roythebus
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Post by roythebus on Mar 19, 2010 23:21:19 GMT
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Mar 19, 2010 8:26:36 GMT
Humm, I learnt all these as a guard in the 1970s but never really got a chance to work on them. I learnt the ESLs at Ealing Common, then at Ricky had to learn ESL118A/B and the chore of learning on John Hampden, which was kept at Ricky turn about with Sarah Siddons for "de-icing duties" and for pushing stalled DMUs up the bank to Chorleywood in the autumn!
There was a bad bout of snow in December 1973 which brought the Met almost to a close. an ESL was sent north to clear the main, but that stalled somewhere near Preston Road; the Chesham shuttle took a couple of hours to leave Chalfont, and chaos reigned. Happy days.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Mar 7, 2010 8:39:36 GMT
There's quite a few of us out here who could probably write some memoirs of their time on the underground; I did a bit for DD's other site a while ago about a christmas party at Parsons Green in 1971, but it seems to have got lost in the ether!
As I may have said in other posts on here, I had the best of the last years of the old stock in my short time on the underground and BR, and it would be wrong to hijack this thread and write about it here. Maybe another day when I have time to write it down properly.
I know contributor Bigal could write a book about his career!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Feb 18, 2010 0:03:47 GMT
Does anyone know when the F class tank locos were fitted with air brakes? Were all the class fitted?
I've got a whole set of pics of these handsome locos as I used to produce a cast metal kit of them. As built, they were not air fitted, but pics of them much later in life shows the fitted with the standard Westinghous pump on the right side, and air tanks on top of the water tank.
Were the E class locos similarly fitted? I've not seen piccys showing that.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Feb 17, 2010 23:57:19 GMT
SE13, you should know better! It's a RAILWAY station, not a train station!! Horrible modernisms, pah.
Back to the OP, child i.e. half fare Edmunson tickets were literally cut diagonally in half by the issuing booking clerk!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Feb 12, 2010 7:38:29 GMT
But then ISTR the BBC spent an absolute fortune on changing their "old" Helvetica (I think) typeface to the very bland BBC they use now. To what end? We still get the same old repeats! Will a change of font on LT improve things at all?
As much as I am traditionalist and appreciate Johnston, it is not the easiest on the eye when trying to read a book printed in it. It's fine for posters and the like, which is what it was designed for.
It ain't broke, don't fix it!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Feb 11, 2010 19:23:31 GMT
Bear in mind too neither the police or anyone else can order you to destroy your film negatives, hard disk or any other media just because you shouldn't take photos there!
I gather it's illegal to take pictures of the police; maybe they don't like being caught out,as in the apparently innocent passer-by who got thumped by a coppper in the City of London demo and died a short while after from his injuries.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Feb 11, 2010 19:18:46 GMT
Whilst not generally condoning graffitti per se, there used to be one on the tunnel wall just where the Bank home signal was in BR days, probably written by drivers waiting for the road.
Maybe some of the present drivers on the line have seen it an wonder what it's all about. Let me explain:
It started with "to do is to be, and to be is to do-William shakespeare" Followed by "doobie doobie doo, Frank Sinatra". Under that was "doome doome doo-Terry Wadsley".
Now, the first 2 are self-explanatory. The third, well, Terry Wadsley was a driver at Waterloo who lived at Peterborough. On late shift, he was always trying to get someone else to cover his last trip, hence the nickname "doo-me", as "can you do me last bit".
But to add to that was the fourth bit, "Debbie Debbie doo-Glen Webber".
This was reference to a guard Debbie Matthews who worked on the W&C, and her bloke at the time, Glen Webber!
Simple innit. Another tube mystery solved.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Feb 11, 2010 19:09:43 GMT
I agree with the sentiments of both the above, but wasn't it Railway Magazine that launched a successful campaign regarding railway photography, and the issue of a statement in a recent issue of that magazine.
I understand the anti-terrorism sentiments, but I feel this giovernment uses it as a catch-all paranoia to ban anything they don't like or don't want us to do. Basically, they misuse powers.
An example was given on a BBC News report recently, where fishermen at Hastings, being caught with too many cod for their quota, were being not only fined, but having their assets siezed under the Proceeds of Crime Act! An Act designed to sieze the assets of drug dealers and big-time crooks, not the humble fisherman!
It's bad enough having cameras spy on us everywhere we move, but to have a different form of photography banned is rather hypocritical.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Feb 10, 2010 8:46:00 GMT
What 45669 says about the rails from Drayton Park confirms what I heard when I worked at KX in that era.
I may have mentioned elsewhere that we had a miniature buffet car based there for use as a staff room when the line was being converted.
Also, all the original posters and signs remain behind the false walls built at places like Highbury & Islington. Pity I wasn't more into souvenir hunting at that time!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Feb 10, 2010 8:39:56 GMT
The interior of Whitecross St looks a bit like Drayton Park Depot too!
you could be right about it being a first or second floor. It had me wondering when I looked at the pic as it didn't appear to be "underground" at all.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Feb 6, 2010 0:44:41 GMT
There's lots of interest in that photo. Ther device in the centre looks like a wagon tippler, maybe used to unload end-door coal wagons.
Note too the capstans; a lot of shunting would have been done handraulically or by horses with ropes, or power capstans in that era; also the wagon turntables, another popular item in goods yards, but seldom modelled.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Jan 10, 2010 23:28:36 GMT
Omigosh, looks about as bumpy as the 8mm film I took from a standard stock cab on the IoW in about 1968!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Jan 10, 2010 23:26:20 GMT
Of course they were all different, that's why they were called "standard" stock!! Someone at LT may have had a sense of humour in those (pre-LT) days.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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steam
Jan 5, 2010 22:33:37 GMT
Post by roythebus on Jan 5, 2010 22:33:37 GMT
Sounds about right. I was thuurrr, watching the last one go through Farringdon, later took some pics of it on the bank through Dollis Hill, and later at Neasden Depot.
I also managed to go round Lillie Bridge late in 1970 with a mate who didn't work for LT, but he was an excellent photographer. We got some shots of a pannier going over to the BR sidings to collect the daily wagons.
I've probably still got the Neasden Depot souvenir ticket somewhere.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Jan 3, 2010 22:38:06 GMT
That's the shot. the dairy in the background, behind him was the GW connection with the West London line, lifted when they built Westway! And the standard stock running on the right hand side. Must get the DVD...and Passport to Pimlico.
My son's just told me he's got a copy of Dempsey and Makepiece where I drive the W&C train that gets blown up! Cor, exciting stuff.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Jan 3, 2010 18:09:16 GMT
This may just be in the wrong slot, but...
tuned into one of the digi channels yesterday to catch the last 20 minutes of the classic 1949 film "The Blue Lamp", the forerunner of Dixon of Dock Green. wow, what a wealth of transport interest in that film. The bits I saw included shots across Scrubs Lane with trolleybuses in the background; scenes around the WLL exchange sidings, where the copper chases the villain across the electrified track. Now I expected it to be the NLL line, but no, he was almost run down by a standard stock in red and cream on the Central Line, just where the old dairy was by White City, now hidden under Westway!
Moe transport scenes in Harlesden with plenty of trolleybuses, and car chases around Ladbroke Grove. I suppose I ought to try and get it on DVD just for the tranport interest!
Oh, and the car chases down roads with not another car in sight!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Dec 26, 2009 20:25:54 GMT
I would hasten a guess at Q stock, standard stock and the East London Line Tanks. Why? Because they were 2car" stock with a through bus line jumper for the 650volt traction suppy, so less arcing and cutting out you get with unit stock, which only has the 650v bus line within the unit.
Hence on the SR, the old 4SUB units were less prone to agpping and arcing for the same reason.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Dec 24, 2009 22:00:49 GMT
Hmm, there was a bad winter in the early 80's, or at least a bit of snow which caused chaos. I was 0400 spare at Waterloo, left home in Streatham by car and snow had just started falling, a very light covering.
The foreman asked if i could cover the 0610 to Dorking. So off I set from Waterloo with a 4 car 508. All ok, but lots of sparks to Motspur Park, where the Chessington line branched off. I'd been following the first Chessington train, so he cleared the rails for me. After that, things got worse.
It was a case of 1 length forward, 2 lengths back to try and progress. I ended up using LT technology and scraped the juie rail with a paddle! i eventually got to Epsom at about 0830, admidst cheers from the waiting passengers.
The SM said there'd been a train to Leatherhead about an hour earlier, but I said that as I'd been on 4 and a half hours, it was tea time, and that if i had an 8-car, I might have tried to go further. So after a cuppa, tried to cross over and head back to Waterloo. Crossing over took about 40 minutes, and i evetually got back to Waterloo at about 11.30! An epic journey, but at least I made it.
Problems we had that year were things like 508 doors freezing in their runners, couplers freezing and so on. The old stock soldiered on as it was designed to!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Dec 22, 2009 22:13:23 GMT
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Dec 22, 2009 22:09:00 GMT
The original track circuit clips were very basic, 2 U shaped metal spring clips with about 4'6 of wire between them, used on BR usually on the opposite running line to return signals to danger in emergency,i.e. derailment fouling the opposite line.
Later mods had insulated handles on the clips just in case soem dimwit tried putting one end on the juice rail first!
They weren't much use in semaphore signal areas without track circuits, but they had to be used just in case the area had track circuits.
TC clips were also used in possesions to prevent signals being cleared as railtechnician says above.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Dec 22, 2009 21:58:13 GMT
Nice to see it's not only the NHS and police that have to meet target figures.
Well done to those peeps who done their best to keep the service going at all.
Luckily no snow here on the Romney Marsh!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Dec 20, 2009 17:25:21 GMT
Yes, you may be right there. It WAS a long time ago since I done that.
I was party to an amendment to the BR rule book in 1971 when BR introduced track circuit clips. Yours truly refused to work south of Putney Bridge because the DR stock wasn't equipped with TC clips. The book was promptly amended to exclude the use of TC clips on 4 rail sections because of the danger of some dimwit putting the TC clips across to posi and neggy instead of the running rails.
I received a "suggestions prize" bonus for pointing that out.
But yes, we were taught to put the SCD on the neggy end first!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Dec 20, 2009 12:11:58 GMT
Ain't got a clue!
Dunnit at Ealing Common depot, Waterloo south sidings and Stewarts Lane Depot if that's any help. Cutting the arc using 2 paddles is fun too.
It makes a lovely flash and a bang. don't try this at home children!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Dec 19, 2009 22:24:00 GMT
Sorrrrryyyy, I thought you wanted to GET IT RIGHT!!
Yes, it's the case with everything I've worked on, you can't select forward or reverse without the deadman being held down. (It's not a throttle).
Otherwise very good.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Dec 19, 2009 22:21:14 GMT
Yes, we did have to put down the SCD with the juice on; no it didn't have a resistor in it or any semiconconductor (they weren't invented then). No you didn't get a shock, wood is not a good conductor of electricity, yes, you looked away to avoid arc eye.
The SCDs i trained with were made of an aluminium U girder with attachments that went on the juice rails. I forget the exact process, but we had to stand away from the posi rail in the 4', put one end of the SCD on the negi rail, then firmly bring the other end down on the posi rail, while looking the other way! we would then be told to wait for the tunnel lights to come on, MGs to stop running, or, on older stock, 1927 and Q, make sure the train lights went out! then the jiuce was off. But, confirm with a telephone call to the line controller.
On BR, the process was similar, stand in the 4', put the hooked end on the running rail, bring the other end up under the posi rail, again while looking the other way.
We were taught to respect the live rails and be familiar with the operation of trains as we may have had to detarin passengers with other trians still running.
Elfensafetea? Common sense prevailed in those days.
As long as the kettle worked...
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Dec 18, 2009 22:31:34 GMT
Yeh, as one who is on the bus and taxi operators list for Kent and East sussex, I had over 487, yes, 487, emails from East Sussex County Council by 0730 advising of school closures! None at all from Kent. I assume the KCC staff were all snowed in.
No wonder our kids grow up learning very little. a bit of snow like this does not prevent the rest of Europe educating its children.
I hear on this evening's News South East that Eurotunnel is experienceing problems and is running a reduced service because of heavy snow in Calais. According to the reports, it is impossible to keep the loading platforms clear of snow, and all motorways out of Calais are ice-bound.
There is virtually no snow on the Romney Marsh!
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
Posts: 1,256
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Post by roythebus on Dec 18, 2009 22:25:20 GMT
Looks good BUT IIRC the reverser key could not be moved back or forward without the deadman being depressed.
There again, I've never seen a happy deadman's handle, always depressed.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Dec 18, 2009 22:20:49 GMT
Gorblimey, don't they carry ANY equipment in trains these days? the above answers are correct; a juice rail scraper, two paddles for lifting the shoes to isolate the train in emergeny, and a short circuit device (SCD).
When I trained as a guard (in the steam days) we were shown how to use all these devices and had to use them as well. As a BR driver, we had similar equipment, but not scrapers. We had to use the SCD in Waterloo south sidings to isolate an 8-SUB fully cut in, and were shown how to break the arc created with a second paddle.
All good fun that the elfensafetea lot probably wouldn't even look at today! but in those days it was a real job, so I'm told.
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roythebus
Pleased to say the restoration of BEA coach MLL738 is as complete as it can be, now restoring MLL721
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Post by roythebus on Dec 9, 2009 10:34:22 GMT
The diagram is fascinating and throws up another question: where do the Picc and Victoria tunnels cross over again norht of FP?
I remember seeing the step plate tunnels being built as I used to bunk off school (tsk tsk) regularly to travel on the tube! The Picc trains would run through the area at reduced speed, probably 10mph.
The NCL was replaced by a bus service for many years between Drayton Park and FP, usually by a motely fleet provided by Mellows Hire.
I managed to travel on the Vic on the first day from Walthamstow Central. I hoped to get a first day ticket (which I did), but it was only a standard BR one as the ticket office was run by BR.
As I may have mentioned elsewhere in these boards, I worked on the NCL during its rebuild to BR spec. The farthest I got with battery locos was about Old Street, then had a long walk to get a bus back to KX! We got a 31 stuck in the tunnel at DP one day, and an 08 managed to get to somewhere near Highbury on one occasion!
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