APOLLO

Worry. http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2014/10/24/one-third-of-rebar-used-on-uk-sites-is-chinese/ http://www.constructionmanagermagazine.com/news/chinese-stee7l-safe-indu2stry-meets-bis-exam5ine/ The issue is generally kept quiet. Brit15

Page 26 in this very informative pdf book explains. http://www.zearchengine.com/dailyebook/Handbook%20for%20Railway%20Steam%20Locomotive%20Enginemen.pdf Brit15

Here's Britannia causing Chaos !!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVQPqd3n13c Brit15

I remember the Golden wonder crisp factory. The govenor fitters "serviced" the gas supply governors there monthly (instead of yearly) "to ensure security of supply" - real reason was to ensure the supply of free crisps they got !!!!. Is it still there ? Is anything still there ? Brit15

Never heard of the spiral arch - a new one on me, probably a skew brick arch. Yes Widnes has changed from the early 70's when I first worked there, and is indeed a lot cleaner. ICI has all but gone, as have most of the heavy engineering, foundries and chemical works. It was a a fascinating area both industry and railway wise also back then. And of course this - though this was at Widnes North station on the Liverpool Warrington Manchester line not shown on the plan. I never remember it THIS bad though !! And yes, Wigan was just as bad back then !! Brit15

Thanks - I've never heard of Piles butchers, most local butchers are good, I'll try them sometime (and visit your shop). I called into a chip shop in Widnes when on standby one Saturday lunchtime many years ago. "Meat pie & chips please" I asked, the pie was duly taken from the cabinet and thrown in the fryer to warm up !!!! "You've killed my pie - that's a cardinal sin in Wigan" I retorted - well the looks I got from staff & customers told me just to shut up, pay up and bu**er of quick - the grease dripping pie was ditched without funeral !! Over in Runcorn (old town) was a pie / sandwich / cake shop named Organs - run by a seemingly 100 year old couple. You asked for a roast beef barm cake and you got one - about 6 slices of roast beef on a 9" diameter barm cake, beef hanging out the edges also !!!!. I knew every cake shop, pie shop and chippy in South Lancashire / North Cheshire back in the 80's. When we were out on Standby in Winter we didn't get home for tea very often (sometimes not at all) - hence we lived of "junk" food !!!! As to the bridge we had an all night job underneath one of the brick arches of the curved London Liverpool line brick arch viaduct (Widnes side) adjacent to the road bridge just before I retired. It's boggy land round there, and every time a train crossed the arches the ground vibrated - you could actually feel the brick arch very slightly moving - a bit un-nerving. But it's still there, carrying trains so perhaps it's not of concern. Mucky place is (was) Widnes - but as they say in Yorkshire "Where there's muck there's brass" !!!! Happy days (some of 'em). Brit15

That happened to me quite a while ago. I seldom buy new these days, and certainly never RRP. There are many bargains to be had if you look for them - both new and (for me these days) second hand. Yes I also have too much, and keep threatening (myself) to a cull. But like others I can't resist a bargain !!! It certainly is a "golden age" of availability (discussed in another thread), and the trend is still upwards, but for how long is anybody's guess. Brit15

I did 20 years on gas emergency standby duties in the Warrington / Widnes / Runcorn / Frodshan & Helsby area. I wish I had £2 for every journey across "The Bridge" that I have made over the years !!!! I remember back in the 70's it was a two lane bridge, and to make it 4 lanes extensive works was done to hang the foot ways on the outside of the arch. There was a high pressure welded steel gas main added as well. I don't recall them shutting the bridge during this work. The new bridge has been long needed, and I suppose £2 isn't that bad - it's a long way round for "free" via Warrington !! Living in Wigan I don't need to "go over the water" these days, but next time I visit Hattons I'll make a journey across the new one, and go on to Cowards Butchers in Frodsham & stock up on there absolutely delicious steak pies - well worth the £2 surcharge !!!!! https://www.hecoward.co.uk/news/bakery-sue-cowards-pies Brit15

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On the banks of the Mersey, over on Cheshire side, Lies Runcorn, that's best known to fame By Transporter Bridge as tak's folks over its stream, Or else brings 'em back across same. In days afore Transporter Bridge were put up, A Ferry Boat lay in the slip, And old Ted the Boatman would row folks across At tuppence per person per trip. Now Runcorn lay over on one side of stream, And Widnes on t'other side stood, And as nobody wanted to go either place - Well, the trade wasn't any too good. One ev'ning, to Ted's superlative surprise, Three customers came into view - A Mister and Missus Ramsbottom it were, And Albert, their little son, too. 'Ow much for the three?' Mister Ramsbottom asked, As 'is 'and to 'is pocket did dip. Ted said 'Same for three as it would be for one: Per tuppence per person per trip.' 'Y'not charging tuppence for that little lad?' Said Mother, her eyes flashing wild. 'Per tuppence per person per trip,' answered Ted, 'Per woman, per man, or per child.' 'Fivepence for three, that's the most that I'll pay,' Said Father, 'Don't waste time in t'talk.' 'Per tuppence per person per trip,' answered Ted, 'And them as can't pay 'as to walk.' 'We can walk an' all,' said Father. 'Come, Mother, it's none so deep, t'weather's quite mild.' So into the water the three of them stepped - The father, the mother, the child. The further they paddled the deeper it got, But they wouldn't give in once t'begun; In the spirit that's made Lancashire what it is, They'd sooner be drownded than done. Very soon the old people were up to their necks And the little lad clean out of sight. Said Father, 'Where's Albert?' and Mother replied, 'I've got 'old of 'is 'and, 'e's all right.' 'Twere just at that moment Pa got an idea, And floundering back to old Ted, 'E said, 'We've walked that way - Come, tak' us the rest for half-price, that's a penny a head. But Ted wasn't standing for none o' that there, And making an obstinate lip, 'Per tuppence per person per trip,' Ted replied, 'Per trip or per part of per trip.' 'All right then,' says Father, 'Let me tak' the boat and I'll pick up the others half-way, I'll row them across and I'll bring the boat back And thrupence in t'bargain I'll pay.' 'Twere money for nothing. Ted answered 'Right-o,' And Father got 'old of the sculls. With the sharp end o' boat t'wards middle of stream 'E were there in a couple of pulls. 'E got Mother out - it were rather a job - With the water she weighed half a ton; Then, pushing the oar down the side of the boat, Started fishing around for his son. When poor little Albert came up to the top 'Is collar was soggy and limp, And with 'olding 'is breath at the bottom so long 'Is face were as red as a shrimp. Pa took them across and 'e brought the boat back, And 'e said to old Ted on the slip, 'Wilt row me across by myself?' Ted said 'Aye! at per tuppence per person per trip.' When they got t'other side Father laughed fit to bust, 'E'd got best of bargain, y'see, 'E'd worked it all out and 'e'd got 'is own way and 'E'd paid nobbut fivepence for three. Brit15

My loft layout is loosely based on the ex GC main line area in the Nottingham area around 1965-68 (yes it closed in 67) so basically I can run a huge selection of steam / diesel. It's an imaginary GC / GN joint line, (with an ex Midland freight line at high level) so it allows me to also run Deltics and other ECML locos. If I like it / can afford it I buy it. The S&D 2-8-0 is ex Derby works on a test run !!!!! Brit15

In the late Colin Walker's excellent book "Main Line Lament - The final years of the Great central route to London" there is a 4 page essay (and photos) on a particular run of the "Newspaper" as it was called back in 1957 - a wonderful article from another age. In fact the whole book is wonderful. The train was hauled by 60104 Solario, and 1.45am was the departure time. Ten coaches/vans, 305 tons. Rugby first stop (11 minute dwell), then Leicester Central where the engine was changed and story ends. Where the train ran to after it's next stop Nottingham Victoria, and weather any passenger accommodation was provided is not mentioned. Brit15

Thanks for the lamp info Tony & others. I bought a Hornby Q1 years ago, and included was a sprue of small & neat head lamps. I have never seen these for sale as a separate item by Hornby, or ever seen them again with a new Hornby loco. I'm sure they would sell well. Brit15

Nice photographs, and I agree re lamps Tony. Last year when Ian Allan was closing it's shop in Manchester I bought several packets of Head / Tail lamps (Springside) - I have yet to fit them. Quick question, How do you fix yours ? Superglue or what. They are small fiddly and mostly need fixing to irregular surfaces / existing irons etc. I'm thinking a small dab of non solid setting glue (UHU or Bostik) may suffice. Brit15

No doubt looking forward to shoveling five tons of coal !!! Brit15

Am I correct in saying that most / all parcels trains were fully braked so the guard need not be in the rearmost vehicle, just in one anywhere in the formation that had guard accommodation ?. Don't forget the red tail lamp !! Brit15

And a view of the hole in the tunnel mentioned a few posts ago Brit15

View of the other end of York Rd platform. Brit15

Wonderful modelling there Owd Bob. Life does get a bit rough sometimes as you age and old friends get laid up and worse, you just have to "keep guwin wit yed darn". My garden also has been a bit of a to clean due to next doors leaves - though the recent wind virtually stripped the trees so only one big clean up needed. I've stopped running my garden railway now for winter, and taken indoors signals etc, though I have very few buildings etc (a couple of old bird boxes as stations !!). I tend to run trains on nice warm days, so a long wait for the next one !! Take it easy & look after thysen. Brit15

Quick question. No doubt whatsoever the HST is a very capable diesel train, a hard act to follow. It is a diesel electric, so why not (in a new train) have 2 HST type power cars equipped with existing diesel power plant along with pantograph(s) and the other gubbins (transformers etc) required to run on straight electric ? Too late of course now, but is the above a viable option and was it ever considered ?. Seems to me we go one step forward and two steps back these days. Brit15

Lots of Kings Cross (& general LNER) info on this superb site. https://www.lner.info/forums/index.php This is an example, lots more if you search. https://www.lner.info/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12434.. This is an interesting site also for the Kings Cross fan http://www.martinunderwood.f9.co.uk/Ladykillers/ And you can watch the film here. https://ffilms.org/the-ladykillers-1955/ Brit15

This photo shows the Gas Works tunnel "dip" Brit15

Take the test Coach !!!! https://www.buzzfeed.com/sophiemaden/how-many-of-these-lancashire-phrases-do-you-unders-15xyb?utm_term=.pd6lRaXQk#.hcbOYpnoB Brit15

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This photo shows the change in gradient well Interesting videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcpb9oZ6f3g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvadOyyRM3s Brit15