The new Temple Meads canopy continues to be slowly revealed with even some of the scaffolding being dismantled.  I took those pictures this afternoon.

 
I always understood that Cochineal was something of an aphrodisiac....

 
Splendid ! Would never be allowed here, what if children, or hard of thinking adults climb out.

 
About a dozen injured, some seriously. A suspect has been arrested.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm26v7n5y4eo

 

Nowhere does any report say the tractor driver is the arrested individual. In fact the reported age rules the tractor driver out.

Signaller maybe? Tractor driver called and was given clearance is being reported on a Facebook page I seen earlier today.

 
Prompted by the Minehead connection thread (even though it no longer is part of their plans), Ichecked the Go-op Crowdfunding site.

They've now just exceeded £90k in funds raised,  and seem to be perpetually extending their deadline to hit £2.6m to three day's time.

 
Rant time.

A major problem at farm crossings all around the UK. Too many farmers ignore the safety rules by either leaving gates open, not seeking permission to cross or not confirming afterwards that the gates are closed and the crossing is clear for a train to proceed. And if any livestock is killed on the track it's always the fault of the railway, not the impatient farmer who didn't close the gate(s).

Hopefully this farmer is convicted.

Rant over.

Thankfully very few injuries. The worse case scenario, one train derails and is struck by another train.

 
One and all

Please find a link to the excellent CRS website, detailing the weekend visit of Tornado to our facility at St Blazey Yard on Sunday.

https://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/latest-input--news--old-pictures-etc

 
From Telegraph.

 
Don't forget that the £137,000 is just to develop a process to find out how much it would cost to reopen the link.

 
Friday 23 May


Not sure of the location of this bridge

Somewhere between Moreton in Marsh and Evesham perhaps

1P04 1318 Hereford to London Paddington departed Evesham at 1436, just one minute down, so the problem may have cleared now

 

That was my thoughts too, in the scheme of things £137k is not really that large an amount.
I would be surprised if that could not be raised via a number of different ways so suspect there is more to this than the actual amount

 

£137,000 would hardly register on the amount of money the railway expends on consultations of all sorts.  This seems more like trying to head something off, preventing momentum, rather than actual stinginess over the cost of a report

 

That is cochineal, used until recently as the colouring agent in Campari.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campari

 
Later reports state that the driver of the tractor was arrested on suspicion "of endangering lives on the railway"
One person taken to hospital by air ambulance, and another by land ambulance, many others treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The train remained on the track and does not look badly damaged. Probably driveable under its own power, at very low speed to a depot for repairs.
The tractor looks still useable. the trailer is substantially destroyed

 
From Somerset Live

 
Yes agree, cant see it coming down to the sticks, would be nice for a visit to platform 5 at Southampton!

 

Mind you ... with a single train running around it's interesting to look at the unallocated dates and see where it could get.   There are only a couple of opportunities for it to make long diversions - otherwise it's going to be "on the way".

 
Many more places to follow those currently available, so be patient.

I've booked for Birmingham Moor Street. Late enough to avoid the school trips

 

He has the basics. Raised index finger means sit. Pointing downward means lay down. Outstretched hand palm up means "paw". Hand held above head followed by a downward point means recall.

He obviously has to be looking at me for these to work. We haven't got as far as signing, "Why is this crossing called '5/13 Taunton', Finn?"

 
I thought it was a twisty part of a motor racing circuit.

 
Several persons injured, though reported to be not life threatening.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly3885e58no

 
Coo. I thought it was a red food colouring, got by squishing beetles… Glad it seems to be working!

 
Long term update.
Tests and investigations continue, and as a result I was prescribed a new (to me) drug. Colchicine.
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/colchicine/about-colchicine/#:~:text=Colchicine%20is%20a%20medicine%20for,also%20helps%20to%20reduce%20pain.

This medicine seems effective.

 

It seems to miss out the current GWR territory completely ... Moor Street and Severn Valley Railway are sorta-close.    Wouldn't it be nice if they laid a platform for it to visit at Westbury, where people can visit from 6 different directions, then leave the siding as a legacy to be used to ease congestion at the station and improve services for years to come.

 
We are now on the ferry from Kiel to Klaipeda ...

Greetings from The Baltic. Yesterday by train from Warnamunde to Kiel Hbf, courtesy DB, on regional trains, with changes in Rostock and Hamburg Hbf.  The Interrail Planner gave us alternatives via Lubeck and I would have been tempted if alone, but we had plenty of time, and Henry with us, and a leisurely lunch in Hamburg was order of the day - the food court and shops there make stations in our home are like Bristol and Cardiff look sad, limited and untilitarian.  In Kiel, a taxi to the DFDS terminal (yes, an x60 bus would have got us a few hundred metres from that target) and a checkin, bus-to-ship and we were away late evening on the 20 hour crossing to Klaipeda.

I am very used to being a foot passenger on ferries; the "Victoria Seaway" is an older ship that has been refitted and is hopping up the 750kms to Lithuania.  These ferry crossings often carry school / college groups and this one is no exception - well enough behave teenagers but learning the ways of the world like how a buffet counter works and how to think for themselves and other.  I get the feeling that for many of them it's their first release from helicopter parents.  A delight rather than anything else to have them along, even if their enthusiasm leaves us as the back of the queue for the one lift on the vessel.

Our pass doesn't cover DFDS - but then for Lisa's 15 days in 2 months it's not a day marked off either. And she's already talking about taking a second trip within the three months if we save enough days up - minor issues like inbound and outbound days (but we may come back in via Portsmouth and local tickets from there) and major ones like dog-sitting. 

Our German experience of train staff with "Henry" - utterly helpful. In places the lifts are limited, and the regional trains with flatter access really helpful.  Lisa can manage a few stairs and a short walk - great for getting up to the upper deck and first class area on the double decker trains; standard class tends to be pretty busy (good for DB) with more local traffic - first a bit less dense, but yet largely lacking the characters who stop and chat.

Pictures - people-watching (largely) from the last couple of days

 

There have been a number of assaults, accidents and general vandalism which has placed this on TOC, its not so much a mandated requirement as on based on risk assessment   

 
A fantastic idea to help celebrate this massively significant year for the railways, and the catalytic reaction it had on the country.