Snow White Trains

This is the mid morning train from Carlisle to Leeds calling at Settle at 1030 covered in snow.   At this time of year you can tell what the weather is like on the mountain part of the journey.   It was been snowing at Ribblehead today for sure.

click to enlarge

The driver has popped outside to get warm.   The snow has just started to settle in er, Settle.

And sure enough, this was Ribblehead this morning:

A Restoration Man Date for your Diary

Wednesday 28th January 2015

Be sure to watch Restoration Man on Channel 4 at 8pm

to see the episode about Maj and Carol's restoration of the Pannal Water Tower near Harrogate.   This has featured in this Blog quite a lot and it is quite a story, I promise you.

Pickety Buns (PG Certificate)

Today was another strike day on the S&C.   The trains ran like clockwork but without the benefit of refreshment trolleys, whose RMT members strike remains unresolved.   Fellow RMT members, the conductors on the line, went thirsty and flap-jackless.   Nothing is ever straightforward is it?

This time the flying picket line was at Appleby station where an angry mob armed with iced buns pressed home their grievance.   The buns, sure to crop up on E-Bay soon, had RMT iced on them.

click to enlarge if you dare

Centre stage is David Sampson - formerly the trolley supervisor, whose redundancy has caused the fuss.   He may have lost his job but not his sense of humour;  he used to refer to himself as 'the tart with the cart'.   The picture above is from the RMT's website

http://www.rmt.org.uk/news/redundancy-strike-on-historic-settlecarlisle-line/

and it shows David holding his buns Calendar Girls style.

Having given the matter some consideration I can declare that I preferred Celia Imrie in the role:

enlargement possible but unnecessary

And as for Jerry Hall in the stage production:

enlargement may endanger your health but click if you must

David, stick to what you are good at - and I hope you will soon be doing it again.

A Christmas Card Scene

This morning at dawn, Settle Station.   Magical.

click to enlarge

The large buildings in the left foreground are the navvy hut and behind it Unit E - soon, hopefully, to be leased by the Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line.

The Settle-Carlisle journey today will be a winter wonderland.

Windy

From the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line weather equipment at Ribblehead Station 

http://www.mylocalweather.org.uk/ribblehead/

and Settle Water Tower

http://www.mylocalweather.org.uk/settle/

today:

Highest gusts of wind:

Ribblehead 74mph 251 degrees 0603 this morning

Settle  47.2 mph 167 deg. 0604

Average wind speeds:

Ribb 58 mph 263 deg 0604

Sett  31.2 mph 218 deg 0619

Do log on from time to time.   Fascinating.

Shutter Windows Almost Done

The shutter windows by Wonder of Wood Ltd of Settle are almost finished.   They look splendid and just as importantly they work as intended.

click to enlarge

Now that the latches are fitted and the shutters and seals are airtight we can begin to test the effectivess of our system.   So far is is obvious that:

-  the whole house feels, and is, warmer

-  the main room has become useable in the dead of winter

-  condensation on the original windows is much reduced or eliminated as the trickle vents to and from the outside, top and bottom take effect.   We can adjust the air flow later in the light of experience.

-  the wooden floors extend into the window bays enabling a wider view of the world out there

-  they blend in almost invisibly with the original windows

-  the inside of the house is appreciably quieter

-  the locking mechanisms extend the full height of the windows, exerting pressure against the seals along their entire length

Altogether an excellent result at this early stage.

Europe After the Flood

  If all the world's ice melted this is how the map of Europe would look:

click to enlarge

Reserve your place in Settle Station water tower now.   

Sturdy, located on the country's only remaining north-south railway line.   Magnificent views of the mountains and sea.

Special rates for former Dutch residents.