John M Upton

Oh, another little variation I have noticed (and just proves that quite frankly no two VEP's were the same in later years!!) the overhead warning flashes on the cab fronts were generally only applied to South Eastern allocated ones when the OHLE in the Dollands Moor and Ashford area beneath which they passed was installed for the Channel Tunnel. South Central and South Western division units never had them unless it was a South Eastern one on loan or had been recently transferred.

Rough guesswork for the spread of the black caps to the remainder of 1963 stock seems to have been about 1993 onwards, this being based on when I was at College/University and Network SouthCentral of blessed memory came into being. EDIT: This shot shows 4-CIG 1705 at Redhill in 1995 on an Arun Valley job with black cap: Note also the black painted jumper cable recesses and the black cab window edging. Later Connex [Genuflects wildly at saying that cursed name! ] started painting what I christened 'balaclavas' on the front ends of CIG's and VEP's still in NSE livery that apparently had some sort of interior deep clean though I could never see the difference. It was not unknown for some units to have the balaclava one end and not the other as Connex did rather descend into a shambles pretty quickly. SECOND EDIT: Found a balaclava: This admittedly is also a CIG which subsequently had '1' yellow patches applied to the cab ends at one end only when Connex started to declassify 1st class at one end, VEP's never got these. However this is the only balaclava NSE unit I have found a picture of so far!

Towards the end of VEP operation, the issue of accumulating muck in the usual areas on the fronts was at least partially addressed by painting the jumper cable recesses black and also adding the black 'flat cap' across the top, the latter initially only applied to the 13xx series 'Greyhound' 4-CIG's but later spread to 63 series stock generally.

As it was Sony's main depot then I think sadly we can probably assume it was targeted for looting before it was torched. Fire brigade are trying to fight the fire but judging by the level of destruction there doesn't seem to be anything left to save.

I have just been on Facebook chat reassuring a friend of mine who I can tell is clearly deeply worried by what she has been seeing unfolding on the TV tonight. There are a lot of very scared people out there, we can only hope that tomorrow's Cobra meeting sees the gloves taken off the heavy mob and affirmative action taken to stop this insanity. Now seeing that the huge Sainsbury's distribution depot in Waltham Abbey has been completely destroyed by fire. Not sure if this is connected with the violence though as it seems a bit isolated away from other events. Still probably means 750 people potentially out of a job as a result though.

Just worked trains from Bognor to Victoria and then the last one back down. Thick acrid smoke in the air at East Croydon and it looks like I managed to pass through Clapham Junction on the homeward bound run just before it really started kicking off there. Lots of nervous and apprehensive people at London Victoria just before I set off, I was nervous too but maintained an air of confidence, reassurance and stiff upper lip for my passengers, walking through the train regularly and making sure everyone was all right. There was a noticeable sigh of relief once we left Croydon heading south. Although I was only standing outside on the platforms at East Croydon in each direction for at most a couple of minutes, my uniform shirt still has a distinctive acrid smoky smell to it. My thoughts tonight are with those brave members of the Police, Fire Brigade and other emergency and support services who are having to work tonight in situations way above and beyond the call of duty, also those tonight who have been affected by loss of business, property, etc. How no-one has been killed so far I do not know.

There was a lovely little subtle aside from Martin Brundle on the qualifying show earlier, whilst discussing which drivers have signed new contracts for next year and which will be moving on, he casually remarks 'So who will we be standing alongside in the dole queue with this time next year?'

Drunks and anyone who considers getting smashed out of their head is a fun thing to do or even worse a lifestyle choice. Hooray Henrys Drunk Hooray Henrys (there will be a lot of them about the next few nights, Glorious Goodwood is on ) Lazy modern 'journalism' which now seems to consist of no more than regurgitating copy and pasted Twitter feeds, mingling in a few overpaid talking heads and then calling it news gathering. Food Standards Agency and other similar Food Police Taliban. I will eat what I want, in how much quantities I want thank you very much!!

Don't know if this is of use to anyone? Buffer beam detail of 47635 at the Doncaster Works Open Day in July 2003.

Jeremy Clarkson has already been done: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/4235742.stm Doesn't mean like Top Gear on Dave we could not have a rerun of course... lots of them.

Robert Preston and all those other overpaid 'big name' BBC 'correspondents' that drone on in a fog of self imposed over importance, believing that their opinions and speculations are more important than reporting the facts of a news story like they are supposed to. And on a related note anyone who has no talent whatsoever but yet manages to get promoted to management whereupon they do sod all except polish their desk and swagger along effectively broadcasting the thought 'Look at me, I'm important!'

Bob Crowe

Well assuming that the one Model Rail are currently playing with was air freighted over, stands to reason that the production run is done and being loaded onto the boat around about now. Allow the standard six weeks to get here and early September sounds pretty much on the money. [braces wallet...]

Judging by the tidal wave of carp that has been listed this weekend I am guessing it is a free listing day or something!! However the latest entry in the 'Bachmann Mk II blue/Grey TSO Extortion Farce' has appeared at a truly piss taking Buy It Now: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bachmann-MK2-TSO-SECOND-BLUE-GREY-NEW-MINT-TISSUE-/150633578563?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item2312760043 Fifty quid?!? You are having a giraffe matey...

To which I would add the BBC and ITN News 'Go to guy' whenever they need a "railway expert" to spout forth on the idiot lantern, Christian Wolmar.

Advertising Executives - In the words of Douglas Adams, they will be first against the wall when the revolution comes. Allow me to also add BBC News's obsession with big name reporters/correspondents who spend ages telling us what they think might happen rather than reporting the facts. Robert Preston and Stephanie Flanders are the worst offenders, reporters and correspondents are supposed to report news and facts, not give us piles of speculation and opinions (and get vastly overpaid for it into the bargain). BBC News has been on strike again today and much like the last couple of 24 hour walkouts, the news coverage with the ordinary plucked from relative obscurity presenters has been refreshingly informative and waffle free. The BBC could save a fortune, cut the licence fee and improve the quality of their news and current affairs output overnight just by firing Preston, Flanders and all the other self opinionated big names.

I don't ever recall 3588 being on Brighton's books so suspect it was a South Western area one. I do hope Fox Transfers can be persuaded to make the different NSE area logos as mine will be getting a pair of Sussex Coast emblems on it. EDIT - 3588 was a Ramsgate example, should have guessed they would pick the number of one that has passed through Margate really...

I was surprised to see one of Alley's tractor units made it all the way to the US. Was it not possible for a US truck to haul the trailer off at the other end? Presumably an Alley's driver flew over when the ship was about to dock and didn't travel with it. It must be very unusual to see a UK registered vehicle in the US.

Continuity announcers talking over end credits and also on screen graphics often mid programme telling you what is on next, seems that TV execs assume their target audience now have the attention span and intelligence of a goldfish.

Much like the Morris Marina, just one 142 has to be preserved to serve a very important purpose, a warning to the future of how not to build something.

Not quite all of it, there is a lovely little Irish lady on it somewhere who I have not seen for many years I would like to see again, the rest of the planet is entirely disposable however. There is never a Vogon Constructor Fleet handy when you want one...

You can bet Rupert Murdoch will be celebrating, all the papers will be carrying the Beckhams new OK Magazine exclusive kid as the big news whilst his empires increasingly outrageous misdemeanour's will be quietly buried out of sight and out of mind.

Katie Price and other similarly vacuous 'celebrities' who have done sweet F.A. and are beloved of the red top tabloids and ITV2 who would sell their grandmother on Ebay if it meant another appearance in the media. Eastenders/Coronation Street/Emmerdale/Hollyoaks - depressing unrealistic tripe the lot of it. The corporate money monsters who ruined ITV, the rot seems to have set in when Carlton turned up and were allowed to buy up all the rest of it. Jar Jar Binks Chavmobiles - Usually uninsured clapped out old hatchbacks with no MOT, a huge exhaust and a five hundred quid body kit on it. Junk mail. Salesmen/cold callers, especially if they are trying to sell me Sky Television!! The 'new' Routemaster - the epitome of over engineered, over priced waste of money. Battersea Power Station - Actually I would be sad to see it go but this farce has gone on long enough and it is time it was finally put out of its long suffering misery. Class 142's Drunk morons Wasps

Rupert Murdoch This Government (will only be replaced with another of basically the same incompetence though...) Chavs, scallies, hoodies, idiots and morons Endless remakes of classic movies The 2012 Olympics or rather the associated blatant commercialisation and hype. ITV1 The G-Whizz

Ah but, is yours one of the extremely rare variations with the printing mistake on Page 30 which is on Ebay with a Buy it Now of sixty quid?!? :laugh: Where do we find these lunatics?!? :help: