Recent content by markindurham

Thank you Mark

The impression I got, from quite a few posts, was that First was OK-ish, but not as good as it was or could/should be. Anyway, we'll just have to see how it goes. Mark

Oh, I hope not - it's rail replacement north of Doncaster on the ECML, so who knows... Mark

Having read this thread, I'm a little concerned now - my wife & I are returning north from that there London on a Saturday in November, and as there's engineering work on the ECML, I've booked us First Class tickets out of St Pancras, just to vary the journey home. I do hope that I haven't made...

The Waiting Room on the Down platform at Durham station isn't bad, but The Station House at the bottom of the station approach road is one of the best CAMRA rated pubs in the NE Mark

Several books on the subject have quoted this, both the demise of steam and the backtracking on closures. Face it, the railways have been a political football for many years; a game played with enthusiasm by all sides...

You can also add BR 4MT 2-6-0, Ivatt 2-6-2T and Stanier 2-cyl 2-6-4T to the BR era steam list - the former infrequently, & on Scarborough services from the Tees/Wear area, the latter as a one-off, as far as we know, as a pilot engine on a "Scenic Excursion", running in a scheduled path. She was...

The 502s certainly did have starting bells. What wonderful sets they were too...

Bear in mind, too, that the Wilson government of 1964-70 - the one elected on the promise of stopping many of the Beeching Report closures that were planned, but instead accelerated the process - was wedded to having the UK at the forefront of "The White Heat of Technology", and steam was...

The Jacobite operations don't usually have diesels involved either - including the shunts at Fort Bill...

Indeed so. The other thing to consider is that her hull plating had become so thin in several places that some major reskinning, at huge cost, would have been required before she could float again. In fact, perforation had already occurred in the worst affected areas. (Look at the hull of...

Actually, as a professional seaman, compared to some of the monstrosities to be seen these days, she looks to be quite neat. That covered foredeck takes some getting used to; my own employer's latest liquid gas tanker is also so fitted, and was a cause for much discussion at the time. Mark

I offer Blue Peter, Durham, October 1994. It was reckoned that the wheels were turning at the equivalent of 140mph during her uncontrolled slip - the valve gear was destroyed and one driving wheel slipped on its axle...

I understand that there's an engine problem. Broken cylinder head stud or the like?

Yes, I've had her on the front out of Whitby an a few occasions. FWIW, 5428 was recently delayed returning to Grosmont-Whitby duties after maintenance whilst paperwork was dealt with.