realtimetomes
Pain in the B-side
Knowing that the wonderful little class 153s were converted from 2-car 155s and wanting to be thorough (still recalling the great class 47 debacle of 2021)* I was determined to (be a clever-dick and) correctly identify if the image in question was of the original driver's cab (from donor 155) leading or the "newer B-end previously used for luggage space in it's original 155 form.
Boy, what a mission, wiki, 3 flickr pages and (of course) Hondawanderer pages all open on the laptop but I couldn't be sure - the plated over windows behind the driver's window seemed a clue to conversion work but I still wasn't sure, then I chanced upon the answer by comparing this one with a few in my own archive - Headlights people!, Headlights!, the headlights on the A-end (apologies, that doesn't sound right but then neither does B-end - maybe time for "more tea vicar?") are kind-of recessed as per the 155 but on the other new end appear "stuck on" higher up, phew..... what do you mean we already all that knew that Pete!? - that's 3 hours of my life I'll never get back.
Anyway, plucky little FGW 153382 - B-end** proudly leading - races through the wonderful Sydney Gardens in Bath with 150124 and 101 for company with a mid-day working bound for BTM.
*Well basically what happened was that I uploaded a B&W image from the 80s of a 47, mis-read the number in my terrible notes from the time and put it down as the wrong locomotive, some cable-counter called me out over it, I said some things, he said some things, some furniture got broken, a fire-arm may have been discharged, lawyers got involved, it was a whole thing and basically now I'm not allowed within 500 metres of Shady Acres Rest Home in Sutton Coldfield.
**every time I type B-end it puts me in mind of "One up the B-side" (bonus track on the 2002 re-release) on Ozzy's classic 1983 release Bark at the Moon - still available at all good, erm, Spotifys.
Pain in the B-side
Knowing that the wonderful little class 153s were converted from 2-car 155s and wanting to be thorough (still recalling the great class 47 debacle of 2021)* I was determined to (be a clever-dick and) correctly identify if the image in question was of the original driver's cab (from donor 155) leading or the "newer B-end previously used for luggage space in it's original 155 form.
Boy, what a mission, wiki, 3 flickr pages and (of course) Hondawanderer pages all open on the laptop but I couldn't be sure - the plated over windows behind the driver's window seemed a clue to conversion work but I still wasn't sure, then I chanced upon the answer by comparing this one with a few in my own archive - Headlights people!, Headlights!, the headlights on the A-end (apologies, that doesn't sound right but then neither does B-end - maybe time for "more tea vicar?") are kind-of recessed as per the 155 but on the other new end appear "stuck on" higher up, phew..... what do you mean we already all that knew that Pete!? - that's 3 hours of my life I'll never get back.
Anyway, plucky little FGW 153382 - B-end** proudly leading - races through the wonderful Sydney Gardens in Bath with 150124 and 101 for company with a mid-day working bound for BTM.
*Well basically what happened was that I uploaded a B&W image from the 80s of a 47, mis-read the number in my terrible notes from the time and put it down as the wrong locomotive, some cable-counter called me out over it, I said some things, he said some things, some furniture got broken, a fire-arm may have been discharged, lawyers got involved, it was a whole thing and basically now I'm not allowed within 500 metres of Shady Acres Rest Home in Sutton Coldfield.
**every time I type B-end it puts me in mind of "One up the B-side" (bonus track on the 2002 re-release) on Ozzy's classic 1983 release Bark at the Moon - still available at all good, erm, Spotifys.