| Archive for silversurfers.myfreeforum.org The Premier Forum for the Over Fifties! |
| brian.b |
railwaysmy main hobby in life is railways, whether steam, todays or models, i love almost anything to do with them. i was born near a station and grew up from a very early age to love trains. many a time if i was missing, my parents looked around the station for me and nine times out of ten, that is where i was.from the early 1970's, i was a member of a model railway club in kings lynn, right up until it was closed at very short notice in 1987. everybody was heartbroken and there hasn't been another one there since. fifteen years ago, i got to work on the railways for a living and there i stayed until unstable angina forced me to take early retirement, much against my wishes. during my time on the railway, i had tremendous pleasure in serving as a guard behind some of the most famous steam locomotives there are still around today and on main line workings. i also got to meet many celebrities and royalty, escorted the late princess margaret about five times and prince phillip once. no comment re him though as it is unprintable on here cos this is a clean board. last year, i was at a meeting with regards to reopening another preserved line here in cambridgeshire and mentioned to another guy how disappointed i was there was no model railway club in our town. within three hours, i had an e-mail address, three letters written to local papers asking for premises to meet and anybody else interested in meeting. three weeks later, we held our first meeting with 23 people in attendance and me elected the first chairman. we now have a layout in the process of being built, with about one third already completed. i now also have a website for the club and if anybody wishes to see it, please send me a pm and i will send it back to you. i have also started a message board up that is railway orientated and accessable via http://trainmanstracks.proboards67.com/index.cgi |
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| Sandie Seward |
 I don't have the space or money to build another model railway, Brian, but I have found a brilliant substitute for that in the shape of a Virtual Train Simulation that is simply called, "Trainz".
It more than satisfies my railway cravings, and I find it very enjoyable, so enjoyable in fact, that I spend at least a couple of hours per day on it, sometimes much more.www.auran.com/trainz I've posted the link to their website and Forum, I think you will be interested in what you find there. I hope so, anyway. Let us know how you get on. |
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| brian.b |
thank you admin. i just linked on to it and will certainly going back again. i did have a couple of these, but the first one i lost when my marriage broke up and the other i will have to find and try again, now i know a bit more about computing. bless you. 
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| Sandie Seward |
Brian, you do need a pretty powerful system to make the most of the Trainz software, it's very demanding, and the higher spec system you have, the better and smoother it runs.
Since getting into Trainz, my system has had at least five upgrades, Memory, Graphics,(twice), larger cooling fan and heatsink, and a brand new 19" Flat Panel monitor that I bought especcially for Trainz. But, believe me, it's all worth every penny, for the sheer enjoyment and pleasure I get when I see a GWR. 4-6-0 'Star' or 'Hall' in full fettle with a dozen Chocolate and Cream coaches in tow.. |
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| brian.b |
there are some more railway boards you may like to try out?
http://delticdave.proboards56.com/index.cgi http://T52scene.myfreeforum.org http://southwesttrains.myfreeforum.org on swt one, wear sunglasses!
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| brian.b |
i now have just three weeks to build an n gauge layout on a 3' x 2' board for a train extravaganza. i have been given the stuff to do it with, but not the board, so good job i have one to use. | ||
| Sandie Seward |
Keep us posted as to your progress, please Brian. I will be very interested. 3'x2' doesen't sound very big to me, not even for 'N' Gauge. | ||
| Ken R |
If and when I finally get around to building a model railroad, I will probably go for N gauge myself. I've seen a few layouts in N gauge and they were absolutely brilliant, I just love that small scale There are so many trains and rolling stock variations in N gauge, you could build just about anything you want ! Just think of the layout you could get on a 6' x 4' board
Good luck Brain, you'll have to let us know how you get on and a piccy would be nice if you coulf fit it into your busy schedule ! |
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| brian.b |
i will certainly get a piccy of it and if i can't get it on here, i will leave link to it. |
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| brian.b |
to see a small selection of some of the photo's i have taken over the years, go to http://photos-by-brian.fotopic.net and then calender and todays date in bold, then you should find 64 of them.
ken for possible interest to you, go and look at http://www.freewebs.com/wismodelrailwayclub and look in the photo gallery. they aren't n gauge, but you will see how we are progressing with our oo gauge. |
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| Sylvia |
Real shame I'm not enthusiastic about trains. I feel a bit left out on this page. Anyway, my long term partner has a train set and has turned his smallest bedroom into, what appears to be a complete village with station and all the gubbings etc. He calls it 'A Big Boys Toy'.
It looks great seeing all the trains go round and into tunnels and out the other side and the mock scenery looks good too. I don't spend too long watching his trains as it starts to get boring, Sorry! but I'd rather stroll round the garden and pick some pretty flowers. 
Sylvia |
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| brian.b |
re with respect sylvia, if we all had the same likes, it would be a very boring world. i had a grandfather who once worked on the railway, but he never told us much about it. strange as it may seem with your posting, in his latter years, he spent many an hour tending his beloved garden and every reason to be proud of it. it was often better than some of the big shows. |
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| Sylvia |
Sorry if I touched a nerve Bian B | ||
| brian.b |
Not at all, Not at all. I may have put it over wrong. My dad's dad worked on the railway, but I never liked him, which I felt was the reason he wouldn't tell me about it at the time. I have learnt different since though. I met a guy he used to work with years ago and he told me a few things about my grandfather and so this is why he wouldn't tell us about his job. Like yourself, he loved his garden and when we went there, we weren't allowed on his lawn in case we trod a blade of grass down. To him, it was for looking at, not walking or playing on. |
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| Sandie Seward |
In older times, most Railwaymen were alloted a plot of land near the railway, where they could grow flowers and vegetables for themselves and their families.
Also, when the railway embankments were cut, the grass was turned into hay with which to supplement the railway horses diets. All the 'Big Four' companies used to use many horses for work in goods yards and deliveries to customers. This continued right up and into the fifties. Even untill quite recent times, the railway embankments used to be kept clear of excessive vegitation. These days, they are mostly overgrown and look very untidy and unkempt. They say they 'can't get the staff' to do it, but it's more like a case of that they don't want to pay them! Why not put 'community service' offenders to work doing this? |
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| brian.b |
re your last sentence admin, i have said this about different projects for the elderly and/or disabled in this country, but get the same excuse every time. it would cost too much to implement it and insure them. to that i ask well what are they doing then? |
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| brian.b |
would you belive it, i had got this all planned how it was going to be and they have cancelled the extravaganza WITHOUT telling me and i have a meeting arranged for sunday with the organisers. i wont be there because i have a funeral on this week and returning home that same morning, but they don't know that i know the meeting is cancelled. i think lack of communication comes to mind. |
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| Ken R |
In a totally different vein, I went off on a choo choo for the first time in 17 years today and had a great time. I went off to London by train for a luncheon date with old friends and had a whale of a time. I'd forgotten how stress free rail travel is and the thing that really surprised me was that the return fair had only gone up £2 in 17 years  It has got to be the best value travel around if you are contemplating a visit to London.
The trains were on time both ways, the London bound train got in 1 minute early, they were only half full both ways, loads of seats free, the carriages were really clean and I didn't have to throw anybody off for annoying me ! On top of all that, I had a superb lunch (free) in the Inner Temple on the Embankment, met some very dear old friends and ex accomplaces and had a good yarn, and then strolled along the Embankment in the afternoon sun and generally had a good time
Above all, I put my relaxingly good time down mainly to arriving in London, totally stress free after the rail journey, so three cheers for the good old railways
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| Sylvia |
Hi Ken, well what a coincidence. Just like you, I haven't travelled on a train for possibly ten years or more and I went to London by train, just this Sunday 23rd April, to watch the London Marathon. Weather was tipping down all day long, but it didn't dampen the spirits of the runners or the spectators. All in all, it turned out to be an exhilerating and sometimes very amusing day, with the spectacular costumes worn by some of the Marathon participants. The atmosphere was really great.
I seem to have diversed somewhat, so getting back to the train journey. It was exactly on time, very clean, smooth journey and I felt very relaxed after my initial journey. We got off at Fenchurch Street and changed onto the district line at Tower Hill, where we travelled on the underground to the Embankment. The journey back home was exactly the same, except that the tube train was full to capacity with thousands of people who had watched the Marathon and now making their way back home again, just like we were. I was very impressed by the cleanliness of the C2C trains and would certainly travel by rail again. We watched the Marathon at the Embankment, great day out. Sylvia |
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| Sandie Seward |
Yes, Sylvia, three cheers for C2C! Their trains are superb, clean, comfortable and pretty punctual. We're lucky to live near such a good line.
It's certainly a big improvement on the old 'Misery Line' days. |
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| Sylvia |
Hi Admin, the only thing that did bug me a bit on my journey to and from the London Marathon last Sunday, was the number of people in our train carriage, using their mobile phones. Such lengthy conversations and talking such piffle.
Why do these mobile phone users insist on talking so very loudly in order to be overheard by everyone else in the carriage? I found it bloody annoying to say the least. Some restrictions ought to be in place on the use of mobile phones, especially when it infringes on other passengers' enjoyment of the journey. I've nothing against mobile phones, I too have a mobile phone and use it when I need to get an urgent message to someone, whilst I'm away from home. I try to keep it brief and to the point, generally talking just above a whisper, so's not to be overheard. In a carriage full of passengers, there were three people all using their phones at the same time, one was a foreign speaking gentleman, that you couldn't understand anyway. I could feel my blood pressure rising with discontent. 
Sylvia |
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| Ken R |
This was my onlygripe about my recent journey as well Sylvia, but i didn't mention it as a lot of folk are phobic about their mobiles and I didn't want to seem an old fuddy duddy ! There was a lady on the opposite side of the carriage to me and i thought she was rather attractive when she first got on.....However, after listening to her for the best part of 20 minutes on her mobile phone, if she'd undressed and offered herself to me on a plate, I would cheerfully have strangled her She must have made 20 calls if she made one ! Every single call began in the exact same way " Hi, it's Liz Whittard, I'm on the train ....."
Next time I go on the train, I think I wil take a set of bagpipes or similar and spend the journey "tuning up" every time some saddo gets their mobile out
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| Sandie Seward |
 I fully agree with you both about mobile phones. The two main things that almost spoilt my last train journey were inconsiderate chattering people using thier mobiles continuosly and noisily. I have no wish to listen to any private conversation-least of all a one- sided one!
Another 'pet hate' of mine are ipods, well, not ipods exactly, but the thoughtless users who insist on having them so loud that even with the headphones in situ, you can still hear an annoying 'tinny' noise eminating from them. I also had this to contend with on my last journey. All I wanted to do was sit quietly, and watch the world go past outside the window, and enjoy the sound of the train, and think about important issues in my life. Despite these annoyances, I did manage to enjoy my trip, and 'spotted' some interesting loco's and rolling stock on the route, including two Class 20's on a Weed-Killing train, and an elderly ex-B.R. Class 37 still working. Oh, incidentally, before you ask, I do own a mobile phone, but use it strictly for essential calls, not for idle chit-chat! 
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| brian.b |
re these i-pod things, it is actually against both the coditions of travel and the by-laws for them to be overheard by other passengers. all passengers have the right to ask for them to be truned down or even off and the passenger MUST obey. Sorry, I should have said SHOULD obey. |
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| Guest |
Hi, Everyone.
I find that air travel is much better than the train, I used to use the train quite a lot to travel between the North East and London. I now find that air travel is much cheaper if booked on line. (BMI Baby) My wife and I can buy a return ticket from the North East to London for £32.00 each, less than half the price of a return ticket on the train, and only 55 minutes flight compared to nearly four hours on the train. We live 40 minutes away from the nearest main line station but the airport is only twenty minutes away. If I book on line and reserve a seat (for an extra £2.50 each) I only have to check in half an hour before ETD. My family live only ten minutes from the airport at the other end, so it's much easier for us at both ends Another advantage of air travel is no dreaded mobile phones, they must be switched off on aircraft
I still like rail travel and have nothing against trains, in fact I used to have a model railway that filled my loft space, but it became too much of an effort to climb in and out of the loft so I sadly had to get rid of it. Best Regards.........Jimmy |
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| Pealy2 |
Hi. Everyone,
Don't know how that happened but my last posting was attributed to a 'Guest', when it me that posted it. 
Best Regards..........Jimmy |
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| Sandie Seward |
Add one more score to your post count, Jimmy.
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| Sandie Seward |
Just for Sylvia, here's a picture of a C2C train. Quick, clean, modern,.....and totally boring!
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| Sandie Seward |
Just thought I'd post a picture of one of my favourite Railway Companies locomotives.
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| Sylvia |
Hi Admin, yes I agree, the C2C trains are certainly quick, clean and modern but I still have one hell of a soft spot for the good old steam trains.
Admin, have you ever been to Barleylands durning the summer months, when they have their two day event? I can't remember what they call it, but it's a lovely fun day out and there are several really old steam engines which parade round an enormous arena, like a convoy. There's lot's of other things to see also. If you've never been, then I know you would just love it and you and I must go there together, it's so close to where you live. Let me know? Sylvia |
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| Sandie Seward |
Yes, Sylvia, I've visited Barleylands steam fair a couple of times, but they are mostly displaying Traction and Showmans' engines. My real steam interests lie in Railway Locomotives, but I have to admire the dedication shown by the owners of those beautiful engines. They really are very impressive, and make a marvellous sight. I shall have to take you up on your offer, and pay another visit, perhaps this year. As you say, it's a good, interesting day out watching those engines at work, still performing the tasks for which they were built, almost a century ago.
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| brian.b |
I have seen Barleylands on their website and hope to visit there during the summer when in that area.
I like the C2C unit taken at Fenchurch Street, but I have on video the first steam loco out of there since they were stopped and I filmed it myself, before travelling behind it. Talking of that line, I have started a forum up on this line and it can be found on http://ltandsrenthusiasts.myfreeforum.org and it all goes well later, I will shorten the title as well as add a lot more information and a few photos. I have a super idea for this same line later this year. It will involve travelling both routes, but possibly by car for parts of it. |
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| brian.b |
There are now over 100 on there if my grey matter serves me right. Also, if you get a chance, check out a new website I launched on Saturday at: http://www.freewebs.com/bramleylinesupporters where there are just three pic's, but intend to add more eventually, as and when I can get out there and take them, plus when we eventually inspect the track, which should hopefully be done in the next few weeks. |
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