The Night Mail

[Happy Hippo]

52 minutes ago, br2975 said:

BR (WR) Efflew Valley branch tracklaying comes to a temporary halt today.

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Returning the 'grand-dog' to its mother (owner) in Pontyclun.

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Whereby I shall force myself to watch my beloved Bluebirds delivered of a footballing lesson by the noisy neighbours from the other side of the Briton Ferry Bridge.

.

Whether I return to the man cave is dependent upon the result. 

Just send Gaynor up to Pontyclun with the Baskerville beast, and spend the rest of the day track laying.

 

You know it makes sense.

 

Nephew George is a big fan of the Swans and may very well be going to the match.  If he does, Ed will have to go as well, and I'm sure he'd prefer to be stuck in a traffic jam on the M25 than suffer 90 minutes of ball kicking.

 

 

(Footballs, not his personal accoutrements.)

Edited October 23, 2022 by Happy Hippo
Clarification

[polybear]

2 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

So it's a bit of Show and Tell really. Your'e going to show willing that the car will fit in the garage and then tell everyone that car did fit in the garage.

 

If anyone asks Big H where he keeps his car he'll be able to truthfully say:

"I put it in the garage"

Cunning.

 

2 hours ago, rockershovel said:

Odd sort of story in the news feeds this morning that does no real credit to anyone involved. 

 

The gist of it seems to be that someone reserved a first class seat from Aberdeen to London, but found it was one of the "priority seats" for elderly or disabled. Someone else then appeared, demanding the seat on the grounds if being, you guessed it, elderly. Train conductor, whatever they are now called was of little help but DID inform the original traveller that no refund would be offered if they gave up the seat. 

 

A general exchange of unpleasantries appears to have followed, to no useful outcome. 

 

Do Train Companies REALLY allocate "priority seats" and make a non-refundable charge for the reservation? If so, what is the expected outcome? (I'm excluding XC from this following my experiences in Plymouth) 

 

 

 

 

Sixty?  Elderly?

https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/i-refuse-give-up-train-7734828

 

Now if this had happened to a certain Bear then I would've directed them to the Train Manager (aka Guard); if they'd been rude then they would've stood diddly squat chance - maybe, just maybe if they'd been significantly disabled (and obviously so) then I might have shifted - at the Guard's direction, but only after receiving official paperwork to say I'd be getting a refund of the extra I'd paid.

Some people just exploit the rules and take the p1ss.

 

[rockershovel]

My good wife retired on medical grounds at 59, her brother-in-law from the Fire Service at 57 as "unfit for further duty".....

 

The real point, to me is that it appears nothing more or less than bad faith to sell a reservation for a seven-hour journey with an implied, but unstated condition of that sort.

 

That's not a cheap ticket. I'd be pretty aggrieved too. That said, I've been on that service and it isn't a through service; you change at Edinburgh so the OP must have had two separate reservations. 

[simontaylor484]

Seeing the grave of the Great escape victim reminds me of my first cadet camp at RAF Newton. It was then home to the RAF Police training school. We had a tour round the "Black" museum there was a large exhibit on the investigation into the Great escape murders. It still sticks in my mind 30+ years later. One or two of them were shot on a road that became part of Ramstien Airbase

[jjb1970]

I understand the purpose of priority seats and under normal circumstances I have no issues giving up a seat for someone in need regardless of whether or not it's a priority seat. It's also important to realise that it may not be obvious that someone has needs. That said, if the train company includes priority seats in the regular reservation system then I fully understand why people who reserved a seat in good faith for a long journey are told to vacate it part way through will be angry..

Edited October 23, 2022 by jjb1970

[AndyID]

6 hours ago, br2975 said:

BR (WR) Efflew Valley branch tracklaying comes to a temporary halt today.

 

 

Reading that on my rather small tablet I wasn't sure whether it was an "L" or an "i" (It makes quite a difference 😀)

 

After a little research I am now up to speed on Gren.

 

[br2975]

6 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Briton Ferry? Jersey Marine? Originating places for freight trains to Norwood Yard 50 years ago. They seemed an awfully long way away.....

.

 

When freight working was reorganised in South Wales in the late 1960s,

Jersey Marine workings were recast as follows,

 

Previous function(s):- Wagonload marshalling, Staging trainloads, Wagonload distribution to/from local sidings, Segregation and distribution of empties..

Proposed function(s):- Staging trainloads of empty mineral wagons.                  

Trainloads of empty mineral wagons from England and East Wales direct to either East Usk Yard  (Newport) or  Jersey Marine yard

J.M. handled traffic from/to Swansea Docks, Swansea District also reversal for traffic from Aberpergwm & Onllwyn (N&B line) to England via STJ.

Local Cl.37 replaced by Cl.47 for mainline workings heading 'up' , which maintained self-contained working for locomotives and crews on colliery services, reducing effects caused by long distance delays.

 

Demand for anthracite was increasing.

   

1971 / 1972 Departures:-

8C02 23:25 MX Jersey Marine – Spencer Works arr.02:05

8F02

8E14 16:45        Jersey Marine – Temple Mills, or

          16:57       Jersey Marine – Temple Mills

          Both ‘Q’ from Radyr dep. 18:00

8O15 10:42        Jersey Marine – Hither Green or Norwood

          ‘Q’ from Radyr dep. ??:??

8M10 02:40        Jersey Marine – Willesden or Brent

          ‘Q’ from Radyr dep. 03:10            

8A21 02:40        Jersey Marine – Acton or West Drayton

8C32 05:30 MX Jersey Marine – Severn Tunnel Jcn. arr.07:50

8C38 02:50 MX Jersey Marine – Severn Tunnel Jcn. arr.05:10

8B41 08:50 Jersey Marine – Bristol West Depot ‘Q’ or Wapping Wharf ‘Q’ or Filton

         ‘Q’  or Cheltenham ‘Q’ ThO

         ‘Q’ from Radyr dep. ??:??    

8C43 14:50        Jersey Marine – Severn Tunnel Jcn. arr.17:10        

8C43 21:55 MX Jersey Marine – Severn Tunnel Jcn. arr.00:20

8B44 13:55 Jersey Marine – Bristol West Depot or Wapping Wharf or Filton ‘Q’

          ‘Q’ from Radyr dep. 14:50

8M44 01:50 MO Jersey Marine – Bletchley

          02:10 MX Jersey Marine – West Drayton (8A44) or Bletchley (8M44)

          ‘Q’ from Radyr dep. 03:10

8O67 00:25 MO Jersey Marine – Eastleigh

          00:37 MX Jersey Marine – Eastleigh

          Both ‘Q’ from Radyr dep. 01:30

8O68 03:40 Jersey Marine – Wimbledon

          ‘Q’ from Radyr dep.04:42

8O78 13:10 Jersey Marine – Barry Dock arr. ??:??

8A79 00:30 MX-Q Jersey Marine-Newport Dock St.

                

                                                                         

 

[br2975]

I watched the football (if that is how Cardiff City FC describe the product on offer).

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That subject is closed.

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A short visit to the 'man cave' resulted in 30 minutes work on the NCB Twll Cach Washery trackwork, as most of the trackwork comprising Aberflyarff sidings is in place. tacked down temporarily with the (currently) ver basic electrics under test.

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Installing the (above board) point motors, linked by wire in tube to the tiebars will commence when I can be bothered to order wire.

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Got a tad wet returning from the man cave, "Mae hi'n bwrw glaw, heno". 

[Oldddudders]

Thankyou for a comprehensive response about JM, Brian! Yes, 10.42 from JM does ring a distant bell. 

 

Perhaps if people's heating was still based around anthracite rather than more convenient gas there might be some warmer folk this Winter....

[Happy Hippo]

Just in case anyone is not aware, Brian has a slight passing interest in S Wales freight operations from about the middle of the last century onwards.

 

I've had a reasonably productive day today, starting with removing and replacing the pump for the shower in the main bathroom.  Fixing next door's new petrol lawnmower which wouldn't start, and repairing a broken leg on the spare bed.  The person who designed the bed has obviously never had to move one to clean. The bed has three short legs along it's centre line to support the mattress slats and they have no sideways support, being a simple butt joint with a screw in stud to hold the leg on..  As soon as the bed is pulled sideways, the legs start to bend and pull free of stud they are mounted on.  I will have to make some pockets that act as sleeves around the legs and reduce the shearing action at the joint between leg and frame. 

 

The mower should never have left the factory: Certainly it had never been test run.... well it couldn't!  There is a metal strip that short out the ignition system when the throttle is closed and stops the mower.  This 'switch' had been so badly fitted that when the throttle was opened and the mower pulled over to try and start it, the ignition system remained shorted out.

 

No end of huffing and puffing by the big bad wolf was going to get it to start.  But it runs now after a slight tweak of the strip with a pair of pliers.

 

Since it's Sunday, I notice it is well past beer o'clock and I can hear a bottle of coffee stout screaming to be consumed.

 

I couldn't possibly be so cruel as to let it suffer!

 

 

[br2975]

13 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Thankyou for a comprehensive response about JM, Brian! Yes, 10.42 from JM does ring a distant bell. 

 

Perhaps if people's heating was still based around anthracite rather than more convenient gas there might be some warmer folk this Winter....

.

I recently did a presentation to the local RCTS (South Wales) group on the local freight reorganisation of the late 60s, known in part as 'Blockplan' - so the info was to hand, so to speak.

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Yes, apart from Onllwyn (Disposal Point for Nant Helen) I know of no other anthracite producing facility in South Wales.

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Onllwyn is all but closed, and is set to become a world centre of excellence for the testing of rail vehicles.

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Only the gigantic Ffos-y-fran opencast hole sends out coal by rail now, via Cwmbargoed - and that too is in its last few months.

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regardless of the current energy issues plaguing this country, Cardiff Bay are dithering over whether to grant Ffos-y-fran an extension............. after all, Cardiff Bay produces ample hot air to heat Wales, and export more beside.

[coastalview]

A contemporary view on "train spotting"

 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/oct/23/track-star-meet-tiktoks-trainspotter-sensation?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

 

Social media is rather odd IMHO

[br2975]

8 minutes ago, coastalview said:

A contemporary view on "train spotting"

 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/oct/23/track-star-meet-tiktoks-trainspotter-sensation?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

 

Social media is rather odd IMHO

.

Mr Bourgeois may be a lovely chap

BUT

His manner and presentation make this pensioner cringe, and appear to reinforce the age old stereotypes held by those with little knowledge of, or interest in our hobby - other than to ridicule.

.

Soap box now suitably stowed..

[SM42]

A longish day today out and about on PKP.

 

Parked the car near the church we got married in ( AKA where I had a nasty accident, getting my finger stuck in a wedding ring) and hopped on a tram to meet up with my visiting friends at the station.

 

Train to Bydgoszcz, one hour mooching about the station  and off to Torun. Did some sightseeing in town  ate cake,( the same flavour as our wedding cake)

 

 

 

and then train back to Poznan, tram to car to home for Sunday lunch. 

 

Our steed to Bydgoszcz, an EU160

 

 

And back to Poznan, an EP07

 

 

 

Weather started cloudy, but dry and brightened up throughout the day hitting 17c 

All in all a good if rather tiring day.

 

Andy

[SM42]

There was some left over cake that needed to be disposed in a carefully controlled sterile environment to prevent leakage and a major environmental incident. 

 

So I was called in 

 

Andy

[BoD]

I beg the help of the venereal venerable members…

 

Why do I insist on acquiring and building wagon kits for which I have no earthly use?

Having no six-wheeled examples how have I ended up with an odd number of  wheel sets?

 

Answers please on the back of a ten pound note to …

[simontaylor484]

The Dash for gas has a lot to answer for.

It's ok when there is plentiful supply from the North Sea. But when most of Europe's supply is under the control of an out of control dictator (other words can be exchanged) things go badly wrong.

 

[Northmoor]

1 hour ago, SM42 said:

And back to Poznan, an EP07

 

 

One day I must get a ride behind an EP07, basically a Class 83 but on 3000V DC.

[Northmoor]

Today has been one of those days when nothing seems to go right and it was pretty much entirely my own fault.

• Went to the local Halfords for a couple of things; one of their camping stoves seems a cheap mitigation for any potential power cuts this winter.  They were sold out and won't be back in stock until the spring; I had checked on line earlier in the week and they were in stock then.
• Also at Halfords, I wanted new key batteries so would need them synched; actually the guy was quite helpful and said they could change the batteries but could only provide instructions for re-synching.  He actually recommended going to Timpsons.  Normally if there's some instructions I'd "do it myself" but know people who have had real problems with non-synching keys (I've also had a new key cut by Timpsons, started the car with it but once home it was jammed.  I sold that car with the key in the ignition.
• Went to Costa to get drinks for Mrs Northmoor and Miss Northmoor.  Thinking I'd save some waste I brought a card 2-cup carrier from home.  Why why why didn't I bring a 4-cup one?  It fell over on the first roundabout (fortunately lids stayed on but they have big holes in), managed to reach over and stand it up (nowhere to pull over safely) but it promptly fell over again on the next roundabout.  My language by this point was getting industrial.  Spent 20 minutes cleaning and drying the carpet when I got home.
• Decided to make lasagna for dinner, then realised I was missing the grated mozzarella for the cheese sauce, then bafflingly decided on a pasta bake instead, which also needs the cheese to go on top......  Managed to find the one shop open after 4pm which might sell grated cheese.

I'm going in to work tomorrow.  Less can go wrong at work, surely?

[SM42]

49 minutes ago, Northmoor said:

One day I must get a ride behind an EP07, basically a Class 83 but on 3000V DC.

 

May I suggest you don't wait too long

 

Andy

 

[SM42]

1 hour ago, BoD said:

I beg the help of the venereal venerable members…

 

Why do I insist on acquiring and building wagon kits for which I have no earthly use?

Having no six-wheeled examples how have I ended up with an odd number of  wheel sets?

 

Answers please on the back of a ten pound note to …

 

Wagons kits are always needed. 

 

The solution to your dilemma is buy one more axle. 

 

How you got there who knows. In the long run it will all even out

 

Andy

All out of ten pound notes

[Winslow Boy]

11 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

The garage is looking emptier than usual because I've neglected to bring my chop saw and compressor back from the summerhouse which is a very convenient place to store things at the moment.

 

As it has yet to be commissioned into service, it is not under scrutiny from higher command.

 

I have to keep two steps ahead when it comes to storage.

 

I need to remove old and decrepit cupboards, and evaluate what the contents are worth to me.

 

Then replace them with the shelving, which I already have in another part of the garage.

 

However, I also need to plan this around the locations of a coup[le of additional power points (No good putting them where they would be inaccessible or inconvenient to use).  The garage floor also needs a repaint, so I need to plan the moves around this.  Absolutely no point in double or even treble handling stuff, although there will come a point at which some of my racking will have to be unloaded, moved and then the floor area underneath painted, before putting anything back.

 

I should use this time wisely to evaluate whether the stuff on the racking is needed anymore, which might create some more space.

 

Perhaps what I ought to do is just get another shed!🤣

 

I'm so sorry Big H to have caused all that procrastination there. I had no idea that the showing would run into length. Perhaps the answer would be to put the car into the summer shed or would that cause inconvenience with where to 'store' -cough-cough- use the chopsaw.

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, SM42 said:

 

Wagons kits are always needed. 

 

The solution to your dilemma is buy one more axle. 

 

How you got there who knows. In the long run it will all even out

 

Andy

All out of ten pound notes

You could always buy another 6 wheel wagon kit.

 

Just trying to be helpful says the guy with an overflowing set of shelves of shame, in fact a complete rack full of wagon, coach and loco kits.

 

Jamie 

[AndyID]

8 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

an overflowing set of shelves of shame

 

Only one set?

[newbryford]

On 22/10/2022 at 11:33, newbryford said:

 

 

On a golf club car park, I always park in forwards so I can easily chuck the clubs in after a bad round......

 

No need for that today! It went well.

 

We did go out about 1/2 hour before the forecast downpour would catch the last couple of holes of our round, but it never came. In fact the showers that we had played through lifted and the rest of the afternoon was dry.

Chalked up a decent round 2 score for the winter doubles series.

 

After 3 weeks of no home games of hockey, the Blackburn Hawks were up against the Deeside Dragons - a lineup  that contained a decent number of last years Hawks on their roster. 

We had "nicked" a few of them from Deeside the previous year as Deeside didn't play in the league due to their rink venue being used for Covid jabs. Then they nicked them back for this season and took some more of ours - totalling 9 players.

 

 Team stats:

Hawks: Av Age: 21.87 years | Av Ht: 181.33 cm | Av Wt: 76.83 kg 

 Dragons: Av Age: 30.1 years | Av Ht: 179.43 cm | Av Wt: 84.86 kg

 

Quite a large difference in age and weight and I did say to my daughter that I had a "bad feeling" about the score being against us, and at 7-3 final score, I had to eat my words as we'd won with a proper team display.

We usually play "pick the MVP" between us and it was difficult to choose anyone out of the 19 man squad that stood out above the rest - they were all brilliant.

 

A niggly affair with the Dragons trying to throw their weight about, but youth and speed won over. There's another 3 games between them this year and I can see one of them becoming a ref's nightmare!

We will endeavour to go to Deeside for at least one game this season as it's been about 5 years since we last visited for a game.