Peter Smith

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@RMcCarthy86 My memory might be playing tricks, but I seem to recall the Royal Daffodil sailing from Southend pier nearly 70 years ago over to Margate or on a French Coast Cruise! Same vessel?

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@Captain_Deltic @miles_chains The Revd Awdry begs to differ - even the tram engine was called Toby.

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@Captain_Deltic I want to know when the "Starf" Office became the Personnel Department!

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@MrTimDunn @networkrail @tfwrail @NetworkRailWAL @ArcadisUK @MonmouthshireCC Since closure of Monmouth Troy, my local station and a superb piece of work. Well done @networkrailWal. Don't want to be picky, any chance @MonmouthshireCC of getting some buses to call at the station forecourt? Fully integrated and accessible public transport should be the aim

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@Gordon_3417 What's with the "Triple Satin Bathroom Tissue"? Couldn't you get any "Bronco" or even "Izal Medicated" for the true British Rail experience?

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@SteveWhiteRail A long, long time ago, in what seems a Galaxy far, far away, I managed to run 12 x 18-2000t freights (plus MTs) a day during the construction of the Channel Tunnel. All over the South Eastern. Could that be done now we have a proper railway again?

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@MrTimDunn @RailwayMuseum I had heard rumours of these when I was looking to put a converted 20' with a brake valve and a cutaway end on the Cricklewood-Forders binliner. Following a trip to the museum they very kindly dug it out for me. Only used it for the propelling move at C'wd so no 75 MPH running!!

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@seatsixtyone O' for the days of Q Boat train paths clogging up the graph. Personally I favour the Barley Mow. Not as fast but a more interesting view.

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@MonmouthshireCC Has anybody come up with a cost to reinstate this bridge? If the MOD won't fund it, perhaps passing round the hat might do the trick. I'm thinking Active Travel might be one source, but surely this is one that Local Government should be sorting out.

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@WilliamBarter1 @gceccles @Captain_Deltic @jerryalderson @GordonDudman @Charing_Steve @supaned @Modern_Railways Probably right. It's predecessor ATI (Advanced Traffic Information) was seen as a PITA and when it did turn up was usually too late to be much use although it could be useful to ensure that the Green Arrows made the early evening connections from Temple Mills.

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

2/2 I asked Stewarts Lane to transfer the plates to 207 which they did. So I think you're about right timewise. Ends

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@miles_chains @NSE_Latchmere If it helps I was given 24 Cromptons for Channel Tunnel construction trains. These included 33027 and 33207. At the time we expected this to be the 33s swansong thus when I was told that 027 was "over monetary limits" i.e. would be scrapped. In order to keep the name alive 1/2

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@Elwick70 BD Containers on Conflats I seem to recall and I think routed via the Midland Main Line.

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@JohnWaddo You could see the cooling towers in the distance from my aunt's back bedroom window in Long Eaton when I were a lad. That sight and the sound of Class 20s whining away and hump shunting at Toton are fond memories of times spent there. All now gone, I must be getting old!

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@Bazzaaa_ji @thomholbrook @seatsixtyone Please forgive me but I always thought it was Frinton!

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@EurostarJustinp Do you remember Sir Peter Parker's "Mousehole" which finally morphed into the Channel Tunnel as built? Now there was a Chairrman who knew how to play the politicians at their own game. Perhaps we have another - one can but hope.

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@SalopianLyne @NSE_Latchmere I'm sure we used to wire these out as HUMPEX although I recall seeing a Southminster one unofficially going over the hump at Temple Mills. Without disaster happening and East London being flattened!!

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@Elwick70 I'm going back a few years but I seem to recall Dick Marsh, when BRB chairman, saying there were 49.9 million people who could tell us exactly how to run the railway and 100,000 of us who actually did. Not sure on the figures (perhaps @Captain_Deltic remembers). Plus ca change.

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@Captain_Deltic Sorry, can't let these passenger bods get away with it completely.
Have an EWS corkscrew.
Useful for getting a competitive rate out of them but not much use on a bottle of wine. Still it's a nice casting.

[Peter Smith @chiefmole1951]

@Captain_Deltic @philatrail Yes and still in daily use! Not much useful came out of Railtrack, but this was proper schmutter.