Recent content by acned

Slight thread drift but in London so far this year there have been a number of youth murders, some gang related. One of the reasons given is "there is nothing for kids to do". London's kids get free travel, if I had had that perk in the 80s I would have never been at home! Transport isn't a...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/15038/34573359436/ Mitre Bridge loco swap in 1986

Personally, what I would do - pay up immediately before it goes to court. If you decide to fight it in court, make sure you get a good brief, and they don't come cheap. Just bear in mind, the railway has over 100 years of legal precedent on its side and ignorance of the law is no defence...

Lots of women worked on the railways in Sir Peter's day. My cousin for one, not many as drivers but station staff, crossing keepers, back office admin, sleeper attendants, travel centres, Travellers Fare catering, wages clerks, secretarys. Not many shovelling ballast back then, admittedly.

Oh yes, I had good reason to use it old bean, I was the victim of an attempted robbery and had just been beaten up, so yeah, what were a few more cuts after that, eh? Good job as well I am not a haemophilliac!

I was frequently mistaken for a Royal Mail worker whilst wearing a waterproof orange hi-viz coat, when I used to cycle to my Mum's, as she lives near a sorting office. The posties would often wave at me, thinking I was one of their own. I find that white-van man treats you with respect when...

Yes T.V. spotting is fun, but they don't count in your book :(:D; todays 'The Professionals' featured a trackside gun fight with cameos by a rail blue D.M.U. and a class 31! My Lords!

Deer browsing is a national problem, not just confined to shooting estates. A local woodland in Herts, that I am familiar with, has little understorey except holly and some unpalatable bracken as the deer have browsed the tasty stuff like hazel and new growth willows and birch. The National...

There are a lot of B.R. era signs in non-public areas. Outside Euston there are B.R. signs along Eversholt Street. Next time anyone has a few minutes at Preston have a look for the cast iron L.Y.R. and L.M.S. utility covers. I eventually noticed them after 10 years of regularly passing them!

Biggleswade has the N.S.E. flash incorporated in the platform surface. Similarly, either Bank or Waterloo retain these flashes as well, on the W. & C. Line platforms. There is a cast iron L.N.E.R. sign still in situ on what was one of the G.N.Rs. "Northern Heights" branches. There are plenty...

It may be sugar glass but it still cut my hand in several places when I had cause to use the alarm on a 313 unit ten years ago.

With portions it can! That is, carriages that can be attached and detached. Southern Region had the right idea back in the day. The last proper loco-hauled W.CM.L. splitter was the Liverpool and Manchester overnight that split at Stafford. I think it finished in 1990? Of course, the sleeper...

Regulation of Railways Act 1892 allows an authorised person to request a passenger's name and address. The "three fails" rule means a person can be arrested if they: 1. Fail to show a valid ticket (includes a second class travelling in first class) 2. Fail to pay for a valid ticket 3. Fail to...

Parkway stations were a concept B.R. came up with. They were designed to entice passengers onto Inter-City routes by having easy motorway links and free parking.

It doesn't sound as though you have been issued with a penalty fare, therefore if you were not billed there and then, the inspector will have cautioned you and noted what you told him, and then issued the MG11. Personally, I would urge you to speak to someone properly versed in legal matters...