APOLLO

We won't need motorways soon as only unaffordable (for the majority) EV's become the mandated norm.

I don't know where we are heading, but it won't be nice for most folk.

15 minute cities, Own nothing and be happy !!!!!!!!!

Brit15

10 hours ago, billbedford said:

 

But, but, but not even railwaymen could make them profitable. 

Most world railways are not profitable, but we need them, especially going forward to 2050 & "net zero"

Brit15

Being a Wiganer I've never heard that one !!!!!

George also won the Isle of Man TT race once !!

What a Hero !!!!!!!!!!

Brit15

24 minutes ago, Coldgunner said:

 

I love it! definitely fitting that 70's era stereo HiFi mixing desk vibe on your console

The 70's stereo was at the other end of the layout, along with a home made nixie tube digital clock !!

Those were the (young, daft and happy) days !!!!!!

Brit15

https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/10687/the-big-bird-that-flew-too-far-2/

Brit15

15 hours ago, Darius43 said:

Thread drift now on to MOD procurement via legendary locomotive crews.

 

Any “new” news on the original subject before the thread inevitably drifts to the price of RTR models or Taylor Swift or both?

Lets hope she doesn't ride a WCRC train !!!!

Brit15

This may upset some - On my OO (and O) layouts - all peco track i use rough sanding blocks to both clean and roughen up the surface, especially on inclines. I find locos run and certainly haul better with little or no slipping.

Some of my track is 40 years old and has had this treatment occasionally. No problems.

I also use a touch of contact cleaner also (Servisol or WD40 spray).

Brit15

First OO layout, around 1973, under construction 

3 Codar controllers, the bees knees at the time, slide controls with regulator & simulator (acceleration / brake).

I still have them, one controlls the colour light signals brightness and the other 12V layout lighting.

I later went to ECM's, and when they died I now use Gaugemasters - they're superb.

Brit15

On 31/01/2024 at 10:33, 25kV said:

For anyone interested in the CME loco movements at Preston - 86259 can be seen in this video by West Coast Mainline trains at about 14 min, signalled from Platform 4a bay onto the down fast under a green aspect.  

That Spam Can sounds like a Springs Branch Dub Dee with all that clanking. 

"Summats not reet wi' it"  !!

Brit15

2 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

Just looking at the defence budget is a bit meaningless too in that it doesn't tell you what you get for that money, efficiency, how much is wasted etc.

How much do we pay for a 155mm shell compared to China? The army budget is a mess and a large part of its equipment needs replacement or upgrading but how much of that is down to woeful procurement and program management? FRES was a colossal blind avenue and we ended up back where we started by rejoining the Boxer program. Ajax is how many years late, the Warrior upgrade cancelled,  AS90 desperately needs replacing, the Challenger upgrade doesn't fill me with optimism. It all adds up to an awful lot of wasted money at the same time as the army basically needing to be recapitalisation.

I get the impression that one of the reasons European armies have happily offloaded so much stuff to Ukraine is they saw an opportunity to force the hand of treasury departments to open to toy box. I suspect they're being rather optimistic. 

Who needs tanks, guns, artillery, aircraft carriers etc these days. ?

The Houthi rebels are causing havoc with home made missiles and drones costing a few thousand dollars. The yanks are downing these with 2 million dollar+ missiles.

War has changed, it's digital now and remote controlled.

We need to change our game, Quickly.

Brit15

Iain.D - Why not leave them "as is" ?

Nothing in real life is perfect, many (most) railway stock in the real world had such dents, dings etc.

A lot has been written regards kit / hand built V RTR stock. Perhaps RTR stuff is too perfect out of the box, hence the weathering "craze". Does anyone add dents and dings to their RTR before weathering ? Probably not many (and certainly not me), but if adherance to prototype is the aim, then perhaps, in some cases, one should.

http://www.westportterminal.de/H0-USA/Diamond_Valley/07-12-25_IMG_2744_1200.jpg

I remember buying a Bachmann green standard class 5 loco from Hattons for around £50. I was going to "Patricroft" it, (mucky, rusty, no front plate etc) but out of the box the model looked so superb - I kept it as is. I do have some weathered, (O & OO) stuff, some factory weathered, some done by me, but most as is out of the box. Not for everyone I agree.

Tony (and others), all your scratch & kit built stuff, expertly painted (and many lightly weathered are superb). At exhibitions such stock stands out from out of the box RTR. Reason - (to me) - the slight "imperfections" - just like the real thing !!!!!

As to Ellis Clark, a firm I have bought quite a bit of N American O gauge from, a very good firm to deal with.

Brit15

It's criminally insane to sell land / property purchased for the Manchester (and Golborne link) lines.

As we march forward to 2050 etc (net zero) the line will be needed at some point.

The route must be kept and mothballed. Property and farmland etc bought can be rented / leased, always with the proviso of future railway construction.

But our Governments of all colours only see ££££, mostly for themselves and their mates.

What a mess we are in.

Brit15

Many years ago the west feared The Cossacks, brave and fearless fighters.

The Cossacks are mostly eastern Ukranians.

The Russians have bitten off more than they can chew.

Brit15

1 hour ago, Mallard60022 said:

Grief, this is getting far too serious. I know I can ignore it, but...

I'd rather have a chat about wobbly wheels and bits falling off Rapido 15XXs than  being reminded how fookin bad things are across the Globe.

F. Rossi.

Wobbly wheels ? -- Russians have huge balls of steel !!!

http://pigeonsnest.co.uk/stuff/yarmolchuk/monorail.html

Brit15

When I worked for The North Western Gas Board at Longford works in Warrington back in the mid 70's there was a grey telephone in the entrance lodge. Pick up the receiver and only a ticking sound could be heard. It was connected to the UK "early warning system" so I understood, 4 minutes (or so) warning.

What was funny was that nobody, boss included, had a clue what to do if ever that phone rang, and the lodge was unmanned overnight. !!! (It did occasionally the lodge man told us, just a verbal "test only" message).

Happy days !!

Brit15

I'll be off to here. It's a secret place, (well signposted) so it's easy to find in an emergency !!

£15.80 entrance fee, A bargain !!!

https://www.hackgreen.co.uk/

Brit15

Just announced - New HS2 stock. Non tilting, third class only, no toilets, 3+2 seating.

Whaw don't they look swish !!!!!

Brit15

Gawd it goes from bad to worse. No tilting, shorter trains, no first class, no doubt knifeboard seats AND no doubt a premium to be charged for the high speed bit from just north of Birmingham.

I bet the drivers plan a strike for the opening day also !!!

Forget the "problems" around Wigan, the "problems" lie ellsewhere, in London, by the side of the Thames.

What a fiasco.

Anyway this is the flyunder still existing at Standish Jcn. They can't cancel our dreams (yet) !!!

Brit15

Interesting videos. You learn something every day, the Douglas viaduct exists (there were two of them and one crossed the other  !!

Brit15

The problem is not really the M6, it's getting to it from around Lowton to Orrell and getting back to the WCML at Standish. Very hilly and many new houses. The Whelley line is a no brainer, route exists, not many problems etc. No tunnels are required. (And it's not in my backyard either !!!!!!).

Brit15

Lovley day and just back from a walk with the Mrs to Haigh Hall, a local country park. We walked over the Whelley line twice on two separate bridges. The route here  is now an overgrown badly (zero) maintained footpath, but intact and not built on. Many other bridges and the (I think) Douglas viaduct are gone, but they were probably unsuitable anyway.

I've just "flown over" the Whelley Loop (and GC  line to Lowton) on Google Maps and it's still mostly there, but a lot of housing built over the years is alongside. I notice that a significant portion is now labelled (on Google) "National Cycle Route 55". Problem ? I don't know. I can't see any significant build on the whole route. It is not very curvy and would not cause any significant problems for non tilting high speed trains. North of Preston though is, as discussed, another matter.

This is the ONLY practical route around Wigan - to the east. The curvy and very hilly west route is allready taken by the M6 motorway, lots of new build etc around Orrell & Standish. Going southeast to get to Lowton (or the WCML) would be difficult also. (bottom RH side of map)

The map below shows the railways to the south of Wigan. The original Golborne Link came in bottom centre over the GC line around Culcheth / Lowton then swung left to join the WCML at Bamfurlong. To use the Whelley loop it would continue up the GC and join the Whelley loop at Hindley & Platt Bridge (a connection once existed here), and continue north via Amberswood & Whelley. Route still exists.

East and North via the old Whelley line. Can't see many problems (other than houses alongside) at Standish Jcn either. The photos in the previous post above show the original 4 track that was apparently electrified. Easy to reinstate to 4 tracks from Standish Jcn, the overhead spans are allready in !!

That's the route sorted. All we need now is a few quid !!!!!!!!

Brit15

I forgot to add, Weaver Junction to Golborne through Warrington has two twin track bottlenecks also.

A few miles Weaver Jcn to Walton Jcn, mostly rural but the M56 motorway to go under. Then it's 4 track over the Mersey & Manchester Ship Canal and on through Warrington to Winwick Jcn. 

Winwick Jcn to Golborne Jcn (The existing one, a connection to the Liverpool & Manchester line) is around 2 miles of twin track through a longish rock cutting with once again new housing etc alongside. There's a severe curve at Golborne Jcn (south of the proposed Golborne link flying Jcn) that even forces Pendolinos to slow a bit. A difficult area to rebuild hence ££££££. Then it's straight, fast 4 track from here to Wigan NW.

I doubt any of the above happening. Andy Burnham is only interested in London Manchester / Trans Pennine services, not the Scottish expresses through Warrington & Wigan etc. Poor old Liverpool gets nowt !!

Also I understand the new trains will be non tilting. Good luck with those north of Preston !!

Brit15