John M Upton

They just finished spending five million quid on a brand new ticket office for Crawley. The paint isn't even dry and the poster has gone up announcing it's closure.... They tried the ticket office staff roaming the concourse with mobile equipment thing at some stations down here a few years ago with a proviso that they could return to the ticket office if needed, needless to say it lasted about a week... All the industrial action quite frankly is pointless now, they are just going to do it anyway.

Evidence for this claim????

This was this mornings entertainment at Barnham: Train Crew Depot door on the left there. Because it is directly over the Co-Op, the building had to be closed off until a structural engineer was dragged out of bed to give it the thumbs up.

Speaking of freelance interpretation.... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145123424462 Decent effort to be fair but the difference between US and UK loading gauge would be an issue and I am pretty sure that the EMD GP40 began production long after the later emblem and move to green for diesels had occured.

If this obvious dealer paid twenty grand for that lot of scrap, I would be very surprised. More than likely he conned some deceased estate's inheritors out of the lot for a couple of hundred quid and then proceeded to gild the lilly assuming he would make a fortune. Unfortunately it is a job lot of Graham Farish OO, pretty much worthless!!!

Two hundred and fifty sheets with the postage for this pile of landfill?!? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265372181168

There is also the carriage shop at the Bluebell Railway (Horsted Keynes?) in an old Mk1 on the platform. Usually has a good selection of classic second hand items and reasonable prices plus an amazing selection of books, magazines, etc. You will need at least half an hour just to go through all the old books!!

Of course the big question is, will a 701 carry a fare paying passenger before the end of the year (whichever year that may be!)?

Well it wasn't 312, that has been on the Littlehampton/Bognor/Southsea circuits for almost a week now: Soooo much better than a 313, the seat is comfortable, the aircon actually works, there is a cupholder and the timekeeping on the Littlehampton/Southsea all sheds has improved dramatically.

Someone photographed 377409 at West Worthing late afternoon too as I barrelled through there westbound. As for the graffiti on the 313's, I am astounded given the extensive amount and the fact CCTV exists on the Sidings which has proven to be absolutely no deterrent whatsoever. I don't know if it has to be scraped off before they are sent on the ScrapEx trips though.

My undecorated one is coming along nicely: The double arrow is a tad too large and I may have to get creative with the Railtec Transfers sheet for the rest but so far, I am happy with it.

Just seen an utterly bizarre post on Faceache where some nutter has decided to burn his Co-Bo and has duly shown a photo of the heavily melted wreckage to prove it. Loony...🤪

The running issue has been discussed at length over on the N Gauge Society Forum, It seems that the brake rigging moulding which was fine on the EP samples was made thicker by the factory for the production versions which gives the dragging brake effect. A little adjustment with a fine scalpel sorts it out though. A minor issue on an otherwise excellent model.

It has happened.... 1st of May 2015, 377604 was turned out on the last Victoria to Chichester via the Arun Valley, started from Three Bridges with whatever could be found due to very servere disruption: Caused havoc overnight at Littlehampton as it was one carriage too long and the night shift only really deal in multiples of four... In April 2016, 377613 somehow managed to escape all the way to Southampton!!! And there was a classic incident one Friday night where at Victoria the 21:32 to Epsom Downs and the 21:32 to Portsmouth & Southsea via Horsham swapped stock due to a miscommunication and with an engineering block over the weekend, the five car sent in error spent the entire weekend shuttling between Portsmouth and Havant attracting quite a lot of attention from the local enthusiasts!

You are indeed right, mind you down here on the Sussex Coast we don't get the 377/6 and 377/7's unless there has been a massive cock up.

Three of the four Southern Class 377 sub classes put to bed for the night down Bognor Regis:

There is a morning peak Littlehampton to London Bridge and evening return trip which is 8 x 387 now too (replaces the Thameslink service that rarely ran and was finally binned at the last timetable change). Needless to say it is not an express and doesn't stop at Gatwick!!!

Thanks, how on Earth this one passed me by I will never know. It is a triple pack though and I only really have room for two but I shall see.

Perhaps a shrink down to N scale could be considered? I would take a couple assuming they are not too overpriced.

To be fair most of the stuff on Facebook is ridiculous rubbish!

Confirmed, 313214 began its conversion to baked bean cans on Friday morning.

Don't get me wrong, yes I would like to see a 313 preserved and running but put the sensible hat on and you can quickly see that financially and practically it is simple not viable. The NRM was the only realistic hope, even they have said no so that leaves us with the thirty grand a year just to store it plan which simply isn't going to happen especially when you consider all the ongoing costs that will be heaped on top of that for something that the vast majority have little or no interest in and operationally from a heritage point of view is utterly useless except as a static accommodation for a cafe or museum display. I just don't want to see people waste their money which could be better invested elsewhere.

All well and good but without traction power to a 313, you can't do anything with it, not even open the doors. And that still won't change the fact that the vast majority of cash paying visitors to heritage railways are only there to see classic steam and (at a push) early diesel locos. "Modern" EMU's are of little or no interest to anyone except a small minority of cranks. A bunch of over enthusiastic teens making YouTube videos about themselves whilst saving up their dinner money is not going to cover the thirty grand a year needed just to store the thing, it's a pipe dream, better to save their money and let it go.

Ten grand for this pile of probably broken and mazak rot laden pile of landfill? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145120551750 Seller claims he paid twenty grand for it!! And wants a hundred notes for delivery which is just about enough to cover the cost of the skip...

It's only use was to pull the metal rails off, leave them out in the rain for a few days then use them as a scenic accessory, assuming you get those awful brass fishplate joiners off that is.