Rugd1022

Back then, although nobody really mentioned it much, the cost would have been weighed against the possibility of delays or cancellations due to failure / non availability of the booked traction. Keeping the job running at any cost was the priority in those days.

From our local archive - King Edward VII's party boarding the train at Rugby Midland after visiting the town on 5th July 1909...

At Old Oak in the '70s, particularly in their last few years the Westerns would often be left ticking over for several days. Battery problems were quite common in this period too so leaving them idling was seen as very prudent.

Yes indeed he is, and the empty waste ground beyond and bloew is the site of the old Southern station.

Photo c/o James Murray who is in it..... Reading station, Friday 1st September 1972...

World In My Eyes - Depeche Mode

Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime - The Korgis

Fear not young Sir, I can see all the way down Tring cutting in thick fog, but can't find my glasses at this particular moment in time!

Pardon me folks but my aging mince pies scanned the thread title a little too quickly, I'm definitely seeing 'Warship Down'.... don't tell me D824 has failed on the down milk empties at Acton again...?

I was on those this week!

Frosty Kegworth 45 on a parcels job - pic of the week!

Ages ago I mentioned a Western making a brief appearance alongside Southall gasworks in 'The Sweeney' in 1975, nearest I can get to it is this hastily blagged screen grab of its Mk2 stock following behind. The episode in question is an absolute classic (amongst many) entitled 'Faces', which was filmed in February / March of '75 and broadcast on 8th September that year...

Just done three twelve hour stints on Christmas eve, Christmas day and boxing as standby / on site driver in the big possession down at Milton keynes, along with a few other Rugby, Bedford and Crewe based drivers, plus one of the lads from Reading too. The usual mixture of radio silence, utter chaos, feet up in the window, drinking tea, watching old car stuff on youtube on the ipad, more tea drinking, jumping from one train to another and back again etc. I can't really complain since I've had the last few Christmases off and I can relax today and tomorrow, then I'm back on the DIRFT shunt job on Saturday then another four days off.

Goodbye To Jane - Slade

Belated afternoon greetings to all, Just back from Milton-upon-Keynes and Wolveretonshire where numerous engineering trains have been left shut down, a brief breakdown of the back to back radios meant that three of us drivers were left incommunicado for a while until a passing Network Rail minibus was flagged down to take us back to where we'd left our staff vans several hours earlier. All's well that tends well, hat duly tipped towards those still down on site for the rest of today and into tonight - the orange army carries on regardless. Good news regarding SWMBO's eye recent cataract operation, she is now properly healed and the pressure which built up within her eye has gone down to the normal level. The Doc said this would happen within a few days so she can now enjoy Christmas and put an end to bumping into the furniture / the cat / me! Stay safe chums, and don't trip over any stray mince pies

Back In Black - AC/DC

A'noon all, Not long back from the possession down at Milton Keynes where the Up and Down Fasts are festooned with engineering trains between Bletchley and Castlethorpe. Back down there tomorrow and Boxing Day too as one of the 'standby drivers' as a precaution against any possible overrun and unintended cock-ups. Needless to say my kitbag will be brimming with mince pies, teabags and a tin of 'Christmas' pea and ham soup, the turkey will have to wait until tea time! Stay safe all and Happy Christmas...!

She's very creative Phil, always has been! One of the lads at work's Mrs is also a full on crafter funnily enough. Cheery yuletide wotsits one and all!

And doesn't it all thoroughly modern in corporate blue and grey...!

What a wonderful find... the Collett Full Brake looks like it's in a crimson lake type hue or dirty chocolate brown, and it's worth noting that there's not a clean white roof to be seen on any of the stock! Last week I was watching an episode of 'Return Of The Saint' which was filmed at Southall Gasworks in late 1977 / early 1978 with a couple of all blue DMUs, a couple of HSTs and a Class 50 all passing in the background.

My other half and I have done all our shopping and bought each other exactly what was asked for : From me to her - lots of 'create and craft' gear such as dies, stamps, stencils, and inks, a new 'cut 'n' boss' embossing machine, bottles of her favourite tipples and an operation to have a debilitating cataract removed (actually done last week, just in time to enjoy Christmas, she is now recovering), neither of us wanted to burden the NHS with it and she definitely does not want to wait at least eighteen months while her eyesight gets worse, life is way too short. From her to me - yet more car books on the Lotus Elan, Europa and Esprit, Marcos GT, '60s and '70s TVRs, the Jaguar XJ-S and a much appreciated and sought after limited edition tome on Lamborghini test driver Bob Wallace, a lifetime's supply of Toblerone, a dvd boxset of 'Inspector Montalbano' and a motley collection of character building sweets and biscuits.

Good news, a remake of the Gerry Anderson series 'UFO' is now in the post production stage, rather than using CGI the special effects team have resorted to the old school method using scarily realistic models...

Love Is A Four Letter Word - Roy Budd, from the soundtrack of 'Get Carter', 1970.

D1007 in the canteen siding at Old Oak in February '74, and on the front page of the Daily Express on 20th December '73...

For those of a certain age...