C126

Does anyone still fly model rockets, or are they banned as well? I was one of the first members of the grandly-titled "British Space Modelling Association" years ago. They'll be stopping one playing with home-made pulse-jets next...

Any chance of some photos, please?

An out-of-focus priest praying :

Herewith the few I took. Apologies as always for the quality. It was much larger than expected, compared to what is available elsewhere on the www. A few details:

Just a quick note to add as promised a few literary refs to the answer 'What was Speedlink?', in publication date order from top-left, thus: I would recommend Dr Shannon's 2014 Speedlink as the best history, containing several diagrammatic maps of each area, a table of national trunk trains between the yards of January 1985, and many photographs. The 3.5 pages of "sample Speedlink consists" date from 1987-1991 though, and the map of the area for Lancaster shows all freight flows north of Carnforth routed via the Cumbrian coast line, and Warrington Yard the area's freight focus. Rail freight since 1968 : wagonload (2006) and Rail freight - today (1989) contain further textual descriptions of the history of wagon-load and Speedlink, as does Geoffrey Freeman Allen's British railfreight : today and tomorrow (1984), all with excellent photographs. The other two contain many photographs of such goods trains which might be if use. As always, unless you wish Rule 1 to play a great role in your layout operation, I would suggest getting your hands on a Working Time Table of the area/time of interest. Not sure what its area code would be ('C'?), but others here will be able to advise. Hope all this helps. Let me know if you want a ref. checking or more detail, but I can not promise how quickly I can reply. With all good wishes.

Thanks to all for the lovely day out yester-day. In at 10.00, first (paying) customers of the cake/refreshment stand we were told, and stayed till 14.30 (not just by the cakes). Broad selection of excellent layouts giving much inspiration. Everyone friendly and helpful. The builders' merchant's yard on Glenridding Lane was delightful, I loved the group of buildings on the left of Loughborough Road - many arches and alleys to peer through giving different views (was it based on a real cluster?) - and I fell in love with the handsome loco on Tamzynowo Wlk, thus: The stock looks like OO because of the huge loading-gauge, I assume. Another spectator agreed with me the scenery looked wonderful. Managed to resist buying more stock, but I did get three more 2d-hand books of photographs of 1970's wagon-load freight (two the undeservedly-neglected Bradford Barton), two road vans and a 'bailer' wagon-load. Thought the grey tones nicely with my drab 1970's aesthetic. Unfortunately, it is too wide for my bodged SPV 'Plate' wagon as intended, so I put it on the Lowmac instead: Thank you all for the hard work in organising it. Hope others including @ModRXsouth enjoyed themselves as much as us and you all got home safely. I will make more of an effort to get to the Stoke Mandeville show this year. Best wishes to you all.

Not come across these before. Can anyone tell what these, and the earlier 'Tubes' carried, please? Pallets of sacks? Sacks loaded loose? Thanks.

"Tamzynowo Wlk". Tried to get a Polish colleague to take her son, but she says he is still a little young for it. But he has a Lego train-set...

How long do you have? 🙂 If you can wait till Sunday, I will photograph some of my book-shelves for you for refs. Dr Paul Shannon's oeuvre is a good place to start. There are many inspiring compilations of photographs out there...

Just found a picture by John Scrace in the Middleton Press Brighton to Worthing (pub. 1983) of a 2-HAP: "[pl.] 57. A 2HAP unit [in plain blue plus another behind in blue/grey] leads a semi-fast train from Portsmouth into the up platform [of Portslade]. The up side buildings have been leased out, so that passengers now have to wait in an open shelter. This view was taken from the footbridge in March 1982." Other photos in my books checked thus far show them all on the Eastern Div. But hope this is not too late (early 1980's) for you.

Yep, I remember them on Brighton-Seafords in the mid-1980's, when they were '4-CAPs' 'Coastway HAPs), 2x2-HAPs coupled together, renumbered in the 3xxx series, and their inner cabs painted blue. But I can not remember if they worked westwards from Brighton on 'Slow's.

Just wanted to say thanks for posting that clip. Good to be reminded how evocative the sound of a freight train of many different wagon types was when ambling through a station.

I admire your pride, but fear what you have written above does just that. Our voters do not wish to vote for policies that enable us to be a 'Treasure Island' again, including improving our beloved railways.

And to think the all-stations Annual Season ticket 30 years ago was nearly £20,000...

If these are making a true (net of construction, etc., costs) profit, I would love to know. I think the problem with the nation's attitude to new railway infrastructure is it was shaped by the shambles of the Channel Tunnel and H.S.1. The former was publicised to be a gold mine, and it both failed to make its money back (if I remember correctly) and never reached the traffic levels promised by its promoters.

Having had chance now to skim my ref. https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/why-saudi-arabias-the-line-is-not-a-revolution-in-urban-living/ ... the article makes quite clear 'The Line' is certainly NOT "the forerunner test for all future cities". For a start, it says they are quite inefficient for commuters and circular cities are better. This design appears quite hopeless (and certainly not a '15-min. city').

Just found this: https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/why-saudi-arabias-the-line-is-not-a-revolution-in-urban-living/

I am no fan of politicians, but reading again From milk churns to Merry-go-Round, I remember the author commenting one freight flow on the E.R. was changed by the B.R., yes B.R.'s own, bean-counters to need two sets of wagons instead of one, so making it unprofitable and transferred to road by the company. B.R. was quite capable of destroying itself.

Looking forward to this, the first exhibition of the year for me. Hope 'Kevin the Kite' and his chums are in attendance in the area again. Fingers crossed against rail strikes...

Private Eye is a good monitor of defence purchasing and supply, tendering, etc. Read it fort-nightly and weep...

Just to report Crecy's web-site is now saying April for publication: https://www.crecy.co.uk/british-railways-freight-terminals Sigh...

Paper by R.U.S.I. about ammunition production capacity: https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/ramping-what-will-it-take-boost-uks-magazine-depth Hope of interest.

For those of you readers who would like to scare yourselves witless with those 1980's memories of nuclear holocaust, but can not bear to watch Threads, I recommend : https://www.waterstones.com/book/attack-warning-red/julie-mcdowall/9781847926210 Soon out in pbk. Lord Peter Hennessey's writings are good, as well.

Cheer up @Mallard60022 ! We might see some Speedlink traffic return before the balloon goes up... Time to look out those Bachmann VEAs.

Kelvedon Hatch is cheaper: £12.00! https://secretnuclearbunker.com/ 😀