Not a pointless sign!

This from Northern Rail...

 
Good effort!

Guardian Angels - 1C84

This from Lock and Load...

1C84 1306 PAD - PNZ hit a tree in the Woodborough area on Saturday 10/07.

Suspected cause of the tree on the line was the embankment moving following the very dry spell.

Driver very lucky with only minor injuries. No pax casualties etc...


Gosh!!!

The Jesuit approach to romancing the railways

This from Captain Deltic, via MMS....

All credit to toyshop chain, the Early Learning Centre, who are leading the fight back against anthropomorphic tank engines with this recognisable A4 in garter blue:

A very timely suggestion. The Fact Compiler is just popping into town...

UPDATE: Captain Deltic adds...

I should have mentioned for those of the Stanier persuasion there is also a stream-lined Coronation in maroon livery.

However, grand-daughter naturally preferred Sir Nigel's design.

NR's Great Western is no Great Western!

This just in from D1048...

Into the inbox thunders a missive from Network Rail, with the announcement of a thorough refurbishment for Isambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash.

Welcome news.

But what's this comment from Route Director Chris Rayner?

“It will be the most complex refurbishment work since the bridge was built”.

Hrmmph!

Given that NR is expecting to spend around £10m to 'strengthen, restore and repaint' the bridge over the next three years, it may certainly be the most expensive refurbishment in the bridge's 150-year history, but the most complex?

Just for the record, the Great Western Railway undertook a major refurbishment of the Royal Albert Bridge back in 1928, when the main girders supporting the 15 approach spans on both banks were completely replaced.

In an eerie foretaste of NR's proposed high-output 'factory train' model, the innovative GWR developed a special wagon to undertake the renewal work. This carried the new girders to site, supported the deck whilst swinging the old girders out and lifting new ones into place, before retreating again with the old girders for removal. A very good explanation of how it was done - with pictures - can be found here.

And what is more the whole process could be carried out - with manual labour - in just 3 1/2 hours, allowing an entire span to be replaced in a 5-hour Sunday morning possession. Certainly not three years!

Is this another case of today's railway having no corporate memory before 1993?

UPDATE: This from Ithuriel...

Or 2002 in the case of Network Rail.

Monkey about on the railway at your peril

This with a bowler tip to the IRRU...

Last week the BBC reported that a Capuchin Monkey had escaped from a Cumbrian wildlife park.

This from yesterday's NR log

*** 12/04/10 13:28 #QRP8227 *** CREATED

12:40 Police Marksman have requested services to be suspended at Askam as they require to shoot a Capuchin ape that is hanging from a tree over the running lines at Askam.

12:55 Police Marksman informs the caution can be lifted as the Capuchin ape has left site

Evidently NR is taking a much firmer line on trespass and vandalism.

Station flasher with fake 'private parts' - Seriously!

This from the Wicked Weaver...

Thought Eye readers might enjoy this from my local paper the Belper News, which appeared in this week's issue:


Is it possible to flash with fake 'private parts'?

It's like a menagerie out there...

Is Beatrix Potter running the railway?

(LNWN) At 1726 the driver of 1M98, EA, 1611 Edinburgh Waverley - Manchester Airport, reported that CE483 signal on the Up Main line at Carlisle Kingmoor had reverted from green to red as the train approached. The driver was unable to stop and passed the signal at red. The driver was fit to continue. It was confirmed by the Signalling Shift Manager at Carlisle PSB that a momentary remote systems failure had occurred at the time at Carlisle Kingmoor. The S&T team attended, and upon arrival at Kingmoor Relay Room discovered a cat climbing over the racks which house the TDM equipment, and which may have been responsible for the momentary failure.
The cat was removed to a place of safety, and it was also reported that the roof of the Relay Room was leaking and the floor flooded, although not affecting equipment, the Property Action Line advised.
TRUST 740862 IQRO = 5 trains = 28 mins. Fault No.450842. CCIL 523594.

There was also disruption on the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line just before mid-day today - due to a fox on the line at Warren Street.

UPDATE: This from 'Is 1A03 out of Chester yet, Bert?' with a bowler tip to Messrs Kitchener and Ford...


Metro had a similar story on the 8th December last year - here suitably captioned.

Don't be taken in by Portillo - Shocker

This from Annoni Mouse...

Suddenly the entire railway seems to have fallen in love with Michael Portillo following his recent TV series on railway journeys.

Why even Nigel Harris raved about his performance!!!

But don't be taken in!

Given a choice between a free Indy and a free Torygraph on the train to York today which do you think he took?


And devoured it from cover to cover.

A leopard doesn't change its spots!

UPDATE: This from Leo Pink...

Actually, Portillo was quite a good Transport Minister in the Hippocratic sense.

He did no harm and was a good egg.

UPDATE: This from Tory Girl...

And which party, when in Government, approved the Channel Tunnel - a rail only link with the continent?

UPDATE: This from our slightly furious International Correspondent...

I am confused after watching the very Thatcherite former Hon Member for Enfield East, (latterly the Minister of State for Transport) recalling his version of "saving" the Settle & Carlisle line during his BBC2 Great Railway Hagiography.

He said saving the line was one of the greatest achievements of his political career.

It is all a long time ago but I thought that at the time he, and his predecessor David Mitchell, were both "minded" to consent to closure.

This in full accord with their official's aspirations.

And so it would have been but for a real railwayman.

London Midland Region's Ron Cotton (deep doff of the bowler, Ed) "accidentally" kept cocking up the closure procedure, thus allowing the Chair of the TUCC to listen to Ruswarp (the late and much lamented Border Collie objector).

Happily this was all resolved when, on the 11th April 1989, Portaloo published a letter that refused consent on the first page.

However, so badly spatchcocked was his missive - evidently at the 11th hour, that it made no sense at all (actually consenting to closure on subsequent pages).

There is a statue of Ruswarp on Garsdale station platform, commissioned by the Friends of the Settle and Carlisle Line.


But of Michael Denzil Xavier Portillo - not even a cheap plaque marks his passing.

Good.

Great headlines of our time!

Does Railnews have it in for Passenger Focus?


Shome mishtake shurely?

New Year's Honours List - Shocker

A Royal Warrant for the National Passenger Survey?


Or the Order of the Chop for cheeky Passenger Focus!

Hero signalman Bill Taylor recognised

This from the BBC...

A memorial plaque has been unveiled in Cumbria to honour a railway signalman who prevented a potential disaster 25 years ago.

Good effort.

LU leads way in motivating staff to communicate

This from bitterwallet with a bowler tip to Is 1A03 out of Chester yet, Bert

The platform announcer at Farringdon refused to stop talking for nearly half an hour, giving a blow-by-blow account of what was occurring.

Follow the link to hear it in all its glory.

The guy's a natural - who needs The X Factor?

UPDATE: This from A Despairing Member of Staff...

I note your post on the quality of LUL Passenger annoucements; is there any chance of SWT using this gentlemen on their services in the future because I for one have had enough of Digital Doris telling me to "please take my personal belongings with me when I leave the train."

What other belongings would she like me to remove? Public belongings, perhaps? Does she honestly believe that I boarded the train carrying a bench I stole from the park? Or perhaps she means that I may leave the train with belongings which in actual fact belong to persons other than myself?

Please could someone have a word with Lord Carrier-bag of Double-Decker; call it a Christmas request from his chums at the sharp end.

Germans resolve National Train shortage

Whilst our beloved Department for Transport vacillates over new rolling stock orders, our Teutonic friends have solved the problem.

This from the Police Oracle...

The six-seater train - made out of garden furniture and salvaged train parts - was powered by an electric motor and even had its own refreshments car in the shape of a crate of beer.

Vorsprung durch technik as they used to say.

UPDATE: This from a Mr Fergy-Lee...

Here at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, we have been providing innovative transport solutions for over half a decade! Please see attached.

‘Muriel 2’ was our first piece of motive power and still exists somewhere in our extensive fleet. It is a 1-A petrol electric and is capable of several miles per hour.


Frankly, anything above a crawl and you feel very close to God…

St Pancras Oecumenical

Anyone lost a shunter?

This strange tale from Kris Ward over at the Middleton Railway...

Volunteers turning up at the Middleton Railway on Saturday morning were surprised to find an English Electric shunter in the car park.


We're not sure where it should have been delivered (possibly Hunslet Engine Co in the Midlands) but the shunter certainly had nothing to do with us (I gather putting your headboard on it isn't a legally binding claim).

It has been mentioned on various websites now and we are hoping someone will collect it before Wednesday otherwise it will really get in the way of a big shunt of workshop projects.

Have you misplaced a shunter. Alternatively can you give one a good home? If so contact the Middleton Railway...

UPDATE: This from Kris Ward...

The shunter was on its way to Hunslet Engine Co as we had guessed.

We have our shed in Hunslet, where as theirs is near Tamworth, hence the mistake.

I am sure we would gladly take in strays again, though ideally working ones on gala weekends :-)

The Hammers... and tongs

This from Reuters...

Instead of the usual messages about delays, passengers at West Ham station in east London heard a couple's love-making antics being relayed over platform loudspeakers during the evening rush hour on Thursday.

Good old Extended Jubilee line - longer, faster, deeper!

Fowl play?

WTF?

1

28/10/2009 09:39

2D08 reported an ostrich on the track between Ufford and Wickham Mkt. 1D03 confirmed same near bridge 435. Ips MOM attended but nothing found, NWR from 0935.

xxxxxx

NR

And before you ask...

No, it wasn't an emu!

Had beer been taken?

EVENTS
Date	Time	Co	Description
14/09	1255	NR	Port Talbot Panel advise that driver of 1B20 has reported members of a stag party jumping out of the train (via the vestibule windows) whilst it was stood at PT3029 signal (due to the Pyle "body" incident which turned out to be a cardboard cut out of Bart Simpson) and walking back towards Bridgend station. BTP advised (ref. 217). MOM and LOM ETA 15 minutes. All trains on stop. Train Manager pulled the comm. cord and gave the descriptions of the stag party as 3 Incredible Hulks, 2 Spiderman, 2 Supermen, 1 Fred Flintstone and a 118 Man.
14/09	1312	NR	Normal working resumed after BTP have rounded up the stag party and escorted them off railway property.

The art of signwriting explained

Strange railway couplings

This just in from an incredulous reader...

LNE/NE/D3 NORMAL WORKING AT KEIGHLEY FOLLOWING THE DRUNKEN TRESPASSER, HE HAD TIED HIMSELF TO THE COUPLER OF 1E23, BTP HAVE REMOVED HIM.

Perhaps 1E23 was wearing a rather fetching mini-skirt, stilettos and white handbag combo?