Recent content by Bill EWS

On You Tube I opened a video that was about 40 seconds and it started with a series of adverts over 57 seconds long.

Our first TV was a 9 inch model with a Bakeliite cabinet. Way back in the 50's. It cost £15. It was fantastic being able to watch all sorts of programmes and when 6.5 Special came about we had quite a few neighbours drop in each week to watch too. Western Shows were also very popular with the...

Interesting reading here. An interesting railway to visit while at Wirksworth on open days is to take the branch ride to Ravenstor and walk up the old incline to where it joined the High Peak railway and then the short walk along the trackbed towards Blackrocks where the Steeple Grange narrow...

Thanks, Merle. I considered that the 61's were the smoothest ride of most of all locos of that time and that stayed with me right up until I had my first ride in a HST cab when they came to the Westrern Region.The HST really was the exception in quality cab ride. I recal having a visit to...

Thank you D6130.

I worked on both Diesel Electric and hydraulic versions. I began my driving career at Kittybrewster and worked over mutch of the Ex GNSR Network. My first handling of a goods train was with a NBL type 2 over the Ballater branch. I quite liked them. They were very smooth riders and in spite of...

Waiting for the 15.27 back into Nottingham after a pleasant day walking the old GNR route from Hucknall to Newstead via Linby. While waiting for the train my camera was packed away and wasn't expecting anymore photography when suddenly this light loco came into via approaching from Worksop. I...

Hmm. What about a two-tone green!

Never found it a problem. Heavy frost in the early hours was something to keep an eye on and could make for a difficult start off with a heavy freight train or wheel lock when braking. I had that quite a few times over the years. The class 60's were very good at handling those conditions.

Sundays became part of the working week after privatisation. However, I am not sure if that included passenger train drivers also! Our depot became freight only with privatisation therefore didn't work passenger trains again after that.

I had an enjoyable visit to the GCR Diesel Weekend on Saturday 7th September. The weather was a bit bleak and wet but they had put on a good number of different diesel types and every station had plenty of movements to keep your interest. A busy time table averaged out at four trains per hour...

I have all my slides from way back to the 70's plus all my old and family photographs scanned. They are also spread in sites such as Flicker. My first back-ups were on CD's then on to DVD's but in recent years I decided to save everything on my computer onto External drives. I have two drives...

Got caught up in the chaos at Reading yesterday evening traveling from Twyford to Didcot. It took two hours to get home having stood in a massive que for taxis. However, overall they did an excellent job of getting people onto the taxis and calling out for passengers all going to the same...

I have had a couple of the "Your computer is locked up, You must phone this number. Please don't shut down your computer etc. All they have done is lock the X'' box at the top right hand corner so that you can't close it down. The seriously sounding voice over is to panic you into to phoning...

The rule I got to know of, whether it was correct or not was eight hours clear after just one pint before booking on duty. It wasn't an issue with me as I was never a big drinker and could take it or leave it and mostly left it as I still do today after 17 years retired. I never let drink be an...