great central

It's too far gone to use hand tools on, serious danger of parts collapsing. I should perhaps have given it's proper title of a living wagon, Google search should bring up some images. Built 1920-30 perhaps, i reckon it weighs at least 5 tons, the roof was strong enough for three of us to stand on many years ago re-covering it, painted canvas over timber laths. The land doesn't matter, it's a tarmac yard and being sold for building anyway

If I remember correctly, probably no more than 10 years old at the time, a trip working from the exchange sidings to Babbington pit near Nottingham although worked by a mainline loco, most likely a 4F, didn't have a brake van because someone braver than I decided to hitch a ride on the hanging 3 link....

That's rather better than I'd expected thanks. It's an old showman's caravan, wife's family home. We want to salvage the chassis and build something similar onto it for nostalgic reasons. It's been untouched for well over 30 years at least since her mother died. The roof has partially collapsed and the floor is rotten, so I figured a JCB could do the job from outside in little more than a couple of hours as well as clearing the ground around it Edit: To give an idea of the condition she wanted to salvage a chest of drawers from the end bedroom. Rather than try carrying it to the door we pulled the entire front end off, without using any tools. The timber frame is almost completely rotten only the aluminium cladding holding it up!

I know someone here will have the answer having asked google and not found it. I'm just after an indicative price to hire a JCB and driver for a day. I have something to demolish which the wife is kind of expecting me to do but all ways I think of doing it are likely to end, at best, with cuts and bruises due to the condition of it. So much so that I'm here asking now when I should really be asleep getting ready for work in the morning My thinking is so long as it's not a huge price I can put in a few extra days at work to cover the cost, whereas if I attempt it myself I seriuosly think I may not work again. It's probably something I would have tackled without worrying when I was in my 20s but I'm rather more risk averse now as my 20s are 30 odd years back. Thanks in anticipation

Couple of random thoughts for the day

Two more ready for the off a couple of hours ago

For the sake of provoking a discussion, Duchess of Sutherland lost 10 minutes between Lincoln and Metheringham a short while ago. I know exactly why but see how many of the armchair drivers know. Would add a devil smilie but can't from my phone

Having read this thread over the last few days and others before it about Flying Scotsman (use your own derogatory name if it makes you feel better) I am amazed by the negativity and, at times, downright nasty comments about the loco, it's fans and supporters, the NRM for spending the money on it, etc. etc., all from a bunch of so called railway enthusiasts. It's not that long ago we, as a community, were being ridiculed and even persecuted for our interest, like it or not to some sections of the popular media we were, and to some degree still are, anoraks, trainspotters and other less than complimentary names. Like it or not Flying Scotsman (insert your own derogatory name etc) has raised the profile of railways a hell of a lot and even given railway enthusiasm a degree of repectabilty in the eyes of the media. Just look at the amount of coverage it, and other locos (Tornado being another) have received both in newspapers (including the one which used to revel in using the word trainspotter as a catch all insult for anyone who dared to show interest in anything outside the mainstream) and on the box. Not buying newspapers or even watching a deal of television I can't say with any certainty that this kind of thing has reduced, but I would expect it has, surely they don't wish to insult a decent number of their readers? Yes there will always be the twee headlines about steam buffs and the like but I think much of the downright nastiness has reduced. There's nothing wrong with a bit of light hearted banter among us, lets face it, to the mainstream media a train is largely a train, a loco can also be a train or a train can be a loco, they're not bothered and probabaly don't even know what kind of loco was helping Flying Scotsman (insert your own etc, etc). In truth if they printed (I've no idea whether they did or not) that Flying Scotsman (insert etc, etc,etc) had been assisted in rear by a GWR (Gas Works Railway) loco or a class 33 diesel (Crompton, I think?) they wouldn't even know one from the other. In my opinion we are very fortunate to have such a vibrant and diverse preservation movement in this country which provides a huge amount of enjoyment to their visitors, employment for a good number of people including career prospects for some young people through apprenticeships and income through tourism to local economies. Yes it may have cost £4million and maybe that money could have benefitted many other different projects but that money was given by those giving it for Flying Scotsman's (etc, etc, etc, etc) restoration/rebuild so lets all accept that fact and utilise the positive publicity gained. As was pointed out upthread different locos were built for different types of work, you wouldn't expect this: to take an 11 coach train up Stoke bank at anything much more than maybe 15mph? Personally I like the fact it's been restored to late BR guise as that's how I remember A3s, even thinking the smoke deflectors suited them (heresy to some people I know), My greater preferences in steam locos are the more mundane stuff, V2s, B1s, RODs, Aussies (WDs) even the black 5s and 8Fs which ousted most of the LNER types from our local sheds when the dark side cast it's shadow over them, although the best in my book were the 9Fs. In diesel terms I prefer tractors over Deltics, Peaks over Westerns, Choppers over Rats, etc.

Yep, just the same as those who can't grasp how trains on the mainline can slip or slide, noticed the first bit of slipping for the season this morning after a short slide yesterday. Chatting to one of our drivers earlier, she'd spent a chunk of the night on practical handling on a branch line with a 'greased' railhead. It's kind of 'interesting' when you're heading downhill with a 35mph junction ahead, eerily quiet, speedo reading zero until the driver releases the brakes and it's still showing over 50

I don't think they'd have gone as far as Codnor Park, it would have meant missing out the stop at the recently 1987(?) Reopened Langley Mill station. Only having used Langley Mill on occasions the trains to Sheffield often had quite a bit of standing time there so enough time to go via Toton. There was,until the Erewash valley was resignalled, at least a crossover between the up and down fast lines near Langley Mill, maybe there were others including from fast to goods lines?

There are certainly a number of the Subway outlets that are halal approved, I seem to remember reading somewhere that some KFC are too. Without wishing to stray into forbidden territory all I'll say is I won't knowingly use them, not that I frequent either very often.

Using our trains as an approximate estimate for timings, Alfreton to Nottingham can be done in around 15 minutes even with a 156 attached so 75mph maximum. I well remember the derailment at Trowell spending a couple of hours watching the start of the recovery operation. A nearly new class 58 was given the chance to pull wagons out from under the bridge much the same way we would recover a model in an awkward corner. It couldn't move any so a pair of class 20s was attached and with a bit of noise the wagons were soon being dragged out fairly quickly one by one and craned over to the trackside where they lay for several weeks if not months.

Going purely on the timings I would think it was via Toton and also I don't think the Trowell branch saw a lot of freight. It may have used the fast lines up the Erewash having seen quite a few mgrs getting a decent lick on northward from Trowell

Still there, but well screened by the vegitation, quite a few photos of it if you put the reg number in google (DAU372C)

If you walk along the riverside past the sea cadet boat and the floating restaurant, it's on the opposite bank between a couple of buildings. Sorry I can't be more precise I was just ambling along. The AEC Renown near Netherfield junction is still there, the only surviving ex NCT Renown since the other was destroyed by arsonists at Ruddington, still being lived in. I understand people have offered serious money to buy it for restoration but the owner won't give up his home. Edit, just remembered I made a note of the reg number, I think it's PFN 872 Further edit: re ex NCT Renowns, having done a search looking for info on the one at Colwick, it appears there is another one now in the custody of the Nottingham Heritage Vehicles group. There's a picture of it on their home page but no further info

Walking around Norwich riverside a couple of days ago while waiting for the 37s back to Great Yarmouth I noticed this parked on the other side. No idea what it is, front entrance obviously

153s already have, I think, the worst power to weight ratio of the 15x fleet as it is. I've been on one dragging another dead unit. Progress could best be described as funereal

Wot he said, except I'm a guard and I do know of several former colleagues dismissed because of stuff they've posted on social media. There's even one under investigation at the moment could result in dismissal.Around 10 years ago now, a then director I was chatting with said they were on a railway forum under a pseudonym. I My employer has the popular social media platforms under constant observation and responds to comments almost immediately. Edit: I'm sure they'll be aware of this one given the number of members and it's popularity, and they probably have a look around every so often, specially in the prototype section. A colleague has posted on another forum about something that has been announced internally, I won't put anything on here until it's in the public domain. I thoroughly enjoy my job and have no intention of putting it at risk for the sake of someone else feeling I'm being 'despicable'!

EMT had a real mixed bag of liveries at the start in 2007, if I recall correctly 153321 and 326 were still in Reggie rail. Then there was FNW, Anglia and a couple of the Wales and West(?) Pictorial liveries. That alongside ex Central, Trans Pennine multi colour and Alphaline 158s. EMT never had 170s on their books, all the Central and MML ones going to Cross country.

Maybe swap tender and a simple renumber for 4986 to 4984? Spent quite a long time on the GC and worked the last Nottingham -Marylebone

From what I've heard the GC HSTs are already committed elsewhere but I'm not in a position to confirm categorically.

Bit late for today I'm afraid, but at the show at Bressingham today, Scograil had some Hornby locos heavily reduced. Bought a J50 for £47.50. There were a number of others including from memory, J15 and K1 at £75, D16 at £65 and a King at £85. Couldn't post earlier cos there's no mobile signal there. These may be on their website or available with a phone call

Watch this space

Looking through the fence at the Lynx bus compound beside Kings Lynn stadium, there's a Leyland National, looks like it's still in service. Didn't think there were any left outside preservation

From memory there weren't that many in the number series Horse mentioned allocated to the GC, most seemed to be from 453xx onwards or the 44xxx range. I'm no expert on black 5s but there are many variations so photos would be your best bet if possible. I'm away from home so can't check books I'm afraid but I'm sure someone will be along soon with the relevant information