byron

Let the perfect driver be the one to cast the first stone! Mike

Go by train and enjoy the journey! Mike

Ian, you paid for your seat with blood, sweat and tears. Oh as I understand you have been a Controller, banging your head against a brick wall as well. Mike

Phil, I recall that a couple of 4 wheeler diesel loco's were used for both ballast trains and the odd bit of freight. I have spent an hour or so (a clear choice of helping with the housework or a bit of rail study) hoping to find a bit of information. No luck, sorry. Mike

We did break our journey at suitable "watering holes", a case of off one, down a beer, on the next. It was in the late '70s so my recall is not that good. I think the trip should be do-able still. Mike

A few lunatics friends and I spent a very happy day doing just that trip. And could prove that British Railwaymen were just as good at holding our beer as our DB counterparts. Next day in the office our boss asked what had we done over the weekend. On hearing about our jaunt and how long it took, he looked at the DB timetable and spent the next week wondering if he had sad cases working for him. Germany in those days was a paradise for rail enthusiasts. Mike

I had to look thrice to even notice the lawn! Great railway. Mike

It really was easier to get into and out of East Germany than the UK. Mike

The "rollers - rolladen - I think you mean are pretty much standard in Germany. The parts of France that border on Germany also seem to have them fitted. Is that a part of the world you can dig about in? Is this link any help? http://www.rollladen-growe.de/home Mike

Should that be twice - or was it so bad you walked home? Mike

'morning Greetings from a very sunny North York Moors. Much against my better judgment (out of nosiness) I looked at a few of the posts on the negativity thread. I will not return! This is a far more positive thread. Happiness means different things to different people, but all I need is to be able to hold and cuddle my wife of 50 years. Best wishes to all those suffering - I hope things improve. A special thank you to Jock, you are an inspiration. Mike

Agreed - it is killing me! Mike

Could be that your arm is "empty". I can only get blood samples from my left arm - no matter how often the nurses try ( a lot in over 20 years) the right arm yields nowt. My "empty arm" comment lightens the frustration, and a pretty nurse smilingis a sight to behold. Mike

Stopping to assist with an accident was drummed into me during my driving test in Frankfurt (masochist) as far back as 1983! Mike

TBH, I do strongly sympathise with the DB train staff of today, given how (according to what I'm hearing from various sources) they go right up to and even beyond the personal breaking point to keep things running even under such circumstances. Also, I can't blame any of them one bit when they need to call in sick, and certainly don't agree with the flak they're getting from the media when they protest for better working conditions and pay. This is what railwaymen (includes women) do. The railway world would fall apart without this attitude. Mike

Hi Jock Sorry I am a bit late with this (old age!). Try Tevion Home DVD Creator (Some available on Ebay). or Pinnacle Dazzle (http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/uk/products/dazzle/dvd-recorder-hd/?gclid=CLSPgNDs_MICFWXHtAodwlYA1g). Hope this helps. Mike

I always wonder why in Darmstadt the huge Merk chemical factory was missed, in Frankfurt (Main) the IG Farben chemical complex managed only one bomb, and the Ford factory in Koeln was also spared - despite making tank engines. My German friends were not slow to point these things out. Wonder what was "missed" near Dresden. Mike

In my Control days we would demand a reporting number! mfg Mike

Thankfully I was not invoved - once was enough. Mike

At the time, the WCML scheme was the biggest balls up since Uncle Eli's funeral. I can still remember the utter chaos of trying to run a railway through the (please choose your own phrase - mine would get me a ban from the forum). I am still taking the pills! Mike

May well have been a failed Duchess. It did happen. Mike

I was Assistant Power Controller at Stoke during the last years of steam (my "boss" had the diesels - I had the fun steam). The remaining Britts at Crewe when not called upon to replace failed diesels north from Crewe were diagrammed on parcels and fitted freight. Mike

You must be very proud of yourself to have got that Yodel driver suspended - for what? - a minute or two parked where he shouldn't. Your attitude may have made him react the way he did. And you have the nerve then to report about your visit to see the London poppies in the same post. How easily wars can start. Mike - not often ashamed of my fellow man.

No woder Aldi & Lidl are so succesful! Mike