Recent content by shodkini

I suppose the best example is Ffestiniog Double Fairlies, where 4 have been withdrawn [in 1882;1933;1971 and 2018] , 2 are still working [built in 1879 and 1992] and one is under construction. [The most recent withdrawal was only built in 1979]

One potential problem for a few people is sensitisation - once you have had a bad reaction to a fairly high concentration of a chemical [typically a biocide or solvent], subsequent exposure to much lower concentrations can cause the same reaction.

Be careful where you're ordering from - many of the cheapest prices are for ordering direct from China, even if it looks like a British company name, with delivery by the end of August.....

I have been very pleased with the performance of ECCO Goretex walking shoes, used when walking boots would be OTT.

Although minimising contact between year groups could be tried inside schools, it would break down immediately outside the premises - because of school bus transport and siblings in the family home.....

I wonder if the widespread use of perspex inside buildings is creating potential problems due to its flammability - I remember the Summerland fire in the Isle of Man - have we diminished one risk and created another......

The "negative" excess deaths could be because a proportion of the expected deaths for the recent week occurred earlier due to Covid direct or indirect effects.....

One fact which has not been made public [quite reasonably] is the age of the grandparents - if only in their 50s they would be an acceptable parental substitute, if in their 70s not so wise......

Thames Travel X38/39/40 and X2/32 seem to normally have a random[?] mixture of single and double deckers.

I was at Oxford Poly in 1974/5, and still remember a journey from Oxford to Paddington - we left 8 minutes late and arrived on time - not bad for a 60 minute journey - I wasn't expecting such a ride from a Western hauling 6 coaches, but I do remember working out our speed as 110mph at one point...

One advantage of the open sided coaches used on the WHR and Ffestiniog is that they make it much easier to take photographs from the train - their older closed coaches have full drop windows above each table, so you can get reasonable photos with a bit of stretching, but they seem to have run...

A long time ago I worked for a company which formulated, manufactured and marketed vehicle cleaners. For railway vehicles they were generally acidic, something to do with brake dust removal, whereas for buses/trucks they were alkaline. What we sold was typically used at a 1-2% strength, so...

The Welsh Highland Railway has recently changed to non-drop windows in their carriages - previously every table had a drop window at its outer edge - good for photos - now they are sealed units - last set of pictures from their newest carriage I took were mainly unusable.

When I lived in Windsor in 1975/6 there was 1 through train to Paddington each morning - in Slough it stopped [briefly] in the West bound fast line platform, then took the first available cross-over to the London bound fast line on departure.