The 10%

Only around 10% of posts are seen by followers here unless you’re a regular. It’s an alcoholrhythm thing I gather and way beyond my understanding (okay, I could Google such, but cannot be ar&ed). So, here’s a post from this day 3 years ago which most won’t have seen first time around….. and cue..

It’s lunchtime outside The Miners Arms. The posh girls Liz & Margo meet up for a spin in Beryl’s new toy, it might be a tight squeeze. Liz, Margo and Beryl met at finishing school in Switzerland many moons ago and have kept in touch ever since, mostly due to their liking of gin and proper working men.

Comical Ned (with the funny shaped head) is hoping to be invited, he’s had ‘a thing’ for Beryl for years. He’s a rather big chap, so there’s no way he’ll be able to join ’the girls’ on their jolly - it looks like another lonely pint when the pub opens in 5 minutes. All together, 1, 2, 3…….

On the left, local bounder and cad, Terry Tuttle-Thomas-Smythe eyes up the scene. He recently bought Beryl’s ancient Austin 7, not because he wanted it (he’s more of an Austin Healey 3000 kind of chap), it was simply a ploy to try to get in to Beryl’s pantaloons “Oh, hello ladies”. 

In the distance Nasal Nigel looks on from one of his favourite elevated spots. His bus-spotting green flasher-mac is primed and ready for speedy deployment after placing petroleum jelly on the button holes. 

And finally, keen railway modellers Edwin and Colin watch the engine pass through whilst they discuss the intricacies of rail flangeway clearances in EM gauge.

Slippery Rails

Bill and Ben watch Harry Hunslet propel a short rake of empties up the 1 in 20 grade into the colliery. A good run up generally ensures success, though too much speed can result in the occasional derailment.  

On cold wet days when the track is extra slippery, an additional engine is occasionally used, a popular sight much enjoyed by the drinkers in The Pedant & Armchair pub to the right. There is always much squealing on such days from the regulars as they nurse their warm half pints of flat shandy sustained with jam and pickled onion sandwiches made by ‘mother’. 

Note the former private owner ‘Denaby’ coal wagon but with a British Railways numbering, this was not an uncommon sight in the olden days when money wouldn’t be wasted repainting wagons soon to be scrapped. 

Meanwhile the omnipresent Bob Geeza Cat is keeping an eye on things, I wonder what he has planned?

And finally, this photo was going to be posted yesterday on Monochrome Monday, but I didn’t process the film in time which is Ilford HP5 through a 55mm Micro Nikkor on my Nikkormat which dates from the steam era. 

~~~🐾~~~

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Dog Whisperer 🐾

I was the temporary custodian of the latest Bachmann Johnson 1P 0-4-4 last week. So once I’d done all my official photography for a well-known retailer, I couldn’t resist popping it on Catcott for a snap where it looks most at home even it its shiny ex works factory finish. 

On the real line to Highbridge these locos were regular performers through to the mid/late 1950s. Sadly none were preserved, for they’d be ideal for a heritage railway, but in the 1950s preservation had yet to take off in a big way. 

Next to the gates, that’s Dougie the dog whisperer deep in conversation with Rufus Hound by the way. They’re midway through a conversation about chewing raw bones, sniffing bumholes, chasing cats and rabbits.

Yellow Peril

In full sized England today it’s rather dull, though it has been like this for months now. So here’s a bit of colour in the land of the inch high to cheer us up. 

A couple of days ago, Taunton Fairwater Yard’s freshly painted Ruston PWM ‘Yellow Peril’ and a couple of wagons went missing and have strangely appeared here at Brew Street this morning. 

Former ice cream makers Ben & Gerry, now turned security bods after selling their ‘artisan’ business to a soap manufacturer, appear to have apprehended the short colourful train. 

The ballast wagon is carrying potatoes for a moonshine mash and the brakevan-cum-ballast-plough-thingamajig at the rear has a bubbling still inside, making it a nice warm boozy place to be on these dull cold featureless never-ending grey days. 

However a favourable deal will soon be struck in exchange for a blind eye to the nefarious mobile moonshine activities in the form of a crate of bottled hooch. For Rufus Hound is excellent at playing the room (or wharf in this case) with his sultry ‘love me’ doggy eyes. Such a clever dog 🐾

Mobile Refreshment

Back in olden times most engines would carry a cask of beer, this was so crews and railway workers could have regular rehydration whilst going about their hot sweaty work. 

Harry Hunslet brings his engine to a halt as Malcolm standing next to the water tower patiently waits so he can have a glug of thirst quenching ale from the wooden cask on the engine which is quite likely laced with moonshine for that extra energising kick. 

But sadly during the Beeching Report designed to make the railways less of a burden on the tax payer and more productive, this popular practice ended. Though unofficially it carried on at railway backwaters, but no longer funded by the railway.

20 Years Ago!

Some full sized stuff from 20 years ago to the day on 18 Feb 2005. Twenty years ago - crickey! Being digital capture, they look like they were taken yesterday, it certainly feels like that. 

A few snaps from the footbridge at Worting Junction near Basingstoke where the Exeter line forks away from the line to Southampton and beyond. This was the last few months of the old ‘slam door’ third rail electrics, so having been ignored for most of their lives we started to point our cameras at them in anticipation of their demise. 

It’s still possible to take photos from this bridge, though I must admit I’ve not been there for over a decade. I recall that 9 times out of ten there’d be another ‘spotter with camera. I’m not sure about these nervous days though, where everyone is so neurotic about seeing a stranger with a camera and long lens, especially the younger generation. 

See each pic for caption. Oh yes, and the can tech ‘cuz I know there are a few camera geeks here like me. Nikon D70, Nikkor 80/200 AFD f2.8 zoom.

66570 on 4O54 Leeds to Southampton Freightliner. 18 Feb 2005 Worting Junction.

2133 heading south. Sorry I don’t know the working. Someone here will I’m sure. 18 Feb 2005 Worting Junction

66018 on the daily 7Y39 Hoo Junction to Eastleigh departmental working. I believe this is still a regular working. 18 Feb 2005 Worting Junction. The field to the right is a huge housing estate now.

VEP 3516 London Waterloo bound in SWT Stagecoach livery. 18 Feb 2005 Worting Junction

66096 on the daily 6M44 Eastleigh to Wembley with what appear to be clay slurry tanks possibly from Quidhampton. 18 Feb 2005 Worting Junction

3810 London bound still in BR Network Southeast livery. 18 Feb 2005 Worting Junction

Fruitful Thursday

Just another fruitful Thursday in the land of the inch high. Officers Mouldy and Scullery looking on from afar are not to be feared. Getting from over there to here would be quite a challenge starting with a 25’ drop, a busy railway line, brambles, a stinking pond, a glutinous muddy bank, then a scary cat and dog. 

And if that’s not enough, Nasal Nigel is likely to be hiding under the poisonous apple tree fiddling with his TT gauge Flying Scotsman, not a pretty sight and something you never be able to unsee.

Perfect Spot

 Here we are high up in the Mendip Hills at a little known former colliery. 

The inch high moonshine collective led by various people all striving for their own gain much like politicians, appear to have Barry Bullhead from The Ministry of Madness in charge today. Though regulars will know that the red car is owned by local cad, bounder, ladies’ man and loveable con-artist Terry Tuttle-Thomas-Smythe who also appears to be in charge when Barry isn’t. Though never on Sundays for some reason. 

But since the alien abduction of a week or two ago, things are a tad confusing. For could TTTS be in fact residing in Barry Bullhead’s body? And over to the right, we have Waving Willy clutching the tender/cab handrail with his waving hand, this is indeed most odd for Willy has been waving 24/7 since the age of 18 months, maybe earlier. We’ll just blame the little green men. 

Much like in our full sized world we can be sure of nothing in the land of the inch high, but this disused boiler pump house used to pump surplus water from the deep network of tunnels below is a perfect spot for a new moonshine production facility. 

With a little fiddling, the pump house will soon be working again producing enough steam to heat several moonshine stills at the same time. There is of course also water, though is is bright orange due to the high iron content, but this can be a dubious marketing opportunity much exploited by other beverage producers pushing various unfounded claims. 

And finally, it is rail-connected with the rest of the network, the ‘borrowed’ S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 being used to check the old line which strangely enough has never been disconnected. But where is the cat?