Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[Karabiner]

I discovered a few weeks ago that one of my regular golfing companions' father was an engine driver on the Midlands circuit.

Let me know if there are any questions you'd like to ask him.

[Longines]

As a long distance rail commuter I'm slowly turning into a train geek by osmosis. We only have two types of train on the Midland Mainline - HSTs or the newer Meridians. I used to prefer the HSTs for the (relatively) massive seats but the ride quality is now horrific. Maybe it's the rails but the bouncing is ridiculous - I actively avoid them now.

[Nakor]

Do trains have seats?
Is the train just the bit at the front or locomotive and carriages?
You need to come ride the Bittern line, not sure the rolling stock would excite you, but its great view with some stunning destinations.
Oh my, I'm at it now.

[AndrewT]

Do trains have seats?

Bit late to be asking that now Jeremy.

[Nakor]

Do trains have seats?

Bit late to be asking that now Jeremy.

Real life lol

[stumpythefish]

Im a train driver and love it unfortunately not long after I passed out we got new trains called 143s .If you can imagine a bus on train wheels no suspension,a gearbox that ofton got stuck in 1st max speed 20 but best of all cable breaks after about the 3rd break application on your journey the brakes became virtually  non existant

[TightEnd]

thought you might like this

sky from the sky

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJfN5U7jMXt/

[TightEnd]

World's largest aircraft Airlander 10 crashes during test flight http://dailym.ai/2bgJ3vs 

Click to see full-size image.

[tikay]

I discovered a few weeks ago that one of my regular golfing companions' father was an engine driver on the Midlands circuit.

Let me know if there are any questions you'd like to ask him.

The "Midlands circuit", you say, Ralph?

It sounds a little elitist, & it probably is, but if we are steeped in railway history, we develop a bind to "our" particular line or region & we tend to poo poo all the "lesser" lines.

I was lucky in that Dad was on the GWR - "God's Wonderful Railway" - so I am unreasonably aloof when it comes to lesser lines.

I took the train to Bristol on Tuesday, & back up to London yesterday, & had THE most wonderful 2 journeys. I took a ton of photos, & I'm afraid I may have to post them all if time permits. I was like a schoolboy with his Ian Allen trainspotters book. Which is a bit juvenile, all things considered, but I really don't care.

Ian Allen Trainspotters books, circa 1960, were the best thing ever. The idea was to "spot" every locomotive, & then cross them off in our little book. Happy days. Now I go to Paddington Station & all I see are warning signs for Pokeman players. Bleurgh.  But if it keeps kids out of trouble, & gets them out & about in the real world, away from the telly & internet games, all good I suppose.


  

[tikay]

As a long distance rail commuter I'm slowly turning into a train geek by osmosis. We only have two types of train on the Midland Mainline - HSTs or the newer Meridians. I used to prefer the HSTs for the (relatively) massive seats but the ride quality is now horrific. Maybe it's the rails but the bouncing is ridiculous - I actively avoid them now.

I noticed that on MML, but I believe it is down to poor PW (PW = the track) maintenance, rather than the class 3 rolling stock. I was pleased to see that Class 3 Slam Door stock has been given the green light to stay in service for another 30 years or more, which is wonderful news.

The GWR Main Line has hundreds of Class 3 carriages, & they are in great nick. Sadly, electrification beckons, so we will say goodbye to them quite soon.

For those dying to know how to recognize Class 3 stock, it's the slam door coaches, like this......   

[bobAlike]

As a long distance rail commuter I'm slowly turning into a train geek by osmosis. We only have two types of train on the Midland Mainline - HSTs or the newer Meridians. I used to prefer the HSTs for the (relatively) massive seats but the ride quality is now horrific. Maybe it's the rails but the bouncing is ridiculous - I actively avoid them now.

I noticed that on MML, but I believe it is down to poor PW (PW = the track) maintenance, rather than the class 3 rolling stock. I was pleased to see that Class 3 Slam Door stock has been given the green light to stay in service for another 30 years or more, which is wonderful news.

The GWR Main Line has hundreds of Class 3 carriages, & they are in great nick. Sadly, electrification beckons, so we will say goodbye to them quite soon.

For those dying to know how to recognize Class 3 stock, it's the slam door coaches, like this......   

What does the PW stand for?

[tikay]

Do trains have seats?
Is the train just the bit at the front or locomotive and carriages?
You need to come ride the Bittern line, not sure the rolling stock would excite you, but its great view with some stunning destinations.
Oh my, I'm at it now.

Fascinating question.

Trains have seats, yes.

A train is defined as the loco AND the carriages. The loco without carriages is just that, a loco, ditto carriages. Put them together & you have a train.

These days of course we have dual-direction (loco at each end) "sets", so locos as such are dying out.

Here's a Class 43, it has one of these locos at each end, so does not need a turntable, & only works as a set. 

They were built between 1975 & 1982, & of the 197 built, 194 remain in service to this day, which is quite something, that's over 40 years in some cases. And still purring along nicely.  (The missing 3 were all destroyed in major accidents, oddly, all 3 were on the GWR, including the Paddington & Southall rail disasters).

They are designated as "Bo Bo", which means 2 bogies with 4 axles in total, all powered. When they have 6 bogies, all powered, that is designated as "Co Co".

Fascinating stuff, eh? 

[tikay]

As a long distance rail commuter I'm slowly turning into a train geek by osmosis. We only have two types of train on the Midland Mainline - HSTs or the newer Meridians. I used to prefer the HSTs for the (relatively) massive seats but the ride quality is now horrific. Maybe it's the rails but the bouncing is ridiculous - I actively avoid them now.

I noticed that on MML, but I believe it is down to poor PW (PW = the track) maintenance, rather than the class 3 rolling stock. I was pleased to see that Class 3 Slam Door stock has been given the green light to stay in service for another 30 years or more, which is wonderful news.

The GWR Main Line has hundreds of Class 3 carriages, & they are in great nick. Sadly, electrification beckons, so we will say goodbye to them quite soon.

For those dying to know how to recognize Class 3 stock, it's the slam door coaches, like this......   

What does the PW stand for?

Permanent Way, usually called "PW".

Essentially, it's the track, but railway folk always call it the PW, or "Way". 



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_way_(history)

[tikay]

Im a train driver and love it unfortunately not long after I passed out we got new trains called 143s .If you can imagine a bus on train wheels no suspension,a gearbox that ofton got stuck in 1st max speed 20 but best of all cable breaks after about the 3rd break application on your journey the brakes became virtually  non existant

Do you live & work up North, then? Far as I knew, they only operated in the North, &, latterly, the South West.

They all have to be removed from service soon I think due to (lack of) accessibility.

Dreadful things, & certainly not suitable for southerners or posh folk, oh no.

I think Maureen (The Nun) is a guard on these, for Arriva, or Northern Rail.

 

 

[tikay]

thought you might like this

sky from the sky

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJfN5U7jMXt/

Grand photo, that, though why it fascinates to see our place of work from the sky I'm not entirely sure.

All those buildings (with one exception) belong to Sky. The exception is the building at the bottom, centre, which is Gillette House & Gillette Corner.  Once it was a beautiful building, but it's just a shell now. That stretch of the wonderfully named "Great West Road" is full of art deco architecture, mostly ruined now by ugly street furniture & new buildings.

The multi-coloured building (top middle) is just a multi story car park which has been dressed with cladding to "make it look nice".

The big building at the very top stands on what was, until 2 years ago, the Harrods Repository.

The estate is monstrously huge, & to this day, I still struggle to grasp what all the staff there (6,000 I believe) do. It has 10 or 12 restaurants, maybe more. It's like a fortress to get in & out, its all guarded by turnstiles which are operated by Staff Passes. Arrive there at 0530 to find your pass has expired is a pretty demoralising experience, let me tell you, no amount of talking or flannel will get you in.