Jonboy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3umMl49XEg

I was wondering about the spraycrete too. On its own its just a crust, presumably to stop more of the ?soil/sand being washed away after the containers have already taken most of the energy out of the waves. Without steel mesh or rebar in it, I can't see it supporting itself let alone preventing movement behind it.

Didn't the Network Rail Press release say it was a sacrificial layer, which would suggest it is not designed with this in mind.

Edit - Press release link http://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/News-Releases/Network-Rail-engineers-begin-work-to-try-to-stop-further-damage-at-Dawlish-1fd2.aspx

Out of curiosity what is the cost of delay minutes to NR in this sort of situation. How much would they save if a cap on payments was written into the next GW franchise on the basis of an alternative route being available (e.g. a cap of 120 minutes and no payment due for trains sent via the alternative route).

(Just trying to get a fell really for how the finances would stack up if you treated Seawall and alternative route as one cost centre over the year, rather than two distinct routes.)

If I can play Devil's advocate (contentious-moi?). If this railway is so vital then we should fix it in days, not weeks (this was done back in the 50's). If we can manage without it for months then I would suggest we don't need it at all.

 

 

 

Ed

Having enjoyed full and standing HST's to Newquay in the summer a couple of times I would suggest there is a bigger picture than a few weeks in January/February...

The joy of the local Facebook spotted pages....

 

 

and, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a business seller subject to distance selling regulations and have to pay return postage?

The seller has to pay the return costs if you cancel under distance selling regulations unless they clearly state up front or in T&C's you agree that the buyer must pay them.

They should always refund the cost of sending the goods to you initially.

They should also refund return cost if item is faulty as then it is Sale of Goods Act issue, rather than distance selling.

Now if you ask the likelihood of any of the aforementioned gears working on the other hand.....

I do like my Dremel on its lower speeds, but I am planning to purchase this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dremel-26150220JB-Workstation/dp/B0012RQG94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384029799&sr=8-1&keywords=dremel+stand  before I do much more with it.

Yes, that really is a load of junk.  Wonder how he arrived at the actual starting price of £8.99?

 

 

When you list an item EBay now helpfully "suggests" a starting price, based on the finishing price of other items, that you then override if you wish to go a 99p start price or similar.

If you are not concentrating you don't notice they have suggested a BIN format and override their suggested BIN price with 99p.......

I don't know whether or not it is a practical suggestion  (and wouldn't have asked if I did:)  ) but as there is a high level of practical expertise from current and ex-railway staff here I thought I would ask the question and find out.

I wouldn't have a clue about cost but as ever the railways would no doubt weigh up the costs (staff time applying/testing brakes, maintenance etc.)  vs the benefits(lower insurance premiums?, less staff overall? etc.)  and come to their own decisions.

Because you don't have a source of electricity. Think of the simple case of a wagon left in a siding.

 

Adrian

But surely it would be one more wire to hook-up or mount within the air pipes and power from the loco?

This would then allow all handbrakes to be applied regardless of gradient.

Out of curiosity why aren't wagon handbrakes electronically applied (i.e.  motor driven ) rather than manually?

Its funny - I always thought that junction was odd, but never twigged what it was for.

Just touching on the UK vs NA practice debate what is the distribution of heavy recovery equipment like in the US historically? I guess derails would be more unpopular if it could block a facility for days rather than the hours you hear about in story's of yesteryear UK practice?

(or I could be completely on a wrong tangent here...).

No I am suggesting they should be run as part of an integrated transport system that considers wider impacts than just that within the four foot.

I just plain don't understand how a wait of 8.5 minutes for a single train to pass can be justified - especially as anecdotal evidence suggests this is not unusual across the network

I can't understand how you have reached that conclusion.  The level crossing in question is protected by signals so that cost a pretty penny to start with and the restricted aspects will start out at braking distance or possibly slightly more.  The Ash situation could be due to several things - possibly excessive caution on the part of the operator (or his superiors), possibly a fault on the train that reduced its speed, or equally the results of a well learned lesson about the way motorists behave and take chances when the light sequence starts.  Many things could be the cause or a combination of them - which we don't know and can only guess at or consider (in the case of some of us) from experience.

 

 

Simply because if the wider economy effects were taken into account these crossings may well still be under local, knowledgeable control rather than CCTV control from many miles away from the situation. However CCTV control is cheaper than a number of bods in boxes along the line, so the railway justifies its current procedures on a cost to the railway basis.

IMHO I think the answer to that is it costs the railway less to manage it that way...If the railways were run for the public benefit then the wider costs to society could be taken into account in these decisions...but I will not go further into this to ensure I stay within forum rules

Ian,

The layout looked great yesterday - well worth attending the show to see!

Jon

Was'nt one sent via a trade show in Europe last year and so arrived via the tunnel?

Bit more modern?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tunnyspics/5140755181/in/photostream