great central

You guys working trackside in all weathers deserve some recognition, to give a vague idea of the sort of conditions you have to put up with here's the view from the rear of my 158 doing about 70 on the up slow between Grantham and Peterborough yesterday. A zoomer train doing about 100 was invisible until it was around 50 yards away despite the high intensity headlight.

Just not many of the 4MTs with the tablet catcher tender and single chimney about.

The talk of Leyland Nationals reminded me that these are still in service with a couple of operators. I quite liked them and, although I don't know the Welsh ones, the ex GW ones we received a few years ago proved they could be made into a decent train. Leyland National body panels and when I first worked on some of them the Leyland logo was moulded into the panels above the doors, since removed when they were refurbished. Pictured at Liverpool on 2nd January this year, coupled to a fully updated Welsh one.

Having bought my first car in 1971 I didn't really travel by bus much after that so missed anything introduced after then apart from as a spectator. I did travel on a couple of Nationals long after they were past their prime, operated by Camm's of Nottingham, their nickname being Camm's Collapsibles due to the general state and age of their fleet. They used to operate the route past my house on contract to Nottinghamshire county Council so after 1988 at the earliest. One morning rather than take my car into Nottingham, parking around Victoria leisure centre in Sneinton was never very good but with the market outside the door almost impossible, for our club show I decided to use the bus. It was a rather snowy day but the bus turned up more or less on time. It was an interesting experience, everything rattled but sitting towards the rear of the bus and looking forwards it seemed that when the body lurched to the left the front section lurched to the right and vice versa! I felt sure the ticket machine and money was going to end up on the floor at any moment, but it soldiered on and got us there. The other occasion I didn't make the journey, after taking over a video shop which we only opened in afternoons and evenings I decided to use the bus, along with a brisk walk, to the bus stop sometimes. The first occasion I tried I arrived at the bus stop in plenty of time but after 20 minutes or so I decided to start walking towards home hoping if the bus turned up I could get to the next stop. It eventually turned up something like 45 minutes late and crawling along at no more than 20 mph at best. By now I'd already rung home to see if someone could pick me up so didn't get the ride. I think Camm's disappeared shortly after that would have been 1999-2000.

Having known the area when I was at school nearby I can understand that it looks a bit of a hotch potch, there are several things offscene that impact on the necessary layout. I'll let Tony explain it but can I just point out it's the LEEN valley area as in river Leen.

Definitely got the look of evolved Nottingham buses. There's one in the collection looking very similar with East Lancs bodywork. https://nottinghamheritagevehicles728.weebly.com/vehicle-collection.html

In wartime the railways were often working well beyond their intended capacity, so it's quite likely there were no other locos or crews available. But when there's things, goods or passengers, to be moved people and machines stepped up.

I think it was something like 25 coaches with a V2, the loco being already in the tunnel before departure. Must have been interesting despatching that! I've just looked on the LNER website, no specific reference there. It's probably in one of the class reference books, if I get chance later I'll have a look through the ones I've got. ISTR it more or less kept the wartime schedule to Peterborough.

I added Stockport to the first one for the benefit of those who might not know where Edgeley is.

You mean like this? https://youtu.be/BS90PApRE84

Fella I knew many many years ago used to stick his socks to the wall at night To be fair he did have a few 'issues' after a car crash put him head first through a Mini windscreen, made quite a mess of him, glass in his eyes and such. Really nice bloke but simply didn't understand certain things, mostly hygiene related, afterwards. One morning he pulled his socks off the wall and the wallpaper came with them.

I'll be passing Eccles Road on Sunday.

See if I can get the rest in this post without hitting the upload limit. Next is Edale, we're on the downhill stretch so speed rises rapidly after the PWay slack inside Cowburn tunnel, doing in the region of 70mph now. As an aside, on the disconnected siding on the left of the picture there's quite a rare signal still in place, although obviously disused. A black and yellow ground disc. Only real chance of a picture of that is from a stopping train. Then we pass Earle's sidings at close to 90mph, so it's hold the phone against the windscreen with finger over the shutter button and press as soon as the box appears in the side window. Didn't come out too bad. No sign of the chopper though. Grindleford shrouded in mist Finally before we arrive on (now) York ROCs panel is Totley Tunnel east, thought I'd missed this as there's a footbridge very close, probably another second I'd have lost most of the box behind it.

One or two taken today on my way back from Liverpool, apologies if any have already been posted but I don't recall seeing them. Several aren't particularly accessible for photos. I'm hoping I can arrange them in the order I passed them. First up Stockport Edgeley No2 Next Edgeley No1 I missed out Hazel Grove because it was pictured not long ago. So next up is New Mills south junction. Sorry it's a rather distant shot but when you're in the back of the train by the time you've seen what you want and the phone has got it's act together the subject is receding rapidly. I think we were doing about 60mph in this area. I think that's my upload limit for one post, so I'll add some more later.

I think, although it's a long time ago, the Rover was quoted as lighter than the 1800. Stand to be corrected by those with more knowledge. I did also see somewhere on t' internet that someone had managed to shoehorn a V8 into a mini, probably a clubman.

^^^ I recall many years ago one of the car magazines, possibly Custom Car(?) did a project of a Rover V8 into a Marina pick up. There was a Marina saloon around Nottingham that I believe had a Ford V6 in the front.

Hmm, I wonder if the bloke with the bike is being like his modern day counterpart? 'I'll put my bike where it jolly well suits me, not where you're telling me it must go!' Hasten to add that not all cyclists are like that, it's usually the lycra clad ones who think they're somehow superior to a mere railway servant. I've had quite a few like that. As for the pride in the railway's appearance, the line was barely 10 years old then, labour was cheap and plentiful to allow for cleaning and such. Nowadays everything's counted to the penny by bean counters who see every little thing as extra cost. We have an excellent team who do our best but so often frustrated by the money people, very few of whom know what actually happens at the sharp end.

I was thinking Leicester as well, with the water cranes with a balance pipe between them. Most likely the south end of the station. Edit: there's a couple of pictures on this page which look likely http://www.gcrleicester.info/html/leicester_central1.html

I had something similar with a plastic one, the blade split the handle. Fortunately my fingers were well clear of anything despite the sudden collapse under pressure.

Only Sabrina stuff I can find on Google refers to a relatively recent TV show, but I don't feel I'm missing out anything on my education. Sorry but still looks like a freak.

^^^ And I thought women with false everything and Photoshopped bodies were a relatively recent idea. Don't find them at all attractive Only see them as freaks

I'm almost certain I've seen Colas 67s at Skegness with test trains. Not 100% because while I'll take some interest in them, a 37 or two will definitely get my attention

Just a trick of the light but that 141 looks like it's got a van tacked on behind, like old DMUs used to have

Exactly what one of ours does

Ditto the Middleton press books, particularly Norfolk, as in M&GN territory and the east Midlands, GC and GN. Thanks Neill