Gary H

Crikey, Ive never associated Bristol with class 25's!! Were they regular visitors around this time? They would have made a nice bit of noise ascending Filton bank!

Aye, I remembered hearing that too Mike not so long ago! Think I read it in a book somewhere. Last I heard that side of the bridge was even becoming iffy to drive road vehicles over it as well as ballast was beginning to fall through. Not sure wether the practise has been banned now, its been 15 years since I drove across it in a van! It was useful at the time for track work as you could drive practically to Lawrence IIRC and have the advantage of having the job right opposite your road vehicles! Useful for tea time!

Ive just noticed that first shot of 31258 going down the main. Ive driven railway vans under that bridge and walked under it many times during my contracting days at Parkway in the late 90's.

I do miss the old Ped's bless em! All smoke and no poke. Used to be great entertainment on Pad - Oxfords deputising for the more usual traction!

I wonder if anyone saw the light HST power car earlier? It was 'light' aswel, just a single power car on its own, first time Ive ever seen such a move!

Yeah, its changed a fair bit Mike. There's been a few high profile incidents over the last couple of years that have brought it about. The passenger train at Saltney which struck a piece of rail being moved by a road rail machine being one of them. The ALO rules have only been out for less than 12 months though. Its proving to be a big challenge to keeps things workable IMO.

Good your back in the chair Jim! The blue Vortoc fencing does a good job of forming a physical barrier from a live running line where protecting staff is concerned but they probably used the train as a barrier because of the 360 road rail machines swinging about. We now have what's known as ALO rules to adhere to (Adjacent line open) and they are pretty strict on what you can and cant do near an open line now, especially so when it comes to on track plant in use. Without the train there as a barrier, they wouldn't have been able to do the job, its that tight now where the rules are concerned!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2013-Athearn-HO-RTR-Model-A-Pickup-Dark-Green-/360736636614?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item53fd943ec6

We had a little Colas 56 trouble down this way not to long ago. An empty rail delivery train stopped at the protection near to Tavi yard for the run up Hemerdon bank.(1:42) The driver remarked that the 56 couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding and it promptly stalled before reaching the top! Luckily the signaller let him run back down and get a run up and he made it the 2nd time but only just! Makes wonder if some of these have been de-rated or not?

Is there something about this that makes it worth a tenner?? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-BOXED-Hornby-R004-COLGATE-RED-FIVE-PLANK-OPEN-WAGON-OO-SCALE/380876336782?_trksid=p2047675.c100037.m2107&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.RVI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D22313%26meid%3D7111648061547121436%26pid%3D100037%26prg%3D9701%26rk%3D7%26rkt%3D24%26sd%3D191185141932 Free post to be fair but even so.

Yeah, Mick is spot on. The fires were due to fuel being sprayed from fractured fuel line onto hot exhaust headers within the V of the engine. The extra fan installation is a separate cooling issue. All part of the problem of squeezing a large high output engine inside our small loading gauge. I bet the FL driver put his boots all over the desk aswel!!

That also answers the question, how big is an SD70ace! Bloody big arnt they!! Ive got models of them, Ive watched probably thousands of video's of them, but the size of America's loco's and stock never ceases to amaze me!

I think its the loco off the earlier St Blazey to Riverside http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H35357/2014/05/22/advanced Its running back down to collect the other half of the train, thus- http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/H31842/2014/05/22/advanced

Don't worry about posting the "poor" ones, they are just as interesting as the better ones, post away!!!!!

Whilst we're on a cat theme- couple of old favourites of mine-

No doughnut shops down there fella's.

Yes, I had to do a double take at that aswel and I didn't notice when I looked at the image yesterday. cant remember the last time I saw an FL train on the main there. My old stomping ground to! Last time I stood at that bridge, 50's were still thundering past.

Oh yes Mickey, you and I both!! Some of the best hours of my life have been spent window hanging 50's.

Crikey!!! I never thought I'd see the day! A blue 50007.

Changing ends on a 70 per chance? Sounds like your well and truly 70'd out Jim!

yes, there's a rail reclamation centre there. That train goes around the country picking up used CWR. Its then brought down to Hackney where its unloaded. The rail is then Ultrasonically tested for defects and measured for wear. Depending on the outcome of those tests the rail is either re-used on lower category lines or in the case of unserviceable, its cropped into 20 foot sections and goes for scrap. A lot of it was coming down from the WCML modernisation and latterly between Bristol and Taunton although at the moment it may be picking up further afield.

yeah, that was the pair! They were in the loop at DW for a while whilst an HST went passed.

You have to much time on your hands! I saw it too though! Light 66 on the way!

If your on the right side of the fence, then you've nothing to worry about! The only other thing drivers don't like is anyone waving their arms around like a nutter as it can be mistaken for a danger signal and / or something is wrong. Oh, the other point worth mentioning is that if someone IS on the wrong side of the fence, drivers or for that matter any railway staff are instructed to report it. The signaller then cautions all trains in the area and we (NR) get billed thousands in delay minutes for all the trains that were delayed by the running at caution!

Oh yes! Lovely. The S1 chair is a nice touch Tim!