Derailment At Castletown

[Albert Tatlock]

You need to read you Thomas's books again. The Fat Controller, or Sir Topham Hat was only in charge of the "standard" gauge I think. The Thin Controller was in charge of the "narrow" gauge. Well he was in charge of the "Skarloey" line which was based on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales where I believe in the 50s and 60s' the author was a volunteer and member.

 

I do find this basic lack of knowledge of British classical literature is symtamatic of our declining educational standards.

 

- the fat controller won't be amused.

Well to be fair I haven't read them - we used to do the classics for 'O' level English Lit like Shakespeare and Dickens - it's only in the last 20 years that Thomas, Dick and Dora etc. have become the new big-print-picture-book GCSE classics.

[%age]

I do find this basic lack of knowledge of British classical literature is symtamatic of our declining educational standards.

 

...also very symptomatic in the declining standards in spelling.

[Lost Login]

Spelling and grammer were and remain weak points of mine. It is doubly so when I am typing and I have to admit to strongly relying on spellcheckers on computers etc otherwise I am lost. I think I stopped listening as a kid when they went on on about the three Rs and I realised there was only one. I reckoned if they could get it so badly wrong and still do OK I could spend time on more important matters like the history of Thomas the Tank Engine and feeling up the legs of the two girls who sat behind.

 

 

I do find this basic lack of knowledge of British classical literature is symtamatic of our declining educational standards.

 

...also very symptomatic in the declining standards in spelling.

[Lost Login]

Although I have a decent 'O' level in Eng Lit I never really got into into. It forever seemd to be about finding the meanings within. I always thought that if that is what they wanted to say that is what they should have written and not left it fo us to try and work in out. I read to enjoy the "storey" not to have to analyse the hidden depths.

 

I always remember an interview with I think one of the Liverpool Poets whose poetry was one of the set books and apparently there was a long discussion about a word being missspelt in one of his poems. What did it mean, why did he do it, what was the symbolism behind it all etc etc. One of the kids in the class was his son or daughter who went home and asked his dad who simply said he spelt the word wrongly. To me that just convinced me it was often a load of pretensious twaddle and guess work.

 

Well to be fair I haven't read them - we used to do the classics for 'O' level English Lit like Shakespeare and Dickens - it's only in the last 20 years that Thomas, Dick and Dora etc. have become the new big-print-picture-book GCSE classics.

[Albert Tatlock]

I read to enjoy the "storey" not to have to analyse the hidden depths.

Storey? ...what reading level are you on? - the ground floor?

[Lost Login]

Reading I am pretty advanced at whereas my spelling and grammer is appalling.

 

This you might have noticed if you had read the previous post. Maybe while I am being made to do extra spelling at lunch time I might see you next door kept back to catch up in your reading lessons. That is if you are not in detention for trying to be a smart arse.

 

I read to enjoy the "storey" not to have to analyse the hidden depths.

Storey? ...what reading level are you on? - the ground floor?

[%age]

Yes, yes, but what about the derailment at Castletown. Anyone any other news? We can chitty chat about spelling and grammar and that when there's been no rail crashes and stuff like that happening.

[Major Chip Hazzard]

Blimey, you think this was a major incident... The train spit the points at a very slow speed and fell of the rails, it happens. Nobody was hurt. End of story. In the late 60s/ early 70s this was a regular event, almost daily event as the track work as in such a state. Every railway has derailments including the Isle of Man Railway.

[Grianane]

Blimey, you think this was a major incident... The train spit the points at a very slow speed and fell of the rails, it happens. Nobody was hurt. End of story. In the late 60s/ early 70s this was a regular event, almost daily event as the track work as in such a state. Every railway has derailments including the Isle of Man Railway.

 

 

Great but then how would you feel if you were sat on the train when it happened. I though all the rail down there had been relaid, if so how many more incidentrs are there and how good a job did they do.

 

In this day and age there's no excuse for track failure - will heads roll....

[Major Chip Hazzard]

Blimey, you think this was a major incident... The train spit the points at a very slow speed and fell of the rails, it happens. Nobody was hurt. End of story. In the late 60s/ early 70s this was a regular event, almost daily event as the track work as in such a state. Every railway has derailments including the Isle of Man Railway.

 

 

Great but then how would you feel if you were sat on the train when it happened. I though all the rail down there had been relaid, if so how many more incidentrs are there and how good a job did they do.

 

In this day and age there's no excuse for track failure - will heads roll....

 

We don't know the reason for the derailment - it could be an outside factor such as kids putting something on the line, or a part of a branch falling on the line in the recent high winds we have been enjoying. In November 1909, a late night special heading for Peel struck a tree brought down in a gale. The engine not only fell of the rails, it hit with such force, it threw the engine right off the tracks into the adjacent field knocking down the fence and two telegraph poles. The crew walked away unhurt. Accidents do happen. It's one of the safest, and most stress less way to travel.

 

And yes, I have been on trains when they have derailed, as I traveled the Isle of Man Railway in the 1960s/70s when the track was awful...

[manxmaid]

Dick and Dora

 

I was beginning to think I had dreamt reading Dick n Dora books at school, cos most people I know started on peter n Jane..... then who was it after that?? Tom n can't remember the girls name?

[Albert Tatlock]

Dick and Dora

 

I was beginning to think I had dreamt reading Dick n Dora books at school, cos most people I know started on peter n Jane..... then who was it after that?? Tom n can't remember the girls name?

Probably Shabana. It all went politically correct after that.

[Lonan3]

I've never been on a train over here but I don't imagine they travel that fast tbh.

Once upon a time, a train was travelling from Peel to Douglas. On board was a man who was desperately anxious to arrive in time to catch the boat to Liverpool.

Somewhere near Greeba, however, the train drew to an unscheduled halt and showed no sign of moving on.

The agitated passenger quickly consulted the guard, who informed him that a cow had strayed onto the line but that they’d be moving ahead very soon. True enough, the train set off again shortly afterwards and the passenger was mightily relieved to see that he still had time to make his connection.

Then, just before Glen Vine, the train stopped again – this time with a loud belch of steam and a squeal of brakes. Almost frantic by now, the passenger quickly found the guard and asked: “It’s not another bloody cow on the line, is it?”

“Oh, no sir!” the guard replied. “It’s the same one! We’ve caught up with her!”

 

(Oft-repeated and allegedly true story)

[Amadeus]

Nevermind a small derailment - the real shocking news is that the train was absolutely packed today with....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOURISTS!

 

Loads of them! They were admiring the countryside, loving the steam train, enjoying themselves!

 

 

What's going on here? I thought the species Touristicus Isleofmanus was extinct ?

[AlexMcC]

And a bloody good afternoon for it as well!