The things people say

I think the idea of this thread is to share some of the funny things that we have experienced during our time as active members of the heritage movement not to mock individuals directly. If the public demonstrate a lack of knowledge then it is up to us to educate not denigrate which is what I try to do. However, as Corbs pointed out, some people just aren't interested in learning as they already know everything they need too and no amount of explanation will alter their stance - the result usually being laughter at their arrogance rather than their lack of knowledge.

 

To be fair to the chap who made the comments about diesel-electrics and match light green, it could be that he was told this by somebody else. If he didn't know any different, he would have had no reason not to accept these 'facts' as gospel. So therefore no reason not to pass them on in good faith to his travelling companions on the railtour.

As to the off side of a football pitch as mentioned by DisusedBranch, I readily admit that I have no idea. I know which is the off side of a motor car, and I know where to find the off stump and mid off etc. on a cricket pitch, but how this relates to a football pitch I haven't a clue. So if somebody told me it was the right hand side for example, I would have no reason to doubt them even if it was wrong and it is in fact the left hand side. (I suppose it has to be one or the other!)

 

It's possible that "match light" green comes from someone dyslexic; or else who heard the term from someone who was dyslexic. It's not that great a muddle to change "malachite" to "machalhite" to "mach lite" which someone could then hear as " match light". I known when I was young, I learnt to read quite young, but one impact was that there were many words that I had seen written down long before I actually heard anyone say them, with the result I had all sorts of odd pronounciations. (For example, "mish-ap" rather than "mis-hap")

Tom

 

I believe it was the person who goes by 'Autotank' on here posted on Twitter a couple of years back, that he was at Victoria looking at 35028 on the British Pullman and somebody asked him "Does this stop at Bromley South?"

 

>>>.... he was at Victoria looking at 35028 on the British Pullman and somebody asked him "Does this stop at Bromley South?"

Clearly an aficionado of the best way to travel

 

I've had a few people watch for a while at Sheffield Park as you build a fire up and then ask "where're you going to mate, Victoria?" Though I've always taken it as asked in the spirit of banter than ignorance!

Tom

 

Totally agree with you there! I lived in East Sussex for over 30 years and miss it still. It's lovely where I currently live (West of Gloucestershire), but I'd be very happy to move back to the High Weald and indeed hope to do so next year.

One amusing incident I recall readng about came from the Spa Valley Railway. Apologies if I haven't got the details totally accurate, but I think the gist of it was that a father approached the loco's driver and asked if his young son could have a go at driving the engine on the basis that he was quite a dab hand at running his model railway!

 

I recall being told of a lady 'phoning the Spa Valley to ask if they could suspend their trains for a few hours as her husband wanted to have a nap.

 

I remember someone confidently explaining to a group of us that steam locomotives work by condensing the steam in the cylinders, thus creating a vacuum. This shows how a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous - because that's how Newcomen's and other early stationary condensing engines worked, without the need to worry about boiler explosions. I don't think the condensing process has ever been used to drive a steam loco and, of course, a 'condensing loco' in railway parlance means something completely different !!

 

The length of trains 7 cars, or more, on the Paignton - Kingswear line often gives travellers the feeling of a long trip which is taking them somewhere interesting. Although the journey, as many will know is short, that is their impression. Whereas a short trains, they frequently say, (Titfield Thunderbolt often comes to their mind) is more a short jaunt.

 

Was it the driver's wife?!

 

I heard it was the signalmans......


Chris

 

Makes more sense! Seems a shame to disturb them sometimes ...

Richard

 

I heard it was the drivers wife and the signallmans girlfriend.

 

Scandalous! (either way you read it)


Chris

 

Filling the loco up with water I heard a dad loudly exclaim, "Come look son, they are filling it up with Petrol"

The one that gets me as I think it is sad rather than funny, is when you invite a child up on the footplate and you get "excuse me Mr. what are the black stones for?"

I think we can all be guilty of trying to fool the general public at times, which probably leads to some of this 'mis-information'. I know when I was last doing footplate trips in the station at Porthmadog I would explain everything I did, "this is the reverser, moving this forward makes the engine go forward, this handle releases the brakes and then I open the regulator and this makes the engine move, it is all quite simple to make an steam engine go" slight pause then "To be honest I have no idea how you stop it!!!" In the course of a whole day the last statement gets a look of panic out of at least three or four people.

 

How did the signalman pull that one off?

Richard

 

oh don't tempt me....you'll get me banned!

 

That is quite sad. When I was in Mysore Railway Museum I had the company of an 80 something yr old Lady and had to explain to her in detail how the loco actually worked. She was a breath of fresh air for me! A female-type person not bored rigid