I'm still awaiting my CrossCountry Delay Repay from 7th September!  My claim is still "In progress"!  Anyone else been waited a similar or longer time than that?

 
Probably wasn't worth opening it then? 

 
Whilst it's great that this new station is finally(wasn't it around 2016 that they originally said it would be built and open by?! And also Henbury and Horfield stations!) opening, just one service per hour for the time being(probably until at least 2028 when Henbury station is expected open!) in each direction is disappointing really.  No match atall to the much more frequent suburban rail services around the Cardiff area for instance. Wonder how many people will use it to commute to and from work in either central Bristol or the Brabazon/North Filton area?  The limited hourly service may not match up very well to the hours they work.  For instance for someone working in the central Bristol area, finishing work at say 4pm or 5pm, then they're not going to get to Temple Meads in time to get either the 4:04pm or 5:04pm services to Bristol Brabazon, and have a very long wait for the next service instead.   Which isn't very appealing!  Then there's also the risk of some of these services being cancelled on some days due to reasons such as "More trains than usual needing repairs" and "A shortage of train crew".  So they may just stick to using the 75 bus instead! 

A similar issue with Ashley Down station which opened just over 2 years ago.  Still only ONE service per hour in each direction, and there can be cancellations on some days too.  And also not expected to be upgraded to two services per hour until Henbury station is finally expected to be built and open in 2028!  Not sure how many people living in the Ashley Down area use it to commute to work in town.  Probably more reliable to use the more frequent 70 bus instead.  I think really they could fairly easily increase the frequency of services to TWO services per hour to and from this station by incorporating a stop there in say the Bristol-Gloucester or Bristol-Worcester Foregate Street services too, rather than just the Bristol Temple Meads-Filton Abbey Wood services. 

It will be interesting to see how it goes anyway.

 

Pretty poor I would imagine - but then the act of stealing a piece of luggage in some circumstances is probably low risk. The damage done to the confidence of the victim and the distress and nuisance caused can be massive. In fact, this thread has reminded me that I should be carrying my medications I my close-hand baggage; cost to replace - an apology to my doctor, hassle and problem of so doing if I am in [say] Klangenfurt would be massive.

 

I cannot see the rail industry - even it's most pedantic jobsworth - throwing the book at a Waterloo to Exeter traveller who purchased a ticket and got it discounted using his Network Railcard, but then has been left with no option but to travel via Westbury and Taunton because The Mule is blocked at Crewkerne.   The press would have a field day!

 
Wot, like a Bristol and Bath Metro rail service, you mean? 

 

As Mark A says, a rising tide lifts all boats. We need to improve links between Bristol, Bath and West Wiltshire next.

 

... as you happen to do, when you have just a few minutes to spare, browsing the internet.

You must have even more time to do so than me, even in my retirement, stuving.  Thank you for your post.

CfN. 

 
There's also the problem that goes under the heading of "suspicious packages" to consider.  Promptly moving or removing such items is only going to be made more difficult for the emergency services.

 

Ooh, err, missus   

 

Had clarification on this, splits are to be ignored, so passengers CAN travel on routes/operators that don't call at split stations.

However, there was been no clarification on Network Railcard discount travel outside of the L&SE area, but seeing as everything else is to be ignored, then that restriction can probably be ignored too.

 
gov.uk has some information on the scripts to be used on the radio in times of a nationwide power cut:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-advice-from-uk-cmos-during-a-national-power-outage/water-and-sanitation-scripts-for-broadcast-media


Would anyone like to check if there's a "how to" video online? 

 
I found this in the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, Wednesday, 12 June 1895

That bill was lost. There were also attempts to legislate for certificates for supervising engineers, as had been done for marine engineers in 1862. (The Merchant Shipping Act Amendment Act of 1862 introduced Board of Trade examinations.) That was to apply to mine winding engines as well as boilers.

The bill sponsored by the Enginemen's Federation became the "Steam Engines and Boilers (Persons in Charge) Bill". This was discussed in Parliament in 1901, but I can't find any act of that name.

So, it must be after that ...

 

Well, I'm sure that's perked everyone up! 

 
Slightly off topic.
We did a hot air balloon Trip several years ago.
One of the Q&A's was along the lines of how old is this balloon.
The reply was only a few years old - before being declared unsafe by whatever ministry.
The 'old' balloons are sold to Egypt for tourist flights.
Seems at that time Egypt didn't have balloon safety checks!

 

This explains the often poor performance of solar panels when installed on sailing boats/yachts, It is likely that masts and rigging will cause shading.

 

Thanks for that, this is not well known (or not by me, anyway)

 

Trivia alert, the solar modules pictured, do not appear to be very well installed !
It would appear that the modules are partly shaded by tree branches.
It is not always appreciated, that shading say 1% of the area, can reduce the energy produced by at as much as 50%.
Any branches that cause even minor shading should be cut back, or the modules relocated to an area with a clear view of the sun.

 
The development's website... I'm sort of getting the hang of it.

https://www.brabazon.co.uk/

Another from Feilden Clegg Bradley, the architects practice, references the public park that is to run 'the length of the runway'. *Puzzledface emoji*

https://fcbstudios.com/projects/brabazon-masterplan/

 
You might watch this - if you didn't see it back in 1982....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCXXzPcwj3c

A Nuclear Bomb in London | Q.E.D.: A Guide to Armageddon | BBC Archive

 
I do wonder what the rate of return is from stealing luggage from racks. In most cases you'd just end up with someone's part-worn clothes and toiletries, with any valuables surely(?) on the owner's body or in a small bag kept with them. It's a pity though that modern trains with seats crammed together don't readily allow for putting luggage behind seats to keep an eye on.

Back in the day I did used to worry a bit about my bike being stolen mid-journey from the guard's van everyone had access to. Knowing that locking it to the train wouldn't go down well, I compromised by locking it to itself, so that at least it would have to be carried rather than wheeled, making any theft harder and more obvious.

 
From Wikipedia
We often read / hear of steam engine boilers being "in ticket until ..." or "out of ticket" but I have drawn pretty close to a blank on researching the history of when these became mandatory.  Further links and quotes would be helpful!

 
Going off at a slight tangent here (and I can, because I'm an admin ), there is a somewhat related topic article, from the BBC:


No doubt the Council will pay their own (misguided) legal costs - at their taxpayers expense. 

 
An update, from the BBC:


I recommend a full read of that BBC news item - it contains a lot of detail about that sad incident.

CfN. 

 
This can be a situation where a rising tide can lift all boats. A more joined-up network, more useable and relevant to people's lives and this catalyses services to be strengthened on parts of the network in reach but less well served.

 
Well there was that time, as I retrieved it approaching Newport, the waistband of my rucksack accidentally fastened itself securely to the light fitting of a class 166, thankfully the staff were very understanding as I undertook an unintended trip to accompany it from Newport to Cardiff. I've never seen a carriage full of people travelling to work go so deadpan though.

(When this happens to you, something thin and flexible will make for a quick-release key: push the strap further in to the light fitting, persuade whatever you have to hand to pass beneath the buckle and withdraw both together.)

 

There is always going to be an ongoing up-and-down as travel improves / regresses, as local facilities and schools and medicals get better / worse in an area, and as popularity / marketing / fashion changes.   I recall that at one time, the Medway towns (Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham) were a good, lower priced place to live, encouraged by fast, lower peak cost rail services - not sure if that's still the case.  When I lived in Harpenden, there was a joke about a line marked "£6000" on the road to Luton which was the typical difference in house price for that one (as it was in those days) extra stop on the train; got married for the first time in 1978, moved north and swapped a two-up two-down mid terrace in Batford for a three bedroom semi in Caddington without the need for much extra capital.

 
From a social media enquiry from a group looking at travel for older people around Europe - on padlocking your luggage to the train's luggage rack in order to reduce / prevent theft


A mix of responses ranging from recommendations of particular lock products to "don't do it".  I replied: and brough a whole load of "like"s and support such as which I confirmed
But - oh dear - I seem to have annoyed the people who have flown under the radar with this and seem to routinely lock their luggage to racks:
Locking luggage to a train rack is generally discouraged or prohibited by many train operators.  As an example, Lumo (a UK operator) state "For safety reasons, luggage cannot be padlocked to the train's infrastructure or doors."

I am not a fan of AI answers, but this one I got when I asked seems to me to confirm the situation as I understand it:


Personally?   I travel a lot, do not use locks but do place luggage sensibly within sight. My own rucksack has straps which have firm clips on them - released in an instant, but hold if you don't press on exactly the right spot. Where I put my luggage down / have it with me (not so much on train, but in restaurant, waiting or seating areas, etc), I DO clip it to the seat sometimes.  Doesn't stop it being picked up, but does mean that an opportunist doing a grab and would find him/herself pulled up short.  To my knowldege, the effectiveness of approach has never been tested on my luggage, and I do take care to ensure that personal stuff stays much closer to my person.



The rules / regulations on this are not exactly stuff that makes the headlines - after all, there are so many pressing issues around that much need to go unsaid.   I can recall a past conversation about shelling prawns on the underground, which whilst we considered it antisocial didn't appear to be against the rules - but as far as I know, there are no specifics anywhere.

 

I suspect that they "know" just how vulnerable modern society is to any disruption in food supplies or utilities, and that the UK  is especially bad at preparing for this.
It is now about 80 years since the last major war in Europe.
It is now about 75 years since the East Coast floods.
It is now over 50 years since the last major national disruption to electricity supplies, outside living memory for many.
When I was a kid most homes still had a fire place, now rare.

Most of the population have no idea how to cope with significant disruption.

It is in my view a proper subject to discuss.

 

I should have mentioned that I would expect the water trains to run overnight, which would also reduce evaporation rates.