StuAllen

I do like the cruise control especially in towns with 20mph speed limits - for some people following me I’m not sure they like going so slow (these are the same people that then stick to 45mph when you hit a national speed limit sign) I do know what you mean about the headlights though, my previous car had auto dipping and could be sluggish, probably one or twice a week I needed to manually take over as it didn’t react. Can’t say I’ve noticed with my current car, its reactions are very quick.

My car shares the data automatically, had the brake wear warning come up the other day, the following morning had an email from the dealership saying would you like to book it in. TBH I’m not sure how I feel about that, what else it’s sharing and who with. I do like some of the driving aids though, are they needed - almost definitely not but I wouldn’t go without now. Automatic gearbox, dynamic cruise control, multi beam head lights (these create a gap in the lights for the car in front, or the car coming towards you - best lights I’ve had in a car for visibility).

The floor plan has been published https://www.keymodelworld.com/article/model-world-live-2024-floorplan, personally I’m looking forward to seeing Blair Atholl, Making Tracks and the Tamiya RC trucks and RC planes. The content reminds me of the old Brighton Model World show. I’m hoping it’ll be good.

I was only able to see it on Gaugemasters Railcam https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/railcam/ will tune in at 10pm to see it coming back. Did grab a screen shot as it went past.

Looking at the move from Southall looks like it hasn’t made it to Horsham yet, seems a bit confused - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:U08837/2024-04-20/detailed

On Real Time Trains https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:HRH/2024-04-20/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt&toc=LS

Plenty of bluebells at the Bluebell today…

South Devon https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a821a4aed915d74e6235cc3/180130_R022018_South_Devon_Railway.pdf. Were they just highlighting there’s no retention tanks? 😜

Casual observation from my train journey today - we’re currently spending a week in Devon so travelled on the Dartmouth Steam Railway today, the train was all Mk1 coaches, none had CDL or stewards at the doors - I know it’s a heritage line so different rules. When coming into the station at either end of the line there was an announcement reminding passengers not to open the doors until the train had stopped, there was also an announcement when we stopped outside the station just before the level crossing warning that we’re not at a station so don’t open the door. That said, being flippant I don’t think the warnings were necessary - no-one seemed capable of being able to open the doors anyway, I think I opened 3 doors from the outside where people on the inside looked confused, I’m not quite 50 and live in Sussex so grew up with Mk1 EMUs so working the doors was 2nd nature, the people struggling were older and slightly younger - one group were trying to pull the lip at the bottom of the window and another were just pointing at the blanking plate on the back of the handle, it didn’t seem to occur to them that they needed to open the window and reach out to use the handle. I’m not using this to defend WCR, as I think the case is clear, but it is a good example to show not everyone knows how to use the doors properly so a good reason to improve the safety of them.

Aside from the RedBulls I thought that was a good race

I was watching Boys in the Boat (George Clooney directing the story of the University of Washington’s rowing teams journey to the 1936 Berlin Olympics) I was surprised to see their rail journey to Poughkeepsie started on MK1 coaches from Kings Cross. Turns out was all filmed in the UK

And one on the Brighton line as well this morning https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service-disruptions/haywards-heath-20240406/

TBH I don’t think most passengers on the Jacobite travel on the line because it’s the West Highland Line and the spectacular views - they aren’t enthusiasts, they travel on it because of the Harry Potter connection, they want steam and coaches that look similar to those in the film (don’t forget in some of the scenes they were on open carriages it wasn’t all corridor stock. I was booked on the Jacobite a couple of years ago but the journey was cancelled due to a strike, and didn’t we have time during the few days we stayed at Fort William to do the journey using Scotrail instead due to other planned activities. A few pictures from our trip to Glenfinnan Viaduct the day after the strike day shows that people only care about steam. The Jacobite has 7 full coaches, there were 100s of people on the hillside to take photos, but none waited around for the pair of 156’s the arrived not long after - barely half full. There were 4 Jacobites services cancelled that week so if people wanted to travel the line then I would have expected to see the Scotrail service to have been full.

Hayward Heath just now

There’s a West Hill wagon works section in smaller suppliers -