Recent content by PhilipRdNGauge

Hi As a prediction tool, I can see it's usefulness. I have in the past used RealTimeTrains to predict the state of Thorpe Lane Crossing when coming back from Egham to Staines, with an impatient driver. If it's likely to be open when we get there it's a shorter route than the A30, but if not...

If this line had been protected by TPWS what sort of speeds would the grids for the the junction have demanded, given that the signal was at yellow. I know this is a high speed mainline, but if you see a yellow you should be expecting a red at the next, so would TPWS slow you right down & keep...

Pooley Green does have a bit of a history of accidents & damage to the gates, it's probably been phoned in more times than most.

The telephones on all these UWC could be routed to a single handset & if the Up/down block instruments show Line Clear or Train in Section, as that phone rings a big sign lights up saying "Reminder, Block Occupied Say NO". A little ESP32 & a cheap LED sign from Temu would do the job for £30...

It seems to me that up until Leominster told them to relax, they were being very careful. Admittedly they should have asked Leominster to place signal protection before giving permission to cross, NOT after, but they were keeping Leominster involved in each use of the Level crossing & that was...

The aerodrome (strictly speaking "Lashenden") is shown as having customs facilities, but at only 840m of grass it's only going to take light aircraft. I know there is a vintage aircraft operator which flies two-seat spitfires & suchlike for very expensive experience days based there. I guess...

I was expecting no service until this morning but was quite impressed with how quickly Network Rail sorted this out. It looks like the last train through was 2S40 at about 1400, by the time I saw the aftermath at 1620 a flatbed truck was picking up the wreckage & second NR van had just arrived...

If this area had been signalled with ETCS, would the movement authority at the first signal have allowed for the speed restriction implied by the route set further down the line & forced the train to slow down, so it was safe by the time it reached the points.

I see that the autocoupler is sort of dipped on the front of the locomotive, does this allow the use of the traditional hook & bar when it's hauling regular freight wagons or is 69008 confined to hauling dead 701s in it's current configuration.

If you are going to Terminal 5, the little 442X from Staines station is probably most convenient. It's only a Merc Sprinter, but fairly whizzes along avoiding most of Stanwell unlike the regular 442.

You might get an insurance company to offer such a policy for a couple of years, but once the claims start coming in the premiums will rise dramatically or the policy will be quietly dropped. In the last few years a number of insurers have become driven by marketing & dreams of making a fast...

I'd assumed those kind of either way routings had been lost with privatisation, but when I chose the Marylebone route for the outward, NRE gave me either for the return, with very similar timings.

I think the last time I did this trip, from Staines it was listed as "via Evesham", rather than "via Worcester", but that was before Covid, so maybe the routing points have changed. On this journey I'm only starting from London because I'm staying in Covent Garden the night before. Looking at...

Hi I'm planning to travel to Kidderminster (KID) outward from London Paddington (PAD) via the Cotwolds Line on an off-peak or super off-peak return. I've found a fare of either £92.50 off-peak return (restriction 4P) or £68.80 super off-peak return (restriction 5R) using a combination of...

I thought he was in the "suicide pit" in a deep level station rather than plain line in the tunnels. I particularly remember the gadget multiple lights the gangers place on the live rails to prove the current really has been turned off.