open topped bus has been rostered, especially seeing there is more than a 50% chance of rain. 

Meanwhile Deliberation Dave and Nasal Nigel are questioning the use of a bus which most certainly isn’t from the steam era. But they’ll get over such a minor issue by the third pub. 

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Christmas Tree!

Even in olden times signs of Christmas would manifest well and truly early. I remember as a whippersnapper getting on for 50 years ago seeing Xmas stuff in a shop just after the late august bank holiday. But of course we have selective memory and will often filter out such things.

Here in the land of the inch high, even though it’s only November, ‘the tree’ has arrived and is in prime position next to The Pedant & Armchair pub. Inside are the ‘grumblies’ from the local model railway club lining the bar sipping their stale beer muttering to themselves with things like “Oh no, in my day the tree would go up just before Christmas dinner and be taken down a couple of hours thereafter. Then sitting on the floor singing traditional Christmas carols we’d strip all the pine needles off and put them in the kitchen pot to boil away for days and days to have as a nice broth. That high fibre broth would keep us going right through January. Luxury it was. The youth of today know nothing! Mother and father would then beat us with the now bare twigs of pine before locking us up in the cold cellar until New Year’s Day. Those were the days, oh yes…..”

Meanwhile outside here many of the regulars of my frequent drivel enjoying the passing train and that the clouds have briefly broken to reveal blue sky. A rarity this time of year. 

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Voightlander Vitomatic ii a

Another old camera from my collection. A Voightlander Vitomatic ii a. 

This German made 35mm rangefinder camera was originally my grandfather’s, and dates from between 1960 and 1963. 

It’s still fully working apart from the rangefinder patch has faded. But I can use an external rangefinder placed on the accessory shoe or simply zone focus. 

Surprisingly the coupled selenium light meter still works, but is around 2/3 of a stop out. But the ISO dial can be adjusted to compensate. 

The lens which appears to be multi coated is a 50mm f2.8 Color-Skopar which is a Tessar type design with 4 elements in 3 groups. 

Unusually the leaf shutter is behind the lens rather than between the front and rear optics.

And finally, the camera will not work without a film loaded, which makes checking the lens and shutter speeds tricky.

Collapsible Engine

 

Down at the wharf, a SR Q1 ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0 collapsible goods locomotive simmers next to an overhead water tank, which as usual in the land of the inch high is unlikely to contain water. 

These engines are clever that when in out of use, they fold right back in on themselves like a compressed furnace bellows or folding camera to save space. Then when fired, up they slowly expand to full working length as the boiler pressure increases. I’m not quite sure how it works with the inner gubbins and wheels, I’m no engineer, but that Oliver Bulleid is a very clever designer indeed. 

Waving Willy jokingly waves to camera whilst shouting out “you’ve left the lens cap on”. Meanwhile Bob Geeza Cat is trying to charm his new fancy Mystic Mog, who with her psychic feline abilities knows exactly what Bob has planned for her, but her skills probably aren’t required for such 🐾

Former champion boxer, wrestler and all round cheeky chappie Driver Gaylord Grip leans on the engine buffer beam with his usual ‘hello darlin’ fancy comin’ darn the boozer for a Babysham or two’ pose. It’s such a habit he even does this when are aren’t any ladies around, or ‘bit of skirt’ as he calls the fairer sex. 

And finally, Freddy the Flag is keeping an eye on operational activities, making sure that railway things only move when he flaps his flappy red flag.

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Olympus mju ii

 Another camera from the collection.  A late 1990s 35mm Olympus mju ii. I’ve not run a film through it for years, but I popped a battery in the other day and everything appears to work okay running a gash film through it to check wind on etc. I’ll be putting it properly through its paces soon. 

These were pretty well the pinnacle of a point and shoot cameras until digital took over shortly afterwards. It’s fully auto in pretty well everything, even when loading the film you simply place it in the rear, the camera automatically threading it and winding on to the first frame. 

For an all plastic camera they’re going for silly money these days, silly as in expensive. Probably due to it appealing to fashion conscious hipsters seeking that analogue experience. 

But they do have the advantage in that the user doesn’t have to know anything about photography to get a good result, technically if nothing else. So for this reason they fulfill the purpose they were designed for. 

I forgot to take a shot of the camera in closed position, the sliding shell hiding and protecting the lens when not in use making it quite small. 

The other day I grabbed the camera in its soft case and put it in my pocket thinking it was my wallet! This is didn’t realise until I got home and emptied my pockets.

Follow the Rainbow

From time to time I get asked how the inch high people know where to buy their moonshine from. It’s a combination of things, ranging from bribing Bob Geeza Cat with tinned pilchards (in tomato sauce of course), carefully chatting to one of Barry Bullhead, or Terry Tuttle Thomas Smythe’s many minions, or if out on the Somerset Levels following a rainbow. With the constant mix of drizzle, fog and sunshine, finding a suitable rainbow is an easy task for those seeking an illicit boozy fix. 

Posh girls, Dizzy Lizzie and Socially Challenged Teresa are well rehearsed in tracking down a fresh supply of illicit gin, with a carefully positioned rainbow leading them straight to one of the many moonshine plants out on the moors, which today just so happens to be in the disused goods shed at Catcott. 

‘D&T’ as they’re known to their self-serving entitled friends around Westminster, have even bought an old banger for the task, the mix of mismatched paintwork, replacement panels and mostly rust helps the car blend in with the landscape extremely well, allowing them to hide in plain sight far better than their usual chauffeur driven Bentley. 

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Ferdinand Upright the Fifth

A regular Saturday at Whitehall Halt. Upper class half brother twits Henry Bootright-Buttomhook and Toby Slipbottom-Whypeclean-Corduroy are waiting for their train to Tiverton Junction. 

There they’ll catch the Bristol service to meet their strange uncle Ferdinand Upright the Fifth who has a magnificent collection of stuffed performing ants in the loft of his huge Clifton townhouse with views of the bridge. 

 

They might be a little late, for the little engine here has to drop off its wagons at the Hemyock creamery before collecting the passenger coach for the return trip to Tiverton Junction. This will take a good couple of hours, so they might be better off walking to Culmstock and catching the bus. Though to be honest they’ll probably get lost, even with a map and compass due to excessive inbreeding. 

 

But trust funders Henry & Toby have few worries in the world, no deadlines, no financial problems, and they do live in a very very big house with staff and of course ‘Nanny’. One would have thought they’d get the chauffeur to take them to see Ferdinand, but it’s been decided that they must get out in the real world if they want that career ahead in politics. 

 

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£12 Ticket to Scotland

On the 3rd of March 1987 I was in Inverness, having travelled all the way from Salisbury the previous day on a £12 British Rail offer that was running at the time. Captured on Kodachrome, here we have 47617 on a return express from Hogwarts Castle heading for platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross way down south in that there London.

On this service, by the mid 1980s former GWR steam engines painted in red with matching carriages had been replaced with class 47 locomotives which would haul a collection of mismatched livery rolling stock.

 

It’s rumoured that the young student magicians travelling south would perform all sorts of tricks, changing carriage and sometimes engine liveries with a few taps of the magic wand. It used to drive British Rail and crews mad with all the magical pranks. This train here looking like a victim of such childish behaviour.

Haggis, neeps and tatties fans will notice the Haggis pens in the foreground, which in the weeks leading up to the 25th of January would be literally full of freshly reared Haggis being fattened up whilst waiting to be slaughtered and cooked for the Burns Night supper. 

 

This scene has changed quite a bit in the 37 years since I took this photograph. The semaphore signals are long gone, as is the locomotive, carriages and much of the infrastructure, but most noticeably the Haggis pen area is now a car park. 

These days, former EU regulations dictate that freshly reared battery Haggis as well as wild Haggis must now be kept undercover for the lead up to Burns Night on the 25th of January. 

 

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Big Bang in Them Hills...

 

A bucolic Thursday down in the inch high Devon as a grain wagon of malted barley is being dropped off. Officially it’s going to be turned into jars of sweet malt extract for weedy anaemic types who refuse to lick rusty iron railings.

Back in olden times all children were encouraged to lick iron railings, or if they didn’t have such, they could always lick rails, busy railway lines being ideal because of the tiny iron filings resulting from passing trains as the wheels wore down the tops of the rails. 

 

Unofficially, the malted barley will be turned in to a mash and fermented as the first stage of moonshine production before distilling. The flatbed lorry on the left will shortly depart with a crate of freshly potted ‘shine. The set up here is all very professional and organised with Barry Bullhead from The Ministry of Misery in charge - this of course being just a side hustle for him, for the Ministry would almost certainly not approve. 

 

Meanwhile, several miles away in Somerset, moonshine production is somewhat more ‘agricultural’, with explosions occurring most days, many of which can be seen from up to 40 miles away. The cloud here most likely being the result of such an incident high up on the Mendip Hills. 

 

And finally, a bit of trivia - the famous cheesy Cheddar Gorge tourist trap, whilst most people think it was formed by natural erosion over millions of years, it was in fact the result to a major moonshine explosion in 1883 when a truckle of cheddar cheese was accidentally dropped in to the still. 

 

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Mid-week shenanigans...

 Mid-week shenanigans...

Working from left to right (or for those down under who’ll be looking at this photo upside down, from right to left). 

 

Barry Bullhead is striking up a deal with local pub owner Shamus O’Shandy for a crate of his latest ‘Devon Shine’, an all malt 190% proof liquor. 

 

Retired boxer, top geeza bloke and now loco driver Gaylord Grip is thinking about all the ladies he’ll be out to charm later this evening. He’s very good at “ello darlin’, do you want to see my naked armadillo photos?” The pretty ladies of Somerset falling for his loveable rogue cockney tones and cheesy one-liners.

At last count he had 5 ladies on the go at the same time. Dotty the delicious tea lady at Highbridge station, a psychic called Magical Melanoma from Glastonbury, Buxom Babs the barmaid from The Olde Hook, Line and Sinker in Bridgwater, B&B & brothel owner Miss Miggins in West Pennard, and finally Polly Pops a posh pony breeder from Pylle. 

 

Deliberation Dave looks at the engine which is pottering about. He’s always amused by the random shunting moves and often how inefficient many of them are. Well, to his eyes anyway. 

 

Waving Waymond (one of Waving Wayne’s brothers) is on the ground giving instructions. Though he might simply be waving at someone or something out of shot to the right. It’s difficult to know. 

 

That’s Clive in the brakevan, he’s alway in it. And since his wife threw him out he’s been living in it for the last 6 weeks. Guards rostered to this van are often amused to find his freshly laundered underwear hanging off the wheel that operates the brakes, and his mattress in the corner near the stove. 

 

And finally Bob Geeza cat is standing just out of shot to the right, he not realising the the photographer is using a standard rather than his more usual wide angle lens.

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Never Trust the Cat

Deep in the Forest, a magnificent sunrise greets High Vis Harvey and Fluorescent Fred as they arrive on shift to start the engine. But as usual on a Tuesday they’ve lost the key to wind it up. Bob Geeza Cat is in shot all bright eyed and bushy tailed, he’s most likely involved. Never trust the cat...

Mixed Weather

The mixed weather (now known as 'very scary global warming, but if you buy and electric car, all will be good weather') in Little England continues, as the autumn firmly makes its mark. The last portion of the goods train which originated at Poole, passes Combwich shed, some of it being a consignment of empty French made mason jars for the local thriving moonshine industry and empty tins to be filled with the much sought after Combwich crab. 

 

Meanwhile Standard Class 3 tank engine number 5 sits on shed between duties, with the crew most likely having a cider or two in the nearby Royal Oak. You can just make out the pub roofline in the distance, it being just to the right of 53809’s chimney. 

 

Airfix kit aficionados will notice the similarity between the engine shed and the well loved kit. Allegedly the plastic kit was based on Combwich engine shed, with its distinctive ventilation fan being an old ship propeller salvaged from the sunken Good Ship Mermaid. I’m sure there’s a sea shanty in there somewhere. 

 

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The Railway Automotive Club

 

Back in the olden days when there were more railways than roads, if your car broke down you’d use the services of the Railway Automotive Club - aka RAC.

Here we have such an occurrence, as Beryl’s supercharged Austin Seven is returned to her nearest station after it blew a head gasket and cracked the sump doing 98mph on the A37 flying over the railway bridge next to Pylle Halt. 

 

Not many know this, but the halt was originally called East Pennard before being renamed in 1928 to reflect the fact that drivers complained of a sore bottom as they bounced over the hump backed railway bridge even at quite modest speeds - especially those suffering from piles. 

 

Later she’ll ask Harry the Hammer to sort the issue out, for there is nothing Harry can’t do with his hammer. Though she’s quite enjoying the tiny pale blue brand new 3 wheeled bubble car the RAC have loaned her as a courtesy car, for it is marginally drier in wet weather and has yet to smell of mildew. Back in olden times all cars would smell of mildew after 3 months, that and leaded petrol and engine oil as they marked their territory on the driveway. 

 

And finally one of the axle boxes is missing on the well wagon. Harry will sort it with a couple of taps of his mighty tool.

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Harman Phoenix 200

 

Some results from this new ‘quirky experimental’ Harman Phoenix 200 colour negative film made at the Ilford plant in Mobberley Cheshire. It’s definitely an ‘art’ film, with increased sensitivity to the warmer end of the spectrum, grain and limited anti halation layer. 

Box speed is supposedly 200 iso, but in reality it’s a 100 iso film as rated here. But could drop it further tbh. Probably not at every day film, but interesting nevertheless.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, so just shot a few images around the garden aiming for warmer coloured subjects that I’d read and seen suits the film well. Definitely a Marmite film, with very mixed reviews online, especially YouTube. I like Marmite with a dash of hot sauce on toast btw. 

Whilst I process my own B&W, I got Southsun lab to C41 process this set. Having done colour processing at college many years ago it’s not something I wish to get involved with, even with all the right gear it’s a real faff with processing temperatures around 40c and chemistry with very limited shelf life. 

Southsun provided these 25mp scans to download, which were nice and neutral so I could pop them through Adobe Lightroom to boost colour and contrast a little to suit my palette. When the negs arrive back shortly I’m keen to see how my scanning will compare, the film having a mauve colour mask rather than orange. 

Will I use it again? Possibly, it’s not something I’d use for my miniature photography, far too grainy and off the wall colour and contrast wise. But it could be interesting to use for some urban grot environmental photography, I imagine old brickwork and graffiti would respond well to it. Of course I could easily recreate what you see here shooting 100% digitally, but that’s rather too easy and throwaway. 

Zenit 12XP with 28, 58 and 135mm lenses.

Saturday Morning at Whitehall Halt

Saturday morning at Whitehall Halt, as Arthritic Arthur powers around the bend at breakneck speed with the 8.23 & 1/2am mixed goods from Hemyock to Tiverton Junction, there the wagonload behind his engine will be added to the 6.37am express milk and perishables train from Penzance.

Waving Wally waves at Arthur to slow down. For he has to collect a fresh consignment of country air which has just been loaded into the wagon. The air being destined for that there London.

In olden times, fresh country air destined for smokey towns and cities was always transported in open wagons, it helped to keep it fresh with the constant ventilation, thus avoiding a musty aroma upon arrival.

Alas, with forgetful Arthritic Arthur at the helm, the little train doesn’t stop, Arthur simply waving back at Waving Wally whilst shouting ‘see you in the pub later, it’s skittles night! To which Wally mutters to himself “no that was last night, and you were there with me.”

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From our Westminster commentator Hilary Gove-Tuckshop-Fugg

I posted this one a year ago, but I reckon it’s worth another punt even though we have new leaders, but they’re all much the same - mostly self serving incompetence…. Obvs not to be taken seriously…

Today’s post is written by our Westminster commentator Hilary Gove-Tuckshop-Fugg (with apologies to any northern readers who can read and might be offended or lefty leaning southerners who want to be offended on behalf of others). 

 

So without further ado, over to Hilary….

Here are are in ’The Grim North’, which curiously looks like the Somerset Levels, but I’m assured it is ‘northern’ - I mean, just look at all the smoke, that melancholic sky and steam lorry, not a Tesla in sight.

Today’s the launch of the new HS2 ‘Network North Rail’ service between Birmingham and some northern town or village known as Manchester. But one being, as you lot call ‘a namby-pamby’ southerner living in the Westminster area of ‘that there London’, I know little of such, so please excuse any ignorance by my behalf. 

 

Here’s the first train, and most stylish it is in those bright colours designed to brighten up your almost monochromatic soot stained landscape. And because we in the south imagine most of you walk, use bicycles or horse and carriage to get to work ’at t’mill’, you’ll I’m sure enjoy this extravagant nod to Victorian times when Britain was at its height. 

 

And if you look beyond the fine red carriage, which at a push can get 78 of you grubby lot in, there’s even an unmanned guard’s van for your pet whippets, pigeons and of course your small children employed in the mills and pits (though of course we’ve closed them all now). 

 

You’ve never had it so good, so stop moaning and get back to your bingo, vape and betting shops or whatever you do after a 19 hour shift in the frozen rag pudding factory.

 

Yours,

Hilary Gove-Tuckshop-Fugg

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38 years ago (and a bit)!!

6998 Burton Agnes Hall, with the Blackmore Vale Express, heads away from Salisbury destined for Yeovil Junction on a dull misty 5 October 1986.

 

I took it on my 1959 vintage Rolleicord Va loaded with Ektachrome 200 colour transparency 120 format film. The camera is still fully operational and used from time to time, and here it is posed on Fountain Colliery a few minutes ago. 

 

I bought the camera in November 1983 secondhand from City Photographic in Southampton. It’s funny how we remember these things.

 

I doubt many of today’s digital cameras will still work 38 years from now, the electronics almost certainly failing well before then. But there are enthusiasts who’ll want to keep such alive….

Early 2000s digital cameras have a bit of a following, and often with younger folk who’ve maybe only known mobile phones. The other day I saw a young woman who was probably only just twenty with a Nikon D1x from around the year 2000. And fashion conscious young chap at my local station wanted a photo of him and his pal as he thrust a mint 2006 vintage Canon G7 Powershot in to my grubby mitt. Naturally I obliged and commented on his choice of vintage digital camera. 

 

The same goes for film, when out and about it’s the younger people who are experiencing and championing film photography, maybe with grandad’s old SLR. And there’s certainly no problem getting film these days. It’s having quite a renaissance, as people rediscover those old cameras. Rollei and Pentax have recently released brand new 35mm cameras, reinforcing the photography equivalent of vinyl.

 

And finally, the Rolleicord featured here is currently loaded with Ilford HP5 film for further adventures....

 

Watercress Line Autumn Gala 2024

A few snaps taken at the Mid Hants Railway Autumn Steam Gala on Friday 4 October. 

 

Most try to avoid people in their shots, but looking back at my old stuff, the ones with people in are the most interesting. Just as well, for railway nuts love wandering in front of cameras pointing in their direction. But they are part of the scene and have as much right to be there as me, the railway wouldn’t exist without them. 

 

No prize winners here, but for me half the fun is digging out the old cameras and using them,  this camera dating from when day to day steam was still working on Britain's railways.

 

All taken on my 1966 vintage Mamiya C33 with 80mm Sekor lens. Kentmere 400. Home dev.

 

Click to enlarge as usual....