eastglosmog

No more model railways, then?

Try if it is in tune - Carolan (attrib)

Old man River - Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern

The final version of the chain brake was automatic, held off by a tensioned chain (spring, I think). Apparently was got to work on the North London Railway not sure how successfully. As far as the accident that started this discussion, you could argue that the automatic vacuum brake failed utterly, as it was inoperative! That the strings had to be pulled and disabled it during shunting was a defect that the chain brake did not have. Not that I am advocating the use of the chain brake, just pointing out that things are not as black and white as they are sometimes painted.

Its in some recollections of FW Webb by W Noel Davis, in "The LNWR recalled" (Talbot, Ed). Whilst the Clark and Webb chain brake has gathered a lot of opprobrium, there is a note (in the Oxford railway encyclopedia) that in 1880, it was the most reliable brake around in terms of failures to act per 1000 applications.

Slow Train - Flanders and Swann

11111111 would have been the same upside down, as well!

John's out in Oz, where they are a bit in front of us and its Saturday already!

On Again! On Again! - Jake Thackray

Maggie May - Rod Stewart

Black is the colour of my true love's hair - trad (Scots, probably)

I have driven along the M42 quite often when it is in "Use hardshoulder" mode. The hardshoulder lane is intermittent, because you are not allowed to use it between the exit and entrance at each junction. Consequently I think its most useful purpose is to act as a very long lead off and lead in lane. The lead off part keeps traffic queuing to get off due to typical Birmingham congestion from blocking the main running lanes which is of great benefit.

If you are including old railway bridges used as roads, then Connel Bridge on the Ballachulish branch is a prime example (it was partially used as a road bridge before the branch closed):

I may be getting cynical in my old age, but following the principles set out in "How to lie with statistics" by Darrel Huff, whenever someone fails to provide the essential numbers, I always suspect those numbers do not support their cause!

I stayed off work today - Jake Thackray

Blaydon Races - Geordie Ridley

Sign seen beside a footpath at Eynsham recently. Don't think it will happen very often!

You were lucky it went back to Perth, Australia and not Perth , Scotland!

All day singing - The Spinners

We all live in a yellow submarine - the Fab Four, of course

Life's a bitch - Nas

Lullaby of Broadway - Warren and Dubin

At the Zoo - Simon and Garfunkel

There were (and are) a wide variety of methods. Sandstone blocks carved into a "V" shape were common. Ridge tiles were also used. See attached photo for examples of both.

I wanna go back to Dixie - Tom Lehrer