great central

Where to start? 20 year old air con is unreliable and no opening windows as back up. Air con as a whole principle is bad in my book, after some hours breathing the same air all I want is fresh air. Spent a couple of nights in a new Premier Inn a few years ago, no opening windows, I was outside at 2 in the morning gasping for fresh air! Less seats per unit, less luggage space, shared bike and wheelchair spaces rather than dedicated. No walk through with units in multi, all of which makes them difficult from front line staff point of view.

Last few weeks on the Skeggies for these old chariots which will soon be off for a new life with Northern to be replaced by 170s, a type unsuited to the work in my opinion 156406 and 470 forming the 11.14 Skegness-Nottingham

Nottingham City Transport had a fairly late model Leyland Atlantean with several novel and experimental features, fleet no. 666, apparently it wasn't unknown for people to refuse to travel on it! It's currently preserved at Ruddington.

Couldn't think of anywhere else appropriate to put this, but on my way home from holiday yesterday I picked up a sandwich in Sainsburys to eat while driving. It sounded promising, steak and caramelised onion, and was reduced to 79p, but tasted slightly odd. Not bad in any way just odd. It was only when I read the rest of the label did I realise why. It includes GRAVY MAYONNAISE🤢 Now whoever thinks gravy mayonnaise sounds right, let alone put it in a sarnie must be having a joke?

This popped up while I was mooching around YouTube, think it may go down well here. This is a Halloween special, they've also done normal stuff.

Could also be Skegness holiday trains?

92095 was one of the original Annesley batch obtained to run the 'Windcutters/Runners' paired with the ER standard BR1F tender. According to the Book of the 9Fs, published by Irwell(?) a couple of them lost their original tenders for other types late in the day of Annesley depot. There's a copy in the club library but as I'm 150 miles away at the moment perhaps someone else has a copy and could confirm? Also the top lamp bracket has been moved to the side of the smokebox which again suggests, as you say, mid 60s.

Hi Keith, A couple of comments in reply. If my childhood memories are correct I sometimes used to run my Britannia without the smoke tube in, what you got was a fairly dense plume of smoke rather than the puffs created by the tube. It did get through smoke oil at a fair rate though, so I used the only stuff we had to hand instead, the trusty(!) 3 in 1. Little wonder that when I decided to do a detailing job on it many years later the chimney simply disintegrated. As for the synchrosmoke version, I have little experience with them although I did notice someone was selling a replacement element on eBay yesterday. Buy it now at £20, seems a bit steep but they could be difficult things to come by.

70020 seen in action at Earles Sidings a few minutes ago

158862 ready to work the 07.42 to Norwich from Liverpool Lime Street having come empty from Nottingham. Assuming it stays on the diagram it will be back in Liverpool about 19.30 tonight before returning to Nottingham arriving around 22.30

Yep, found it almost top of the list in Youtube. Final day for the track and promotion, what a legacy!!!!

Well, the race numbers should be easily traceable through the promoter, both cars being painted in the same scheme they're obviously a team. Biggest issue is, if it's an independent track they may not ask too many questions and, in my view, are equally liable. Footage of the meeting will likely appear on Youtube before long.

It occurs to me there are often photos and information from past events or places which may be of interest to someone or other, but as far as I can see nothing highlighting upcoming events or places of interest. Things like classic vehicle shows or places which may interest some. Feel free to add your own. This looks rather interesting and may benefit from a little wider exposure. https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/incredible-war-museum-remote-corner-7428386

A couple of minutes into this Youtube video taken from original film shows Holker Hall involved in a minor mishap. It also shows how quickly things were sorted back in the day!

Pedant mode: It's Tutbury and Hatton station, the signal box is Tutbury Crossing, to distinguish it from Hatton station nearer to Birmingham, the subject of a long discussion with a lady over a pre-purchased ticket some years ago. She was convinced she'd bought the correct ticket but Tutbury to Birmingham is about 3 times the price of Hatton to Birmingham!

First Eastern Counties have done similar with their longer inter urban(?) routes What used to be one route all the way from Peterborough to Lowestoft is now split. Peterborough to Norwich is Excel branded with 4 different variations A to D using red buses brand new in the last couple of years. Norwich to Yarmouth or Lowestoft is now the Coast Liner X something using former Excel buses re-liveried in blue and yellow. The Yarmouth and Lowestoft locals are now Coastal Reds, still with their route numbers. The Lowestoft to Martham service 1 and 1A is now the coastal clipper service with, in summer, the addition of a 1C from Hemsby to the Pleasure Beach using open top buses branded Coastal Cabriolet. There is some mixing and matching at times, probably due to traffic demands as much as anything. There's still some older ones in 'Barbie' livery which look very tired and a few in the 'shades of purple ' livery including several 51 plate boneshakers which seem to have absolutely no suspension!

These two were in Skegness this morning either end of the Northern Belle Pullman.

156473 on 06.42 Nottingham-Skegness this morning

He does, or did, Stafford as well IIRC

Fairly sure it had gone by the time I learned Skeggie as a guard early 2008. There was also one late survivor while Firsby South box was still there but that was probably gone in the late 90s.

Seen twice this week on my way into work. Going in the opposite direction, so presumably being used as a daily driver a bright red P reg Mk3 Cortina. Must have been one of the last Mk3s?

Yes, we could see that one from New Basford platform at the other end of Sherwood Rise tunnel, at least we could when the tunnel was clear of smoke!

Following the Leyland National theme, I found this on YouTube. Although I don't necessarily agree with urban exploration it has what looks like a bendy bus version of a National. I didn't know such a thing existed but Google gives the answers as usual

I know this might upset some sensitivities but they still turn up fairly regularly on the banger track. Either there's a stash of ropey ones somewhere or........

I think you're right about industrial, I've had a quick measure of an ABS LNER L1 which is pretty much the shortest coupled wheelbase I can think of, about 28mm so 7ft or thereabouts?