Rob F

I have never understood why Rugby Midland was called Midland when it is on the LNWR main line. I know the Midland reached the station from Leicester but the LNWR was by far the primary user. When was the Midland epithet first used? Rob

I have the magazine and thus know the answer. I am not going to state it here as the general opinion seems to be that I shouldn't. I don't claim to understand the reasons though. This is not a secret, or confidential information or anything that is going to spoil their announcement next week. The information is in the public domain as it is in a magazine that has already been published, via an advertisement placed by Locomotion themselves. It is already common knowledge. We are akin to the child who sticks their fingers in their ears and shouts LA LA LA as loud as they to avoid hearing something that they don't want to hear but which everyone else can. We are in strange territory indeed as a forum if we are not allowed to discuss something that anyone with half an interest will already know. ROB PS And I really don't mind if everyone presses their Disagree button as often as they like! At least it will prove my post has been read!

Dave that leading 50 looks like 406 to me. Great pics and taken on my 4th birthday too! ROB

Great pics as always Dave, thanks. When did class 40s stop being regular performers on the southern end of the ECML? ROB

Something can be 'too expensive' for an individual, regardless of whether it is perceived to be value for money or not. There is also an important issue of perception here. I suspect the manufacturers are hoping that they will sell a lower volume at a higher price and improve their margins in the process. I can't quibble with this as they are in the business of making money, not keeping the likes of us happy. I think it will have a different effect on me, I cannot see me reconciling myself to spending over £50 on a RTR coach as I 'perceive' that to be 'too expensive' where I might well have bought two at £35, for example. The net result is that my spending has dropped to zero rather than spending the same and getting less product for my money. I hope for the sake of the manufacturers' futures that most people are not like me! ROB

Was down in Cornwall last weekend (playing golf, West Cornwall GC at Lelant was absolutely superb) and noticed large amounts of new steel sleepers piled by the side of the line from Lelant Saltings to a good way towards Carbis Bay. I assume new rail will be used as well? Anyone any ideas when this is likely to happen? ROB

Could the very low sand levels be due to the terrible state of repair of the wooden groynes? ROB

The tantalising remains of Nottingham Victoria. The blue brick retaining walls visible from the car park, the mouth of Mansfield Road tunnel, the underside of the girder bridge that carries Parliament St all make me nostalgic for a time I never knew. Born in 1968, my memories of Nottingham's once extensive network are limited to images of weed infested viaducts and missing overbridges, wireless telegraph posts and decaying remains. ROB

I suspect that there is less beach at the moment because the sand levels are so low. I have said in a previous post that the sand levels are at least 6 feet lower than they were when I stayed on Sea Lawn Terrace in the late 80s. This difference in vertical depth will translate to a large change in the horizontal extent of the beach at low tide. ROB

I assume at this time it was not an issue to have two vehicles with the same number on TOPS? Rob

It really makes you realise how small the APT was to allow it to tilt. The British loading gauge is small to start with and the powercar looks a bit 'dinky' along side the mark 1. Are the Pendolinos this small? ROB

....unlike the team. Rob

In idle moments I have often thought that they should use the same colour tarmac that the road is denoted with in a road atlas, so motorways would be blue, trunk roads green etc. It might brighten the place up a bit! Rob

Enjoying the pictures but I think you mean Mapperley tunnel? Rob

Ah well, each to his own. We don't all have to agree all the time do we? That's what makes life more interesting! ROB

Which is exactly the reason why links may be better, if you are worried about your data allowance then don't click them, simples! It takes time to resize photos and post them on site, which may be time that johnw1 does not have. And as I said, if the picture is in the post then have virtually no choice but to download it, thereby eating into your allowance for an image that you may have no interest in seeing. When I have posted images I have put them in the post but that was my choice, doing it this way is John's choice and I don't have a problem with it. Also the quality of his images is excellent and I hope he continues to post. ROB

There's still time!! Maybe not after quarter to five this afternoon however..... Rob

Of course, Sir Brian went on to bigger and better things at the more illustrious neighbours the other side of Trent Junction! Rob

Up HST just gone by the Beach Cam with what sounds like a jammed horn. Sounding continuously as it approached and passed and still audible as it neared Langstone Rock. Would this be sufficient reason to fail the train? ROB

Sadly, this is not uncommon. We travelled from Nottingham to Edinburgh last Easter,changing twice using three different trains and we did not have our ticket checked once in the entire journey. The return journey was the complete opposite, tickets checked on each train, on the long leg from Edinburgh to Newark more than once. Also, on the St Ives branch last summer, a journey on a near empty evening train from Lelant Saltings to St Ives and no opportunity to buy a ticket as the conductor did not appear, so we travelled for free. A very variable situation. ROB

What on earth is that helicopter doing? It has been up there nearly all day! ROB

When the line reopens will there be TSRs in place or will full line-speed be available straight away? ROB

66953 has just yinged its way slowly past the Dawlish Beach webcam on the down line. ROB

How difficult is it to click a link? Most of johnw1's pictures have been absolutely superb and the historical notes that go with them are fascinating. Rob

This really shows how much sand has been lost from the beach, whether in the recent storms or over a period of time I do not know. I stayed in a flat on Sea Lawn Terrace in the late 80s and regularly walked along the beach to Dawlish Warren and the structure parallel to the wall was not really visible at all. Also, you could sit on the lower level walkway and put your feet on the sand, it now looks to be at least a 10 foot drop. ROB