mcowgill

Then there's the mess at Stratford. Got off a North London line train late at night some years back and saw the next train home along the GEML was due in platform 10 in a couple of minutes so I legged it down the subway and saw the steps marked platform 10a, went up there to find my train running in (and then departing) on the opposite platform. I now know that unlike everywhere else that 10A is not one end of 10 but a completely different platform to 10! How many other people get caught out by that? Apparently it couldn't be numbered 11 when it was brought into use as TFL wouldn't renumber their platforms which start at 11 Martin

As far as I know the first class compartments are in use on a (literally) first come first served basis with all compartments declassified for the moment Martin

I'm not aware of any 3' 6" versions but Tiger at Penmaenmawr was a 3' gauge version with inside frames and cylinders https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Welsh_slate_quarry_Hunslet_locomotives#/media/File:Tiger_works_photo.jpg Martin

Garraway Green, Alan Garraway considered Welsh Pony unfinished business, it was always next in line for restoration but was overtaken by the arrival of Linda, Blanche and Mountaineer and the growth in traffic led to it being put aside. The first donation to the restoration appeal came from Alan so it's going into 1950s/60s green as he would have outshopped it in the 60s. Martin

That's probably about to go up, revisions to the Highway Code for improved safety for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders were published for consultation today. Rule 163 to be changed to include: give motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211 to 215). As a guide: leave a minimum distance of 1.5 metres at speeds under 30 mph leave a minimum distance of 2.0 metres at speeds over 30 mph for a large vehicle, leave a minimum distance of 2.0 metres in all conditions pass horse riders and horsedrawn vehicles at speeds under 15 mph and allow at least 2.0 metres space allow at least 2.0 metres space where a pedestrian is walking in the road (e.g. where there is no pavement) and you should pass them at low speed you should wait behind the motorcyclist, cyclist, horse rider, horse drawn vehicle or pedestrian and not overtake if it is unsafe or not possible to meet these clearances Details here Martin

Network Rail seem to have been quick off the mark releasing the CCTV of an HGV running red lights and taking the barriers out on Friday at Manningtree. The local press had the video up on their site about 3 hours after the incident https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/video-lorry-crashes-through-level-crossing-barriers-1-6762674 Martin

Depends on your database and storage system technology. We moved our business system's 4Tb database from New England to Texas with an outage of around 10 minutes last year, but to get that capability we pay eye watering sums for software and support. It's primarily a matter of counting all the sheep in two duplicate databases for a few days right up to the move. Martin

This article https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them dates back to early May and someine sent me the link not long afterwards, it' an interesting read on how the virus may be passed between individuals and detaisl some cases on how it was spread between groups in different situations. We used this as one of the documents to help assess risk when looking to reopen our offices and encouraged everyone to read it - I found it very helpful to understand what the likely risks are in day to day activities, the conclusion at the end was to wear a mask to prevent everyone else from you Martin

My understanding is that the Ffestiniog's new build carriages are actually built in such a way as to skirt around the legislation and restrictions that new design's have to comply with. Carriage 122 was a genuine new design in 2003 and does not comply with the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations Act 1998 which new designs have to meet. As a result there is an exemption order (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/1687/contents/made) which was required before it was put into service, as far as I know this is only valid until 2026. The latest carriages are a wooden bodied variant of 122's design but the initial carriage (103) is an 'accounting rebuild' of the 1968 built 103 which I believe avoids the need to comply with the legislation through grandfather rights. Since then a series of new carriages to largely the same design have been produced some as 'rebuilds', others with new numbers but I believe that as they are variants of 103 they continue with the same grandfather rights, even the observation carriages which have completely different bodies. The replica heritage carriages such as the recently completed 21 or the Welsh Highland Pickering currently under contract construction look as if they also have grandfather rights so it may be that a replica of an existing but vanished design would be ok to build and use. Martin

The video's fine, it matches images that HS2 have posted on social media today Martin

I wasn't aware of that ,are the 755's just waiting on approval? I thought they have been to Liverpool St on test runs and were intended to run Lowestoft to London services Martin

The Dornoch Branch on the Highland Railway. Two Highland Railway 0-4-4Ts were retained until 1957 when the final survivor broke it's axle, suitable replacements came from the other end of the country, 2 Swindon 16xx 0-6-0PTs. http://www.fofnl.org.uk/images/180523.55053.Dornoch.07-55.jpg https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/38546470685 Not unlike the Lyme Regis branch where the Adams Radials were used until needs meant Ivatt 2MTs replaced them. Martin

It looks like one of the 1935 stock sets with streamlined ends, see https://londonist.com/london/transport/art-deco-tube-trains-1930s-london-underground-streamlined-trains Martin

When commuting on my cycle I feel most vulnerable at the point I start moving away from traffic lights, for a few seconds my progress is likely to be a little unsteady until both pedals are loaded equally, I'm at risk of wobbling one way or the other, the last thing I want is a vehicle close to my right shoulder, as a driver you can't accurately predict my path. As others have said close to the left side of the road is a poor place to cycle, it has drainage ironwork, often sunken, loose chippings, gravel and even broken glass. If there's an advance cycle box I'll take up a position further from the kerb than I would otherwise be and then pull over to the left once I'm in motion and stable, I would hope that other vehicles would be able to cope with a few seconds delay as a result. The guidance in traffic these days is to 'take the lane' where you perceive you are at risk, that way you have some control over when vehicles overtake you where they need to wait for a safer location. I've had a few near misses and (worse) that have been captured on my video camera and in almost all cases the police officers involved felt I was cycling too close to the kerb and should have been in the middle of the lane to stop overtaking - I tend not to argue with the police. I cycle to work along a busy single carriageway A road with roadside parking in front of terrace houses. The only safe place to be is the middle of the road, I'm at risk of being hit by a parked car door opening and people trying to squeeze past on my right in a gap that's only a car's width between me and approaching cars. I'f I'm hit by an opening door at 8am I'm going home in a box as there's bound to be a car immediately behind me as I hit the deck. One of my early commutes ended up with me hitting a parked car, I was too far left and was hit by the nearside mirror of a Transit squeezing past me. As for not using cycle lanes, there's one elsewhere on my journey, I don't use it as it's shared with pedestrians. If I'm doing 15mph+ along it I'm a danger to them, I'm much closer to the speed of traffic in the morning rush and that road is wide enough for people to pass safely without me delaying them. Martin

You shouldn't need to do anything with the Grange. DCC ready wouldn't normally be a problem, that means it left the factory wired with a DCC socket but has a blanking plate in place - a DCC ready loco will NOT run on DCC as it's not fitted with a decoder. Your Jubilee has had a decoder fitted by the previous owner, in the form it left the factory you wouldn't have had any issues. Martin

I used to see them regularly in Bradford Exchange, particularly on the early morning Bradford Executive which avoided Leeds using Wortley West & South Junctions. Most of the other London services to Bradford reversed in Leeds and tended to get another Holbeck loco dropped onto the eastern end rather than the incoming loco run round, so they were more likely to be a 47 or 31/4. Martin

Or wait a couple of years for the Peco/Kato ready to run version? https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/146262-katopeco-announce-fr-locos-in-009-confirmed/ The Langley model is an old model and the diesel loco chassis doesn't do it any favours as the wheels are very undersized compared to the prototype, it also has a tendency to go banana shaped if you're not careful during construction. The Backwoods models are like hens teeth and go for silly money when they surface, one went for £340 on eBay a few days ago. Working examples are few and far between, having built some of the others in the range and knowing the work done to them by those who've got them working they're not the easiest of kits to build and I wouldn't recommend one as a starting point in etched kits. Martin

TRPS - Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society, this is one of the annual AGM weekend specials from Paddington to Towyn 24th September 1960, 9017 & 7330 hauled the train from Shrewsbury to Towyn - see https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/60s/600924tr.html Martin

OPC hasn't been part of the Ian Allan stable for some time, it was sold along with the rest of the Ian Allan transport publishing catalogue to Crecy: http://www.crecy.co.uk/ Martin

I believe it was always intended to be without valances but the original illustration was wrong, it was corrected back in March. See this thread Martin

Here's 755412 heading towards Felixstowe at lunchtime today running in to Derby Road station. Martin

I use the crossing fairly regularly both as a motorist and cyclist, it bypasses an underbridge alongside which is single-track so cars have to wait for a gap leading to tailbacks at busy times, particularly as there can be extended closures of the crossing if main line and branch movements are close together. There is very poor visibility over the crossing as it's quite a steep hump, but under normal circumstances there would never be anything queuing at the exit of the crossing, cars heading north have right of way over cars emerging from under the bridge. There have been roadworks beyond the crossing over the last few months, starting about half a mile north of the railway with the work site slowly moving towards the crossing over time so I would think the queue is held at temporary lights. Not condoning the actions in any way, you should drive to the conditions and not assume the road is clear if it's not visible. I suspect it confirms it's a local driver who is familiar with the crossing and had never before met stationary traffic. Martin

You can tell it's an early variant of the Liliput U class, you have to unscrew the chimney to dismantle it... Martin

You might find this page of interest http://www.australiansteam.com/JAB 5.htm Martin

Interesting that the initial pair of England engines are Princess and a green Prince. That to me suggests two models of the England engines in post 1890s rebuilt condition. This probably rules out Prince in current condition (red or green) as it's a much larger beast than Princess due to being put on Boston Lodge steroids during the rebuild in the 1970s. This might indicate the Fairlie being Livingston Thompson/Taliesin or Merddin Emrys in pre-1970 condition, these would match the pair of England engines for period. All just guess work, we'll have to wait and see. Martin