What have you done today

[JonnyC4]

Clearly railway health & safety is less strict in the Netherlands than the UK . Riding on thee loco side steps is totally banned these days by the Office of Road & Rail Regulator ( ORR) . It was common practice years ago to save a lot of working during shunting operations . I would often hang on to the hand rails and side steps to save climbing in out of the cab but not any more !!

It's still allowed on these NS200 locomotors, professionally not anymore, but the museums can do it.

As for the air pump, it's typical for these Hensel steam locomotives. They keep the pressure high for the breaks and driving.

Must see for a visit someday in the U.K., never been there to a railway museum.

 

[Chuffer]

It's still allowed on these NS200 locomotors, professionally not anymore, but the museums can do it.

As for the air pump, it's typical for these Hensel steam locomotives. They keep the pressure high for the breaks and driving.

Must see for a visit someday in the U.K., never been there to a railway museum.

It's still allowed on these NS200 locomotors, professionally not anymore, but the museums can do it.

As for the air pump, it's typical for these Hensel steam locomotives. They keep the pressure high for the breaks and driving.

Must see for a visit someday in the U.K., never been there to a railway museum.

Here in the UK the ORR that I referred to draws no distinction between the professional railway system and volunteer operated Heritage Railways . It has been that way for over 15 years now and the draconian legislation has taken all the full out of it compared to the early years when I first got involved with heritage railway operations .
You really should visit our National Railway Museum at York or better still , one of our many Heritage Railways and see locos in action for real .

 

[liam788fh]

Isn't it fascinating that earlier last century (and the latter part of the previous century) the UK the comparitively sparsley populated country (except perhaps for major cities like London, Birmingham.Manchester, Liverpool etc), building railway lines linking all these areas and attracting investors to finance minor routes to 'feed' the new networks seemed a certain money maker for so many smaller investors. Amazing that given the right amount of money almost anyone back then seemed able to run new railways lines seemingly though prime farmland without hinderance from the very restrictive planning processes we see today. So many of these branch lines just didn't get the passenger/freight numbers needed to make profits for the investors. People 'bang-on' about the Beeching 'cuts'.........but truth was that many lines were abandoned before then as the use of commercial trucks and vans allowed more flexibility for moving freight etc around the UK.
Given the 'nightmare' of travel by road today from remoter parts of the UK isn't it a shame that so many of these abandoned rail lines have been built-over.
My question is - if you had the choice of using a re-established rail line Snapchatplanetorder, presuming it wasn't a 'rip-off' price for a ticket and competitive against fuel costs.........would you use in preference to a car?

I have notice

 

[Krusty]

Can I just give the lads at PartsUSA a bit of appreciation and recommendation please.

Some of you probably know in the last 3 years (just over) that I've had my 01' C5 Targa, I've had an absolute roller coaster of assorted oil and coolant leaks. Chassis, suspension and body related squeaks, rattles and knocks. Amongst other general age related issues
But today, we've (hopefully) just finished them all!
I'm happy to say my C5 has no more oil leaks, coolant leaks, knocks, rattles and/or bangs. And we even majorly improved the stock C5 brakes, which are now very powerful
Today they carried out a simple oil and filter change, fitted a replacement radiator and thermostat, along with fresh coolant and fresh gearbox fluid.
We had a really good look around under the car to make sure everything is spot on, and it all is

These guys been totally invaluable with helping me and I really do recommend them for anyone suffering any issues that they need sorting professionally, and at a very reasonable cost.

Just cleaned my car so enjoy the few pics






See you all at Tatton Park

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Can I just give the lads at PartsUSA a bit of appreciation and recommendation please.

Some of you probably know in the last 3 years (just over) that I've had my 01' C5 Targa, I've had an absolute roller coaster of assorted oil and coolant leaks. Chassis, suspension and body related squeaks, rattles and knocks. Amongst other general age related issues
But today, we've (hopefully) just finished them all!
I'm happy to say my C5 has no more oil leaks, coolant leaks, knocks, rattles and/or bangs. And we even majorly improved the stock C5 brakes, which are now very powerful
Today they carried out a simple oil and filter change, fitted a replacement radiator and thermostat, along with fresh coolant and fresh gearbox fluid.
We had a really good look around under the car to make sure everything is spot on, and it all is

These guys been totally invaluable with helping me and I really do recommend them for anyone suffering any issues that they need sorting professionally, and at a very reasonable cost.

Just cleaned my car so enjoy the few pics

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See you all at Tatton Park

Good to hear Krusty and yes Parts USA are some good people. Have you got a ticket for Stars & Stripes? I have spares

 

[Krusty]

Good to hear Krusty and yes Parts USA are some good people. Have you got a ticket for Stars & Stripes? I have spares

Cheers, it's been a long road to get it where it is. I do have tickets yes... Neil at PartsUSA doesn't have one though

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Cheers, it's been a long road to get it where it is. I do have tickets yes... Neil at PartsUSA doesn't have one though

Ok I'll fix him up. They're 1/4 mile from our office in Stockport

 

[JonnyC4]

Here in the UK the ORR that I referred to draws no distinction between the professional railway system and volunteer operated Heritage Railways . It has been that way for over 15 years now and the draconian legislation has taken all the full out of it compared to the early years when I first got involved with heritage railway operations .
You really should visit our National Railway Museum at York or better still , one of our many Heritage Railways and see locos in action for real .

It can happen in the future, we'll see what comes along for a visit outside the Corvette scene.

 

[Chuffer]

I have notice

I have been banging on for years that many railway routes where `dead ducks` long before the Beeching era due to what is best described as over development of routes in late 1800`s early 1900`s without a long term business plan . Generally the only `stumbling block ` in those days was the occasional belligerent wealthy land owner who did not want to see dirty , smelly steam trains running through his sylvan landscape . Some insisted that `cut and fill ` tunnels were constructed when not necessary from an engineering view point just so they couldn`t see the wretched new fangled things from their stately homes . Others embraced the railways but insisted on a station being built on their estate just for their own use and receiving guests. Some even demanded that tunnel portals or bridges where constructed with turrets and castelations to massage their egos !!
As for using local lines of re-opened and were competitively priced -- definitely ! Especially if the re - opened the old Stratford & Midland Junction line at the bottom of my garden and reinstated our village Halt .

 

[Chuffer]

Whilst we are still on the `railways ` theme here is an invitation to join us at a 100th Birthday Party tomorrow - Saturday 21st June on the Great Central Railway at Loughborough in Leicestershire .
Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of Southern Railway `King Arthur Class ` locomotive 777 ` Sir Lamiel` having been out shopped from the North British Locomotive Works in Glasgow on 21st June 2025 . We are well over half way through a total rebuild project and the loco will be on display to visitors with guided tours of the workshops and talks by us members of the 5305 Locomotive Association who are custodians of `Sir Lamiel` .
This might appeal to CCCUK members living in the Leicestershire / Nottinghamshire area who fancy a day out with a difference and have been following my `Train of Thought ` threads on the forum . The locomotive workshops are situated at the north end of Loughborough Great Central station and accessed by purchase of a platform ticket . Better still , why not buy a train ticket and enjoy a steam hauled journey to Leicester North and back on the UK`s only preserved Main Line railway . For more information visit 5305 Locomotive Association ` Facebook page or the Great Central Railway website . I will be there all day so come over and say hello .

 

[Chuffer]

It can happen in the future, we'll see what comes along for a visit outside the Corvette scene.

Let me know and we could try to link up . If need any pointers for a future visit don`t hesitate to PM me .

 

[JonnyC4]

Let me know and we could try to link up . If need any pointers for a future visit don`t hesitate to PM me .

I will do, if you come up to here, let me know too and we'll arrange something.

 

[antijam]

Well what I did yesterday was go for a top-down drive in the sunshine in my '71. The coolant temperature gauge has never been accurate but it has always at least registered something; however yesterday was an exception - no reading on the gauge at all. I immediately suspected that the connector to the temperature sender had fallen off - it's a very naff piece of design.
Lifting the bonnet after I got home proved me correct. Not only had the connector dropped off but it had landed on the header, resulting in what you might call 'thermal degradation'.


I had no option but to cut it off and replace it with a bodge - but a considerably more secure one than the original !

 

[Chuffer]

Spent the day as previously mentioned celebrating Sir Lamiel`s 100th Anniversary at the Great Central Railways Loughborough Motive Power Depot complete with two very large and scrumptious high calorie Birthday Cakes and rounded off by a couple of thirst quenching pints of dark mild with all the guys down the local pub afterwards . Unfortunately the hoped for large attendance of visitors was marred by a self imposed `steam ban ` due to high line side fire with this prolonged spell of very hot weather. Word clearly having got around that only diesel locos were hauling the services this weekend . We still had a steady trickle of people throughout the day wanting to take part in our guided tours of the workshops and seeing at first hand the huge rebuild and restoration projects that are undertaken . Unfortunately we could not have the rolling chassis on display out doors as planned as the tracks on the depot yard were taken up by steam locos that would otherwise have been in service but it did save us from the first but totally unexpected rain showers we had for weeks now in this heat wave ! We also took £165 in donations throughout the day which pay for about 5 new firebox stays !!!
Hopefully Jonny Benns will pick up this thread again as I had the pleasure of showing a young couple from the Nederlands around who were in the UK for a two holiday with the sole purpose of visiting as many Heritage Railways up and down the length of the UK as possible in this 200th anniversary year of the worlds first passenger carrying steam hauled railway whereby Britain introduced railways to the whole world . The Dutch guy was a total steam enthusiast with his wife / girlfriend tagging along for the ride but showing clear signs of interest in it all . We also had a visit from representatives from Heritage Rail Magazine which is one the UK`s top monthly magazines for enthusiasts who were recording Sir Lamiel`s anniversary with interviews and photos so my `orrible mug will no doubt appear on the pages of next months edition !!
The best birthday present of all though was the totally unexpected announcement that the other steam loco we are custodians of , Stanier Class 5 number 45305 which our association takes is name from and custodians of for many years has been gifted to us by the Draper family who saved it from the scarp yard in 1968 . We are in the process of overhauling this loco too which came out of service in October 2023 when its 10 year boiler certificate expired and I was fortunate enough to be on the footplate on the last day it ran . But we are now officially the proud owners of this magnificent machine and looking forward to getting it in steam again and back on National Rail Network hauling charter trains .
The first image shows its rolling chassis currently alongside Sir Lamiel`s in the workshop another one in all its glory .

 

[JonnyC4]

Looks like you've got plenty more work in the workshop. Some big trains there, we have to wait a bit longer to have a go at another train trip.

 

[Mad4slalom]

Two nice flying machines ! A lovely blast to the north cornish coast today, lunch on the way to visit a friend working on some aeroplanes. St merryn was a Ww2 naval airbase. Planes thst flew from here included seafires, and sea hurricanes, lysanders, barracudas and several others I cant remember 🫣 corvette loving the warm weather, so much smoother acceleration , no stumbles or hesitation that I get a bit of in the cold weather. A cracking day. View attachment 30669View attachment 30670]

Last evening’s little run to the Headland Hotel at newquay for a sundowner. They used this location to film roahl dahl’s “the Witches”