The Bristol Railway Archive

Where in Gloucester?

What used to be California Crossing to be precise (posts prior passim)

Up north is anywhere above Wessex, Sussex and Essex and comprises Mercia, Cumbria and Northumbria. Why they didn't just call it Norsex is beyond me.

I have for some time been pondering a railway knowledge quiz based on Archive material, but with Mr Memory Summerhill remembering the tale of the Bulleid diesel, I think it might be a one horse race.

SWMBO's mother still hasn't succumbed so I'm still only a definite maybe for the 18th.

the green mile wrote: I have for some time been pondering a railway knowledge quiz based on Archive material, but with Mr Memory Summerhill remembering the tale of the Bulleid diesel, I think it might be a one horse race.

You'll have no problem there - if you turn one of our pub meetings into a quiz night I'll be out the back having a fag much more than usual

Quizzes irritate the hell out of me, mainly when I want to answer the other team's questions, or just butt in with the answer when I'm not even involved.

I was in The Soho at Studley many years ago when a quiz night was on, and all four teams were completely stumped by the question:

"Which ventriloquists dummy had his own radio show in the 1950s?"

Being of "a certain age" I didn't even have to think about the answer, and I suspect a fair few people around here know it as well

Quizzes irritate the hell out of me,

I worked for a while on an oil refinery in a place called Laem Chabang in Thailand. The Sunday night entertainment for the ex-pats was the obligatory quiz.

After witnessing half an hour of the proceedings, my Thai friends asked:

"Why does he ask all the questions when he already knows the answers".

The entire concept was completely lost on them ...

If I remember correctly I think that was Archie Andrews. Not sure I can get my head around ventriloquism on radio. I thought it was an audio/visual act. Maybe we should kick the pub quiz idea down the road a bit.

the green mile wrote:If I remember correctly I think that was Archie Andrews. Not sure I can get my head around ventriloquism on radio. I thought it was an audio/visual act.

Spot on that man!!

Many years ago Terry Wogan did a "Radio Comedy" piece on his early evening chat show, and interviewed Dora Bryan, who recalled a conversation she had with Peter Brough, the ventriloquist in question.

Said Peter Brough: "Dora, can you see my lips move?"
Said Dora Bryan; "Only when Archie talks, Peter ...."

How much further off topic is this thread going to get?

T.V ventriloquists.....

I used to really enjoy watching Arthur Worsley and Charlie Brown, that deadpan face always made me laugh (Mr Worsley`s, not the dummy ...)

On the other hand (No pun intended!) I used to find Terry Hall and Lenny the Lion totally infuriating.

And as for Ray Alan and Lord Charles.................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought Lenny was far more entertaining than Keith Harris and Orville the Duck. But then you have to acknowledge an entertainer who can make a living out of shoving his hand up a duck's backside.

So now we have moved the thread on to pairing ventriloquists with their dummies. Dead easy when you have the interweb at hand. No laptops or smartphones allowed when we do eventually have a pub quiz!

the green mile wrote:I thought Lenny was far more entertaining than Keith Harris and Orville the Duck. But then you have to acknowledge an entertainer who can make a living out of shoving his hand up a duck's backside.

So now we have moved the thread on to pairing ventriloquists with their dummies. Dead easy when you have the interweb at hand. No laptops or smartphones allowed when we do eventually have a pub quiz!

What on earth have I just tuned into?????

And completely off the topic, I heard in the messroom yesterday that Barnsley was being twinned with Las Vegas.

Apparently they are the only two places in the world where women exchange sexual favours for chips.

82E's finest out in traffic this weekend. The only ex Midland loco in steam anywhere in the Galaxy. When Nobby, Dennis, Bruce and all were chasing ovoids around the cab floor in an effort to raise some semblance of pressure they didn't know what an icon it was a privilege to be struggling on!

regards

Ralph

So what else has Barnsley got in common with Las Vegas apart from a complete lack of civilised culture and rubbish football teams?

If 82E's finest is the only ex Midland loco in steam in the galaxy, does that mean she might have a Doppelganger somewhere in the wider universe beyond the Milky Way which escaped the cutter's torch?

I thought Lenny was far more entertaining than Keith Harris and Orville the Duck. But then you have to acknowledge an entertainer who can make a living out of shoving his hand up a duck's backside.

So now we have moved the thread on to pairing ventriloquists with their dummies. Dead easy when you have the interweb at hand. No laptops or smartphones allowed when we do eventually have a pub quiz!

Oh dear! I can see exactly where this is leading ... No doubt at The Barley Mow, we're all going to end up enjoying a "gottle o' geer"

If 82E's finest is the only ex Midland loco in steam in the galaxy, does that mean she might have a Doppelganger somewhere in the wider universe beyond the Milky Way which escaped the cutter's torch?

Well, on that subject, I don't think we've ever discussed the legend of the "strategic reserve" on here, despite the fact it is only supposed to be at Corsham (or rather "under" Corsham).

Theory being that the number of steam locos officially scrapped by BR was a few hundred short of the number they actually owned?

So, according to the steam promoters, they are all "hidden" in that big military depot with the rail connection from the Box Tunnel, ready to all come steaming out the minute we run out of oil or nuclear power ...

Strikes me if it happened, the government has a perfectly serviceable steam fleet it could commandeer from all the heritage railways - plus the necessary people who would know how to drive, fire and maintain them (with conductors of course).

And as to my trusty old set of WR hydraulics down on the WSR, believe me, there is NOTHING on a Warship, Hymek or a Western that is going to cease operating because of an electromagnetic pulse or an extra large solar flare

But to get back to the point, if there *are* any other remaining 82E locos left and hidden away unknown, I'd start looking under Corsham rather than in a parallel universe. Not as far to move them as it would be from Barrow Road to Alpha Centauri and the 82E shedmaster would to the end have been keen to save a few miles and a bit of overtime from what I've heard

jules wrote: Well, on that subject, I don't think we've ever discussed the legend of the "strategic reserve" on here....

Oh yes we have .... http://www.bristol-rail.co.uk/forum/vie ... php?t=2056

I see you didn't join in on that one though

PS - unlike many forums of this nature, our "search" facility actually works

jules wrote:[But to get back to the point, if there *are* any other remaining 82E locos left and hidden away unknown...

Ralph didn't say 82E engines, he said Midland engines. There are plenty of locomotives that were once allocated to 82E (or 22A if you prefer) kicking around - 44123, 44422, 45690 and 45699 spring immediately to mind without researching.

There are also other ex-MR engines about out there - static exhibits ("Midland Spinner" 673) and Jinty 41708 again spring immediately to mind - perhaps the Jinty is out of service at the moment?

Don't forget 48431 and 51218