No one knows when this will be over but long keep following the rules the sooner we be back out and about. Stay safe.
My first non rail blog and about my time at this year's BronyScot in Glasgow.
This year's con was my forth BronyScot and it was back at the Hilton Glasgow Grosvenor hotel which is close by to Hillhead station on the Glasgow subway also known as the Clockwork Orange. Con day started at 7am when myself and my partner Ace started to get ourselves together. About 0830 we started walking to the Hilton Glasgow Grosvenor and arrived at the Hilton just after 9 after stopping by a Greggs by Hillhead station for breakfast. Regertaion was simple and early and after that we went around the vendor hall and spent some money on some artwork from James Cook and Greenfly which may invole some House Robots.
Now to the main hall for a game of jeopardy where we had to guess 90s cartoons played backwards then it was time for the opening ceremony which gave a outline of the events. We spent most of morning talking a few friends from the London meet and our good friends Bear and Ialyrn. This was followed by cosplayers doing a photo opp next to the TARDIS box oppersit the hotel. Next we may our way to the Botanic suite for our first panel of the day which was the School Pony Reviews: Original G1 Presentation. This was very interesting as it was about the strengths and weaknesses of the original series and why it is worth cheching out. Next we moved to the main hall once more for the Cosplay prarade which is always fun to see. Afterwards after a stop in Greggs again for a snack was back to the main hall for the Q&A with Nowacking. This was very interresting as he talked about his experiences of being a VA and first time in the UK.
Afterwards Ace went off somewhere while I talked to Ialyrn about many things from the strike on WMR to ponies, ponies at a pony con I know right. Next was want I was looking forward too the Bronyhouse hosted by Midnight Scribe. Loved this last year and this year was more crazy, kinda reminds me of the game show Fun House and don't think Midnight will forget Bohemian Raspberry soon :P
If it returns next year I be more then willing to take part and make a fool of myself :P
After crying with laughter it was time for the charity auction where everything rised was going to the SAMH - Scottish Association for Mental Health. I didn't bid on anything but Ace won a flag from Griffish Isles flag. In total £1530 was rised which just beat last year's total.
Rapping up the day with Karaoke which was brought back this year, always the highlight of cons where everyone sings songs about ponies and a good way to relax. I didn't sing this time but Ace did sing Kirin Tale. Then all good things come to a end as it was time for the closing ceremony and after thank yous it was time to end. We said goodbyes to people and made our way back to our hotel after stopping at a KFC for some late night snacks.
Overall this year's con was really good and would like to say thank you to the staff for a great weekend and hopefully same again next year. I will do a Rocknessie review soon.
Oh boy this is going to be controversial, This is my veiws on DOO or driver-only operation.
As you can guess am not for DOO as no matter what lies the DFT of them who run RAIL say it is unfafe and here is why. DOO came in the 80s as a way to cost cut staff. In the rule book at the time DOO could only happen on 4 coach trains as the driver could help passengers in a emergency. The demard on the rail network over the years have made train operating companies to break this so 8,10,12 coach trains can run without a second member of staff.
By 21 July 2010, Sir Roy McNulty, chair of the major value for money inquiry of the rail industry in the United Kingdom, tabled a scoping report titled Realising the potential of rail commissioned by the Department of Transport (DfT) and the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). The report recommended that "the default position for all services on the GB rail network should be DOO (driver-only operation), with a second member of train-crew only being provided where there is a commercial, technical or other imperative", in order to reach the overall industry goal of a "30% unit cost reduction" by around 2018. This in turn has lead to a number of strike actions by the RMT union on at least 6 train operating companies over the last few years with the latest being on South Western Railway and more to come from others in 2020.
The unfafe thing about DOO in my opinion is it add extra pressure on the driver who could miss or forget about a signal while doing platform duties, this happens everyday although the DFT say it reduces dwell times at stations, which could lead to an increase in service frequency, reducing overcrowding. On top of that there has been a rise around 50% in people getting dragged after getting things trapped in the doors, This too happens at lest once a day. I set the scene.........
A 10 coach train pulls up at a busy commuter station, the driver is doing their platform duties, as they close the doors a late runner runs at the train and get part of their coat trapped, the driver can't tell from the DOO cameras and with platform being busy can't tell, they got interlock so with everything looking alright and the signall green they take power, You can guess the rest. Before anyone says am being stupid or what not I live and travelled on and work on most of the DOO networks around London and the South and have seen this with one time having to rip some one's coat to save them.
As well as all this when an emergency happens they is no one to help the passingers, This has been highlighed a number of times with passingsters have detrained and in one case got killed (Kenish Town), the reason the driver being too busy doing things to get the power off and people off and the inpatients of today's public.
I could go on but going to stop here. In my opinion DOO is very unsafe and the DFT covering up the true numbers from the public and saying it is safe it's only going to get worst until a major incident happens and it is a case of when not if it happens.
For them who know me off twitter I have a dislike of the Hitachi IEP family of trains but many think it is because of what they have replaced. This is a small reason but I will list why they are the worst trains on the UK network in my opinion, If you like them good on you.
First up is most are 5 coach formations. I know there are 9 coach ones but most are 5. It's almost no one as leant on from the 220/221 in the early 2000s. You think they be doubled up and yes some trains on the GWR and LNER networks are but from the timetable change in December GWR and LNER will be running solo 5 coach units, Their excuse so they can run more trains. That didn't work back in the 2000s and won't work now.
Second is the seats and legroom. Now can't say alot about the seats are they are industry standard as they are crash worthy and ever since a campaign by the families of the 2004 ufton nervet train crash for better crash worthy seats and/or seat belts all new trains will have this kind of hard seat tho some trains have gotten around this. As for leg room there is little to none. Being 6.6 I find in almost impossable to sit without putting my legs up due to the little space. Lastly having the plug socket under the seat is a real pain. Although I do like the syterm for the seat reservations where it tell you how long a seat is free or not. Just sadly it is always faulty on most trains. Another thing the lack of luggage storage is a real pain in the esummer months when people bring everything bar the kitchen sink for a week away.
Third is them being fitted with for driver only operation. This is a big no no for me, and yes I know the 195s which I like have them. Driver only operation or DOO is very unsafe and people like them who run RAIL are all for it. I won't go too much in it as that's for another blog. At the moment door release is controlled by the drivers, with the guard being responsible for closing the doors using the control panels in the vestibule area. The driver will then carry out a secondary check of the side of the train before departure using the in-cab television monitors.
Next is the fact that they can't go nowhere in rain, wind or sun. They are not allowed West of Exter in rain or high tide due to salt water getting into the control software and the train shuts down like the 220/221s. Why put that on the roof for crying out loud! In Spring and Summer the underfloor diesel engines overheat and on overhead line parts the overhead wires catch fire.
There is more and will be added once I remember them all, again if you like the 800s then good on you and I repect that only if you repect my opinions on them.
Long time since I've used here and now going to use this for news and stuff like that.
The 26th of Octorber saw 70000 Britannia heading for Kent once again but this time for Saphos Trains. She was running as scrapped sister 70014 'Iron Duke' which was a Stewarts Lane based loco for most of it's live. The trip started at London Victoria and was heading for Canterbury West via Bromley and Maidstone. The weather was very windy and wet under foot from rain fall the night before.
The train departed London on time 10.47 with load 12 and no 47 on the back. Trouble soon come as the train apporched Shortlands. The tour was following an all stations Thameslink serivce (9Y23 the 1046 London Blackfriars to Sevenoaks). Once this train cleared Ravensbourne station the tour was siganlled on to the 'DOWN slow at Shortlands Junction but due to poor rail conditions from the weather the tour started slipping up the short grade. 70000 was able to carry on and took 4 mins to climb. Once on the Chatham mainline the tour headed along the 'DOWN' slow to Swanley where the Thameslink serivce from eariler was being held. The tour which was running as 1Z82 lost a bit more time up to Otford Junction but by Maidstone East it was only 6 late. Soon after the station was the 1 in 60 of Bearsted Bank where unfortunately she stalled just over a mile on the bank. Several attempts were made to get her going including sanding the track by hand by the crew and Network Rail workman. However she was still stuck so a class 66 diesel loco was dispatched from Tonbridge West Yard to rescue the stricken train from behind.
Southeastern serivces along the line were canceled with some running to Ashford via Sevenoaks and Paddock Wood. After some 3 hours the 1Z82 arrived at Canterbury.