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I'd like to know when maroon CCTs and other parcels vans began the paint transition from maroon to blue and by when was it complete? What years might it have been usual to see a mixed livery parcels train? Thanks in advance.

I'm trying to ascertain when the BR western region withdrew its Suburban B coach sets. I understand that most routes were taken over by the new DMUs but would any B sera have survived long enough to be diesel hauled?

I'm a recent frequent traveller between Southampton and Bristol Temple Meads [BRI] on the 158 operated service . On one now; middle of the afternoon out of school holidays and it is rammed, not Corbyn style rammed, but genuine. The earlier one I took in the other direction was the 9.10 from...

I've not been able to resist buying a Mainline Peak Class 45 in BR Green for a bargain £14.50 but the other stock I have been building up including Westerns and Warships in BR Green and Maroon are with a BR Western Region layout in mind, possibly a fictional loco and carriage shed depot beyond a...

Before TOPS or computerisation how did British Rail know where a carriage or wagon was at any particular time?

Does it matter which way a half brake coach faces at the back of a train? And how we're such trains turned around at terminus stations?

Do posters think that with ever more congested motorways that a motorail service could be reintroduced as a viable economic service? Where might services start and end? Could the infrastructure logistics work? I'd be very tempted to avoid the M1 or M6 to Scotland if I could take my car by rail.

Interesting article in the Guardian by David Mitchell who highlights an advert by First Group that uses the GWR brand to imply public ownership of the company. Don't agree with all he says but there are some interesting issues he considers...

30 diesels or more possibly? Dust down the stored 60s?

Yesterday's planning approval for a new potash mine near Whitby could mean 4 additional return trains each day between Middlesboro and Whitby. http://m.whitbygazette.co.uk/news/business/mine-company-pledges-1-5m-investment-for-rail-services-1-5848870

As a lad from the south I'd occasionally manage a day at Euston in the late 1970s but never took a record of which ALs worked which services to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. Were they all interchangeable or did those based at Longsight for example tend to work Manchester...

London motorists are to be fined for idling engines too long and this will apply to buses and taxis also. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-31989916 Should such a policy be written to apply to diesel rail locomotion also? I am more than aware of posters stating previously that older...

A quick tot up shows that there are about 80 class 08s and 11 class 09s still operated by various TOCs. I doubt whether all of them have mainline clearance and a good deal are in terrible condition now. Given the breakup of TOC ownership and use of 20s, 37s, 56s etc as yard and super shunters...

Apart from reminding me of the Droopy Dog cartoon character, what does that cable loop do on each end of a 56? Always wondered, never asked...

http://www.hl.co.uk/shares/stock-market-news/company--news/rolls-royce-breaks-into-market-for-chinese-locomotives-exports I didn't realise that RR were interested in the diesel locomotive market. I don't suppose there's much opportunity for them in the UK market currently though.

By my reckoning Alstom has had a bad 10 years. Deals it has won have been tarnished by quality issues on delivery (such as 334s and 458s) and it has failed to match the numbers of orders won by Siemens, Bombardier and more recently Hitachi. What does Alstom need to do to get back in the game...

Obviously the 455s are elderly units having been built in the early 1980s. However, South Western announced a £23m refurbishment of its 91 units a couple of years back that includes new traction equipment. They obviously hope to operate the 455s for some years yet. I've not seen any plans...

When are the HS2 rolling stock contracts expected to be tendered and who are the likely participants?

I shouldn't put this thread here really as there is a section about model railways but nobody ever seems to go there much. This is a query for the older posters and the real buffs amongst us and I hope people can get involved with their knowledge or just be interested otherwise. I want to...

A NR yellow self-propelled machine just passed my office near Trafford Park. I think the Real Train Times listing is http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O40144/2014/10/20/advanced Does anyone know what this machine with a permanently attached truck behind is please and what does it do?