Modern Life Is Rubbish

[Annie Bynnol]

23 hours ago, Chekhov said:

1970s ? "cherry picked, second-hand nostalgia" ?

 

I remember travelling to London on my own on the train, age 14. It was great, it fostered adventurism and confidence. These days I cannot imagine there'd be many parents who would "approve" much less actually let their child do so. Funnily enough I told my parents about this a few years ago and my Mum's reaction was "we wouldn't you have done that these days". Very sad, particularly as  it'd actually be safer (as regards Paedos) now than back then.

We didn't have high security fences round our schools, and certainly not identification lanyards and security gates and CCTV for all visitors. Awful, more like a prison. And I'll bet if my lad were swimming in a gala in the 1970s no bugger would be trying to stop you filming it.

I was fortunate enough to live in Sheff with its cheap (esp for kids), frequent and reliable bus services, including plenty of late night busses. I didn't have to rely on my parents ferrying me about, not that they would have done anyway.

I remember going to Tinsley depot (and a few others) to clock the train numbers, walked right in. We weren't supposed to even then, but nobody said anything if you brazened it out, not usually anyway. These days there'd be no chance of that.

Had loads of fun getting pennies squashed on the railway lines, it was safe enough (as safe as crossing the road anyway) but these days I hate to think what Ms Bynnol would have to say about that now, she'd have a fit and probably report us to the Cops if she saw us.

I can remember actually driving a loco at York depot, these days the staff wouldn't even let you in the depot.

And you could actually see out of train windows (as well as open some of the windows if there was anything interesting going on) :

 

 

And, of course, there's no way on earth they'd have locked us all down in the 70s for a virus, and certainly not for one 99% of people were surviving. No chance whatsoever.

 

On the other hand, particularly as regards bringing up my lad, I really wish the internet, certainly all this social media cobblers, didn't exist. And that's before one gets to the battles we have to get him off games and stuff. I reckon most parents probably think the same way.

 

That'll do for now, more than enough.

Difference is easy, the one on the left never carried fare paying passengers in regular service*.

As a prototype the layout was to 'show off' and to impress-not to provide essential seating for long distance travel.

Extra seating was provided by only having two power-operated sliding-plug doors(no drop windows) to each coach.

To enable high speed there were no opening windows.

To enable quiet journeys these electric trains had no opening windows.

To enable a comfortable environment there were no opening windows.

To enable tilting and high speed, part of the weight reducing plan was for lightweight seats.

As an example of future rail transport there were no opening windows. At the time the seat designers would have needed as yet undeveloped materials to provide safe seating.

On the right is the type of seating found on 22x trains which so successfully protected the passengers on the 95 mph derailment at Grayrigg in 2007. These old designs are being replaced on all modern reains (and aircraft) which you will see on the EMR 810's next year. 

If your point was to prove something please tell. 

Travelled as a guinea-pig on this train between Preston and Lancaster( the full round trip to Penrith was pulled due to the tilt failing) on the day before the ill-fated journalists trip.

*Left:  1978 built Class 370 APT-P. Never entered commercial service and was never intended to. It was a prototype.

 

As for "Had loads of fun getting pennies squashed on the railway lines, it was safe enough (as safe as crossing the road anyway) but these days I hate to think what Ms Bynnol would have to say about that now, she'd have a fit and probably report us to the Cops if she saw us."

Grandmother worked in carriage sidings where we played and slept and played at times.

Branchline across the river at the front and a narrow gauge line at the top of the garden and a myriad of quarry railways a mile away. Both had irregular services and both  coasted down the inclines at about 20 mph so you didn't hear them. The London and Manchester expresses you could hear as they powered out of the main station, but only the steam trains properly squashed the pennies. The diesels 'pinged' the coins far away. 

Catching the overnight Irish ferries many times in my teens with the pals. Changing trains at Crewe, Nuneaton, Leicester, Peterborough, March and Ely on a trip to Cambridge was a bit much even for me at the enthusiastic age of 15  so I came back via Liverpool Street, the underground and Euston, to my mother's horror! I said you can't get lost in London, mam, there are maps everywhere, street names everywhere with little numbers to tell you which area you are in(Sheffield has them as well).

As a generalization I found(in those days) urbanites far less able to deal with new surroundings as there upbringing has provided so little variety, whereas the more rural, experience far more and therefore become more familiar with assessing risk. 

 

[Chekhov]

1 hour ago, Annie Bynnol said:

Difference is easy, the one on the left never carried fare paying passengers in regular service*.

It makes no difference,  Mk3 (or a Mk2) coach is pretty much the same, windows wise.

 

The Mk4 coach was designed to tilt and that had much bigger windows and a much nicer atmosphere, than the Plasticolino.

To be fair the Plasticolino does have decent legroom though, better than a Mk4, esp the refurbished ones.

Edited December 16, 2022 by Chekhov

[The_DADDY]

Yes, modern life can be rubbish. 

Listen to this poor bloke

 

https://fb.watch/hsxV354MmU/

 

This shouldn't happen in the 6th richest country in 2022.

[Chekhov]

51 minutes ago, Annie Bynnol said:

To enable high speed there were no opening windows.

To enable quiet journeys these electric trains had no opening windows.

HSTs, 125mph, still teh max speed on British Railways, had opening drop lights above the doors.

Now, even 25mph heritage trains cannot have opening windows if they are big enough to put your head through.

Ludicrous.

[Chekhov]

1 hour ago, Annie Bynnol said:

On the right is the type of seating found on 22x trains which so successfully protected the passengers on the 95 mph derailment at Grayrigg in 2007. These old designs are being replaced on all modern trains (and aircraft) which you will see on the EMR 810's next year. 

It was a Pendolino actually, but I could not care less anyway, I would rather have bigger windows. The Mk3 was, and is, perfectly safe.

 

Anyone who think trains need smaller windows in order to make them sufficiently safe knows absolutely nothing about risk probability, nothing at all. These people should never drive, in fact they should never go on the roads at all, oh, and they should all live in bungalows.

Edited December 16, 2022 by Chekhov

[HeHasRisen]

Demanding modern trains are built with windows you can stick your head out of is a strange hill to die on, but here we are yet again.

[Chekhov]

1 hour ago, Annie Bynnol said:

If your point was to prove something please tell. 

My point is I do not like the modern world, too many over cautious people ruining people's fun and adventure for no good reason.

[hackey lad]

Dunt like the modern world but spends half his time ont  internet    😂😂😂

[Chekhov]

1 hour ago, Annie Bynnol said:

Travelled as a guinea-pig on this train between Preston and Lancaster( the full round trip to Penrith was pulled due to the tilt failing) on the day before the ill-fated journalists trip.

 

1978 built Class 370 APT-P. Never entered commercial service and was never intended to. It was a prototype.

>>Travelled as a guinea-pig on this train between Preston and Lancaster( the full round trip to Penrith was pulled due to the tilt failing) on the day before the ill-fated journalists trip.<<

 

Now that does sound interesting. 

 

>>1978 built Class 370 APT-P. Never entered commercial service and was never intended to. It was a prototype.<<

 

It was supposed to be in revenue earning service though wasn't it ?

 

4 minutes ago, hackey lad said:

Dunt like the modern world but spends half his time ont  internet    😂😂😂

Good point, I agree with you, we would all have so much more time if we didn't feel we had to waste so much of it arguing on forums.

Edited December 16, 2022 by Chekhov

[Chekhov]

9 minutes ago, HeHasRisen said:

Demanding modern trains are built with windows you can stick your head out of is a strange hill to die on, but here we are yet again.

I agree, it is no where near as important as locking down society, but it is symptomatic of the way society is going none the less.

As I predicted earlier, sooner or later, everyone is going to have to fill in a consent form before congress, and have a breathalyser test as well, just to prove they are compos mentis enough to consent. It will happen, eventually, definitely.