The Night Mail

[Winslow Boy]

46 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

A quick swing by, like Tony we have been riding the transport of the past, Llangollen in our case. Pleasant day but the campsite isn't particularly brilliant.  Just a ten minute walk to the town though, but facilities are a touch rudimentary.

 

Then we're orf to near Kiddyminster to meet some of Deb's friends, a girl she grew up with in Guernsey, for a joint belated 60th birthday celebration.  Not a joint for the celebration, you understand.  They don't camp so we're sharing a self catering for a few days, then back off in the van afterwards to the wilds of Yawkshire.

 

I'll be allowed a day to play trains again, yippee.

Make certain you inoculations are up to date. You don't want to catch something like Shortarmitis or even worse Stingyitis. 

[Not Jeremy]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

I'll trade you the sand siding gate off of Wrekin Havock for more information on this project.  It sounds fascinating.

 

Oooh, there's an offer!

 

"Watersmeet" is a long time project that came about because of the extreme generosity of my now sadly departed friend Andew Pullen, of Aster fame. Last year I got some of the few bits I was missing from Japan, with Andrew's kind help, and I now have the loco up to a rolling chassis, more or less. I will have it RailWells as my "demonstration" by when I hope to have made more progress. It has Mark Wood wheels and is one of my favourite things....

 

 

It was so good seeing you and Rob operating "Wrekin Havoc" back in the day, another of my favourite things, Julie....

 

Simon

[Happy Hippo]

2 hours ago, Tony_S said:

I have seen military speed limits in Germany before but there were some on our route back (near Lulworth) restricting tracked vehicles to 25mph.

 

Until a few years ago the official speed limit for all military tracked vehicles, as laid down by the RTA was 20 mph.  This was revised to 40 mph in 2015!

 

I don't think many were aware, or totally ignored this speed restriction, as we regularly used to get the CVRT range of vehicles up to 50+ back in the mid '70s.

 

The roads around Bovington Camp do have restrictions on them mainly because the roads are a bit narrow with limited visibility.

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, SM42 said:

 

I'll wave as you go past. 

 

Andy

I'll twirl🤣

[jamie92208]

11 hours ago, SM42 said:

Mrs SM42 has broken radio silence and has left London. 

 

I've got just over two hours to tidy up. 

 

Andy

 

Cue the Yellow Pages advert. 

 

10 hours ago, TheQ said:

This fleet have always been based at Ludham, 2.7 miles west of Potter Heigham.

here's a few words from their site.

 

"Against the odds Hunter's Fleet has survived to become a symbol of the golden era of sailing holidays on the Broads at the turn of the 20th Century. The Fleet was founded by Percy Hunter together with his sons Cyril and Stanley. Between 1931 and 1949 they built the boatyard at Ludham, 13 sailing yachts and 2 half deckers.

After WWII, motor cruisers progressively replaced sailing yachts in the Broads hire fleets. The Hunter's boats escaped this fate when Norfolk County Council (NCC) purchased them for sail training in 1968. The BBC used the yard and "Lullaby" for their production of Arthur Ransome's stories "Coot Club" and Big Six" making the Fleet famous, but its future was jeopardized in 1995 when NCC announced its sale.
Shocked by this news, the people of Norfolk and beyond supported, through countless individual donations, boosted by a National Lottery grant, the creation of the Norfolk Heritage Fleet Trust to save the Flunter's Fleet.

Today, the 13 wooden yachts and 6 half deckers are the only fleet of traditional Broads sailing craft available for hire without engines. They offer hirers the chance to leave the pressures of modern life behind for a week or two and "get back to basics" to enjoy good sailing and the wonders of the Norfolk Broads, just as the first Broadland holiday makers did in the 19th Century."

The Fleet I sailed on in the late 60's was based at a yard next to the bridge at Potter Heigham, on the south West if my forgettery serves me well. 

 

Jamie

[iL Dottore]

15 hours ago, Tony_S said:

We are leaving on this. 

 

Looking at the pictures of old rolling stock and locomotives on heritage railways just reinforces my belief that the heyday of attractive railway rolling stock design is long past.

 

To be argumentative, I would suggest that nowadays - much like with modern cars - you really need the maker’s plate (or marque badge) to be able to reliably identify the rolling stock (car).

 

And, aesthetically, the designs (rolling stock and cars) are pretty much Bleeh! It’s almost as though designers and engineers all went to the same school that only knew how to do one design. Whatever their technical and mechanical limitations, designs as diverse as the Deltic and The Class 50 were both aesthetically pleasing and individualistic…

 

Comfort also seems to have been thrown out the window on modern rolling stock. The new Stadlers used by SBB aren’t as comfortable as the older SBB loco-hauled coaches (and I’ve heard that the-built-to-DfT-requirements Stadlers are even more uncomfortable than the SBB versions). But at least on the SBB Stadlers the seats line up with the windows 😳

 

Presumably design and comfort has been sacrificed on the altar of cost reduction and health and safety???

[Happy Hippo]

20 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Looking at the pictures of old rolling stock and locomotives on heritage railways just reinforces my belief that the heyday of attractive railway rolling stock design is long past.

 

 

 

Every passenger has individual air conditioning and an unparalleled view from their position in the wagon.

 

The vast majority of the travelling public couldn't care what make, mark or number it is, as long as it turns up and gets them to their destination on time.  For them, if a steam loc turns up, it's Flying Scotsman and their Uncle Burt has no doubt either driven or fired it.

 

 

Edited June 17 by Happy Hippo

[Hroth]

34 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

 

Every passenger has individual air conditioning and an unparalleled view from their position in the wagon.

 

The vast majority of the travelling public couldn't care what make, mark or number it is, as long as it turns up and gets them to their destination on time.  For them, if a steam loc turns up, it's Flying Scotsman and their Uncle Burt has no doubt either driven or fired it.

 

 

 

Most ordinary folk would probably say that the one in the picture was Stephensons Rocket.

 

And that Great great grandfather Burt fired it while George drove it.

 

My grandmother would say that any station looked like Orrel Park* station. Thanks to modernisation/rationalisation, even Orrel Park doesn't look like Orrel Park...

 

* Ex L&Y on the Ormskirk to Liverpool line. The L&Y used to operate dinky little steam railmotors on it.

 

Edited June 17 by Hroth

[Winslow Boy]

41 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

Most ordinary folk would probably say that the one in the picture was Stephensons Rocket.

 

And that Great great grandfather Burt fired it while George drove it.

 

My grandmother would say that any station looked like Orrel Park* station. Thanks to modernisation/rationalisation, even Orrel Park doesn't look like Orrel Park...

 

* Ex L&Y on the Ormskirk to Liverpool line. The L&Y used to operate dinky little steam railmotors on it.

 

Is that part of the HS2 funding.

 

I did read/hear that the chuff chuffs in yee oldie London town are having more farthings spent on them from that bottomless pit that is called HS2 'savings'. So much for the North getting the bulk of it.

[Hroth]

1 minute ago, Winslow Boy said:

Is that part of the HS2 funding.

 

I did read/hear that the chuff chuffs in yee oldie London town are having more farthings spent on them from that bottomless pit that is called HS2 'savings'. So much for the North getting the bulk of it.

 

It doesn't surprise me...

 

Anyhow, us "northerners" would probably waste the lot on flat caps and ferrets.

Its for our own good if the grown ups spend the money on their things!

 

[Happy Hippo]

Is the term flat cap a northern term of endearment for an un-rebuilt Bullied light pacific?

[Winslow Boy]

2 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Is the term flat cap a northern term of endearment for an un-rebuilt Bullied light pacific?

Possibly but more likely something we shouldn't be taking about on a family forum like this.

[SM42]

Mrs SM42 has declared that we will go out on our bicycles this weekend as the weather looks OK. 

 

This will be done in tbe company of some friends and the former railways of the Peak District are the proposed location for this activity. 

 

To this end, I have to iinstall the bike rack on the car and get the bikes out of the shed and prep them for the trip. 

 

As it's been around 12 months since I last rode a bicycle for anything more than 10 minutes, this could be a challenging weekend, not only for the legs, but also the SM42 posterior. 

 

The Tissington Trail will be our likely destination. 

Not sure I could face the C&HPR yet and Monsal, whilst spectacular, is a bit short for a day trip  

 

The cunning plan is to start at the Ashbourne end, thus on the way back it will be downhill. 

 

A cup of tea and perhaps sone cake at Hartington is also a distinct possibility to keep up those energy levels, hopefully in both directions. 

 

Andy

Edited June 17 by SM42

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

Is that part of the HS2 funding.

 

I did read/hear that the chuff chuffs in yee oldie London town are having more farthings spent on them from that bottomless pit that is called HS2 'savings'. So much for the North getting the bulk of it.

Four extra units for the Elizabeth Line. Some benefit for the north as apparently they will be built at Derby and will mean that the factory will not have to go on short time or be closed.

[SM42]

Just now, PhilJ W said:

Four extra units for the Elizabeth Line. Some benefit for the north as apparently they will be built at Derby and will mean that the factory will not have to go on short time or be closed.

 

They'll take 20 years to put together to make sure  there is a long term future for the factory  

 

Andy

[SM42]

The bike rack is now fitted to the car. 

 

Which is just as well as it has just started to rain. 

 

Andy

Edited June 17 by SM42

[SM42]

Oh fiddle!

 

I've sprung the booby trap.  

 

I've just looked out of  the window.

 

The washing is out. 

 

Andy

[Happy Hippo]

5 minutes ago, SM42 said:

Oh fiddle!

 

I've sprung the booby trap.  

 

I've just looked out of  the window.

 

The washing is out. 

 

Andy

Is it above your paygrade to notice this and take appropriate action?

 

I joined our local neighbourhood watch scheme.

 

I can tell you, it's great entertainment watching burglars and car thieves demonstrate their considerable skills.

Edited June 17 by Happy Hippo

[SM42]

2 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Is it above your paygrade to notice this and take appropriate action?

 

I joined our local neighbourhood watch scheme.

 

I can tell you, it's great entertainment watching burglars and car thieves demonstrate their considerable skills.

 

Definitely a task that suit my level of responsibility.

 

I'm responsible for all tasks that need carrying out, whether assigned on daily orders or assigned on the  telepathic ordera

 

Andy

[Winslow Boy]

13 minutes ago, SM42 said:

 

Definitely a task that suit my level of responsibility.

 

I'm responsible for all tasks that need carrying out, whether assigned on daily orders or assigned on the  telepathic ordera

 

Andy

So is that everything or are there exceptions? Asking for a friend.

[Willie Whizz]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Four extra units for the Elizabeth Line. Some benefit for the north as apparently they will be built at Derby and will mean that the factory will not have to go on short time or be closed.

Er ... since when did Derby move to "The North", of all places?

 

It lies (along with Nottingham and Leicester etc.) in the "East Midlands" - an official Region supposedly, but one so neglected, unregarded and disregarded by the rest of Britain that you will struggle even to find it signposted on major roads, particularly those leading eastwards out of the so-called "West Midlands", and especially Birmingham, which itself admits of no other Midlands possibly existing.

 

But we don't moan (much) like some other places, me duck, we just knuckle down and get on with it.  Given the chance.

[SM42]

22 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

So is that everything or are there exceptions? Asking for a friend.

 

It's everything., except maybe loading the dishwasher, but that is down to me on unspecified occasions which are included on the telepathic list. 

 

Still,  I do alright.

 

I win more than I lose.

 

Andy

[J. S. Bach]

37 minutes ago, Willie Whizz said:

Er ... since when did Derby move to "The North", of all places? ...snip...

Well, it is north of me; and a bit east too, come to think of it.

[PhilJ W]

44 minutes ago, Willie Whizz said:

Er ... since when did Derby move to "The North", of all places?

Well it's north of Watford gap.

[AndyID]

17 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

Well, it is north of me; and a bit east too, come to think of it.

 

Me too, and I'm not far from Canada.