lmsforever

2043 for trains from Euston that is absolutely crazy what will be our situation then this station should open with the rest of this benighted project passengers will not trave l on HS2 but will stay on the WCML .The only way that this will not happen is if all intercity trains are put on the high speed and knowing the DFT thats what they will do leaving many passengers no choice but to travel on local trains to Crewe for north bound and Rugby for Brum.All in all its going to be complete mess thank god I shall not want to travel then.

When Euston is mothballed there will have to be a security presence and that will cost money and are the tunnels to be constructed whilst the main terminus is gathering dust?

Had to go to Quainton this morning past the works outside Waddesdon large crane lifting concrete beams into place think it must be for the Waddesdon bypass where it crosses HS2 ,the route towards the bypass from the Quainton direction has been cleared.The road layout here is going to be complicated and will offer links to Thame Waddesdon and back to Aylesbury via the A41 which will run alongside the rail line .It is good that Waddesdon is getting a bypass at last but there should be bypass around Aylesbury as our traffic levels are becoming a very real problem due to the house building seemingly unchecked taking place.Work around Aylesbury has slowed down and seems to be concentrating on the tunnel mouths northwards with the bridges over the A413 a priority .When you look down across the works around Wendover you see a large cement works and the route is very well defined. I dont hear so much news these days as my contact has returned to Ireland as he can earn more cash there .he said the contractors are just not paying like they used to.but things do seem to be slowing down work has not started on the viaduct around the back of Aylesbury .Also after the initial clearance everything has come to a stop where the Thame Rd is to divert to a bridge over HS2 there was a great fanfare over this work from the council but as usual nothing much is happening.Thats what is going around Aylesbury will be back on line in a few weeks.

Like the way your layout is coming along the buildings are very good and like the construction methods seeing your photos of Harrogate brought some memories back.When I organised the first Railex I was assisted by the local model engineering group and they brought some excellent models ,sadly they did not participate at any more shows but have an excellent layout at Quainton which is worth a visit.

Glasgow to Colchester thats a journey wonder if many did the full journey suppose some of people were military personnel but still long journey.

Like the t shirt Andy hope you enjoyed the show.

How many men does it take to look at track ?

What is happening to this country we seem incapable of working out simple problems ,its not just railways the NHS is just a money pit and nothing changes its a situation that needs to be sorted. The railways get Avanti out of the way they have shown complete incompetence in the running of the franchise ,bring back Branson he ran a very good service despite all the upsets caused by constant trouble making by the DFT. The Northern system needs a complete change the services will run properly if management are made to work in a sensible way and actually do what they are paid to do.I will not discuss the RMT here is not the place but you can draw your own opinions about this subject. If the government changes miracles will not happen as the problems are set to continue despite whoever is in charge attitudes do not change only names .Overall I think that unless we have people who are able to implement the right ideas which will bring change for the better .But I am not holding my breath .

Thanks for the eastern pictures the 306 ,s were a good train to ride on with comfortable seats and also kept up good speeds pity none were preserved .

My neighbor from Ireland who worked on HS2 has returned home as the money on offer was beaten by what he can earn in Ireland ,I expressed my surprise but he said HS2 was forcing companies to pay lower wages.Also he said that work was being slowed and he had spent at least one day at home per week in the period before he left, also most of the work force emanate from Europe and are glad of the work .it seems as though there is a great deal of indecision at the top as witnessed by the opening of Euston surely this should have been on stream with the rest of the line not a two year gap.I do not think this route will open on time and will not achieve its goals plus further extensions beyond Crewe will never happen also I can see road improvements overtake northward progress due to indecision at the top.The existing rail WCML will offer a better way north and probably cheaper due to far better connections plus the speed will not be so important The latest round of fare increases will not help more people on the rai,l locally there are adverts for cheaper routes to London not by train but using coaches and also driving.Overall I have no confidence in the DFT,s approach to rail or their general attitude to all transport which of course emanates from Whitehall even a change here will not cause a new approach as money is so short for projects.

Reading the above posts it made me realise that our country is becoming failed in terms of improvements that help the population move around easier and not having to depend on motor vehicles, From the very inception of HS2 it has been cut back and changed in the way it will actually serve passengers also the high speed section has been cut back seemingly to a relatively short route in high speed terms making it largely unable to do its job as planned. The DFT seem to be only concerned with either stopping projects or cutting them back to a shadow of what they could be.East West Rail is a good example of this cost cutting ,after thirty years of saying no it finally was agreed and then cut back till we have a shadow of a project and if they can the final sections will be stopped. What these civil servants dont seem to realise is the continuing imposition of housing estates on villages towns is causing stress on roads not meant for it and the lack of public transport and other services is going to cause many problems very soon.I read an article on the civil service saying that the people in it only spend two years in a given department so they dont give a damn to what happenns to projects after they move, Basicaly HS2 could have revitalised our country but wont EWR will just be another branch line and not an important link.

Which station is this cant put name to it

Inverness is a great station pity I have not got the room to build a model hope sone does do it ,thanks for the pics.

Good to see our local train company featured they are extremely good and give a good service.

Liverpool St was always an interesting station to visit but the O8 is not a patch on the steam station pilots of steam days they were fantastic to see shuttling round the station .Seeing an HST on the Great Easternis great bet the speed was down on the norm ,thanks for the pics Dave they are very interesting and useful when you want info for work on the model layout.

Work does seem to have slowed around here the new diversion of the Aylesbury to Thame road has not shown any signs of commencement just barriers put up across the fields also when you look the north from the main road nothing has happened there for weeks. Along the route to Waddesdon the works do seem to be progressing I believe that the by pass around Waddesdon have started.I am going to Wendover next Thursday so will get some idea of what is happennig around there.

The West Highland pictures are brilliant and I think show the beauty of Scotland at its best more like this please.

You only have to see the amount of vitriol coming out in Oxford by motorists on the traffic systems being set up by the council to try and cut the amount of vehicles in the city.I have a right to drive anywhere in the city and to hell with anyone else .Many people have no idea about public transport and think anyone who uses it is in need of reducation on transport needs this is something that will not go away and needs attention from the top.

The driver of the dmu in the first photo looks typical of the time scruffy ,the class 40 looks as though it has been bodged and noone cares about the job ,sad times.

In the fifties around North Chingford we had visits weekly by the Corona Man with wonderful pop at very good prices.

Cant remember the exact year but I went up to the Dinting site after a trip around the lanes but it had just closed down and was begining to look decrepit and run down shame it closed.

That wagon is very similar to one at Chinnor used by the track gang it was often taken out with the cement mixer and other gear , they spent a long time repairing it and putting a unit for tools etc at one end.Don't know if its still there as I have not worked down there for quite a while but it became a useful wagon.

I can remember experiencing that bit worrying and most passengers could have not given a dam.

Went up and down this part of the world in the late forties and fifties stayed with my aunt at South Benfleet for long periods great place to have fun .Used to go to Canvey Island regularily the floods were awful came right up to station at Sth Benfleet .took a long time to get back to normal.All trains then steam hauled by Stanier tanks very busy trains ,also went to family in Kent via Tilbury interesting journey saw ocean liners at Tilbury .Bet I would not recognise places now probably houses everywhere and lots of people but glad I experienced it as it was thanks for the pics,