Godders

I was quite looking forward to this but the link appears to be broken - perhaps a hotlink would be better??? Cheers Godders

Isn't it illogical, ironic perhaps,that some one can take a photograph of me or my model railway, generally without asking permission, which of course they don't need. Then having copyright and the protection of the law, argue about someone else's right to use or reuse that image as they wish. Hypocrisy springs to mind. Just a thought, carry on chaps this is fascinating. Cheers Godders

Does it make a difference whether the engine(s) are above or below floor, surely axle weight is the ruling factor. Cheers Godders

Thank you Godders

Looks good but I have a big question here, puzzled me for years. Is it George mas or Georgeemas or how do you pronounce it? Cheers Godders

Hi Joseph I would appreciate it if you could direct me to any cost benefit report/study that includes the full financial picture. The reports I can find seem to omit capital costs and never ever allow for overruns. Cheers Godders

I have yet to see in this forum or in the goverment's plans any justification for the electrification of the MML. The enormous capital costs will take take decades to repay at today's rates, if at all, as there are no hard figures on running costs of the vehicles involved. As far as journey times are concerned there is not going to be much of a saving on London-Leicester as this town has virtually the same average speeds on journeys as London-Birmingham, which is already electrified. I will concede that London-Sheffield could gain on speed but this would appear not to be a power issue that electric traction could improve but a track constraint. Electrification is not the answer to this, track alignment probably is. PS current average speeds from London to Leicester are 87mph, Derby 85mph and Sheffield 77mph. Hardly slow, consider the following London to Three Bridges (where I live) 52mph, London to Brighton 56mph. How about this, if 25kV electrification is so beneficial then why not electrify the whole of the network South of London and make mega savings as the traffic density is magnitudes greater than any of the proposed electrified routes.

I am puzzled by this statement. I have just tried to find out what rolling stock is made by the Dutch for their own railways and it appears to be very little. I am equally puzzled by your other statement regarding Amsterdam CS. According to Wikipedia Amsterdam CS has 250000 passengers per day. London Waterloo has 88M per annum equivalent to 241000 per day 7 days a week, so approximately the same. However, these are carried in 12 coach, single deck trains into a terminal station, (as opposed to a through station). I think therefore that you will agree the traffic density in this particular case must be much higher. In fact the Waterloo lines as well as the lines to Victoria pass through the acknowledged "busiest station in the World in terms of rail traffic with an average of one train every 13 seconds at peak times and that station is Clapham Junction. Cheers Godders

I think some of your arguments are valid. More fuel efficient - agreed Diesel fuel is increasingly costly - so is electrical energy Lower CO2 emissions (putting aside the argument about moving CO2 production to the power stations etc.) - how can this be put aside, because it suits your argument Reduced track wear & therefore maintenance - agreed Lower maintenance costs incurred with the loco or MU - probably but modern diesel traction is also good Quieter for the surrounding environment - bit subjective - I live half a mile from the London - Brighton line and can hear quite clearly EMUs rattling through I don't here the 66s and in the case of underfloor diesel engines, electric traction is much quieter for the passengers - agreed ...and in the case of Desiro EMU's you get that rather cute "Woo Woo Wibbly Woo Woo Wibbly......." space age noise as they pull away. - This may be so but I like to hear a diesel turbo winding up.(Unfortunately it's difficult to describe apart from Whoooooooooooooooo...................) However, the capital expenditure and consequent interest must surely be more higher than any savings from running costs. And don't even think about PPP financed by PFI Cheers Godders

Coachman wrote; ...... But if people were there at the time they would have seen a distinct difference between carmine red...... and ......I remember the colour difference, as any other modeller would do of my age and older...... I was merely inquisitive as my memories seem to indicate that everything was a dirty shade of maroon colloquially called Crimson Lake. Interestingly, I was quite close to coachman, I lived in Todmorden on the L&Y Calder Valley route and frequently visited Manchester Victoria. Coachmann must be very old as I am 68. Cheers Godders

I am fascinated, are you saying that people can remember the colour after 54 years or are you saying that they can remember the colour difference? Cheers Godders

Shepherds Well station serves the village of Shepherdswell (actually Sibertswold) near Dover in Kent. The East Kent Light Railway, the other railway in the village, terminates at Shepherdswell.