Early Risers.

[PhilJ W]

Tony, Is that dangerous, explosive carrying ship still a problem in the Thames estuary (that I remember from growing up)?

 

Best, Pete.

You mean the Richard Montgomery? Yes its still there, if it blows it will wipe out Sheerness, now where did I put that detonator?

[Gwiwer]

In an era when the fastest cars at the 24hrs are turbo-diesels, and the circuit also sees events for motor-bikes and lorries, as well as roller-skating (I think) then tram races must only be a matter of time, I'm sure.......

 

Back in the days when the Devon General bus company, which had inherited Exeter City's services, had a fairly complete alphabet on their "number" blinds because the Exeter routes were - and still are - lettered rather than numbered a few of us has a little fun at a Torquay depot open day.  

 

Having found that the word "RACES" was on the destination blind we then tried to wind up the letters B U S on the numbers.  A photo of an AEC Regent showing "BUS RACES" would have been amusing to the younger Gwiwer.  

 

Do you think we could find a vehicle with a U on the middle track???  B, U and S are all legitimate letters for Exeter routes.  Someone had pre-empted us and made sure you couldn't spell B U S except on those vehicles which didn't have "RACES" on the destination .......

 

Ah well.  We had a great trip back to London top front on a Neoplan Skyliner of Trathens Travel which didn't seem to have a speed limiter fitted and clipped over 30 minutes off the advertised journey time

[PhilJ W]

That reminds me of one of my anecdotes from teaching days. On a day of similar weather conditions to those described by Pete, a child ran into the classroom and said, "Come outside and see all the testicles hanging from the roof!"

 

On that note......!

How did you manage to keep a straight face?

[Tony_S]

Pete.

This BBC report about the Richard Montgomery is fairly recent.

[beast66606]

Morning all.

 

Hope we are all well.

 

I've been absent for a few days as my son and his girlfriend have been staying with us - it's sweet to see him totally besotted !

 

He had the journey from hell yesterday, they went to London for the day and then headed to Euston (to travel to Manchester) only to find a suicide had closed the lines and people were recommended to find alternate travel - off they went to St Pancras were the service had also gone Pete Tong, so off to Kings Cross were they boarded the 18:33 to Leeds, having watched the 18:30 to Edinburgh depart - 30 minutes later the Leeds left (27 late), because of this they missed their connection at Leeds (several of the alternate connecting services to Manchester were also cancelled, from Doncaster for example, so they had to go all the way to Leeds) and ended up getting to Manchester at 22:37, they get off the Middlesborough - Manchester train and decided to get the Manchester - Blackpool as far as Salford, it turns out this was the same train so they got back on again - and waited, after 20 minutes the train was failed but fortunately a pacer (the urban Pendolino) was behind and was routed around the failure so they eventually got home some after 6 hours travelling. If they had waited at Euston for the problems to clear they would have been back 2 hours quicker ... but hindsight is always 20/20 vision.

 

Dull and overcast here today.

 

Have a good one all.

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dull start & 7^oC . We might get the odd shower & even possibly some sunshine later.

Yet another late start by me - it's becoming a bit of a habit. After tomorrow Chris is off work for 10 days so a few more later starts are on the cards. (Unless she decides otherwise of course  )

Grandchildren are on half term & going to work with their Dad (He's a sports coach & runs clubs at schools during holidays) so it's a quiet week here.

Have good one,

Bob.

[AndyB]

Morning all.

Half way through half term break and still surviving! 

Off to the MiL in Shrewsbury - or the "Land that Broadband Forgot" as we think of it. 

Hope you are all well - apologies I've missed a few days of ERers.  

Best, Andy

[Coombe Barton]

Going into work for a bit - see how I survive.

 

Have to - laptop is complaining that Office needs to be confirmed as legal - and the only way I can do that is to physically confirm by hardwire hookup.

[Tony_S]

Going into work for a bit - see how I survive.

 

Have to - laptop is complaining that Office needs to be confirmed as legal - and the only way I can do that is to physically confirm by hardwire hookup.

Hopefully the traffic will be lighter being half term. I helped a neighbour with his Office legality problem. After installing it it said he had exceeded his number of licences. We selected the verify by telephone option and explained it was a transfer from a dead computer and got an authorisation code. Seemed to take ages but it did work.

 

Tony

[The Stationmaster]

Morning all,

 

As I trype this the sun is shining, ever brighter - next thing we know the sun's activity will be upsetting the weather and there is talk of a heatwave in the summer apparently.  Cor, I finished that sentence and it is still shining  

 

Thanks for the Bergen pics Gordon - looks very interesting so I wonder if we will get a chance to have a wander round? Mrs Stationmaster has obtained some Norwegian currency - according to info from my oppo up north who does occasional weekend trips over to Bergen I think she's drawn enough money to pay for 40 beers in a bar, i.e. c£200, I hope they have a cash machine on the ship.

 

Ah well if it stays dry it's a day to replenish the ready use log store - have a good day folks.

[Ian Hargrave]

Wot sun,guv? Grey blanket here.News that son & grandson flu'-bound on Tyneside & visit by grandson to include trip to RSC production of "Peter Pan and Wendy" is up the creek.Heigh ho...his first solo visit to grandma & grandpa too.Disappointing....but g&g will probably revisit childhood on their own & keep our seats at least.Getting a 'phone line through for possible resale is proving to be its usual nightmare and Elizabeth only needs half an excuse for a trip to Stratford,anyway.So....make the best of a bad job.

[Coombe Barton]

Hopefully the traffic will be lighter being half term. I helped a neighbour with his Office legality problem. After installing it it said he had exceeded his number of licences. We selected the verify by telephone option and explained it was a transfer from a dead computer and got an authorisation code. Seemed to take ages but it did work.

 

Tony

On our lot you have to connect every six months to get the corporate licence.

[Tony_S]

On our lot you have to connect every six months to get the corporate licence.

Aditi didn't use her college laptop as it was very underpowered and it was quicker to walk to a desktop PC. She has VPN access to college from her home PC. Does your licence actually require a true physical connection? (only curious out of some residual geekiness!)

[trisonic]

Pete.

This BBC report about the Richard Montgomery is fairly recent.

Interesting article. Thanks, Tony.

 

Best, Pete.

[Oldddudders]

You mean the Richard Montgomery? Yes its still there, if it blows it will wipe out Sheerness, now where did I put that detonator?

I still smile when I think that the term for such an explosion is actually "sympathetic detonation" - precisely the opposite of what it implies. Unless you don't like certain towns in North Kent, of course.

[Tony_S]

I still smile when I think that the term for such an explosion is actually "sympathetic detonation" - precisely the opposite of what it implies. Unless you don't like certain towns in North Kent, of course.

It allegedly would do some damage in Essex as well. Though the former liquid gas installation on Canvey had more big bang potential.

[Oldddudders]

It allegedly would do some damage in Essex as well. Though the former liquid gas installation on Canvey had more big bang potential.

Canvey no doubt represented a "managed risk" while the long-term effects of salt water on bombs are less predictable, I assume.

[New Haven Neil]

I still smile when I think that the term for such an explosion is actually "sympathetic detonation" - precisely the opposite of what it implies. Unless you don't like certain towns in North Kent, of course.

 

 

They used to talk about sympathetic detonation when I was on gas tankers - British gas not US! - 75.000 m³  of butane and propane in my case!  I doubt it could happen, not enough oxygen to make a one time bang, but it may sustain for a while!

[Debs.]

Lifejackets.jpg

 

As the Jet Stream seems to have moved North, I've had to lay off these workers.

 

That`s an impressive pair of Mae-Wests!

[Tony_S]

Canvey no doubt represented a "managed risk" while the long-term effects of salt water on bombs are less predictable, I assume.

The risks got riskier and required a lot more management. Ground storage techniques that worked in Algerian sand didn't work quite as expected in Essex clay. It all ended safely though without the island being split in half.

I do remember a local radio discussion where two "experts" argued about if the gas storage went up whether it would be the equivalent of a one or seven megaton nuclear device!

I used to accompany the science trips to local refineries. We were assured that refineries do not explode. The evidence for this was apparently the Iranian shelling of the Iraqi Basra refineries during the Iran-Iraq war.

[Debs.]

They used to talk about sympathetic detonation when I was on gas tankers - British gas not US! - 75.000 m³  of butane and propane in my case!  I doubt it could happen, not enough oxygen to make a one time bang, but it may sustain for a while!

 

I did once witness a large BLEVE detonation...........although it was a staged-demonstration, it`s not something I`d ever wish to see (or feel) again.

[New Haven Neil]

I did once witness a large BLEVE detonation...........although it was a staged-demonstration, it`s not something I`d ever wish to see (or feel) again.

 

Indeed, I saw a You Tube of the one in the US where the freight train ran away - quite frightening.

[colin penfold]

Back in the days when the Devon General bus company, which had inherited Exeter City's services, had a fairly complete alphabet on their "number" blinds because the Exeter routes were - and still are - lettered rather than numbered a few of us has a little fun at a Torquay depot open day.  

 

Having found that the word "RACES" was on the destination blind we then tried to wind up the letters B U S on the numbers.  A photo of an AEC Regent showing "BUS RACES" would have been amusing to the younger Gwiwer.  

 

Do you think we could find a vehicle with a U on the middle track???  B, U and S are all legitimate letters for Exeter routes.  Someone had pre-empted us and made sure you couldn't spell B U S except on those vehicles which didn't have "RACES" on the destination .......

 

Ah well.  We had a great trip back to London top front on a Neoplan Skyliner of Trathens Travel which didn't seem to have a speed limiter fitted and clipped over 30 minutes off the advertised journey time

Interestng firm Trathens. You can credit them with brining fast, comfortable direct coach services to the UK inter city market, but they had a chequered record. A couple of high profile accidents, prosecutions for vehicle maintenance, drivers hours and speeding offences. I worked at Western National in the 1980s and remember one report of a westbound service clocked at over 100 and the police deciding not to chase it but to call ahead to have it stopped, presumably on safety grounds. Avon and somerset police got very interested in coaches for a while after that and one of ours got done for "Exhibiting a tv picture to the rear" because the back curtain wasn't shut properly. Interesting times. I can also say from personal observations that speed limiters wee not universally fitted until the legal requirement came in and that the early ones were easily tampered with using a paper clip .

[Gwiwer]

 

Interestng firm Trathens

 

 

Oh yes.  A very eclectic mix of often quite exotic hardware used for touring rock bands and the largest fleet of Neoplan Skyliners in the UK at the time which effectively introduced the concept of what became National Express's "Rapide" network.

 

Speed limits?  What are they, guv?  

 

We departed from London (Gloucester Road "coach station" - a muddy yard) aboard Skyliner 01 only to come to a grinding halt within a mile with seized brakes.  An hour later and they had whistled up a replacement Skyliner which still got us into Plymouth only 20 minute late.  Overtaking almost everything on the motorway and only using the right-hand lane all the way.  Exhilerating it was.  And more than a little worrying.  Buy that's what you got for a fiver fare.

[Tony_S]

I remember some of the high speed trips from Victoria Coach Station to Digbeth on the Midland Red motorway coaches. I think all the drivers must have been Birmingham based as it never seemed so quick heading south. Going on a Saturday to London was fun as they sold a lot of tickets and just seemed to find extra vehicles. I once must have been a late purchaser as the bus (definitely not a coach) looked more like one that toodled round some of the smaller Warwickshire villages. Also the driver didn't know the way and couldn't keep up with the one ahead who did once we left the M1. Fortunately a passenger responded to the driver's plea for guidance!

 

Tony