Telegrammed by Jack Ketch
West Coast Railway Company appear determined to continue making their mark, despite losing out to EWS on the operation of Tornado.
Thus on Monday the company treated the residents of Crewe to a splendid fireworks display courtesy of 37712
With four appliances in attendance and the juice switched off for an hour there was much to see.
Although sadly very few of the trains that passengers were actually waiting for.
A banker writes:
According to DafT's press release today about the invitation to tender for 1,200 new Thameslink vehicles:
"Carriages will be joined together permanently to form a train and will stay this way in a 'fixed formation' for the rest of their working life. This will make the manufacturing process simpler and more economical, and allows the trains to work more reliably".
Shame then that these trains, although more economical to manufacture, will be relatively expensive to lease given the residual value risk associated with such an inflexible formation.
Poor old DafT, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Telegrammed by Eboracum (50A)
The sharp eyed cranks amongst you will have noticed that all the recent test runs of new ‘Uber Kettle’ Tornado have been crewed by EWS rather than the expected operator West Coast Railways.
How can this be?
Alas, it would appear that the A1 Trust declined to paint the loco in BR Brunswick Green.
So the loco, in battleship grey, is now running on an EWS ticket.
Surprisingly the choice of photographic grey has proved surprisingly beneficial to the A1 trust.
Not least because it helped show off the logo of test run sponsor National Express to great effect.
Indeed so great was the horde of spectators lining the route of the first test run that Railway Eye understand a sponsor for the second mainline test has already been signed up...
UPDATE: A reader writes:
"It appears there is an inaccuracy with your latest post about Tornado - a sponsor for the 'second mainline test' is unlikely to have been found, because all 3 tests (light engine, 60mph and 75mph) have all been completed successfully.
Indeed, her next appearance in a few weeks time will be in apple green with British Railways on the tender."
Railway Eye stands corrected!
David Wilcock, Britain's most senior kettle-crank, has been ritually humiliated on national TV by botox powered witch Ann Robinson.
Poor old David was the second to be dumped in the latest edition of the Weakest Link..
But the greatest indignity to befall Britain's arch-puffer-nutter was when Ann commanded him to imitate an L&Y pug.
Mr Toad like he offered a feeble "puff, puff, puff".
To see David's abject misery click here and forward to 7.50 minutes into the show.
David, you ARE the weakest link....goodbye.
***Alstom, Bombardier, Hitachi and Siemens have been invited to tender today for 1,200 new Thameslink vehicles***
Read the DafT press release here.
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