Recent content by ralphwedgewood

I can’t find much about Boulogne but here is an interesting article about the Rail – Air service that operated between the UK and Paris. http://www.boutiquedelaviedurail.com/laviedurail/content/nos-publications Go down to ‘Historail’ and click on decouvrez le magazine. It’s also got a far...

Interesting page about slipping on the Etat in the '30s. They used the Willison coupler and the coaches were gangwayed throughout - which they were not on the GWR slips. http://roland.arzul.pagesperso-orange.fr/etat/inattendu/voiture_directe.htm

(1) Class 31 and 6 mark 1's (maybe an occasional mark 2a) March to Leicester in the early '80s. Even at moderate speeds (and the class 31 was only just capable of very moderate speed) the mark 1's were either rough or very rough but at least had the benifit of compartments - the trick was to...

Horton Kirby Boy's Home had a platform on the down side only

I had a trip from Stratford International to Dover and return last week. I can handle the grey interior (it won’t date) but was a little disappointed with the riding between Stratford and the tunnel portal near Dagenham. Quite a bit of lateral vibration, reminiscent of the mark 4’s when they...

It attaches the swing bolster to the bogie frame. You can see the same sort of thing on B4 and Commonwealth bogies. On older types of bogie i.e. Gresley Spencer Moulton, the swing bolster is supported front and rear by a slot in the bogie frame, so the bolster can move sideways but not forward...

Talking of Pullmans, I have never seen a close up of the Met Cam Blue Pullman Schlieran bogies. Anybody?

The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad "The North Shore Line" Electroliners could exceed 90 mph, and being proper interurbans, ran through the streets of Milwaukee. However, the Galveston Houston Electric Railway was reputed to be even faster.

I came back from Carlisle to Leeds a few years ago on a Pacer - it was fine. The traincrew even cleaned the windows at Carlisle on the 'pretty' side. The only thing to really catch them (the Pacers) out is rough jointed track, and thank goodness there is less of that around now.

Permanently coupled sets are nothing new: the GWR 'B' sets had bar couplings "inside". A lot of London area 4 wheel sets were permanently coupled i.e SE&CR 'Z' sets. (and no heating).

Be careful, Willesden Junction is not in a very nice area.

A stock inner rail is too long for Barbican so the last car's doors are switched out. Not a problem as the train has only come from Aldgate so last car usually only lightly loaded. Incidentally, ‘S’ is the correct letter for the new district line stock, following on from ‘R’. The Met never had...

All four of the “Big Four” Companies used articulated stock to a greater (LNE) or lesser (SR) extent. The quad arts (Kings Cross suburban) and quint arts (Liverpool St) were designed with the aim of reducing overall weight by saving one bogie under each intermediate coach and maximising the...

Liverpool Corporation Tramways manager followed a “Green Goddess” in his car at 61 mph.