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Back in i believe would have been 1981, i was part of a group doing some track surveying at Mill Hill Broadway. WE were set up in the wideway at the end of the centre platform. In the distance we saw a Class 45 heading north on the Down Slow. However, it never passed us. I spun the level around...

That story about the AA may relate to the tale that an AA Patrolman reported a "dead" APT on the WCML in Cumbria that he saw when passing over the railway.

Regarding the rough riding. I have noticed over the past two or three days whilst on IET's a sensation not felt before with lateral displacement at several places along the GWML. A bit disturbing to me as a long term railway man. Came and went but was not limited to S&C areas but plain line as...

I was working with InterCity West Coast at the time of the introduction of what was known as the EBW Shuttle (Euston Birmingham Wolverhampton). A lot of work went into "sweating asset" as at that time InterCity received no direct government support (all through the fare box) and purse strings...

Having been involved with the upgrade of Marylebone as part of Evergreen 2 as a senior engineer, the staircases up from the platforms onto Rossmore Road are for emergency egress from the station should, for whatever reason, egress were not to be possible through the concourse area.

The proposition in post 14 that a bridge bash is highly unlikely to dislodge a bridge is fundamentally incorrect. I can recall at least two occurrences were bridge decks were dislodged as a result of impacts. One in Ireland led to fatalities and one in North Wales was spotted by first train in...

I do recall catching the down sleeper to Holyhead in the early 1980's. First trip on a sleeper. Went to Holyhead to confirm surveys of extent of harbour facilities. I believe it was part of transfer to Sealink as a separate entity. Few years ago now. But do remember the more senior engineer I...

Perhaps DfT has not spoken to MOD? Its interesting looking at Seaborne Freight's web site and their details at Companies House.

Anybody seen the Taking of Pelham 123? Intent could be there.

Whilst in the majority of cases on a railway station, the normal entrance/exit will also be the emergency exit to be used in the eent of an evacuation. However, certain stations have additional non-normal use emergency exits to permit persons to exit the facility avoiding areas that may have...

Is it a similar case to the space race when the US spent a lot of US dollars attempting to design a pen that would work in zero gravity and the Russians used a pencil? Technology advances are brilliant but how many of us used all the features offered on the later spec VHS recorders? We just...

May I tell you a story about "free toilets" at St Pancras? Back in 1980, I'd been working at Radlett Junction as a junior tech involved with the installation of Radlett Junction as part of the BedPan scheme. Night shift and to get home had to catch first train into St Pancras. It was rammed and...

One could say that this is a tad unfortunate...…….

Back in the 1980's there was a Euston Leighton Buzzard Northampton loco hauled service departing 17.24 I believe (may be wrong) that when stopping at Leighton Buzzard had the back two or three coaches off the platform. It was not uncommon for passengers to open doors and climb down into the wide...

No idea precisely but possibly 1930's. Also likely to be fabricated at Taunton Concrete Works. They are quite common.

No.1 is not a sand pit. Its a chipping bin used for measured shovel packing beneath a sleeper. A manual task undertaken to take out imperfection in track line and cross level. The mechanised stone blower does a very similar job nowadays

I know this is a bit off topic but, back in the late 90's I was involved with the creation of various Virtual Quarry sites around the midlands. The project manager from Railtrack HQ was not a railway man but would insist on calling these sites the VQ's. We got a bit fed up with this and created...

King Edward II Harveys of Bristol?

They are twin block sleepers connected together to maintain gauge by a steel bar cast within each. Current concrete sleepers being a single mono block supporting both rails. I suspect if you excavated down between the blocks you would find the bar. Bull head rail chairs would be bolted onto...

I thought it was Hatfield where the buffet car folded after contact with an OLE stanchion?