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Recent content by starrymarkb

  1. starrymarkb

    Railways To Go Metric

    Nautical Miles and Knots are defined in the Metric system because they are based on degrees of latitude/longitude - they aren't going to change. Similarly Feet will be used in the air, Russia has just switched their Airspace from metric to feet and knots above IIRC 3000ft. China is the only...
  2. starrymarkb

    Railways To Go Metric

    You soon get used to the approximations if you have an MPH gauge, I've driven a bit on the continent and soon had the approximate limits sussed. Bear in mind that most speedos overread the speed so you would be safe using these! 30km/h = 20mph 40km/h = 25mph 50km/h = 30mph 60km/h = 35mph...
  3. starrymarkb

    [BBC News] "Trains outside London are 'cast-offs' MPs say"

    Yep, given a proper refurbishment the Northern fleet would smarten up nicely. SWT got a lot of stick in the local media when they announced that the 170s would be replaced by former TPX 159s, it dried up pretty quickly once the press were shown around the first 'rebuilt' unit. SWT's 455s look...
  4. starrymarkb

    Railways To Go Metric

    They might show imperial, but measure it and you'll find it's metric. The Highways agency works in metric, as shown by the Kilometre posts on all UK motorways. On road signs, 1 mile = 1600m and 1yd = 1m
  5. starrymarkb

    [BBC News] "Trains outside London are 'cast-offs' MPs say"

    Indeed most aircraft are leased, smaller airlines tend to lease, while bigger ones use a mixture of leased and owned (for example the BA 773's are all leased from IIRC GE where as the 772s are mostly owned)
  6. starrymarkb

    Supermarkets in the UK

    Aldi and Lidl are pretty similar to their German sisters - Also it's Aldi Süd in the UK Tesco, Sainsburys, ASDA and Morrisons are pretty similar to EDEKA or REWE (though not Co-operatives) I don't know if there is a direct German equivalent of Waitrose or M+S Food. The big chains often have...
  7. starrymarkb

    [BBC News] "Trains outside London are 'cast-offs' MPs say"

    I suspect the American operators would love units, but the regulators there place such onerous requirements on MUs that it's often cheaper to use a locomotive.
  8. starrymarkb

    Commuter coaches

    I know NatEx will often use a Kings Ferry vehicle on a short NatEx working between the peaks (though there is the risk of delays meaning the coach doesn't get back in time for it's commuter run)
  9. starrymarkb

    Railways To Go Metric

    The EU rules do permit the use of Miles and MPH (with the UK in mind), but Network Rail has decided it would be a good time to go metric. Also I thought the railways used chains rather then yards Someone should tell the DM that our road signs are already Metric (a distance signed as 100yds is...
  10. starrymarkb

    Class 390 Pendolino Question

    Yes, it was easier to use the existing panto/transformer coach design insead of designing something new but instead of the pan there is just a connection to the 25kV cable that runs along the roof (and a Circuit Breaker)
  11. starrymarkb

    Interesting Motorway services

    The new Gloucester services are going to be run by the same people as Tebay. Northbound is open but Southbound was still under construction last time I went through. Had planned to stop and look but circumstances (oil level light) meant I used Michaelwood in the end.
  12. starrymarkb

    Leipzig and Nuremberg

    I love Leipzig, so much so I go every year ;) Hotel wise you can't go wrong with Motel One (there are two in the city centre), the Ramada City and PentaHotel are nice. The Seaside looked nice when I visited friends there but with the event rates I couldn't afford it. Attraction wise there is...
  13. starrymarkb

    "Also search in child forums"

    It's another way of saying subforum. The Parent would be "Other Transport" and the Child "London Underground"
  14. starrymarkb

    National Express

    Yes, though in practice they swap at each stop
  15. starrymarkb

    Airport gate allocations

    It is, plus facilities at the gate are often minimal (ie Bristol's new Pier just has a few benches - some of the gates in the main building have no seating at all and the queues snake around the terminal). For example the Air FranceKLM flights are always on stand 21 as it can't hold anything...

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