great central

Yesterday, today and tomorrow I understand there's a special shortened 2+4 set running for test timing purposes. 09.00 from Sheffield to St Pancras and back. I have been told the purpose but can't really divulge it at the moment. Don't know how it fared today due to the line problems around Sheffield. Yesterday it performed as expected.

Apart from the addition of a Morrisons store, removal of one signal arm and some track, it's still very much the same today.

As I've mentioned before they're going to have a heck of a problem shortly cos there won't be any 156s either. Front line staff working under difficult circumstances not of their making? Twas ever thus I can't help wondering if it's another 'softwear' glitch, as in use the computer on board to tell the train what to do at any given point. Our destination screens often lose track of where they are so maybe the train thought it wasn't going off the wires yet?

I've just measured the signal arm I have in my garage from New Basford, although I know which post it came from I don't know it's designation, possibly up advanced starter? From the outer end it's 12 3/8th inches to the white stripe which is 7inches wide followed by another 22 1/4 inches of red. As my car is there at the moment I can't turn it round to check the back but presume it's similar. It's marked BR(M) if memory serves. It's possible it's shorter than standard because the cutting was closing in rapidly at that point leading to Sherwood Rise tunnel. I also have the calling on arm from the exit from New Basford carriage sidings. Edit: having re read the quote I see it's pretty much standard size

Going back a couple of days, 63770 of Colwick was mentioned by Clem, a regular through New Basford in the early 60s when I spent many days there. This is my version using a Little Engines kit, I know the bogie wheels are under size but using the correct ones meant they jam under the over thick white metal footplate.

Not just new fleets now, apparently when we get Anglia's 156s due to alterations done by different operators they can't be coupled to our existing units.

According to a post on WNXX, staff have been told in quite 'robust' terms not to call the units 'Stragglers'. Also mentioned is the nickname given by maintenance staff of Basil's for the 4 car variant and Sybil's for the 3. Because they're always Fawlty

And if what I've been told comes to pass the 156s will be out the door by year end as well. Indeed several should be going by the end of this month, believe it when I see it.

Presuming that's Lincoln loco shed it's remarkable to think it still exists although much altered.

From memory of a picture 60003 was given a white cab roof and quartered buffers for royal train duty by top shed

Seen at Widnes this morning. As you may be aware it's been raining a bit. Might be a bit difficult to tell but that's actually a mop in use. Exercise in futility?

Waiting at traffic lights yesterday evening, car pulls up alongside, something of a double take moment. Triumph Herald convertible, looking like it has been hand painted!

Every quarter we get the club magazine who we do our caravan insurance through. They usually have a review of a holiday park included. Opening the mag and looking at the contents page yesterday I saw the park under review in this issue. Couldn't help bursting out laughing: https://www.awayresorts.co.uk/sandy-balls/

Back when I was an alarm engineer one house I used to go to, owned by three elderly spinster sisters, was absolutely full of these things. All specially made to order, nothing much under £300 each and this was in the mid 90s. Things used to just sit staring at you in every room except the kitchen

Darnall may well be the best illustration of how most GC island platforms would have ended up, it must be about the last one on NR. https://www.google.com/search?q=darnall+railway+station&oq=dar&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0l2.1485j0j7&client=ms-android-motorola-rev2&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#lkt=LocalPoiPhotos&trex=m_t:lcl_akp,rc_f:nav,rc_ludocids:10719709948152048118,rc_q:Darnall,ru_q:Darnall&viewerState=ga

That something damaging the wires was a tractor going over Ranskill level crossing with the tipping trailer raised. There's CCTV of it on Twitter I believe, certainly was sent out on the LNER control app.

All over my mobile, makes viewing the site almost a chore and I'm not keen on chores. I know that the site has to pay for it's upkeep but I can't help but feel too much of this stuff will be counter productive and actually drive people away. Personally I watch so little television now mostly due to the seemingly constant stream of advertising for absolutely nothing I'm interested in.

That's merely for timing purposes, XC do not have any 158s, a lot of our routes are actually timed for 156s although 158s are used. Most likely an historical thing going back to when the 15x family were first introduced, after all the slight increase in top speed of a 170 over a 158 could be accounted for in the marginally slower acceleration of a 170, well they always seem a bit sluggish off the mark to me.

Hopefully it won't end in tears like these

If I remember correctly 43089 may have been the last one to still have a Valenta in when transferred to EMT (as was) from the new measurement train. EMT ran it until it packed up then put a VP185 in.

Yesterday there was a dog box, sorry 153, substitute for a 4 car on the service I used from Yarmouth. The flooding on Sunday was between Brundall and Brundall Gardens according to Anglia's control log. It seems the new stuff struggles to do a full day in service

Tootling down Chip Pan Alley in Skegness this morning, must be something about the place, I put up a picture a few weeks ago of a mini pickup nearby

Well I've just had one of these and I feel even less guilty now than I did before the reading the article. Also walked a mile or so to get here and the same going back

Only been through there a couple of times but is it Warrington Bank Quay?

There was a period around the late 90s when one particular pub chain was having their bars done out in a fake 'Irish' style. This included having the walls and ceiling liberally coated with tinted varnish to look like it was heavily nicotine stained, well that's what it looked like to me.