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Post by nickf on Sept 16, 2014 18:58:21 GMT
Thanks a lot, norbitonflyer, much obliged to you.
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Post by nickf on Sept 16, 2014 11:17:53 GMT
Yes, I should have been clearer. A simple round trip with no diversions. Petersfield - Waterloo - Baker Street. Then Baker Street - Waterloo - Petersfield.
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Post by nickf on Sept 16, 2014 10:26:23 GMT
I am a little bit confused about which is going to cost me less on a day trip to London from Petersfield. Do I include a Travelcard with my ticket to Waterloo to pay for the journey on the Underground from Waterloo to my destination (in Zone 1); or do I just buy the return ticket to Waterloo only and use my contactless debit card for the Underground? Help please, I am a bear of little brain.
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Post by nickf on Sept 11, 2014 18:07:14 GMT
I see that the wreck is reported to be in excellent condition - but that would be the wooden bits. Not sure how badly the iron used in early locos would corrode. Fingers crossed!
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Post by nickf on Sept 10, 2014 5:49:18 GMT
I see on the news that the wreck of one of Sir John Franklin's ships has been found link. HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were lost on an expedition into the Canadian Arctic in 1845 and have lain in the seabed hidden by ice until now. What is of relevance to this forum is that they both had railway locomotives installed to give them limited power to assist their sails in tight corners. Here is a link to take you to a little thing I wrote about it a few years ago that might be of interest.
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Post by nickf on Sept 2, 2014 6:59:37 GMT
Fantastic post, thanks for putting it up. I was working in Istanbul in the 1970s and they still had the steam paddle boats ferrying across from the Asian side - I suppose they've gone now?
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Post by nickf on Aug 21, 2014 9:10:03 GMT
This thread has been fascinating - please continue.
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Post by nickf on Aug 15, 2014 11:08:12 GMT
From time to time I am obliged to attend management seminars, in my role as a sound recordist, for the video that is being made. It is a popular pastime between the people making the video (cameramen, director etc) to relieve the monotony to play 'Managementspeak Bingo'. Each of us has a list of phrases and words such as those previously mentioned on this thread (and likely to be used during the seminar)and when one is used each crew member catches the eyes of the others and nods. When the final word is muttered the first one to put his hand up in the air wins.
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Post by nickf on Aug 10, 2014 13:44:08 GMT
I found these verses in a book written by a descendent of Sir Edward Watkin, David Watkin the renowned cinematographer (Why is there only one word for Thesaurus, published by The Trouser Press 1998). He tells how Sir Edward married a wealthy widow and shortly afterwards these verses (set perhaps to the music of the hymn The Church's One Foundation)appeared. They allude to Sir Edward's recent marriage, his chairmanship of the Great Central, Metropolitan and South Eastern Railways, the Channel Tunnel and the Metropolitan Tower. Also to his fascination with Snowdon, at the foot of which he bought land and built a cottage as well as having a path to the summit made.
From Snowdon's breezy summit To Dover's chalky strand, He carries us the slower Of any in the land. He bores the Channel Tunnel He builds the Watkin Tower; But neither helps his income Like Mrs Ingram's dower.
He'd blacken Kent with coal-pits, And cave St John's Wood in, But these are merely trifles In his career of sin. For he doth run the Underground In whose mephitic air, The gasping, choking Londoner Doth think of him and swear.
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Post by nickf on May 19, 2014 16:09:12 GMT
Wow! Thanks Brian. I can see from looking at the document that I will need to put my thinking cap on! As always, you are the guy to go to for the knowledge.
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Post by nickf on May 19, 2014 15:33:00 GMT
I hope that this doesn't cause too much thread drift, but could some kind person explain in terms adapted for the meanest understanding (mine) the purpose of negative boosters? As I understand it, these are (or were) used on electric railways and tramways that used the rails for return current.
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Post by nickf on Apr 26, 2014 15:16:55 GMT
Here's another picture with the sign in place....but not much clearer. Mystery sign
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Post by nickf on Apr 11, 2014 12:26:21 GMT
I have come across an article dated August 1961 from The Railway Magazine concerned with the curve beneath Smithfield Market that allowed traffic from the South to access Moorgate directly. If anyone would like to have a .pdf of the article, please PM me and I'll send you a link.
NickF.
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Post by nickf on Mar 23, 2014 12:10:38 GMT
The West London Joint Railways by J.B. Atkinson published by Ian Allan Ltd, published 1984 ISBN 0 7110 1381 0
Tons of pictures from all eras.
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Post by nickf on Feb 28, 2014 19:51:24 GMT
I see that the TfL release mentions that the new trains will be air cooled. I don't quite understand this - are the present trains not air cooled? I must be misunderstanding something here. I assume they mean air conditioned ? -- Nick That must be it - I was being too literal!
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Post by nickf on Feb 28, 2014 18:06:35 GMT
I see that the TfL release mentions that the new trains will be air cooled. I don't quite understand this - are the present trains not air cooled? I must be misunderstanding something here.
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Post by nickf on Feb 20, 2014 10:01:36 GMT
As an interested observer to this thread, I would like to say thank you to DavidH and Andrew Emmerson. This is just one reason why the District Dave site is so damn good!
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Post by nickf on Jan 24, 2014 15:07:35 GMT
One memory of lifts - I forget which station, but it was very crowded - was when one unidentified passenger (not customer) began to baa like a sheep. This was taken up by several others and by the time the exit doors opened most of us were baa-ing and giggling. An excellent way to start the day.
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Post by nickf on Jan 23, 2014 21:26:23 GMT
Is my memory playing tricks, or was there once a pub in Piccadilly Circus station.....rather Spartan and with Irish names for its bars, one of them the Connaught Bar? I could be completely out here, but the memory is nagging.
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Post by nickf on Jan 23, 2014 15:28:16 GMT
nickf - One of the delay attribution codes used by Iarnrod Eireann is "Awaiting host". Hitherto I had assumed that it arose because Fr O'Reilly was a bit late arriving with the viaticum, now you've given me food for thought... To quote Tom Lehrer, "Two, four, six, eight: time to transubstantiate."
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Post by nickf on Jan 23, 2014 14:05:11 GMT
...patrons?
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Post by nickf on Jan 22, 2014 16:48:10 GMT
The Guinness posters opposite the platforms. An ostrich with the shape of a pint glass in its throat, Someone carrying an RSJ (I think). And in the cars I remember a very odd poster for some sort of energy pill that was coated (so they said) with silver - which was supposed to be a good thing.
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Post by nickf on Jan 22, 2014 14:35:29 GMT
.................. Sitting for over half an hour on platform 4 at Baker Street waiting for the hourly train to Ametsham while my dad read the Standard in the 70s, bought from the seller on the concourse who shouted "Standard" in a very strange way. Yes news vendors spoke a language all of their own. When the Star and the News were still on sale as well as the Standard, you used to hear "Starnewstanart" from them. And the delivery vans had rubber front mudguards!
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Post by nickf on Jan 19, 2014 21:44:13 GMT
It's all coming back! I was standing on the Eastbound platform at Tower Hill and an engineer's train hauled by a steam loco went by. Utter surprise and delight.
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Post by nickf on Jan 19, 2014 18:56:54 GMT
keef's mention of guards reminds me that I would always choose the last car to travel in so I could see the guard at work.
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Post by nickf on Jan 19, 2014 14:04:22 GMT
I was pondering on the changes that have come about on the Underground that I have witnessed. I can remember slam door stock on the Metropolitan Line, hauled by electric locomotives, while the service extended to Aylesbury: Mansion House with two terminating platforms; three (or was it four) tracks at South Kensington and Gloucester Road; the shuttle to Acton Town from South Acton; the District Line extending to Hounslow West to name just a few that I can remember right now. Are any of these changes (or the countless others that I have forgotten or never saw) regrettable now - would anyone like to put them back?
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Post by nickf on Nov 26, 2013 14:32:47 GMT
Thanks crusty54, that's really clear. Lots of info there.
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Post by nickf on Nov 26, 2013 8:31:34 GMT
Ah, right. Thanks for that.
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Post by nickf on Nov 25, 2013 19:47:32 GMT
What are the Eastern bores of the Copenhagen and Gasworks tunnels North of Kings Cross used for now - and are there any plans to run trains through them again in the future?
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Post by nickf on Nov 16, 2013 9:12:13 GMT
Page 53 onwards of this RAIB report linkgives some interesting information on alarm handle covers.
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