Rugd1022

'RMWeb Pic Of The Week' there Phil, bonus Peak and BL 'Reginald Molehusband' Maxi / Landcrab daily transport...!

Not guilty m'Lud! I did managed to bend a handrail on 47 501 many moons ago though...

Wishing On A Star - Rose Royce

Looking at the photo again has prompted something else from the memory bank, entirely trivial and unrelated - in an episode of 'Strange Report' filmed in 1968 a chase scene was shot on that small patch of wasteground across rthe road from the signalbox, just in front of that row of terraced houses. Funny the things you remember!

Hands up anyone who loved them in their day but somehow still took them for granted! More from the archives, snappers unknown... The very first loco I ever drove as a wet behind the ears Secondman, 25 051... 25 036 in 'economy green' at Longsight, c.1974 I suspect... 5226 on the now lifted Bescot Up Reception Sidings in the early '70s... D5228 in 'economy green' at Crewe Diesel c.1970... Taking an early evening rest in the south end bays at Rugby in May '83... Time for a quick pose at Marton Junction on the Rugby - Southam Cement Works (aka Long Itchington) tripper, 1982... 25 057 in the south end bays at Rugby...

The 'Yorkie Pudding' railtour at Derby on 4th April 1983, an epic day out with several changes of traction... A Grahame Wareham shot of D7534 at Euston in 1970... Photos c/o Craig Donald : two pre-Tops blue Rats at Northampton on a foggy day in 1973... A pair of Rats heading down to Northampton Bridge Street in 1973... A pair of Rats on a diverted working near Boughton Crossing on the Northampton - Market Harborough line c.1974...

I think a lot of can come down to the inherent personality of the individual however they identify, inwardly or outwardly. I have two transgender colleagues at work whose respective personalities are very, very different to each other. The older of the two went out of her way to tell anyone within earshot constantly all about the intimate details of her surgery whether they wanted to hear it or not. She also made a point of showing photos of before and after surgery on her mobile phone which didn't go down well at all. In one instance a couple of years ago she propositioned herself to another driver (while on duty) which lead to disciplinary action when the driver concerned complained to management about her persistent and unwelcome behaviour. This seemed to alleviate the situation until she began slagging off the driver and the company on social media (thus braking the terms of her contract of employment), another round of disciplinary action followed before things were back to normal. As someone to work with she has always been one of the most awkward people, often refusing to do certain shifts 'because she's a lady' despite thousands of women on the railway doing the same shifts, always complaining about not being relieved on time but consistently late herself when relieving the rest of us with the lamest of excuses. The other transgender colleague is an absolute delight in comparison, always on time (and very often early which keeps the job running smoothly), very warm and witty, likes a joke, gets stuck in when the brown stuff hits the fan and doesn't complain about anything beyond dodgy diagramming or lack of PNBs etc. You couldn't find two more different people in the same work environment. I don't know if their respective ages has anything to do with it, the former is about 50, the latter is 28.... maybe / maybe not...?

This just in from 1963, that nice young Hank Marvin fellow picking up his new Rover 3 litre P5 Saloon...

Oh Well - Peter Green era Macwood Fleet

Chances are it's double headed to get one of the 800s back to Newton Abbet or more likely Laira for attention. They did go over to Old Oak for fettling occasionally too.

Cracking idea for a thread! Got a few Rat pics I've gathered over the years, some mine, some from other snappers... Photographer unknown with this one, but a nice angle... Photo by Alan Bayliss, Wednesbury Town in March '74... One of my grainy Kodak instamatic efforts, 25 136 takes rest at Nuneaton in December '82... Photographer unknown, 25 258 at Banbury in February '83... Photographer unknown, 25 005 at Carstairs in '78... Photographer unknown, 25 069 at Stafford during the 'Winter of discontent', 22nd January 1979...

Control - Joy Division

We were all young once...! Taplow, September 1966 with D1030 and D837 in attendance...

Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree - Tony Orlando & Dawn, a smash hit in '73.

If a 66 has been sat 'cold' for a couple of days the pre-lube sequence can sometimes take up to twenty minutes, at this time of year it means the cabs are still freezing so I often resort to switching the cooker hob on full to take the chill away until the engine has warmed up sufficiently to put the hot air heater / blower on.

Photo c/o Carl Ford : Tyseley c.1966...

Great photo that.... is that the local bank manager's Rover P5 3 litre behind the Sprite I wonder...?

Baba O'Riley - The 'ooo

A nice wee 'spot' watching 'Hazell' on dvd last night, filmed in 1977 and broadcast in March '78, an episode featuring a couple of dolly birds making a fast getaway from a London mews flat in a nicely modified 1967 Mk1 Austin Cooper, the bonnet badge is missing but it has the stainless steel brightwork on the door frames, Cosmic aftermarket wheel arch extensions, a monotone 'Rolls Royce Regal Red' paint job, Wood & Pickett style tinted glass with double glazed rear quarterlights, European aftermarket nudge bars and four spoke GKN alloys... Leading man Nicholas Ball drives a rather nice Stag in every episode, it's only two years older than the green one Dennis Waterman drove thirty years later in 'New Tricks'...

There's no pointwork on the slow line south of Wellingborough station, it's (currently) plain line from there all the way to Sharnbrook Junction although redoubling is going on in fits and starts in various spots along the route.

I thought the 'Flying Spur' moniker was also attached to all of the 'Chinese eye' models...? Oh well.

Sign Of The Times - Prince

Photo c/o James Murray : thirty seven years ago today on 2nd January 1982 55 015 'Tulyar' stands at Newcastle Central, the final day of Deltic service on BR...

Another oldie from the archive of loveliness, globetrotter extraordinaire Alan Whicker with his SIII Bentley Continental Flying Spur... (Bonus Piper GT in the background on the left )

Apologies for the grainy screen grab - 'The Professionals' series 3 episode 'The Purging Of CI5' featured some scenes shot at Thorntonfields Carriage Sidings in East London on 13th August 1979, with Bodie and Doyle meeting up with an informant in a Mk1 coach... (More useless trivia - the episode was first broadcast on Saturday 27th October 1979 and drew in 9.4 million viewers!).