Catkins

Regarding the "North-South" spending divide, and roping HS2 in to this, I can remember having a very educational discussion with the Mayor of Doncaster about 18 months ago. At the time, Heathrow's next runway was being debated, but the issue that the Mayor had was why is it always London that gets the infrastructure spend, there is a perfectly good airport at Doncaster that has plenty of space to expand (iirc it used to be a V bomber base, and latterly Panavia Tornados), that with a bit of extra cash could have had a dedicated rail link built to it, and thence people would be 90 minutes to London. Expanding places outside of London and the south East will provide employment - and thence personal income/spending/taxation - in largely depressed areas, the developments will not subject an already creaking infrastructure to more strain, and to take a quote from a movie "If you build it - They will come" or to put it another way - move the 'desirable' facilities away from the overcrowding, and people will follow it. (Don't forget that The Capital of a united England hasn't always been in London.) I live in Lincolnshire, and I am closer to East Midlands and Doncaster Airports, my nearest mainline is the East Coast at Grantham. The new infrastructure that is being created;- CrossRail, Heathrow expansion and HS2 will have no beneficial effect to me what so ever - is it any wonder us "northerners" get a bit miffed. And regarding Voting for a Regional Mayor, it was only offered to certain (mainly city) areas.

I have noticed three general things regarding driving standards;- 1, The general standard of driving seems to have got lower. 2. The number of "Learn to drive in 5 days" driving school cars has increased. 3. The number of people who can swap their European licence for one of ours, without needing a test, has increased - but I'm not saying their original test could have been easier than ours. BONUS POINT - The number of active and qualified TRAFFIC police has seriously, and rapidly, decreased. I don't hold with learning to drive in 5 days. I don't see where the new driver can practice what they have been taught, nor do they get to drive in varying weather or light conditions. I have no issues with being taught to operate a vehicle in a 5 day block, but I don't think you can teach a life skill such as driving a car in one week. And although police forces might have a 'Roads Policing Unit' they will consist of beat officers, Armed Response Units or other specialist officers, or it will represented by the local road safety partnership in a camera van.

They already have - the BBQ flavour bendy-buses that used to run in London are Mercedes busses.

Hi, Does any one have a photo of the Hornby 0-4-0 chassis? I would like to see which end the motor drives. Ta.

I understand that Airfix now own the moulds to the JB range of 1:76 vehicles. If the kits are re-introduced is a different matter, with the recent management appointments at Oxford and Hornby.

If you want to model either line as you fancy, then I would suggest modelling a stretch of countryside.

Richard, you could always give an impression of the interior using a flat picture to represent the passengers and seating, and apply a slight tint to the windows. Failing that, you could black out the windows and call it a parcels car.

With some sort of intelligent local control? With some sort of intelligent local control?

I've been sat next to a window on a HST that got stoned just outside of Gloucester - it was at the 'triangle' where the Cheltenham line curves round to Gloucester. Again, it was only the outer pane that suffered, but the HST then had to run at a reduced (100mph max.) speed.

It was Vintage Trains, now a TOC in their own right, doing 'dress rehearsals' for their operation of The Polar Express. I believe this will be the first public service that Vintage Trains will operate with their own crews and locos - hence the desire to get things right before the public (and press) get a go.

I can confirm that 47702 Saint Cuthbert was painted in the second (darker blue) version of Network Southeast livery whilst in Springburn Works. I only remember that because it was the last 47/7 that I needed to clear the sub-class.

I knew I'd seen something somewhere. Cheers.

Hi, Any news on the matching bogie coach? Cheers.

Would a mixed train formation suit the O.P.? I've seen pictures of fuel tanks conveyed on the Oban line, the fuel was for the fishing boats at Oban.

My statement - addressed to Coachmann - that Trevellan has quoted, is not an assumption but a statement of fact, as Trevellan then goes on to say that he will be driving buses and part of that is anticipating the actions of car drivers. Coachmann, I might live in Grantham, and you might call me "an armchair ex-spurt", however I hold a motorcycle licence, a car licence and a licence for a HGV - I have also sat my additional 35hours drivers Certificate of Professional Competence.! My armchair during the week is the driving seat of a Scania 32tonne tipper. Both you gentlemen are welcome to your opinions, and I shall have my opinion - and I suspect in this matter we will differ.

Having read some of the posts from the last two days, Coachman - the traffic problems that you write of were caused by the bus driver not anticipating the actions of the car driver, not something I would have expected from a "professional driver. Regarding the use of lights - on my company vehicle, there are LED marker lights at the front, roof level, it also has roof mounted spot lights that are very good at showing the road ahead, but they work with the full-beam only (great if I get blinded by another driver). My company vehicle has orange strobe lights to warn other drivers when we are doing something unusual (like reversing into a field) - I have to stand back to avoid being blinded by them when I do my daily checks. The flash of headlights - I will normally "flash-in" a big vehicle that has overtaken me, but purely because I want them to be aware of my position in relative to their own.

Is the "dummy" level crossing still on Cannock Chase? And if so, who is responsible for managing it?

In my opinion - the bed standard of driving is one where you do not inconvenience another road-user, nor do you allow the actions of other road-users to negatively influence how or where you drive. I'm not that good yet, but I do try to attain that level.

I had a good one yesterday. I was travelling along the A45 (eastbound) in Northampton yesterday, and I caught up with a low powered moped, so I signalled to change lanes, and once the white van had passed me, I moved out to overtake the moped, I hadn't cut in front of anyone -in fact the only vehicles I could see behind me were a good 1/2 mile back - as I moved back into the left hand lane I heard an Italian sounding car horn, and as a rather old Ferrari passed me, the driver waved his arm out of the drivers window and roared off in a very unimpressive manner. For the record I was in my company vehicle, a 360HP Scania, 12 Tonnes un-laden (and quick with it) 32 Tonnes laden, and bit slower getting to go - but she will get going. P.S. I'm not sure what my trucks Gross Train Weight (GTW) is, but it is greater than that allowed by the UK law.

I had a couple of good ones last week. To set the scene - I'm double manning a 32 Tonne tipper, and we are delivering "compost" to farmers fields. The first one, as we reversed into a field we had a car squeeze past our front, with barely enough space for him, yet he could of waited for a minute. The second one, driving back from a field between Lutterworth and Mkt. Harborough, we got overtaken by a boy racer in a VW Polo as we were approaching a left hander. The driver had obviously decided that he wasn't going to follow the traffic at 50mph, so he passed a van that was behind me and then continued to overtake me - having got my wagon up to 50mph I wasn't to keen to slow it down - he completed his overtake thanks to the driver of the Ford Connect coming towards us deciding that an emergency stop would be a good idea, an idea I liked as well! Just so you know, 32 tonnes does not stop on a 10p piece!!

Yet another vote of thanks to Trains4U. I called in at the start of August, and asked about the Dapol coach kits (C100C) specifically, and they found it on one of their suppliers website, I was charged the same as was shown on the website. I called in today and the kit was waiting. It helps that I was in my company vehicle - a 7.5 tonne fridge.

I checked in the Boston WH Smiths, and couldn't see them - "no problem" thinks me, I've got three on order at Grantham. I called into the Grantham WH Smiths at 16:30ish, to be told they are a week late, but I've got two on order - "I was hoping for three!" says I, the assistant (Manager?) says she'll sort it out. By the way, WH Smiths Boston has always seemed to have copies on the shelf when I've looked before. I have yet to be let down by WH Smiths in Grantham, they seem to be a god crew there. I checked in the Boston WH Smiths, and couldn't see them - "no problem" thinks me, I've got three on order at Grantham. I called into the Grantham WH Smiths at 16:30ish, to be told they are a week late, but I've got two on order - "I was hoping for three!" says I, the assistant (Manager?) says she'll sort it out. By the way, WH Smiths Boston has always seemed to have copies on the shelf when I've looked before. I have yet to be let down by WH Smiths in Grantham, they seem to be a good crew there. (Last line edited, thanks to gr.king & Smiffy2 - the original is below) I have yet to be let down by WH Smiths in Grantham, they seem to be a god crew there.

As a commercial vehicle driver I get to see quite a few bits of 'interesting' examples of driving every day e.g 1 - last Thursday heading northwards on the A14 in Huntingdonshire, I noticed a Romanian registered Audi A6 carve its way through the traffic, using a slip road exit to undertake some traffic. e.g 2 - On Huntingdon Road in Cambridge, I had a cyclist undertake my vehicle in some roadworks, the work site is protected by the solid red/white barrier things. e.g 3 - Yesterday I had a BMW 3 series overtake me on a short straight of the A444 near Twycross - I had seen him coming a mile off quite literaly. e.g 4 - Again Yesterday I had a Honda CRV tailgate me into a haulage yard, and then he drove across my nose as I was reversing my vehicle - normally not a problem, but I was not used to the vehicle and had (unintentionally) stood on the brakes a couple of times on the way into the yard. But just to show it's not all car drivers e.g 5 - last Friday, whilst I was negotiating the "CattleMarket Roundabout" on the A46 at Newark-Upon-Trent I had a 44Tonne Artic(operated by ******* of *****) go from lane two of the Northbound A46 - with a vehicle on his inside - to exit on the A616 right across my nose, without any signals. In closing though, I will point out that when I learnt to drive, I had about twenty lessons of two hours each, once a week and I used to practise in my dad's car between lessons - now every second (car) driving school is advertising 'learn in 5 days' and I wonder where and when do these pupils pick up basic experience?

I'm just pondering what a loco would look like if it had been produced using the same principles and panels as the Leyland National and 141/142 DMU family. Also what would a "National" Carriage look like with bus doors. Ahh here comes nursey with my medication.

A full service history can also help should something fail through a design or manufacturing error, although on a 90K mile vehicle I wouldn't expect any financial goodwill from he manufacturer. The service history should also show if any recall work has been done on the vehicle. If I were in the OP's position, I would be chatting to Trading Standards by now.