rodent279

That's a fascinating thread, thanks for posting! I always did like those Swindon Intercity units, class 123/4, don't think I ever rode in one though. Shame none were preserved. I had in my head that some 27's were based at Gloucester, but that must have been from seeing images of them there. So it's entirely possible that 27's would have been seen alongside Hymeks, and presumably Warships and Westerns, on a regular basis?

Ah, you may be right there. I said based, because I've seen photos of 27's at Gloucester, but of course that doesn't mean they were based there. Even so, could Saltley crews have taken them as far as Bristol, Cardiff, or along the Midland to Bath GP?

A question inspired by 26007's current stay at Bodmin, allegedly a first for the class in Cornwall, but which might lead to wider discussion. If class 27's were once based at Gloucester, in the late 60's & early 70's, would they have made it to Bristol TM or Cardiff? Would they have made it to Bath Green Park via Mangotsfield? How far west would they have been seen? Taunton? Exeter? Swansea?

Now here's a thought. That last loco, the one with the bogies-how about ditching the Paget style multi-cylinder arrangement, and instead having an underslung turbine between the bogies, driving each bogie though a cardan shaft and reversible final drive? Or even, if there's space, driving through a fluid coupling?

We get a pint in a glass bottle, and 1.14ltr in plastic, but we're changing the order to 3x glass bottles each delivery. It's part of an effort to reduce our single use plastic consumption. I know the plastic bottles get recycled, but it's still more wasteful than re-using a glass bottle.

I understand some WD 2-8-0's and 2-10-0's were blue, but were any 8F's painted blue?

We've been having our milk nicked by Mr Fox. We've had milk delivered ever since we moved in here, which is 4 years now, usual delivery is one 1.15ltr plastic bottle and 1 pint glass bottle. The milkman leaves it behind a bush beside the front door. Mr Fox has twigged that he has a free food supply here, and started taking the plastic bottle and biting it so that it punctures, then sucking the milk out. He's also had a go at the glass bottle, by biting the top until it punctures, but he's not has as much success. We've lost about 6 bottles this way, so I've built a box that screws to the wall, for the milk, and that has solved the other. Has anyone else known this to happen? How have you solved it? What other things has Mr Fox taken a liking to?

Yes, both have been stored at the back of the wardrobe for 2 years. I wonder whether being 18 months out of date means a bit of extra fermentation has happened?

Bogof update this week, last night's brew first:- Surfer Rosa, from Madrigal Brewery, Lynmouth. A lively little number, despite being 18 months out of date! Tasty and aromatic too, though a little too like an IPA for my liking. Next up is tonight's beverage:- Hunter's Full Bore, from Ipplepen, Devon. Contains Boudicea hops, which I've never heard of. Nice, full bodied, rounded, warming, reminiscent of a winter warmer. Right up my street!

Since they were built in the war, for the War Department, can we expect someone to paint an 8F in camouflage? Or a WD 2-10-0?

Why is that Argentinian loco in camouflage? Was it a military loco?

Something Saintly perhaps?

That did occur to me, but then you're expecting the team to hang around waiting for you, and I don't want to set that precedent. If the RD had not been happy for me to start late, I'd have waited until the tail walker finished, then done it solo as a freedom run.

Recently I did the parkrun at a well known seaside tourist resort, with a steam railway literally opposite the start. They shall remain nameless to spare their blushes-but I forgot my barcode. We were camping 10min drive away, and by now it was 0850. As all of my 79 parkruns are genuine, in that I'm pretty sure that I've never forgotten my barcode, I was determined to get it, so other half and son proceeded to do the parkrun while I went back. Well I started 20min late, after checking with the RD that he was happy for me to start, and my official time for that event is now 45min! So a massive pb beckons next time I go there! We then went for a ride on the train to visit a castle. No prizes for guessting where-i can't think of any other parkruns that start literally opposite a steam railway!

I think it was class 85-87 that had rheostatic brakes. I can well remember the characteristic whine of the rheostat fans as a class 86 rolled to a halt. Talking of on the ball braking, the Euston-Northampton cobblers sometimes produced some impressive braking on the approach to LB. The 1718 Euston-Northampton was at one point scheduled 29 min start-stop from Euston to LB, 40.25 miles, with 13 VB mk1's. On a good run, it'd be FL all the way, and an experienced driver would apply the brakes just north of Ledburn, speed still in the mid-90's, and screech to a halt with the rear coach in the platform. The loco and front 3 would be off the platform, because LB platforms weren't lengthened to take 12 car emu's until 1988. They then stopped the fun by scheduling it to go SL from Ledburn, adding an extra couple of minutes.

I thought these things were tried and tested Japanese technology?

But why does incomplete infrastructure projects mean NR has to pick up the tab for brake pads?

Class 91+43-who says bi-modes are new?!

It really shouldn't be rocket science to fix an issue like that. Why the computer can't look at train speed, and decide it's too low for dynamic braking, and just apply the friction brakes, instead of using the dynamic brake, sensing the braking effort isn't high enough, and switching to friction braking, I don't know.

Off topic slightly-does anyone do a working model of a gauge changing train, like a Talgo?

Hitachi must be looking at the UK, comparing it to Japan, and rubbing their hands in glee-Xmas every day for them. Where else would you be able to sell a diesel and an electric train rolled into one, and get to be able to charge for maintaining the diesels for the foreseeable future, because the government won't take the long term view and electrify properly?

Having googled for Tornado's 100mph run, I believe it was a test, done at night, with a rake of Mk2's. The rolling resistance is probably lower than mk1 stock, and the weight is likely to be more like 33t per coach. Being a test train, it may have been a short rake, but I can't find any definitive info on it. Someone must know-the truth is out there!

Life's good when you find a stash of beer you'd forgotten you had! I picked up a box of assorted ales from a shop in Lynmouth in 2017. Was going to give them as Xmas presents, but forgot about them, and they've been hidden in the back of the wardrobe for 2 years! They're out of date now, so I'm going to drink them myself

Then I can only assume it was not level track, or there was a heck of a wind behind it! I would think a tour would be a minimum of 8, probably 10, to make it pay.

What are the figures for 10 or 8 coaches? Are they more believable?