rodent279

I like it, and I don't think it's too far OT. I'm into the esoteric, niche "pifflling trivia". I like transition diesel liveries, even though I'm not old enough to remember pre-TOPS diesels. Speculating about maroon Hymeks is perfectly fine. How about an HST with power cars in BR Green, stock in carmine & cream?

D7017 confirmed visiting from the WSR.

A better view of Digby-Wyatt's trainshed is possible after the removal of the Royal Mail footbridge. Stolen from the window of a departing HST. https://flic.kr/p/X8DP8c https://flic.kr/p/W4Lv6m

Judging from the state of some mileposts on the GWML, NR clearly do not require them to be "cleaned and painted at intervals of not more than 3 years"!

Shame the guy who did the original LPG conversion isn't around anymore, we could ask the expert. Perhaps he could give the Gov't some advice...... https://goo.gl/images/KyWfc3 Oops, sorry, silly me, I forgot-we don't need experts anymore....

Either Venlo or Monchengladbach must have dual voltage capable OHL, as I remember going to Koln from Hook of Holland. We changed engines at one of the aforementioned stations, and our Dutch loco (unfortunately not an EM2 ) unhooked and disappeared, to be replaced by a DB 15kV electric.

Not in the least bit confusing at all........

You can, but storing the fuel takes up more space. I looked into LPG for my Morris Minor some years ago (laugh if you want, phillistines, it's been done), but dropped the idea when I realised I'd lose most of my boot space in exchange for an LPG tank big enough to give me a similar range as petrol.

I suppose that would have meant extending the DC to Moorgate, but that would not have been rocket surely?

Which makes one wonder why Farringdon was chosen as the AC-DC changover point? Why not somewhere like Kentish Town? Or even KX-T station? How on earth (pun not intended, but rather good actually!) did they earth the systems in continetal border railway stations, such as Venlo, Monchengladbach etc, where 2, sometimes 3 different systems would meet? Can't think where it is, but I'm sure there is one spot where 1.5kV dc, 3kV dc & 15kV AC meet. The 15kV systems of Switzerland & Austria meet the 3kV DC systems of Italy at a few points, so too do the 15kV AC systems of Germany & 3kV DC systems of Poland. They obviously have ways of making it work.

I went on an IET/IRSE Railway Electrification Systems course a few years back. There was a lengthy discussion about earthing, and an example was given of a problem with, I think, a gas main in the Manchester area, which corroded to the point of leaking gas, due to some earthing issue on the Manchester - Bury line. I think it took about 20yrs to manifest itself, so these issues are not always apparent or easily spotted.

Tell me - how does one lose a milepost? Did it get left on a train? Perhaps it's in Lost Luggage, at Victoria, waiting for it's rightful owner to collect it? (Tongue in cheek..... )

Personally, I predict that one day railways will be powered by electri......oh wait.....no, scrap that.....

Aye. Career self-serving narcissists is a bit harsh, beacause I'm sure many have their hearts in the right place. Reasoned argument based on established facts I can deal with, even when it's supporting a conflicting view to mine, but lies based on hearsay based on bullsh!t seem to have become mainstream now. (As it ever was I suppose, depending on how long you've been around.)

Thanks all. Of course, class 14's, Warships & Westerns! I should have known! Didn't know about the 73/0's & 33's though.

I've got a couple of Quails, including the Western one, and I had a suspicion that PZ would have the highest number. Yes, there are many COM (Change of Mileage) listed in it, where the mileage changes from say miles from Paddington via Swindon, to miles from Paddington via Newbury. I suspect however, that there isn't an unbroken run of mileposts consecutively numbered, all the way from Paddington to PZ. Quail will tell me, if I have a spare 1/2 hr! Piffling trivia it may be, but I find it fsacinating! Maybe it's worthwhile starting a "Piffling Trivia" thread?

Yes, there are many very clever politicians. They are very clever at passing the blame onto others, and at devising devious schemes that benefit themselves and their vested interests, while at the same time hoodwinking large sections of the voting public into thinking that they are acting in their best interests. Never a truer word was spoken.

If it's an all axle counter area, what is the problem with stray earth currents? Is it just a matter of making sure ntohing becomes live that shouldn't, or that electrolytic corrosion is minimised, or can stray earth currents still interfere with axle counters? Or do you still have a small number of track circuits?

Were class 20's the only mainline diesel locos to get carriage type BR roundels? This is 20098, in original BR green, at Toddington yesterday, paired with 20137, also in green, but with full yellow ends, and post-1957 lion & wheel. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-XYsKXYhXM-anM5SFVrRU1zZmM/view?usp=drivesdk

Another factor to consider with electric cars is how good will they be at towing? We go camping with a small trailer rammed with camping gear, and are thinking of going for a trailer tent. If you start adding trailers, caravans, boats etc, you'll drain the battery quicker. Since, love 'em or hate 'em, a lot of people tow caravans etc, if an electric car isn't suitable for towing, they're not going to buy one. Clever politicians haven't thought thought of that have they?

Evening. Another entry from Piffling Trivia Corner! Mileposts these days are mostly painted yellow, on most ex-BR regions. What colour would they have been pre-nationalisation? Have they always been yellow, or have they been white, or unpainted? And while we're on such a gripping subject, what would have been the highest number on a UK milepost? (You might have guessed, the trivia in life fascinates me! I mean, who decided UP is towards London, or the major terminus? Why not DOWN to London? Why for years was the speed restriction in KX throat 8mph? Why not 5, or 10? Why, when you hear an announcement on a train, do we now arrive INTO a station, not AT? Why do we now have TRAIN stations, when we used to have RAILWAY stations? I could go on, the list is endless, I have a very low attention span........ooh look there's a nice rock......ooh look, there's a nice rock......)

Yes, that'd be about right. The best conventional power stations I suspect can edge over 50%, but not by much. I would imagine efficiency of transmission & distribution systems is in the mid to high 90's, so still probably better than straight diesel-electric, though again, not by a long way. I believe Chapelon argued that the overall efficiency from burning the coal in the power station to using electricity in a 1500 V D.C. locomotive, using the technology of the 1930's & 1940's, wasn't appreciably higher than burning coal in the firebox of one of his most advanced steam locos. But of course, as you say, electric traction, whether traditional via 3rd rail or OHL, ov via battery, can be powered by renewables and/or nuclear, and regen braking can feed back into the grid. (And you have to remember that the thermal efficiency figures are the best achievable, which is usually under a steady load. In a power station, it's easier to run the prime mover at a steady load, with little or no fluctuation, whereas a diesel engine in a vehicle is constantly going through load cycles, from idle to maximum, to part load, back to idle, & so on.)

Don't forget the thermal efficiency of even the best diesel engines struggles to reach 50% (for the average steam loco, it's more like 8%, and that'd be a good 'un). In other words, half of the enrgy stored in a tank of diesel gets wasted as heat. So, if you're looking at this purely from an "energy stored in a tank of diesel/used on a tour of duty", vs "energy stored in a battery/used in a tour of duty".......don't forget that at best half of the energy stored in a tankful of diesel is wasted, and does not contribute to the useful work done by the engine. I'd hope that the internal losses in a traction battery, and the losses in the control system would be far smaller, and that the overall efficiency from "energy stored" to "work done" would be much higher.

Fair enough!

Not wishing to stir up trouble here.....but isn't it only a Jack when flown from an RN ship?