Jump to content
 

byron

Members
  • Posts

    228
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by byron

  1. Thankfully I was not invoved - once was enough. Mike
  2. At the time, the WCML scheme was the biggest balls up since Uncle Eli's funeral. I can still remember the utter chaos of trying to run a railway through the (please choose your own phrase - mine would get me a ban from the forum). I am still taking the pills! Mike
  3. I was Assistant Power Controller at Stoke during the last years of steam (my "boss" had the diesels - I had the fun steam). The remaining Britts at Crewe when not called upon to replace failed diesels north from Crewe were diagrammed on parcels and fitted freight. Mike
  4. Some odd comments here. The rail freight scene in Germany is very competative. There are over a dozen companies competing against the DB, a look at some of the German web sites will confirm this. At least four national railways have freight services in Germany! As for UK operations getting paths, one (DB) will have no problems. Once you have a path then what? Where do you get traction? Please sir may I hire a locofromyou to compete against you? No way. Train crew? where do you get these from? Remember they need route knowledge and traction knowledge,and the ability to speak in tongues. Running a train is not like running a white van! Mike
  5. I have video from 1989 (Westbury) showing one in blue/grey. Mike
  6. What fun this and related threads are! As a modeller of German railways, I could not care less what is on its way, but enjoy reading every post (is there a nurse in the house?). Is all the frothing a British thing? I do not recall the same excitement in Germany. Damn good marketing anyway. When does the next thread start? Mike
  7. A Brakevan was required - the train went forward class9 (unfitted)! Mike
  8. As a prototype for everything exists, these fine wagons can even be steam hauled. Way back in the days when there was still steam on the WCML, a Scotland bound freightliner failed at Nuneaton. First Control rule has always been get it off yer patch (in my case as Main Line South section Controller in Stoke Control, this was Norton Bridge - but I play fair, so Crewe it was. As the only loco available was a 9F on an engineers trip, it was used to remove the 47. This is where the observant amonst you will say "just a minute, the 9F was vac braked, and the train air braked". So the PW trains brake van was attached rear, the 9F coupled up, train lights "dropped" to a class 9 and off we go. 70 late away from Nuneaton. No available air braked loco at Crewe (often wondered why there was a shed there) so the Nuneaton men were sweet talked to work on with the booked driver as route knowledge pilot. The 9F worked to Carlisle (far enough off the patch) where it arrived on time. It may have been that they poor guard had a rougher ride than in the back cab of a warm diesel, but it seems the rest of the crew enjoyed the trip (and the overtime for the Nuneaton men). The electification may have been delayed by a bit, but that is what Sundays were for. Mike
  9. To my knowledge the York to Salop postal was Deltic hauled all the way to Salop on three occasions (I was on duty). It depended on the York driver, as he needed to be piloted for route knowledge. It may well have happened more often when I was tucked up in bed and had little interest in the chaos smooth working of the Stoke division. Mike
  10. The very best of luck and good fortune to you. A great project. And when Boris's railway is playing diesel gala's, there will be steam about. Should be a great addition to the area. Mike
  11. No hoax - not only has this been posted a few times (I understand) on this forum, it has made it's way round Europe as well. The Drehscheibe forum was where I first saw it, and it was reported to have been photographed in Holland. This fits with the croissing lights/signage. German built fire engines are used in Holland. We may mock, but in the heat of the moment (sorry) automatic responses to training tend to take over. Mike
  12. That is why - in Europe at least - most of the assembly work on our models (Roco/Fleischmann/Piko/Maerklin/Trix) is done by ladies. Mike
  13. Many more years ago than I care to remember, Control used to get a 1 2 3 weather forecast from the Met office (1= snow, 2= frost 3= fog) It was to help us gcall out the required staff (remember those days when such a luxury existed). One night I took the call and was told 1nil 2nil 3nil. At that moment there was 6" of snow on the ground and a blizzard blowing. My gentle and courteous comment (Controllers were renowned for their charm) to the actual facts resulted in "wait a moment". There was the distinct sound of a window opening. A cheerful voice the announced ..... "here is an amended forecast". If only we could go back to the innocence and fun of those days. Mike
  14. It will never work in German - swap nuts for eggs! Mike
  15. My wife is from Hessen, and has the same warped sense of humour as me. Mike
  16. On the German Drehscheibe forum, there is a question being asked about the correct scale size of household coal. Just think of the fun that could bring! Mike
  17. Just like our models! Once again real life follows where we lead.
  18. Being serious for a moment, the main fault with the 50's was that they were conceived as a "maedchen fuer alles". Why oh why was a locomotive built for express passenger duties, and yet had slow speed control for MGR trains? It was (I suppose) the intention that between class 1 work, they could fill in with a coal trip or three. There were the odd use of a 50 on MGR's on the Stoke patch, but not very often. Once you got two in MU for the Scottish expresses, you kept them together. They were not very reliable to put it kindly. Mike
  19. Consider the 50's Stoke Control's revenge for all the stress caused by the Warships and Westerns that arrived instead of the booked 47! Mike.
  20. When BR were looking round for main line diesels, one of the most successful of the time were the DB V200 class. Introduced in 1953, 5 prototypes were fully tested (in good German practice) before the main fleet were introduced in 1956. The transmission and diesel engines were interchangable with other types. I read about the history of one such diesel motor being swapped between V200, V100 and VT08's.They were most successful machines giving at least 30 years main line service. Our problem with all the modernisation diesels was trying to do it all on the cheap. In the end it costs more than was ever saved. Currency exchange was one problem - I recall many a trip to the Vaterland with cash in my socks (it would have taken a brave man to ask me to remove my shoes and socks!!). Perhaps that is where the phrase "money stinks" comes from. A great pity that government interferance resulted in the downfall of what should have been great loco's. Mike
  21. The one thing missing from models made for the UK market is a good close coupling system based on NEM standards. The close coupling of locomotives to their tenders also seems (sorry about this) a gap in the market. There is no need to re-invent the wheel, a visit to Roco/Fleischmann or Piko and get a licence to use their system is all that is required.Add a couple of Roco or (better IMHO) Fleischmann couplings in the box, along with a hook & bar and everyone will be happy. Mike
×
×
  • Create New...