Andrew

This has been an unusual Christmas, as it was the first time in many years that I didn't need anything for the railway from Father Christmas or the family. Instead, I need time to run it and work on it, not more kit. But I do recall that Christmas 1962 was particularly exciting. My railway (which then was Hornby Dublo, 3-rail) saw the arrival of a much needed freight loco, the ex-LMS Stanier 8F 2-8-0 model. There were one or two hiccups at the time. Firstly there was a delay because the model my father had been sold turned out not to be the more recent ring field motored version which I wanted, so that had to be exchanged at the shop. Once the right version was acquired, somehow the plastic coupling on the rear of the tender got broken in transit, requiring the loco to be sent back to Meccano for repair. But eventually, some time after that Christmas, we were in business, and what a great model it was at the time. Within ten years I had managed to find someone to swap me a 2-rail chassis for my 3-rail one, so then we were all set for the future. But the following four decades saw life intervene, and the loco was confined to its box. At last the loco has been able to come into its own on the DGR. There are some photos two years ago on this thread: https://www.oogardenrailway.co.uk/index.php?/topic/354-the-dorking-garden-railway/&do=findComment&comment=13058 or a couple of pictures here:

Here's a new video of a garden railway operating despite the 'snow' - although it is gauge 1: https://youtu.be/GoQtZP3RC50

The latest excellent Duck End Railway video, once again starring Cyril and Daisy - and featuring LOTS OF SNOW - is here: The site for the railway itself is here: http://duckendrailway.co.uk/

Yes, petroleum jelly seems to be preventing them from rusting solid so far.

Back in the late summer I noticed something had been vandalising one of my Peco buffer stops: Good job each side was pinned down. But I decided a more robust solution was needed. This seems to have done the trick: Of course, another solution would have been to extend the headshunt to form double track all round - but that requires rather more work.

A less than personable visitor (the loco, that is!) Yesterday saw a return visit by Ivatt 2-6-0 tender loco number 43018. In her original double-chimney version she sadly doesn't win any beauty contests: But she ably hauled an impressive load of ten bogie parcels vans, seen here on Foxdale Bank: Here she is running tender-first with the return working on Sycamore Curve: And again, appearing anachronistic in her British Railways livery but hauling private owner wagons: Moving to a different Mogul, here my resident Southern N Class catches the late afternoon sun on the Northern Viaduct:

OLD PHOTOS Yesterday I dug out some old lineside photos, mostly 35mm slides from the 1950s, and was pleasantly surprised at how little the colours have faded! This is Jubilee 45611 carefully negotiating the pointwork as it passes Throstlebeck Sidings. Here's the same loco caught on Foxdale Bank Not sure who took this old B&W print. It may have been famous railway photographer Ivo Peters, judging from the Bentley in the foreground. It's a BR Standard Class 4MT on a goods train, obviously at Throstlebeck Sidings once again - maybe one of Ivo's favourite spots! This is another of my old 35mm slides; a goods train crossing the Northern Viaduct, probably hauled by a Standard 4-6-0.

Germany once more David again dug into his seemingly inexhaustible supply of German locomotives to bring some previously unseen examples into the light of day. Here a Prussian 0-8-0 pilots an unidentified Class 50 2-10-0 across the Northern Viaduct Prussian 0-8-0 and Pacific: and a somewhat cleaner Pacific:

Southern Memories David H. brought a few guest locos to visit last week, and these nostalgic photographs ensued. Did the sun always shine in the 1950s? This is an S15 and a BR 4MT at Northdown Sidings: The Wrenn version of "Clan Line" is still an excellent runner, even if it can't hold its own against modern equivalents with regard to detail. Seen here running from Sycamore Curve onto Foxdale Bank: This is a Lord Nelson class loco, "Lord Anson", complete with bogie tender, passing Sycamore Lodge in dappled sunshine: