Simon Lee

Read late yesterday that Big Mal Scrimshaw, York Show manager and Hull MRS stalwart passed away yesterday morning. Another of lifes good guys sadly gone. RIP

Ever Given finally docked at Qingdao for repairs yesterday 04/10 photo of the damage to the bulbous bow doing the rounds on social media

Watch out for the DB Museum Koblenz open days, the main event is normally around June or July and attracts specials hauled by preserved locos from a wide area, often using private coaching stock. DB Museum DB have a more accomodating stance on private locos and stock, photo here is 4-6-4 tank 78 468 with a selection of bogie and 4 wheel coaches, some with open balconies on a tour from Hamm to Koblenz back in October 2019. Hardcore enthusiast tours are not as popular here, apart from the Plandampf type events, tours are more aimed at the public, usually destined to a town of interest with an event going on, so they guarantee a well loaded train, enthusiasts for the traction/track and Joe Public for the destination.

May be better queried direct with Crecy ? But given the current state of the world with Covid and other related disruptions to transport and manufacturing processes of all types, delays are surely inevitable however frustrating they become.

As you no longer sell to those of us living in the EU will you be making copies available to 3rd party booksellers who still do ?

Yes that's the company, very pro rail at the time.

Probably en route to or from Crawley, we had regular (weekly) flow of chipboard using Cargowaggons and a monthly flow of cased wine via the Trainferry both destined to Crawley.

Kernow offering exhibition specials again = Model Railway Exhibitions (kernowmodelrailcentre.com)

I went into TOPS in 1981, just at the back end of card TOPS using the small cards, that superseded the original IBM cards. When I was training at Webb House, (another infamous BR location as anyone who went there will testify) we were given a stern warning not to fool about with the card chads from the punch hopper, and not to try playing cassettes in the programme player on the top of the terminal. The Ventek terminals we used had a screen roughly the size of a paperback book, and seemed to be the cause of the majority of TOPS clerks needing to wear spectacles, at some stage of their career. Remarkably, the terminals were subject to monthly inspection and servicing by Ventek engineers, our office at Dover was always a popular job, as the task included a visit to the office at Dunkerque to service the terminals there. The Stationmaster mentions Baud rates, it was always noticable the speeds, I seem to remember a rate of 500 or 600 was normal speed, when we had a line failure S&T would be summoned to set up an acoustic coupler to get us back on line, the rate on that was around 200, printing a train list wou,d take an eternity. Another strange device we had was a Mufax, single terminal fax machine between us and the Town yard. Used to make a hell of a racket, as it printed out via a blade onto some truly evil wet paper soaked in a mixture that smelt like a cross of parafin and meths. One shunter was caught short one Sunday in the yard and grabbed a roll to use as toilet paper, 30 minutes later he was on his way to hospital, unable to sit down with severe chemical burns to his backside.

and if this hard working paragon of virtue brings back a different varient what then ? is that an acceptable risk in your eyes ? Thats rather a straw man argument unless you have proof of these people defying the rules to travel abroad on spurious business. There are thousands worldwide engaging in high value deals using the various online business tools, my other half and her colleagues regularly conducts business with China, Korea and Singapore and the USA, with values in the millions and the potential even greater growth all using on line meetings. Her employer, being in Reinsurance knows the risks gallivanting around the world poses and has banned long haul business travel for the forseeable future, and the plain fact is the clients recognise and appreciate the responsible stance taken.

Listed for 0900 Tuesday on the berth.

Certainly in my part of Germany, NRW near Bonn, personal distancing is still very much in vogue. People will step into the road(when it is safe to do so) to keep a distance for example. Likewise in shopping centre or supemarket car parks most put their mask on before getting out of the car. On trains and trams if they are busy more people will stand rather than sit next to a stranger. The local Authorities (Rhein Seig Kreis) and in neighbouring Rheinland Pfalz they are worried about the potential for a rise in cases arising from the rescue and relief efforts from the flooding, though fortunatly the good weather since the tragedy has meant aid distribution has been able to be carried out in the open rather than indoors.

Over 1400 aircraft made use of Carnaby in WW2, it was one of 3 WW2 airfields designated for returning damaged aircraft, the others being Woodbridge and Manston. In later years it was used for Thor ballistic missiles and Bloodhound SAM missiles, I can remember seeing the Bloodhounds from a Hull to Bridlington train, around 1962/63 local rumour always claimed the Bloodhounds were aimed exactly at Moscow ! After the RAF left it was a distribution center for Lada cars imported via Hull, despite many pitches by the sales people, BR was never able to get the flows onto rail, l guess the value of a rake of Cartics vastly exceeded the value of a full load of Lada's.

The last A1 at Drapers was 60145 St Mungo in autumn 1966, l cabbed it on the scrap line in 7 section Dairycoates in September 66. The loco arrived minus chimney and tender.

Some memories there Mick, I remember the excitement when the 4Fs were dragged past our house, the first ones l had seen and the first locos with the cab side stripe, previously only seen in photos in my brothers Railway Magazine.

Garage business in a railway arch. https://twitter.com/itvlondon/status/14 ... 6290637827

Wonder if it's this tour https://rcts.zenfolio.com/diesel/br/other/hEF1518AC#hef151bd5 listed on SBJ a22nd March 1969. The unit seems to fit, apart from the window headboard? has moved.

Here in Germany the "pfand" tax/ cost is 25 cents per bottle or tin. Buy you beer, Coke what ever take your empties back and into the bottle bank, you have a credit note to offset against your next shop or e change for cash. In many towns the less well off can be seen early in the morning collecting any empties off the street and supplementing their income by returning the empties to the local drink shop or supermarket. In Köln after carnival they can make a good few Euros helping the city cleaners clean up.

Thanks, had forgotten about that incident.

Think that was Tornado when the inside valve gear caused problems and it failed just north of Peterborough.

The SNCF ferry is the Compiengne, on of the French components of the Sealink fleet. Behind is one of Townsends "European" class freight ships this photo being taken at the Eastern Docks. The headcode 47 shown on the arriving unit is in fact a Boat train, the regular boat codesbeing 46 Victoria via Herne Hill and Orpington to DWD, 47 via Catford Loop and Orpington to DWD. The domestic headcode for Victoria services being 74.

Can only remember these BP tanks coming via us at Dover once the Harwich ferry closed. https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/bphexane We got quite an assortment of tanks via the Train Ferry, luckily Paul Bartlett was recording a lot as shown on his site, l was more remiss in catching everyday wagons, preferring to photograph the ships.

Much the same with our vet here in Germany, if its quiet you are allowed in the waiting room then the nurse comes and takes our old dog off then the vet comes and has a quick consultation. After that asked to wait outside no problems. When the dog needed a small op on an abcess on his neck, I was allowed in the consulting room so he stayed calm whilst he was anesthetised. Works fine, so see no reason to change the vet.

Have a look at this for early 60s flying, bit Jolly Hockey Sticks but fascinating short film.

Deltics max speed according to the notice in the cab was 100 mph. A Brush 4 was 95 mph. Not to say that both were never exceeded, depends on a variety of factors. I worked a couple of Brush 4 jobs subbing for a Deltic, one we oost about 7 mins Doncaster to Kx the other in the down direction we were right time departure and arrival.