byron

Sunny and cloudless start to the day.

 

Obergrumpenfuhrer off out on a mission of some description.

 

Pygmy hippo already departed for work, but managed to forget the xy table which he was supposed to be delivering.

 

I shall take coffee, dream of cake (I'm cakeless at present) and brush up on my Classics prior to the expected onslaught.

 

Flicking through earlier posts, I am of the opinion that it is a bit late for Andyram to be taking a pre-reading course!

 

I also see that Chris Boardman has been on BBC Breakfast berating cycle track design: Something I have been complaining about for some time. Perhaps now an Olympian, a Zeus of the cycling world (See, Classics!) has spoken, the idiots in charge will begin to take notice.

 

I won't comment on the whisky tasting crisis where Scotland can't get into the top ten. Besides taste is so subjective: I'd rather drink Sheepdip than anything from the Jack Daniel's stable .

I thought Jack Daniel's was sheepdip.

Mike

Customer help desk ownage: https://twitter.com/fxneumann/status/428787101052960768/photo/1

 

The gist is that the person from the Deutsche Bahn Twitter channel thought the OP needed travel advice, but was actually a train driver stranded in Halle. 

Wonderful- einfach spitze!

Mike

I suspect it has far more to do with politics than paperwork. Basically SNCF are locked in battle with DB to be the dominant force when it comes to railways in Europe and it strikes me that just as the French tried every trick in the book to try and prevent Eurosar from buying German trains, delaying transit traffic from your deadly rival is just the sort of thing SNCF might do - particularly if it annoys the Brits - who the French blame for the EUs efforts to split up SNCF and allow competition in the first place.

 

British rail freight companies have long complained that in the rest of Europe they have difficulties securing paths (regardless of what EU directives say) and of all the operators SNCF and DB are among the worst as they desperately try prevent competition.

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

If they called it 'Anglia' you'd then have an 'Anglian Government' and everyone would think they make double-glazing.

That would be a bit of a "pane" then!

Mike

I popped into Tesco's last evening for a bit of last minute shopping. I was surprised to see a woman walking about breast feeding her baby.  I know its only natural and if a baby needs feeding it needs feeding but a little discretion I think is called for. Some other parents with school age children were clearly embarrassed.

A good time to gently bring in a "birds & bees" chat perhaps.

Mike

Afternoon All

 

Well see what happens when you pop out for a few hours to the shops - Jock's back with us, and as chipper as ever - speedy recovery, china, and get back to the single malts as soon as you can - if for any reason you can't enjoy these, I can supply my address.  Also great posts from Ian and Sherry - AND Tony's birthday.

 

Promised 30747 that I'd make the dinner - hope she enjoys sausage and mash.

 

I also promised to walk the dog, so I'll go and meet 30747 off the bus.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

Sorry Stewart, Of all the drinks around, single malt is recommended for Jock. When I was on dialysis, I shared a ward with a Headmaster - we were restricted to a few sips of liquid at a time, and about a teacup full at most per 24 hours! Superwife thought scotch would make the suffering easier - it did. A couple of nights into the routine, ward Sister caught the two of us and went gently insane. As luck would have it, our specialist Doctor called in and told the Sister that we were doing the most intelligent thing he had seen.

Mike

All the best Jock - remember, in 20 years you can tell us how you are coping.

Mike

Evening all,

Late and knackered after helping the decorating team as much as they would allow. Also beheaded the dandelions as the alternate hot sun/downpours have sent them into a growth spurt.

Ian, you may already know this, but The Telegraph on Saturday has a travel supplement and inside the back cover is a column by a very nice lady who from memory is called Jill Charlton. She champions peoples claims when disasters have occurred and might just step in to help Vanessa. Don't know if there is an on-line link, their website is easily accessed with Google, but if not it's worth getting the paper! I wish her all the luck she deserves.

Promised to update all you supportive friends on my health situation - had a phone call from Colchester General this afternoon to tell me they've set my operation for August 27th and I have to go in on Friday afternoon for the pre-op checks. If all goes according to plan, I will be working on one kidney by the end of the month! I'll keep you updated on developments.

John(CB), I will be very pleased if I get news half as good as yours after my op. Well done my friend, hopefully make work tomorrow easier now you know the result!

Pete(Trisonic), thanks, I had missed the news of John Winter's passing. Another name from our youth gone!

Just noticed that it has passed into Thursday so I'll avoid any more car stories tonight! Settle for the nightcap.

Over the hump now so downhill to the weekend,

Kind regards,

Jock.

Jock, do not worry too much about running on one kidney. I have been doing that for almost 20 years, and it isn't even mine! These renal quacks really know their game, I haver never seen such dedication.

Now if I could find a doctor to keep the rest of me working!!!!! :no:

Mike

Happy memories of time spent at Bridgmere when we lived at Little Haywood (Staffs.)  - it used to be a treat to take my late mother there for an outing. Now my DD''s mother-in-law works there but isn't enjoying the experience, not least the journey to and fro from Crewe.

 

We loved our two visits to Oslo - the guided tour of the City Hall was interesting, although the memories of the horrors of WWII were vividly recalled by our guide. It would not have been a comfortable tour for any Germans in the party!

And on both occasions we had good weather - we were there in mid August.

 

Hope your visit meets expectations.

I often wonder how these guides would find anything to say if it was not for the Germans. How many years have passed?

Mike

POETS day arrives with little fanfare...

 

Have a great cruise Tony & Aditi, well deserved.

 

Polly, the pics were lovely, sadly I'm not doing "THAT" anymore, like the rest of us it sounds like, but have fond memories - never was one for camping after some experiences as a kid at such lovely places as West Wittering and Hayling Island, with family "fun" all under one or two tents/tarps that never seemed to keep out any rain <sigh>.

My idea/concept of camping is a cheap motel, and I only ever stay in up-market ones as a result! I need the creature comforts that befit an old fart  seasoned traveller.

 

Last night, survived the watching of the series 2 final episode of "Last Tango in Halifax", amazed that there wasn't more idiocy <phew>...

 

I have a DISAGREE I want to post, to the seaweed twirlers OR some IT weather product developers, not sure who's at fault, as follows;

i) Awoke and looked out the kitchen window whilst making tea, it was 19 and sunny, clear and light breeze, beautiful day. = AGREE

ii) Looked at the desktop widget on my laptop, it was 19 and CLOUDY! = DISAGREE

I wish the silly sods that process/post this tripe would do the obvious and INSTALL AND LOOK OUT A BLOODY WINDOW!!!! Not that hard is it??? What a bunch of tossers...

 

Looking forward to finishing the week out so I can have a nice weekend of unplanned activities, some of which should include model trains - there I said it    

 

Hope everyone is gearing up for their weekend already, enjoy.

Far too many years ago, the Met office phoned each Control room ith a weather forcast in winter - too help us stop the job better keep things moving.

The forcast took the form of a simple 1 2 3, where 1=snow, 2=frost, 3=fog.

The forast came as 1=nil, 2=nil, 3==nil, which was interesting as we had about a foot of snow, and it was still falling.

When this was pointed out, the chap in the Met office was heard opening a window, and promptly gave an ammended forcast of 1=heavy.......

It was things like this that made it all worth while (even better was 2 nights later delaying sweet Maggie for 90" - but that is best told over a Whiskey.

Mike

How long did blue/grey last in traffic? I model late 80's early 90's. I can feel a intercity raspberry ripple repaint coming!

I have video from 1989 (Westbury) showing one in blue/grey.

Mike

Good news Jock - onwards and upwards!

 

Bluebottle I hope your kitchen conondrum is solved quickly - failing that it's a great excuse for a barbie.

 

I must go and weed the veg patch but first the final installment of non-train photos

 

I spent my third day on a trip to the Achensee. S Bahn to Jenbach, Achenseebahn to Seespitz and then the 'steamer' round the lake getting off a couple of times en-route. The Achenseebahn is expensive (my ticket including the boat cost 45 euros) but well worth it.

 

Achenseebahn loco being prepped

 

 

Rails up the mountain (I was sitting on the front platform of the carriage - great fun (they take a relatively relaxed attitude to health and safety, the guard goes along the running boards of the coaches checking tickets whilst the train is in motion and they've got a nifty coach slipping trick)

 

 

Eben, the high point of the line, where the loco runs round

 

 

Seespitz

 

 

The 'steamer'

 

 

Looking up the lake towards Achenkirch

 

 

Museum of Tirolean life in Achenkirch

 

 

Pop up restauraunt at Achenkirch, run by something like the Lions I think

 

 

Oh go on then

 

 

Looking back down the lake towards Pertisau

 

 

Sailing boats at Pertisau, the water is a wonderfully bright blue-green which this photo doesn't really capture

 

 

The clouds descend

 

 

 

When I got back to Seespitze it was very, very wet. Thus no pictures of the ride back to Jenbach.

 

I took the train back to Innsbruck and the bus back to Zirl. The following day it was home via an afternoon in Munich.

 

 

In summary a beautiful part of the world and an excellent destination for visiting with people who don't like trains. Masses of freight movements and lots of interesting passenger stuff for you (plus the Achensee and Zillerthal) and plenty of interesting sights and beautiful scenery for anyone else.

The "foodstall" is the WinterSportVerein-Winter sports club.

Mike

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

Mike

 

Nice story, but did you have to provide a brake van? These trains had to have some way of carrying the guard. There are two photos of early trains in

Collins, Michael J (1991) Freightliner (Life & Times series) pub Foulis-OPC 128 pages, ISBN 0-88093-455-1 

 

with conventional brake vans - both air brake/pipe conversions. A WR one with a SR van on the back and 47 hauled train on the WCML with a 'Stanier' LMS van on the back. These appear to be before the attempts to use a freightliner caboose which were replaced by coaching stock.

 

Changing the subject, I think someone asked whether the Maritime and internal services were kept separate. My very vague memory is that is correct, although when this started I don't know. Collins mentions "late 1960s" as when they split into 3 sectors - Irish and Home Trade; Deep Sea; European. The European included using RoRO ferries with trains to Paris.

 

Paul

A Brakevan was required - the train went forward class9 (unfitted)!

Mike

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

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

A Taste of Honey - Hank Marvin

Ah yes, knock Germany all you want, but they scored more goals in this one game than England did in the last two world cups!

Deutschland vor, noch ein tor!

Mike

At a guess - a UK based Safari Park.

Mike

It must have been "interesting" trying to balance the passengers returning from market day, when they'd all have a few Guinnesses too many. The whole concept is completely bonkers from start to finish.

Can you have too manyGuinnesses?

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

I was guilty of posting one of them (topic now deleted). Because there is no way to search for a specific image having been posted on RMweb. I spend quite a lot of time on RMweb but I still hadn't seen it (and still don't know in which other topics it appeared).

 

Do we now know if it is genuine or a hoax? And where it is? And apologies if this has already been discussed in another topic -- which one?

 

Martin.

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

I must say I am taking my Girlfriend to a few of the preserved railways over the summer months

 

She is also into Blacksmithing, Hammer throw and engineering, oh and shares my passion for HUGE machinery (Make of that what you will guys and gals)

 

One point I do make is that there are a contingent of female modelers out there (A good number on RM) al of which make excellent jobs of what they do, From a scientific stand point, a woman should be able to out-do a man when it comes to half the modeling tasks, its no secret that they generally develop much better fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination...

 

JUst thought i would mention it...

 

Sean

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

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

What's German for "How big are your nuts?"

It will never work in German - swap nuts for eggs!

Mike