43110andyb

A Walrus and a Shark share one of the sidings at Charwelton on a Sunday afternoon in June 1987.

Absolutely agree! Thought long and hard about the prospect of buying new but decided the Newcastle- Poole we were recreating would be from my ancient Dapol collection including Mainline buffet. Quite a bit of work but saved £100’s.

At last some decent bank holiday weather! Maybe more a winter warmer but couldn’t resist this from York Brewery (now Black Sheep owned) Centurions Ghost 5.4% dark ale!

The Motorail MK1’s look great (I have done two myself for the Motorail service on Charwelton). What is good is the fact they were predominantly if not all first class coaches on the service so picking up the surplus firsts was easy and relatively cheap!

37033 running south on the ‘Clyde-Thames tractor’ railtour is captured just south of Catesby tunnel on a hazy summer Saturday in 1987

37033 running south on the ‘Clyde-Thames tractor’ railtour is captured just south of Catesby tunnel on a hazy summer Saturday in 1987

A couple of pics taken around Charwelton circa 1987

A couple of pics taken in and around Charwelton circa 1987.

A visit to Selby this week allowed a stop off to a stockist near Tadcaster! Several Sam Smiths beers picked up and tonight’s post football beer is the Organic Pale Ale 5% and in the welcome 550ml bottles. Ps we lost the game so it’s nursing my dented pride very nicely!

I would just like to say you are misguided in your generalised assumption! There are many RMT local industrial & Health & Safety Reps that are ‘Dyed in wool’ -to quote your post that have worked for the past 30 years plus keeping the balance between running a safe railway and pushing back against the private companies that were only interested in total profit! Jarvis were a prime example, they would force us as employees to book job numbers to the detriment of Railtrack with the threat of the sack right up to the demise of both Jarvis & Railtrack! It was a travesty that cost the industry millions and we were trying our best to save both members & the railway the injustice of what was happening! Soul destroying at times and seemingly a media led at times anti-union campaign that still seems to sway people’s opinion against the heart & soul members that do genuinely care about the rail industry! - 32 years ‘not out’ a railwayman and NUR/RMT member for my sins.

Agreed -it isn’t relevant for those unfortunate folk that fall outside of those remits! I started BR in 1989 so fell well within the timescale to retain staff travel facilities and it’s always upset me that railway staff taken on after privatisation didn’t receive these perks! Sheer greed from my point of view as the restrictions for staff receiving free travel don’t impinge on the everyday traveller as they wouldn’t normally travel due to cost of tickets (matter of fact talking to the guys I work with who don’t due to the cost) and you have to give up seats for fare paying passengers thus not taking away anything from the travelling public!

https://www.raildeliverygroup.com/rst.html All your questions about (current) Staff travel answered here.

The Black Sheep Brewery step up to the mark once again- Milk Stout 4.4% with a beautiful and complex tasting beer!

As mentioned it’s all in the detail that define exceptional layouts! Once I had stopped admiring the 25 the S&T in me noticed the troughing bases discarded next to the scrap rail! It’s exactly how it would be left as no one ever cleared them away after new works! They are heavy/numb and always avoided like the plague!

Newcastle 13th March 90 C15457.jpg Great photo - but a sight to strike fear into any S&T technician! Arriving on a site that looks like a bomb has just hit home!

-Just as I was becoming old enough to get interested! I love the crossover that always rears it’s head throughout time. BR blue/Revised,IC,NSE,Exec/ Sector liveries. I fell out of love with/during privatisation. It’s what makes us tick! No ones right and no ones wrong! We all love it at our own pace and era!

Those who know the area will perhaps know where the road goes this side of the crossing. We hired a lovely cottage in the village several year so ago now, I’m sure the crossing led to a path and we did a 5/6 mile walk next to or near the river, crossing the railway further east via a bridge I think.

A freshly out-shopped S&T department Prawn is captured with the paint still drying in the departmental yard awaiting its first task in the engineers fleet!

A freshly out-shopped S&T department Prawn is captured with the paint still drying in the departmental yard awaiting its first task in the engineers fleet!

Here are a couple of vehicles we use around the depot on Thorne Yard, various departmental open wagons and vans that sometimes won’t move over a full weekend of operating.

The Darlington based one has been in service for the past few years! Jury is out to its full potential and we have not been involved in any work with it within maintenance.

Axel counters have been introduced on some re-signalled areas In the NE (not ECML as I know). We are just about finished Major T/C LEW (life extension work) on our medium voltage DC (AC immune) tracks with no plans of yet to upgrade the East Coast.

Cross discipline working has been talked about for many years and has been rejected for very good reason as Phil has explained. Just to show how many base competency is needed (without including the faulting experiences that can only be garnered over many years of watching and learning from S&T teamleader royalty) I have shown below for S&T only.

Richard, can I say again on behalf of our club that we are extremely grateful! Most importantly for your tribute to your friend and former DMRC member Ray Goad and in doing so offering to build and donate one of his favourite locomotives to our club. (Once we have emerged from this lockdown and the club can return to some sort of ‘normality’ we will arrange a date to meet). thank you -Andy

Hi Richard! Looking great and yes more than happy with your suggestions. Andy