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Recent content by shodkini

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    Trivia: Train types where significant withdrawals took place before the last ones were built

    I suppose the best example is Ffestiniog Double Fairlies, where 4 have been withdrawn [in 1882;1933;1971 and 2018] , 2 are still working [built in 1879 and 1992] and one is under construction.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]
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    Perfume/cosmetics sections at department stores

    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.
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    Face Coverings - Advice on usage.

    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.....
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    Walking shoes - advice on buying

    I have been very pleased with the performance of ECCO Goretex walking shoes, used when walking boots would be OTT.
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    Revealed: plans for schools in England from September 2020

    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.....
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    Coronavirus precautions: Has the world gone mad?

    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......
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    Has Boris and the government done a good job of handling the pandemic?

    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.....
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    Enforcement of the new rules on social distancing, unnecessary journeys etc.

    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......
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    Mixture of single and double decker operated routes

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

    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...
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    Britain's Boring Preservation Movement

    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...
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    Norwich Crown Point carriage wash

    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...
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    Last Chance To Take Photos from Trains.

    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.
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    Future GWML routes

    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.

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