Monthly Archives: March 2011

Taking the train to Edwinstowe

Last week, I took a train to a village that hasn’t had a regular rail service since 1964.

I took part in a visit with members of the Joint Committee for Strategic Planning and Transport to consider whether re-opening a rail line might be a possibility. The Robin Hood Line, converted from mineral use to passenger use by Notts County Council has been the most successful local train project in the country, and now the Council’s rail officer is seeing how to build on that success. In theory it would not be impossibly expensive to divide trains from Mansfield to Worksop, and send half the train to Worksop and half to Ollerton, allowing you re-open stations at Edwinstowe and Warsop.

To test how viable this might be, they put on a Special Train for interested parties which departed Nottingham station last Friday, taking the Robin Hood Line out of the city, and turning left at Shirebrook to see the line between Mansfield and Ollerton.

Some things I learned:

  • Level crossings are pretty scary from a train driver’s perspective. You can see cars crossing ahead of you when you are pretty close to them and travelling too fast to stop. They cause a lot of accidents, and a lot of drivers do not give them the caution they need.
  • Points are pretty simple technology, really. If they don’t work first time, you can squirt them with fairy liquid and bang them with a work boot and then they work!
  • There must be some workers in signal boxes without a great deal to do – in some cases they control sections of track with only one or two trains passing a day. The signal boxes have no running water and only portaloos. And some of them have very neat gardens and a lot of bird tables
  • Some sections of track have differential speed limits. If you’re a scheduled Sprinter train you can go at 70 MPH. If you’re a special with a diesel locomotive, you can only go at 20. And scheduled services get stuck behind you.
  • Somehow, news that there’s going to be a Special Train gets out to the trainspotter community, and there will be at least ten people along your route waiting to take pictures.

Tweets on 2011-03-07

  • Lunch with in-laws (@ The Travellers Rest) http://4sq.com/hIuFqL #
  • @kayray ooh, don't know those. just woke up humming Tracey's Mom. #
  • @kayray I'm also glossing over the fact that I'm not sure I can parse "Pandora OK-GO based station" 🙂 🙂 #
  • @journodave no, but if there *were* sound, it would sound like that. #
  • @kayray Is it like last.fm or Spotify for (checks where San Diego is) Yanks? #
  • Goodness, San Diego is VERY close to Mexico. #
  • @kayray yes, it was on. Twitter was agog. But I'm too busy and I know I can't multitask to #Wonders as it needs too much concentration. #

  • RT @mithomas20: I uploaded a YouTube video — Victoria Embankment Car Parking Protest http://youtu.be/bAxS45Tim3w?a #
  • @helenduffett I'm totally ambivalent about whether I ever actually want to visit the States or not. #
  • Two solid hours scheulding (sp?) psots for @libdemvoice. Now my mousing hand hurts! But looks like a good week for the website. #
  • RT @_spell: @alexfoster 'scheulding' could be scheduling, scalding, scolding, Schelling, secluding, scudding, sculling or schooling. #
  • Ooh, today's Groupon voucher is for Le Mistral! http://bit.ly/dTFBWO #
  • Ooh, today's Groupon voucher is for Le Mistral! http://bit.ly/eRo67a #
  • Argh, 3am!? I have such a day tomorrow. #
  • Meeting about Environment Energy. (@ Loxley House) http://4sq.com/eZ3PUY #
  • Have you voted yet? » RT @libdemvoice: Poll: What should an elected second chamber be called? http://ldv.org.uk/23282 #

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Tweets on 2011-03-06

  • RT @iankridley: Peter soulsby is Labour candidate for Leicester Mayor. Byelection in Leicester S. #fb #
  • RT @10anta: I quote: 'Do you know who Susan Kramer is?' 'I don't know, some kind of murderer or something?' #lunchlols #
  • RT @LonelyWonderer: #anyquestions Lynn Faulds Wood says she will still vote LibDem. A member of the audience claps.<< John Stapleton? #
  • Such fun! (@ Derby Lib Dem HQ) http://4sq.com/gtSLqs #
  • Folding machine making some surprisingly unfroglike noises. Glompf, glompf, glompf. #
  • @owenblacker @marcooth not least cos four is French for oven #
  • @10anta http://bit.ly/gPg5FO – nonsense because they're as busy on Sundays as other days, just crazy busy in 6 hrs instead spread thru day. #

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Tweets on 2011-03-05

  • Passing through Toton sidings, seeing a track laying train. But now thinking this special train not returning to Nottm. #
  • RT @dr_nick: "Do you want me to tell nanny & grandpa to turn around and go home? No? Well be good then!" #

  • @tonytheaker kidnappers don't usually give you cake. http://flic.kr/p/9nMuXS #
  • @dr_nick I thought you phoned them and told them to stay home? #
  • @adambird Frasier #
  • @adambird Not gonna be a good barchart if everyone likes something different! #
  • Ooh, all 51 PopCap games for just $99. An ideal purchase, shortly before elections. RSI in a pack. #
  • @ChristofHughes not to be sniffed at tho! Reading makes so much more sense when it's leisure not a chore. #
  • RT @TimHarford: What magazine editors really do: http://goo.gl/D4Ae0 Funny. HT @Toby_MensHealth aka Natalie Portman #
  • RT @willhowells: RT @GrahamBandage: Can't find an anagram for "facades". *sad face* #
  • Joining queue of eBayers collecting their spoils. (@ Royal Mail Office) http://4sq.com/g4jmi4 #

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Tweets on 2011-03-04

  • Hearing the tales of last night's budget setting meeting at Derby City. (@ Derby Lib Dem HQ) http://4sq.com/g7xnMK #
  • RT @CouncilMouse: City council leader Jon Collins used a £870 a day consultant for advice on Labour's campaign http://bit.ly/gAx4Fi #
  • After about two hours, I'm still not sure whether this is an envelope stuffing machine or an elaborate hoax. #

  • Yer know, I think it might actually be a shredder. http://flic.kr/p/9ntHLH #
  • @tom_geraghty we've been having some fairly extensive fantasies about this: http://bit.ly/fFwFNg #
  • Soo. With Shrove Tuesday fast approaching, and me unable to find buckwheat flour, do you think I can make galettes with rye? #
  • @owenblacker yup, me too. But have you seen the news stories about what the Iranians see in it? #
  • Can I just say, Mary Roach is teh AWESOME. #
  • @owenblacker when did we build the NHS? Was that when we were still getting Marshall plan funding, perchance? #
  • RT @madeupstats: Your never more than 3 metre's away from someone with bad grammar. #
  • JtCtte Strategic Planning and Transport (@ Loxley House w/ @nghodder) http://4sq.com/hw1kF9 #
  • Jt Ctte now on a visit to see Robin Hood Line. In a National Rail Inspection Saloon. #
  • If the points will move, We're leaving Robin Hood Line for Ollerton at Shirebrook junction #

  • Points are worryingly low tech. Signalman just fixed them with a bottle of Fairy. http://flic.kr/p/9nJVjo #
  • Waving at passing walkers. Giant winding towers at Clipstone. Much smaller one at Thoresby. #

  • We must be the first passenger train to stop at Edwinstowe for a fair few decades. http://flic.kr/p/9nK649 #

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Tweets on 2011-03-03

  • @qikipedia @londonhunts http://www.snorgtees.com/i-ll-be-bach #
  • RT @benwood: Mark Thompson confirms BBC iPlayer to go international "this year" for "a few dollars a month – less than $10" #ftmedia11 #
  • @10anta my first hustings, 7 years and 11 months into a council career. #
  • @doctorvee just imagine what will happen when you tell them about http://placekitten.com/ #
  • Wish I had got the heating engineer to be more specific than "after 3pm." HOW MUCH AFER?!? #
  • @rfenwick easily possible. #
  • Woo, can haz another new heating zone control valve. #
  • Schlonk Schlonk schlonk Schlonk goes the Riso. (@ Top Secret Lib Dem Print Cave) http://4sq.com/foY9HA #
  • Wondering what to do about dinner. Conscious of recent poor diet, pudding club excepted, but not sure I'm strong enough to eat healthily. #
  • @NCCLols it's almost like you're reading from our budget amendment. #
  • @NCCLols nope, not that. #

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