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Post by countryman on Feb 6, 2017 12:27:17 GMT
Outside London, it is not only that you cannot use your pass before 9.30, but as compared to the pass starting at 60, you cannot get your pass until later. At present you can get your pass at the age a woman becomes eligible for state pension, so I get mine in July at 63 years 11 months. London introduced the Freedom Pass in 1973, and many other local authorities adopted similar systems until it became a nationwide scheme, for buses only, in 2008. The qualifying age was originally 60, but has risen since 2010 in line with the female state pension age and is currently, as Countryman says, between 63 and 64 (although the state pension age for men is still 65 - the pension ages will continue to rise after they reach parity at the end of 2018). However, in 2012 London effectively restored the qualifying age to 60 for people who are resident in, and travelling in, Greater London with the 60+ Oyster. (Current plans are for State pension age to reach 66 in 2020, 67 in 2026, and 68 in 2046 - but a lot can happen in thirty years). I've just had a play on the calculator on the Gov.UK website; I just picked the 1st of each month, and did the calculation for July to December 1953 birthdays. The results are: Ist July, eligible 6/3/17 Ist August, eligible 6/7/17 Ist September, eligible 6/11/17 Ist October, eligible 6/3/18 Ist November, eligible 6/7/18 Ist December, eligible 6/11/18 So, for every month later your birthday is, the eligibily date goes back 4 months.
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Post by countryman on Feb 6, 2017 12:06:32 GMT
Two single doors don't equal a double door. The centre pillar on the Cammell-Laird tube stock was an impediment, despite being barely 4" wide. And, of course, the earlier standard stock.
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Post by countryman on Feb 6, 2017 9:15:44 GMT
I don't know which one of the above is best given the main political parties at Westminster are incapable of agreeing a policy stance on public transport funding for London (or elsewhere). All I do know, having been on the inside, is that consistent levels of funding agreed over a number of years is really very important in terms of trying to get work done properly, at lowest cost and with efficient procurement / VFM from suppliers. I am now getting to the point where I am questioning the value / benefit of political control over transport budgets given the turbulence every new administration causes. I fear the currently Mayoral term will land Londoners with some horrible choices come 2020/21. Ever since the GLC and then the mayor was created the buying of the pensioner vote has led the pensioner into a dream land of free travel envied outside London who only have a bus pass valid after 9.30am. Londoners have gone from a basic bus to an all singing/dancing freedom pass with the introduction of new concessions at every election. Who remembers the 20p blue ticket so that pensioner bus pass holders could travel on the underground only off-peak? It was the start of the slippery slope to bribe pensioners. Another interesting ticket issue this year is that Privilege Ticket Authority Card (PTAC) associated oyster card reverted from privilege rate to standard rates on January 1st and you had to seek out a member of staff to reinstate the privilege rate by showing your new PTAC which I did and it was done at a ticket machine oyster reader; the new PTAC details being entered on the oyster card. With BR's drive for ticketless travel there does not seem to be any provision for privilege ticket holders to buy tickets with unmanned stations and driver only trains. Outside London, it is not only that you cannot use your pass before 9.30, but as compared to the pass starting at 60, you cannot get your pass until later. At present you can get your pass at the age a woman becomes eligible for state pension, so I get mine in July at 63 years 11 months.
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Post by countryman on Feb 5, 2017 18:31:54 GMT
Its a good rule to assume that the carriage which empties most will be the one closest to the exit. From experience, it seems that 'corner' seats often empty first, rather than those in the middle of a row. Recently i have had serious issues getting a northbound seat from baker st to northwick park. Other than getting a starting @ baker street train, what can i do? Where should i stand along the platform to maximise getting a seat, at least by finchley rd? I would have recommended getting into the first car if the A stock was still running, but I assume S stock fills up more uniformly. And there are far fewer seats.
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Post by countryman on Feb 4, 2017 21:08:02 GMT
Some people do odd things. In Provincetown on Cape Cod, in both the Ladies and Gents there are signs saying 'please do not flush the toilet with your feet'! (sorry, leading off topic)
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Post by countryman on Feb 3, 2017 21:24:15 GMT
Just because the cars travel on the right, the railways don't necessarily. For instance in France SNCF and (IIRC) RER on the left, RATP on the right.
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Post by countryman on Feb 2, 2017 17:14:33 GMT
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Post by countryman on Feb 2, 2017 16:05:23 GMT
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Post by countryman on Jan 31, 2017 9:09:44 GMT
Wouldn't your Oyster have capped at £11.20? Would it do that if the first journey had been in the morning peak?
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Post by countryman on Jan 29, 2017 11:52:09 GMT
If you've got your phone out, you might as well just buy a mobile ticket. OK if you are mobile savvy. I use one, but strangely in this day and age I only use it as a phone and for occasional texts.
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Post by countryman on Jan 27, 2017 9:30:47 GMT
CO is though no the only thing to come out the tailpipe of a road diesel engine. CO 2, SO 2, etc all need to be dealt with. Although given they coped with a steam engine a couple of years back it might be doable (if not exactly pleasant). As I said earlier, CO, SO2, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons amd particulates are all reduced to minimal levels if fitted with a catalyst, particle filter and an Adblue system. The catalyst removes CO, SO2 and unburned hydrocarbons, the filter removes the soot particles and the Adblue brings down the nitrogen oxides. The SO2 content is also lowered by the current specification of diesel which is low in sulphur (too much will poison the catalyst). This just leaves CO2, which in low concentrations is relatively harmless. If the diesels are from transit vans, then, if they don't come fitted with the associated depollution kit, it can easily be fitted. And with current legislation I doubt if they would be allowed to run at all if not so fitted.
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Post by countryman on Jan 26, 2017 14:38:39 GMT
The SSR, when steam operated, had numerous blowholes, where the engine drivers would "blow off" the residue of steam and fumes. These were essentially railed off holes down to the"covered way", as the DR called it. I've seen a photo of Big Ben with a shroud of steam from a 4-4-0T below. Cab horses didn't like it and non-London horses were apt to bolt. Some of these blowholes would definitely need to be reopened with Vivarail Ds in service; its carbon monoxide levels that would worry me.... See my post above. Carbon monoxide would be minimal.
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Post by countryman on Jan 26, 2017 9:48:26 GMT
Diesel powered trains on the SSR? Think you'd need to open several mothballed A&Es, for CO poisoning! I realise that this is a humorous comment, but wouldn't the engines be Euro 6 with catalytic converter, particle filter and Adblue injection? Should be pretty clean apart from CO2 (unless produced by VW).
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Post by countryman on Jan 24, 2017 22:06:48 GMT
I'm going to the QPR v Sheffield game on the BH Monday. QPR has been my team since the very first football match I ever went to which was at QPR in 71 or 72. I grew up less than two miles from Loftus Road.And I'm going to take my sons to see both Wembley and the new West Ham ground. Similarly, QPR has always been my team. The first game I went to was against Notts County, played at White City. I was also there when they won the League Cup at Wembley (3-2 v West Brom) and I went to most home games the season they were runners-up in the First Division. I was born in Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, lived in East Acton, and went to school at St. Clement Danes, again Du Cane Road. I suppose it was pre-ordained as my mother was born in 2 Loftus Road.
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Post by countryman on Jan 22, 2017 12:07:44 GMT
I notice today that some tfl rail trains are skipping maryland, but this is the only station they skip on route to Brentford, is there any reason for this? I assume you mean Brentwood? Maryland to Brentford would be an interesting service!
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Post by countryman on Jan 19, 2017 8:35:11 GMT
They used to use conductor rails as jumper cables they were known as out of gauge rails they should all be gone now Do you mean to jump gaps in the conductor rails? I ask because both conductor rails are continuous at this point, and the short section appears to be fixed in the correct position to contact the shoes.
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Post by countryman on Jan 19, 2017 8:24:00 GMT
There were two passengers on the platform at Northfields. An odd thing I noticed. Shortly after leaving Boston Manor, despite the continuous conductor rail on the left, there is a short 5-10 metre lenght of conductor on the right. Anyone know why it is there?
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Post by countryman on Jan 15, 2017 14:48:57 GMT
Exactly the same phenomenon, if you work it out. Is there a term for braking using the traction motors as generators, irrespective of the system used? I've heard the term Dynamic Braking before, although mostly in connection with America. As far as I know, regenerative braking uses the motors as a generator, and power is fed back into the power supply. In dynamic braking the motor genertes electricity with is fed though resistors to convert into heat. Obviously, within these parameters, it is possible to use dynamic braking for electric or diesel traction, but regenerative only for electric traction. I suppose it is possible to use regenerative braking to recharge batteries.
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Post by countryman on Jan 11, 2017 18:45:34 GMT
I have just come across my Ian Allen book dating from 31st July 1965.According to that;
Circle, District and Met have a common set of codes, many having multiple meanings; eg All 5 lights Barking Sidings both directions and Kensington Olympia. One code is used for both inner and outer rail on the Circle Line. There are separate codes for Q stock on the East London Line, which duplicate codes on the 'main line'.
Piccadilly has only 4 lights in a square pattern, some with different meaning depending on eastbound/westbound.
Nothern Line. 5 lights, all lit at all times.
Bakerloo Line. 5 lights (like a No5 on a dice) with the central light lit on all destinations.
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Post by countryman on Jan 11, 2017 9:36:48 GMT
Presumably the 5-light system was so that signalmen could recognise a train in the dark (and for when the motorman forgot to change the blind? How did the lights get changed. I assume a set of switches or shutters. If so, the motorman could just as easily forget to reset the lights.
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Post by countryman on Jan 5, 2017 10:25:08 GMT
I lived in Perivale and the rest of the extended family in Shepherd's Bush. In the 60s we had our Christmas Lunch, then went off on the 105 to Shepherd's Bush. (the only time I ever went on a Routemaster on the 105. After tea, aboyt 19.30, we used to walk to White City and get the Central Line back to Perivale. I have no recollection of the frequency of service, although it was signficantly lower than normal, or when the services stopped, but we did the trip evey year from 1960 until we got our first car in the late 60s.
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Post by countryman on Dec 12, 2016 18:11:58 GMT
If you think that is bad you should listen to some station announcements in Austria. On announcer in German, a different one in English, and the two stiched together when appropriate!
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Post by countryman on Dec 3, 2016 9:11:28 GMT
Just outside west end of Turnham Green?
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Post by countryman on Dec 2, 2016 19:00:32 GMT
I used to live in Conway Crescent in Perivale. The Central Line ran on the viaduct over the bottom of the gardens of the houses over the road. When we moved in in 1960, we heard the trains all of the time, but after a while you didn't notice it. Neither did we notice the Kings on the Paddington-Birminghan Expresses or the planes coming into Hearthrow on runway 28L. I suppose noise is likely to be an issue if the night trains run only 2 days a week as there is probably not enough time to acclimatise.
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Post by countryman on Nov 11, 2016 20:32:29 GMT
Between White City and East Acton, near Hammersmith Hospital?
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Post by countryman on Nov 11, 2016 17:08:59 GMT
I think that the reason was that many early diesels were designed to work in multiple and were therefore fitted with nose doors. To allow crews moving from one engine to another, they would have needed a certain amount of wiggle [or is it wriggle] room. Arun Pretty sure 31s had doors in their flat fronts! EDIT. Went too early without seeing photos further down the thread. Sorry!
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Post by countryman on Nov 11, 2016 9:19:04 GMT
I suppose the question really is: is there some need for plant to be installed over the front of the lead bogie/rear of the trailing bogie that means the cab cannot be right at the front? Or is it just a 'style' thing that became de-rigueur? I'm not very well up on loco types, but one that is flat-fronted that springs to mind is the Western - a diesel-hydraulic loco. Could it be something to do with the electrical transmission? As well as the hydraulics, other flat fronted classes, off the top of my head, were 31s and 33s, both of which were diesel electrics.
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Post by countryman on Nov 10, 2016 19:17:25 GMT
The metal round wheel basically it's not completely perfectly round and will have a flat causing by lock up of the wheels or wheel slip under acceleration I doubt very much that you will get flats though wheel slip under acceleration as the wear will not be limited to a particular area.
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Post by countryman on Nov 9, 2016 8:52:17 GMT
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Post by countryman on Nov 7, 2016 12:15:47 GMT
Interesting that the photo shows the conductor rail on the platform side!
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