Flangeway Clearances

Wednesday at Moorewood  Colliery. The morning goods hauled by ex GWR Collett No. 3206 of Templecombe shed trundles along the mainline, which since the takeover of the line by the Western Region of BR has become a regular performer. 

Meanwhile at the colliery, Hubert the Conversational Latin speaking horse is preparing to chase Barry Bullhead from the ministry of Misery off site. I’m not quite sure of the developing issue here, but Mr Bullhead does ruffle feathers regularly, or horse hair in this case. 

Meanwhile Reg, Clive and Egbert discuss flangeway clearances, their favourite subject and always a winning chat up line with the ladies down the Wheeltappers & Shunters. Needless to say for some reason, despite being late middle aged they’re still single and live at home with ‘mother’, though in Clive and Egbert’s case ‘mother’ is in the cellar under the trainset, she has been for many years and never complains. 

~~~😳~~~

Help support the regular nonsense… www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

Super Shiny Saturday!

It’s Super Shiny Saturday!

At the little known Moorewood Colliery, high up in the Mendip Hills, it would appear that management have been out splashing the cash again with the arrival of a super shiny bright red engine that looks more like something you’d see on the rides at the fairground. 

Deliberation Dave thinks it’s a little too twee for a colliery engine which will mostly be pushing and pulling wagons about loaded with coal and occasionally potatoes for moonshine production. And why is the engine named after an Italian cheese frequently grated over spaghetti bolognaise he thinks to himself. 

To the right, snivelling little tick Neil who’s always taking the knee at any excuse, is in awe of the shiny smokebox door for some reason. And being super submissive, he’s looking forward to polishing the engine unpaid outside work hours at the command of his boss even though it won’t need the full up and under every day. 

Next to the steam roller, Waving Willy is waving at something out of shot to the right, but he always waves, so it’s probably not significant, but you my reader might have some suggestions, so fire away….

And finally, Rufus Hound is covering for Bob Geeza Cat (who is currently on holiday in Kathmandu), posing in just the right spot to balance the composition. Bob taught Rufus everything he needs to know. Such a clever dog 🐾

~~~😳~~~

You can chuck Bob a Sov or two here for being such a good trainer … www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

Thinking Cap

That familiar engine has escaped Shrewsbury engine shed again and is in dire need of having its water replenished. But alas things could be rather explosive, for the local moonshiners have recently requisitioned the tank for storage of their illicit liquor. 

As we we can see, Deliberation Dave up there on the engine has his thinking cap on. It’s very much an analogue device made from old clock parts, knicker elastic, and needs constant winding up with a small key. It’s amazing what you can get in a thinking cap these days, oh the wonders of the modern world. 

We’ve not seen arthritic Arthur for a while, but there he is about to stagger off and find a bucket so he can top up the engine with some local cryptosporidium infected water (a much sought West Country tincture keen with those wishing to lose a few pounds). Hopefully someone here will give him a hand, though looking at this shower that’s unlikely, apart from maybe Rufus Hound, however carrying buckets of water could be quite a challenge for him, but he is a very clever dog 🐾

This is a new work in progress scene currently being built, with the centrepiece of this shot being a kit-bashed ‘Ratio 506’ water tower. The main modification being the additional of a roof replacing the supplied (and rather too fiddly) walkway and railings. 

~~~😳~~~

And finally, if you enjoy these posts… www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

Cryptosporidium

In several parts of the West Country in Little England, the water supply is currently contaminated with cryptosporidium waterborne parasites. So the inch high have been advised not to drink the water, even though many of them are made from resin, plastic and pewter. 

Because of this, and with moonshine being plentiful, the little people and even the horses who are normally known for common sense have replaced their intake water with the intoxicating liquor. 

Scenes like this are currently quite regular, with all sorts of crazy antics going on, and most unusually from the normally placid Hubert the conversational Latin speaking horse who’s taken a liking for driving tractors along railway lines. 

~~~😳~~~

If you enjoy these posts… www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

WW2 Reenactment - Village at War (part 2 of 2)

And here we we have my second roll of freshly processed film, from 'Village at War' reenactment at The Rural Life Living Museum from Sunday 12 May 2024

Rolleicord Vb, Kodak Tri-X 400, dev'd in 510 Pyro. Click images to enlarge 

See my post from the other day here https://nevardmedia.blogspot.com/2024/05/ww2-reenactment-village-at-war.html

Inspired by Titfield Thunderbolt Thursday

 Inspired by Titfield Thunderbolt Thursday! 

Before the famous loco was called ‘Titfield’ and later on ‘Thunderbolt’ it was known an ‘Lion’. And here we see this mighty beast heading away from stormy skies over the crossing at Catcott with ‘The Bog Express’ which ran every Thursday between Evercreech Junction and Burnham on Sea and return across the Somerset Levels. 

Those in the land of the inch high love this train, even though they never travel on it, and here we witness many of our favourite chums waving the mighty sight through travelling at a groundbreaking 22 miles per hour. 

Today, with the train moving rather faster than normal, this is mainly because without a cab roof and the impending rainstorm things could get rather damp on the footplate. They say that we were tougher in olden times, which is complete nonsense, especially if you’re a cat, and whilst Bob Geeza Cat is a bit of a geezer, like all cats he hates the rain. 

~~~😳~~~

If you enjoy these posts… www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

WW2 Reenactment - Village at War (part 1 of 2)

A handful of shots grabbed on Sunday at 'Village at War' at The Rural Life Living Museum near Farnham. I used Ilford Ortho 80 Plus which is an old style film not sensitive to red light, a type which was still regularly used 80 years ago. I used my Rolleicord Vb, which whilst a post-war camera has a Xenar 80mm f3.5 lens, a design which dates from 1919 based on the Tessar from 20 years before that which helps that old school vibe.

Click to enlarge…

See my second set of images here https://nevardmedia.blogspot.com/2024/05/ww2-reenactment-village-at-war-part-2.html

The Hygiene Police

Just a regular Sunday down the docks, with Nasal Nigel and Adenoidal Andrew hanging around the public lavatory showing each other their TT scale Flying Scotsman locos. Such innocent days with PC Rob Banks from the Hygiene Police passing by to check that they’ve washed their hands after using the facilities.

Not The Northern Lights

 #notthenorthernlights Dizzy Lizzie calls across to Barry Bullhead “are those the Northern Lights?”, to which Nasal Nigel buts in with his irritating know-all voice and squeaks “No, that’s a stock sunset sky dropped in using the ‘Sky Replacement Tool’ in Photoshop, everyone knows that!” 

Meanwhile Hubert the conversational Latin speaking horse mutters “omne fun te amet homunculum spolias” (you spoil all the fun you boring little man).

Counting Sheep

Wednesday morning at Combwich, and keen amateur cloud spotters Michael Storm and Freddy Fish watch the engine run around the train that recently arrived from Evercreech Junction. 

Once ready, it will form the 10am return to Evercreech Junction, which for those who don’t know is in the middle of nowhere, it serving a quiet pub and 9 sheep, none of which ever plan to travel by train, and certainly not to Combwich - the sheep that is, not the pub. 

Meanwhile the 10.02am bus to Taunton waits on the station forecourt, its passengers being mostly the recently retired without hobbies who’ve suddenly discovered that life has become rather dull. So for them, a day out in Taunton is indeed exciting, but maybe not as exciting as the prospect of morning at Evercreech Junction counting sheep in the fields around the station. 

~~~👀~~~

If you enjoy these posts… www.buymeacoffee.com/Nevardmedi3

Watercress Line Spring Steam Gala 2024

A few photos grabbed at Ropley from the The Watercress Line spring steam gala. Saturday 27 April 2024. Click to enlarge 

Taken with a vintage Mamiya C33 (dating from 1966), 80mm f2.8 Sekor and a 1951 vintage Zeiss Nettar. Kodak Tri-X 400 (B&W film).