EddieB

I’m surprised that Marylebone hasn’t been mentioned. The RP now seems to be “mar-lee-bone”, when for me it has always been “marry-le-bone” (as in “take a trip to Marylebone Station and if you pass Go...”).

Another update! Part 3, covering the final instalment of the Locomotive Magazine (1954-1959) up to its absorption into Trains Illustrated has just been released by the Great Eastern Railway Society. It is only available as a download (1.2 GB) from the society's website (no DVD option this time). The download includes some "specials" missed from previous editions and a complete run of "Locomotives and Railways" from 1900 to 1903, along with some fascinating historical notes. As before, the image files are professionally produced, indexed and searchable. Priced at £5.00 (members and non-members), I think it's a bargain. (No connection other than as a long-standing member of the GERS). Further information and ordering here: https://www.gersociety.org.uk/files-emporium-home/p-1518-lcm3-dl-the-locomotive-magazine-part-3-1954-1959-and-1894-1913-as-a-download

Medway operate freight in Portugal, with the prospect of cross-border workings into and through Spain. The large "70" isn't a number, it's a logo representing a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions.

TV picks out Eddie Jordan watching the rugby. Surprised Ireland didn’t bring him on - as loose head?

Serves to highlight George Ford’s game management - England would have been similarly beaten had Farrell been selectable.

China is building standard gauge railways in Sub-Saharan Africa, examples being in Ghana, Kenya and Ethiopia/Djibouti.

I've had my share of run-ins with the human populace (official and unofficial), but what my worst has been the tethered guard dogs that feign sleep and let you tiptoe past into "where you shouldn't really be", but wake up to challenge you when trying to slip out again...

I learned, with some embarrassment that "motels" in Brazil (and Portugal) aren't what there are in most other countries.

Amazing what the RWC throws up. Two games, each worthy of the final today. Two quarter finals tomorrow. Edit: I was thinking that the France v South Africa and Ireland v New Zealand were both today. Silly mistake, like not watching the penalty kick timer.

There was another nickname when they were operated for a time in Luxembourg. I couldn't possibly disclose on a family site, but the ladies might have been tickled by it (until the batteries ran out)!

I thought Curitiba was a fairly safe place (went there once) famously having the reputation of drivers actually stopping at red lights! There was one town in up country Sao Paulo state - Presidente Epitacio - where a local appeared waving his shotgun while I was photographing a couple of Fepasa diesels. Sort of par for the course in a country where many people are really friendly... Churrascaria was the second word I learned in Brazilian Portuguese - the first (from necessity) was borrocharia!

It didn't take much tarting up to appear as a steam outline, as these locos were rather strange diesels to start with. Built by ZNTK Poznan, they were supplied to industry as WLs40 or WLs50 (depending on engine size) and given PKP designation Ld1. I think you must have seen other (more original) examples at Znin/Wenecja or Sochaczew. I always thought Inowroclaw a good centre for the double electrics (I see an ET42 in the background of the ET22 there).

I think it was Flaubert who noted that the severed colossal head of Rameses attracted little more than pigeon droppings. How are the mighty fallen.

Famously the Carlisle goalkeeper Jimmy Glass scored a last-minute goal to keep his club in the football league - but that was a kick not a header. Liverpool's Alisson headed an injury time winner against West Brom.

A little ray of sunshine on an Autumn day - hopefully Southend United won’t be wound up. No one likes to see a club go into oblivion...

From a gen site (2nd October): 3J51 37422 + 642021 + 642020 + 37419

How remiss of me, I nearly forgot... Happy birthday, Max Verstappen! (Let me wish you, as I don’t expect you have many mates).

Maybe it’s me, but I’m sure I’ve seen a number of forward passes not called, while Georgia’s “try that wasn’t” looked at least no worse than a pass that propelled Japan to a win over Samoa. Inconsistency? Yes, I think so. Surely in these days of TMO and offside technology in soccer, can we not use similar technology to check passes that have led up to a try?

Stefan, let me be the first to comment on your excellent travelogue - you’ve certainly put your local knowledge and contacts to good use. I thought I knew Austria well - including from a preservation perspective - but you’ve given me quite a few leads to follow up.

A pleasant surprise to find four class 69s allocated to Broxbourne's RHTT moves instead of the bog-standard 66s used in previous years. Today I was able to see half the class in operation. 69006 leads 69004 at Leytonstone High Road on their way to Shoeburyness (3S70) this morning, while 69003 was leading 69002 through Hackney Downs (3S81) this afternoon.

Too true. Did anything much happen between laps 31 and 48? I fell asleep...

That gap between the boiler/running plate and bar frames was a feature of later Soviet (and Czech) designs, taking full use of the height of the loading gauge. (Reminiscent of the first Hornby 9F with tender drive!) L-0312 was in the strategic reserve compound at Jelgava in 1997. Like many of the stored locos, its cabside number had been replaced with an 8-digit one, according to the 1984 system (in this case 1012 3123). As Bernard says, TE-036 was built by Henschel (26954/1942). It was renumbered 1042 6120 under the 1984 system.

You're right. Riga was heavily industrialised during Soviet era, which included a factory (RVZ) making many of the diesel and electric units. As a result it was difficult for westerners to get visas to visit Latvia during those times. It also meant that when the Soviet Union broke up, there were many Russian workers and their families left behind, who found themselves unpopular and effectively disenfranchised. Like many Soviet enterprises, the factory struggled in a free market. Latvia was the first of the Baltic States I visited - in August 1997 when British Airways had started flights (and had offers) to Riga. I can recognise many of the exhibits now preserved in Riga as being held in former strategic reserves from that time. One such reserve was adjacent to Jelgava depot, which also seemed to be collecting and storing items for a future museum. They included Kriegslok TE-036 (one of two there), TE3-7593 and several L class* (other L class were also stored at the depot - where the staff weren't bothered about my taking photos, they wanted me to buy one!). The narrow gauge 0-6-2T MI-657 was mounted on a plinth at the entrance to the depot at Jelgava (others survive and have been active in preservation). Another strategic store was around Riga Skirotava Depot, where OHLE/battery electric VL26-005 was to be found. Given that many of the Soviet classes were produced in large numbers, this was one of a class of just ten units - so quite a rare beast. ER2-397 is an example of perhaps the most common EMU type of Soviet times, being built at Riga. I found it in service during my 1997 visit, seen here at Ziemel Blazma (which I've had to look up - it's towards the north of Riga). The loco to the right is TGM40-0298, which I think may have been in industrial ownership. *I can't see the number of the L class in the first picture to identify where it came from.

Well much has changed since my one and only visit to Vilnius (25 years ago)! Yes, it is one of the older DR1A sets (or derivative) that has attracted the following - but no idea why. You'll notice that the tracks serving the next platform are fenced off. That was (presumably still is) for "corridor" trains running to and from Kaliningrad (Königsberg - of the bridge problem). When I was there several Belarus TEP60 and TEP70 diesels were noted at the station and nearby depot. Are such "international" services still running?

Thank you, Eric. Needless to say those units at Tallinn are yet more examples of the Stadler "Flirt" - Estonia has several types, including 1400 EMUs and 2300 DMUs, as pictured.