eastglosmog

The hole - Jake Thackray

When you are old and grey - Tom Lehrer

Hi Richard There is another photo of it in GWR London Division Engine Sheds (Hawkins and Reeve). From the pair of photos, it appears it was very similar to that technical drawing, although there are definite detail differences. There was an arm to move the turntable at each end (not just one end) and they are made of wood, not iron. There is a walkway of longitudinal planks at about railhead level between the railings and the track on one side only. (Possible these were later additions during service.) The cross timbers between the rails appear to be slightly raised (though not up to railhead level), unless it is flat bottom rail spiked to the cross timbers - photo is not clear enough to be certain. No details of the frame can be seen, and doesn't seem to have those levers on quadrant plates at each end either (not sure what they are, locking mechanism, maybe). As for its length, I'm only going by what it says in the books, I don't know how precise the measurement was! Hope this helps Alan PS If you are looking for photos of the Fairford turntable, it was changed for a 55' one about 1948 - there are rather more photos of this later turntable than the earlier one and I have seen one photo from 1961 mislabeled as the 45' turntable!

There is a picture of the 45' turntable at Fairford in 1947 (not to be confused with the 55' one installed later) in Karau's Great Western Branch Line Termini Vol 1. The decking obscures whether it is bullhead or flat bottom rail, though I suspect the former.

The gas man cometh - Flanders and Swann

He spake the word - Handel

Just to be pedantic, long single lines in mountainous country is also representative of Canadian railroad practice (where Kicking Horse is located)!

When I was an impoverished student (a good few years ago) I used piano wire inside net curtain cord to move my hand built points. It worked very well and had sufficient friction to hold the point blades in place. Dirt cheap, even the microswitches needed to change the polarity, didn't cost much.

Just googled this thing and found one recently went for £177 plus £20.98 at auction! Bonkers.

She's my girl - Tom Lehrer

Keep the Home fires burning - Ivor Novello (music) Lena Guilbert Ford (words)

So long its been good to know you - The Spinners

The Slow Train - Flanders and Swann

Having been reading Tony Atkins books on GWR goods cartage, I would say that in the 20th century the GWR was very innovative in terms of integrating road/rail goods movement for speedy delivery.

I agree - the spring hangers are all wrong for a Grampian coach. Also, the right hand pair of springs are decidedly wonky, would make me query the build quality of the rest of the coach.

Even a pheasant can push its beak through your radiator if hit at speed.

Yes ISS (as was Skylab) is visible .

The standard of handling the samples from the drilling seen near the start is pretty poor - would never be permitted nowadays.

Song for the asking - Simon and Garfunkel

Maybe its like the only train left in Jersey: http://www.littletrain.co.uk/?LMCL=LR5ddU

As the sprays seem to be aligned so as to miss the railheads, what is the point of the triangular hoods?

I live in hope that one of them is a disc, perched on top of four elephants standing on a giant space turtle!

Always buy my Christmas cards by post from the RNLI. This year I have even been organized enough to buy all but two of the Christmas presents.

I remember many years ago (40+) there was an item on Tomorrow's World (I think it was, may have been some other programme) about a UFO sighting filmed by some passengers in an aircraft. The believers group made a model of it, the disbelievers went up in the same type of aircraft and took a film showing the supposed UFO was the tail wing distorted by the window glass. Make of that what you will!

When people can mistake a male Maine C00n cat for a lion in broad daylight (and the police took it seriously), nothing like that surprises me!