Pointless signs - National Railway Museum

DafT - High on the Hog on HS2

Listeners to Radio 4's Today programme were treated to a short debate between fans and opponents of HS2 this morning.

On the side of the angels was David 'Beggy' Begg of the Campaign for High Speed Rail, whilst the anti's were represented Jerry Marshall of Aghast.

Sadly, for fans of knock-about wireless, the discussion was remarkably good natured.

Interestingly, the piece also contained several claims that Train Operating Companies have been asked to fund the Campaign for High Speed Rail.

As Petrol-head still hasn't ordered a single new vehicle that TOCs could lease to address overcrowding, this is presumably the next best use of passengers' fares or taxpayers' income?

Railway Garden Competition - King's Cross

Welcome to the 2011 Railway Garden Competition.

And our first entry shows the Easter Garden that has been cultivated at London King's Cross.

Good to see Network Rail entering into the seasonal spirit of things.


No doubt this particular four-foot flowering will enter its apogee in time for the 23rd May launch of Eureka!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

More welcome.

East Coast invites readers to name a loco

This from the York Press...

The Press appealed for readers to send suggestions in after rail operator East Coast decided to revive the tradition of naming locomotives on the Edinburgh to London route.

Latest suggestions for names, which must have a particular relevance to York, have included Ebor Rose, HRH Duke of York, The Duchess, Saint Margaret Clitherow and the York Flyer.

Strange. No one appears to have suggested 'Rail Barbie' or even 'Barbie Rail'.

Happily there is still time...

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

Surely if a locomotive is to be named it is time to revise the East Coast policy of honouring its locomotive engineers.

With an IC125 power car now named after T.C.B. Miller, the Chief Engineer (responsible for the 125 mile/h high speed train which saved InterCity) the naming of a Class 91 locomotive after its designer John Dowling is long overdue.

The Class 91, which met an extreme specification from hauling tilting trains at 140mph to 500 tonne sleepers over Shap and Beattock, was John Dowling's final design and his masterwork.

Si monumentum requiris, circumspice

UPDATE: This from Yorkshire Lad...

I wonder if this lookalike might help Captain Deltic's case?

As well as a Rail Barbie it also features a Garrett!


Do I win £5?

Hitachiballs - Promises, promises

An over excited press release reaches Eye from the British led consortium (shurely shome mishtake? Ed) that is preferred bidder for the IEP.

It says...

London and Durham, UK, 26 April, 2011 – More than 700 individuals representing over 400 companies are set to attend the first Open Day event for Hitachi Rail Europe’s Intercity Express Programme in the north east in late May, an event organized by County Durham Development Company on behalf of the involved parties.

700 individuals indeed, from 400 companies!

Why that's more individuals visiting the Open Day than the number of people the much vaunted Newton Aycliffe assembly plant will actually employ.

Evidently management of expectation continues to be a challenge for Hitachi.

Pointless signs - Paddington Platform 10

This from the Ticketcollector...


Just how many signs do you need for some batteries?

Mallard comes second!

This from Steve...

I was doing a bit of delving for rail orientated stuff via the NMSI site and found the following on the home page.


Look closely on the left under "popular objects" to see what trumps Mallard in the popularity stakes.


Perhaps this is what is meant by the phrase "prize length"?

Pans People: 'Eye beguiled Hairy Cornflake!'

Yet more plaudits for Eye from satisfied readers!

Legendary dance group and fly wheel fans, Pans People Movers, have suggested Eye played a role in their removal from Top of the Pops!

According to page 3 of Parry News...

Within the rail industry have been a series of incidents of noncooperation making it difficult to carry out operations or bring in revenue for work performed.

As if orchestrating this, a rail "blog‟, also operated anonymously, has been maintaining a consistent negative commentary ridiculing the PPM concept and its products. (May God help Us if Eye is the railway's controlling mind! Ed)

Meanwhile, in happier news, page 7 of Stop and Go Nowhere (the Pans People Fanzine) says...

Despite having worthy intentions and some notable attainments, the Parry Group has been the target of the wrath of several assorted organisations and individuals.

These range from the "Fact Controller‟ on the Railway Eye blog, then whoever it is that drops rocks off railway bridges and Her Majesty‟s Revenue & Customs, a most formidable adversary

Still, enough of this bitterness from the snapped elastic band fraternity.

Let us remember Pans People in happier times...



The Fact Compiler bets Scruffy can still shake a leg or three!

Pay attention Beggy, Steer, Hammond and others

And of course you Wolmar!

View, mark and inwardly digest - with a bowler tip to @TonyVeitchUK.



And then steal the idea.

You know it makes sense.

A bird in the hand is worth many in the burning bush

Oh dear. Are West Toast Railway up to their old tricks?

According to yesterday's Press and Journal...

An extensive hill fire on an internationally-important Sutherland nature reserve yesterday was last night blamed on sparks from a passing steam train.

A helicopter was brought in to help firefighters by water-bombing the outbreak which was still raging as darkness fell.

Units from Helmsdale, Thurso, Bettyhill and Tongue joined RSPB staff in fighting the peatland blaze which had a three-mile front at its height.

The bird charity was very concerned about the potential impact on the reserve’s rare bird life as it coincides with the start of the breeding season.

The outbreak was found just before lunchtime on the 20,000-hectare reserve based in the tiny community of Forsinard.

It was reported minutes after a steam train, on a charter run, pulled out of the village station.

What a shame the wind didn't blow the sparks the other way.

But of course Wet Coat are averse to high winds and apparently Tornadoes in particular.

Network Rail extols the virtues of Milton Keynes

Network Rail is working hard to sell the delights of Milton Keynes, home to the company's new National Centre.

There is even a whole page on the company's website devoted to the Buckinghamshire town and offering useful insights into the extra-curricula activity that local residents can either actively participate in or, if they prefer, merely watch from the sidelines.



Just fancy that!

Captain Deltic on Innovation past and present

This from Captain Deltic....

1950s innovation - The new Fell diesel locomotive:

The use of a number of main propelling engines having the required torque characteristics has certain advantages as compared with the use of one main engine:-

1. Increased dependability as the locomotive can proceed at reduced speed even if all but one of the main propelling engines are out of action.
2. The individual engines can be of a higher speed type and therefore lighter and more compact.
3. As a consequence of "2," the engines themselves and their component parts are, for a given power output, lighter and therefore more easily and more rapidly handled for replacement or repairs.

2010s innovation - The new TRAXX diesel locomotive:

This newest member of the TRAXX locomotive platform, with its highly innovative diesel propulsion is designed for locomotive-hauled passenger and freight transportation throughout Europe. Its use of four rugged, heavy-duty industrial diesel engines in place of a single large diesel motor provides operators with key advantages. The locomotive already fulfills the new stringent EU Stage IIIB emissions standard thanks to proven and highly efficient diesel engines. Compared to single-engine diesel locomotives, it markedly reduces fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and life-cycle costs. Using standard diesel engines produced in very large series, this new TRAXX DE locomotive builds a bridge to a multitude of other industrial applications with the same engine. This assures spare parts availability and diesel engine support thanks to the large quantity of engines installed and the established service capabilities in the market. The diesel engines are configured in a modular assemblies allowing modification and upgrades over the lifetime of the locomotive. They can be upgraded to meet potential new emission standards and requirements in the future. The exchangable diesel modules contribute markedly to lower costs for maintenance, future upgrades and overhaul. This is due to smaller and lighter exchangeable components, the easy accessability of spares, the ease of repair and the resulting shorter locomotive downtimes. In addition, mission reliability is substantially increased thanks to the redundant configuration with four diesel engines. With the multi-engine concept the locomotive maintains full tractive effort also if a reduced number of diesel engines are in operation. By shutting down engines during idling and at low power demand, this key feature reduces fuel 2/4 and lube oil consumption. "The locomotives can be operated with one to four engines as needed, providing optimum power for each specific situation.

Nothing new under the sun. But write ups were a bit more succinct in those distant days.

UPDATE: This from a Mr David Shipley of CSRE...

I'm sure Bombardier didn’t emulate the idea for multi-engine technology from the erstwhile Fell diesel.

However, they can’t have failed to notice that CSRE have been promoting this concept for more than three years in our Polaris product family, which also utilises four diesel engines.

Any Questions?

Sadly no!

It would appear that disruption on the East Coast Main Line has prevented Jonathan Dimbleby chairing tonight's topical debate from The National Railway Museum in Shildon, County Durham.

The panellists who had hoped to take questions from the floor were Employment Minister Chris Grayling, Labour peer Lord Malloch-Brown, Chairman of Interbrand Rita Clifton, and the Liberal Democrats' former Director of Policy Richard Grayson.

No doubt the railway will provide a suitable explanation for today's 'service perturbation'?

UPDATE: This from the Northern Echo...


'Nuff said.

Exciting Eye Friday Quiz!

Q: What is the similarity between the Forth Bridge and Network Rail's Head of Media?

A. Both can be found at the same location and neither now possess a Blackberry

UPDATE: This from Our Man by the Photocopier...

In these austere times perhaps he will be issued with two tin cans and a bit of string as a replacement?

Petrol-head attacked by Eagle - Shocker

Shocking scenes at Crewe on Tuesday, during a visit by Philip Hammond to the LNWR Heritage Apprentice Scheme.

During a tour of the LNWR Heritage facility an enormous eagle was seen to launch an unprovoked attack on the Transport Secretary!


The deranged eagle is believed to have escaped from Arriva's nearby LNWR depot.

Reichsbahn spokesman Doctor Ing Zetruth said "Despite the DfT unaccountably failing to shortlist Arriva for any franchises we do not in any way hold Herr Ham-and-Eggs responsible for this gross slur on the glorious railway undertakings of Greater Germany.

"There is no truth in the scurilious suggestion that the eagle was only following orders." he added.

The Secretary of State was unharmed and the eagle has been returned to Berlin, where it was awarded the Iron Cross (Bird Class).

Miliband abolishes First Class!

This from Guido...


Note the missing antimacassar.

Full story here...

Pointless signs - Euston

This from The Skip...


Peak times, perchance?

SW1 Offices To Let - Suitable for Bid Teams

This from Virginia Water...

Seems like the civil service cuts are finally biting at Daft as half of Great Monster House is apparently being cleared and let out to commercial tenants.

Hopefully this might raise a bit of extra cash for filling in potholes and the like.

Unclear if all 4 ministers will be required to share an office...

BarbieRail adopts lean seating for Eureka!!!!!!!

Exciting news from state owned East Coast!

The 07:30 off the Cross to Newcastle this morning offered a new, improved, range of high density seating for priority customers.


Strangely, despite reservations being in place, these seats remained unoccupied.


No doubt the rest of the EC fleet will receive similar treatment to enable the operator to squeeze in the additional 3 million seats promised by Eureka!!!!!!!!!!!

Pointless signs - Fratton

This from Caught Short Scotty...

This sign has been mounted above the Fratton waiting room door for some months, and is pointing to the platform edge - needless to say the other side is wrong as well, so you'd imagine a man with a ladder could fix it in about 5 minutes flat.


But I wonder how many clipboard wielding staff from SWT/NR have looked at this and failed to see a problem.

What the picture doesn't really show is how the two signs also obstruct one another. Of course if repositioned correctly the toilet sign is an unnecessary duplication.

Maybe it's there to help those who having difficulty deciding whether to go or not...