Rugd1022

There can't be many Mk2 Capris around these days, haven't seen one i nthe flesh apart from at the NEC shows. John Thaw drove a green one in an episode of 'The Sweeney' and of course Dennis Waterman had a couple in 'Minder'.

I'd say Winchcombe and no further Adrian, I've seen photos of the derailment near the goods shed and the aftermath with a gap in the rails. I'm not sure how much of the signalling remained at the time, although the chances are what remained of any pointwork on the up and down mainline would have still been set for normal running. Photo c/o David Letcher : an up service departs Lostwithiel in 1976 as a young lad waves goodbye...

Too Late For Goodbyes - Julian Lennon

''Weeds are just anwanted flowers...''

The voice of 'Mary, Mungo & Midge', RIP.

Spent many an hour waiting for the road there, itching to get going and home to bed!

The entire line was still in situ, but closed and unstaffed, sadly.

47 560 'Tamar' just to the east of Scrubs Lane bridge at Old Oak with down empty stock, c.1983...

From the Blue Pullman film 'Let's Go To Birmingham', Driver Ernie Morris, sadly he was one of the three railwaymen who lost their lives in the cab of D1040 'Western Queen' at Knowle & Dorridge on 15th August 1963... Young spotter David Percy with his brother watching D834 'Pathfinder' at Paignton... Retired staff gather at Marylebone... On the LSWR c.1920... Photo c/o Ken Ellis, three of Cheltenham's local mob catch D1023 heading north with the 'Western Finale' tour on 12th February 1977... Time for a nibble down on the tube... Paddington, 1940...

How Deep is Your Love - The Bee Gees

Hammersmith Flyover seems to have attracted a lot of faux pas since it was built in the '60s. Actor Ian Hendry, no doubt more than a few sheets to the wind at the time managed to overturn his brand new Jensen Interceptor when using it as a take off ramp. I remember sometime in 1984 a lot of commotion when a large crane being driven underneath it hit the underside and nearly toppled over.

Look Through Any Window - The Hollies

It only takes one bad egg to spoil the party and make things go south. In recent months a certain manager who was 'looking after' two of our eastern area depots went out of his way to upset and bully every single member of staff at both of them, resulting in none of them volunteering to work rest days, no more helping out by swapping shift patterns etc, the goodwill dried up within a fortnight and trains were cancelled because of it, all because of one arrogant person's utter incalictrance. He's was asked in for tea and biccies and now no longer works for our mob. Problem solved, two depots worth of happy drivers and groundstaff and no more train cancellations.

Fear Is The Key - Lalo Schifrin

This just in from Kensington Olympia, 1971...

Things We Said Today - black & white mop top Fabs, in 'A Hard Day's Night'

Are You Experienced - The Jimi Hendrix Experience...

Post midday 'morning all', Another 'go' at doing the Battersea stone job again today which went much better than last week's untidy affair, managed to get the train there on time without being wrong routed, catching fire or falling off! One of the nice things about this particular turn for me is the working on the maze of lines and junctions south of Latchmere Junction, each time I traverse the route I try to imagine what it must have been like in the last few decades of steam, with Maunsells, Uries and Bullieds of various types scuttling about in all directions, interspersed with seemingly endless green liveried EMUS at every turn, probably with very little headway between each one. A fascinating prospect if ever room and resources were available to model it all, or something like it. Despite being in the middle of massive clearout of railway books, I must confess there are some Southern books I'd still like to buy. In a city of eight million people you'd think the odds of bumping into one of our London office staff on the tube would be very low, but this morning I did just that, tis a small world and no mistake. Stay safe all.

Oops Upside Your Head - Gap Band

A few more photos from yesterday... These Alpine 110s are so pretty (and small)… Nice pair of SMs, still breathtaking in the flesh... My mate was a little mesmerised... Fabulous Series 2 Europa... Ex-press fleet and very early Series 1 2.8litre XJ6... Cracking CX... Tempting early P5B Coupe, the Mulberry leather interior is beautiful... Eye catching Marcos GT, one of the earlier wooden chassied cars... Spent a long time looking at this GT40 replica, quite a well known historic racer... And a real one... Whoosh…

Went along to the annual NEC classic-fest today, much drooling, sighing and tea drinking all round, managed to get some semi decent pics despite the crowds and lighting problems, I'll start off with a few of the Italians... Lancia Beta Coupe... Lancia Gamma Coupe... One of three RHD Maserati Khamsins on display, from a total of twenty two produced, two of them were for sale... Maserati Indy, a rare RHD example... Maserati Merak, another rare RHD machine... (Hats off to the Maserati Club for not roping off their prized possessions, unlike the Ferrari mob next door).

See my post #1695 a little further up

Photos c/o Frank Cheevers : long serving Kings X district man John Pink... Photo taken by Ned Williams in Kingswinford 'box, with John James taking the single line token for the Pensnett branch from the driver on 10th September 1984...

Yes, 7017 had all of it's cast numbers removed during a complete repaint in the Factory at Old Oak in the Summer of '74, the vinyl numbers were added under the driver's window only on each side. 7076 also had one set removed at one end only and vinyls added in their place.