BR traction instructor

We’re trying to limit risk of unnecessary expense/unreliability with our approach to switching to an all electric car. I’ve always purchased a new Volkswagen Golf or Polo, run it for 10 years and then purchased the next. This has worked well without exception and we’ve never been stuck at the side of the road. Waiting until 2025 for the ID2 Polo equivalent gives them chance to debug the ID3 and hopefully get a similar reliability built into the ID2 that I’ve experienced with their diesel models over the years. It means running our current one until it is 13 years old but we’re keeping it maintained. Trying to limit waste and get many years use out of well engineered products. BeRTIe

We go for a middle of the road approach: for advanced appliances such as car, TV, washing machine, microwave etc we attempt to get hold of a well engineered brand with higher grade components, even if it means paying more for them. for car & house I’m quite prepared to perform routine maintenance e.g. changing brake pads, oil, filters etc, or else decorate house, replace scaled bricks, change the aerial etc…but always summon an expert for gas/electrical work with model railways I keep my hand in with etched kit construction, have no problems with plastic kits, usually upgrade RTR stuff to fit in with the others and would scratchbuild if necessary. Can’t do everything but maintain a good 50/50 approach. BeRTIe

Off he goes…bye everyone. BeRTIe

The new home visit by the Animals in Need charity is happening today for this guy and it is almost guaranteed that Saturday will see him and his fave toys collected and delivered to his new owners. He is leaving us tomorrow…his new home is acceptable to the charity. One last playtime. BeRTIe

I was yellow carded for weight and cholesterol at my last BUPA screening…instructed to get down to 14st from 15.5, luckily I’d used the narrowboat to go to Macclesfield from Nantwich (30 locks in each direction). I lost half a stone just bringing the boat back to Nantwich. I now have porridge for breakfast, beans on toast or soup for lunch, a cooked tea (meat or fish with two veg) and fluctuate between 14 and 14.5st. Cycling 10miles on dry days means the odd pint or chocolate treat doesn’t make much difference. Amen to the advice to get into the countryside & sunlight at every opportunity written above. A guaranteed way to boost self esteem etc is to spend even a small amount of time amongst people less fortunate than yourself. BeRTIe

The leaf fall season would commence October ish and last until around Christmas in the Peak District. An old DMU trailer with Sandite (gritty paste) gear on board (large tank with discharge pipes dropping down to just above the rail surface and a pump) would be hauled or propelled by a loco (typically a 25 in the 70s/80s) as required and usually overnight, discharging Sandite paste onto the rail in known problem areas. Less of a problem when lineside tree/vegetation clearance was a responsibility taken seriously by British Rail. Low speeds were used when applying Sandite. Shed staff from Buxton crewed their Sandite unit when operating. BeRTIe

Another angle is the use of a last known address e.g. someone who sells up and cruises away in a narrowboat. Royal Mail will forward your mail for up to 5yrs (to a marina or Post Office counter). In all likelihood someone doing this already has a bank account or two. BeRTIe

I don’t have the WCML WTT for that year but would hazard a loco swap (to a 40) at Carlisle. 45 traction knowledge might have been an issue in the Preston area in 1975. BeRTIe

These Irwin ones are currently available, heavy duty and excellent, I find. Distortion is minimal due to the blade/cutting edge design. BeRTIe

The Festival of the Plough at Epworth nr Gainsborough has been a great celebration of heritage working practices for years but appears to have not been held for a while now. For those interested in this style of event, the Derbyshire one advertised below for October 2022 looks promising. BeRTIe

A similar take on Olddudders ageing theme this week. Prior to our forthcoming relocation to The Solway firth I took an octogenarian steam era railway colleague/railway author out for lunch and a trip down memory lane by inspecting some heritage railway spots nearby. The station at Norbury & Ellastone on the former Ashbourne to Uttoxeter railway (a line that he used to work over from Buxton), a few locations on the gravity tramway between Cauldon Lowe & Froghall and driving along the mule train route which saw copper ore carried in panniers from Ecton mine to the smelter at Whiston gave us a considerable amount to talk about and passed a lovely afternoon in the blink of an eye. The first pic is near Cotton and shows remnants of the Cauldon Lowe to Froghall gravity worked tramway abandoned when the Leekbrook jcn to Waterhouses railway opened. The second shows the bridge over the River Manifold adj Wetton Mill in The Manifold valley commissioned by The Duke of Devonshire allowing passage for his mule trains carrying copper ore from Ecton Copper mine to the Whiston smelter/panniers full of coal from Froghall canal basin on the return journey. The Manifold valley light railway from Waterhouses to Hulme End crossed at right angles at the right hand end of this bridge. The third shows two of the few remnants of the copper smelter in Whiston village. Molten slag left over from recovering the copper was cast in moulds and the blocks used to build the company offices. BeRTIe

Planning cycle journeys largely along old railway routes and the newly cycle-able canal towpaths is a great exercise in exploring our heritage. There are always quieter options even at weekends/holiday times, just a case of thinking it through and not heading for the same old, same old. BeRTIe

Getting around the Potteries along the old Potteries Loop line is an attractive way of cycling through the conurbation. The nearby Congleton-Biddulph-Chatterley Whitfield ride/walk does similarly over a long abandoned route. BeRTIe

Staying in cottage near Wadebridge a couple of years ago was an excellent opportunity to explore the remains of the LSWR ‘withered arm’. As for the cyclist/walker situation, I do both but always try to visit popular routes such as the Manifold valley, Tissington/C&HP, Monsal and CVR Oakamoor/Denstone trails on weekdays away from holiday times, which limits the issue. Ensuring that you have a loud bell on your bike and ringing it as you approach walkers eliminates most problems and when walking we always leave room for cyclists to pass/keep a good lookout for those approaching. BeRTIe

I have a number of these Cassini 1919 era maps, for long lost railway locations that interest me most. Many road alignments remain as they were in 1919, allowing historic tramway/railway routes to be calculated from the old map. Cruising the Middle levels (between Downham Market and March) by narrowboat I moored at Outwell and used the map/archive images from the internet and a book that I had to unravel the route/features of the old tramway, clues such as historic display boards and street names such as ‘The Tramway’ confirming what once was and where, even if very few remnants of the original remained. This style of detective work fascinates me. BeRTIe

https://youtu.be/YFaB6lQ2K6M 2014 SVR Autumn gala highlights. BeRTIe

Favourite Churnet Valley Railway gala so far has to be the combination of the steam railmotor, West country pacific 34007 Wadebridge, N7 69621 and an S160 USA 2-8-0. BeRTIe

The salt line trail follows the former Alsager East to Sandbach via Hassall Green railway (formed a junction with the Stoke to Crewe line at Alsager)…a lovely walk this morning. We parked at The Wilbraham Arms, Alsager and dropped in for a coffee after the walk. BeRTIe

We’re into our last few days of his n’ hers knee warmers…Bruce will be first to depart. Nala has had to be re advertised as suitable for sedentary/quiet households only. She is now spending more time with us, rather than alone upstairs, as we contain Bruce’s excesses. Meanwhile Boots, the stray with Dawn’s parents has two families coming to see her, with a view to offering her a home…Boots will now have a new home from next weekend. Only Nala to rehome now. BeRTIe

Pre ordering a new release that turns out to be a casual interpretation/approximation of the prototype rather than a serious scale model. Lesson learned…always wait to see how accurate the new model is before troubling the wallet, even if it means waiting for the inevitable repeat runs of the best models. BeRTIe

First that I’ve seen of this unit type/livery. Jim describes it as a class 196. Needs a bit of investigation…CAF Spanish built units for West Midlands Trains apparently. Hope they don’t suffer the cracking issues that the GWR trains and west midlands tram fleets have encountered. BeRTIe

I stopped to take a single pic to add to the thread but there was a procession…seemed a shame to leave without pics. BeRTIe

A church outing to the Welsh Highland Railway included footplate passes for three of us to take turns. BeRTIe

Mail units head south as 70810 arrives with stone. BeRTIe

Between Hough and Wrinehill. Passing Basford Hall sth a few moments ago. 66548 heads south with a liner service. BeRTIe