FFS
Interpret that title how you will, what follows is an opinion piece by myself, any view expressed is purely mine and has no connection in any way to any organisation mentioned.
So shoot me...
Whilst I was peacefully standing in a muddy field in north Wales taking a picture of a steam train on Saturday, a lot of other people, in a broad strip across England from York, through the arse end of Sheffield, down through Derby to the undergrowth of St. Andrew's stadium in the city of Brum, round and down, Leamington, Oxford, Reading and Padd, all fancied doing the same.
My chosen subject was Clun Castle, a fairly well known locomotive, but perhaps slightly obscure to the public.
That lot over the border were playing with the mighty one, Flying Scotsman (for it is he).
As far as I'm aware, the Castle incurred no delay minutes, save for a bit of a struggle on some greasy rails up to Llysfaen.
Over 2000 delay minutes were incurred as a result of the Scotsman's train. Not as a whole, but in just four locations, Willington, Burton, Elford and Tamworth.
There are many videos on You Tube already of various incidents involving trespass and the Flying Cash Swallower, but two of these caught my attention in particular. The first, at Elford, shows an XC 170 stopped by the bridge, with the driver apparently admonishing some goon in what looks like a tracksuit, mobile phone in hand, and continues with the Scotsman itself stopped in the same location and a gentleman in smart casual, replete with flat cap, making his way back up to the bridge after being given his marching orders.
The second, near Willington, reveals the other side of the coin, guys with semi-pro or pro set-ups, all 500 mile lenses and tripods exiting stage left after another poor XC driver told them what he thought.
I gather there were several arrests for trespass in the Burton area.
Good.
Sling the sodding book at them.
And further lines of enquiry are being pursued.
Let's hope enquiries become convictions.
But let's look at this problem rationally.
I lurk on a well known UK based railway forum. I wouldn't dream of signing up, the pedantic, sometimes sarcastic, often snarky replies posted on there are more than enough to make me shy away. I'd get banned in an hour for letting rip when it needed doing. But a thread on the subject has turned into a slanging match, staff blaming enthusiasts who in turn blame normals.
Stop it, the lot of you. I'll tell you who is to blame.
The lot of us. Got it? Everyone.
From the Trinity Mirror group newspapers who publish the times that the damned thing will pass through its area to Facebook and it's overbearing presence.
From the mobile phone toting teenager to Generation Entitled, you know, the 'I know its double yellow lines but I've got my flashers on so its okay' type.
The snappers, the flappers, the Doctors perched in the cess, we're all to blame for creating the 'it doesn't apply to me' mentality.
I was stood talking to a friend in the High Street yesterday afternoon, oddly enough by a pedestrianised zone sign.
In the fifteen minutes or so I was there, five cars passed that sign. Five. Now, far as I know, 10am to 5pm that sign applies to my car.
So why not theirs? It doesn't apply to me...
So, what to do?
I can't solve society's problems on my own. There's not enough of me and no-one would take any notice anyway.
But as goes the Frying Fifty Pound Note-man, it's easier, albeit controversial. Retract it's mainline ticket.
As a shareholder in a nominally mainline certified diesel, I fear the future. We already know that the RSSB (think its them...) are gunning for mk1 and mk2 stock and anything with droplight windows. We already know that trespass incidents increase when heritage traction is out and about, and because of this, there are those in Network Rail and higher, right up to the DfT, that would like to consign it to the past for good. We already know that the trespass incidents that this locomotive triggers are out of any sense of proportion compared to any other.
Please, somebody somewhere, please grow some and put the damn thing out to pasture for good.
Before it takes the rest of the mainline heritage movement with it and makes sights like that above literally a thing of the past.
Rant over.
BTW, there's no picture of the Scotsman because I don't have one. Never photographed it.
Never intend to either...
FFS
Interpret that title how you will, what follows is an opinion piece by myself, any view expressed is purely mine and has no connection in any way to any organisation mentioned.
So shoot me...
Whilst I was peacefully standing in a muddy field in north Wales taking a picture of a steam train on Saturday, a lot of other people, in a broad strip across England from York, through the arse end of Sheffield, down through Derby to the undergrowth of St. Andrew's stadium in the city of Brum, round and down, Leamington, Oxford, Reading and Padd, all fancied doing the same.
My chosen subject was Clun Castle, a fairly well known locomotive, but perhaps slightly obscure to the public.
That lot over the border were playing with the mighty one, Flying Scotsman (for it is he).
As far as I'm aware, the Castle incurred no delay minutes, save for a bit of a struggle on some greasy rails up to Llysfaen.
Over 2000 delay minutes were incurred as a result of the Scotsman's train. Not as a whole, but in just four locations, Willington, Burton, Elford and Tamworth.
There are many videos on You Tube already of various incidents involving trespass and the Flying Cash Swallower, but two of these caught my attention in particular. The first, at Elford, shows an XC 170 stopped by the bridge, with the driver apparently admonishing some goon in what looks like a tracksuit, mobile phone in hand, and continues with the Scotsman itself stopped in the same location and a gentleman in smart casual, replete with flat cap, making his way back up to the bridge after being given his marching orders.
The second, near Willington, reveals the other side of the coin, guys with semi-pro or pro set-ups, all 500 mile lenses and tripods exiting stage left after another poor XC driver told them what he thought.
I gather there were several arrests for trespass in the Burton area.
Good.
Sling the sodding book at them.
And further lines of enquiry are being pursued.
Let's hope enquiries become convictions.
But let's look at this problem rationally.
I lurk on a well known UK based railway forum. I wouldn't dream of signing up, the pedantic, sometimes sarcastic, often snarky replies posted on there are more than enough to make me shy away. I'd get banned in an hour for letting rip when it needed doing. But a thread on the subject has turned into a slanging match, staff blaming enthusiasts who in turn blame normals.
Stop it, the lot of you. I'll tell you who is to blame.
The lot of us. Got it? Everyone.
From the Trinity Mirror group newspapers who publish the times that the damned thing will pass through its area to Facebook and it's overbearing presence.
From the mobile phone toting teenager to Generation Entitled, you know, the 'I know its double yellow lines but I've got my flashers on so its okay' type.
The snappers, the flappers, the Doctors perched in the cess, we're all to blame for creating the 'it doesn't apply to me' mentality.
I was stood talking to a friend in the High Street yesterday afternoon, oddly enough by a pedestrianised zone sign.
In the fifteen minutes or so I was there, five cars passed that sign. Five. Now, far as I know, 10am to 5pm that sign applies to my car.
So why not theirs? It doesn't apply to me...
So, what to do?
I can't solve society's problems on my own. There's not enough of me and no-one would take any notice anyway.
But as goes the Frying Fifty Pound Note-man, it's easier, albeit controversial. Retract it's mainline ticket.
As a shareholder in a nominally mainline certified diesel, I fear the future. We already know that the RSSB (think its them...) are gunning for mk1 and mk2 stock and anything with droplight windows. We already know that trespass incidents increase when heritage traction is out and about, and because of this, there are those in Network Rail and higher, right up to the DfT, that would like to consign it to the past for good. We already know that the trespass incidents that this locomotive triggers are out of any sense of proportion compared to any other.
Please, somebody somewhere, please grow some and put the damn thing out to pasture for good.
Before it takes the rest of the mainline heritage movement with it and makes sights like that above literally a thing of the past.
Rant over.
BTW, there's no picture of the Scotsman because I don't have one. Never photographed it.
Never intend to either...