MidlandRed.net

A sad sight indeed but so glad you posted these pictures, Adam. I fear it looks to be past the point of no return although you never know. I have seen vehicles (trams and buses) in this sort of condition get restored but I guess the problem with BMMO vehicles is that spares are impossible to find an...

What a shame - a pannier and a '47' doesn't seem quite right and must have disappointed many enthusiasts. Still, these things happen from time to time and can't really be helped when dealing with such elderly pieces of machinery.

I glimpsed in the distance a First DD yesterday morning along Staple Flat, a narrow lane in Bromsgrove between the Old Birmingham Road and Linehouse Lane (in places itself a narrowish road which leads to Barnt Green). I assume it was on rail replacement either lost or trying to find a shortcut along...

Thanks for sharing that, Tim - fascinating reading.

I have to admit that I am not generally a great fan of diesel locomotives but particularly the sound of a Class 37 in action does something for me. A few years ago when they were allocated to the Holyhead to Birmingham New Street services, I travelled to Crewe and back several times just to hear tha...

Wood Farm was definitely on and around the site of what is now the Golf Club as you say. I had always thought it was mainly the living quarters for the main camps which were further down the Hanley Road at Merebrook (now the industrial estate between the Three Counties showground and Hanley Swan) an...

Thanks very much for your research, Adam - that's most interesting, particularly about the X72 which was news to me too.

Can't help with the Worcester allocation I'm afraid but was interested to see that research appears to show that MN had four DDs for a time. I am not saying that wasn't the case but my recollection is that they only ever had three - certainly for many years to cover their three 144 turns. Today I su...

Thanks, Tim. Great pictures of a superb engine. We were lucky enough to get seats on the first Flying Scotsman special on the SVR a couple of weeks back. Very enjoyable and quite an experience but, personally, I would have much preferred a trip behind a Castle. I am also a great fan of the 'Hall' cl...

Not sure Worcester would be up to a 'transponder or techy' solution as they never seem to have got them to work in the past. I am old enough to remember when they introduced a system called Scoot to link the various traffic lights throughout the city. In theory if you caught your first on green and...