Weird Stuff On The railways. What Have You Seen?

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Being Ex BR, it helps. Arrived for work at KX one day and saw five Deltics lined up at the buffers stops, saw three Deltics coupled together, with all engines running, trying to get on the KX passenger loco, a very tight squeeze in the milk dock.

Watched my loco (a class 31) sinking into the ash at Hitchin depot after splitting the track and derailing, when asked by the foreman where we had left the loco, went absolutely barmy, when we said, 'on the inlet road' until my driver pointed over his shoulder through the window, Priceless...........

manna

[rosenblad]

We have just returned from a wonderful week in Tuscany! At the railway station I noticed that the rails were sprayed with white paint!



I can only imagine that it's meant to reflect the sun as a way to cool the rails? Any other ideas?

[luckymucklebackit]

We have just returned from a wonderful week in Tuscany! At the railway station I noticed that the rails were sprayed with white paint!



I can only imagine that it's meant to reflect the sun as a way to cool the rails? Any other ideas?

Correct - this is to help prevent the temperature increasing on the track at key location sin hot weather and therefore avoid any chance of expansion related issues. The white paint is meant to reflect’ the heat. Most of the pointwork on the approaches to Glasgow Central is painted white, Tuscany I can see the point, but Glasgow????

Jim

[End2end]

Not so much "on the railways" as above it.
I was at Dymchurch station on the The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway yesterday and above us about 120 feet in the air was a drone flying sort of back and forth along the line.
I thought..."that bee's near my ear"
Totally in the wrong place to take photos but heres what I saw running.

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diesel.JPG (52.98 KiB) Viewed 2561 times

Thanks
End2end

[glencairn]

Passengers crossing the track? at Santa Apolonia Railway Station, Lisbon

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Glencairn

[michaelasc]

Gatwick Express at Stafford

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[Mountain]

Supposed to be BR Blue, but it looks too light in my eye, see below

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparrowhawk7/23397053806

Jim

That is what I call proper B.R. blue. Later B.R. blue was a tad darker and earlier shades were lighter again. B.R. blue also faded as the years passed so it was rare to find a shunter that had not faded as these were normally the last to get a repaint.

[Mountain]

One of the most amusing events I saw was when I was working a service coming up from Pembroke Dock with a single class 153. It was usual to have a unit with two coaches at the service I was on so even though it was the quieter mid day the train was getting full. I'd forgotten about the steam special that was turning around and refueling at Carmarthen so when we reached Carmarthen, not only was the platform overcrowded with enthusiasts but the bridge and pavement all the way up to the bridge was also over crowded, so when my passengers saw this their faces were a treat....The sighs I heard!
Believe it or not, with all those people only two got on. Around six left the train. It wasn't easy though finding room to walk through the crowd to the other end of the train to change ends. It was so funny.
Another train I worked was on a Saturday night from Swansea. I used to have to check the tickets while the train was waiting for the connecting HST as it was well known for locals to pretend to be asleep or in their half drunk state to act up. While trying to go through, the HST came in and in the bright yellow vests there were well over 100 police on that train. I've never seen so many tickets ready in my life! None of the police came on our train. I later heard they had been called out due to fighting between football fans at Cardiff. I must say that in the years I worked the trains I didn't have many football fans act up but it was common for rugby fans to cause all sorts of problems due to excessive alcohol.

[Mountain]

Once on a rugby day in Wales and West days, I'd worked from Carmarthen to Cardiff and then we had a Maesteg to do. While the driver and I were waiting for our train time was getting on so we were concerned where our train was. Then I saw a train coming in on our platform... A DEMU number 1001 (4 car) with a young person in Wales and West uniform at every door. I didn't know any staff member as I knew the faces of staff from Cardiff and the depots who worked into Cardiff. My thoughts turned to "I've not had unit training for this train"... Fortunately my train was behind it! But wow. What a sight to see the glowing yellow windows and the large thundering engines in each power car.
A month or two later the managing director, Chris Gibb asked permission to join my train (All train company employees travelling have to ask and any police etc before boarding) and of course I let him on and invited him into the cab. (He used to announce he was on the train and visit every passenger when he came on my trains). We had a quick chat before he announced and both of us went down the train, where I checked tickets etc. I asked him about the loco I had seen. He said that they needed extra units or coaches they could use behind a loco and they searched right round the country and that loco was the only unit available that could be used. He had contacted every preserved line for any spare coaches that had passed for rail network use. Also every other train operating company. As it was a Wales V England match with another match on the same day in Scotland? Everything was booked except the DEMU. I must say I was so glad I saw it!

[b308]

A month or two later the managing director, Chris Gibb asked permission to join my train (All train company employees travelling have to ask and any police etc before boarding) and of course I let him on and invited him into the cab. (He used to announce he was on the train and visit every passenger when he came on my trains).

Ah, Mr G! Yes he did the same when he was in charge of us, I had him on one of my trains a little while ago, nice bloke!

[b308]

Sorry, kept pressing "quote" rather than "edit"!!

[b308]

double post

[b308]

triple post (don't ask!!)

[Bufferstop]

Don't need to I'd swear it's a feature built into my tablet.