The Rail Enthusiast thread

[NorthernDave]

Yet another story of getting it wrong on the railway - it does seem like the various operators who run out of Leeds are trying to outdo each other with their failings at the moment:

Yorkshire Evening Post: Passengers furious after LNER sells them tickets for a Leeds to London 'ghost' train that didn't exist.
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co...s-leeds-london-ghost-train-didnt-exist-825331

 

[rogerzilla]

My nan said the same thing about steam. Smuts on your clean sheets (no tumble dryers then, so everything was hung out even in winter). "Mickeys" (Black Fives) were the usual culprits.

 

[rogerzilla]

20191103_082352 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

I have a number of railway signs on the wall in the garden, mostly old cast iron wagon plates. I put this more modern one on the fence yesterday - I used to go through the station on the way to work in the 1990s, when this sign was there.

They fasten like road signs, using channel adaptors and big jubilee clips.

 

[classic33]

Didn't get any of those issues with normal doors! I suppose a combination of H&S, wheelchair access to toilets, and people leaving slam doors open, so someone has to go along and shut them all, makes electric doors inevitable.

"Shiny lights and buttons" syndrome. Which has led to crews not wanting to use them. Anything goes wrong(and it is doing) they're the first to cop it.

Now have to allow two hours for the trip to Leeds. This includes delays, cancellations, "Ghost Trains", and slow running ones.

 

[rogerzilla]

Who else worries about the toilet door sliding open, mid-no.2?

 

[antnee]

My Grandad was a goods guard on the Midland, then LMS and British Rail. He saw no romance in steam, which rather put me off it.

Also my Gran loved diesels because they didn't leave her washing grey from soot. They lived in a house backing onto the railway lines just north of Walsall station and the steam locomotives exhausts were just below the level of the garden.

Well we could see the Railway from our house but fortunately it wasn't as close as that so my brother and I had to used our dad old binoculars to see the numbers Funny though it was near to Bescot long before the M5/M6 interchange. I also had a mate who was a Fireman on the 9F class steam locos at Saltley and when the Diesels came fully he turned down the chance to take a drivers course and became a porter on New St Station

 

[gavgav]

A trip on the Llangollen Steam Railway, today, as part of Dad’s Christmas Present from last year! We were pulled by engine 5199 and it was a lovely sunny day for a trip to Carrog and back. Even my niece sat still for the 2 journeys, which is pretty much unheard of! Great day all round.

 

[Andy in Germany]

View attachment 491630 20191103_082352 by rogerzilla, on Flickr

I have a number of railway signs on the wall in the garden, mostly old cast iron wagon plates. I put this more modern one on the fence yesterday - I used to go through the station on the way to work in the 1990s, when this sign was there.

They fasten like road signs, using channel adaptors and big jubilee clips.

I feel old: They were just changing to these signs when I left the west Midlands. They were all shiny and new and had hardly any graffiti on them...

 

[rogerzilla]

I feel old: They were just changing to these signs whe I left the west Midlands. They were all shiny and new and had hardly any graffiti on them...

A former colleague's husband used to work for Centro, which was a brand of WMPTE, the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive. Apparently everyone who worked there called it "Wumpity".

 

[NorthernDave]

The Guardian: Do rail companies need to change their bike policies?.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...-companies-bike-policy-bicycle-storage-trains

An interesting, if slightly depressing, opinion piece.
One thing the author doesn't mention, is that the problem is far worse on newer trains - some of which are only just entering an anticipated 40+ year service life.

 

[BrumJim]

The Guardian: Do rail companies need to change their bike policies?.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...-companies-bike-policy-bicycle-storage-trains

An interesting, if slightly depressing, opinion piece.
One thing the author doesn't mention, is that the problem is far worse on newer trains - some of which are only just entering an anticipated 40+ year service life.

No reason why they can't make changes to improve the provision. Might involve some work for me, too. We just need to keep pushing for changes.

 

[BrumJim]

Haven't seen one mention of proper locos yet perhaps I missed it Seems to me that most of the posts relate to those foul black fume belching things that came in and took over from the wonderful world of Steam still I expect a good majority of you are far too young to remember the romance of steam? Ok I know progress has got to happen but I am always saddened to see the old pushed aside for new though if it wasn't for advancement I wouldn't be writing this now would I?

I like proper locos. Much better than kettles on wheels.

 

[rogerzilla]

No reason why they can't make changes to improve the provision. Might involve some work for me, too. We just need to keep pushing for changes.

While bikes go free? Not much chance of that.

I used to do several one-way rides a year, using the train to get there or back. Not any more. The new GWR Class 800s are here, and they've killed it for cyclists. You can only get one *normal* bike in the two bike spaces, which are usually full of suitcases anyway. For a very short trip, you can stand and block the gangway.

 

[NorthernDave]

No reason why they can't make changes to improve the provision. Might involve some work for me, too. We just need to keep pushing for changes.

While bikes go free? Not much chance of that.

I used to do several one-way rides a year, using the train to get there or back. Not any more. The new GWR Class 800s are here, and they've killed it for cyclists. You can only get one *normal* bike in the two bike spaces, which are usually full of suitcases anyway. For a very short trip, you can stand and block the gangway.

While @BrumJim is right, that change could be made if the railway wanted, I'm forced to agree with @rogerzilla

These are largely brand new trains that have been deliberately specified like this. The GWR 800s are essentially the "new HST" and will become ubiquitous across the network - the LNER Azumas are pretty much the same Hitachi product. They are not going to take them out of service and spend significant money rejigging the interior when a high level decision was taken years ago to make them like this.

It's interesting to note that they claim to have consulted on the issue, and this is apparently what cyclists wanted - a tiny cupboard that won't accommodate two road bikes with 25mm tyres, let alone hybrids, MTBs or ebikes and which isn't keep clear of luggage, etc by the train crew?

 

[rogerzilla]

It won't take two touring bikes with drop bars and no luggage. We tried. We're big blokes. The train manager tried. We all gave up.

The Cross Country train we got for the short hop across Bristol used the same space to hang ONE bike.