THats incredible!!- PLEASE tell me they’re going to do an A-4 for their next trick??

I’ve heard it’s either going to be another A-1 or possibly even 2-8-2 ‘**** of the North’, it could even be 2 of these monsters, unlikely though.
Plenty of A4’s about, to see 3 in action together for the first time since 1966, go to the North Yorks Moors railway, end of March, beginning of April, they have a nice long train of LNER teak coaches too.
To see 4 A4’s together, including Mallard, go to the Fest at York NRM at the end of May, beginning of June, you will also see Tornado and A2 Blue Peter, unfortunately Flying Scotsman is in bits so there won’t be an opportunity to see all the major ECML pacifics in steam together for the first time in over 40 years.
To keep this on an aviation footing, a GWR 0-6-0 Pannier tank will be running a steam special from Tyseley, via Birmingham to the Cosford Airshow on June 1st, the last time they’ll use Dakotas, but using even older steam locos, and probably more temperamental too, on the national network doesn’t seem to be a problem with the powers that be. The thought of using BoB Pacifics on specials to Legends sounds a good idea to me, could be well patronised, theres no steam ban on the line from Liverpool Street.

Silly editing again, for **** read C@ck, thats the nearest I can get.

Thats one railway that I like to visit. It looks like a nice railway by what I seen by pictures is it about 5 miles long? oh and its got one of me favorite locos there aswel SR Battle of Britian Class 34081 92 Squadron 😎

James

They have a fantastic WD 2-10-0 as well, if you go, make sure that you catch the train with the LNER buffet car, a few pints of the specially made Woodfordes bitter along the route makes it even better.
Last year I took madams Hungarian cousin, on his first visit to Britain incidentally, up there for the journey, I was dissapointed that we didn’t get the BoB pacific, but the GER 0-6-2 tank was very capable and matey was quite overcome by the whole experience, talk about photographing every nut and bolt.

Incidentally, for fans of ‘Royal Scot’, it is due to be run in on the Mid Norfolk Railway during the summer following it’s restoration, look out for that one.

Though not considered part of the Battle, would it not be possible that some of the currently flying Tiger Moths may have been in use as station hacks and consequently had a few narrow escapes and brushes with the enemy.
Without carrying out a detailled trawl through the net, the same criteria might apply to the Dragon Rapides that are about.
I’ve looked up the history of the TFC Gladiator, and while, apparently not being hurled into the fray, it was no doubt on standby and serving with a squadron at the time, unlike the Shuttleworth example that was in store during the Battle, though no doubt if things had got desperate, it would have got pulled out and used.
I forgot to look up the TFC CR-42, but the example at Hendon was involved, along with their Defiant, but yes, they ain’t going to fly again, so discounted.
There must be several a/c in the Shuttleworth collection, that, while not having been willing participants, may have had a few interesting moments.

I’ve checked on the TFC Falco, it’s from Sweden, however it was delivered during the period of the Battle, could it not have been from squadron service in France, or were they all specific new builds.

Maybe they’re some obscure form, to us, of interstellar planning notices. Perhaps the Vogons are building the Hyperspace By-pass after all, I’d better go up to Sainsburies and get some peanuts, cans of bitter and hope that Ford Prefect turns up pretty quickly.

In 1974, a radio signal was sent to the star cluster M13. This was the strongest signal ever sent from the Earth.

In 2001, a ‘reply’ was received in the form of a crop circle. This appeared at Chilbolton, Hampshire, the home of the UK SETI project. I leave you to judge!

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread340541/pg1

Have you ever tried the Seti experience, lots of wavey lines on your computer that mean nothing, I tried to help for years, but it got boring, watching paint dry was more exciting.
However, last year I was driving back from a survey just north of DX ,of all places, when I took a short cut down some back lanes, somewhere near Great Chesterford, I came across the most amazing crop circle, obviously designed to attract the attention of drivers on the M11. Whoever, or whatever, produced this made an immaculate job. Because of it’s closeness to Cambridge, I had visions of Stephen Hawking racing around in his powered wheelchair, complete with enigmatic grin and armed with balls of string and volumes of paper calculations.
I’ve never, before or since, been at close quarters to, or even seen at first hand, one of these things, and I have to say, it was the strangest experience, I was quite taken with it, but I’m not convinced it came from up there, Cambridge students are clever ******s after all.

Bloody hell, I worked for 25 years within a couple of hundred yards of that place, had so much imput with the town and it’s local inhabitants, actually did surveys and work on the school and houses in the immediate area and yet this is the first I’ve heard about this. I actually have several books about the history of Stortford and nothing is mentioned on what must have been a catastrophic episode in the history of the town.
Can this be true or do we mean Bishops Auckland, Bishops Waltham or some similarly named town.
I have to say, that considering the description of the incident, the Boys College is to the west of the town centre, probably not as much as a mile though, would it have taken off from Stansted?
Nice to see you again BigVerne, you always come up with something interesting.