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New to the forum 30/11/2010 at 20:31 #2060
podgekate
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5 posts 		I started on the railways way back in 1954, as a train recorder at Ordsall Lane No 4 signal box, then I went on to do 2 years national service.
After national service I had my first signal box, Patricroft sidings (Manchester to liverpool line) after that (18 months) I went main line at Barton Moss junction SB, this was a 30 lever frame controling the 4 lines from Manchester to Liverpool then 2 lines over Chat Moss. I left in 1960, but I have always had that railway blood in me.
From records the SB was burnt down in 1990, and up to that point was a block between Eccles and Astley with just an up and down line.
To date the block now runs from Manchester Piccadilly - Eccles - Astley - then Warrington power box takes over,Makes me feel so sad, is this what they call progress?
podgekate.
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New to the forum 30/11/2010 at 20:31 #12719
podgekate
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5 posts 		I started on the railways way back in 1954, as a train recorder at Ordsall Lane No 4 signal box, then I went on to do 2 years national service.
After national service I had my first signal box, Patricroft sidings (Manchester to liverpool line) after that (18 months) I went main line at Barton Moss junction SB, this was a 30 lever frame controling the 4 lines from Manchester to Liverpool then 2 lines over Chat Moss. I left in 1960, but I have always had that railway blood in me.
From records the SB was burnt down in 1990, and up to that point was a block between Eccles and Astley with just an up and down line.
To date the block now runs from Manchester Piccadilly - Eccles - Astley - then Warrington power box takes over,Makes me feel so sad, is this what they call progress?
podgekate.
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New to the forum 30/11/2010 at 20:38 #12720
UKTrainMan
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1803 posts 		Welcome!

Interesting 'Life story'(?), I'm sure you'll get along well with others on here who are also fans of the 'olden days'.
Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for.
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New to the forum 02/12/2010 at 12:55 #12749
kbarber
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1712 posts 		Yep; (self-proclaimed) hon dinosaur here... still pine for the days when levers & block bells were the norm (& still wishing someone in Simsig will create core code for a proper manual frame/absolute block system - if the panels are anything to go by it'll knock the opposition into a cocked hat!) Welcome Podgekate
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New to the forum 11/12/2010 at 16:19 #12864
podgekate
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5 posts 		Thanks for your welcome chaps, Yes! I do miss the old block and levers.
O" Well!
Podgelate.
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New to the forum 11/12/2010 at 20:54 #12871
Signalhunter
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177 posts 		podgekate said:
Thanks for your welcome chaps, Yes! I do miss the old block and levers.
O" Well!
Podgelate.
I love playing with Midland Rotary block instruments. AB beats TCB any/every day of the year.
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New to the forum 12/12/2010 at 19:46 #12879
jc92
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3631 posts 		Signalhunter said:
I love playing with Midland Rotary block instruments. AB beats TCB any/every day of the year.
amen midland all the way. nothing beats a tumbler and rotary block
"We don't stop camborne wednesdays"
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New to the forum 13/12/2010 at 10:16 #12881
kbarber
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1712 posts 		jc92 said:
Signalhunter said:
I love playing with Midland Rotary block instruments. AB beats TCB any/every day of the year.
amen midland all the way. nothing beats a tumbler and rotary block :)

Rotary: now you're talking... gorgeous. Happy memories of rotary block over short sections at Finchley Road before West Hampstead took over.

But I do like the GWR 5VT frame... no backweighting like the Derby products but I prefer the cleaner lines of a frame top at floor level, I find the enormous angle levers work through on Derby frames a bit awkward and GWR locking always seemed just that little bit sweeter.

There; traitor twice in one posting - my father was a bobby on the GN (I'm told I learned to walk on the frame at Spalding No. 1, but those were the days when it had a frame worth seeing).
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