Interesting pictures...

[Flying Snail]

Well, I'm told that one of bench marks for good art is that the longer you look at it, the more you see. Really good art should ask questions of the viewer and challenge their perceptions, surprise them etc. etc.

.......

Clearly this Christmas Train belongs in The National Gallery or MoMA 

 

Edited October 25 by Flying Snail

[Galteemore]

Swindon outlet Cadburys. LGB hand painted by looks of it. With a much bigger loco outside the shop door….

Edited October 31 by Galteemore

[Broithe]

Spain...

This could take a while to sort out.

[Broithe]

This could be an inspiration for the continental boys, if they want a decent-sized shunting layout.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Seevetal-Maschen,+Germany/@53.4070883,10.0510059,1361m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x47b1946f43793b07:0xa263df5063de3e0!8m2!3d53.3774197!4d10.0348263!16s%2Fm%2F06w56r3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTExNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[murrayec]

Came across these in my Da's  photos;-

Connolly station back in the 80's

Eoin.

[spudfan]

The lectricerty was off from 6.15am until 8.20pm this evening due to Storm Bert. Seems Mr Bert will be back in action tomorrow so candles and wind up lamps still on standby.

[spudfan]

Further to the above. To cope with the above I think that manufacturers will need to offer a wind up clock work facility as well as DCC ready and DCC fitted on their locos....

[spudfan]

If Mr Bert had arrived a few days earlier I might have been in a spot of bother...

[Galteemore]

One of the unexpected side effects of my advancing age is the ability to exist in a state of more or less endless annoyance at the world. One thing which fuels the fires of rage is the representation of railways in commercial artwork such as adverts etc. The designers seem determined to combine every kind of trope, gaucherie and stereotype to produce the most banal prototypes imaginable. A notable exception came under my gaze in the old Swindon works tonight - a carefully observed tribute to the GWR on a chicken restaurant. Not strictly prototypical but real observation has gone on here….

[Mol_PMB]

It looks like the restaurant might need to add mutton to the menu...

[Broithe]

When it became compulsory for the local paper in Stafford to 'illustrate' every story with a picture, however unnecessary and futile it was, I used to keep a record of the more pointless ones.

Two of the stories  were about issues at the station - one was about problems with the taxi rank and the other was about a track failure at the northern end of the station and the associated disruption it caused.

The articles were accompanied by a picture of a taxi rank and one of trackwork at the end of some station platforms.

The taxi rank was clearly not Stafford, as it was indoor, and a bit of work established that it was a picture from Edinburgh Waverley.

The trackwork was clearly Southern region, with its clearly visible third rail.

The point about all this rambling is that their editorial office was on the first floor of a building overlooking both the taxi rank and the northern end of the platforms - for some reason, it must have seemed more like 'journalism' to use ludicrously inappropriate pictures. Or they had a very impressive telephoto lens...
 

My favourite one, though, was a story about a bloke taking a court case over a claim for industrial deafness - illustrated by a generic picture of a random ear.

At least it was a human ear.

[jhb171achill]

When the Malahide Model Railway Museum was in planning stage, Fingal Council had employed a Scottish "consultancy" company to do much of the design and layout work.

It was left to me to liase with the representative from this company, who infomed me that he "didn't know the first thing about trains or railway museums".

Yup, you heard it.

With difficulty, I persuaded him NOT to use a logo for the museum which would have clearly shown an indian "YG" class 2.8.2............................

Yup, you heard that too. I despair.

[NorthWallDocker]

There is no emoticon to depict "the ability to exist in a state of more or less endless annoyance at the world."

[jhb171achill]

24 minutes ago, NorthWallDocker said:

There is no emoticon to depict "the ability to exist in a state of more or less endless annoyance at the world."

We could employ that Scottish consultant to design one, perhaps ….. and he might come up with a 29 class railcar with seven wheels….

[murrayec]

''Endless annoyance at the world''

[DJ Dangerous]

9 hours ago, NorthWallDocker said:

There is no emoticon to depict "the ability to exist in a state of more or less endless annoyance at the world."

 

I beg to differ:

 

[Broithe]

This popped up just now - a Wickham-like device in DR Congo.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10162881364525625&set=pcb.2891981674340266

[Broithe]

Smaller timber wagons do exist. At the Stradbally Woodland Railway.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1193728478770903&set=a.603858721091218

[Broithe]

An interesting cameo..?

[LNERW1]

Two questions- when and where?

[Broithe]

15 minutes ago, LNERW1 said:

Two questions- when and where?

I think it was 1972 and I'm not sure where, but it has an 'up north' look about it.

[Branchline121]

I’m late to this conversation, but I’d have to point out a restaurant that has recently enough opened near me in the village of Kilmainhamwood, called the “GNR cafe”, despite the fact Kilmainhamwood is on the MGWR Kingscourt branch, not to mention its logo has a loco with an American-style cowcatcher — just like the Railway Bar in Navan. I wouldn’t mind only Google is free.

[Galteemore]

When we lived near Luton, was always impressed by how the Great Northern pub actually had a proper GNR loco  on the sign. Not difficult to do but so rare these days. 

[GSR 800]

16 minutes ago, Branchline121 said:

I’m late to this conversation, but I’d have to point out a restaurant that has recently enough opened near me in the village of Kilmainhamwood, called the “GNR cafe”, despite the fact Kilmainhamwood is on the MGWR Kingscourt branch, not to mention its logo has a loco with an American-style cowcatcher — just like the Railway Bar in Navan. I wouldn’t mind only Google is free.

MGWR erasure strikes again.

On somewhat of a tangent, I don't think a single railway in the country as large as the Midland has been as effectively vanquished. Broadstone was shut, the Galway main line was cut and diverted to the GSWR line, and not a single MGWR loco survives. 

The lads at Maam Cross are doing good work to return some Midland glory!

 

 

[Darius43]

On 30/11/2024 at 7:03 PM, Galteemore said:

One of the unexpected side effects of my advancing age is the ability to exist in a state of more or less endless annoyance at the world. One thing which fuels the fires of rage is the representation of railways in commercial artwork such as adverts etc. The designers seem determined to combine every kind of trope, gaucherie and stereotype to produce the most banal prototypes imaginable. A notable exception came under my gaze in the old Swindon works tonight - a carefully observed tribute to the GWR on a chicken restaurant. Not strictly prototypical but real observation has gone on here….

I see that Swindon is now twinned with Easter Island and Cape Canaveral…

Cheers

Darius

[Horsetan]

On 14/12/2024 at 4:25 PM, Broithe said:

I think it was 1972 and I'm not sure where, but it has an 'up north' look about it.

Saabs were always well-engineered cars. That's probably why Saab never really made much money, so had to settle for annoying GM by re-engineering GM parts.

[Galteemore]

36 minutes ago, Horsetan said:

Saabs were always well-engineered cars. That's probably why Saab never really made much money, so had to settle for annoying GM by re-engineering GM parts.

There’s a fantastic Swedish comedy called ‘A Man Called Ove’ about a retired railway engineer. Part of the plot line involves his devotion to Saabs - as against his Volvo-owning neighbour….

 

Edited Monday at 19:23 by Galteemore

[Broithe]

14 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

There’s a fantastic Swedish comedy called ‘A Man Called Ove’ about a retired railway engineer. Part of the plot line involves his devotion to Saabs - as against his Volvo-owning neighbour….

 

I was more of a Scania man myself, in my youth.

The first thing I ever drove, probably aged 14, was one of these Swedish Army things, in white, as it was on UN duty in Famagusta.

Walking past it with a mate, we asked, for a laugh, if we could have a go in it - and the driver said "Yes".

We had a good spin in it, over some fairly rough ground and ended up back in the canteen at the base with him.

Ours had the guns on, but we didn't want to liven things up too much.

[Horsetan]

12 hours ago, Broithe said:

I was more of a Scania man myself, in my youth.

The first thing I ever drove, probably aged 14, was one of these Swedish Army things, in white, as it was on UN duty in Famagusta.

Walking past it with a mate, we asked, for a laugh, if we could have a go in it - and the driver said "Yes".

We had a good spin in it, over some fairly rough ground and ended up back in the canteen at the base with him.

Ours had the guns on, but we didn't want to liven things up too much.

"Boxy, but good."

[jhb171achill]

On 15/12/2024 at 10:38 PM, Branchline121 said:

I’m late to this conversation, but I’d have to point out a restaurant that has recently enough opened near me in the village of Kilmainhamwood, called the “GNR cafe”, despite the fact Kilmainhamwood is on the MGWR Kingscourt branch, not to mention its logo has a loco with an American-style cowcatcher — just like the Railway Bar in Navan. I wouldn’t mind only Google is free.

Ghastly!

[minister_for_hardship]

On 15/12/2024 at 10:38 PM, Branchline121 said:

I’m late to this conversation, but I’d have to point out a restaurant that has recently enough opened near me in the village of Kilmainhamwood, called the “GNR cafe”, despite the fact Kilmainhamwood is on the MGWR Kingscourt branch, not to mention its logo has a loco with an American-style cowcatcher — just like the Railway Bar in Navan. I wouldn’t mind only Google is free.

Maybe they're fans of Guns N Roses?

[minister_for_hardship]

7 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

Ghastly!

One thing that slightly annoying me is creeping "totemisation" (if that's a word - it is now) here.

British Railways 1950s hotdogs at Clon Model Railway, various local community displays and Inchicore open day!

[Galteemore]

At Tolworth show, a chap was taking commissions and would have your totem ready to take away at end of show! Mind you, can’t complain. My last workplace gave me a personalised one as a very thoughtful leaving gift.

[minister_for_hardship]

2 hours ago, Galteemore said:

At Tolworth show, a chap was taking commissions and would have your totem ready to take away at end of show! Mind you, can’t complain. My last workplace gave me a personalised one as a very thoughtful leaving gift.

Its an attractive thing esp in regional colours, I don't mind it at all in Britain and in its proper context, it just seems to be a go-to, copy/paste design element now.

It doesn't matter so much in a cafe or pub but in an historical or museum setting it gives me the ick.

Irish railways had all their own distinctive heraldic coats of arms, modern era logos, advertising, typefaces...GSR & CIE Gaelic fonts. There's a deep well to draw on already.

[jhb171achill]

5 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

Its an attractive thing esp in regional colours, I don't mind it at all in Britain and in its proper context, it just seems to be a go-to, copy/paste design element now.

It doesn't matter so much in a cafe or pub but in an historical or museum setting it gives me the ick.

Irish railways had all their own distinctive heraldic coats of arms, modern era logos, advertising, typefaces...GSR & CIE Gaelic fonts. There's a deep well to draw on already.

100% agree