lankyphil

I think it might just be down to luck of the draw of who is scrutinising the pictures? Unfortunately there are way too many people on the roads that don't understand that 44 tonnes doesn't stop in the same distance as their car and therefore tailgate you or use the horn to show their displeasure for you using their road. But when you try and compensate for these people by maybe leaving a bigger gap in front of you or driving slower through built up areas, you get someone else nip into the space in front of you, or once again use their horn/finger(s)/shout etc... But then to round it all off, you (possibly) get a ticket because someone fluffed a gear change (I sat at a roundabout for at least a full minute the other night trying to get into low range! ). Gotta love trucking... Probably talking to the TM would be a good idea... Might back you up maybe? If you've got a good one/haven't annoyed them? Good luck Phil

Note the BNSF liveried GP-Something-or-other in the background at 1:38 too...

I was doing a DIY job with my dad a little while ago and he burst out laughing when I measured up some timber at 600mm by 43 inches..... Also a motorist and cyclist, my beef is the wannabe racers on the the bypass at weekends, in groups of 3 or 4 abreast, which think it is OK to wander over the carriageway with no warning Oh, and the ones that stop underneath the nearside mirror at traffic lights in a truck, normally when you're turning left... And when I'm on my bike, the car drivers that overtake you and then turn left right in front of you missing you by about 0.0000000003mm... Cheers Phil Oooooh, almost forgot one, the bus drivers that drive through puddles that you're (stupidly I'll admit) stood next to......

Whatever way you look at it, I think that the WHR are always going to need the big strong Locos (Garretts and the SAR 2-8-0s) because as the name suggests, it runs throught the Welsh HIGHLANDS? Whilst it is nice to see the original stock for the line running, concessions HAVE to be made for revenue. Of course I suppose everyone just getting on together would be out of the question? Suppose it really is a case of the finished product justifying the means? On the other hand, if all that should be run is "heritage"/original stock, maybe someone needs to ring up the NYMR and tell them they've got to get rid of their Bulleidsn N15s and Schools classes.... And while they're at it they could tell the SVR that Westerns never went on the line? No? Didn't think so... If a weekend of small children telling mummy and daddy that Thomas is coming pays the bills for , say an overhaul of Russell, where's the problem? It's not a perfect world, but compromise is the name of the game. So the FR might have been seen to be heavy handed and stepping on toes (Not taking any sides here), but the job is almost done, why not concentrate on making it into one of the new "Great Little Trains of Wales"??? Phil PS, Could you fit a canoe in the guards van? That way I could do the Afon Glaslyn without the long walk back to the car... Hmmmmmmmmmm.................... :D:D

Route availability. 64ft, or normal sized, Mk1 stock had a route restriction which kept them away from certain tightly curved lines (for some reason I'm thinking the Cumbrian Coast line????). The BGs were built 57 feet long so that they could go anywhere... I guess the reasoning being that as a parcels van, they would be more likely to traverse goods lines etc, and it's easy to transfer people to another train, not so easy to transfer a BG full of parcels/mail/newspapers etc etc etc? Phil

With apologies to 92245 from the old forum, my version of their Royal Navy Class, only altered slightly to a 2-8-2 instead of 4-8-2.