A Man and his Miniature Railway.

 

Down in the basement, something stirs.

"Choo-choo !"

Yes, men have been obsessed with their kid's train sets for years.

Bonus - 

The odd side of the railway tracks

 

I you're thinking that that looks like an odd part of town, you'd be right.

A closer look at the details, and you'll notice...things.

Like the shed-sized transformer in the bottom left. Yes, this is a corner of a model train enthusiast's layout.

Bonus - South Park take a shot at Donal Trump.

Synthetics Are Involved

One for the Locomotive Fans out there.

 

No info on this slide, but I'm sure that a Diesel Train Enthusiast could tell you more.

The location - Also a mystery....but I have a suspicion it might be Wigan Wallgate. That roofline looks familiar.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/f3omoz6vYC11bSH19

Bonus - Costume Tests for Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” (1971)

When Buses Head South For Winter...

 

They usually travel by rail. Fact.

Bonus - 

Applauds

Precious Moments

 

People take pictures to help them remember special moments.

With sides, the emotion is intensified, as it's an image that some wants to project, and share with others.

This precious moment, well someone wanted to share that special day when the 1004 Luton to Huddersfield (Calling at Watford, Rugby, Preston, Dundee and Madrid) very nearly left the station on-time.

Bonus - "Please tell me what you imagine this bag of dicks looks like"

A Boy and his Locomotive

 

The lad?  I'm calling him Simon. He looks like a Simon.

The Locomotive - No info on the slide, but it only took seconds to identify this as 46115 Scots Guardsman (LMS 6115 & BR 46115).

The sky - grey and lifeless.

Simon's Anorak - The Junior Fieldman, by British Home Stores.

Bonus - 

Passing Fields of ... Stuff

 

The great thing about long national or transnational train journeys is that you have time to just stare out the window, and look at Stuff passing by.

And sometimes you want to record the exceptional scenes, so you can bore your friends and neighbours with blurred images of stuff.

Word of advice ... Don't.

Bonus -If you have trouble with sleeping too much, and are looking for something to keep you awake, worrying about existential dread.... may I recommend The Nutty Putty Cave Horror.

Some Sort of Locomotive

 

I'm sure that some UK rail enthusiast could tell you all about where, what when and why.

But I can't.

Bonus - Stupidest Conspiracy Theory I've heard of.... Western dairy manufacturers put pigs milk in cheese to prevent Muslims from going to heaven after they die. This is absurd because pigs are super hard to milk; their milk isn't a whole lot per pig; it lasts hours, not days; and their milk tastes like tor tar smells.

The Alleged Magic of Steam

 

I know that for a number of "men of a certain age", steam railways are a source of fascination.

Not me.  I can't really see the attraction.

Thus, I can tell you nowt about this slide's subject. (Actually, Google suggests that it might be the Talyllyn Railway in southern Snowdonia, but .... yeah. Seems possible.

Bonus - Man Proposes, God Disposes

by Edwin Landseer

Bonus 2 - 

Yeah, that happened.

Meal on the Move

 

From other slides in the box, this is probably a 1958 train, travelling across the western states of America. 

Back when aircraft were only beginning to challenge as a transcontinental transport medium.

Bonus - 

Two Girls on a Miniature Train Ride

 

No info on this slide, but "We're not in Kansas, Toto."

At least that's my assumption, based upon the mountainous background. (Slide was Very underexposed, so not the best quality, even with photoshopping.)

Bonus - Endurance wreck: Ernest Shackleton's lost ship found off Antarctica

Sorry. A bit distracted today.

Woo-woo on the Choo-choo

 

Yes, just a nice little picture of an adventure for the younglings.

Bonus - Happy Birthday Cliff, my Brother-in-law.  Same birthday as Roger Moore, Steve Cram and Ben ("Q") Wishaw. (Good Company.)

Bonus 2 - The phrase "Wetter than an otter's pocket".  Today I learned that otters do have pockets.

Yes, it's the Flying Scotsman

 

Yes.

The most famous steam engine in the world. Yadda yadda yadda.

Perhaps some steam buff will wander along and tell us where, when and why.

Bonus - I wonder if anyone has thought of starting a food business called "The Frying Scotsman".

<Googles>

Yes. Several.

Bonus 2 - We may never terraform mars but we are already martian-forming earth.

Bonus 3

Jeffrey Potter - Train Spotter

 

And ...Yes ... He's wearing an Anorak.

LMS Royal Scot Class 6115 Scots Guardsman is a preserved British steam locomotive. Built by the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) as a member of the Royal Scot Class, it was later operated by British Railways.

Bonus -     

Track-Laying

I could make a Lazy Comedian joke about two working and lots of supervisors and shirkers ... but that's not my style.

Circumstantial info suggest that this may be track-work in the region of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link /  M20 / Ashford in Kent, but I cannot be more accurate that that. Sorry.

Bonus -

A Pint and a Passenger Train

NOT the ideal location for a quiet night.

Still, it's preferable to having some sooty steam engine passing by at 3.00am.

Bonus -

I Choo-Choo-Choose You.

In the sixties (or maybe seventies) I bet this was absolutely heaven for young lads. Their own small scale steam train.

Sadly, I still know some middle aged me who would squee at the prospect of such a train ride.

Bonus - Van Morrison’s Contractual Obligation Album
This is the sound of not really trying.

Bonus 2 - On the other hand...
This is the product of my fevered mind
And this is the sound of being left behind
And this is ritual dissection of the soul
I hope that you will enjoy it

YouTube  and    Lyrics

One For You Train Buffs

I'm certain that there are some gentlemen out there who could tells you a LOT more about these units.

Not me.

I can only say that on the rights is W53083.  And using Google, that tells me its a Class 116,
Built by : BR Derby Works.

Which is nice.

Bonus -

Here Comes a Choo-Choo

.... I think.


Difficult to tell with this exposure.

Bonus - NSFW
Chinese factory builds AI sex dolls – in pictures

Bonus 2  - Redneck Dentistry.  NSF...anyone.

Welcome to London Cannon Street

Strangely, knowing my bad luck and the number of sad old train spotters back then, I actually have very few slides of trains and rolling stock.

Thank Goodness.

However, I do have this one. And from a little Googling, this is a unique one.  This particular ...thing ... is the only preserved British Rail Class 401. Also known as the 2-BIL,... as in  (2-car Bi-Lavatory stock, they were used until Zzzzzzzzzz........

Bonus -