great central

Friargate, Basford North, round the back line to Colwick, then eastwards?

I'm no expert but from my (limited) knowledge, the second loco in C6617 is carrying an AEI cross arm pan. I thought these were only fitted to 87s? I'm happy to be corrected of course.

Pretty sure I was at Tyseley the same day, several of the photos look similar to ones I have somewhere.

Not quite on this day, but I've only just found the stuff I've been looking for. train and shunting records for Deepcar yard which I rescued from a derelict building after the yard had been vacated. The nearest I have to today is for 6th May 1992, eleven years after the line closed as a through route and the juice was switched off There were two trip workings from Tinsley that day, the first one 6T01, arriving at 08.15, with 1 loaded and 4 empty wagons, which it then placed into the exchange sidings, departing light engine back to Tinsley at 09.05. The early turn man, it seems, didn't record the loco number, maybe the same loco was used all day? Further study may reveal this. Anyway the afternoon trip 6T03 arrived at 16.05 from Aldewarke, loco 37013 with 6 SSA wagons which were placed into the exchange sidings. The loco departing light again at 16.25 back to Tinsley. The previous day is on the same sheet and provides an insight into some slightly more intense activity. 47331 arriving from Tinsley at 17.45 and, it seems, splitting it's load of 6 SPAs into two lots of three which were placed in the exchange sidings separately. It then made up a train of 25 HSAs and SSAs from four different lots, including a trip into the yard to pick up an extra wagon. It would appear 8 different shunt moves between the exchange sidings, west end and the station yard, all completed and the train departing an hour after arrival at 18.45.

In reply to Jonny777 regarding the Skegness-Kings Norton, before Mapperley tunnel on the GN 'back line' was closed that train used to bypass Nottingham, changing locos I believe in Colwick yard. There are photos somewhere in local interest books showing it at Kimberley with a 4F on the front, heading east. After the closure it would have had to go via Victoria. A friend is writing a book about the back line so it's quite likely to feature that train.

It's still there, I'm pretty sure the new bypass crosses just at the far end on a bridge. Underneath which is now a scrapyard come tinkers site. The ECML is behind the bushes on the right.I should be sure but when I look at things out of context to what I'm used to it's not quite so easy. As an aside, I was to told a few years back that when the roads people were planning the bypass BR (at that time I presume) were offered the opportunity to add a rail bridge at the same time to do away with the flat crossing. It would have been a joint project so cheaper than normal, but it was turned down, lack of money and nobody then thought the railways worth investing much in. Typical shortsightedness!

They were there until 2003-4 at least but gone by 2005 I think. One was just a skeleton (due to the attentions of the locals with matches perhaps?)

Not BT, Reliance Telephones, Systems as they became. Why hasn't that quoted Judge Dread's post above. Nothing seems to work the same on this new computer

The V4 was also fitted to mk1 Transits. I adopted a work one from a colleague when my turn came to run the 'jobbing' van for a while, what a nail! . Loaded with cable and other equipment, I was a telephone engineer at the time, ladders on the roof, it would just about do 50 mph!!! It had done about 50k and was totally cream crackered. Glad when I got a replacement, that one would do nearly 70, downhill with the wind behind it but on uphill sections of motorway (so not that steep, I used to travel regularly from Nottingham-Northampton area) it was down often below 40 in third gear, with trucks queuing up to pass

There's a picture somewhere of a pair of 9Fs heading a freight up the GC, knowing how they were often driven that would have been a sight to see.

Like the earlier view south of the bridge at Hucknall, barely recognisable now, nearly all housing and landscaped tips with the up line forming the Robin Hood route. At the time we lived in Hucknall and Linby pit still had a steam winder, took me a while to figure out why I thought I could hear a steam engine pottering about! My interest in railways was at it's lowest point around this time. Bits of the inset track of the former 18'' gauge system at Sheet Stores can still be seen on the opposite side of the line between the main and Stenson routes. 47516 at Grantham I presume is non-stop, looks like the power handle has been pulled right back, something that was always apparent at Grantham, still is today to an extent. Ease around the curve then hit the power for the climb to Stoke Tunnel.

There can be perfectly sound reasons that passengers are kept waiting, depending on turnround times. The train will have to be cleaned, re-stocked and new reservation labels placed on seats. It also depends on the time the train crew are allowed to do all this, they may also have a statutary break allowed. These kind of things are, I'll admit, an irritation but if you have 9 coaches to deal with, and then be checked it can take quite some time. As I say to people would they like the train clean and res lablels in place or just take their chances? I know that it takes a minimum of 15 minutes to clean and label two coaches properly with two cleaners. If it's to be done faster, that'll mean more staff who have to come from somewhere

There was at least one, Firsby East junction distant I think, still there when I took my son to Vegas on the jolly Fisherman, that would have been late 80s I guess, maybe there until box at South? junction closed. The distant for Hubberts Bridge was also a somersault in the same era.

Just as well, I don't think the 'Noddy van' would have fared very well against EE's finest

All our 158s, 222s and HSTs are mostly white. It's not a serious problem so long as they get cleaned often enough, ours usually go through the wash most nights. It could also be to do with rim braked vehicles, our 156s are markedly scruffier, the brake dust sticking badly to everything including the windows despite almost nightly trips through the wash plant. A couple of years ago 156s were trialled with a different type of brake shoe made of some kind of composite material. One of the benefits was less brake dust therefore cleaner vehicles, but the downside was a different braking characteristic which meant that the wheels locked up far more readily, leading to more (expensive) trips to the wheel lathe! That the 156s reverted to cast brake blocks was expected almost from the first trials by most drivers. 158s, 222s and HSTs are disc braked so don't suffer in the same way.

Bottesford station is (slowly) gaining a footbridge. A couple of years ago, a path and fencing was laid from the up side platform to the nearby level crossing. It's still unused, I believe due to local residents not fancying a long walk to or from the crossing and the platform. Not helped, I would think, by the road and path being unlit (I think). Work started on the foundations for a bridge at least a year ago and has only recently re-started. Whether there has been local resistance to a bridge I don't know but lighting could again be an issue, there is a story in the local paper about another bridge put up a few years ago which didn't have lighting. It has now had lights added after many complaints.

Congratulations, ten years! As others have intimated and Andy himself has mentioned, there have been some tricky times but sheer devotion to the cause and tenacity has allowed RMweb to become the go to place on the net for many of us. Well done Andy and others behind the scenes. A slightly worrying find on the screen grab of the first incarnation is one of my previous user names in the products section! I wonder who the other publishing house was, if it was the one I have in mind, keep well away in my opinion, they seem to spoil a lot of things they get their hands on.

I have a Marina I've owned since 1973 in need of total restoration, one day when I've done all the train stuff..........................

Two words: Why Not??

Nah, he's just put his foot in it

Car reg number seen earlier EB 11 GUM. I'm easily pleased

Never admit to growing up...............................