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31 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Like that. It’s like the story of never seeing a Rolls Royce broken down because they were collected by covered breakdown trucks. My story is however true as this man didn’t care because the navy had finished his career added to which he drank the best part of bottle of gin most nights.

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1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Having spent more time than I would have wished protecting tankers in the Gulf and escorting them through the Straits of Hormuz, and pretending to be interested whilst being shown countless samey-samey engine rooms of British merchantmen around the world for the sake of making them feel loved and supported, I'd have to say I'm a bit disappointed to be tarred with that brush.

 

As with any walk of life, there are a few dicks wearing the Queen's uniform, but I'd like to think far fewer than in most organisations. In my experience, it took a special effort for someone to stay a dick when surrounded by matelots ready and able to point it out in the starkest terms! ;)

 

I totally agree and, although in jest, I frequently take the mickey out of the antics of some officers in the Navy,  when the chips are down I am very glad they are there!

 

I am sure we could all tell amusing stories to back up our minor prejudices, and I am no exception, having come across a few Military types in my time who might bolster up the biased view of the services (RN in particular) but I am darned sure I wouldn't have to look far to find similar examples in the Merchant Navy.  I think we should live and let live, and instead let's all gang up  together against those dang-blasted yachties!!!:boat:

 

Howard 

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Seen some years ago in the upper Loire valley, this 38 metre peniche with distinctive lines is one of over 600 built by the Germans for the French in the 1920s, to make good the loss of vessels destroyed during World War 1. Known as a 'Gros Numero', craft of this type are held by the French barging community, whether correctly or otherwise, as being difficult to steer They were, on the other hand, built like the proverbial brick outbuilding and lasted a good long time. Most of those around today have been converted as living accommodation, but a few, I am told, are still in trade

Gros Numero.jpeg

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18 hours ago, John Liley said:

Seen some years ago in the upper Loire valley, this 38 metre peniche with distinctive lines is one of over 600 built by the Germans for the French in the 1920s, to make good the loss of vessels destroyed during World War 1. Known as a 'Gros Numero', craft of this type are held by the French barging community, whether correctly or otherwise, as being difficult to steer They were, on the other hand, built like the proverbial brick outbuilding and lasted a good long time. Most of those around today have been converted as living accommodation, but a few, I am told, are still in trade

Gros Numero.jpeg

Fascinating. I have just finished reading a book about the hundreds of railway locomotives sent from Germany to France as reparations after WW1, but I didn't know that a similar thing happened with boats. The difference was that these boats were newly built, whereas some of the locos were already 30 or 40 years ole - the Germans, defeated but not stupid, tried their best to fob the French Railways off with ancient long-funnelled Dampfloks which were surplus to requirements anyway. Nonetheless, some worked for the SNCF into the 1960s. 

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2 hours ago, Athy said:

Fascinating. I have just finished reading a book about the hundreds of railway locomotives sent from Germany to France as reparations after WW1, but I didn't know that a similar thing happened with boats. The difference was that these boats were newly built, whereas some of the locos were already 30 or 40 years ole - the Germans, defeated but not stupid, tried their best to fob the French Railways off with ancient long-funnelled Dampfloks which were surplus to requirements anyway. Nonetheless, some worked for the SNCF into the 1960s. 

The list of reparations demanded by France was nigh on endless, with barges a long way down the list. I recall seeing a part of it in the historic railway carriage in which the Armistice was ratified, parked in the forest at Compiegne. These measures, of course, are attributed by many historians to the resentment felt in Germany, upon which Adolf Hitler was to feed.

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4 hours ago, Athy said:

Fascinating. I have just finished reading a book about the hundreds of railway locomotives sent from Germany to France as reparations after WW1, but I didn't know that a similar thing happened with boats. The difference was that these boats were newly built, whereas some of the locos were already 30 or 40 years ole - the Germans, defeated but not stupid, tried their best to fob the French Railways off with ancient long-funnelled Dampfloks which were surplus to requirements anyway. Nonetheless, some worked for the SNCF into the 1960s. 

If locos are your interest, this one visited Clamecy one Sunday, following a route that took it all the way over to Nevers, long ago abandoned beyond Corbigny, alas, save for freight. I believe the type is American, or to an American design, introduced after WW2 and still around in some numbers in the final days of steam.

Loco.jpeg

Loco 2.jpg

Loco 1.jpg

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2 hours ago, John Liley said:

The list of reparations demanded by France was nigh on endless, with barges a long way down the list. I recall seeing a part of it in the historic railway carriage in which the Armistice was ratified, parked in the forest at Compiegne. These measures, of course, are attributed by many historians to the resentment felt in Germany, upon which Adolf Hitler was to feed.

Splendid. Yes, the 141Rs were knocked out in vast numbers and at high speed by American factories: well over a thousand of them were delivered to France in a little over two years, and they became workhorses all over the S.N.C.F. I remember seeing them when they were still in service. Some worked until the 1970s. Your example is one of several which have been preserved.

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We had our car with us at the summit of the Centre Canal and went to look at Le Creusot. As we got into the town I could see a plume of smoke rising up behind a supermarket and thought that looks like it could be a steam locomotive. When we got there it turned out to be a big main line one type 241 being got ready for an excursion on the main line to Lyon. Fully restored and back were it was built in 1949 by the Schieder company whose factories used to dominate the town. This is not my photo as can’t find them it’s from the tourist office.

15C6315D-4CFE-4BA7-BC67-258BD6073F8A.jpeg

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31 minutes ago, Dav and Pen said:

We had our car with us at the summit of the Centre Canal and went to look at Le Creusot. As we got into the town I could see a plume of smoke rising up behind a supermarket and thought that looks like it could be a steam locomotive. When we got there it turned out to be a big main line one type 241 being got ready for an excursion on the main line to Lyon. Fully restored and back were it was built in 1949 by the Schieder company whose factories used to dominate the town. This is not my photo as can’t find them it’s from the tourist office.

15C6315D-4CFE-4BA7-BC67-258BD6073F8A.jpeg

My old friend Mike Streat told me that one of the things that attracted him to France was the sight of one of these, absolutely flying through a station, with the driver in tight-fitting beret and googles, leaning from the cab and wearing also, streaming in the wind, a long red scarf. Not the sort of thing ever encountered in my own childhood loco-spotting days.

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This barge called Muhboot has been touring Germany and Austria for 3 years promoting the Milka chocolate brand. Unfortunately it has sunk whilst left for the winter near Hamburg. Photo from Facebook 

24A720E3-7503-416B-A4FF-2168D94D2B6D.jpeg

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33 minutes ago, Dav and Pen said:

... touring Germany and Austria for 3 years promoting the Milka chocolate brand. ...

35-02.JPG.f116f55ea8a286060b952ceb495c4c8f.JPG

 

... whereas yer British Cow does a bit of grazing ...

 

35-03.JPG.013840ce498b3c4c11b97ea30a716e35.JPG

 

... and has a bit of a lie down now and again...

 

35-01.JPG.0cd618f6fcac9afe2bdb5d636869838a.JPG

 

... between the bits of this building on the Bridgewater (by Broadheath Bridge No 30)

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14 hours ago, Dav and Pen said:

We had our car with us at the summit of the Centre Canal and went to look at Le Creusot. As we got into the town I could see a plume of smoke rising up behind a supermarket and thought that looks like it could be a steam locomotive. When we got there it turned out to be a big main line one type 241 being got ready for an excursion on the main line to Lyon. Fully restored and back were it was built in 1949 by the Schieder company whose factories used to dominate the town. This is not my photo as can’t find them it’s from the tourist office.

15C6315D-4CFE-4BA7-BC67-258BD6073F8A.jpeg

What a beautiful beast. The 241Rs were France's crack post-war express engines. Four have been preserved but this is the only one which works.

In case anyone's wondering about the "141" and "241" terminology, it's down to the French's stubborn belief that engines have wheels on only one side. We'd call them 2-8-2 and 4-8-2.

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