VIA185

It is the blurring of distinction between commuter trains (regular passengers/regular loadings) and 'airport express" which is at the root of the problem. Regular commuters (money in the bank) are being repeatedly inconvenienced in favour of 'casual' passengers on one-off journeys to the airport. The airport traffic needs to be separated as much as possible on purpose-built trains - as it was with Gatwick Express and Heathrow Express. It seems that anything involving Luton Airport has always been done on the cheap. (CJL)

Perils of old age! I ordered one last week, having forgotten that I placed an order a while back. So, two delivered today. You'd think, with all that choice, I might have accidentally ordered two different ones - but, no, i've bought two identical ones! (CJL)

Here's one I made earlier. Should have known someone would produce a kit! What we really do need a kit for, is the Dutch barn/engine shed. Bending model corrugated iron is not going to be easy! (CJL)

According to my daughter a short-formed Corby train is FOUR cars. If they are eights, they aren't too bad, but it's frequently fours out of St. Pancras in the evening, packed with standing passengers until after Luton Airport Parkway.

I'm loving it - and Limpley Stoke is looking great, too. Review going in August Steam World. (CJL)

Corby has a record of lousy treatment by the railway. It is on its third station and the railway is only there because it serves the steelworks. It would otherwise have been lifted post-Beeching, who closed the first Corby station, leaving it the largest town in western Europe without a station. Over subsequent years, following various 'initiatives' it was provided with a minibus connection to Kettering, an unstaffed halt with a single railcar shuttle, both being introduced with a bang and subsequently withdrawn because no one wanted to fund them. Then, as steel-making there went into decline, the town was promoted as being an ideal place for London commuters who couldn't afford London prices, to buy a cheap house. Tell people they can commute from a place, persuade them to buy a house there and you HAVE to provide the means of commuting - hence the present station. When Sheffield was abandoned as the end of Midland electrification, Corby became the next choice and the present station was erected. The facility is OK but it is not well sited, it is poorly advertised, and, as it is at the 'end' of a branch line from Kettering, any time there's a problem (around once a week) it is convenient to terminate trains at Kettering (where the servicing sidings are) and tell Corby passengers to take a taxi. Whoever thought of advertising this 'service' with a purple talking pillow added insult to injury. And, of course, the 'New' 360 units are not new at all. They are 20 years old, well worn in East London, no doubt, and the only concession to making them fit for their airport connection role has been to put Luton Airport Connect stickers on the sides. There is one particular unit that my daughter has 'named' - she calls it The Boneshaker. (CJL)

It's no use Corby passengers disliking EMR trains - its them or nothing. The Corby trains are 20-year-old EMUs ex-Greater Anglia. They are branded as Luton Airport Express but they have no provision for air passengers luggage, so seats are taken by suitcases, forcing passengers to stand. I get the feeling passengers would appreciate a seat and/or a journey that operated to timetable before they worry about whether they can recharge their phone.

All of which suggests that a unified system where the right hand DOES know what the left hand is doing, is long overdue. From my daughter's experience (her season ticket is a few £ off £10,000 for the year) EMR is a very creaky operation at the best of times. She commutes from Corby - where the Midland electrification 'to Sheffield' peters out on some waste ground at the back of what remains of the steelworks. If the down train runs late it is caped at Kettering, so saving the 10 minutes each way and 10 min turnaround at Corby and recouping 30min against the timetable while costing passengers as least 30min waiting around at Kettering. The use of totally inappropriate rolling stock for the Luton Airport Parkway service is another bone of contention for both commuters and airport passengers.

Except that when they get to St. Pancras to use their e-ticket on EMR, EMR tells them its NOT valid and also tells them (over the PA) that EMR trains don't have the capacity to take them and they should find an alternative. EMR is currently trying to save money by short-forming trains of 4 or 5 cars instead of 8 or 10. (CJL)

For two days, now, my daughter, who commutes from Corby, has been caught in massive crowds - scrums - at St Pancras as passengers from King's Cross apparently try to board EMR trains to Sheffield and Nottingham with LNER tickets. Their tickets are not valid on EMR (whose short-formed trains don't have the capacity anyway). It's overwhelming St. Pancras and clearly turning a never-very-pleasant commute into absolute Hell. Anyone know what's going on and why? The railway seems in melt-down at present.

The report mentions Sudbury and the area around the station as being not places to hang around. I had no problems at all. First picture: RDCs 6217 and 6219 at Sudbury. The hotel I stayed in is just visible on the left above the white car. They even gave me a room overlooking the station. Second pic is a typical station stop. They called this one 'Betsy' after the lady who owns the lodge there. Passenger called it Piano Lake and its in the timetable as Metagama. The Train Manager Lise Dugas would not let passengers off unless they were being picked up. She phoned the White River Motel (pic 3) and they sent a pick-up to collect me. There was no early morning transport available so I walked to the station for the 7am return journey. A fabulous trip - absolutely recommended. (CJL)

I repeat: "look out for a more detailed overview of the real 'PWMs" is what it says.

There seems to be some variation in the treatment of the area above the driver's windscreen. Some appear to be glass - like a destination display but blacked out. Others have a bright yellow panel there. (CJL)

I wonder how the renumbering works, because this is 153.922 (which was ???) running with a PRM compliant car whose number I didn't record.CJL

There was a non-compliant 153 (153 922 if I recall correctly) operating on the Central Wales line last week, coupled to a compliant example. I didn't need to use the toilet. My daughter has a phobia about the door on disabled toilets opening itself when she is 'in residence.' She was OK with the 153 because the door opened towards the vestibule, not towards the other passengers! (CJL)

I wonder what PC idiot thought locking the toilets out of use was a good idea? Speaking as someone who is able-bodied but with a prostate issue, I wonder why I should be penalised by not being allowed access to a toilet I'm perfectly capable of using and sometimes need urgently. Just needs a notice on the door saying "Persons of Reduced Mobility, please use toilet in the other carriage." (CJL)

Salt in wounds! I bought the review sample of the GA Devon Belle obo car just before the Hornby one was announced. From memory the GA one has very bluish-white lighting and the Hornby one' s lighting is much more realistic. Can't think when I last ran either of them ! (CJL)

Is there a Class 153 expert on RMweb? I've some questions. I've seen that at least one Class 153 has been withdrawn. Are the remaining cars all with Transport for Wales? I assume that cars numbered 153 3xx are in original condition and those numbered 153 9xx are refurbished? Am I correct in thinking that the refurbished cars have lost two window bays at the 'large cab' end to accommodate the disabled accessible toilet? Is the 'blank' where the windows are plated over, on one side only? Rode in a two-car lash-up which seemed to be one original and one refurbished, a couple of weeks ago but didn't realise the significance and missed the opportunity to take photographs. (CJL)

Part of the secret of Brian's success was that he was passionate about RAILWAYs, not just steam locomotives. In the 1980s we published a huge amount of his work in Ian Allan books and magazines and seldom a month went by when he wasn't in my office with a fistful of prints at some point. He would also take commissions, involving going to places and taking specific pictures for our publications. Above all, he was easy-going and easy to work with. Not related to the other photographer Morrison, Gavin, who he always referred to as 'Dad'! (CJL)

I see from the Colour-Rail website that Ron White, founder of the extensive library of colour images, has died recently. Though many modellers may not have heard of Ron, they will almost certainly have made use of the vast range of locomotive and train photographs from the Colour-Rail archive which have appeared in books and magazines for more than four decades. It was Ron's mission to both preserve the photographs and to make them readily available to all. I first met him when I worked for Ian Allan where, for some inexplicable reason, he was always known as 'Honest Ron'. Perhaps it was his forthright wit, coupled with an inability to resist taking a pop at the Great Western when opportunity arose. I recall my first visit to his home, being greeted by Ron on the front lawn with "Typical Great Western man - five minutes late!" Immensely knowledgeable and always willing to find just the picture I needed. Another great character has gone from our ranks. (CJL)

A great loss to railway photography and railway publishing. Brian was the manager of a ten-pin bowling alley when he took up railway photography. He obtained a line side pass for railway photography in the early days of BR . He told me once that he always renewed that original pass because it was much less restrictive than the passes issued later on. In the 1970s/80s he undertook commissions for Ian Allan Ltd and particularly for Modern Railways. I recall that one of those commissions was to cover the tragic accident at Clapham, Brian living closest to south London. Access, was of course, very restricted and Brian told me that he was asked for his pass on so many occasions that he eventually taped it to his forehead! Down-to-Earth, good-humoured and always helpful, I last met with him at his 80th birthday 'bash' thrown by his many friends in line side photography, at Quainton Road. RIP Brian, truly one of the greats! (CJL)

I want to re-livery a Hornby 153 into Transport for Wales/Wales and borders red and grey. Am I on my own for paint and decals? The shades of 'grey' and 'red' are quite distinctive. (CJL)

Taken a good few years ago at Woss, the HQ of the Canadian Forest Products logging line - 56 miles of it, all now gone. Alco 2-8-2 Canfor No. 113 has since been moved to the Heritage Park, where, like so many others it will no doubt quietly rust. (CJL)