SM42

I think the reason people get frustrated at road works is the apparent lack of proper planning for traffic. Diversions that merge into other diversions so no-one knows which route is which Diversion signs that give up after a couple of junctions, Last minute beyond point of no return road closures ( happened to me on the M5 last week when I found my junction was closed when I got to it. No chance to take the short alternative route, just a lengthy drive in the wrong direction) Poorly planned or phased temporary lights that cause miles of traffic that could be eased with a bit more thought for peak traffic directions Closures going in an hour or more before advertised. Lane closures 24/7 but no 24/7 works. Or my favourite, two sets of temporary lights in a short distance so one set's queue blocks the other and vice versa. Unfortunately it's the guys on the ground that get the anger as they are visible, not the ones who plan the mess. It can be very difficult to be patient sometimes. However that is no excuse to threaten or attack those going about their work. The most common I see is road closures being ignored as people think they will be able to get through anyway Just wish they would dig a 2 ft wide trench across the road just to make sure. Andy

Hornby 4 VEPs at €269.99 till 1st April from Model Bahn Union OK you have to take off 19% German VAT, convert to pounds and pay UK VAT plus £12 admin fee to the post office ( choose DHL option it comes Deutsche Post and Royal Mail) in about 5 days or so. Still a good price in my opinion regardless https://www.modellbahnunion.com/Spur-00/Elektrotriebzug-Class-423-EMU-South-West-Trains.htm?a=article&ProdNr=Hornby-R30107&p=1063 Andy

Interesting listening to the radio on my travels today. Two songs containing an alternative word for manure were played at some point. One unedited, the other edited. The latter got away with being played in the UK for several months before it was edited. Another tune that originally contained an expletive was played in its English speaking world safe alternative version. You just can't tell what is going to happen nowadays. Andy

Grain wagons in the background destined for, or coming from, the Tyskie brewery at Tychy. Also nice to see an SM31 in green. Anchors an era 5 date for the upcoming Piko model. The livery on the ET22 was getting on a bit by then too I believe. Great stuff. Andy Currently in Poznan

We are currently in Poland and I've been out on my travels today. Just a couple of narrow gauge steam locos First up, plinthed at Pleszew Miasto No identification to be found, but I think it might be Px48 1912. Another 0-8-0 was found at Zbiersk on the Kaliska Kolej Dojazdowa. Again no obvious ID, but it could be Px48 1726. Andy

Oh so many railway terms would cause apoplexy Andy

I have had a good day out today, the temperature got up to 20c and trains were seen. Plesew was interesting with dual gauge track at Plesew Miasto The train on the left is narrow gauge, standard gauge SM42s in the distance with a dual gauge shed behind. There were a lot of gas tanks dotted about Quite literally parked by the side of the road. The dual gauge line ran all the way to Pleszew Wask Station which is about 50 yards from Pleszew Station on the main line but is in Kowalew. Services were being run by this SKPL 810 unit. The buffers at this point are just about clear of the level crossing the narrow gauge platform is to the left. Narrow gauge motive power seems to be predominantly Lyd 1s. Andy

No, shot. Its only a pellet when you have to spit them out at the dinner table, normally singly. This is when a single projectile sealed in the barrel ( mouth) and ejected by a separate propellant provided by the gun ( you) comes into play Andy

Err, shot. The clue is in the name. My take this is as follows. A bullet is the projectile that leaves a generally rifled barrel as the business end of a self contained projectile / propellant unit. A pellet is a projectile sent forth from the barrel by a propellant provided by the gun and is shaped to seal itself in the barrel to prevent leakage of the propellant past the projectile A ball is a ball shaped object ( obviously) that is about the right size for the barrel but needs wadding behind it to stop the propellant overtaking it in the barrel. Shot is made up of several projectiles ( a few to a few hundred) and is fired either from a self contained cartridge with propellant , wadding and shot built in ( and is breach loaded, ) or by the use of separate propellant and wadding ( the latter usually loaded via the muzzle) Andy

Hello from a sunny but breezy Poznan. As far as censoring goes, I can understand the more extreme forms of words being censored as the Internet is free for all regardless of age. I'm not sure parents would appreciate their pre school youngsters learning some words and using then out of context , or at all for that matter. It is some of the seemingly innocuous words that get censored that baffle With the way language developes any word could be in the firing line. Radio and TV is somewhere a degree of control is possible by parents, the Internet is the wild west. I find it amusing that age restrictions for websites are being touted. I wonder how this will be achieved " Are you over 18?" Click yes. " Enter your date of birth." Just add 20 years " Enter your credit card number" Who's going to trust that? and Oh look there's mum's credit card, I'll just write the number down so I can use that web site. Does everyone have a credit card? It's a problem to which there seems no easy solution. On second thoughts, the latter seems easy as people of all ages over 18 won't visit and it will close down. Andy

Sign of the times. Radio stations and music TV have been editing some words out of songs for ages, but some odd ones still get through that are far more parental advisory than those removed. I'm waiting for the mild expletive to be removed from Cool for Cats Recently a song was played on one station with the word funky taken out. That could ruin a lot of songs as well as those they have already ruined. Legs is probably the oddest word I've heard removed. Seems we are not allowed to decide for ourselves now that anonymous, on line indignation is so popular. It's so refreshing here in the motherland to have unadulterated songs on the radio. Definitely parental guidance required in some cases. Andy

The real success here is that 18 months of planning and quite a few pounds were saved by sorting this out. It is this sort of problem solving that often goes un noticed but keeps the job going. From cascading locos, buying some tools at a nearby garage to fix a tamper to this sort of solution. It all helps keep the job going. It's all too easy to throw in the towel and waste thousands of hours and pounds in the process Well done Jim Andy

Shrewsbury Andy

Interesting about the healing ability of us humans. One thing I find quite remarkable is that there seems to be a hierarchy of healing. Important bits like the mouth seem to heal quite quickly, ( eating us important after all ) which given the damp environment is quite something. Less critical skin seems to take longer. I am however at a loss as to why some bits don't regrow like skin, which would be useful and how in certain circumstances, ( head injury for instance) the body's healing response can have fatal consequences. Still I suppose we all gotta go sometime due to something. Self destruct is just not one you would expect Andy

She's a generalist Mop and bucket, sponge, wet cloth, in fact anything damp. 😁 Andy

Good morning from a very sunny Poznan I've already got the washing out and temperature expected to hit 14c today. What a perfect day for a haircut. What to do with the rest of the day though? Mrs SM42 went off to have her hair done 2 hours ago. Not expecting to see her this side of 3pm. There is talk of housework later, which in my case means dusting and hoovering. Mrs SM42 does all the wet work. Andy

Saturday's predicted temperature is rising. Now 22c Sunday 21c Monday 20c Those winter tyres seem a bit redundant now. Andy Who's thinking of taking the pinking shears to his trousers.

First was Kidderminster around 1980. First with anything over 25 layouts was the first Warley NEC show. Mrs SM42's first ( both first and largest) would be Ally Pally 2006. It was our first date Knew she was a keeper after that. Andy

Just seen the weather forecast. Overnight tonight it is -1c Saturday day time is predicted to be 21c Shorts were not on my list of things to pack. Andy

I've just been reminded that yesterday marked the 80th anniversary of the great escape. Poznan's commonwealth war cemetery in Citadela Park holds the bodies of those who were murdered following this audacious escape plan. Probably the most well known of those escapees rests there. I must try to visit this week to pay my respects Events to mark the anniversary were held in Warsaw yesterday. Andy

Mrs SM42 has just entered the room, having come from the kitchen and announced: " I've just dismantled the diswasher" A brief cold shiver went through me before I realised she meant she had emptied it. Oh the joys of second languages. Andy

They come from the shops in clear plastic pots. Mrs SM42 waters sparingly and keeps them on window cills for the light and they are rotated for a spell in the bathroom after flowering and during. She has kept them coming into flower for several years now. This is more by luck than any sort of knowledge. They are all in original pots and just watered occasionally Andy

According to my Ian Allen ABC equivalent they are Russian built between 1974 and 1984 by BMZ in Bryansk or LTZ in Luhansk and on further research, are indeed based on the Alco RSD 1 sent to Russia Andy

While I was out, Mrs SM42 went into town, did some shopping and changed some money. As Euro change is useful for using service station facilities en route, she also got €12 in loose change, mainly 20c and 50c coins This will go with the €45 of 10c coins (🤔) she got in December. On the way here we filled at least one coffee machine with small change to the point it gave up. Pressing the return button gave us equivalent coins of higher denominations, so we went to another machine. 😁 Andy

Today's free time was spent a Gadki, where apart from some EN57s there was not much action. The sun came out to warm up SM42 but having espied the large dark clouds I decided that heading back was in order. I stopped off in Paledzie in the middle of a hail storm where the regular TEM2 was patiently waiting for its train to be unloaded. After it had stopped hailing I ventured out of the car just in time for an EU160 hauled train to pass. For some reason it was routed via the far platform so was running quite slowly. It was quite a busy time and in the 30 minutes I was there saw 5 trains. I was then summoned to the in laws for coffee and cake, who was I to refuse? In the time it took to exit the car park another 2 trains passed. Not the best day for watching trains go by, but entertaining enough. No freights though unfortunately. Andy