MarkC

Here's a link to a photo of Llareggub - sadly I don't seem to be able to get it to come up in the post https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.0XPkZ61cx73JDy6Z6Nch-gHaGs&pid=15.1&P=0&w=168&h=152

Could it also have been that the 0-8-0s were never expected to run at particularly high speeds, where a leading pony truck helps guide the locomotive into curves? If not necessary, why go to the expense of fitting one? The NER mineral traffic requirement was for plodders, not fast runners. Just something else to be considered.

Let's not forget the Steven Lawrence case too - if it hadn't been for the Mail's efforts, his murder would have probably gone unsolved; thanks to the paper and some of its team, at least 2 (and potentially a third one too, given a recent arrest on another matter) of his killers were brought to justice and are now serving time at Her Majesty's Pleasure... ...but we digress even further. Back on topic, I wonder how this will now develop. My own money, were I to be a betting man, is that the purchase will go ahead before too long, and we will see the Robertbridge extension completed within 10 years maximum

Couple of points - the Mail is the most read on-line British newspaper outlet, and one of the highest-read ones globally, so it must be doing something right Secondly, the Gruiniad displays utter hypocrisy; it slates offshore accounting by the wealthy, yet is itself run from - you guessed it - an offshore setup One of these publications is forever begging for donations when you use its site; the other one isn't. Guess which one is the beggar? Personally, I use a wide variety of media outlets, from both sides of the political divide, then make up my own mind. One thing I won't do, though, is pay for access to news outlets such as the Times and Telegraph. Ad blockers zap much of the stuff from the likes of the Mail too, so thay're not making owt from clickbait from me either

In fact, I understand that the Council are very happy to allow the reinstatement of the level crossing, as a traffic-calming measure as much as anything. As you say, its operating time is limited to off-peak and only a few times per day too. Me, I'd put cameras on the crossing, marking them as "Red light and speed monitoring". They work well elsewhere in curbing idiots' behaviour at their locations

Yes indeed - I was about to comment on this point. Hypocrisy writ large. Bottom line - they're NIMBYs

Surprised that nobody has picked up on this heresy! I'm sure you meant Peppercorn - and I concur with your assessment of the design being 'tweaked', in order to comply with modern requirements and standards. She is indeed regarded as the next A1 to follow on from the original 49 - and as such is presently the ultimate A1 - unless you know of another one being built?

And featured in Railway Modeller - 1972?

Apropos of nothing in particular, I'm reminded of my first deep sea trip, as a very young Engineer Cadet, back in early 1981. We had sailed to the Mississippi form Lisbon, where I had joined the ship, and we were going to load grain at a terminal a few miles past New Orleans, but would be stopping just before The Big Easy for a Coast Guard inspection and a charterers' Surveyor to inspect our cargo holds to ensure that we were indeed ready to carry the cargo. So, a run ashore was arranged - and to spice it up, it was the first Friday after Mardi Gras, so Bourbon Street was REALLY alive - but I digress... Anyway, it had been decided, on the voyage across the Atlantic, that a new Music Centre would be purchased for the Officers' Bar, using the bar profits. The Second Engineer and Electrician duly sallied forth to purchase a suitable machine. Everyone was in the bar to witness the grand switch on. A suitable tape was produced to be the first music to blast out and inserted ready to start, everyone had made sure that their glasses were charged with suitable refreshment and the Electrician switched the thing on... There was a momentary ear-splitting howl from the speakers, followed by a loud bang from the machine and a plume of thick, acrid smoke vented from the ventilation slots on the case... Yep, these heroes had forgotten the minor detail of the USA being 120V, and our ship was standard 220-230V...and had therefore not picked up a suitable step-down transformer when they bought the beast... It took them a VERY long time to live that one down...

One tube, apparently. Will be plugged or replaced, according to reports elsewhere

Ignorance of the law is no defence...

There's a few links on John Hinson's site that might be of interest? https://signalbox.org/diagrams.php?selectpg=Furness&viewpg=Go%21

As ever, you get what you pay for... But this is a timely warning about such things. Not everyone is aware of such matters.

Not everyone did/does love her though... Just sayin'

Indeed - a very backwards place... And superb modelling

Hi Neil Here's a link for you https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=harton%20electric%20railway%20appreciation%20society

Hi Ian I was a Cayzer Irvine cadet - British & Commonwealth Mark

Hi Neil The crazy thing is that I lived in Crosby, yet was sent to Shields - you lived in Shields yet attended Riversdale... I'm a member of that FarceBerk group - yes, it's great. Are you a member of the Harton Electrics group too? I remember Velva Liquids, shown on that old aerial photo, still being in use. (And the business of the corpse found in one of the tanks...). One huge change on the waterfront there - all posh flats there now. Amazing Mark

Some great modelling and "What iffery" regarding the history of "Sheels" - also old photos and references to various watering holes and one den of iniquity... Memories... How the place has changed since I first went there in late 1978... *sighs*

ted675 has already described conditions at Gulf ports; I can concur with his comments, having been at the next berth (and, sadly, downwind of them) to a couple of these livestock carriers in the port of Damman, and the way that these animals are treated is utterly shameful. I've seen beasts trying to make a bolt for freedom, only to be chased around the jetty by stevedores driving fork lift trucks, and have seen terrified sheep actually being impaled on the forks, as well as others which have gone into the water, only to be chased even there by blokes driving motor boats. Horrendous.

I suspect not - it's a seriously big beastie, and it's not just the OLE; there's other structures that might come into play too. It would certainly give NR's Gauging Team a headache!

The North Eastern sandwiched the loco between trailers on occasion too, Michael - photos of both BTP/G6 and O/G5 working such trains do exist

It was actually an Audi 100GL... ...happy days

The joys of fully reclining front seats, back in the early 80s...

It actually eases dramatically at the start of the Pickering-bound platform, but yes, it's 1 in 49 coming up from Grosmont up to that point, and is very obvious when looking at the real thing