FR & WHR & WHHR News

Beware of acronyms! There is an organisation operating around Locarno in Italian speaking Switzerland called (forgive errors) Ferrovia Automobili Regione Ticino. Yes they do use the initials as an acronym.

PH

 

Erm, one drawback with that the initials spell...

It's cold outside, there no kind of atmosphere, I'm all alone more or less...

 

Bad news I'm afraid, the car stickers aren't ready until Thursday....


Keith

 

Beware of Acronyms; remember the Automatic Route Setting Equipment.

 

Acronyms that spell something funny in the language of the acronym are rightly amusing and mockable
However, I do think that smirking at acronyms from another language that spell something rude in English is a tad puerile and little-Englander...
Just my 'umble opinion

 

It is sensible to have regard to other commonly used languages when deriving an acronym. Perfectly legitimate to laugh at other peoples stupidities in this regard. For example a Japanese sports car was called the MR2 which I won't translate.

PH

 

Suggestions have been made for many years that North Wales deserves a Ffestiniog Area Rapid Transit system...

 

I also remember BR's "Organisation for Quality" initiative having to be renamed "Partnership for Progress" fairly rapidly and the amusement caused by the first correspondence to arrive from "Carrillion Rail Ancillary Projects".........

 

Perhaps there is some actual Ffestiniog or Welsh Highland news....?

 

Lots of interesting Winter Works being lined up which you can read about at http://www.festrail.co.uk/content/uploads/1/IM_special_sept_14.pdf . Minffordd crossover, like a few FR bits and pieces, is coming for a civilised retirement in Cornwall!

 

Here's an update on the restoration of Welsh Pony
http://festrail.co.uk/welshpony/?p=151

 

Looking at how much of the existing loco is not going to be reused, one has to ask the question as to whether the restored loco will in fact be that or actually a new build replica which just happens to incorporate a number of original parts. Frames, Boiler and Cylinders are the main guts of the loco all of these will be new!

To that end, do any of these parts differ significantly from those on the original locos in their side tank un-rebuilt form? i.e could a saving be made by cutting two sets of frames at the same time, building two boilers in tandem and casting 4 cylinders rather than 2? Not sure if there is the finance/will available or if the savings would be huge, just an idea which occurred while reading the link above.

I know the stock answer to the question is "write a cheque for £300K and Boston Lodge will ask what colour you would like it finished in" but actually how much would an "original England" really cost to build?

 

Interesting, wasn't Welsh Pony the loco that was sat outside on a plinth for quite a number of years, slowly rusting away, and now much of the heart of the loco needs to be replaced...??

 

I think we should be grateful she was saved at all. And precisely what should the FR have done with her? Back of the shed? Remember Princess was already in their museum (pretty much filling it) and the railway was rather concentrated on other things. And there have been 2 Englands running for most of the last 20 years.

 

BTW, what is the plan for Palmerston?

 

More parts were replaced - boiler, frames, cylinders etc etc in the 1890 rebuild than will be replaced this time round.

 

Off topic I know but MR2 is an acronym of sorts too......

MR2

(M)Mid engine, (R)Rear (2)wheel drive was the reasoning for the name........

Chris

 

And it works well in English. However, not in French. M R Deux. Or Merde.

 

Fair point, much as I love the England's for their character, they are not much use for bread and better FR traffic, who the operating department would presumably prefer another Fairlie.

 

Gowrie,Moel Tryfan, Snowdon Ranger, Little Wonder or James Spooner? Or even a total rebuild of Livingston Thompson?