Class 66 trains - Modern day antiques?

Green actually - a protest vote as I didn't want to TOTALLY waste my vote. It beggars belief that people are STILL voting for the lying snake Blair.

Lee - my comment was meant in that you couldn't trust the Tories, but they didn't lie half as much as the Pinocchio bungholes we now have in power...

Re sandles though - the employer I work for has some fairly advanced research into global warming - let's just say I attempt to do my bit. Mind you, if I could drive a car...

 

Lib Dems famously got in my ward which left labour faboblasted! They didn't even bother compaigining because labour new they would win, it was 100% certain Labour would win.

They didn't and by quite some margin Local slang is now "how not do a Keith Bradley" meaning don't be complacent.

 

The rail network here in the South West is awful. First have a monopoly on direct services to Reading & London, South West Trains have the monopoly on the other line to London. We have a choice of using Virgin or Wessex trains to get to Bristol, that much is true, and south of Exeter there's the option between Virgin and First, but don't go south very often.

In regard to Virgin Cross Country, their franchise does end in 2007. However, this isn't because it's been stripped of them. They have, in fact, a restructure which will amalgamate Central Trains Citylink services. Virgin are free to bid for this. It's no different to the restructure of the Greater Western franchise, which First have to bid for.

In regard to rolling stock, the mk2 and mk3 that Virgin have/had was not well maintained. Same with the HSTs that First use, save those they've just got from other operators and *had* to refurb. When they had the Adelante problems they shifted HSTs from the West of England to Wales and gave us refurbished mk2's (They still use these on the sleeper service) and the quality was much better than the mk3's they ran. Amazing what re-wheeling and re-seating will do... if only they could be bothered to invest properly in rolling stock!

 

Aaaah, but aren't the current HSTs re-cushioned and on new shocks? Any of the Mk3 coaches with yellow shocks have been redone, and all the seats are green covered - is that just a re-upholster job from the Executive livery, or a refoam?

It doesn't help that the locos have done millions of miles, the first few million of which were under BR - a total maintenance-free zone...

 

Contrary to poular belief the BR HST's were highly maintained.
The maintenance was (and still is)based on hours of use rather than mileage.
That's the reason they managed to last as long as they have without blowing cranks,rods and cylinder heads every week.

How long do you think you're average diesel car engine would last,flat out for 14 hours every day,year after year?

I'm sure quite a few of the powercars were re-engined with Paxman engines too - more for fuel economy that anything else (the days of BR/tax free fuel are long gone).



Legend has it that the oil leaks were designed in,meaning fresh oil every day

 

I don't think that many were re-engined in the day - think it was maybe 2 or 4 locos on a testing/evaluation basis (but I could be wrong). I know First have recently re-engined 2 as well...

I still think that, for all their underpower at pulling away from stations, the HST is the best all-round train in use in Britain at the mo. To improve on it, you'd need to electrify everywhere, which ain't going to happen here in Devon!

 

Yeah,I thought it was only a few that were re-engined.

Serious question...

...how long has Devon had electricity?

Perhaps I should take more notice of Sky News in future.

 

I think its 2 HSTS which have been regined with a much more poweful Paxman MTU engine. However the remaining HSTs must be re-engined as they are not going to survive for much longer otherwise.

A lot of operators have replaced HST units with Class 90s on electrified units to get round this problem. I.e MK3s with 90s. Or in Virgins case MK2s.

Athough the 90s make such a racket its hard to believe they are electric!

 

lol.
Obviously you've never had to stand next to a 92 for any length of time !!

 

Ha ha...

Mind you, there must be something in it if all the grockles keep coming back every year to enjoy the lovely beaches that us Devon/Cornwall people get ripped off for, I mean, pay for in our water rates...

 

I understand the reasons for the visitors.
I've been known to visit the odd museum now and again

No matter - 'tis a lovely area of the country.

 

I am sure tourists are a massive boost to the local econemy though. Manchester is now the 3rd most popular tourist destination in the UK after Edinburgh and it shows with all the new s****y hotels opening up every where. I love tourists, plus we know how to avoid being ripped off

 

Speaking of Manc, AT, would you still be up for showing us lot the Factory tour one of these days, probably Feb next year?? There'll be some beers in it for you no doubt

 

Yep that will be good, although nearly two years late Thats if you can put up with the cramped Voyager

 

Tee hee - Voyagers can be put up with if it involves Manchester - that place has a real buzz!

 

Some places in Exeter don't even have Gas for gods sake! This place is the red neck, back water of the UK, we're about 20 years behind everyone else, people come down here to die.
Public transport here sucks, spend 40 minutes this morning waiting for a bus that's supposed to arrive every 10, this wouldn't be acceptable in any other City yet Exeter seems to get away with it, I've had just about enough.