Great Western Coffee Shop

The PDF of the replies is available for download here: http://www.brokenmind.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/railtrack.pdf

I would not recommend drinking coffee while reading it!



Edit note: Hyperlink updated. Chris from Nailsea.

some of them made me laugh, just shows how bad and rip off some lawyer firms can be!

Fabulous stuff, brings a tear to my eye that does. Sheer class. Three cheers for bringing it to our attention and an MBE to Mr Hein in the next round of birthday honours!

I took your advice re: drinking coffee. Unfortuately I was drinking cider instead. You'll be hearing from my solicitors, TJ.  ;)

Yes.. you ever warned against not drinking wine either.. ;D ;) very funny...

Interesting URL there...   ;D:-X

...suggest sticking with the URL as posted. The top level domain is..... well..... each to their own  :o ;) :)

Yeah, the location of that had me a bit worried as well....

Am currently at work and haven't plucked up the courage to click on the link yet... Probably not one to open here juuust to be on the safe side!

ha ha.. I was home so didn't think twice about clicking on the link (like you I would have done at work).. The link is ok though...

Yes: thanks, TerminalJunkie!  I, too, spluttered into my red wine over some of those letters!  ;) :D ;D

The instigator is obviously a gricer with his referrences.

Was interested in the one "During fog or falling snow to the bothy we must go"

i first heard this in the mid sixties from a driver during a cab run down the Brighton line. It was a fairly cold and misty morning and he'd just whistled (yep old Southern units had air whistles) up a track gang on the line. He then said he was surprised to see them out considering the weather and uttered the above phrase. Although being down South he used lobby rather than bothy.

I wonder how universal the phrase was on BR.

Certainly a large number of rules and signal box instrucitons started "During fog or falling snow". Usually relating to fog working with and without fogmen.

Updated URL ... old one not working ... http://www.brokenmind.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/railtrack.pdf

Still a great read!

Hi,

I hope this post isn't unwelcome, but since members of Great Western Passengers' Forum clearly enjoyed reading the Railtrack Letters, I suspect you'll appreciate this.

Since the original PDF was published, over 100 new letters have been received - and replied to.

The book, Railtrack and Other Letters has been published as an eBook for Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CMCCHOG/

... and as a paperback: http://www.lulu.com/shop/john-hein/railtrack-and-other-letters/paperback/product-21005525.html

Thanks for posting, railtrackltd - and may I offer you a very warm welcome to the Coffee Shop forum!  :D

While we have a fairly tight rule on direct advertising on this forum, the fact that your correspondence has been referred to here in the past, and has clearly been enjoyed by many of us, leads us to allow this update on our 'lighter side' board.

Regards, Chris from Nailsea.  ;)

Reminded of this thread after, last week, accidentally typing Railtrack into an Amazon search box rather than Google.

The incorrect search brought up details of the ebook, which I've now purchased for the bargain price of ^2.99 and I am about half way through a second reading. Sitting on a train and occasionally guffawing does tend to unnerve those around you. However, this book is a perfect antidote for some of the rail trips I've had to make out of necessity recently. Much as I like train travel, Bristol to Bridgwater in Class 150s gets dull very quickly when you are doing it 3-4 times a week. So this ebook has definitely helped keep my spirits up.

There is some genuine concern though that members of the legal profession (a profession that you'd think requires the basic ability to carry out accurate research) can be so incompetent.

That said, it's hilarious. Highly recommended.  :D

I would also recommend purchase of the ebook, I have it on my Kindle and it is brilliant