Just bought this

[speedbird591]

Nice model. It looks more realistic with crap all over it. Dirty beasts those 31s, spewing out diesel particulates all over themselves and the surrounding countryside!

We were running a set with five inter-city coaches topped and tailed by two 31s about five years ago and I used to work them whenever I couldn't get out of it They were always filthy and unfortunately the tail lights didn't have the power to glow through the dirt. At night there was a warm glow but in daylight you couldn't see if they were on unless you had your nose pressed against them.

I remember one trip from Bristol to Brighton (a route where we traversed six or seven panel signalbox areas) and every other signaller stopped us to tell the driver that he didn't have tail lights on. He was hopping mad by the end, f-ing and blinding at everybody as we got further and further delayed.

Nice model - but I wouldn't want a real one!

Ian

[thehappyotter]

Only 22 years to go!

My old man retired as a DI last Feb, he keeps rubbing it in!

Anyway, not to derail to much, I'm now watching 3 or 4 different locos. I have no use for one whatsoever but reckon it'd look good on my desk.

[VEGAS]

Cheers Ian.

Funny you should mention real trains.

There is a chap in Stockport who has real cabs in his back garden.

He bought several scrapped cabs from British Rail and put them in his back garden on display.

His garden faces onto the mainline from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly.

He is located in Stockport. Near Adswood to be precise.

He has gone competely nuts.

It was all over the papers when he first did it. But now its become something of a local attraction.

Fair play to him I say.

[VEGAS]

Only 22 years to go!

My old man retired as a DI last Feb, he keeps rubbing it in!

Anyway, not to derail to much, I'm now watching 3 or 4 different locos. I have no use for one whatsoever but reckon it'd look good on my desk.

I've got 11 yrs in the bag mate. 19 to go.

Still the topic of many a piss taking at work as many of lads I work with joined when I was still at school covered in acne.

Oh well.

The first 11 yrs has gone very fast. One third down. Two thirds to go!

[thehappyotter]

Could be worse, there's a guy I work with who's just finished being tutored. He's got 34.5 to do!

[VEGAS]

Oh dear. That poor guy.

It makes me feel a whole lot better.

[thehappyotter]

Did you get the letter when it all changed over asking if you wanted to transfer to the new pension?

I doubt they got many back!! 30 is more than enough ta!

[VEGAS]

Yes I did mate.

Obviously I told them to ram it.

I'm doing 30 years then thats it.

Anymore would kill me!

The military do 22 yrs. We do 30 and do shifts as well.

Many of the lads I work with are ex-forces and they say our work is much more demanding and energy sapping.

[emfrat]

Back in the early 90s, the big Oz steel processor I worked for sent a memo to all us staff employees asking if anyone was interested in a voluntary redundancy/early retirement package, and if not, please say why.
On mine I said, No, because "Joining a real circus would involve too much travel".
Later on, my boss told me this reason had actually been mentioned at the Works Manager's Monday Meeting and had earned a round of applause
Probably the pinnacle of my career !

MikeW

[speedbird591]

What a lot of wimps! Retirement? That's for old folks

I'll have done 49 years of full-time work this year and haven't got any plans not to. It ain't that I need the money - it's the boredom. I tried it for six months and believe me, all those things you think will keep you busy, don't do so for very long. You soon find yourself spacing out your chores to fill the day and by the time you've re-arranged all your CDs in alphabetical order you might as well call it a day!

Ian