caradoc

I still think it's a great shame that when Airfix and Mainline entered the RTR market in the 70s they did not go for HO, but as you say it's too late now !

Thanks, and well done for cycling safely, but I regard myself too as a careful cyclist, and the example I used was, IMHO, a situation where lack of thought by others caused an unnecessary risk, in response to the query why cyclists do not always use cycle lanes.

There were, for the 'local' papers such as the Daily Record and Glasgow Herald, but the national titles came from Manchester by train; The workings on Saturday nights were particularly complex, with, IIRC, two trains (1S03 and 1S04) which divided at Carstairs with multiple portions going forward, even including a single van to Kilmarnock. The newspaper trains were second in priority only to the Postals.

Which I would have been able to do (or more likely, I would have had enough time to move safely into the main carriageway) had the warning sign been placed more than a couple of yards from the van parked blocking the cycle lane. But clearly the guys who placed it, just like yourself I suspect, have never cycled down a hill.

Because cycleways are frequently obstructed by pedestrians (both adults and children), dogs (at differing levels of restraint), parked cars, vans etc, are frequently littered with debris including broken glass, and because motorists simply cannot be trusted to give way to cyclists as they should at suitably marked places where side roads cross the cycle path. And a personal example; Last year I was cycling downhill, so at a decent speed, on a cycle path marked off from the main carriageway and separated by bollards every couple of yards, when I came round a bend to see a 'men at work' sign blocking the cycle lane with a Water Board van parked just beyond it, leaving me a split second to look behind me to see if I was safe to move into the road while at the same time avoiding hitting either the sign and a bollard. By sheer luck I just about managed it.

This was returning the empty vans off newspaper trains, which, of course, is (or rather was) a one-way traffic !

I agree with everything you said in your post Stationmaster..... except this last bit ! One of the 'benefits' of privatisation was that the infrastructure operator had to treat all its customers fairly, so, for example, when as sometimes happened one line was blocked between Paisley and Kilwinning and we were able to keep a service going with the bi-directional signalling there, we ensured that the coal trains to and from Hunterston got paths amongst the already-reduced passenger service. This on the basis that they had paid as much (if not considerably more, being a 2000t freight as opposed to a 3-car EMU) for their path than any Scotrail train. Which, it could be said (assuming freight did return) weakens the case for a single-track Okehampton/Plymouth route being a suitable passenger diversion for Dawlish even further.

Some in Scotland: Ardrossan South Beach Cumbernauld Dalmuir Exhibition Centre (where the Siding is alongside the platforms so trains actually terminate and start at Anderston) Newton

Given that the LSWR route was originally double track, one solution to the capacity issue could be reinstating the second line from a suitable location at the Plymouth end, not as a double track railway but as independent single lines to Bere Alston, which would require just one additional turnout over the existing layout. However the costs of bringing the formation back to a suitable condition, including over two viaducts, an additional platform (but perhaps not essential) at Bere Ferrers, and of course the new track and signalling, would no doubt be prohibitive.

Which would deprive Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Torquay and Paignton of their rail link, so will not happen.

Would emblazoning the train set box, in large letters, 'The Titfield Thunderbolt', even though qualified by (in smaller letters) 'inspired by', not count as using the branding from the film ?

Rapido have no doubt emailed Mr K telling him exactly what they would like him to do....... Re the Class 31, this is surely the missing link in Modernisation Plan diesels, despite Hornby's two versions, and surely wide open for a more enterprising manufacturer.

Model trains are very different in that the demand for them generally is smaller than the demand for cars, and the demand for Titfield Thunderbolt in particular is smaller again, to the point where there is absolutely no need or market for two versions of the same extremely niche product.

Can Hornby, as by far the biggest player in the UK model train market, not find a way to be strong without doing things like this ? I don't buy much Hornby anyway because, as others have said, their interest in BR blue is minimal, but this action puts me off buying any of their products.

There are phones provided at the LC in question.

As a matter of interest, how many accidents, fatal or otherwise, have there been on the UK rail network in which the lack of mobility of the victim was a major factor ? And, yes, you can put a value on human life, there comes a point at which the cost of absolute safety far outweighs the actual risk.

In my BR office, at one reduction in the working week (IIRC from 37 to 36 hours) there was no attempt to recruit additional staff, instead every 8 weeks an 8-hour shift which had previously been part of the working week became overtime, in this case every other Sunday night. Staff were still obliged to work the shift as it was rostered O/T, so the end result for the staff was no more time off (but more pay), and for BR higher cost for the same amount of work, with absolutely no increase in productivity whatsoever.

While Bellgrove (6th March 1989) was a 'ding-ding and away' accident, IIRC the Rule Book change came as a result of Paisley Gilmour St (16th April 1979), another head-on collision. Indeed, and some in Scotland have reverted from single lead to double line junctions, eg Newton, Midcalder Jc and Busby Jc - But not Bellgrove ! However, as phil-b259 says, the safety risk has been largely eliminated.

As you yourself said. I am, or rather was. also a railway professional, and while I agree absolutely that the railway is no more immune than any organisation from having employed disreputable and dishonest characters, from what we know of the robbery I cannot see any logical way that any of the staff mentioned above can have been involved without this coming to light at the time, either through the Police investigation, or simply other railway staff noticing discrepancies. Apart from anything else, if they had a Signalman in their pocket, why go to all the bother of climbing signal gantries, covering up correct aspects and using a battery to feed false aspects ? There are easier ways to stop a train, which as well as by the Signalman also could have been done by the Traincrew of course.

Given your repeated allegations against railway staff, perhaps you could respond to the very valid points raised by The Stationmaster, and indeed the questions I asked you here on November 27th 2020, none of which you have answered.

IIRC BR tried to ban smoking firstly in catering vehicles, and there was a huge outcry from commuters desperate for a fag and a whisky on the way home after a hard day in the office. It seems incredible now !

Just received my copy this morning (thanks Strathwood) and after a quick glance through I would say it is absolutely excellent, masses of pictures from all over the country, with very informative captions, although this does mean that some of the photos are a bit small. The only thing I would take any issue with is the title, given what and where it covers the book should surely be called 'Off the beaten track' ?!! NB the intro mentions that a second volume has been commissioned, which is excellent news.

Is that correct ? When they still had HSTs the only East Midlands through services beyond Sheffield were a few Up trains from Leeds in the morning and a few Down trains back in the evening, which IIRC ran mainly because the sets were maintained at Neville Hill. In the current EMR TT there is just one train to Leeds, Mon-Fri only, the 1632 from St Pancras, and this only returns as far as Derby.

A very welcome announcement. Could we have some more of your excellent wagon loads for these too please ? Thanks !

IIRC Class 74 did not work passenger trains west of Bournemouth, ie on diesel power, although they did do so over the short and slow distance into Southampton Docks.