Early Risers.

[Barry O]

Why do we have to paint trains in such hideous colour schemes? I would love to meet up with the design consultants who come up with this carp!

Good luck with the journey Roundhouse!

[JohnDMJ]

Good morning all!

 

Hoping the car still works this morning as I am staying away from what looks to be a very much reduced train service between 07:00 and 18:00 only!

 

Wishes to all as usual

[JohnDMJ]

Just a thought, but there is one 'benefit' from a train strike in this neck of the woods - the local level crossing should be open to road traffic for more than the usual 20 minutes per hour!

[New Haven Neil]

Nice and sunny on FR again, and nice and cold again too!

 

Oops, must go to work....

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

Chilly here, clear sky and sunny though.

I won't be doing much today. Aditi is off to Brentwood quite soon to get her hair cut.

Tony

[roundhouse]

Why do we have to paint trains in such hideous colour schemes? I would love to meet up with the design consultants who come up with this carp!

 

I actually like the Southern livery. Its a hell of a lot better than the Connex yellow one.

 

Made it in to work on time.

 

This evening may be interesting though.

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Bit of a dilemma this morning, wait in for a parcel that might or might not arrive or take a quick walk into town for some essentials before the predicted wintery weather arrives. Thoughts are with the ailing and missing, be back later.

[AndyB]

but there is a gate at both ends of the caisson.  So in theory if the boat was revved up and the forward gate opened it could leave the caisson before the caisson drained.

 

I was thinking a concealed rocket launcher in the Q-equipped canal boat would sort this out and then just ride the surf, leaving a Bond-esque trail of destruction! 

 

Why do we have to paint trains in such hideous colour schemes? I would love to meet up with the design consultants who come up with this carp!

Good luck with the journey Roundhouse!

 

I believe Ian (RH) described this train as a LBG Train. I had no idea that inclusivity and diversity had gone this far; if so why not let the train be dressed as it wishes, too! 

[lightengine]

Just a thought, but there is one 'benefit' from a train strike in this neck of the woods - the local level crossing should be open to road traffic for more than the usual 20 minutes per hour!

Haha. The good people who use West Worthing crossing will be rejoicing in that news also.

[45156]

Morning All

 

Ian ® liked the pics of Caterham - station looks a lot more closed in that it used to, with the properties on the up side.  I'm pleased that I don't have to use that service any more.  I do wonder with the frequency of the trains on the branch now how long the Whyteleafe level crossing is open to road traffic.

 

Duly caught up, and posts rated.  Generic greetings on offer to the ailing and celebrating.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[newbryford]

Why do we have to paint trains in such hideous colour schemes? I would love to meet up with the design consultants who come up with this carp!

Good luck with the journey Roundhouse!

 

Could be worse.

Whoever thought of chocolate and cream.........?

 

And as for copper embellishments.

 

What were they thinking...?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making a sharp exit,

 

Have a good day folks.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Two_sugars]

Sna on car.

[roundhouse]

Morning All

 

Ian ® liked the pics of Caterham - station looks a lot more closed in that it used to, with the properties on the up side.  I'm pleased that I don't have to use that service any more.  I do wonder with the frequency of the trains on the branch now how long the Whyteleafe level crossing is open to road traffic.

 

Duly caught up, and posts rated.  Generic greetings on offer to the ailing and celebrating.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

I used ot go to school in Whyteleafe and remember the manned gated crossing when going to visit a friend up on the hill. We got caught there almost every time.

 

I also remember the fine glass canopy at Caterham that extended much further down the platform then the current one. One day I decided that I better get some photos of the canopy but they had already started demolishing it.

 

The car park is in the old goods yard and has been there since the 80's/ The flats on the other side are much more recent. Does make it a cold place to wait for the train as the sun hardly reaches the platforms these days.

[AndrewC]

Morning all. Broadcasting today from the tourist hell of W1U. Too many eeejits wandering the streets around here. The next one that hits me with their bloody drag bag is going to find it rectally inserted, sideways, with the handle fully extended.

 

Yesterday's planned track laying didn't happen. Just too exhausted to do anything last evening. At least I got a decent sleep for the first time in several days. T-minus 50 hours until the MiL arrives. I may be on the absinthe by the end of May.

 

Not much else to say. Still worried that we've not had any Jock news.

 

Where ever you are and what ever you are doing, enjoy the day.

[sixoh8sixoh]

Morning all from a dry but grey Scottish HQ.  Calf's a touch tender from last night's exertions, but otherwise no other after-effects.  Slept like a log until 6am and for another hour after that brief interlude to look at my watch!

 

Nothing much of interest happening today, though I may be taken to a dance class tonight...

 

Waiting on Scottish Labour's manifesto to be published (to do analysis), they're cutting it very fine, folk won't have chance to read it before the election, and postal votes are already out...

[AndyB]

Re Jock, I was planning on putting a call in to the person I spoke to last week again in the next few days. I don't want to phone too often just in case officialdom clams up and decides not to be as helpful as they were last time. 

[Happy Hippo]

Home from the ambulance station.  As expected, I was bouncing on Annie for a good ten minutes - so whacked out.

 

Bill

I had a CSM who insisted on the entire company being able to do same whilst wearing full NBC kit.

 

The old Mk 6 respirator was not known for it's generosity in supplying copious amounts of air in strenuous situations.

 

I caught some of the less scrupulous partially unscrewing the canister to allow a free flow of air.

 

Regular readers will know that I have a miserable disposition, so having decided that this was cheating, quietly lit a CS gas portfire and nonchalantly wandered through the labouring troops wafting this magic wand around.

 

A large number were caught out by this, including  Rupert the 'Rupert' our young training officer (His name really was Rupert, and his dad was a Brigadier).

 

So I sent him to conduct an impromptu BFT (basic fitness test) for all the offenders (identified by the crying).

 

I really should have told then to take the NBC kit off first, but I forgot.

 

Silly me!

[Happy Hippo]

Could be worse.

Whoever thought of chocolate and cream.........?

 

And as for copper embellishments.

 

What were they thinking...?

 

Making a sharp exit,

 

Have a good day folks.

 

Cheers,

Mick

Be scared, be very scared.

 

I have it on good authority than Don Mike (Il Capostazione) has ordered that the next steam special to pass your house, WILL be hauled by one of God's Wonderful creations, and the contents of every WC on the train will be flushed out at the bottom of your garden.

 

He said he hopes it is very hot, bringing out a new aromatic aspect of  'steam(ing) special'.

 

ciao

 

il vecchio cavallo del fiume

Edited April 26, 2016 by Happy Hippo

[BSW01]

Good morning everyone. A sunny but cold day today, which finds me working around in and around the hedgerows of rural Lancashire, namely the Southport Ormskirk area. I've only got 2 jobs for today but they are full test and inspections so that a lot longer than the quick functional tests, and that wind is bitter, especially as there is no real cover across the fields.

 

Back later.

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

People should note that chocolate and cream are actually shades of yellow and that both involve a dash of yellow in their formulation when done properly.  Meanwhile HH has got it slightly wrong as I was thinking more in terms of a cavalcade - being a firm adherent to the concept that repeated exposure to the right way of doing things is good for the souls of unbelievers   

 

And it's nice and sunny outside but distinctly chilly - not to worry as it will probably warm up when it clouds over.

 

Have a good day everybody.

[Oldddudders]

Morning all

 

Bright sunshine interspersed with sharp showers and hail. Much like the rest of you report, really.

 

Sitting at Sherry's dining table, I have a very pleasant view across the green, with blossom on the nearest tree, too. Earlier I beheld a slim runner, and Sherry confirmed that it was Liz, head of the Pre-School that Sherry used to chair. Let's see - it's Tuesday morning, yet we know that less than 48 hrs ago, Liz finished the London Marathon. Fit or what? And she is very glamorous, too.

 

A little later, a white van drew up outside, and the driver poked something in Sherry's letterbox - my new passport! Wow! I posted it to Durham, registered, late Monday afternoon last week, so less than 8 days for a renewal is fantastic. I can now go home to France when I choose.

 

We will be off on a break about midday. We head for Birchover, Derbys, first, to stay with brother Keith. Then tomorrow we got to see his twin Adrian. The latest scan shows the brain tumour still present, despite radio and chemo. Not good. He will be having further treatment.

 

Then we head off towards Ashbourne for a couple of days, with intent to visit Crich. I haven't been in nearly 40 years. After that, we slip back to Staffs on Friday, taking in a few friends and then Sherry's new grandson. We expect to be back in Torbay Monday night.

 

Communication will be limited for the next few days. Ideally when we surface there will have been positive news from or about Jock.

 

Until then.

[Purley Oaks]

Really bitter out today; beautiful spring sunshine earlier but now just overcast.

 

They've really built up around Caterham station - last time I was there was when there was a proper canopy.

 

Mike - I thought the Scottish Labour manifesto wasn't published until Thursday?

 

Hope it gets warmer soon

 

Mal

[Tony_S]

I had a CSM who insisted on the entire company being able to do same whilst wearing full NBC kit.

 

The old Mk 6 respirator was not known for it's generosity in supplying copious amounts of air in strenuous situations.

 

I caught some of the less scrupulous partially unscrewing the canister to allow a free flow of air.

 

Regular readers will know that I have a miserable disposition, so having decided that this was cheating, quietly lit a CS gas portfire and nonchalantly wandered through the labouring troops wafting this magic wand around.

 

A large number were caught out by this, including  Rupert the 'Rupert' our young training officer (His name really was Rupert, and his dad was a Brigadier).

 

So I sent him to conduct an impromptu BFT (basic fitness test) for all the offenders (identified by the crying).

 

I really should have told then to take the NBC kit off first, but I forgot.

 

Silly me!

I had a Google to see what a mk 6 respirator looked like. It now makes sense when I recall a tale Dad told me. I didn't realise they were not like the civilian masks I had seen in films.

[45156]

I used ot go to school in Whyteleafe and remember the manned gated crossing when going to visit a friend up on the hill. We got caught there almost every time.

 

 

Luck you - you could escape - I lived there and commuted on the dreaded Caterham branch daily for about 20 years!  

[NGT6 1315]

A'noon all. Had much too little sleep, possibly because I'd been sort of pumped up following a dentist's appointment yesterday. Wasn't bad as such, though perhaps it was the anaesthetic jab that FUBAR'd up my sleep pattern. Who knows!

 

Will be relocating myself to the sofa in a few, but before that:

 

 

 

It was a fairly dreich morning with frequent showers when I went a-cruisin' with the pair of 1344 "Schönau" and 1314 "Marienbrunn", having got a jaunt on Line 15 which I hadn't had in a while. Here, the day was just slowly beginning to break at Miltitz.

 

You might be able to notice that blue fluorescent tubes have been installed for the interior lighting immediately behind the cab, which is a detail common to all our trams. This is to reduce glare and reflection on the inside of the windscreen.

 

 

 

At the other end of the line at Meusdorf. To expand on something I had outlined to Bill and Keith while they were in Leipzig, Meusdorf is one of those termini where due to restricted space at the boarding platform (which is where the NGT12 in the background is waiting), wheelchair users are asked to board at the arrival platform.

 

 

 

 

After my break, I then got 1213 "Rostock", seen here in more or less daylight conditions at Miltitz.

 

Again expanding on something I believe I had told Bill and Keith already, Miltitz is one of those double-tracked termini where track allocations are periodically swapped, so that – in this example – Line 15 would reverse through the inner loop for a couple of weeks, then through the outer loop for a while, and so forth. At termini where tracks are thus allocated by way of corresponding signs ahead of the loop, we must therefore use said track, except if, for example, the allocated track is occupied by a tram which had failed upon arrival, or any similar reason.

 

I might be back later. Behave, will you?