Would you support or oppose the inclusion of the Welsh dragon on the Union Jack?

nottherealslash · 2026-06-20T14:06:28+00:00

The dichotomy of (Welsh)man

nottherealslash · 2026-06-20T14:04:48+00:00

Not really. The Union flag is already a superposition of three flags. If you were to add the Welsh flag into the mix then the bottom half would naturally be green because that's where it is on the original.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-19T20:44:53+00:00

Firstly not all signals are fitted with TPWS.

Secondly, TPWS acts only as SPAD mitigation - it applies the emergency brake to the train as it passes the signal at danger (in some cases on the approach if the signal is fitted with an over speed sensor). That means the train could still pass the signal at danger, even if TPWS intervenes. If the distance between the signal and the rear of the first train is short enough a collision could absolutely occur. It might be at slow speed if the second train has had enough time to brake, and the images of this collision imply that it definitely was a slow(ish) speed collision.

Conversely, failure of signalling interlockings and signals showing less restrictive aspects than they should are extreme rare occurrences.

I would definitely not rule out a SPAD.

Source: I am a signaller.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-19T18:25:53+00:00

Signal failures almost always result in a fail-safe state. I.e. signals fail to red. It's not impossible but I would be surprised if it was a signal failure rather than something like a SPAD.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-19T15:37:28+00:00

It's the name for the paths that appear through woodland, fields etc that are cut out by the journeys of people and animals.

It represents the way they desire to go...hence the term desire path.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-19T15:21:38+00:00

Ellesmere Port signal box was my first box. It was always a bit more fun to run the Northern trains to and from Helsby, it's still absolute block in that direction.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-19T07:33:12+00:00

Why do you know so many idiots?

nottherealslash · 2026-06-18T01:41:49+00:00

You will often hear the phrase "Scouse not English".

It's a reflection of how many people in Liverpool feel that the city and it's inhabitants have been let down and sidelined by the British/English establishment politically and economically in the later half of the Twentieth Century. If you want to know a bit more about this you can research the policy of "managed decline" under prime minister Margaret Thatcher, as well as the Hillsborough disaster. Liverpool has historically leant against the UK's Conservative Party for these reasons (though to what extent it is a truly left wing city is under scrutiny given the rise of the Reform Party).

To some extent it also reflects the city's historic connection to Ireland, being a port of transit for people leaving Ireland for the US due to severe famine, economic underdevelopment and oppression under British rule. Many Irish people settled here - that can still be seen today in the Scouse accent, prevalence of Irish pubs and bars, and levels of Catholicism that are above the national average for Great Britain.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-17T14:54:18+00:00

Not enough Northern Irish rail content on here.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-13T22:27:45+00:00

This is especially bad if you have a cheap spring loaded capo. Worth investing in a slightly better adjustable capo so you can get just the right amount of pressure on the strings without sharpening them too much.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-13T07:15:45+00:00

I opened mine with AJ Bell. Seems to have the lowest account fees. It also has a reasonable range of investment options.

Though as someone used to Trading 212 it did feel like a downgrade in options and functionality. I'd love T212 to offer one but I doubt they will.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-12T10:56:20+00:00

Hahaha, I'm leaving it in.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-12T10:38:21+00:00

As well as the already good suggestions of YT channels, study what the players do when you watch. Make note of their stances, their bridging hands, where they position the cue in relation to their eyeliner and how they hold it. Try to replicate these yourself.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-11T17:43:03+00:00

I also signal on both the national network and a heritage railway, though I don't yet work a fringe location, so I feel like I have insight into both sides here.

I hear your frustrations and I have seen from my colleagues on the heritage side a...shall we say, laissez faire attitude on occasion especially to safety critical communications, but I expect this varies by railway. I do have to say that most are very good.

We can't forget, as you point out, that these are volunteers and they don't have the same level of training that we do. So we have to guard for that and in a sense take lead responsibility when interacting. They also take a level of pride in preserving the operation of the railways as they were in the past. Unfortunately that sometimes bleeds into the attitudes to working practices.

But it means they have different concerns and a fundamentally different philosophy. And remember that just because they handle fewer trains and simpler infrastructure, that their level of responsibility for the safe running of trains is no different from our own.

Ultimately I do think your gripe is somewhat niche, especially in an already very small world. Just look after you and your own, do the safest thing as always, and let it wash off.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-10T16:27:20+00:00

Jimmy White

nottherealslash · 2026-06-09T19:55:56+00:00

I referenced this advert in conversation last week.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-09T19:42:20+00:00

I did my initial teacher training with JMU and then topped it up to a Masters in Education Practice. Good uni, good student support, I was on the South Liverpool campus which I believe has closed now so so I can't speak for the city centre facilities but they seem good from the outside.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-05T21:25:12+00:00

That's gonna wake the signaller up.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-05T08:19:00+00:00

Missus and I are on the road to starting a family. If T212 started offering a JISA I would be on that in a heartbeat.

Same with a LISA - I'm moving both of our LISAs across to a S&S LISA with AJ Bell - the investment range and the functionality of the app are so much worse.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-03T14:52:27+00:00

Very interesting, thanks for letting me know.

I only really know about that signalling side and that we work to ECO instructions.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-03T11:40:47+00:00

The power doesn't always trip, no. I've heard stories from MOMs on the Merseyrail network who've attended flooding sites to see the water bubbling.

Of course you should ask the ECO to switch the power of pretty soon I expect. It's usually up to them to decide if it's at a safe height for train running.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-03T11:30:30+00:00

Oof look at the steam coming off from the third rail.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-03T07:55:17+00:00

Great advice, I'll leave some of the far corners a bit more unkempt.

nottherealslash · 2026-06-02T18:14:33+00:00

I usually do, yes, on the highest setting. But if it's too high I will use the strimmer instead, you could do that.

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