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Good to see someone tackling spiced goat, and with a long-proven recipe @iL Dottore . May I ask what spices you use, or is it just fresh hot chillies? After my first attempts, I am looking to try and balance the strong flavour of the goat with the spices added. All advice received with gratitude.

Not sure if of use, but I took a couple of the Chipman's train passing through Lewes on 21st June, 1988, pulled by 33 046:

As a hopelessly romantic old softy I hope this service is a success, but I share the previous posters' doubts, and can attest to the sleep-denying qualities of high-speed running on the Cornish Riviera a few years ago. A trial run before spending a fortune on the V.S.O.E., it put me off sleeper trains for life, alas.

Just a few words on the above Lime and Chilli Chutney recipe and the goat curries, now they have 'matured'. First, the chutney: the above made three 1lb jars (Garner's pickled onions), and was tried six weeks after making. The peel had softened (so one did not think 'this is candied peel'), and the mixture tasted sweeter but still tangy and of lime. However, there was little evidence, I thought, of spices, so when making I will double the quantities as listed above. Or I could just be losing my sense of taste. As it made three lbs. weight, if this were meat it would be about ten portions, so this could be why it needs more spices. Second, the goat curries. I modified four recipes to the quantity of meat cooked (8oz./250g. portions for each): Aini Amin's Afghani Meat Karahi Sumayya Usmani's Afghani-style Mutton Chop Karhai... Rav Singh Ubhi's (B.B.C.) Goat Curry Mimes Mehic's (Marigold Maison) Punjabi Goat Curry The last calls for 5lb.(!) of goat, yet quantities of spices I would associate with a quarter of the weight; I proportioned the spices accordingly in the other recipes. All were simmered for between two and three hours, the cut of meat as photographed in a post earlier in this thread: large cubes of mixed meat/fat/bone. Alas, all were 'underspiced' in flavour, but very tender, with a rich, dark sauce, and strong meaty flavour I had not tasted for many a year (I eat little red meat now). I do not know if the long cooking time 'wipes out' the spice flavours (so add towards the end instead?) or the strong meat flavour has swamped the spices. I will double the quantity of spices next time, and also see if I can find a leaner cut of goat to add. Beware; it is a meat that gets trapped in one's teeth if you suffer from this. I hope this does not put off others, and look forward to reading how you get on and any other recipes enjoyed.

Just wanted to send my congratulations on this volume. My partner collected my copies from our local book-shop yester-day, and it is a delight. The first photograph of your father driving on the Volks Railway was a lovely touch. Lots of photographs of scenes forgotten and trains in a proper livery. Not sure my father is ready to be reminded of his commuting days when I give him his copy though. Thanks for taking the trouble to get these pictures a wider audience, and spending time all those years ago - like many others - to record it all. I hope the book is a success, and I can barely wait till the 'Kensington Olympia' volume.

A 'thumbs up like' is not really an adequate thank-you for sharing this with us. It is heartening and moving to hear of such reminscences, and I do hope you persuaded Great-Grandfather to share memories of his early years and perhaps even commit some to paper. Do keep us posted with progress on your home-made effort. You will be able to make the 'upper deck'/'gallery' shelf the right width for your containers; the 'Spicy Shelf' along the sides is aimed more at the slim 'Schwartz' jars. Phir milenge.

My partner found the following in a charity shop last week, and I had to share (no commercial link/ interest in the co. or product): To a born Librarian, you will have guessed I had a happy time yester-day assembling it (cleaning off flashing on joints) and re-arranging my spice cupboard. However, as my cupboard is so wide, I had to place the 'C' shelf units side by side, and on the higher 'props' to clear the hinge on the left-handed door. Before: (please forgive the pretentious jar labels, from when I was trying to learn Farsi/Persian) ... and after: I am still pondering the arrangement, and the projecting 'middle shelf' will take getting used to, but it has increased capacity. I can not wait to watch the accompanying video advertised on the packaging! Best wishes to you all, and 'bon appetit'.

An inspiration to all, if only the two months you have built it. Wonderful, and thanks for sharing.

I am sorry M. Storey feels "told" by those who pressed the 'Agree' symbol button. As one of those who did so, perhaps I may explain what I thought Pacific231G was saying (although I have no wish to put words into her/his mouth) and hence why I thought the post had merit enough to which I would 'Agree'. Para. 1. The attribution of a "class war" might be 'direct', but the documentation of modern increasing income disparity and the slavishly uncritical adherence to neo-liberal economics is readily available. The continuing reward of the highly-paid for continuing failure (e.g., Baroness Dido Harding) is covered fort-nightly in 'Private Eye', for example, and probably many web-sites of which I am unaware. These analyses appear plausible to me, although if there is another socio-economic explanation for the phenomena I would be glad to learn it. Interestingly, I thought it was hinted at in the Williams-Shapps Report itself, in the passive-aggressive graphics at the top of p.97: "Over 30% of total rail costs in 2019-20 were staff costs [I believe in most firms staff costs are half of expenditure.]", "Rail industry wage growth has increased on average above the rate of inflation over the past decade", and ">250 days of strike action have occurred since 2016 [Presumably mostly the Southern Railway dispute provoked on the instructions of govt.; see 'Private Eye', etc.]". See also p. 101 about collecting "Comprehensive data". Coming from a Minister in a government whose slavish devotion to free-market economics and the Law of Supply and Demand, this hinted to me that the 'lower orders' were not to be permitted such pay privileges, which are to be reserved to those such as Managing Directors, Chief Executives, etc. I thought Pacific231G's remark was aimed at them, the firm's Executives whose pay has increased way above inflation. I am reassured to hear from M. Storey there are still many such industry stalwarts still in post in charge - Mr Tom Joyner, Cross Country Trains, is highly thought of, I believe - but I thought current problems (e.g., G.W.M.L. electrification) were caused by experienced B.R. staff having left the industry in large numbers. As to paras 2 and 3 - pricing vs over-crowding during different times of the day, and an 'average rule of thumb' to be applied to 'when to take the motor-car', I bow to M. Storey's superior knowledge of B.R. and current ticketing practices for para. 2. In simple terms, from a 'stake-holder' point of view, 'affordability' will depend upon the decisions made by the current government, which has been argued above and below more eloquently than can I. As one who does not hold a driving licence, I assumed the 'rule of thumb' for one deciding how to spend one's cash makes sense, if not taking account of the discounted tickets outlined. It did not appear outrageous to me, so I 'Agreed'. I confess I did not understand the suggestion of my and others being "without either any idea of the reality, or any intention to challenge the existing situation". I hope this inelegant, 'on the hoof' explanation makes sense. With my best wishes to you all, and apologies if I have 'put words in others' mouths' if trying to explain.

I quite agree. It looked old, so was done probably before such things were forbidden, perhaps in commercial use? A horrible mess. Let us hope one day an owner can restore them sympathetically.

I popped down to Lewes last weekend, and got time to toddle out to Southerham between the showers and take some photographs. To one who has not visited for thirty years, it was a bit of a shock. Hope they are of interest. Through the above gates: Looking down from the above bridge: Finally, looking down from the A27 bridge:

Popped to Lewes last weekend, and got a chance to visit the Southerham Cement Works tramway after thirty years ("Never go back."). However, I was cheered in the pouring rain by South-street, and took a few photographs. Not wonderful pictures, but I liked the brickwork.

At the risk of lowering the thread's tone to the lowest form of wit, I saw this gem on par. 1, p. 98: "Reform of the railways must begin with ensuring that everyone working in the sector has a fulfilling, challenging, flexible and modern role ... " How many people are lucky enough to say their job is thus? (Actually, this is more 'cynicism' than sarcasm.)

Just wanted to say I picked up my copy to-day, and I am glad to have purchased it. Pictures of the (to me) neglected Bridgewater Yard freights which are useful, several Speedlinks, a couple of photos of wagons being unloaded (posted here before, but good to have access to without having to switch on a computer!), and full informative captions. I hope it sells well. Thanks for taking the trouble to get your pictures into print and accessible.

Q.E.D. Could not agree more. And I bet the small gains alluded to in rail freight recently will soon be eroded by more road building and yet more tax concessions.

My thanks for correcting my dismal error! I thought the dates overlapped slightly. Am I right in thinking there are no 'wagon load' trains now running through from the continent if only as far as Willesden? Is there any container traffic? Am I plain wrong in thinking the Channel Tunnel could help at all?

Lots of good points have been made here, and far more articulately than I could. May I just ask, as it has been nagging for a few years, 'Why did the Channel Tunnel prove a failure for Speedlink?' I am sure it has been answered on this site elsewhere, for which I apologise for my dismal 'search skills', but surely European goods haulage, especially Spanish foods, could have been the saviour of a reduced Speedlink network into Britain. If someone could enlighten me, I would be grateful. It was not just the cost of anti-immigrant measures, was it? On a more political moan, observing my fellow English subjects, I doubt any will vote for a worsening of their living conditions, in the sense of higher taxes and restrictions (of any sort) on their motor-cars or increases in costs of living. Hence my retreat into a phantasy miniature world of blue and yellow locos, instead of waiting for a Green government to be elected...

I have not forgotten this thread, and have a few projects 'maturing' as I type: four goat curry recipes to compare (initial results from two - under-spiced!), and three large jars of the following improvised Chutney. My partner picked up a copy of: in a charity shop last week, and I recommend it, although have read only a few chapters so far. Please be aware it mentions the 'unsavoury' attitudes of the time to the Indian population and servants in particular, quoting liberally from contemporary printed sources. But generally, I am finding it a good read - laugh out loud at times - and certainly wish I had been employed out there in the 18th-century, when food was served to obscene excess, and I could have eaten curry three times a day for the whole of my consequently short, gluttonous life. I was gazing at a jar of shop-bought 'Premium Lime and Green Chilli Chutney' a few months ago, and wondered suddenly, 'Why don't I try making my own?' To my surprise, there are no recipes on the internet (although plenty for pickle) nor in a few books to hand, so I adapted one from Dame Marguerite Patten's 'The basic basics jams, preserves, and chutneys' (2001, rev. ed.), "Orange and Lemon Chutney". Please be warned I have tried only a tsp. straight after making it. Initial thoughts were: 'under-spiced, lime flavour and sharpness dominate, peel still al dente'. However, I hope to taste it 'properly' after a month's maturing, when the spices will have permeated and the balance settled. In the mean-time, I hope this recipe will be of use to others. Please let us know here how you get on, especially if changing the ingredients. Prototype Lime & Green Chilli Chutney. N.b., a 'two-stage' recipe, needing first stage to macerate for at least six hours, perhaps better over-night. Ten limes (760 g. total). 7 whole green chillies (167 g. total), de-seeded and finely chopped. 1 pint white malt vinegar. 1 tbsp grated fresh root ginger. 8 oz. red onions, finely chopped. 1 lb. white caster/granulated sugar. 6 oz. sultanas. Seasoning: pinch each. Spices: 8x Green Cardamom seeds. 2x Bay leaves. 1 tsp black Mustard seeds. 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds. 8 whole Cloves. 1 tsp Coriander seeds. 1 tsp. Pepper-corns. 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon. Pinch crushed Red Chilli flakes. Method. - Halve limes, squeeze out juice and reserve in 'fridge, then chop finely. - Dry roast whole spices, then crush in pestle and mortar. - Simmer vinegar for five minutes with crushed spices and fresh grated ginger. - Add chopped, de-juiced limes and 1/2tsp. ground cinnamon to simmering vinegar and spices, and continue simmering for 15 mins. - Turn out heat, transfer to glass bowl, and leave to cool and macerate for min. six hours (I did 6.5), but probably best over-night. - Return to saucepan, add reserved lime juice, chopped green chillies, and chopped onion. Simmer for an hour. - Put jars into oven to sterilise (15 mins. from cold at 120 Deg.C.). - Add sugar, stir till dissolved. Add sultanas. Simmer 15 mins. until like jam thickness. Bottle in hot jars. I was unsure whether to treat the mixture like jam and bring to a rapid roaring boil above 222 Deg.F., but did not. It has set nicely despite this. Perhaps could be simmered for longer to soften the lime peel, but I worried this would reduce the flavour. Initial results as above. Hope others have success trying it. Bon appetit.

Having heard this on the news to-day: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56949426 I just wanted to post a pean to the now 'guilty pleasure' of a coal fire at home. We were brought up with heating from a Parkray, which while enclosed and burning smokeless fuel (Phurnacite, I think), is, like the smell of creosote, something I miss dearly. I hope I am not alone in having enjoyed this experience; I know it is bad for the environment, but I miss a coal fire at home. I wish we had a coal-fired range to cook on now, despite its inefficiencies and mess, to connect me to the 19th-century. There is something 'elemental' about enjoying the warmth generated thus. Anyway, I thought the moment should be marked somewhere, and I hope I am not the only one to mourn the age's passing.

Just wanted to say a big 'Thank you' for these reminiscences. No problem with the time-span - I can not believe it is nearly fifty years ago. Thank you for the details - it is only from an 'insider' like yourself we could understand how the sidings were run (e.g., the max. no. of wagons). Much appreciated, and if you remember anything else, please do post again. Have you been to Tunbridge Wells to see the little loco again? Hope other parts of RMWeb are of interest to you. With many best wishes, and thanks again.

'Take 2'. The 'twilight' look above has been nagging, so I offer a second attempt. If nothing else, it proves I should stop procrastinating, and get on with doing more scenery! I still need to work on focussing, but I think it looks better. Got distracted with another shot, below, as well. Really must start those brick arches...

May I just second Bucoops, and thank all for contributing. It is this detailed operational information, the anecdotes, and specialist day-to-day knowledge necessary to do the job that can never be captured in memoirs or brief journal articles, and is quite incomprehensible to those of us who have never done these, often very complicated and specialist, railway jobs. All the more important when this whole sector and way of life has gone forever. Thank you all, and sorry I have not the time and energy to-day to 'Like' every contribution individually.

May I just ask a supplementary question to this, which has been nagging me since seeing the B.T.F. 'T.O.P.S.' film suggested on a different thread: where were 'spare' wagons stabled? If I remember correctly, yards came under an 'Area Freight Centre', which allocated wagons to the traffic required for each daily freight train. Would a 'Vanfit' be nabbed as empty from the nearest siding, or sent from a 'pool' somewhere? I.e., did the A.F.C. have a rake of sidings filled with wagons ready to go out and earn their keep? I am interested in the T.O.P.S. era, early 1970's to mid '80's. Many thanks to all, and for the replies above, including the original question.

It looks great. Well done. Are you going to dirty the ballast with some dirt browns and oily black? Or is the depot/yard to have been built 'recently', so having clean (relatively) ballast? Just as a matter of curiosity, how long did it take you to lay all the ballast? I hated the job on the bit I have done with air-dry clay.

Looking at my homage on a monitor at work (in my lunch hour!), it looks rather darker than at home. Perhaps it is dusk. Sorry about this. Will try another photo-shoot when I have time to un-box all the wagon-load stock again.