4 May 2011

UK trains - actually pretty good

For the last couple of days I've been down in Canterbury visiting my son, his wife and our grandson. As my wife was busy I took the opportunity to travel alone by train. There is now a new high speed service from London to Canterbury that has slashed journey times on that part of the trip. All trains were clean, on-time, fast and comfortable. Also, at £25.50 return with my senior railcard, excellent value. We complain too often, but railways in the UK are actually rather fine of you can travel off-peak when the commuters are not crammed in. As an ex-trainspotter back in the late 1950s and early 1960s I still love trains.  Secretly I'd like a Ian Allen locospotter's book (now Platform 5 books) so I could collect numbers still, but would risk being called a sad anorak!
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownWed May 04, 05:00:00 pm GMT+1

    I used to collect train numbers too. However I don't think today's soulless multiple units have the character of the old locomotives - it would be a bit like collecting machine franked envelopes instead of stamps (another geeky hobby of my youth!)

    I agree train travel is pretty good, though as we don't yet qualify for a senior citizens railcard it's also pretty expensive.

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  2. AnonymousWed May 04, 05:47:00 pm GMT+1

    I used to get called a sad anorak for being a trainspotter, now I get called a sad anorak for being a radio amateur!

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  3. AnonymousThu May 05, 07:55:00 am GMT+1

    When I was 7 years old my next door
    worked om breakdown trains base at saltley sheds Birmingham. One day he managed to get me into the Sheds and workshops and go aboard the breakdown crane. One of the guys who did the shunting got me to go aboard the shunting engine.
    He allowed me to drive it up and down the the sidings. Health and Safety would go nuts today.

    Tony

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  4. AnonymousThu May 05, 08:06:00 am GMT+1

    Hi Roger,
    Last 5 years I started collecting model trains again, like I did when i was 12 yrs. Last month i finished the Big Boy locomotive from Revell:

    http://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/revell-big-boy-locomotive/

    Radio & locs, funny combination. 73 de Ron, PA2RF

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