Warehouse Wednesday: Swiss coal transhipment

An interesting view from a couple of years ago in Switzerland. Approaching Thun on the boat, we passed by this gantry for moving coal from ships to railway wagons. Via a great big pile, presumably a stockpile. 

A quick look on Google maps gives another angle, although oddly, the gantry itself hardly shows up. The gantry spans four tracks, and well as poking out over the water to unload ships. 

It strikes me that this would be quite a slow way to move coal, and I wonder why the stuff isn't moved all the way by rail. Or in a mountainous country, is this too hard? 

Also, what is the coal for? Switzerland is known for extensive use of clean power. Who is burning this stuff? 

Regardless, this would make a fantastic model. Good luck if you fancy making it work in HO, though, there's not much structure to hide the mechanical parts!

It IS quicker by train

 

Spotted on Quorn station. Even if it's not quicker, at least you can have a snooze, or read a book...

Saturday Film Club: Toton Yard Hump-shunting 1950

An interesting film, made up of a lot of clips I think, showing Toton hump shunting yard in operation. A really fascinating thing to watch. 

Warehouse Wednesday: Bourn Brook

I was in Bournville, so of course I took the route from show to station, through the Cadbury factory. And yes, I did go in the shop, and no, I didn't buy anything. 

What I did collect, was a lot of photos of the buildings. We start with this one, The Bourn Brook. 

If you click on the top image, it will be blown up so you can take a proper look. The picture shows the scene in the days of the railway, and the sign is at the real spot. I'll be honest, I can't relate the two images - possibly, I am standing on the bridge shown in the drawing. The buildings shown, now replaced with a car park.

I don't think that anyone is going to build the whole of the factory, but Bourn Brook could be turned into a 3D picture, with the trains running over the bridge between hidden fiddleyards. Maybe not the most exciting operation, but maybe it could be automated. I bet at shows, you'd enjoy a good-sized audience watching the trains go by. 

Warehouse Wednesday: 7 1/4 tunnel

Tidying up on my computer, I found this photo of a tunnel mouth on the Heath Park Miniature Railways and Tramway in Cardiff, operated by the Cardiff Model Engineering Society. 

I was there to shoot a OO gauge layout, but couldn't resist a stroll around the very attractive Heath Park site. During the sunny months, the group operate regular trains around the 5 and 7 1/4 inch tracks. 

The Valley Railway Adventure

 

Last Saturday, I nipped over to Evesham Country Park, to buy some unfashionable shoes. While I was there, I couldn't resist watching the steam train in operation, and taking a few photos. 

I've always thought this would make a nice prototype for a model. There's plenty of it. The problem would be scratchbuilding the stock of course. 

 

For more details of the line, visit the website. 

Saturday Film Club: Toton Yard Hump-shunting 1950

Ahhh, the happy days when everyone thought railways had a real future moving freight. When you needed a super shunting yard to make things efficient. Not just loads of lorries. 

Saturday at Kidderminster

Between Christmas and New Year, I like to take a train ride to Kidderminster. It's nice to watch a few trains, browse the big book sale in the museum (also home of fabulous cake) and wander down to Footplate Models for a chat and nose around. 

Upon arrival, at the platform, I found "Hagley Hall," which is a Great Western chuffer. 

Next to it was 46 045, which I may well have spotted back in the 1980s. Not really sure I'm with the idea that rail blue is "heritage", but then like many people my age, I think the 1980s were only 20 years ago. 

09 107 was on shunting duties, bringing in the teak set of coaches. I like the way these have weathered and picked up a little dirt. I'm sure this is closer to how they would have operated in service. 

I love a Class 37, and 37 508 was sat in the bay platform, not doing anything. Not sure the livery does anything for it in my opinion, but it's none of my business. Whoever owns it, the loco looks tidy - not bad for a 62-year-old diesel loco!

As "Hagley Hall" departed, LMS Mogul 13268 arrived, and looked fantastic running through the smoke and steam from the departing train. 

After my book buying, lunch and Footplate trip, I returned to the station to find 37 415 waiting, anoyingly (for photos) beyond the end of the platform. It appeared to be working an enthusiast special, judging from those on board. 

So, not a bad trip. Six different, and interesting locomotives. According to the information board, there was a heritage DMU floating around, but I didn't manage to catch sight of that.  A good way to get some festive fresh air!

Defunct battery charger

 

Spotted beside Platform 4 at Leamington station, this (presumably) defunct DMU battery charger. 

I'm sure someone can give chapter and verse on these things, there's probably an enthusiasts society, but I just know they have been in residence for many years.

What caught my eye was the ivy growing over the top of it. I love modelling ivy, it hides all sorts of dodgy workmanship on model buildings, and blends things into the countryside really well, naturally softening hard edges. I'd never considered it on something like this, but I will in the future. 

Once this was the future of course. Now it's just old junk. We all go that way eventually, I suppose.  

 

By diesel to Port Erin

 

Looking for some photos for a magazine article, I found these from 2014. I'm not sure what is rarer, Isle of Man Railways diesel No.21 actually working, or the load, a collection of Peel microcars!

The loco has disgraced itself, and spent the last few years on blocks in the bus station car park. The reasons behind this are complicated, but largely stem from politicians trying to do something on the cheap, and ending up with a machine from a dubious firm, apparently. 

Whatever, this was one interesting train. A collection of Peel cars - P50's (including the prototype) and Tridents. 

 

Saturday Film Club: New York Central's Mercury: An Art Deco Masterpiece

A quick look at some stunning American locomotives. I could get into collecting models of these - they are beautiful! 

Warehouse Wednesday - Coaling cranes

How do you get the coal in a great big Harz Railway steam engine? Not with some sort of Carnforth-style coaling stage, but using one of a pair of electric coaling cranes!

While I was watching, the crane with a taller cab was in use. This is preferred as you can see the bunker on the loco. Sadly, I don't seem to have taken a photo of the operation, but the coal is lifted in a grab and dropped straight into the bunker. This didn't take that long while I watched, although I have no idea how full it was before they started. 

I know these are electrically operated as there is a fat cable running from the back of each. It seems loosely laid on the ground. It looks heavy, but I assume it has to be dragged around by the crew occasionally to stop the crawler tracks running over it as the crane moves around.  

Digging around on the web, I found a 3D printable model! 

Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH (HSB)

Time for one of the big events of my trip - a visit to the Harz Mountains railway. 

Home to several honking great big 2-10-2 tank engines, this is one of those lines that railway enthusiasts are required to have on their bucket lists. I won't disagree, but it's worth doing a lot more research than I managed before a visit. 

Arriving in the late afternoon, I enjoyed watching the locos being put to bed. They are the size of a British express engine, but running on metre gauge track. Seeing a couple of vintage (I think) diesels was a bit of a surprise, but that makes sense. This railway has to run day in and day out. I'm told by people who know more than I, that it's very much part of the public transport infrastructure as well as a tourist line. 

Anyway, my trip included 114 Euros worth of three-day pass that covered two of the three lines that make up the system. A supplement is payable for the Brocken branch, which is the exciting bit up the mountain that tourists love. 

Of course, because my train was late, the HSB office had closed for the day, and I couldn't swap the travel company note for the pass. But then I wanted to get to my hotel anyway, so I satisfied myself with a few photos.  

Day two dawned, and I headed back to the office. Now, the timetable is confusing for a stupid person like me. I would assume that as the locos work out of Wernigerode, all trains would start there. But no, the Selketaltbahn line, is treated separately and I couldn't work out how it appeared on the timetable. 

No problem. Modern technology to the rescue. I simply asked ChatGPT. It advised me that I could go to the office and ask, they would be used to helping enthusiasts with just this sort of question. Logically, this makes sense. 

At the office, when it opened, the first problem was that no one behind the counter spoke any English. The second was that the queue of around ten people displeased them. The two ladies were well grumpy, so a monolingual tourist proffering a letter, in English, from a tour company, didn't go down well. After being ordered to sign a couple of times, I got my pass, but it was pretty obvious that timetable equiries were out of the question. 

Fine, I decided to grab the first train out. This was for Brocken, but I could change at Drei Annen Hohne station for a trip to Nordhausen Nord. A long run, and I like travelling by train. What could go wrong? 

The train was advertised as steam-hauled, but as it was we had the diesel. It produced plenty of clag, which makes the idea of "decarbonising" with them seem a bit odd. 

At Drei Annen Hohne, I changed for a railcar. Now, I like railcars, and these are a bit different from UK trains, so I looked forward to enjoying the scenery. 

 

Sadly, the scenery isn't that exciting. Yes, it's hilly, but either covered in pines, or pines that have fallen over. After an hour, I was getting bored. Careful examination of the timetable made me realise that I could hop off the railcar, and catch a steam-hauled train back to Wernigerode. 

Bouncing around on the open platform at the end of the train allowed me to smell the steam, and take a few photos as we rounded the bends. This was good fun, and returned me to the station in early afternoon. A little unexcited, I took a trip to the Miniature Park "Little Harz" for the rest of the day - a visit well worth the 1.2km hike to get there. 

Day three. The plan was to grab a bus to Quedlingburg, and take the train back to Wernigerode. According to ChatGPT, I could taken the 8:57 bus, and meet the train with half an hour to spare. 

Except that on Saturday, there is a 7:57 bus (too early when breakfast starts at 7:30) and a 9:57 bus, which gets you to the station in time to miss the train by 20 minues.

"Good spot" says ChatGPT when I find this out - at the bus station. My response is not suitable for a family blog...

So, another plan. Since the weather was a bit drizzly, I started with a stroll to the workshop. I thought this was a railway museum, it isn't, it's just the chance to spend 7 Euros to go up to a viewing gallery over the cleanest workshop you have ever seen. 

 

Interesting, and along the way, I did take the chance to join the other middle-aged men with cameras and photograph trains from an overbridge just outside of the station. 

And this is the essential truth - steam railways like this are more fun to watch, and photograph than ride on. 

Workshop visited, it was back to the station for a steam-hauled trip to Drei Annen Hohne. On arrival, it turned out there were two locos waiting in the loops, so I jumped off and took photos in the drizzle. 

 

This was all very exciting, except that it meant I'd be trapped on the station for around 90 minutes, with only the gift shop/ticket office and cafe to entertain me. There's pretty much nothing there apart from a outdoor BBQ stand a few minutes walk away. 

No problem, it was lunchtime, and this being Germany, some sausage bap was on offer from the cafe. I ordered a small beer at the same time, and then nearly came unstuck. Cash is king in parts of the country, including this one. I had enough for the sausage, but the beer? There was an uncomfortable moment as I scrabbled around in my pockets for enough coins to cover the bill, as the lady glared at me as she'd uncapped the beer. I had enough, just, but was a little annoyed, as I could see a card reader on the counter behind her. If they took cards, I'd have had some cake too...

Eventually, the wait was over, and this time I decided that it would be more exciting to travel on the open balcony of the coach next to the steam engine. 

This is something I've not really had the chance to do before. Sadly, most of the route is downhill, so the loco wasn't working hard, but it was still a bit special, and worth being out in the wet for. 

My final destination was to be Wernigerode Westerntor station, on the edge of town. There's a sort of railway museum there, although all the rolling stock is behind stern signs telling you not to go near it!

Another souvenir shop too, where I picked up some beer for the evening. 

Finally, as I caught the train to my next stop the following day, I was able to watch the locos being prepared, well worth a look as there is a handy viewing platform to provide a good vantage point, and to corral enthusiasts and stop them wandering all over the place. 

So, what did I learn? 

• The HSB is worth a visit, but perhaps not as essential as I thought. I enjoyed it, and I'm glad I went, but wished for a lot more research before heading off. An organised tour would be a better bet I suspect as you'd have the services of an expert guide. At the very least, get your head around the timetables for both buses and trains. The staff can't help you, unless your German is very good. 
• ChatGPT is rubbish. What's the point of something providing advice when you have to double-check every single fact it spews out? Sorry James, I'm not impressed with the whole AI thing. 
• My Pixel 9 phone takes really good photos, often better than my Canon 100D DSLR. 
• Take plenty of cash. There were many occasions when cards weren't accepted, including when buying stamps!

Still, I have been, and I have done it, and it was time to move on to the next stop, Wuppertal...

You can see more of my HSB photos over on Flickr. 

Veinenburg railway museum

Perceived wisdom is that British trains are always late, while those in Europe run to time. This isn't true, as I found out when travelling from Aachen to Wernigerode. My ICE arrived over 20 minutes late at it's destination, the result being me stranded at Veinenburg for over an hour, waiting for the final train of my day. 

At first, this looked a bit grim. The town wasn't immediately apparent from the station, and the platforms were adorned with little more than the most basic shelters. 

Needless to say, I wandered around a bit. My first discovery was the local library in the main station building. Nice, but not that useful, although there is a lovely loco-shaped storage box. 

A little further down the platform, there was some old rolling stock, including a Jung diesel, which looks a lot like a resin-body loco kit I bought many years ago. It was attached to some wagons, and there were a few bits of railway ephemera around, including a hut and water crane. Google Streeview makes it look particularly appealing. 

It turned out that this is a railway museum. A bit more digging tells me that on the right day, there is much more to see, including a model railway.  Of course, it was closed. 

Fortunately, despite the door also being closed, the station cafe was open, and I was able to grab a drink and some cake. 

A couple of postcards too - because I love sending postcards. Admittedly, when I wrote them, I wasn't quite sure how I'd get to my new stop, but I crossed my fingers and placed my faith in the DB railways app. 

There are a few more photos on Flickr. 

Germany 2025

While you've been enjoying my posts, and possibly wondering why they were a little more random than usual, I've been on my travels. 

A few months ago, I read that there is a plan to "decarbonise" the Harz Mountain Railway in Germany. This, I assume, means fewer steam engines and more diesels. Now, I'd always had it in mind that this was a line I'd like to visit one day, so perhaps this day was arriving? 

Over the last year, a few events have made me realise that life is short. Perhaps I need to seize the day a bit. Blow a chunk of savings on ticking off a few places I want to visit, and just get stuff done. My trip to Switzerland last year worked well, and I had been pondering taking another with the same company. 

Sadly, the Harz trips didn't work for me with the show calendar, so I dropped Ffestiniog Travel a line and asked what they could do. After a little discussion, a rough itinerary was supplied, along with an invoice. My plan included both the Harz, and, more importantly, the Wuppertal. Riding the Schwebebahn has been on my "bucket list" for decades. All the travel was to be by train, because this is the best way to move around, if not the cheapest. 

Anyway, in a week the plan was Eurostar to Brussels and then on to Aachen for my first night. After that, some more ICE action to Wernigerode for three nights, so allow me to experience the HSB. After that, back on the train to Wuppertal for a couple of nights, followed by a reasonably epic dash back home. 

I'll be honest, I was worried about doing all this. I speak no German, and while the itinerary was very comprehensive, I was on my own, albeit with limited support from the travel office. However, the fact that I'm writing this tells you I made it. And will now bring you some edited highlights over the next few (OK, many) days. 

And in case anyone is wondering why I didn't save cash by booking this all myself, preferring to use an old-fashioned travel agent, it's simple. For a start, I'm not confident about ticking all the boxes. More to the point, left to my own devices, I simply wouldn't get around to it. There's always something more important to do. Let's face it, I felt guilty enough about taking the time off as it was. No, I needed to be able to say, "Get me here, here and here" and have someone who knows what they are doing sort out the details. Which is pretty much how it worked out. 

 

Warehouse Wednesday: Whitley Bay station, and a K4!

 

Thanks to Duncan for his photos taken around Whitley Bay station. The building is impressive, and interesting to see the addition of the Metro sign on the front - a subtle addition that doesn't IMHO detract from the architecture. 

But, this isn't the exciting bit. While there, he found a K4 telephone box!

The K4 wasn't a great success. A large lump of a box, it is fitted with a stamp machine. The trouble was that even if sufficient space could be found for one, the stamps tended to get damp, and stick together. When the machine was being used, it was so noisy, talking on the telephone in the box wasn't possible. 

Only 50 examples were installed, and most have vanished, so finding one "in the wild" is exciting. I've only ever seen them in preservation. 

You can see the box on Google Street View. Duncan tells me the phone is out of use, but as these boxes are all Grade II listed, presumably it will need to be restored. 

Saturday Fim Club: Snow Hill Tunnel secrets

I was one of those who walked through the tunnel in 1987. I still have the certificate somewhere!

Marston, Thompson & Evershed Ltd

Just over a week ago, I enjoyed a day out on the Foxfield Railway - part of this involved a ride up and down the line on this Hawthorne Leslie. 

The cab is tiny, and there were four of us in there - driver, fireman, trainee fireman and me. This meant a few minutes of toastie legs when the fire hole doors were open!

Of course, now I've had a cab ride, I feel the need for a model version. 

It's no great surprise that one is available, mainly because the driver that day was Richard from Footplate models. When you are a regular on the footplate, and Dapol bring out a model, commissioning one in the colours you know is an obvious move. 

This happened a few years ago, but a polite enquiry had them digging in the back of the cupboard, and I'm now the happy owner of a model. 

All this means, I now have two things. The first is a shirt with an oily, greasy black line on the back, steam loco cabs not being the cleanest place in the world. 

Second, a surplus red Hawthorne Leslie locomotive. It's still boxed, and no more than test run. If you would be interested in providing this (to quote every eBay listing) RARE and UNUSUAL model a home for about £95, drop me a line.  

Saturday Film Club: The Greatest Gathering, Ever!

I didn't go to "The Greatest Gathering" - part of me wishes I had, but my brain was elsewhere when the tickets went on sale, and if I'm honest, I'd forgotten about it until the event kicked off. 

 Never mind, Geoff Marshall, always a safe pair of hands, takes us around the event.  

Saturday Film Club: Shunting at Its Simplest: The Simplex Locomotive

My mate Ant has been out with his camera again. This time to look at a Simplex shunter.