Newbury Train Station, GWR, Network Rail, Shame Shame Shame Options

[je suis Charlie]

Really? A good few of my friends and colleagues wouldn't find that difficult at all. In fact, one or two also have hobbies costing just as much. As for me, I collect, and numbers aren't at all difficult for me either.

You are right, though I did draw an implication, I'm not sure I'd be alone in doing that from the response that started this.

Good that you enjoy your hobby and have such an affinity with France; so is your yearning to stay there also fuelled by Brexit?

Haha, champagne socialism, the best kind. Comrade Jeremy will be knocking on your doors!

[On the edge]

Haha, champagne socialism, the best kind. Comrade Jeremy will be knocking on your doors!

Guilty as charged. As Ken Livingstone says, socialists aren't embarrassed by money, just the lack of it!

[je suis Charlie]

Which is why I am looking to go down the single 440 route, don't want to spend rest of my life moored against the refuelling pontoon. What are you looking at now?

Princess 42, lovely thing although I'm not 100% sure if I need a flybridge? Anyway, what's Sete like, never bin though have driven past on the way to see friends near Aigues Morts.

[Mr Brown]

Great wheeze lads. I suspect a good few people are likely to cotton on as time goes by. I'd bet it's really what behind OTE's hobby too!

[GrumblingAgain]

Yeah, yeah, yeah......it's been 'about to happen' for the past fifteen years at least!

We've already seen the new trains, thanks! What a way to convince your customers, a/c burst and major break downs. Then, of course, we have the wonder of the new Reading Station......!

Want to buy some magic beans.......



PS - Just to illustrate, I used the 'turbo' trains in BR days pretty regularly. They actually had a/c back then. Sure, it broke now and again, but when privatisation happened our came the a/c - apparently just because of a squabble between train operating and coach owning firms as to who pays. Of course, in end, us suckers did, by putting up with unbearable conditions.

I didn't know they were going to give us new trains and extra capacity 15 years ago. Perhaps you tell us what they were. The new trains now ARE happening, and the new capacity IS coming. It is extremely unfortunate that they had a breakdown and leaky air conditioning on the inaugural service, but with anything brand new, there are always teething problems. I notice no leaky a/c on day 2 or day 3 or day 4 ... or on any of the other 60+ days since.

Just to put you right on your memory of our Turbos - not all the Turbos had (indeed have) air conditioning. Only 21 have it, the remaining 76 don't. I too travelled on them and of the a/c ones, they often had failed air conditioning even when new, and they never had them all pulled out because of a squabble, think you just made that bit up.

As for privatisation, the Turbos were designed and built early 1990s by the state owned British Rail, including the not-up-to-the-job air conditioning.

[On the edge]

I didn't know they were going to give us new trains and extra capacity 15 years ago. Perhaps you tell us what they were. The new trains now ARE happening, and the new capacity IS coming. It is extremely unfortunate that they had a breakdown and leaky air conditioning on the inaugural service, but with anything brand new, there are always teething problems. I notice no leaky a/c on day 2 or day 3 or day 4 ... or on any of the other 60+ days since.

Just to put you right on your memory of our Turbos - not all the Turbos had (indeed have) air conditioning. Only 21 have it, the remaining 76 don't. I too travelled on them and of the a/c ones, they often had failed air conditioning even when new, and they never had them all pulled out because of a squabble, think you just made that bit up.

As for privatisation, the Turbos were designed and built early 1990s by the state owned British Rail, including the not-up-to-the-job air conditioning.

Err, the privatisation promise was that there would be a renaissance in railway travel come the massive increase in private investment. As for the Turbo's, I knew the chap who took the A/c out! Frankly, simply giving these superannuated old buses a lick of paint and a wipe over hardly makes a new train! They were actually introduced because of political pressures on the railway to reduce investment and then only intended to operate for stopping services over short distances - not really for limited main line runs.

Sure, we have a few brand new trains running, ironically diesel powered because even the rail operator had no faith that the infrastructure company could actually manage a project on time. Yes, reasonably comfortable compared to the turbos, what wouldn't be? However, in real terms, not much, if any, uplift from the old BR 125's.

As mentioned before, its not just trains that make 'service', all well and good having a few Japanese units flying about when you can't keep the signalling stable, have no solid grounds for believing electrification project will ever meet a date, and are still unable to satisfy the long known commuter needs from places like Reading.

Things do go wrong, of course, but on a well publicised prestige launch day? I must admit though, since then we've had the debacle with the latest navy ship, prestige job 'delivered' with major faults apparent. Can't see that happening in Germany, Japan etc, so perhaps it's an institionalised UK issue.

Yes, new trains are coming and more capacity is coming as was always the case. As you rightly point out, even the turbo train a/c was out of date when first delivered.

Sorry to be cynical, once (if only it had been just once) bitten, twice shy and all that!

[je suis Charlie]

Its a leaky stern gland, happens all the time, I've replaced two so far.
Its a new ship, its called snagging.
What do you think sea trials are for?
All boats, large and small take on water, if they didn't, bilge pump companies wouldn't exist.

[On the edge]

Its a leaky stern gland, happens all the time, I've replaced two so far.
Its a new ship, its called snagging.
What do you think sea trials are for?
All boats, large and small take on water, if they didn't, bilge pump companies wouldn't exist.

I agree, but the media and general population don't. If it's such a minor problem why had so much noise been made about it?

[Andy1]

I agree, but the media and general population don't. If it's such a minor problem why had so much noise been made about it?

I guess I'm not part of the general population then.

[je suis Charlie]

I agree, but the media and general population don't. If it's such a minor problem why had so much noise been made about it?

Because it suits the "you spent how much on a ship"? Media to big it up. Believe me, it's no Biggie.

[je suis Charlie]

And, it's been a relatively slow news cycle. Gotta fill those column inches.

[Turin Machine]

Same ignorance the media has shown over the whole diesel cars issue. Let's get the population revved up by not publishing the facts, facts don't sell papers, opinions do.

[On the edge]

And, it's been a relatively slow news cycle. Gotta fill those column inches.

Yeah, nothing much happening!

Private Eye page 14 worth a glance for anyone interested in railways. Total bx of course!

[On the edge]

Same ignorance the media has shown over the whole diesel cars issue. Let's get the population revved up by not publishing the facts, facts don't sell papers, opinions do.

Very true. Now, then, what happened when the media did report on Diesel cars based on legitimate scientific 'facts' supplied by the Government.....

[Turin Machine]

Very true. Now, then, what happened when the media did report on Diesel cars based on legitimate scientific 'facts' supplied by the Government.....

They whipped up a frenzy of anti diesel action. All of which has resulted in the government taking steps to make new clean diesels more expensive and doing nothing to get the old pre euro 5 cars off the road. Scientific evidence points to the fact that new diesels are less polluting than petrol. Don't see that mentioned in the guardian. Plus, the old argument that diesels create less Co2 pollution than petrols still holds true but gets swept under the carpet.

[On the edge]

They whipped up a frenzy of anti diesel action. All of which has resulted in the government taking steps to make new clean diesels more expensive and doing nothing to get the old pre euro 5 cars off the road. Scientific evidence points to the fact that new diesels are less polluting than petrol. Don't see that mentioned in the guardian. Plus, the old argument that diesels create less Co2 pollution than petrols still holds true but gets swept under the carpet.

Strikes me the petrol v diesel debate is frankly sterile. They are both oil derivatives essentially fossil fuels. Notwithstanding the environmental damage problems, the stuff is running out. A real answer would be to decarbonise electricity supply and scrap all fossil fuel driven cars. That's the real debate.

[je suis Charlie]

Strikes me the petrol v diesel debate is frankly sterile. They are both oil derivatives essentially fossil fuels. Notwithstanding the environmental damage problems, the stuff is running out. A real answer would be to decarbonise electricity supply and scrap all fossil fuel driven cars. That's the real debate.

Yup, nuclear, only way to go. And subsidies for the less well off so they can drive the more expensive electric cars. Oh, and find a way to move heavy goods long distances economically. Oh and find some way of substituting plastics. Gets my vote!

[On the edge]

Yup, nuclear, only way to go. And subsidies for the less well off so they can drive the more expensive electric cars. Oh, and find a way to move heavy goods long distances economically. Oh and find some way of substituting plastics. Gets my vote!

Oh that's good, but the rate innovation happens in UK we won't be around to see it.

[On the edge]

Yup, nuclear, only way to go. And subsidies for the less well off so they can drive the more expensive electric cars. Oh, and find a way to move heavy goods long distances economically. Oh and find some way of substituting plastics. Gets my vote!

Heavy goods, long distances, economically; ever heard of electric trains?

[On the edge]

Its a leaky stern gland, happens all the time, I've replaced two so far.
Its a new ship, its called snagging.
What do you think sea trials are for?
All boats, large and small take on water, if they didn't, bilge pump companies wouldn't exist.

OK, I didn't realise, I thought 'snagging' was all about fixing really quite minor points after a big build had been delivered. Clearly I'm a bit behind what today's Britian thinks:-

The new homes 'uninhabitable' after less than a year
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42396938