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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Bealman on August 04, 2014, 10:11:23 PM

Title: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Bealman on August 04, 2014, 10:11:23 PM
After seeing this, rail travel looks more and more enticing!!

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/skC8u4Ok0Kg?rel=0 (https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/skC8u4Ok0Kg?rel=0)
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Sprintex on August 04, 2014, 10:16:36 PM
I cannot post what expletives were uttered on watching that, suffice to say there's no  :censored: way I'd be up there! :goggleeyes:


Paul
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Newportnobby on August 04, 2014, 10:17:02 PM
 :o
Couldn't watch more than 1 minute, George :worried:

:poop: :poop: :poop:

I'm sending you my laundry bill
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Dorsetmike on August 04, 2014, 10:27:39 PM
Adrenaline is brown.
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: NTrain on August 04, 2014, 10:28:29 PM
It reminds me of a road I took in Cumbria a few years back.

I got worried when I spotted a bus coming in the opposite direction.

:hmmm:
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Bealman on August 04, 2014, 10:33:17 PM
Actually, (and our Kiwi friends will back me up on this) there is a place in New Zealand called Buller Gorge which is a bit hairy, and the road up to Tasmania's only ski field is similar!

Nowhere near as bad as that video, though.

Please hang on to your shreddies, Mick.... we have strict quarantine rules here in Australia.  :D
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: guest373 on August 04, 2014, 10:51:03 PM
Not accessible by road, but a walk in Norway to Pulpit rock 604 metres above the fjord.

Pulpit Rock(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/thumb_14508.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=14508)

My feet(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/thumb_14507.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=14507)

Cheers Tony
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Bealman on August 04, 2014, 10:53:44 PM
Are they your feet? 'Cos if they are you are a brave man.
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: zwilnik on August 04, 2014, 11:16:32 PM
Watching that video makes me want to live in Belgium. In a bungalow.
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Bealman on August 05, 2014, 01:11:03 AM
 :laughabovepost: :laughabovepost:
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: ozzie Bill. on August 05, 2014, 01:22:51 AM
Too many years ago, I drove safari trucks in Africa and Asia. Asian run was from Nepal to UK, overland, including passage through Iran. 1985, that was fun. Many of the roads in Nth India (Kashmir in particular) and Nepal bear an uncanny resemblance to the one in the OP, except I was driving an old Bedford TK. Fully loaded, with strengthened chassis, weighed in at about 11 ton.
Africa was Jo'burg to London, or vice versa. I reckoned I could cope with anything, due to the Asian roads and then central African roads, so when the chance came to drive up to Livingstonia in Malawi, I said yes, lets do it. Here is a description of the road now:
The roads to Livingstonia do not have any tarmac. There are two ways to go to the town: From Chitimba at Lake Malawi in the north via the S103 (T305), a steep hillside road with multiple hairpin bends, or from the south via T306 and T305, both of which are in poor condition and became almost unusable in the wet season. The roads' condition is very bad and there are no public buses going to Livingstonia. From Chitimba visitors can walk up to Livingstonia via the S103, although this walk does take several hours and is physically challenging.
Of course, I took the northern road. Gave up counting bends at 22, as each bend was at least a 3 point turn. When I did arrive, the missionaries were gobsmacked as they reckoned the largest thing to have got there before was a Jeep! Helluva buzz tho'.
cheers, Bill.
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: lil chris on August 05, 2014, 08:25:59 PM
Quote from: NTrain on August 04, 2014, 10:28:29 PM
It reminds me of a road I took in Cumbria a few years back.

I got worried when I spotted a bus coming in the opposite direction.

:hmmm:
I think I know that road hardnott pass? ,I nearly burnt my clutch out on the Ford Focus I had at the time because of some idiot in front of me in a 4x4 going dead slow.
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: NTrain on August 05, 2014, 08:59:50 PM
I can't remember the name of the road. It was an afterthought on the map we were using.

ie not even a B road.

My wife remembers nearly being plastered against the windscreen as we drove down some very steep sections. She had white knuckles on several occasions, due to the steep drops, mainly on her side of the car, or what seemed to be directly in front of us, as the road did a sharp right hander.

If memory serves, we were trying to find something railway related.....................

It was a few years ago.  :D
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: red_death on August 05, 2014, 09:10:45 PM
I think I know some of the people involved in that  :smiley-laughing:
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: lil chris on August 07, 2014, 12:54:11 AM
Quote from: NTrain on August 05, 2014, 08:59:50 PM
I can't remember the name of the road. It was an afterthought on the map we were using.

ie not even a B road.

My wife remembers nearly being plastered against the windscreen as we drove down some very steep sections. She had white knuckles on several occasions, due to the steep drops, mainly on her side of the car, or what seemed to be directly in front of us, as the road did a sharp right hander.

If memory serves, we were trying to find something railway related.....................

It was a few years ago.  :D
Yes it was the Hardnott pass, just checked my Road Atlas. The pass brings you near the Coast at Ravenglass and the Eskdale Railway.
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Newportnobby on August 07, 2014, 09:52:48 AM
I remember driving over the Hardknott in my Citroen BX14.
Nearly fried the clutch, and my girlfriend of the time was scared, erm , witless :worried:
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Bealman on August 07, 2014, 11:07:03 AM
You'd have been a hero surely.Rewards must have been forthcoming. Beer, of course..  ;)
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Newportnobby on August 07, 2014, 11:57:36 AM
Quote from: Bealman on August 07, 2014, 11:07:03 AM
You'd have been a hero surely.Rewards must have been forthcoming. Beer, of course..  ;)

Sadly the complete opposite. I think I was walking oddly for a month or so after that :laugh:
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Bealman on August 07, 2014, 12:05:41 PM
That's what I meant.  :D
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: daveg on August 07, 2014, 01:13:01 PM
Scary stuff!

I remember doing that one and Wrynose in my MK3 Hillman Minx while on hols, a long time back. The clutch was OK but it fried the brakes.

Loved that old car.

Dave G
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Bealman on August 07, 2014, 01:25:52 PM
Hillman Minx... eeh oh aye. Forgotten about them. Wonder how one would have coped with the road in the video?

Probably ok, depending on the driver!  :uneasy:
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: lil chris on August 07, 2014, 10:36:13 PM
My dad had a Hillman Minx the later one, it was a GT 1700cc engine,twin stromberg's and overdrive ie a switch on the gear lever. He used to let me drive it, I wanted a minx too but ended up with a mk11 Ford Cortina.

Ps, a guy at the top of my street has a Morris Minor convertable, he says the brakes are crap, well they would be wouldn't they compared to today's brakes.
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Chetcombe on August 08, 2014, 03:00:53 AM
 I remember my dad's Mk3 Cortina failing to make it up Hardknott pass. He had to do a 97 point turn and coast back down in shame :'(
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Caz on August 08, 2014, 09:06:44 AM
I remember once on a trip (I think it was to somewhere in N Wales) in a Ford Popular (sit up and beg type) we tried to get up the narrow steep hill and the car just wouldn't make it and we had to turn around.  The only problem was it was narrow and very, very steep, so steep in fact we all had to get out and help by putting our hands against the side of the car to stop the car rolling over as it did a 11 point turn, bit like that video of the people releasing that guy's leg from a train in Australia.  Those were the days.   :)
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Bealman on August 08, 2014, 09:21:51 AM
Oh aye... them's were the days, alright....  :uneasy:

Did the Popular (wasn't it Poplar?) have a little knob on top of the dash that you had to fiddle to make the windscreen wipers work? I think they worked off vacuum or something.

Only reason I remember is 'cos of a holiday in Kent when I was a kid and it was really pouring rain, late at night, me mum had to keep fiddling the knob to keep the wipers going, and me dad was swearing a lot.

He was a BRS driver but was lost and wouldn't admit it. Hence the swearing. It was nowt to do with the wipers or the rain  ;D
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Sprintex on August 08, 2014, 09:26:44 AM
I wonder if that's the same steep hill my dad burnt the clutch out on in my mum's Vauxhall Viva HC 1,159cc? :D Poor thing struggling to pull two parents and us three kids up it, then there was a burning smell :worried: All had to get out and walk up while my dad drove to the top. New clutch next day ;D


Paul
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: daveg on August 08, 2014, 09:31:27 AM
Vacuum wipers were definitely on the little square shaped 'Pop's - 100E I think.

I remember being with my dad thundering across Bodmin Moor in his company issue Pop (chasing a train!  :D) and the wipers going slower and slower. Stop for any reason and the darned things would go beserk!

Dave G
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: lil chris on August 08, 2014, 08:38:22 PM
yes them Vacuum wipers were rubbish, slowing down when you needed them most,thankfully they were gone by the time the Ford Anglia came out(105E). Down set me off on these Ford model codes, I used to work for Ford has a parts man.

anybody know these.....113E/106E/211E/3014E/3024E.........and that's enough for now I am starting to feel a bit of a ............, well sad......
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: MinZaPint on August 09, 2014, 11:23:01 AM
Going back to the video, which I thought was really scary (suffer with vertigo). On a trip to the Indian hill station of Ootty we came back on the road to Mysore down the hill road, pic of one of the 36! hairpin bends.

(http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/43/thumb_14598.jpg) (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=14598)

What made our trip slightly different was that there were 5 of us in a little Maruti (Indian built Suzuki) there was a sort of rubbing noise! when we got to turn 5 the brakes failed and we came down round the other 31 with a very scared  Indian driver being instructed by my pal Terry on how to use the gears for breaking (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-scared001.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
Title: Re: Methinks I'll go by rail
Post by: Bealman on August 10, 2014, 01:22:15 AM
Eeeeek!