stewartingram

Sandy being one of my trainspotting homes from my Cambridge days (and I've never moved far away ), I am surprised at that dmu at Sandy on a Norwich-Birmingham! I never knew they wnt that way. I always thought they were a 'new' service in the mid-60s.  I lived close to what is now Cambridge North (it was formerly Chesterton Junction, our most regular spotting haunt.) I remember well the excitement of what we thought were new services appearing, usually 101/104 dmus, Though there may be some relationship to former M&GN services ceasing in 1959?

I've ridden in a mK1 non-corridor BR coach from March-Ely, around 1966. I can't remember what the other coaches were, nor how many. At the time I was quite chuffed to see it and jumped at the chance to ride in it. Most local services were dmu anyway. I'm pretty sure it was a full 3rd coach.

5 hours ago, LNER4479 said:

So ... FWIW, today's Jacobite report :

 

MkI doors locked out of use; MkIIs CDL fitted.

 

No seating allowed in the MkIs, but you can walk through. They really are towing empty coaches about.

 

Everybody in MkIIs; obviously fully booked.

Florence and her stewards patrolling, dissuading folks standing in vestibules taking photos through D/L windows. 

 

Those toilets in use on MkIs are retention tank fitted (they were last year - paid for by Net Rail). Didn't check whole train, but MkII toilets I saw were either locked out of use or 'do not use in station'(!?)

 

More to follow...

So, no stiitting in a Mk1, but toilets locked in a Mk2, then you have to sit  in the Mk1......

Just a thought, a different take on so-called excess stock, either bya manufacturer, or a retailer buying from said manufacturer.

Let us assume the the business is ticking over nicely, and has a surplus bank balance. Now, firstly in the case of the retailer, he has funds to buy in extra stock, say £10000 worth (just a number, not taken from real life).. Like I said he can afford it. Somehow he manages to stock it, not needing any extra 'warehouse' space, so really it costs him nothing extra, he is not going into debt. In time the majority of it sells, but it could take a long while. Meanwhile his regular intake, chosen carefuly, sells as normal, fairly quickly - lets say £2000 worth. With perhaps £10000 worth of 'excess',. So he sits on £10000 of excess, which over time gradually reduces. But next year, he spends another £2000, some of which replenishes the surplus (having sold £1000 of it), the remainer restocks the normal shelf. This really doesn't cost him anything above his normal expenditure, but, the important thing, he could afford it in the 1st instance.

Thing is, the number of retailers that could afford that are few, Hattons maybe was one of those.

Don't forget too, some of that bulk will appreciate in value as time passes, as the items become scarce.

Now for the manufacturer. A lot is said about storing surplus costing money. I seriously doubt that the manufacturer would need to pay any more for a larger warehouse, it would be normal to have spare space in the warehouse. But, they would have to pay for the production of the goods, and not see a full return on that for a while. However, it is probable that old fashioned thinking would expect to set a (trade) selling price such that the profit is made within a set period (say1-2 years), anything after that period period brings in extra profit as the R&D is paid off. Nowadays they seem to set prices such that the 1st batch is the only one needed before R&D is written off, along with making a profit on that batch. Seems an odd way of working to me? And then, if they can't afford to pay those costs but have loans to pay back, that puts the costs much higher.

No such thing as an important football match - ever!

Read their comments in MR 324 (April)!

Is this acceptable here?

In the same style as the previous pic - a dmu substitute when Fragonset were top & tailing a couple of coaches on the Bletchley-Bedford trains

I wonder if the ORR are actually aware of how they are running the present Jacobite? One one think so, but are they?

Motor cleaned with WD40Contact Cleaner?

I hope you didn't spray that into the innards of the motor - a surefire killer. Many years ago I tried that with an X04 and a different switch cleaner. Instantly better running, but it ruined the brushes.

(I know the X04 is an open motor, not a can, but it has the similar principles of build)).

(I also realise you stated 'switch cleaner'  for WD40, not the 'bodger's tool' of the normal WD40).

I take it you mean the destination blinds? I can't help with the typeface, but the are available as transfers from Fox. May not help with a specofoc destination, but you might be able to make something up from what they do. (I have the same problem for ECOC).

I do wonder if there is a case for introducing a 2nd driving test, based on what I saw the other day.

At the moment, you get your full license after passing the theory and practical tests (with certain age-related restrictions for age, of younger drivers, which don't relate to me so I haven't followed with interest). You then have to show a P plate from

12 months I believe.

I followed a youngish girl this week, who was showing a P plate. To me she had developed some bad habits. She was driving at around 35mph in the 30 limit, and she turned off to the right into a side road. There was no flasher used until a second after she started turning, no use of brakes either so the brake ights gave no warning. Her speed didn't reduce much, and her right turn  cut off the corner. All relatively small points, but showing bad habits deveoped. Maybe a 2nd practical test before the P plate is removed? Everyone is a novice when they first pass their test, they haven't driven solo before and have to learn more skills pretty quick.

That scissor lift looks an impressive bit of kit, sadly as new price is too much for me.

On 05/04/2024 at 20:30, stewartingram said:

I emailed an order back in Feb, about a week later I got a phone call and made the payment. It was a small order for loco frames and an 03 conical chimney, he amended the frames to make it simpler for me, and closed the call by saying that he would get them made. I've heard nothing since and have sent 2-3 emails with no response.

Further to this, does anyone have a mobile number to contact him?

Reason to ask, is that I think I also put my mobile number on the order. Now where I live, mobile signal is not good (which obviously doesn't matter much to me, it is a mobile after al, which is what I want when not at home!

I've had a few unknown mobile calls, sadly I've deleted records, but if some gave me his mobile number I might recognise it, or would do if he did ring.

I like the look of that scissor lift, do you have any more details?

2's & 3's - in my period they were in the 300's! Youngsters today....

2 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

Interestingly, that's the opposite of the principle on the UndergrounD where stations are often on a hump - the entry rise being used to slow arriving trains and the dip from the platform end used to accelerate away.

"Hump" and "loop" are two different things. As described the Underground uses gradients to its advantage for slowing down and accelerating. However, previous answers up thread are describing loops, in the horizontal plain.

I must admit, I'm in the thought of the entry to a loop being straight, in both directions, with the exits being curved (to the right) via the points, as a train starting will be normally slower. However I accept there would be cases for a straight through " road, and a "loop!" curved at both ends.

WhenI was working (for a contractor) on the Underground, I was paired with another guy one night to do a job at Marble Arch station, accessing via the Oxford Street entrance. We had to park in a side street just round the corner, which was blocked off from Oxford Street, and had to come in from the back. At the blocked off end there was a skip, they were refurbing a hotel adjacent. My mate saw some marble worktop thrown in the skip, he soon had that loaded in the van. He was another "Trotter" who usually had some odd deals on the go ,and the van was well overloaded! We shot off rather quickly, to deposit the load at hiss place west just off the A40. We then went back to the station, we did have a job to do.

It took him months to sell that lot on, but made a tidy sum.

A piece of thickish copper wire, say from twin & earth, can be stretched to make it stiff. That makes the hose, then wind some thin wire round it to simulate the ribbing; solder the 2 together, cut to length and bend. Vary the wire thicknesses as required.

I've used Peco 100 track, and all Triang era locos work satisfactorily through it, with a tweak to the B2B, usually wider. Never measured it, did it by eye with a small screwdriver behind the wheels to lever them out.

Bridge Replacement Bus Service

Going a bit off topic (as we do), I've been thinking.....

Do the Royal coaches have CDL? If not, do they have B&Q door bolts and stewards at every door?

Only asking.

2 hours ago, phil-b259 said:

The ORRs concerns have their origins in fact that IF the underframe do not stay in line with each other during a derailment and one rises up and impacts the relatively flimsy body then the damage to the passenger 6 will be far more extensive than with a monocoque design.

 

 

The nuclear wagon test crash with the class 45 and mk1s, actually seemed too show the strength of the mk1 design?

Definitely a train (+loco) on the left in the sidings. Not far enough over for the Bletchley line. That's my old school playing field!

I emailed an order back in Feb, about a week later I got a phone call and made the payment. It was a small order for loco frames and an 03 conical chimney, he amended the frames to make it simpler for me, and closed the call by saying that he would get them made. I've heard nothing since and have sent 2-3 emails with no response.

Having used a number of led torches made of aluminium, I feel the aluminium oxidises rapidly. The -ve of the battery is usually via a spring to the end cap that screws on. Conductivity soon fails on the thread of the cap where it screws to the body,