shipbadger

Hi all, Uskmouth is a bit of a conundrum. We'd all like to see it back in steam as it has great sentimental attraction for many of the volunteers. If restored to working order the problem becomes what can it be used for, apart from Thomas events and private charters. It's not powerful enough to haul the loads required for the passenger service and there are enough small diesels for works trains. I suspect a cosmetic restoration is about all that can be hoped for as there are other items calling out for finance. The clutter problem partly comes from inadequate storage facilities, although the planned extension to the restoration shed will ease the pressure a little. Tony Comber

Hi all, Some detail to add to the photos above. For the last eighteen months a small team have been working on a BR 5 plank open which, when the appropriate track is reconnected, should be placed in the yard at Parkend when not required for photo charter or other use. The road/rail excavator is at Parkend pending a repair to the hydraulic system. At present a lot of recovery of materials is taking place. The last owners of the line dumped sleepers, rail and other stuff at the lineside and during the dormant period of the lines existence this 'disappeared' into the shrubbery. As progress is being made on clearing back vegetation so this is becoming visible and needs removing to avoid jibes of the DFR being a very long and thin scrapyard! Tony Comber

One little thing that you may/may not have realised. The building known by many as the 'Fire Station', outside of which you have a rather fine Dennis engine got it's name as it was where the Forestry Commission kept their 'fire engine', a trailer to be towed behind a Land Rover. The goods shed is the only remaining original S&W building left. Tony Comber, Just back from a day in the restoration shed at the Norchard. The wagon we've been rebuilding (corragated end 5 plank) will be put on display in the yard at Parkend when not required for photo charters.

Have to admit that I've also stumbled on this thread this morning. I spent my student days in Wolverhampton in the early seventies and although I was vaguely aware of it at the time now realise that it was nearing the end of the 'heavy industry days'. We could still take a jug and a tea towel (to cover it) to the local 'offy' and buy our beer for the evening. I wonder when that practice died out. Later we moved to Dunstall Road which at the time was a slum clearance area. The Junction Inn (canal, not railway junction) had sawdust on the floor, a gas geyser for hot water on the bar and the landlady served you with a cardigan loosely pulled over her undergarments; the beer tasted great however. As for Banks's dark mild, bought some in my local supermarket the other day, in the Forest of Dean. Don't think anybody has mentioned the shellfish man who used to go round the pubs. (As a Surrey boy half a pint of prawns seemed preferably to scratchings) Being almost as far from the sea as you can get in England I often wondered how they arrived, apparently flown in to Shobden or somewhere like that. In those days the motorway network probably wasn't good enough. Nowadays I see lorries from the east coast , Scotland and even at times Scandinavia at my local fish smokery. Tony Comber

Hi all, This is the third year I've tried growing sea foam and so far things are going better than in the past. I've kept them in the greenhouse this time and been far more sparing with the watering this time. They're still alive! In the past they would be dead by now. Assuming I can keep them alive for a while longer the next question is, what treatment do the plants need to ensure they last when used as part of the scenery. Do they need to be 'felled' whilst still alive, wait until they are dead, stood in some liquid eg glycerine, or what? Tony Comber

Hi all, When my son worked at the local coachbuilders cab swaps were a regular part of the work. With the recession many firms seem to be hanging on to vehicles that they would have traded in a few years ago. by taking a wagon with a good chassis and motor but a shot cab and vice versa a truck that can be kept working can be built. Like as not with the downturn in business losing the second vehicle may not be a problem as it probably wouldn't be replaced. Just because the programme on E Stobart on the telly shows them going at two years ol doesn't mean they all do. May be worth asking around to see what the going rate is. Just to illustrate the point, the MAN my son drives is now five years ols but jut had a major engine rebuild to keep it going 'for a while yet'.

That's it! Must have been around a while as it's on a 55 plate from Yorkshire - could mean it's leased. Interesting that the Network Rail branding is in black as it doesn't really stand out that well, you'd have thought white might have been better. Realised I had a senior moment in my last post, meant to say a yard of white lorries, not yellow :-( Tony Comber

Orange Network Rail lorry! Anyone know if there has been a change of policy or did I see a one off yesterday? Unfortunately I was negotiating a junction and had to watch the traffic but coming in the opposite direction was an Iveco chassis with a box body. Lots of doors/lockers and vents on the roof but no windows, at least not on my side. Fully labelled as per normal Network Rail logos and with a slogan on the side ' Safety 365' with the word safety positioned over the 365. Anyone know what I saw? Would make an interesting change from a yard of yellow trucks if it's a one off. Tony Comber

Hi all, I live in the Forest, well technically I'm a Severnsider as the boundary marker is just up the road but nobody seems to pay attention to that anymore. I can hear trains whistling for Whitecroft crossing while eating Sunday lunch at my parent's, what could be more idylic? With two weeks to go before retirement I'm looking forward to spending more time on the DFR, but there's a fly in the ointment in that I've just been asked to return as a supply teacher in September whilst someone has an op. Still thinking about that. Tony Comber

I remember at least one of these Bedfords operating in Gloucester. Until now I thought some wag had swopped the BMC badge for the Bedford lettering as no-one seemed to know anything about them. Now I know better. Tony Comber

I think I'm correct in saying that when the Brtish Transport Commission was set up it was theoretically possible for any branch of the BTC to use the facilities of another. In practice this meant BRS lorries parked in station yards or calling on a local bus garage if mechanical attention was required. In some areas this must have lead to 'custom and practice', something which many will agree is easier to start than to end. Locally to me buses were still being left in the station yard long after both rail and road were hived of to the private sector. Only when the people who had houses backing onto the yard collectively purchased it and erected a fence was a new home for the buses found. Tony Comber

Hi all, For those that don't feel up to producing their own Network Rail transfers I've used the ones from SJR models on road vehicles and can recommend them. (No connection etc.) <http://www.sjrmodels.com/Products.htm> Tony Comber

Not Gunk as you need water to flush it off. Paraffin in now only available pre-packed but is still available in many garages and garden centres as it's used for greenhouse heaters, flame guns and Tilley lamps amongst other things. My local supermarket (Tuffins) actually sells two grades, normal and low-sulphur! Tony Comber

These vehicles would have already gone through LTs overhaul cycle which effectively produced an almost brand new bus and would probably be nearing the point when a trip to Aldenham for overhaul was not far away for a second time or disposal. Top boxes incidentally were never removed from the vehicles when with LT, those sold out of service sometimes had them removed when with new operators. As the time for body and chassis overhaul differed buses reappeared with a different combination of chassis and body, indeed some top box RTLs were created, something none had ever been when new. In the mid-sixties new deliveries of Routemasters had primarily been initially used for trolleybus replacement rather than RT replacement and the RM coaches and lengthened versions were only just on the horizon. RT types regarded as non-standard were disposed of, for example those with the Saunders bodies, pre-war RTs and the RTW class which at only 500 strong was considerd 'small', also the Leyland engine/chassied RTL. Many of these 'newer' types proved attractive to provincial fleets who already had Leylands. Experiments with opo had not progressed much beyond country RFs and the debacle of the Fleetlines was yet to come. Operationally there was no distinction drawn between topbox or plain dome so no advantage in getting rid of them just because they had this feature. Tony comber