SRPS Duchess - Friday 12 sept and Sunday 14 sept

Just going by this video .

 

Sorry the video must be from Sunday as 46233 just flew through Oxenholme with no sign of a class 56 .

 

Nope, was from this morning.

Using the Colas diesel allowed the Bo'ness - Manuel token to be returned to Bo'ness without use of a car I believe, thus requiring only one SRPS member for working the movement and ground frame at Manuel (BKR) rather than two.

 

Thanks for that as I did wonder !

 

Returning LE from her Scottish jaunt, LMS 8P Class 4-6-2 No. 46233 'Duchess of Sutherland' drifts through Docker en-route to Crewe

 

The colas 56 is based at SRPS then ?

 

Just looked through The Railway Magazine, and apparently 46233 is due to run a charter (presumably PMR Tours) from Derby to Euston on the 22nd November, possibly the same route as The London Explorer back in October 2012.

 

Colas regularly use Bo'ness as a base for the fleet (usually only one or two 56's) that operate the Prestwick Aviation Fuel runs, and other little jobs.

It's the ideal situation that has only occurred through the great work that the diesel department has made in Bo'ness, their reputation is held in high regard and with the modern shed with lifting jacks, makes a suitable place for mainline work to be stabled.

Indeed WCRC stable at Bo'ness often, the Royal Scotsman ends up stabled for a month before the season commences, Colas are an all year affair while even Martin Walker's Deltic No. 55022 will return to Bo'ness on occasion for its exams.

 

Having just sorted out Sunday's expedition some may like this foreshore shot
:

 

wow, thats a pretty good result all round, sounds like a pretty good set up.

 

Could you post a bigger version Fred I can't quite see that one, lol.

 

s.a.s likes this

 

Which proves - yet again - how we see things differently in Scotland.

 

Has Southport moved ?






s.a.s likes this

 

It hadn't when I last looked but the Duchess was in Scotland - as was I - hence the comment; as a Scot resident in England I may not have the vote but I do have a greater understanding of the driving forces behind the current situation than many.

 

Which way do you think it will go tomorrow

 

In all seriousness I think it will be a tight "Yes"; tight enough for the "Yes" campaign to succeed but close enough for the "No" campaigners to suggest that BOTH sides need to be careful in their negotiations. Despite the noise there is much that both sides have in common BUT - as I have said before - the Scots have a Welfare ethos that Westminster either ignores or is totally ignorant of and many north of the border feel that "Enough is Enough".

A simple illustration; the oil revenues go to the Treasury but it has spent it as it has received it with no thought of investing some for the "rainy day" where is no more whereas the Shetlanders insisted on a percentage from oil companies for the access to the fields. The Shetland investment is now worth millions but the English Treasury has nowt and the Scots - who would have created a similar investment had it been in their power to do so - feel anger at the dissipation of so much wealth for no return.
And - before you ask - I do not know the political structure that allows Shetland to charge independently of the Government charges but the important point is that is was given an opportunity - and took advantage of it.

I have just come back from a brief (family) visit to Edinburgh and even in the capital the Welfare ethos is obvious with local bus fares offering a "day ticket" for £3:50; in Southport a return bus ticket from near our house for the 2 miles to the town centre costs more than that - although a "day ticket" is available after 09:30 for £4:90. In fairness Merseyside - like other northern centres - holds welfare and welfare economics dear but this is anathema to the London-based civil servants whose London Weighting Allowance of around £4000:00 per annum on top of their "national" wages is not identified as having any welfare rationale. In that situation I'm afraid that the English concept of Welfare - as epitomised by Maggie's "The market will price correctly" - is just not acceptable to the Scots ethos. Maggie's mores only confirms the Scots belief that England "knows the price of owt and the value of nowt" and tomorrow will determine how many Scots are prepared to make Westminster pay a heavy price for that belief.

 

An interesting analysis. It does suggest that an independent Scotland may struggle to meet expectations if it is to pay its way. Events in French politics suggest a pattern.

 

Apologies - but I was trying to give a serious response (for once) to a question on THIS thread; I have no intention of jousting on the other thread as there are too many imponderables and it is easy to mis-read things that are written in the absence of any sense of intonation.

But back to the Duchess on the Forth - a good day for travelling but GRIM for photography; it would be interesting to see other results from the day.