great central

There's pictures of Annesley 9Fs working the DIDO staff train between Bulwell and Annesley, normally two elderly coaches. Quite possibly on the Annesley Fireman website

Crikey, how long is a piece of string question! In my opinion you'd be better away from the City if possible, once on the other side of the M1 it's quite nice although there are dodgy areas everywhere. Some of the locals are not particularly welcome to outsiders, especially former mining areas. There's a lot of new building going on, massive site at Hucknall, formerly the old airfield, with more to come in the not too distant future. All depends on what you're looking for really but beware of established estates in my book, then again I live on a private road if 10 houses, former colliery ones, so I'm perhaps biased as I like the quiet life

If I recall correctly 4 out of 5 fuel tanks ruptured for a start, not particularly an off the shelf item I would have thought, not to mention other incidental damage. I believe the initial problem was a tank falling off and bouncing along under the train

Alongside the loco shed but not facing the station as the shed is parallel to London Road. Only the end entrance of the roundhouse could be seen from the station

Small snippet type story in today's Metro free paper. Survey says that Welsh women are the pushiest partners, 41% saying they drop hints about the other half 'putting a ring on it'?? I presume they mean a finger:-)

The Skegness line reopened today, most of the fields at the lineside are now clear of snow but there's several places where the remains of drifts can be seen This taken near Wainfleet about an hour ago This one in the Sibsey area There's still several feet of snow in lineside ditches so gives some idea of how much would have been across the line in places. Had a walk up to Skegness seafront in the hour I get here lots of sand blown inland must have felt like a grit blasting if you were stood there at the time e

I remember Punjab very well but for, perhaps, the wrong reasons. Around 1963, i went, along with my parents naturally, on a day trip to Llandudno from Nottingham Midland. We were at the station in plenty of time and stood, along with many others, awaiting the arrival of the empty stock from the carriage sidings. Eventually, and already late, a Jubilee wheezed into sight and drew along the platform pulling a motley collection of coaching stock. It's surprising how quickly a train could be loaded in those days, not everyone waiting at one door like they do now, and we were soon on our way. Progress wasn't particularly rapid and we lost time steadily eventually arriving at Llandudno a lot later than advertised, still with Punjab at the head I believe. A somewhat shorter day at the seaside followed by a later than planned departure saw us once again losing time steadily all the way home. So much so that the last bus services had long finished. Credit where it's due though, special bus services had been organised to get us home, that being a time when a rather more integrated transport system could come to the rescue. Somewhere I still have the spotting book for the day, it was one of the last excursions we did by train, my dad learning to drive shortly after and also about the first time we had used Midland station for anything other than trips to the likes of Derby and Tamworth. It didn't leave a particularly favourable impression, I have to say, compared with the day trips to the east coast from Victoria which always seemed to work pretty well:-)

There's a whole channel devoted to this garbage, starts around October I think. Wife watches it from day 1! Arrgghhhh!

There was also Regional Railways livery although only one class 47 was painted in a version of it, 47475 supposedly dedicated to Trans Pennine services.

I remember the Gloddfa Ganol locos well enough, went there while on holiday. I think there may still be a GN somersault signal on the Boston Harbour branch where it crosses the road into the docks, certainly seen it mentioned not so long ago.

Quarterlights look rather like the wife's Zafira

BT the extra phone socket

The gums of Navarone (dental floss movie) Stink the Bismarck (curry for dinner last night) Lock stock and two smoking nub ends Drivel (Sly Stallone car racing movie, straight to video I believe, this was the more appropriate title!) Fat on a hot tin roof ( to fry your egg in) Cleofatra The wrong underpants

Seen a short while ago. Illuminated sign on the railway side of B&Q Stockport, 'B&Q War use!

Reckon you'd be better trying out either F1 stock cars or V8 Hotstox. They are now silenced to some degree but still pretty damn loud especially in a stadium with a decent grandstand to keep the sound in a bit. There's loads on YouTube but mostly recorded from camera phones or other equipment that can't really cope with the sound levels.

Definitely a Regal van, chap I used to work with had the car version. Got some frightening speeds out of it at times, good job there were two of us in to keep it (kind of) balaced

Don't know who put the kit together in the top picture, but you'd think they'd check the cab was straight:-)

Maybe not something you'd want admit to in certain parts of the world, especially if there's a couple of hungry lions about

Going on how things work nowadays they'd be set up so that they are available pretty much in the order required, at Nottingham units are stabled and moved around so that they are in order for departure as the service starts up, so follwing a similar pattern the locos may well be set up so that the next required loco of a particular type will be at the head of the line. In earlier days it would be the shed foreman I think that would arrange that.

Yes they do respond and quickly. A colleague sent them a message about something. Quickly followed by a returned phone call and follow up action. Regarding other comments, yes we may have bylaws on our side but,................ Won't say anything more

When modelzone were in Nottingham almost all their locos were displayed like that. Even DMUs were displayed cab to cab, go figure?

Or 'tripping' over a lead and suing the owner for damages. Where there's blame there's a claim!

Hmm, I was thinking more along the lines of, say, a repurposed class 37 engine and generator/alternator set mounted on a lorry chassis. Could do lots at the same time and take about 5 minutes each:-)

If the amount of trouble people seem to have keeping mobiles and laptops charged is any indication I can forsee a potential business in mobile charging facilities for electric cars. The number complaining there's nowhere to charge their gadgets on the train almost increases daily. I presume before they got on the train, especially first thing in the morning they've recently left somewhere with a mains plug?

No mention whatsoever about EMT getting any more units for non London services. In fact when the PRM regulations take effect our HSTs won't be compliant either it seems.