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I think I've got that on my Spotify!

Don't give them ideas!

Entirely possible. Preston was his first club, and his hometown

No, I mean 313, the Northern, ex-FCC units, which seem to be on Manchester Airport-Preston and Wigan NW services. I hadn't realised how much they sounded like SR units when they set off. The 323s are on the Piccadilly to Crewe/Alderley/Stoke/Macclesfield/Hadfield services. The unit which made the emergency stop was a TPE 350.

And it's not always the raailway's fault, of course! Early yesterday evening, I was stood on Salford Crescent station for about 40 minutes, observing what was going on (SWMBO was in a concert at Peel Hall, and this was the break between the end of rehearsals and the actual show). At one point, passengers were warned to stand clear of the edge of platform 1, as the approaching train didn't stop; only it did, with the rear coach off the platform. Right in front of me, a couple were banging on the doors, wanting them to be opened. Guard and despatcher come down the platform, opened the doors and explained fairly forcefully why the doors wouldn't open, and pointing out that there was a fine for operating the emergency stop. Had they boarded the wrong train? Anyway, the train stood in platform 1 for about 20 minutes, while the timetable was completely stuffed for far longer. We all know who will get the blame. Incidentally, that station is quite busy, with 142s, 150s 156s 313s and 350s, several of each in the time I was there.

I would imagine that clasp brakes would wipe any leaf mulch from the wheel treads, wouldn't it?

I can't possibly mention Steven "cough" Vaughan!

There's an 09 sat at what was the entrance to Collyhurst Sidings, just on the Manchester side of Miles Platting. Has anyone any idea why?

Is that Terry McDermott in the first photo? And Nobby Stiles in the last?

Ta much!

CBTC?

From the letter, I get the impression it's passengers giving the staff a hard time and Serco not supporting them. I might be totally wrong, of course.

O.K. we've had covers that improved on the original; how about a couple that (in my humble opinion) didn't. The first is Rod Stewart's version of Tom Traubert's Blues, which thought was O.K. until about 20 years after he issued it I heard the original, by Tom Waits, which just blew me away. The other is I will always love you. I never did like Whitney Houston's version, which I thought a bit shouty and power ballady, if you like. Again, about 15 years afetr I heard that, Johnny Walker played the Dolly Parton original on the radio; you suddenly realise how traumatic a break-up can be.

You've heard the CSN & Y version, then?

Our MP is has been pushing for a (new) transpennine tunnel for the A628 for a few years now.

I bet we're not far off emitting the same levels of pollution as we did during the industrial revolution. The difference is that today it's a lot less visible, in the form of stuff like motor vehicle exhausts, or from gas-fired central heating vents, for instance.

I am, at this minute listening to the Fairport Convection take on Joni Mitchell's "Chelsea Morning" from their first, eponymous, album. Quite a good attempt!

The skill is in laying out a drawing like that so that those who are assembling the machine know what it should look like when it's complete. When CAD first came in, it was seen by some as a way of speeding up drawing time, but if something needs designing, it needs designing. Where CAD does score is in standardisation and reproducibility. I wonder if he was a fitter after a job in the drawing office?

Talking of Toots and the Maytals, I was listening to their version of Take me Home, Country Road last night. Very interesting!

This is going back to the time when British Rail classified its train types by a letter, e.g. Class 'A', 'B', and so on. I'm generally aware of how trains would be restricted to certain types of vehicle which could be conveyed by a particular service, but one that's always baffled me is class 'F': Express freight not fitted with the continuous brake. What were the differences between this and class 'H'?

Runcorn, Crewe and MK would be barred to an open access service under moderation of competition rules, surely? It looks like direct competition with the new franchisee between Liverpool and Euston only, and with LNW on the two stops in the Trent Valley. The LNW Saturday train I took to London last summer was almost full and standing after Tamworth. As the man said, where is the space in the timetable?

This one again! It almost reminds of around 2004 or 2005, when Stalybridge Celtic, Hyde United, Ashton United and Droylsden were all in the same division (NPL or Conference North, I can't remember). Now that's local derbies! Next season in the NPL Premier we have three of those (not Droylsden) and F.C. United.

Southport/Wigan Athletic, in about 1978? I believe Wigan still hold the crowd record in the Northern Premier League (when that league was immediately below Football League level) - 11,000 plus, at the old Springfield Park ground. I've heard another where the rep. for a FL club voted for the wrong club at the AGM, and a league club was relegated.

Looking at that lot, South Shields will be cursing!

Are the Mid-Norfolk getting any rental income, or demurrage charges, or anything, for this?