Early Risers.

[New Haven Neil]

Evening again - a glorious week here, really nice weather.

 

As for 9/11, I was sitting on a desk chatting to my staff (I was admin. manager) in an NHS Outpatients department in Newcastle when one girl's hubby rang to say to put the radio on - we were flabbergasted, I thought that the Third World (nuclear) War would likely be kicked off by these events, and did not sleep that night.

 

As for Grumble Glen, Jock, I am but a small part of the railway, others do more, and have been there a lot longer than I.  But we are proud to be part of it (Mrs H volunteers too) and everyone tries very hard to present the railway in a professional manner - we all wear uniform if on a public facing duty.  As for the views, well there are lods on U-Tube, and...this scruffy bloke driving the Steamplex on an out of season works train, the gradient is 1 in 33.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lo3ZF8tdfw

 

Here's a view of operations, I don't seem to appear although I was there that day as far as I recall.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP0jCmrV1WU

 

 

I'm not driving on Sunday now, changed duties to cover a guard turn as a favour to the Chairman who cannot now attend.  Still fun....awful photo though.

 

 

 

[Sidecar Racer]

You gotta love the Simplex , it sounds like it's not sure if it's a steamer or a diesel .  

[New Haven Neil]

You gotta love the Simplex , it sounds like it's not sure if it's a steamer or a diesel .  

 

It's loud for sure - it makes your ears ring if you have to give her the beans going up the bank!

[eldavo]

In 2001 I was at a training course at IBM Hursley (Winchester) when the news came on at Lunchtime. half the attended were American, as we're some of the presenters.

Not much got done after that.

There's a coincidence. I was at my office in Hursley that day. I remember picking up a coffee from the machine and looking up at one of the many TV screens around the site and seeing the first tower burning and the second plane hitting. Live! A truly sickening sight.

 

Can't remember how many IBM employees were lost but one was on one of the planes.

 

Not something that will be forgotten by many many people.

 

Cheers

Dave

[Happy Hippo]

I heard that the ghost of “Cock of the North” can be seen and heard above the Ricoh Centre gently hissing into the breeze....

 

Shame I can’t make it really!

 

Best, Pete.

I don't think it was hissing into the breeze!

[station cat]

On7/7 I was on one of the trains that went into the chaos at Victoria, having gone on secondment to the DfE. It was a colleague's birthday, and two of us had gone out to the Apple Store for a gift - it was awful. We ended up stranded and had to walk back to Westminster in deserted streets, apart from the police cars and ambulances, and all we could hear were sirens, near and far. One of our colleagues was killed, we found out later.

 

There were almost no trains that evening, and I had to get the only one running on the Brighton line, and Julie had to come and pick me up at Purley Oaks. 

 

By the next day everything was back to normal, and we got onto the trains with a defiant mood. Does anyone remember the 'We're not scared' campaign?

 

 

I remember the failed attack on the 21st - I was doing some research at the National Archives when they announced over the PA that there had been a failed attempt at a terrorist attack. Everyone just looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to work. There was a definite feeling of we'll not let those wotsits intimidate us.

 

I've just seen this interesting scary article on what would have happened to flight 93 on 9/11 if the passengers hadn't fought back http://news.yahoo.com/american-f-16-pilot-given-kamikaze-mission-sept-160215167.html

Edited September 11, 2014 by station cat

[NGT6 1315]

Of 9/11, I remember that I had just got home after some purchases when a friend called from work, urging me to turn on the TV immediately. We kept talking as events unfolded and were quite simply stunned as such a thing as was occurring in New York that day would at most be expected from questionable popcorn action flicks. I remember how I predicted that whoever might have been responsible would most certainly have war at their hands soon.

 

But, to return to more agreeable matters: Voith has Gravitas: Class 265 (Voith Gravita 15L BB) diesel shunter from Brawa

 

[trisonic]

That model looks more “massive” than the real thing, Dom!

 

Best, Pete.

[Barry O]

quote from her indoors.. thats a nice shiny red loco.... so thats a big thumbs up from her!

 

Baz

[trisonic]

Here’s photo that I took of one of the girders from the WTC. I’ve lost the other one that was of one end which was twisted and snapped like a rod of taffy that had been in a giant kid’s mouth:

 

 

What you don’t get from the reports is the awful stink that pervaded the whole are for days, burnt rubber, burnt insulation and God knows what else.

 

Did you know that the FDNY had it’s own Padre? He was in the street giving a Fireman his last rites when he was struck and killed by someone who jumped from about 800 feet up.... 

 

Best, Pete.

[Tony_S]

I see that a big display ad near Times Square is drawing attention to one of the conspiracy theories about 9/11. 

 

edit to change in to "near"

Edited September 11, 2014 by Tony_S

[trisonic]

Its not worthy of comment, Tony. But, hey, that’s what you get in a free country.

 

Best, Pete.

Edited September 11, 2014 by trisonic

[Tony_S]

Its not worthy of comment, Tony.

 

Best, Pete.

I agree. As we don't have constitutional rights to" free speech" here I suspect it would have been withdrawn quite quickly on the grounds of "breach of the peace" or whatever the modern name for that is.

[station cat]

I've heard about the FDNY Padre. Not sure where, possibly he's one of the guys that's written up in the New York Fire Museum (which is a cracking little museum by the way)

[trisonic]

Probably SC - he was very well liked in New York.  Mychal Judge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mychal_Judge

Btw I apologize for getting his mode of death wrong - I must have been thinking of someone else.

 

Edit: It was reported as I described and amended much later...I think the irony of what he was doing really may have been too much at the time.

 

Best, Pete.

Edited September 11, 2014 by trisonic

[SouthernRegionSteam]

As promised!

 

 

[Tony_S]

As promised!

 

 

 

froggy.jpg

Ribbit counting in ERs!

[Jock67B]

Evening all,

A very sad day but good that we haven't had any anniversary atrocities I suppose. Quite uncanny that everyone seems to remember what they were doing on 9/11, just as was said about the day JFK went down! Terribly sad reminder about the priest Pete, brings to mind that the perpetrators almost certainly believed they were going to a better place to meet their version of the deity - sick!

Stewart, the late Derek Cross and my father were of like mind on such mundane duties for a 'Duchess'. Thanks to Billy Butlin, then Mr Bloom of Bressingham Museum, and now many more, the beautiful lady lives on! I suddenly recalled, after reading your earlier post, being quite frightened when I was young by the oscillation of the tender and loco at speed, had to time my hop over the fall plate to fetch dad's piece (trans: lunch) box from the locker. It really was quite a violent movement but there was the fireman nonchalantly stepping back and forth to feed the flames. I'll have to trot out some of his tales from time to time!

Neil, thanks for the info on Groundle Glen, and the lovely links. Do all Simplexes wheeze like that? Thought the uniform looked very smart, but I'm sad that you missed out on the drive - probably earned Chairman's brownie points however!

POETS day has just arrived so ,

Kind regards,

Jock.

PS Jack, that's a scary sculpture climbing on to the quay! Clever though. J.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Jock67B

[travelintrev]

Good morning all, 

 

The salmon remained hiding in the Fraser River today so we went for a picnic at Alouette Lake .    Then bending to a request to watch some of my models on  a BBC  program which  is on You Tube ,and that led to watching You tube videos  of the Festiniog /WHR  - then Leighton Buzzard where a loco I used to own resides......what a girl eh??? Now polishing off a bottle of wine (well cant leave it for Marilyn to drink on her own now can I?)

 

What ever you're up to day make the most of it - tomorrows Saturday! 

 

Trev.

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

9/11 seems a very long time ago now - At that time, I was working for a well known bank in Frankfurt.  I had been writing some software to display real-time stock market information when I saw the bottom drop out of the DAX - very suddenly.  The market never normally reacts that dramatically, that quickly - so I set about finding what I thought was a glitch and it was at that point that a colleague came in and told me that an aircraft had crashed into the WTC.  Of course, we all thought it was a small private aircraft, until we got up to the conference room and switched on CNN.

 

My ex-wife was in LA at the time.  I gave her a call to find out if she was Ok (totally irrational given that she was 3000 miles away - but that's with the benefit of hindsight) and although I had trouble getting through initially, I did manage after several tries.

 

"Of course, I'm alright - why wouldn't I be"

"Have you got the TV on"

"No, I was asleep"

"Put the TV on"

"Ok..... S*****!"

 

It took her over a week to get back home, but at least she came home - unlike far too many others.

 

The weather is not so good this morning.  Dull, wet and still raining.

 

Almost forgot to add - Sorry to hear about DD2, Sherry.  It is very easy to sit outside of a situation (whatever it may be) and have all the answers and all the ideas about how something should be, in your opinion.  At the end of the day, it is no ones business but those who are/ were directly involved.  If she is ever involved in a similar situation personally (which, of course, I hope she never is) then she will understand that.

 

Have a good day everyone...

Edited September 12, 2014 by Robert

[Barry O]

Fatchy pog again!

 

Off to Swindon via Roundhay, Dewsbury and Barnsley...don't ask its a long story.

Probably won't be back on here till Monday so just enjoy yourselves and behave yourselves! (Fat chance of the latter!)

Hope to see one or two of you over the weekend

 

Baz

[Barry O]

Dear Travelintrev,

Her indoors caught sight of you photo. She has now decided that we must visit in the near future.

This will be nice but means my modelling funds will be sorely depleted, Humph!

 

Yours

Baz

 

PS what a beautiful scene.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

I was up until about 2 am taking regular tea supplies into the study to Aditi who was generating all kinds of documents for next week. I'm not sure what time she finished.

I have a shopping list. I will probably go to Tesco, but I am expecting packages that I'm not sure will go through the letter box.

I won't be off to Swindon or Coventry this weekend. I would like to but the travelling time for either is just enough to deter me. Perhaps next year!

 

Tony

[Pete 75C]

Morning all. Third attempt to sell wife's car this morning. One "no-show" and then a guy that travelled 100 miles only to say "I thought it was manual"... I wonder what part of "semi-automatic with paddle-shift" he didn't understand..?

Wish me luck, I want the driveway back.

Pete.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Pete 75C

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

Dull start but should be a dry day with some sunny spells.

Chris at home today so I suspect domestic tasks will have to take priority. (That is if I want a quiet life)

I had wanted to go to Coventry for the weekend but a Golden Wedding celebration tomorrow has got in the way. However as a consolation we (yes surprisingly we) are going to Swindon on Sunday.

Have a good one,

Bob.