Rugd1022

Photo c/o David Gradwell, Polmadie Inspector Davie Tweedie enjoying the newfangled APT... Glasgow St.Enoch, 1966... Photo c/o Gary Jones, Gloucester Eastgate in the '70s... Down in the tube station... Photo c/o Chad Harrison, Poplar Docks, 1974... Photo c/o Charles Eric Steel, his grandfather Charlie with some of his colleagues at Proof House Junction... Photo c/o Stephen Dowle, Taunton on a very chilly 25th February 1974...

A'noon all, A general question for the generally nice folk of the generally very nice ER department - why are so many people on the Tube so up themselves...? I was on the Battersea stone job this morning and travelling back on the cushions I was struck by how aloof so many of London's commuters seem to be, I can honestly say the only people I saw smiling today were the staff! I know the daily slog can be awful at times, but it's something I've noticed a lot more just lately. Maybe it's just me, being the wrong side of fifty and devoid of hipster-ish pretensions, but almost everyone who appeared to be under the age of thirty with an overpriced choca-mokka-bloomin-latte held aloft in one hand and an iPhone in the other gave off a definite 'I'm worth ten of you' vibe. As the late Jim Morrison once crooned in 1967, 'people are strange'...!

Thanks Mike - and I can well imagine what your plans for Kernow would have looked like...! Even now, opinion amongst footplate staff is still divided regarding the antique nature of the lower quads and manual boxes at Worcester and Droitwich, some loath them, some love them, I'm firmly in the latter camp though. I must admit though, about eighteen months ago I was very nearly caught out by the surviving 'banjo' hanging from the canopy at Shrub Hill!

I discovered an Alfa Romeo today which I've never seen before, the Bertone designed 2600 De Luxe of 1965, presumably built on the same (or similar) platform as the two door 2600 Sprint which was launched in 1962... For an Alfa it's quite plain looking, but modern enough for the time I suppose.

Don't Fear The Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

DIRFT, just four miles from where I'm sat, is due to get a lot bigger if the plan to extend over the A5 comes to fruition. If it does, the current layout of the five reception roads and four dead end roads at DIRFT 1 adjacent to the Up & Down Slow lines will be remodelled to provide eight reception roads instead. Thankfully, during construction of DIRFT 2 (the Sainsburys / Tesco / Stobbart terminals) enough space has been left to add another through 'common line' towards the A5 which will allow more flexibility of movements if / when things get busier.

The P/Way in most of the yard is awful, particularly so at the south end when you come in off the Down Arrival under the A500 overbridge and onto the hump by the old Sorting Sidings Middle 'box. I do like the layout of the place itself though, given enough room it would make a fantastic model in any scale / gauge. Mind you, the same goes for Bescot or Kingmoor…

I Love To Boogie - T-Rex

Glad you mentioned Hinksey Jim - for its size it punches well above its weight, the lads down there really do have keep on top of their game so as not to stuff up the job. The layout means there's often a lot of propelling moves going on, with virtually every move passing through the ground frame point on No.2 Reception. Back to Basford Hall for a mo - the CCVT malarkey isn't to be taken lightly, I know of at least two guys who've been sacked for minor infractions in relation to wearing full PPE gear in the yard. Everything is caught on tape and reviewed on Monday mornings by management. Wembley Yard - not the largest but very busy at times with many trains getting relief by the North Circular bridge, if the relief isn't there on time the Wembley Mainline panel Bobby often gets a cob on! Brent Yard immediately to the south of Wembley is out of use now but the through goods lines are still kept busy with 'liners awaiting relief or even the odd run round during engineering work.

In a nice way I'm glad you didn't succeed at Worcester Mike... did your proposal eliminate all of the right handers in the area...?

I work regularly in and out of Bescot, Toton and Basford Hall and they really are large affairs, very much more so when you have to walk from one end to the other! Some of the shunting and light engine moves can take a lot longer than you'd expect to carry out, you could easily waste half and hour or more trying to run round a set of wagons or do a loco swap. In Bescot's case, getting from the up to the down side or vice versa can take an age if there's any other traffic in the area due to pass through, you can actually cross from one side to the other at the north end, the middle (via 'snake's pass' crossover) or the south end near Thame Bridge Parkway. Spare a thought for the shunter who has to proceed any propelling move across the mainlines on foot. Compared to its heyday Bescot is a bit of a ghost town, but there's enough infrastructure work to keep the lads busy and the yard itself open. The north and south end cabins are now both long closed, with all staff being based in the new portacabins in the middle by the staff footbridge. Toton feels even more bereft when I go there, very little seems to be happening but there's enough work there for now. Like Bescot and Basford Hall it's also a booked relieving point for through freights, some of which can sit for several hours awaiting a fresh driver. Basford Hall can be incredibly busy during the lead up to and including weekends with ballast jobs departing in all directions, then returning on Sunday night or Monday morning. A large part of it is now covered by CCTV, allowing the management to keep an eye on proceedings so any shunting progress can be exceedingly slow at times, especially so if there is more than one movement taking place at the same time. Trains requiring crew relief are often routed through the yard or via the independent lines on either side, this can cause problems if the driver is still stuck in a taxi on the M6 somewhwere, with trains 'hanging out' at both ends of the yard, blocking the job.

Belated morning all, all, hope all's well, all Considering we and several of our neighbours were struck by 'garden shed burglars' a few nights ago I'm in quite a chipper mood today, it must be the sunny weather we're enjoying in our little corner of Warwickshire. Our household is now deficient in the long handled tree loppers department to the tune of one, but at least said thieving scrotes didn't break into any of the houses or garages in the area, which is a relief. The attending ociffer of the law was very sympathetic and handed out some free mini alarms which are set to go off at 130 decibels, so if wee Willy scrotebag returns for another go there's a chance he'll be disturbed and very likely deafened should he wish to purloin more free stuff purchased with other folk's hard earned pounds, shillings and pence. Our neighbour's were relieved of several garden spades, forks, rakes, a lawn mower and a broken coffee machine which will probably end up on a local 'for sale' facebook group. I'm now imaging said scrotes being bayonetted by Corporal Jones in fine 'they don't like it up em' style, daft I know but, well, what else can you do? Stay safe all!

I hadn't noticed that... I was too busy looking at the BR / SR enamel sign and wondering if it's stashed away in someone's loft or garage! Tell you what folks, I'm still astonished that this thread hasn't died a death - it's been going for six years now, so many heartfelt thanks to all those who've contributed. Photo c/o Stephen Dowle - D1011 at Cardiff Central on 4th March 1975...

I've Got A Luvverley Bunch Of Coconuts - various artistes

It's My Party - Barbara Gaskin

Reading General ahoy... D1002 is put 'in the book' in 1962... A picket line outside the station in 1962... A HST gets a bit of attention in 1980, photo c/o Ian Parish... A slight faux pah at platform 5 in 1983, photo c/o Michael Hobbs... Down on the Southern bit in 1965...

Learning to drive and swim, Italian style... Wasn't aware there was a commercial / municipal version of the 500 or 600 until I found this yesterday... Does anyone know how many Fiat 500s were made between 1957 and 1975..?

Oxford Street, 1935...

These two certainly the right spot for me : Brum New Street, photo c/o Phil Edgar... Crewe Works Open Day, 24th September 1977, photo c/o Ian Walmsley...

Until fairly recently there were two Mk2 Grannies in the compound at the site of the former Elmthorpe station on the Nuneaton - Leicester line, they were in very good nick from what I could see, I suspect they may have gone the same way.

A pertinent photo I hope - Clifton Mill station in 1966 looking towards Rugby with the OLE installed for the aforementioned loco swaps. The 24 approaching the camera is heading for Market Harborough with a stopper, just to the left of it you can just see the Down Mkt. Har'bro line turning away to the left before it goes beneath Clifton Road then curves right to cross over the golf course via the viaduct, joining the WCML where it will trail into the Down Northampton line on the flyover... The DED was also wired up, photo c/o Bill Wright, March 1965...

Iver, Bucks...

Paul, this photo you posted above makes me want to build a layout...

Bromford Bridge in Brum, photo c/o Dave Binder... Liverpool Street in 1952, photo by Harry Todd... Mods, rozzers and BRUTES... 50 010 on the blocks at Padd, photo c/o Peter Hamy…