ALL NEW Competition Thread...Last Post WINS ;-)

[naughty.tortie]

Well..... it couldnt be lost forever could it !

So its back... all singing, all dancing... no farting allowed...

May the dirtiest player win 😄




I am first... I WILL BE LAST

[cke786]

Darn it, I was an over ambitious fool! Actually, no, I just dwelled on one part of my day out for far too long, mainly as I found more than I had expected! Essentially, I went along to Davyhulme to find out what a feature I saw on the satellite view was, but when I got there, I found something else along with the answer to my question, the Manchester Ship Canal freight line has been removed, so I spent much too long exploring that, meaning no West Timperley station explore this weekend! The light was fading too fast, so I decided to call it quits, though I did manage to get a few pics of the MSC line, plus a couple of souvenirs along the way, but I will get back to West Timperley sometime soon!

[peteryola]

Look at that in a positive light: It means you are systematically working through it one bit at a time, which is surely going to yield more overall than hopping from location to location?

[cke786]

True, though I was wanting to get over to West Timperley to most that day, it's a lot in petrol to just do one target that far away from me, but the weather did play a big part in my not going, so I have to accept it! W-Timperley for another day then!

Here's the highlight reel of the MSC railway:

    

[peteryola]

Now that's rather more intact than I was expecting. 

[cke786]

The line is still imbedded across the main road, but apart from a couple of sections, one pictured, the tracks have been removed, most of the sleepers too, but there's still a heck of a lot of them still in place. Apparently, this line clost only in 2009, though Google Street View of 2014 still has the line intact, so it's clearly only in the last couple of years that the line has been removed!

Here's a few more, showing some of the sleepers that are still left around:

  

There was also a lot of rail Chair casts lying around long the route, like the one on the sleeper in my previous post!

[peteryola]

I've seen other instances of level crossings remaining in place even after all else has gone.  It's probably something to do with the extra cost and hassle of removing them...?

[cke786]

It is a big junction it's going through, so I wouldn't be surprised.

Managed to go back to West Timperley this Sunday to have a second look around, actually more overgrown than last time, but as I said last time, I went prepared! Brought some secateurs with me, along with a weed cutter, still took a while to clear a path through the brambles, still got cut to shreds, but not as badly as I would have! Found more this time too, plus re-evaluated what I had previoulsy discovered, so, a structure I didn't realise at the time, was in fact the actual station building itself, also discovered the remains of the signal box at the end of the platform, one of the original paths up to the station, the opposite platform to the station building, a strange hole in the ground with steps going down, probably just a sewer access, but don't actually know, plus going further along the track towards where the line becomes active, I found the gate in the fence barrier... was not locked *gasp*

[peteryola]

I think you ought to report the unlocked gate to Network Rail...

[kame-hame]

The line's getting reopened this year, that might be why it's not locked!

[peteryola]

If it gives access to Network Rail premises then it should be locked, regardless of whether the premises are active or not - there is some requirement somewhere for that, probably an edict from Transec.

[cke786]

I Tweeted them yesterday, they're sending somebody over to put a lock on the fence today, though after having a look at Google Maps 3D view, it would appear that there was another gate further along the line, near towards the end of the viaduct just past the bridge... might have hada lock on that one, it might not have done, I don't actually know, I didn't go through and see what was further on down! All said, looking at 3D view again, it would appear there are many places where someone could easily gain access to the area I got to and further!

Either way, my work here is done 😉

Next station will be...... actually, I haven't decided yet 😞

[peteryola]

Yes, I saw that tweet.  I think I replied to someone who replied to you and they didn't seem to understand the importance of it...

Meanwhile, I just managed to land on the wrong thread and saw it was only on 200 posts and I was trying to think who had shut their membership down, thinking for a moment that I might have already done it - but I obviously haven't!

[cke786]

It happens sometimes doesn't it!?

I provided them with all the details through the Twitter private messenger, I'll go back sometime and see if they've actually locked it! But before that, Dicconson Lane Station!

[peteryola]

Yes, some replies on there can be a bit facepalmy; I had one the other day - which you may have seen - where someone asked me how I took a specific photo when the window frame of the aircraft was clearly visible in the image.  You would think that would have given hime a bit of a clue, as should have the caption on the tweet which clearly stated it was the view from...

I basically replied that I used a camera...

[cke786]

Finally back in work today properly, I came back as did everyone else this year on the Wednesday 3rd Jan, but after getting home, found myself dealing with the flu! I just about managed did a part day on the Friday and yesterday, but for the other days, I was bedridden... not the best start to my new year!

[peteryola]

That is definitely not a good start...

[cke786]

No, it most certainly isnt! I don't mind an extension to my break over Christmas & New Year, but spending it barely able to get out of bed, head pounding, cramps etc... not the way I like to spend my time off work! These last couple of days back haven't exactly been smooth sailing either, though at least I'm doing something now!

[peteryola]

i know what you mean.

When I slipped a disc in summer 2004, I didn't mind having four weeks off work - but I did mind not being able to do anything with those four weeks!  The less said about the stupid and torture-inflicting excercises the physical terrorists give one to do the better...

[cke786]

Never had a slipped disc, I would assume similar pain to the trapped nerves I had the other year.... never again would I like to go through pain like that again!

[peteryola]

It was basically like a very strong backache which was also down the leg on the same side.

Just to make matters worse, I didn't twig at first what it was because I had always thought that with a slipped disc one would not be able to move.  So I then did a day trip to Blackpool with my heavy shoulder bag - on the affected side...

It was only a couple of days later when it wasn't getting any better that I went to the quack, who carried out an examination, then told me I had a slipped disc and signed me off work on the spot and immediately referred me to the back people...