rodent279

Morris dancers. That'll scare 'em off. (Apologies to any Morris Dancing RMWebbers)

Here here, well said that man! I'd add social media to the above, in fact, I think it can be worse than the gutter press at its worst.

Is that so they could spilt the rakes into 2 half rakes?

The APT probably deserves a thread in it's own right, if there isn't one already. In fact, it was debugged, and ran quite successfully in service as a daily relief to Glasgow & back, running I assume in normal class 87 times, for a couple of seasons. I'm pretty sure the govt of the day wanted BR to bury the APT once and for all. There are a couple of RMWeb inhabitants who were involved in the APT, so I'll leave it at that. For me, it is still one on the most stylish trains to have graced the mainline in the modern era.

Though we'd probably be on son of APT by now, or maybe even grandson. IIRC, BR were instructed by HM Govt to wind up the project and sell the intellectual rights. Some at least of the APT patents I believe were bought by Fiat, so ETR300 (?), which the Pendolino is derived from, is to some extent a descendant of APT.

I think it was a political decision. The government pulled the plug on it, and I think wouldn't have been impressed if BR had continued to run it and prove it in service.

Ooooh, nice!

At the risk of going OT, is there much in it between Garter Blue, DELTIC Blue, Electric Blue as used on AC electrics, and Nanking Blue as used on the Blue Pullmans?

Don't think I've seen a photo of a blue A4 without a plate. Model that and see what reaction you get! On the question of colour, if no one really knows, or can agree, what shade Garter Blue was- does it really matter? People will argue the toss anyway, so just use a shade you like.

I'd keep it that way if I were you.

But what is that staff member going to do? You might feel safer with a staff member on board, or on a station, but that does not necessarily mean you are safer.

Which suggests that the real driver behind this is the re-purposing of station space into retail space?

Was this cause or effect? I'd say the massive increase in private car ownership was going to happen anyway, and that a large proportion of the closures were justified and had to happen. That's not to say all closures were justified, undoubtedly some lines and station closures were premature. I've always thought the real mistake lies not so much in closing railways, as in dismantling and destroying the infrastructure, giving up the rights of way and selling the land. But the vast majority of those cars would still have been sold, regardless of how many miles of railway were retained.

Feels like we are rapidly becoming a first world country with third world problems.

That's what happens when you have an integrated public transport system. And do they have private operators as well?

The people get what the people deserve.

I suspect it may actually have been BICC's cherry picker, as they were the lead contractor, certainly for the Roade-Euston stretch.

You'll love this one then. Includes a brake tender as well.

Electrification train, photos taken by my father in the early 1960s. Location unknown, has the feel of the new* line via Northampton, as Dad was the Electrification Engineer responsible for the section from Roade into Euston. However,given that there are other photos taken by him at around the same time, that have since been identified as Manchester area, it's not impossible they are up there. Can anyone identify the stock? *Commonly referred to as the "new" line, the Northampton loop from Roade to Rugby was not constructed until the early 1880's.

How would a national tap in, tap out system distinguish between what trains were used, and what class of travel was used? You can travel Euston- Brum via LondonMidland, or via Avanti, both in either peasant class or posh nob class, so how does the system know which was used?

Oh don't apologise, picking over fine details and arguing the toss over piffling trivialities is a recurring feature of RMWeb!

I'm looking for an online railway map that allows me to record which lines I've travelled over. Not necessarily by individual track, just route would do. Does anyone know of something suitable?

<In the voice of the late Alan Rickman> Moderators? Don't talk to me about moderators. Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and what do they ask me to do? Moderate RMWeb! Depressing isn't it?

Did they send out a banker?

How on earth did Stena Line come to have a pair of GER coach bogies?