APOLLO

One ticket per person (or sprog !!) is perfectly acceptable and reasonable - plus a receipt.

Brit15

I often wonder why it wasn't given a hatchback when its shape was so suitable for it. I think that only happened when resurrected as the Ambassador.

I read somewhere that had they done so it would have taken sales from the (then) proposed new Rover SD1 - which was a hatchback.

All cars (compared to today) were a bit naff back then in various ways. My wedge didn't even have a radio as standard. Jap cars were streets ahead with kit - one reason why they sold well. As to reliability, my wedge never left me stranded, but had some daft recurring simple faults mostly, body related. The engine, transmission, suspension and the very basic electrics - (no electronics thank god)) were more or less bulletproof (on mine at least).

The only cars I have had expensive problems with were my two Audis, back in the 80's. They did fly though (Four sprung duck technique !!!!)

Brit15   

I remember doing training at Birkenhead Gas Works (behind the loco shed) back in the early 70's. Coming home the platform at Birkenhead Central was awash with shipbuilders - all in mucky overalls and oily cloth cap !!. More got on at Hamilton Square. Very industrious place was Birkenhead back then.

I think the yard was Camel Laird's.

Occasionally I walked down and caught the ferry as Liverpool Exchange was not far from Liverpool Pier Head - lots more shipyard workers got on there also.

Grand days - A bus, a train and a ship to get to work !!

Brit15

Thanks for posting - brings back memories.

I bought a brand spanking new Wedge back in November 1975 (aged 23 !!). A Princess 1800HL, in metallic Reynard with black vinyl roof  same as the Wolseley above.

A wonderfully futuristic car which turned heads back then.

So much crap (and some truth !!) is aimed at these and other BL cars of the 70's. I had mine 7 years and 80 odd thousand miles, only a few small problems all cheaply solved. Rust did start around front apron early on, quickly sorted with Waxoyl. That B series engine would run for ever though.. She had a single carb and I bought and fitted a BL special tuning twin carb kit - MPG went down drastically with little improvement in performance so this was quickly removed & sold - young and daft back then !!!!

A grand car to drive- lovely smooth Hydragas ride, bit heavy steering though (no power). tons and tons of room.

I've not seen one on the road for a long, long, long time !!

Brit15

The problem with a nationwide Oyster equivalent is that a days Oyster travel is capped at fairly low figure. If someone doesn’t tap out they get charged the cap. What would the cap be nationally?

Nationally I think individuals should be able to set their own cap according to their needs.

Northern is an absolutely crap TOC, be it First or Arriva I'm convinced they are just out to screw their customers (like traffic wardens). More differentiation is required to separate out those who abuse the system and the innocent who are confused by etc and fall foul.

Modern Ticketing is crap also, all TOC's. Last summer I took the family on a day out to London, Booked on the web. Picking the tickets up at the machine, three minutes (and an angry queue) while I input the code, then waiting for 21 (yes, twenty one) cards to be printed. 5 outward, 5 outward seat reservations, same return and a receipt !!.

The Virgin guard gave me a strange look when I handed this lot to him when he asked for tickets and had to sort them out. !!!!!

Brit15

Here's a "naturally weathered" B1, a namer too - 61189 "Sir William Gray" at Wakefield shed 7th October 1967. She looks in decent nick.

Alongside was 61123

Wakefield shed had recently closed, and was being used at this time to gather all West Riding steam locos recently withdrawn from service before forwarding to the scrapyards (mostly at Hull).

More photos here  http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67100-apollos-grand-days-out/page-3

Brit15

When the GMPTE (Manchester) "touch and go" scheme was introduced a couple of years ago I remember boarding a Tram at Victoria to Bury (ELR visit), and "touched in" at Victoria. Some revenue protection officers were checking tickets further down the line., I showed them my pass, they asked me to place it on their machine. "Great - You have touched in at Victoria - "How do you know that" I asked - simple, every touch screen at every tram stop is Wi Fi linked to their hand held devices - every tram stop gives up to the second information re passengers. 

That's the future. We just need a lot of joined up thinking.

Brit15

So the exemplar of the modern railway is a locomotive which was withdrawn 32 years ago and scrapped 26 years ago, hauling stock introduced more than 50 years ago and withdrawn from scheduled mainline use more than a decade ago?

 

Jim

Yes - But in May 1964 it was dead mod and bang up to date, The Railway Modeller only cost Half a Crown also !!!!

Time marches on.

Brit15

There's a whole thread here on rmweb about this somewhere !!

Brit15

Out of interest what did these stickers indicate ?

brit15

Here you go !!

Brit15

If the link below is anything to go by, soon to be a rare sight indeed, in the locality?

 

http://classicsworld.co.uk/news/classics-banned-from-low-emission-neighbourhoods/

Thin end of the wedge I fear - where will this end ?. Not looking good for city dwelling classic car owners in the future.

Brit15

In my TT days (59-72) Tri-ang TT was getting increasingly hard to get, many shops stopped stocking it in the mid 60's. Choice was very limited compared to OO.

When we moved house in 1972, all my TT was virtually worn out. I decided to go OO and never looked back.

Still, I remember and certainly enjoyed my TT days.

Brit15

I think the future is in Oyster type cards or your credit / debit card and / or mobile phone etc etc as a ticket.

I have a Greater Manchester OAP concessionary pass, for use on buses trams & trains in the GMPTE area (includes Wigan). It has a built in chip (along with my photo). On trains I just present it. On trams I need to "touch in" at the start of the journey and "touch out" at the end. Simple. Fare paying passengers can buy similar cards or buy tickets at the tram stops (not sure if cash / card etc). I think this system is rolling out on our local buses also

I can put money on my card if I need to use it before 09.30 mon - Fri (the evening peak does not apply to concession passes here).

Oyster etc works in London millions of times a day and I hear of little / no problems or fuss there.

We need a similar scheme on our railway network ASAP - and not different variations of it - we need a NATIONAL scheme , Cards, Cash, Phones, Retina Scan Fingerprints etc etc. Choice should be up to the individual. We have the technology.

Brit15

Brit15

I've been on the Trans Pennine Express Wigan to Manchester train when a lady asked for and got a ticket from the guard, no problem at all, yet on the same train on another day the riot act is read if no valid ticket shown.

There is no consistency and that is the problem. Varies from guard to guard even on the same operator's trains.

Brit15

Give a Scouser a fish and he'll eat for a day. 

 

Give him a fishing rod and he'll steal your car keys from your hall table.

Just had a day out in Liverpool

I visit the Hub Caps once a year !!

Brit15

Brit15

Tax Tax Tax - straight to the Government to give / fritter away (or pay their pensions).

Time sort the plastic problem out once and for all.

1 BAN the use of all plastic in throw away type packaging of all types, especially food / drinks etc.. (such things as our Hornby /. Bachmann trains OK as the plastic packaging is used to store the product (in the main). Tax that if you must - or indeed source environmentally friendly alternatives (cardboard).

2 BAN micro plastics from cosmetics etc (that get into the sea via sewage etc).

3. Sugar - Either force reductions in foods & drinks, or tax it or both.The tax earned here should go straight to the NHS and we (the public) need to see some accountability.

Plastic is a valuable product made from oil - which won't last for ever.

Brit15

Some good canal info here

http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/peak/index.htm

Brit15

I guess these would drown out any sermon !!

Clinchfield Railroad (now CSX) Dante, Virginia USA (would make a nice model !!)

Will the congregation Stop Look & Listen when leaving the Church !!!!!

Brit15

Teachers, policemen and bankers - I'm surrounded by them !! - Nice folks as they are, sometimes conversation is difficult re "technical matters" of any description - I'm amazed how thick some "proffesional" folk are.

As to engineer, my highest qualification is equal to HNC level , a 2 year block release course at Stretford Tech Manchester (after my ONC) endorsed by the Institute of Gas Engineers (which I'm not a member - they changed the qualification level before I finished my apprenticeship). I've always had the term engineer in my few job titles, and very little if any snobbery was evident in the Gas industry regarding use of the term engineer. We all were what we were, did what we did and knew / respected each other's roles, right up to the very top.

That's how it was / should be. God knows what goes on these days.

Brit15

Thinking and looking round my hometown, Wigan (which was built on engineering, mining & cotton) things certainly have changed, but we (Wigan) have certainly not lost all our engineering. True the mining has gone (the last pit in Wigan closed in the mid 60's), Cotton spinning went at roughly the same time, but there are still quite a lot of medium / small engineering firms around. Most are highly specialised and technical these days, and tend to be in modern industrial units. I drive past a few of these small industrial areas often - there are not many empty units.

It's like most other things these days, constant change / adapting to new technology and customer demands. What happened 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago has little relevance today, and today's norm will not be the norm in the future also. This year on year change span is also decreasing quickly - i.e. change is getting exponential, especially in the engineering industry.

Adapt or die. I don't like it (because I'm an old git & it's a bit alien to me) - but our young seem to be up to it (at least technology wise). Good luck to them, they (we) need good political management.

One last thought - We (as a nation) should never be completely dependent on foreign manufacture of certain basic necessities, steel being one. If the furnace fires ever go out in the very last British steel works then God help us.

Brit15

Thanks Edwardian, indeed it is.  I thought (naturally) a proposed but never built railway !!!

Brit15