Recent content by wjp

Today's workings for 158720 are as follows: 5H51 05:54 Inverness TMD-Elgin IH53 07:03 Elgin-Inverness 5H01 08:08 Inverness-Inverness TMD 5A54 13:54 Inverness TMD-Inverness 1A54 14:29 Inverness-Aberdeen (with 170405) 2A79 16:57 Aberdeen-Inverurie 2A80 17:46 Inverurie-Aberdeen 1H39 18:18...

The chances of seeing 70s in Bristol seems to have reduced as they appear to have migrated North - 12 months or so ago there was often one to three of the Heavy Haul-allocated locos stabled at Stoke Gifford Yard; my occassional visits recently have resulted in only 66s (others will be better...

From personal experience; a SPT 303 from Glasgow Central Low Level-Carlisle vice a cancelled Intercity Cross Country HST to Plymouth c. 1990.

Portishead, population c. 22k.

Mk3 stock is able to use both platforms 3/4 and 5/6 at Bristol Temple Meads - whilst FGW's HST services tend to occupy higher numbered platforms (especially 13 & 15), the 07:13 BTM-Swansea HST service often starts from platform 5.

Nick - It is a FGW service - but FGW currently have 150267/78-81 on hire (all of which are in Arriva Trains Wales livery). Here's 150279 at Bristol Temple Meads on 10/04: http://wjp.fotopic.net/p58916387.html

In terms of electrics, towards the end of the 80's there would have been circa 90-odd Class 86, 36 x Class 87, 30-odd Class 85s (most survived until c. 1990/1) and c. 20 Class 81s (which were mostly withdrawn between 1988 and 1990). Two Class 82s (005 and 008 ) and three Class 83s (009, 012 &...

87029 - Earl Marischal; no great reason other than it was a bit of a pet loco...! The original Class 60 names weren't bad (Steadfast etc); certainly preferable to 'ABP Port of Grimsby & Immingham', and the 57 Thunderbird names are at least a bit different!

Highest number of passenger journeys since 1946, despite the price suggests that something works. As for the comments that the DfT doesn't give a s%$*, I'm not sure the RMT are particularly fussed either (continual threats of strike action on FGW due to the use of managers - who can at least be...

A 450 to anywhere seems like heaven compared to Cardiff-Portsmouth on a 150/2...

In fairness, they have been rebuilt from chassis up (some of the earlier NZ exports largely only have door modifications and so remain easily recognisable as Mk II)

I would have thought there are plenty more worthy routes for electrification than Holyhead - also by not doing so you avoid disruption to every single service when the power fails... ...are Virgin increasing their subsidy payments or are we bankrolling this whole thing?

Yes - this would have been Mk 2F 5837 in it's previous life

Looking quite different: