jonny777

Belated hello from sunny (again) Somerset. I am completely knackered, as have just hand sawn through a 6 inch diameter log in order to have two grate-sized pieces of wood to put on the fire for later. The wind is cold and easterly in direction; and the one wind that our house is exposed to, is an easterly. So, the fire will be lit. I know what you are thinking. "Why not get a chainsaw?" The answer is that I have a petrol one in the garage, donated to me by youngest son; who does this sort of thing for a job, but he has to don all manner of helmets, goggles, gloves, etc., just to use it (H&S), and I don't have all that, and he is at work so unavailable. Anyway if the truth be known, I am scared of chainsaws because I can imagine what happens if they slip, or the chain breaks - and being accident prone, I don't want to die just yet. So, in order to dull the shoulder and elbow pain, I have poured myself a pint of home-brewed Santas Winter Warmer. Yum!

Scottish border country is the location for this next photo, I believe. This is the Carlisle Railtour with 256 Glen Douglas on April 6th 1963, but does anyone recognise this rural wayside station? Sixbellsjunction gives the route as:- Carlisle Citadel – Petteril Bridge Jn 256 Petteril Bridge Jn – Upperby Bridge Jn (No.13) 256 Upperby Bridge Jn (No.13) – Currock Jn 256 Currock Jn – Canal Jn – Kingmoor Jn – Kingmoor New Yard 256 Kingmoor New Yard – Stainton Jn 256 Stainton Jn – Longtown – Langholm 256 Langholm – Longtown – Floriston – Caldew Jn – Rome Street Jn – Petteril Bridge Jn – Carlisle Citadel

Yes, and the gradient out of the low level goods yard looks similar to most 00 model gradients anyway - so no problems with realism there. Thanks all for the info on the location.

This next one appears to be on the LT&S railway, given the style of electrification equipment and the loco in charge of the train. I guess it was taken shortly before the full electric service began. I apologise for my ignorance of East London, but I thought it may not be too far out of Fenchurch Street, and the large gas holder made me wonder if it was anywhere near Becton gasworks? Hopefully someone will know this area in far more detail.

That is excellent. Thanks very much.

Sorry uax6, I haven't looked at this thread for a while as my scanning ceased through the better weather. Does anyone recognise this location? The loco has express headlamps but the coaching stock is non-vestibule.

I think that patience is all that you need. In my experience birds are very wary of anything new appearing. I bought a suet block feeder in dark green plastic and hung that up in place of one of the fat ball feeders which had been there for years and had been very popular. However, despite adding a brand spanking new suet block inside the feeder, it was ignored for almost a week even though the birds carried on using the other offerings. Now, they have become used to it, it has become the most popular and keeping it filled costs me a fortune. After a few weeks absence I have noticed members of the tit family beginning to return to the garden since the nights became colder. I have had representatives from four members of the wider family - blue, great, coal, and long tailed - over the past week, which is encouraging.

Here are a couple from Clapham Junction. 73128 and 73113 on the LCGB 'Solent' railtour from 28th October 1978. A (so far) uid member of the class on Pullman stock in August 1988. Gateway supermarkets; remember them?

J1786 - 8M42 was a Little Barford to Colwick coal train. I know the Brush 2 only had this as its previous working (from the rear headcode box), but it illustrates the types of trains still running in those days.

Thanks for the info. I have looked at the original scan, and it might be 81015 but it is not particularly clear at that angle.

Maybe all these AC electric threads should be combined? But until then, and although I have just posted this on the class 85 thread; here it is again. 85025 86221 and possibly 81015 at Euston on 27th February 1983. Not on the 85 thread is this uid 83, after a slight "coming together", at Crewe Works in 1977.

I love this photo; but being too young to photograph it myself, I now find that transparencies/negatives such as this can now command upwards of £50 on auction sites these days, putting them well out of my reach and putting them out of sight of everyone apart from those who wish only to make money out of these images. Thankyou for sharing it with us.

I am cheating slightly here, because this is not just an 85, but an 86 and 81 as well. 85025 86221 81016 at the buffers, Euston 27th February 1983.

That is just brilliant, and has to be one of the best transition era photos I have ever seen. Thanks very much for posting. Imagine running that on a layout, and the comments it would generate. On most of the layouts I have had, the locos alone would occupy all of the fiddle yard.

My personal theory is that because the pie/pasty manufacturers have decided to cut down on the salt content of their products and then discovered that the result has little or no taste; they have attempted to disguise this by adding more pepper rather than source meat filling which actually tastes of something - but I am a miserable old whinger and could be wrong.

It is strange that you mention pork pies and pepper, because I have detected an increase in pepper over the last few years with a few well known brands. I wrote to Dickinson & Morris a short while back pointing this out, and their reply was that the recipe had not changed in decades. In which case, it must be my tastebuds which have become pepper sensitive in old age - whereas the experts say the opposite is usually the case. However, I find that there has been a gradual shift to more spicy foods over the last 20 years or so. Nothing wrong with spicy foods you might reply; but personally I do not want everything to be hot/spicy, or else the subtle variety in ordinary taste is lost. This trend towards spicy = good is probably what resulted in Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver being slated in Spain for their paellas containing chilli and chorizo respectively.

Actually, I am beginning to think the Wikipedia entry is incorrect (what a surprise!) because a quick browse through Flickr results in a number of photos showing the loco in lined green but without the E prefix, as seen in this David Christie picture - https://www.flickr.com/photos/david_christie/8366443761/in/gallery-68220805@N07-72157629859146027/

The EM2s were given the E prefix as well, and Wikipedia says it was as early as 1957 but I can't vouch for that. Here is E27002 at Sheffield Victoria in the mid-60s, after being repainted in blue livery. Edited to add that the above is a screen shot from Diesel & Electric Archive Files Vol 1.

Good morning from grey and drizzly Somerset. I have ventured outside to top up the bird feeders and noticed two large-ish frogs in the pond, which is very good news as they have been relatively infrequent visitors here over the last 12 months or so. Did someone mention pork pies? George Adams of Spalding (now Adams and Harlow) produce a very decent offering, and their website will even give details of your nearest stockist http://www.adamsandharlow.co.uk/stockists.php I have no connection with the company; except as a very satisfied customer, as a few varieties of their pies can be found at Waitrose.

For those who are meteorologically inclined. This is what a cat4 hurricane looks like from a NOAA research aircraft - https://twitter.com/NOAA_HurrHunter/status/784263203966431232

That is very true, but Oct 87 had gusts to about 110mph along the south coast and less inland, but the winds close to the hurricane eye are sustained at 110mph, with gusts even higher. That doesn't bear thinking about in the UK.

Oh dear. It is looking bad for Florida at the moment. Best wishes for everyone affected over the next couple of days, and let us hope that the damage is not too great. We Brits have little or no knowledge of proper hurricanes, mass evacuations and not knowing what might not be still there when we return. We have never had mean winds of 130mph *and* a 10ft storm surge in the UK, so should consider ourselves very fortunate.

I gather that those pastimes are considered beneath a certain type of lady wot lunches.

I'm afraid that I have no choice. I only cook the thing - from this point the wife takes over and the cake is wrapped up tightly and put away in a large plastic box somewhere dry and dark, until the day designated for marzipan followed by icing. As for impressing the Ladies; there is no chance. I am far too nerdy for their acquired tastes - for a start I "like" trains and drink beer.

Good afternoon from sunny Somerset. The wind is chilly though, so I lit the fire as the indoor thermometer read 18C which tends to be the point where my old bones start to feel cold when sitting. This morning I discovered a Dec 2014 Backtrack in an unopened plastic bag; and have spent the afternoon reading about Reading south goods yard, and admiring colour photos of King Arthurs. How wonderful it must have been to have been able to afford a camera and colour film in those days. Mrs Jonny is out all day visiting Bath with her "ladies wot lunch" mates, although knowing their routine I suspect they will not only have a decent lunch but will also venture into Sally Lunns for a toasted bun with jam and cream; so I am excused the preparation of dinner. I usually get a text when the train is leaving Temple Meads and my journey to our station takes a similar time to the HST - meaning I can be there waiting. I have taken the opportunity of no planned interruptions to bake this year's Ch**s**as cake, and it seems to have gone ok - but of course it will be another 11weeks before I will know for sure.