SM42

Hmm. It's that time of year when the sandite is replaced with weedkiller. Just a thought. I'll leave it here. Andy

I am and was in no doubt that we were in agreement. I did not think you were rejecting the rules. If that is the impression I gave then I aploogise What I was trying to respond to was the concept that "those are the rules" does not command respect and that we should legislate for how people do behave not how they should behave. The rules are often as a result of how people have behaved, often with dire conmsequences. The rules therefore legislate for how people do behave and exist to modify that behaviour. Now some might see that as taking away a perceived freedom to enjoy their hobby as they see fit, regardless of risk. Clearly many need protecting from themselves. How exactly you square that circle I don't know. Whatever you do you come back to the same black and white problem of "Those are the rules. Respect them," that you highlighted as being ineffective. Draconian punishments? Maybe, maybe not. But there is a whole raft of procedure to go through and the process may fall at any of the hurdles between the police, CPS and courts. Added to that we only have to look at how rules in other areas that do have some quite severe penalties (or potential dire consequences for ignoring them) are flouted on a regular basis, to see that the fear of punishment doesn't always work. Maybe the fear of detection is a better deterrent. Numerous people who ventured across the fence that day "got away with it". Maybe the law will catch up with some in time, but at the time they got away with it and may well have done so before. That is the rub. If you can regularly flout the rules / law and get away with it, then it loses any impact, it seems to be over the top. H&S gone mad. You'll never catch me Guv Ban any future such steam workings? We go back to the spoiling the fun for no reason, it wasn't me wot done it, H&S gone mad logic that got us there in the first place It's an interesting debate. I don't know the answer. I know what I would like it to be. Whatever it is you can bet many will not see any logic to it. Andy

I was always (nervous isn't the word) but on my guard, no matter how much I thought I had done to protect myself by using the laid down procedures. (Some of which do seem to be OTT, but there is a sound reasoning behind them even if you can't see it. ) 20 years after last working lineside, I still look left and right before crossing the track. Even at a level crossing when the lights aren't showing or a 40ft piece of track not connected to anything. You just never know when one of your fellow human beings has slipped into an inexplicable moment of stupidity. Perhaps someone is testing a lawnmower engined, rail mounted sofa on that handy bit of isolated track. Just for laffs like. I'm quite protecive of my body. I don't want to lose bits of it unnecessarily. On the subject of PPE, I have lost count of the number of people who bumped into me in the street and claimed that they didn't see a 17 stone, 6' 1" man clad from head to toe, (including the hat) in brilliant orange with retro reflective strips. Andy

Surely by that logic all rules are a waste of time. The whole of society is based around how people should behave, whether that be at the dinner table, driving or taking a photo of a train. A world without boundaries would be utter chaos Not using a hand held phone whilst driving is a very important rule. People do it and get away with it and don't kill innocent bystanders in the process. Next time they might not be so lucky. Does that make the rule any less important? Does it stop the majority not dismissing it as silly government interference on our freedoms? I would hazard a guess that it doesn't. In all walks of life there will people who rebel against authority, there will be those who act out of stupidity or ignorance, a superior sense that they know better perhaps? Not crossing to the wrong side of the railway fence is one rule. The fence is the rule. Not some to be determined by the individual, on a case by case basis, invisible boundary. Everyone undertsands the concept of a fence. Try crossing a fence into another country (North Korea perhaps) without following the rules and see how far that gets. Ultimately there are rules for a good reason. They are not made up for fun nor to spoil someone elses' fun. In the transport industry they are often born out of tragedy. Born out of how people did behave and trying to modify that behaviour before it causes more heartache. To ignore this and deny the importance of such rules is, in my opinion, playing with fire. Andy

Prosecutions related to the Railway Byelaws can (and do) end up being heard at the magistrates court and the Byelaws are created under statutory instruments. Trespass is not mentioned per se in the Byelaws but it is alluded to under 13 as regards "No person shall enter or remain on any part of the railway where there is a notice: (i) prohibiting access; " I believe a notice at the nearest station is sufficient under the law. There are many more than this dotted around the network Trespass is also covered in other statute as alluded to above and a fine / penalty not exceeding £1000 can result ( is that level 3?) Being a fine / penalty the money goes to the crown not the railway company. For other non criminal trespass (into your garden for instance) summary damages may be awarded (these are often trivial amounts) to the injured party and these cases are heard in the civil courts. Andy

Wolsztyn is indeed a different environment. It would be difficult to get into conflict with a train around the station due to the temporary fencing and armed security staff every 10m or so. They can really get in the way of the shot sometimes, but that is life and a mark of how seriously crowd control is taken, even if everything else seems a little haphazard (it undoubtedly isn't ) Away from the station people are a reasonable distance from the line, or maybe at a level crossing barrier and views aren't often blocked by vegetation (this in no excuse for the behaviour seen here) . The whole train, (usually short) not the loco seems to be the target of the camera. A subtle but telling difference perhaps. As for being inside the fence but not on the line, how do you assess the intentions of those who are mobile enough to get inside the fence? Will they stay 30 ft from the track, safe from being hit by a train (yet committing a criminal act) or will they decide they need to get a bit closer for that crucial shot and move? The fence line is just that. It marks the legal boundary. Wrong side of it is a criminal offence and you are a potential risk. People move around, people lose awareness of their surroundings when concentrating on getting a good shot (bit like driving and using a phone) There are rules for a reason. They are enforced for a reason. Just because you can't see the reason doesn't make them any less valid. Andy

I had managed to wangle a few days extra leave after Easter so I could get to the parade (so close to the Easter break why wouldn't you) as it had been several years since I last went. After all that effort, a little bit of rain wasn't going to stop me. Other things tried to but that's another story. It was nice to see this little loco out there and I sure those other hardy souls who made it there also appreciated the efforts to get it there, even if they don't know the back story. It was such a shame the weather put a dampener (literally) on things. Reports in the past have put numbers attending at around 50,000 (there is of course more than just the Sautruday parade) but I doubt there was more than a couple of thousand this year. One trader I know who attended was home in Poznan by 6pm. He's normally home around 10. I'm not sure the books on one trade stand survived either, being out in the rain. The food and drinks tents seemed to do a roaring trade as they had a bit of shelter but having said that the other trade stands weren''t exactly dead either. I'm also quite sure that Wolszytyn may have sold out of umbrellas too. You normally can't move in the local shops ( Every other parade I've attended has been in sunny and low 20s weather) and the staff are working flat out to keep the drinks shelves well stocked. I remember some years ago a little (Austrian?) loco attending that wasn't much bigger than the Beyer Peacock. That did get coupled up in the big calvacade and the wheels and con rods were just a blur. I felt a bit sorry for it really. Do you know the specific reason it ran seperately?. I've just guessed but it could be something more techinical than size and age. If the weather had been kinder I would have ventured over to the shed side as this is normally a better vantage point and would have been in a position to take more photos of the little beastie. I hope next year's parade enjoys better weather. It looks like I won't be there though, but never say never, a seed of a plan is germinating. Andy (who's still damp back in the UK)

Last few Normally the locos run along two adjacent tracks individually and then coupled (with the others on their respective tracks) and at the end of the parade all the locos are coupled together and charge back and forth making as much smoke, steam and noise as possible. The little Beyer Peacock did not join in but ran up and down at the same time on an adjacent track. The big locos would probably have ripped it apart; springs and splashers everyhwere. A few shots from the end of the parade of the last couple of runs and when the locos were shunting back onto shed. At this point I had taken refuge under the road bridge near the station.. And disposal onto shed Finally a forlorn Tkt48 143 parked up and rusting gently by the station. One of many locos doing the some dotted around the station and depot area There you have it. 10 locos in steam. A cold, wet day (at least you could get up to the barriers though) and the discovery that my supposedly waterproof coat is not that waterproof. If any one else was daft enough to be there please feel free to add your own photos Andy (who got really wet)

Ok I've downlaoded some more from the camera You'll have to excuse the framing and composition of some of these but it wasn't easy allowing for 2 second delay on the shutter of my ancient camera all whilst trying to fight off the efeects of frostbite in my fingers. Not only was it wet but the temprature had dropped to something like 6c with a reasonable breeze. So cold fingers were quickly a problem. And to think I was wearing T shirt and shorts a couple of days before. Anyhow, enough excuses. In no particular order Ol49 59 A Ol49 69 that had come in on the charter from Poznan Ol49 59 Pt47 65 Tkt48 18 Tkt48 191 Tkh 053 53 Ty2 911 More to follow

It has been mentioned in another topic (Peacock to Poland) that a little engine from the UK ventured to Poland for the Wolsztyn Parade that took place on 4th May. I promised to upload some photos of said parade and thought a seperate topic would be more appropriate and with luck here they are. The day started well. Rain was forecast but Poznan dawned overcast with the sun doing its best to break through. The 0949hrs Poznan Glowny - Wolsztyn was my chosen method of getting to the parade. However before that departed there was the matter of the 0930hrs Turkpol charter to depart. Hauled by OL49 69. There was quite a crowd at the platform end around the loco so I only managed to get a quick full frontal shot in. Meanwhile nearby SM42 616 awaited its next duty Then it was off to Wolsztyn. By the time my train arrived in Wolszstyn the forecast showery rain had started. Rebuilt SM42 1231 was the station pilot The weather definitely put a lot of people off this year. Where the security staff are standing in the background is normally packed. Instead two hardy souls share an umbrella. Only another 2 hours to wait before the steamy madness commences. A whisp of steam can be seen rising above the SM42. This was the Peacock The weather by this time was beyond showery rain and just one long shower. More to follow

If your carpentry is up to it why not make the end of each board frame interlock. The boards then just slot together and align at the same time. There has to be a secondary system to stop them pulling apart again obviously, but that could a simple spring clamp arrangement depending on how secure you want to feel On one of our DCC layouts we have used small brass ball catches to transfer power from board to board and the interlocking frame. Just slot 'em together, secure joints and plug in power. Worked OK now for a number of years now. Andy

Seemed to be doing a fine job on Saturday in the rain. Shame it was kept over to one side but probably too small to keep up with the big boys I suppose. Because of where it is was running I ddn't get many photos as someone parked a train in the way and I didn't fancy venturing over to the loco shed side this year due to the weather. If I get chance I will post some pictures once I've downloaded them, but probably best in a seperate topic Andy

Yep regularly. The clue is when the chap at the petrol station in Eindhoven tells you it's only 2 hours to Calais. He knows what Belgium is like. You always know when you cross the border into Belgium by the great woop de woop in the road and the tenfold increase in tyre noise The Dutch? Probably on a bicycle. Last time I visited northern Holland, it was quicker to walk to the next village (15 minutes), by road it took 20 because you had to find a bridge or 4 . Andy (still hyper from the daily commute)

Belgium and the Netherlands have us beat on that. Regardless, proper use of the road space available makes a big difference. Banning lorries overtaking on some stretches of two lane motorways also helps as does a sensible approach to roadworks. Why use 5 miles of cones when 400yds is enough? Problem is you can't trust the British motorist to be sensible nowadays. Mind you, the mini digger in the outside lane of the A2 near Poznan (whilst digging a hole in the central reservation in connection with works of the other carriageway) with just six cones around it was taking it a bit too far. Almost as bizarre as the white lining machine being driven down the centre of 2 lane road, painting lines, with all lanes open which I came across a couple of years back They do have a very different attitude out there,. Maybe the UK isn't that bad after all.

Having recently driven quite a few miles on the European mainland, I can safely say that the worst part of the whole trip was between Dover and SM42 Towers. It appears that the 4 lane sections of the M25 are in fact only two lane sections. Seemingly the two left hand lanes are permanently closed as no-one drives in them. Likewise the endless roadworks on the M20 can be navigated at 45mph in the empty left lane whilst everyone is bumbling along nose to tail at 30mph in the right lane. What are people scared of in the left hand lane? It was like being back in Europe, everyone keeping right. Of course the best was the chap in the middle lane of the M40, who moved to the left to let me pass then pulled back into the middle and starting angrily flashing his lights at me. If you are going to do 60ish on an empty motorway, the left lane is the place to do it. It's no wonder the roads are so congested. We ain't using half of them. Andy (still pumped from driving in Birmingham today)

Ah yes but that is a slightly different question They have the stock you need showing on line. Confirming what is already known, and they haven't just sold them, is not he same as asking for information blind. Andy

Ah but do you have 10 minutes of family conversation in foreign language of which you only catch, maybe 10 words, and then are suddenly asked what you think? The unhelpful blank look on your face and shrug of shoulders, you are reminded of later cos you were being unhelpful, awkward and just weren't listening But then again, maybe you have. One thing I do know about getting on the wrong side of Mrs SM42 is; the sulks are epic. Andy

The problem with Brownie points are that they arrive singly and depart in multiple. Now add in a Central European concept of the system and you will find, like me, that you are at least several gazillion in deficit for something that happened, or didn't happen, that was of no consequence to anyone (to such an extent that no-one, except one, noticed anything out of the ordinary) and you are into a whole new branch of brownie point economics. Still she lets me spend money on my hobbies, so that makes up for it. Andy (who still doesn't know what he did or didn't do)

I can remember the numbers of all the cars in our family I have legally driven. Basically the last 3 of dad's and all of mine. That's an Austin Princess, Ford Sierra (we both owned this one), Maestro, Citroen ZX, Rover 420, Renault Laguna 2 (nice car but always in the garage) Citroen C3, and 4 Hondas. I could have a reasonable stab at the 2 Renault 16s dad owned in the 70s too: LLE 324? and JAB 423N Sad I know, but that's the sort of useless info that clutters up my brain Andy

Living in a box by Living in a Box Got to leave em either laughing or totally appalled is my motto. Andy

Had one a couple of months back about how my Windows had a virus. They basically said they had software on my PC. I did enquire about the unauthorised installation of software and bluffed with the Computer Misuse Act. I was eventually passed onto Elvis, the supervisor, and was after more discussion about computer misuse etc was eventually told to do something unnatural and certainly illegal and they rang off. The weird thing was a week later I had a follow up call from them, as if I wouldn't remember the last conversation and their suggested actions at the end of the call. Andy

The old Mainline wood sided version can easily be uprated with a Parkside U/F. The four locating pips that hold the body to the chassis are at the perfect spacing for the new solebars. (I'm talking 00 here) Almost like Palitoy had a time machine and found themselves in Kirkcaldy one night. (Could have been the other way round of course.) No matter, it just works. Another possible use for the Lowfit (or more precisely two Lowfits) is conversion to the bolster twin. The Red Panda kit has the required inner ends to do this. Conflat As can be converted too. Andy

At this time of year I find myself in a reflective mood quite frequently. We lost dad on New Year's Eve 15 years ago. We miss him. He was special to us all year round but there are so may things on the TV and in the wider media at this time that trigger thoughts and memories and the loss is felt more keenly. He was a Shropshire lad and on New Year's Eve we shall remember and raise a toast to him with a pint of Shropshire Lad. When someone is gone from this world and our lives, we move on, but we don't forget. Andy

Quite, especially if your preferred destination is served by the budget end of the market. There seems to be a race to the bottom to really..... annoy.. their passengers. Being reasonably generous at a budgety price you would think would make good marketing. Unfortunately I don't think the budget boys would get you out of Christmas whilst airbourne. probably want to sell you Christmas from the trolley. Andy

Hornby HST was my first set. Baseboards made and track laid (held down with drawing pins with yellow plastic covers of all things) in the spare bedroom by my dad and brother whilst I was downstairs completely unware. The cover story was they had gone to the pub, which is probably what they would have preferred to do. Still got it 40 odd years later The box is a bit tatty though Andy