APOLLO

4 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

It's also no longer automatically the case that rail travel is less polluting than driving. Rail may be cleaner, it may not be, depending on type of train/car. If someone has a good solar and battery home set up and an EV then it'll emit less for the journey than a diesel train.

I live alongside the WCML just north of Wigan, the number of diesel hauled freights outnumbers electrically hauled ones, and that includes some Daventry - Mossends - both ends (and all in between) are electrified. I understand it's cheaper to run Diesel than Electric and sod the environment.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H31646/2023-10-16/detailed

Brit15

Like many problems we have re energy, environment etc it's a matter of scale.

Compare the no of model railway exhibitions in the UK per year, with the number of visitors etc at sports events, football in particular. Matches are cross country affairs with hundreds if not thousands travelling long distances to watch away (and home) games. This happens many, many times per year, not just football either. Car parks at many stadiums are vast.

What's the carbon footprint of the UK sports scene ?

When that is addressed (and good luck with that) then look at our piddly model railway exhibitions.

Brit15

30 minutes ago, PMP said:

Try reading the thread, it’ll help you understand what you’re ‘commenting’ on.

Thread re-read, non the wiser, just another "environmental" money grab.

Comments re Heaton Lodge transportation etc are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. I'd travel 100 miles in my 1973 V8 Rover to see that superb layout !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brit15

14 minutes ago, PMP said:

The idea of it being a transparent and perhaps separate charge is to ensure no greenwash occurs, and the monies actually go to the cause. 
 

NB I’m thinking in terms of organisers here being for any sized show, from Warley to village hall, club/society/commerce being included. 

Is it just me that is getting totally sick, tired and fed up with this whole "environment" and "£££££" malarkey being rammed down our throats at every opportunity ?

Yes we need to look after our environment (unlike the US, India, China, Russia, and 2 large wars currently on the go etc) - NO environmental responsibility there. Environmental cost on tickets mentioned - Why ? - Where will that money disappear to ?

It's all £££££ these days, the above are the major polluters by far - go ask them for £££, leave me alone, I pay enough as it is.

As a retired Gas engineer for over 40 years, at the sharp end, I know that reliable and affordable energy going forward is the UK's greatest concern right now especially as we go into winter. The environment comes further down the list for most folks also in the current economic crisis.

Brit15

10 hours ago, pH said:

Going back to the original theme of this topic, the only place I had any problem was Radyr. I encountered two “older than youths”, one of whom was very confrontational to an “English ****”. When his mate pointed out that, from my accent, I was Scottish and not English, he backed off a bit. 
 

I did decide not to go round a shed once. I arrived at Wakefield shed at dusk one day late in September 1967. Shed and yard still had many dead engines in them. But there were no staff visible and no lights on. The ‘vibe’ was not comfortable (and I had gone round other sheds at all hours of the day and night), so I just did the nearer part of the yard.

I also did Wakefield shed same month / year (6/10/67). Got there by bus from Normanton. There were many dead locos on Wakefield, a collection point for such before they were carted off, mostly to Hull for scrapping.

No bad vibes for me, not a soul anywhere but I had to climb a fence to get on the footbridge over the line.

Couple of photos.

B1 61189 A namer, "Sir William Gray"

61189 & 61123 Behind

Wouldn't be Wakefield without a mucky old "Dub Dee" !!

Happy days, for me, though not the locos.

Brit 15

1 hour ago, andytrains said:

Nice to see model railways back on the agenda!😁

Brit15

1 hour ago, Ohmisterporter said:

I don't know why Great Crested Newts are thought to be in danger of extinction: they seem to be the most common amphibian in the UK. Nobody can develop or expand onto a piece of land without an outcry that it will disturb the newts.  I have a sneaky feeling that there are actually very few GCNs but they are transported around the country from one building site to another in order to bring work to a halt.

Brit15

47 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

I'd love to see a coal-fired turbine aircraft - the stoker's role would be 'interesting'!

 

CJI.

https://hushkit.net/2019/03/29/the-lippisch-p-13-supersonic-wonder-plane-or-nazi-coke-head-an-assessment-by-former-british-technical-liaison/

Brit15

One last Liverpool tale. Back when the twins were born in 2002 we visited The Stanley Sunday Market in the old, listed Tobacco warehouse off the Dock road. The thieves market as it was (rightfully !!) known.

Knock off everything. Walking round I spied one of these in the hub cap and car stereo section (!!) on a stall selling all sorts of things it should not have done.

What's this I asked (knowing full well what it was) - Dunno La was the reply, £20 if you want it, so I bought it.

It is a FIM (Flame ionisation meter) gas detector, I used one at work when on standby, new cost £1000+. Obviously stolen from the "Liverpool Gas Company"  (as it was known).

I took it to work and presented it to my manager - found this in a Liverpool market, cost me £20, you've got it back. Well the manager wanted to report it to the police, description of seller, me to identify etc etc. No way I said, here's your machine, I'll put £20 on expenses and that's it, end of. And so that was it. Not another word heard except a word of thanks from the Manager over in "The Pool".

The warehouse is now being renovated and is near to the new Everton football stadium. A busy area now, wonder where all the "Tea Leaves" went !!

Brit15

Just before retirement I had to do some planning jobs in both Liverpool & Manchester areas.  Manchester, and the folk there was just miserable, really miserable. Liverpool on the other hand was another world. One job was on the main road near the docks in Boot Hill (Bootle). I needed to site visit premises to arrange service renewals etc. One firm was very hostile, would not let me near the meter, virtually threatening me etc. I knew they used gas as they had heating on etc., so I just said "OK" La and left. I recorded that "This premesis does not use gas so cut off the supply", and ensured the gang did just that - never heard a dicky bird !!!

On another occasion planning replacement mains at Cantrill Farm (Cannibal Farm) the housing association guy insisted we relay the flags in footpaths on 2" of wet mix concrete - why I asked, we normally lay flags on gritsand - to which he replied - Look down the road, see any missing ? - Nuff said !! - Oh he said, don't park your car next to the flats, your a stranger and an old fridge may land on top !!

On another job again in Boot Hill I was meeting a guy from the Highways, I put on my  yellow reflective vest with GAS emblazoned on the back, and had my clipboard in hand - For gods sake put that coat and clipboard back in your car out of sight he said, they hate gas men here and some scally will take a pot shot at us with an airgun. Just walk around and don't look official !! I asked the reason why and the answer was that during the Toxteth Riots back in 1981 the police borrowed gas vans to get inside the area for surveillance etc. Scousers have long memories !!

It's by no means not all bad in Liverpool - Just go with the flow etc. My son and one twin daughter got their Masters degrees at Liverpool Uni (Mech engineering & Biology) They love the place. I got my ONC Mech Eng there back in 1972.

We like to visit occasionally and love the many ethnic restaurants on Bold St (The Brazilian one there is superb).

Nice though to come home to "Woolybackland" - (Wigan)  !!

Brit15

Brazil  ? You have to be nuts to go there. This is an interesting though long and sometimes (very) scary video.

Anyway back to reality. 1967, aged 15 went on my own by train to Leeds to "do" Holbeck. The front entrance near the diesel depot was an obvious no go - so a mooch around the corner into Bridge Road found a way in !! This is a much later picture, but I scrambled up the stone wall and over the concrete panel fence shown below where a couple of panels were missing. The Yard & two steam roundhouses were easy, didn't go near the diesel shed though !!

My photos from that trip are on my Flikr site https://www.flickr.com/photos/136789710@N03/albums

The first album is the above trip.

Most sheds I found easy, only being thrown out of Gateshead (before I got in) and Edge Hill (get out or I'll throw you out Laaa !!!).

Back in the 70's I did my ONC Mech Engineering at Riversdale College Liverpool, Gas Engineering courses at Birkenhead (a bus, train and a ship to work !!) and HNC Gas Engineering at Stretford Tech Manchester - I commuted to all from Wigan over my 5 year apprenticeship with very few "problems" - so few I can hardly remember any !! except the son of a Sheik at Stretford Tech, which was mostly Petrochemical back then - he was no bother but his armed guard(s) (or so we were told) was, well, just keep away we were informed, - so we did !!!

In my service years I was on standby 1 week in 6 or so, called out to gas mains escapes at all hours and weathers to very posh places, and some at the other end of the spectrum - I could tell many, many tales, interesting, funny, downright scary (the gas not the folk mainly) etc. I suppose I was lucky as my districts over the years were Wigan, St Helens, Warrington, Runcorn, Frodsham and Helsby. Yes there are rough bits in all of them but I never thought there were any "no go" areas, even on my own late at night, and I never came to any harm, or was threatened etc. If "youths" were around a 9" chisel up your sleeve gave peace of mind, but I never needed to reveal it.

Liverpool and Manchester from what I was told was a different kettle of fish. They sent two gangs to jobs in some areas. That was in the 80' & 90's, god knows what it's like nowadays.

I suppose I was lucky, but I worked with a lot of good lads, we all looked after each other back then, and that included the bosses.

Brit15

22 hours ago, ikks said:

My God! Am I glad, I live where I glad I live where I do.

Mike

The spiders will get you !!!!!!

Brit15

19 hours ago, Tom Burnham said:

Not unlike our family's experience travelling to Italy in June.  Apart from not being able to get on the Eurostar at Ashford, only 20 minutes by train from our local station, the journey to Brussels was uneventful. On the ICE from Brussels to Cologne, the air conditioning failed in our carriage, on the hottest day of the year so far, and the train crew came round giving out water bottles.   The train was late into Cologne Hbf, but a glance at the indicator showed our connecting train to Mannheim was also late.  There was a last minute platform change so all the passengers with their luggage had to go down through the underpass and up again. Because of a lineside fire (shades of London Bridge) the train was diverted to call at Bonn Beul instead of Bonn Hbf. During the very scenic section along the Rhein, the conductor came round.  I cranked up my German and pointed out that the train was now rather late and wondered if we would make our connection in Mannheim for Freiburg.  She corrected me: the train was very late. After a brief consultation of the DB equivalent of RealTime Trains she reassured me that the train we needed to catch at Mannheim was even later. And so it proved....  We arrived at Mannheim later than planned but not before the pubs shut.  The next day our train broke down half way through the Ceneri Base Tunnel but that's another story. Our return by TGV from Nice to Paris was punctual if rather sardine-like.

Long time since I went to and around Germany by ferry (Harwich) and train. 1986. The ICE lines were under construction, and travel was a joy back then. Trains clean, pleasant and on time etc.

I do get the feeling these days that "The powers that be" just don't want us to travel anymore, air, train, car, all modes are difficult, expensive and getting unpleasant. Look at UK railways and the strikes etc - just no one in Gov cares anymore. Given the horrible world events over the last few days / months etc (Israel, Ukraine etc) I cannot see things getting any better either as Governments attention etc will not be on transport.

Sunny day but cold here in Wigan right now, off for a walk "down'th owd pit railway" to "clear 'th yed"  !!!!

Brit15

Build back better !!!!

Brit15

2 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

The 1000 tonnes of tram rail were bought by a dealer and I believe that some has been used on Preservation projects. It didn't go for scrap. 

 

Anyway have we got any firm news about NPR.

 

Jamie

Glad some of the rail went to a good home !!

As to news on NPR they're still looking for Boris's fag packet with the plans on the back that he lost at Warrington Bank Quay station a while ago !!!!

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/19637564.prime-minister-boris-johnson-seen-warrington-bank-quay/

Brit15

3 minutes ago, Bernard Lamb said:

Particularly so when it comes to cutting up nuclear submarines.

Just how many are hidden away waiting for a viable solution as to disposal?

Benard

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/nuclear-submarines-left-rot-devonport-1043977

It's far more in Russia & USA.

Brit15

The Liverpool Tramway !!!!!!

Back in 2004-9 I was planning gas main replacement and diversion jobs in the NW. I did quite a bit of gas main diversion costing etc for Line 1 of the proposed Liverpool Tramway, Pier Head to Kirkby, some were VERY expensive jobs diverting existing large diameter / low & medium pressure lines along the route - some in the median strip of the A580 etc where the tram was to run. Some work was actually done on site (though not all of it, a couple of million quid or so). I was told that 30 odd Km of special tram rail was actually landed from Europe at Hull Docks the week before it was cancelled. Not one metre of track was laid as far as I know. What happened to that rail I do not know (Scrapyard on Dock Road no doubt !!).

It was cancelled because all the money allocated was spent (or disappeared), and lots more requested - well, it is Liverpool !!! I do know that a lot was spent on many, many meetings in the lavish offices in the City, where there was always a buffet lunch fit for a king. I attended quite a few meetings with the other statutory authorities (Electricity, Water, Telecom etc). At Noon "They" (in suits, couple of dozen of them and nowt to do with the meeting) all came out of the woodwork for the buffet with us, then promptly disappeared back into the woodwork at 1pm. What a show !!

Liverpool - just what more do you expect Laa !!

Brit15

Sod ULEZ bring back The Westerners !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brit15

I understand MG cars are made in China, India and Thailand. Don't know where ones for sale in the UK are made though.

Brit15

Jags - Every true Englishman must, at least once, own a Jaguar in his lifetime, So the old adage goes.

Brit15

5 minutes ago, meil said:

The problem is that they won't have the resources. If the whole country turned to electric traction and domestic use of Gas is stopped then present estimates suggest that the electrical generating capacity will need to at least double to cope. That's not just twice as many generating stations but also twice the transmission capacity.

 

We (well the French - they're no better when you actually look at it) can't even build one nuclear generating station in anywhere a reasonable time - let alone twice the present capacity.

 

The ineptitude of the politicos and Civil Servants is staggering.

It's worse than that. From the Grid offtake to your house there will not be enough distribution capacity, Think street HV (High Voltage) & LV (Low Voltage) cables, sub stations of varying sizes, the cable down your street, the cable off that to your typically 80 Amp main fuse. As house loads rise, cooker, shower, charging one or typically two cars, your not far off the limit if all are used at once in a few years time as we electrify. Your local substation probably can't cope, etc.

Upgrading that lot will be £££££ Astronomical, and THAT is why they want smart meters, they will enable load control and peak time pricing.

I'll stick to gas for as long as possible heating & cooking.

As to Politicos and Civil Servants we need far more engineers in positions, like over in China. Over 50% of the Politburo are qualified engineers. They get things done.

Brit15

2 hours ago, Mark Saunders said:

I would hate to be the person in 100 years time who writes the history of HS2 and the associated blame game involved!

In my library I have a very interesting book, "Our Iron Roads" by F S Williams, The original dated from 1884, mine was an edition printed a few years later, and a hand written inscription says it once belonged to The North Eastern Railway HQ !!! - No mention of HS2 in it !!!

The talk on this thread about what the services will be etc is very interesting. To me London is London, any station will do. On the few occasions these days I get to that bloody awful Euston I'm straight on a tube for my onward journey into the city proper. I'll not miss that totally unfriendly hell hole (a bit like Blackpool North).

The new station at Wormwood Scrubs and it's connectivity will do for me, I do hope they have somewhere to sit whilst waiting for your train to be announced and I will not miss standing aside from the silly sods running like hell from under the big screen a couple of minutes before departure when their platform is announced to get a seat up to Watford and concrete cow city (MK) !!!

Brit15

I've often wondered what the Wigan LIP (Springs Branch Locomotive Inspection Point) to Wigan LIP via many strange routes was (as shown on realtime trains).

Now I know - Ninky Nonks !!!

edited to add - it ran today !!

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:H38597/2023-10-06/detailed

Brit15