iL Dottore Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 3 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: A train that is closed? How bloomin' useful! Tut, tut!. That was the train I had just detrained from (endstation) and was briefly taken out of service to allow for a quick clean (basically emptying the rubbish bins)) before going back into service. Additionally, in Switzerland at least, trains are flagged as geschlossen/ferme/chiuso (not only on the headcode display but also on all the side-of-carriage sisplays) at the end of their run to prevent some of the less attentive passengers from boarding the train and ending up in the depot. (The train doors aren't always locked due to SBB staff activities) 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said: Are you quite certain you don't want to use Fresh Flour Jamie? Its just that I happen to know where I can get some that's all going 'cheap'- nudge nudge if you know what I mean. What's more if you throw in an extra fiver a know a painter who'll come put it on as well. I say. Steady on there old chap. 33 minutes ago, jamie92208 said: Mer I beacoup pour votre offre tres gentile. Fortunately I still have at least 4 litres of the paint the we originally painted the room with and it still matches. Jamie I know the feeling Andy 5 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Happy Hippo Posted January 19 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19 44 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: Does that mean we should all seek a ride on a Class 175? This is not a good idea: The hippo later took umbrage and killed the poor fellow. 1 1 1 1 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenysW Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 3 hours ago, iL Dottore said: I would imagine, given todays technology, widening Victorian tunnels and cuttings would cost a lot, lot less than boring/cutting a new one. There's generally 1-2 m (3-6ft) of bricks holding the water back in Victorian tunnels. Every platform then needs cutting back, and most overbridges replacing. Cuttings more variable- it depends how poor the railway company was feeling when it built them. DfT has choked on the cost of extending electrification from Wigston Junction (3 miles?) to Leicester because the lack of clearance of the existing bridges at Leicester Station mean either raising the Listed station frontage or lowering the station. You just don't get much for £62 bn nowadays. 6 3 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 5 hours ago, iL Dottore said: Whilst much of the Swiss railway network is bucolic, using "old fashioned" rolling stock (with timetables coordinated with local Post Bus services) there are a few high density routes: such as Zürich -Bern, Zürich-Lucerne and Zürich-Basel. These "corridors" are pretty much at the limit of what they can handle in terms of traffic at peak travel times (not as bad as Tokyo-Shibuya but heading in that direction [by Swiss standards at least]). These "corridors" tend to get the latest high-tech high-loading rolling stock. Additionally, thanks to the generous Swiss loading gauge, SBB has been able to run double-decker rolling stock (most notably around Zürich with the S-Bahn, but also on the rest of the network on the high traffic "corridors"). Which brings me to a serious question: given the amount of money spent on HS2 £66 Bn or so), what sort of upgrade to Britain's Victorian railway structure could have been achieved with that sort of money? I would imagine, given todays technology, widening Victorian tunnels and cuttings would cost a lot, lot less than boring/cutting a new one. Your thoughts? Today's technology is much more suited to boring new tunnels. Much less labor intensive and a lot less dangerous than upgrading those made 100 years ago at the very least. Then there's the disruption to traffic to consider. It would be impossible to keep traffic moving during a tunnel rebuild. 2 5 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 5 hours ago, Happy Hippo said: This is not a good idea: The hippo later took umbrage and killed the poor fellow. A member of the Colombian family? 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iL Dottore Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 3 hours ago, DenysW said: There's generally 1-2 m (3-6ft) of bricks holding the water back in Victorian tunnels. Every platform then needs cutting back, and most overbridges replacing. Cuttings more variable- it depends how poor the railway company was feeling when it built them. DfT has choked on the cost of extending electrification from Wigston Junction (3 miles?) to Leicester because the lack of clearance of the existing bridges at Leicester Station mean either raising the Listed station frontage or lowering the station. You just don't get much for £62 bn nowadays. 1 hour ago, AndyID said: Today's technology is much more suited to boring new tunnels. Much less labor intensive and a lot less dangerous than upgrading those made 100 years ago at the very least. Then there's the disruption to traffic to consider. It would be impossible to keep traffic moving during a tunnel rebuild. All very good points, but whenever anyone says about UK railways this always comes to mind https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/2241/ and this https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/documentary/20210905/4001401/ I must ask whatever happened to big and bold British Railway engineering. I sometimes think that the problem in the UK is less a technical one than a lack of political (and thus financial) will. If the politicians wanted it, money would be found.... Plus, what I think really rubs salt in the wound is that all the various JR companies are privatised railway companies (dating from when the then nationalised JR was privatised) The Japanese ended up with the NS7000 and Nozomi Shinkansens, the UK ended up with the Class 175 and the "Pacer". I reckon it's God's revenge for the CofE dumping the beautiful (and moving) Book of Common Prayer for all that happy-clappy Jeezus Luvs Me nonsense! 4 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dave Hunt Posted January 19 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 19 22 hours ago, PMP said: Yup, advection fog in met nerd terminology. At work we used to get fast forming radiation fog, the water table was so high, with the right (wrong), conditions the entire airport could go from unlimited visibility to a hundred metres or less in half an hour. Early one November morning I was departing from RAF Valley in a Phantom, the first takeoff of the day. Although the visibility was quite good, the air was saturated and as I accelerated down the runway (so I'm told) the fog was forming behind me and within a few minutes of my takeoff the airfield was met state red, i.e., closed. Dave 11 1 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post Dave Hunt Posted January 19 RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted January 19 Well, my trip to the hospital at Gobowen went well. Car parking took all of two minutes and cost a huge £3 for 24 hours (the ticket actually said valid until 1115 tomorrow morning) and when I entered the main building was met by a volunteer helper who showed me to the pre-op department. The appointment was for 1130 but I was seen straight away at 1120 and by 1430 everything was done, including a session with the surgeon who went to great pains to explain everything. He asked whether I had been given a date for the op and when I said no, set to there and then going through his lists and taking into account that I have a cruise booked from 2nd to 17th March said, "Would April 2nd be OK?" All in all, I really couldn't have asked for better. What the NHS is capable of.... Dave 14 1 7 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenysW Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 2 hours ago, iL Dottore said: I reckon it's God's revenge for the CofE dumping the beautiful (and moving) Book of Common Prayer for all that happy-clappy Jeezus Luvs Me nonsense! If you still believe that an appreciable proportion of the UK is CoE (and local equivalents) you are living in the 1940s or earlier. I'd say the CofE is still in there with the Roman Catholics as a candidate for Lead UK Christian Faction, but the majority have joined the Great Apathy Camp and/or come from a community that is minority in numbers but have a much higher proportion sticking to their default faith. I've seen prayer mats having to be used outside one of my larger local mosques because it was full inside. There's always space inside my local CofE cathedral during services. 5 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 (edited) Well the pre emptive strike on the tidying didn't go to plan. Firstly I forgot I was on nights so yesterday was a write off. Today some stuff has been moved from the West Wing to the shed. No tidying took place in there as it was a too cold and b, quite late in the day and light was fading. A start has been made on packing stuff in the modelling space ready for the move to the West wing, but most of the day has been lost in doing admin stuff, booking hotels for upcoming trips and generally getting distracted by sitting around doing not much. We have just finished dinner here at SM42 Towers, provided by the local chippy, and have spent the last hour catching up on what we've been doing all week. I may do some more tidying this evening but currently being distracted by Top of the Pops 1984. When 56s were a common sight on MGR ttains, ( well coal trains were not that common in 1984 come to think of it) I had less responsibilities, was just starting the 2 year run in on my O levels, Pete Waterman was doing music rather than layouts and gurls started being a distraction. 40 years ago. Yikes! Andy Edited January 19 by SM42 9 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted January 19 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 19 1984 was, er, the year we got married! 6 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northmoor Posted January 19 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 19 1 hour ago, DenysW said: If you still believe that an appreciable proportion of the UK is CoE (and local equivalents) you are living in the 1940s or earlier. I'd say the CofE is still in there with the Roman Catholics as a candidate for Lead UK Christian Faction, but the majority have joined the Great Apathy Camp and/or come from a community that is minority in numbers but have a much higher proportion sticking to their default faith. I've seen prayer mats having to be used outside one of my larger local mosques because it was full inside. There's always space inside my local CofE cathedral during services. A few years ago I was stopped at Toddington Services Southbound on the M1 and watched a small group unrolling prayer mats in a couple of parking spaces. I thought fair play to them, it's time for prayers, so they weren't going to let being on the edge of a car park about twenty feet from the hard shoulder of the M1, put them off. Perhaps though, I should have intervened when it became obvious that they'd got their directions mixed up and instead of facing Mecca, they were praying towards Milton Keynes. 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 On 18/01/2024 at 18:34, iL Dottore said: For is it not written: ‘it is better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission”’ . Obviously written by someone who's never been a copper. 2 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 (edited) 3 hours ago, Dave Hunt said: Early one November morning I was departing from RAF Valley in a Phantom, the first takeoff of the day. Although the visibility was quite good, the air was saturated and as I accelerated down the runway (so I'm told) the fog was forming behind me and within a few minutes of my takeoff the airfield was met state red, i.e., closed. Dave I was ‘spotting’ on Axminster station on a day in 1963 when the air was saturated as you describe. Bulleids were heading trains westbound through the station at 80mph plus. Behind the last coach on these trains trailed a long cone shape of water droplets. The reduced air pressure in that area was causing the water in the air to drop out. (Edit - my camera at that time was nowhere near up to photographing that phenomenon, so no pictures!) Edited January 19 by pH 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted January 19 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19 1 hour ago, Northmoor said: they were praying towards Milton Keynes. If they had enquired and been misinformed then as long they had tried to determine the direction the prayer is more important than the actual direction. There is a phone app nowadays. 4 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium J. S. Bach Posted January 20 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 20 Night Owl from the Piedmont. 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 When I was walking through the parking lot at Costco I walked past a guy who was loading stuff into the bed of his pickup truck. While he was doing that a lady in the passenger seat had her door wide open and kept yelling, "Hey! Why did you buy Charmin instead of Kirkland!" As I passed the guy I smiled and said "Hey!" while shaking my finger at him. He just laughed. 🤣 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iL Dottore Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 11 hours ago, DenysW said: If you still believe that an appreciable proportion of the UK is CoE (and local equivalents) you are living in the 1940s or earlier. I'd say the CofE is still in there with the Roman Catholics as a candidate for Lead UK Christian Faction, I certainly do not (I was being sardonic). When I was a wee skoolboy in the early 1960s, the presence of the CofE in daily life was very much evident (prayers at assembly at school, Sunday school and so on). I think congregations really began shrinking in the mid 60s, which - coincidentally? - coincided with the rise of the "happy-clappy, with-it, vicar". Whilst Britain (like most of Western Europe) is nowadays mostly secular, it is a secularity based on the Judeo-Christian heritage and arising from the enlightenment. 2 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 (edited) 2 hours ago, iL Dottore said: I certainly do not (I was being sardonic). When I was a wee skoolboy in the early 1960s, the presence of the CofE in daily life was very much evident (prayers at assembly at school, Sunday school and so on). I think congregations really began shrinking in the mid 60s, which - coincidentally? - coincided with the rise of the "happy-clappy, with-it, vicar". Whilst Britain (like most of Western Europe) is nowadays mostly secular, it is a secularity based on the Judeo-Christian heritage and arising from the enlightenment. Ive been to a church service with a happy clappy vicar and quite frankly it was embarrassing. People in their late 50s trying to be radical to appeal to the youth when they have no idea what appeals to today's youngsters. I've also been to he old fashioned style service and that doesn't fare much better. I feel thr he church seems to have lost its way and slowly became a lesser part of daily life and is now reaping the results of years of inaction and "it'll be alright" attitude and is now tryimg desperately in some parishes to undo the last 40 odd years of assuming everything will work itself out. I still believe the vast majority have faith, but have fallen out of touch with the religion. The church is now fighting at least 3 generations that think it is only relevant for hatches matches and dispatches and there is more exciting competition for the matches part Andy Edited January 20 by SM42 5 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winslow Boy Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 13 minutes ago, SM42 said: Ive been to a church service with a happy chappy vicar and quite frankly it was embarrassing. People in their late 50s trying to be radical to appeal to the youth when they have no idea what appeals to today's youngsters. I've also been to he old fashioned style service and that doesn't fare much better. I feel thr he church seems to have lost its way and slowly became a lesser part of daily life and is now reaping the results of years of inaction and "it'll be alright" attitude is now tryimg desperately in some parishes to undo the last 40 odd years of assuming everything will work itself out. I still believe the vast majority have faith, but have fallen out of touch with the religion. The church is now fighting at least 3 generations that think it is only relevant for hatches matches and dispatches and there is more exciting competition for the matches part Andy Having been involved in churches indirectly via looking after there 'grounds' and having a parent who was a regular attendee I think I can say that in the most part I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see the C of E collapsing within the next fifty years. They are literally 'dying on there feet' with an inept and top heavy 'management' and no significant 'new blood' coming through the doors. Whilst I don't want to be political or anything but if wasn't for immigrants- many of whom have come here because of persecution, more church's would have closed. I for one see it as being very sad and I say that as a non believer. 6 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted January 20 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 20 I am not at all religious, in fact I could describe myself as an atheist. I have opted for a simple cremation when I go, no service just straight into the oven. In fact the only extravagance will be having my ashes scattered in a woodland cemetery. A bit expensive perhaps but the 'family plot' is full and they no longer allow ashes to be scattered on the grave. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iL Dottore Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said: ....but if wasn't for immigrants- many of whom have come here because of persecution, more church's would have closed. I for one see it as being very sad and I say that as a non believer. Unfortunately, many of these immigrants are the "old-fashioned" devout Christian type that seem to be out of favour with (and anathema to) the trendy, "on message", "happy-clappy" CofE "management". 3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said: They are literally 'dying on their feet' with an inept and top heavy 'management' and no significant 'new blood' coming through the doors. As pointed out by Private Eye repeatedly and over many, many years. In my (admittedly jaundiced and cynical) view this was illustrated by the fact the Archbish couldn't be a***d to learn the ritual for the coronation and read the texts. OK, the language is at times archaic, but so is Shakespeare and plenty of people of all ages - from amateurs to professional actors - learn huge swathes of Shakespearean flawlessly. One would have thought that the head of the church - which like all churches and religious faiths is built on ritual - would be able to manage to learn the ritual for such a "once in a generation or two" event. Obviously not. 6 1 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canal Digger Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 I'm somewhere between CofE (0.01%), Atheist and Agnostic if that is possible! My main issue with religion is that while it is not always the cause of wars, it is very often what defines/ distinguishes the sides (including a lack of religion). A secondary issue is that The Bible has many passages that allows the user to make their case for anything they choose. eg: 'An eye for an eye' v 'Turn the other cheek'. Is this topic getting 'heavy'? 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 Moving away from.church matters before we get locked, the tidying is going slowly Not helped by staying up to watch a film till nearly 3 am which then necessitated a late start this morning. Most of what was left of the morning was taken up with bureaucracy and food shopping. Mrs SM42 has yet to turn in to a tidying whirling dervish and thoughts are turning already to getting dinner on. On the bright side I found a Rail Polska M62M I'd forgotten I'd bought. Andy 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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