Banger Blue

Another vote here for a Polybulk (especially in grainflow livery) Only need to buy one to have a prototypical train! 😁 03170 Birkenhead Docks 1986 (Credit: Andrew Gallon on Flickr)

That was the flypast for Super Bowl LV in 2021 (Won by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!)

"Requesting a Slot" immediately sprang to mind when I read the OP. This is how Reading TCD receives a slot request from the Reading Station Signaller, as you can see from the pic below, there is a separate slot dependent on platform being used. An audible alert is received and the green circle will flash. The route gets set, by the depot controller, from the entry arrow [ENTE] to the chosen siding then once the slot is accepted by clicking on the circle, this will then turn solid green, this then allows the Signaller to set their route & clear the respective signal.

Why let a little thing like that stop you? Power to top notch, a run up from Hinksey, you should be able to clear the gap no problem! 😂

As somebody's asking 🤣 40106 and / or 40122/D200 in 1984 condition.

When I first went out to RAF Germany in 1989, we had the L4 Light Machine Gun (LMG) which was essentially a 7.62 version of the Bren Gun. It used a 30 round magazine but could also take the 20 round magazine as used by the standard issue Self Loading Rifle (SLR). Carrying the gun wasn’t too bad but the spare rounds had to be lugged round in a box (300 - 10x 30 rnd mags)! Knackering, even over the short distances we needed to cover, especially in a respirator. 🫣 Apologies to Kevin for the thread hijack, which does seem to be at gunpoint! 😂

The Marksmanship Principles: 1. The shooting position and hold must be firm enough to support the weapon. 2. The weapon must point naturally at the target without any undue physical effort. 3. Sight alignment and sight picture must be correct. 4. The shot must be released and followed through without undue disturbance to the position.

Another Countdown - Another Announcement on its way! 🫣

In the 1987 Summer Timetable book (1H87) it mentions that due to BR publishing a winter timetable (Oct 87 - May 88) that a second book, 2H87 would be published as well. Was 2H87 ever published? if so, does anybody still have a copy? All the other editions regularly crop up on a well known auction site, I have all the published editions (1H80 to 1H87) but I’ve never seen a copy of 2H87. would love to know if it actually exists!

Buccaneer………of the Blackburn variety? The Sqn Ldr could get some awesome low level photography with one of those!! 😲

🤣 You are quite right and that was with me looking at the numbers on Flickr photos! Doh! 🤦‍♂️

No 25332 & 25912

Started off as 25332 then renumbered to 25912. That's an error on Wikipedia. Looking at Flickr, in preservation TC carries the number 25332. I've got 25332 on order, I'm now hoping its as it was in its 1980s guise and not 'as preserved'.

@Accurascale Fran@McC A small question if I may, I’ve got the sound fitted 37043 on preorder (from RoS). From the product description, the ‘sound system’ includes: Large EM2 Style Bass Speaker Smaller 'iphone' style cube for higher frequencies is this bass speaker the same as the ‘Accurathrash’ speaker that sells separately? https://www.accurascale.com/collections/dcc-decoders-and-accessories/products/accurathrash-dcc-sound-speaker-pack-of-1 Thanks in advance.

It was one of the services that had, only very recently, switched over from a diesel unit to an electric unit. Signaller thought it was still operated by a DMU. Driver didn’t see the sign or saw the OLE was there and took the route! 🤦‍♂️ At least that’s what I was told in the phone call, I took at the depot, asking to mobilise the Class 57 rescue loco. 😄

I may have spotted your very subtle clue…………it must be a sign! 😉

Having now seen the result of negotiations with Hattons, would @Accurascale Fran and Co. have any interest in one of Hattons other projects that sadly died a death? There was a fair bit of interest at the time. Perhaps it could be the basis for a new whole range - ‘Accuradepartmental’ 😁 On the subject of OTP a Plasser & Theurer Tamper would be nice. Not my photo. Photo found on Flickr.

Thanks for posting this link, I’ll have to send it to the FiL who was a Mining Surveyor and worked at a few of the pits in the Barnsley / Doncaster / Pontefract coalfields.

Not from your part of the world but South Yorkshire, a couple of mining relics to help illustrate your in depth description: Barnsley Main: A Miners’ personal tag (as described by @The Johnster ) from Goldthorpe Colliery:

57012, my last 57 needed, which still eludes me! 😒

I did say 007 in GWR Green would be a dead cert to crowbar the wallet open, there was a moments pause when I read 1988 onwards, but it was only momentary. 007 duly purchased! 😁

I don’t know if they’ve been done before (at least not in recent times) but how about some ‘chemical tanks’? Something along the lines of the Associated Octel, Ethylene Dibromide and Liquid Chlorine tanks used between Amlwch & Ellesmere Port (photos from Flickr): Ideal for those North Wales layouts (as is the Class 40 should AS decide to do one 😉 😉 ).

Whilst I don’t really need another 50, I might be persuaded by an AS 50 if something like 50011 Centurion or 50030 Repulse is done in LL Blue (with no cant rail stripe). Of course if 50007 in GWR Green is announced, that’s a surefire wallet opener!! 😉 😉

The DfT are expecting (demanding) cuts to costs from the TOCs. Out of the 19 GWR units, 13 are in store with the remaining 6 at Reading TCD & Oxford Carriage Sidings. The last plan conveyed to us was to concentrate on these 6 units and have 3 out of the 6 in daily service. All the mods (ASDO, air cooling etc) had been completed and the cab mods had finally been signed off by ASLEF. Unfortunately the start of the driver training was then kiboshed by the current Industrial Action. The only (GWR) people competent to drive them are a couple of Driver Managers / Trainers & a handful of Depot Drivers on Reading TCD. Although the 6 units do work, they aren’t without issues (what units are these days?) All that and the fact their lease expires in March 2023 made them easy pickings.

I would say it’s closer to hoot that rhymes with toot. Hoot-on 😀