Bon Accord

I was in Fiji a couple of weeks ago and mounted on a plinth outside one of the airport hotels in Nadi was this machine, an 0-6-0TT of approx 2' gauge which obviously saw use in the Sugar Cane industry. There was no discernible worksplate or identification on it save for the number/logo painted on which indicated it had belonged to South Pacific Sugar Mills, a concern which was nationalised into the Fiji Sugar Corporation in 1973. I have a hazy memory of it being in the same location the last time I was in Fiji in 2009 albeit painted a different colour. From what I can find online the suggestion is that it was manufactured by Fowler, would anyone happen to know if that's the same crowd of traction engine/road roller fame? The Fiji Gateway lettering/symbol is the name of the hotel whose front lawn it is sat on, the hotel's former name being the Raffles Gateway. The main entrance to Nadi airport is just across the road where on entry you are presented with road access to a very modern departures hall, however there is still a 2' gauge level crossing on that approach road with rails disappearing into the undergrowth on each side.

It is mark 1 stock and there are six vehicles all told. Better photographs of two of them here: http://www.departmentals.com/photo/975686-1 http://www.departmentals.com/photo/975682

For some reason she's been sporting those SR style headlamps at Bo'ness as well as elsewhere, as have some of the other Bo'ness fleet. I wonder where they were "acquired" from.

In the sidings to the east of the former terminal there is an electrification train of converted Mk1 stock that has lain there since the completion of ECML electrification in 1990, mouldering away quietly!

Like most companies now we have such a thing as a "performance policy" coupled with an absurdly complex appraisal system and all the associated procedures and processes. The net result is that if you've got someone who is absolutely dire at their job/waste of space/bone idle etc then it's now near impossible to get rid of them as to even officially rebuke them requires acres of paperwork and that then only puts them onto the 1st stage of the process whereupon everything has to rest for a further 3 months to permit them time to "improve". This despite this part of the process coming after the informal and formal warnings as to their conduct. HR wanting an easy life as they always do, then transfer them somewhere else, especially if said individual claims they are the subject of bullying (which is the common get out of jail free card), this then continues ad nauseum with them being passed from pillar to post over a long period. I had a particularly odious and bone idle individual inflicted on my ship a few years ago who caused all manner of mayhem onboard amongst the ratings and so I was forced to go into print, interviews, declarations etc etc and sent all this off to HQ - the paperwork alone took me a day and a half to fully complete. He then left my ship never to be seen again and three months later was promoted to PO on another vessel, where according to those onboard he hasn't changed his ways and is yet again claiming victimisation and wanting a transfer. This is far from an isolated case with one individual. Accordingly most of us don't even bother with following the correct procedures anymore as it's just not worth the hassle for no gain, therefore we sadly have to put up with the wasters and in appraisal terms everyone gets one of two types regardless of how good/bad/indifferent they may be - an average one or a good one. Writing a bad appraisal only incurs more paperwork and pointless grief. These days the only way to remove someone for definite is to get them on a D&A infraction, but the real problem children are all savvy enough to avoid that and indeed it only ever seems to catch out the good guys. In many ways I long for the days where there'd be an invitation to the Masters cabin for tea and no biscuits, giving someone 7 days notice and informing HQ that they were being booted off next port and that you didn't want to see them again under any circumstances. EDIT: There seem to be a rather annoying spellcheck thing going on where Bulleid is being replaced by Bulleid, is this some kind of internal site process as I can't seem to change it even with the edit process?

There is still a couple of the traditional Hurtigruten ships on the go and offering cruises, one of which is the 1956 built Njordsternen which has been restored to as near original condition as possible and runs cruises to/from Spitsbergen. The 1964 built Lofoten is also still in service and running up and down the coast, alas only for another year or before she is retired. I will eventually get around to a voyage on the Njordsternen before she is laid up for good! Webpages here: https://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/our-ships/ms-nordstjernen/ https://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/our-ships/ms-lofoten/

Coaches look very good indeed. Is it an optical illusion from the photographs, or does the ski-jump on the A3 no longer look as pronounced?

If there is any semblance of truth in that article (Tele - so usual disclaimer applies), then he must have been really hated by some of his own people for them to report him, either that or there are some real troublemakers amongst his crew. In years past a misdemeanour as trivial as this would absolutely have never caused such a storm and certainly would never have made it into the papers, in fact it probably wouldn't have been regarded as anything naughty at all provided he was paying for the petrol etc. After all, who out there has never bent the rules slightly with regard to job perks/expenses or at least played the system to their benefit?

The term of Captain applied to non 4 stripers is indeed a courtesy in the UK at least, as their official designation when in command of a unit/vessel etc regardless of their actual rank (even if they are a 4 striper) is simply Commanding Officer or CO. It is the same thing as your "Captain of a unit" in practice, however we do not use the same terminology and "Captain" is not used officially. PB's in the RN are usually commanded by a Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander and very occasionally by a full three ring Commander if the latter is senior man and so in command of a squadron and they are only ever officially CO, never "Captain". To muddy the waters further in UK terms, the term OC (Officer Commanding) is also used for those in command of smaller units (but not vessels - they are always CO).

Post Captain I think officially went out of the window a lot longer than 20 years ago, however the term has remained in use by some to differentiate those who hold the substantive rank of Captain in the RN from those of another (lower) rank who happen to be the Commanding Officer of a naval vessel - with the latter of course the term Captain is sometimes used as a courtesy title.

Well he was.... Apparently both himself and the XO have been punted off whilst still in the Forth and replacements from Prince of Wales shanghaied. The press can't seem to make their mind up if he's a Commodore or (post) Captain.The former would be very unusual as I recall traditionally the only RN vessel where a Commodore was the actual CO was the Royal yacht; elsewhere they'd either be in overall command of a squadron, task group or suchlike as opposed to being responsible for the running of a ship.

Wasn't there two of them on that run, names beginning with P? Worse places to be than Curacao I suppose, the beach with the shark net with a hole in it (said hole having been there pre WW2) and of course the Happy Valley!

Gents, Recently on a shipping Facebook page there was posted a photograph of a CEGB collier alongide in Blyth (the 4 disgraces being prominent), however interestingly said collier was being loaded from the usual wooden coal staithes - of Get Carter fame - and the wagons on top were quite blatantly HAA types rather than the usual 21t hoppers. I was otherwise unaware that MGR hoppers were used in this manner, would someone be able to confirm that this is correct and not just a visual trick/a senior moment on my part? Surely those MGR hoppers would have required alterations being made to the unloading equipment to activate the hopper doors etc?

I strongly suspect there'll be rather more to this than simply using his official motor to pop to Waitrose or nip home. No doubt the real story shall appear in the Sunday papers or the tabloids in due course.

I know the RFA and MOD(N) got one hell of a shock when confronted with how a real commercial shipyard which is not beholden to government does things. RFA also couldn't cope with the manpower requirements during the build phase, trials or into service, hence how they've been desperately recruiting for the past few years, alas the number of those leaving RFA is more than those coming in, hence how they're regularly laying ships up for extended periods as they can't muster enough bodies to make them operational.

It wasn't even an all British bid, as one of the Italian yards (I think Fincantieri) were going to be subcontractors... Of course the Government has only got itself and it's immediate predecessors to blame when faced with a lack of choice of suitable home grown yards, policy over the years has seen to that.

Rumour control has it that the Huawei investigation uncovered other "problems" which led to him getting the push, these being in addition to the Huawei leak. The fact that many in the RN referred to him as "Private Pike" perhaps demonstrates their level of appreciation of the man...

Thank you for all the assistance Gents and also for the generous offers of blanking plugs, it's much appreciated.

Gents, With regard to the blanking plug for the DCC/TTS sound chip, is this supplied with Maude or must it be purchased elsewhere? If the latter, is there any recommendations as to a source? I'm at work just now so won't get my hands on my example until Thursday.

The valve timings sound a bit off, but early days yet and all things considered they're just about there. Well done to the boys at Didcot.

Not just any private yacht, but one of the owner's squadron! Not only that but this one is so posh that when it puts to sea it effectively has it's own RFA/support vessel (of roughly simialr size) follow it around with all the toys/stores onboard as well as some suitably equipped uniformed people in case of any unfriendly overtures to the owner. Nice place Muscat, and the duty free shop was always at the bottom of the gangway. The cliffs at the harbour entrance still bear the painted names of some seriously long gone ships, including quite a few from Strick Line and BI.

I'd utter the name, but I fear doing so may result in a fast route down to the hot place opening up and the nightmare returning for those who survived the ordeal. The engineers had it much worse than the Deckies and many a good man was broken. Twin Pielsticks downstairs caused enough bother on their own, although some of the concrete creations on deck and especially that on the IG deck seal would have been worthy of the Tate modern and should really have been included on the stability calcs. Some cynics did suggest that Furness Withy had sold us the proverbial pup...

The present mob is bulding two LNG powered ROPAX, or should I say dual fuel and I really don't think they've appreciated what they're taking on. As you know, the oil/gas game tends to be pretty insular so it's generally quite rare for people like me to have been in that sector and to have subsequently left, hence the knowledge/experience in dealing with gas simply isn't there amongst my compatriots. HQ had discussions with MCA about all this and the latter initially wanted all senior officers to have gas DCE's and full training/certification as would be expected on a gas tanker. This has since been negotiated down to a few weeks worth of courses for the top 4 organised from scratch by our pet training provider and with the inference seemingly being that there'll be "trickle down" training from the top. The only concession to that seems to be that the deck and engine crowds will have to undertake the tanker fire fighting course which now exists. What could possibly go wrong..... Needless to say I'm staying well away from the whole project, not that I have any inclination to get involved in any newbuild these days - I simply can't be bothered with the grief anymore.

Probably not. BP did have an LPG ship way back when (I think they've subsequently got back into that trade), but she was a notorious floating horror story to be avoided at all costs!

Very nice indeed!