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Milton Keynes Central to Matlock via Tamworth and Derby
Matlock to MKC. Sunday connections are rubbish and rather than dawdle for 30-45 minutes at Derby, Tamworth and Rugby I chose to try my lucky by going via Birmingham New Street. XC were late and I missed the Euston train by seconds. Didn't fancy the all shacks 4 minutes behind so waited an hour for the next fast service and got some dinner, after 5 minutes after the sort that left 56 minutes beforehand.

Good weekend.

My last few trains...

RER from Disneyland Paris to Paris Gare de Lyon
Lots of Métros
RER from Châtelet, I think it was, to CDG
Birmingham International - Birmingham New Street, on VT 221118
Birmingham Moor Street - Stourbridge Junction, on LM 172222
Stourbridge Junction - Stourbridge Town, on LM 139002
Stourbridge Town - Stourbridge Junction, on the very same LM 139002, oddly enough
Stourbridge Junction - Birmingham Moor Street, on LM 172336
Birmingham New Street - Birmingham International, on an Arriva Trains Wales service, 158824. Slower than the Virgin services but the train was there when I needed to leave!
Heathrow Terminal 5 - London Paddington, HX 332011. Booked in advance using a "two travelling" ticket, plus an Amex cashback deal - still a good £20 or so per person return though
Various Tube trains
London Paddington - Heathrow Terminal 5, didn't get the train number.

Well, it's been a busy few days with travel for me!

Friday 11th August:
0950 Manchester Piccadilly to Warrington Bank Quay, hauled by 67022. Went to Bank Quay with the Intention of seeing the Class 88 test run, but unfortunately it didn't run :/
1251 Warrington Bank Quay to Earlestown on 319367. The first 319 I've seen in the new Northern livery, looked rather smart!
1328 Earlestown to Newton-le-Willows on 175009. Was intending on travelling through to Piccadilly on it, but ended up stood next to the chavviest Mancs ever, sick of them by the time we got to Newton.
1357 Newton-le-Willows to Manchester Victoria on 319378.

Saturday 12th August:
0613 Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield on 185130.
0737 Sheffield to London St Pancras via Nottingham, powered by 43082 and 43075. Paid for the First Class Upgrade on this (only £12 too, rather reasonable), and food was served by Chesterfield.
1018 London St Pancras to Blackfriars on 700038.
1038 Blackfriars to East Croydon on 700007.
1119 East Croydon to Brighton on 700046.

Sunday 13th August:
0820 Brighton to Hove on 377431. On arriving at Hove, witnessed a faredodger boarding the service (a pigeon), tweeted Southern, but they have no sense of humour...
0855 Hove to Three Bridges on 377119 and 377436.
0936 Three Bridges to East Croydon via Redhill on 377474 and 377424.
1013 East Croydon to Streatham on 455842.
1036 Streatham to Luton on 700014, had a nice relaxing journey in declassified First Class.
1203 Luton to Leicester on 222006, a rather busy service, perhaps a more frequent Sunday service is required?
1343 Leicester to Nottingham on 222008, again, another busy service.
1512 Nottingham to Chesterfield via Meadow Lane Jn and Toton Centre Jn on 158910, nice run past Toton.
1618 Chesterfield to Manchester Piccadilly on 156497 and 158857. 156s are rather decent units on a long-run, and we got straight out at Edgeley Jn No 1, which is a rarity! Also saw a slightly bizzare move, Pacers on the Up Fast, whilst a Voyager was on the Up Slow between Manchester and Stockport, though avoids a conflicting move at Edgeley Jn No 2. (I may have the numbers the wrong way round there...)

I had planned to go for a train ride to Muswellbrook this morning which is located north-west of Newcastle.

Catch a EMU Cardiff to Hamilton and change trains there for a DMU Hamilton to Muswellbrook.

When I arrived at Cardiff Railway station to get a train into Hamilton there was a sign on notice board stating buses were replacing trains between Maitland and Muswellbrook.

So change of plans and headed south and visited a few suburban stations and took some photos of them for Suburban Stations set I making.

I caught the 8:36 a.m. EMU from Cardiff to Fassifern arrive 8:47. Fassifern is a mixture of old and new station buildings. Took some photos and then caught the 9:02 EMU to Awaba arriving at 9:07.

Spent an hour at Awaba taking photos of the station which has all been modernised since I was last there in the 1970s. It used to have 2 refuges, a goods siding with Jib Crane, goods shed, booking office, parcels, toilets and a spur line going to a power station. All that is left from the original set up is one refuge, a portion of the spur line where they store track vehicles and the Jib Crane.

The old Jib Crane is still there but unable to get any close photos of it today as it started to rain. Hope to go back there and get some photos of the crane and see if I can make a model of it for the AuzStations and AuzObject Sets.

Since it was raining and unable to get more good photos I jumped on board the next train at 11:03 and headed back to Cardiff, but when train stopped at Cockle Creek at 10.17 the rain had stopped so I jumped off here and spent an hour there taking more photos. The last time I visited this station was on a steam train back in early 1970s. It was a special train trip using a Beyer-Garrett on a passenger train. All the original buildings have been removed and it similar to Awaba with all old buildings removed and now unattended with just the awnings. From here caught another EMU at 11.17 back to Cardiff arriving 11.22 then bus back home.

That was my adventure for the day. Hope next week visit Awaba again and get photos of the crane.

Upcoming total solar eclipse event gives me occasion to explore some parts of United States
- mostly with use of rented car, but I also take ride in New Jersey Transit and SEPTA trains.
Northeast corridor is an impressive 4-tracks main line, inner tracks for fast Amtrak trains, outer tracks for commuter trains. Something similar to openttd layouts

BTW, US railways are incredible sparse and minimalistic (not in term of train length), for example some passenger platforms are just wooden steps located where train doors are suppossed to be when train stops. Very ascetic in comparison to all these new platforms constructed with help of EU funds

McZapkie wrote:Upcoming total solar eclipse event gives me occasion to explore some parts of United States
- mostly with use of rented car, but I also take ride in New Jersey Transit and SEPTA trains.
Northeast corridor is an impressive 4-tracks main line, inner tracks for fast Amtrak trains, outer tracks for commuter trains. Something similar to openttd layouts

BTW, US railways are incredible sparse and minimalistic (not in term of train length), for example some passenger platforms are just wooden steps located where train doors are suppossed to be when train stops. Very ascetic in comparison to all these new platforms constructed with help of EU funds

Many small town Amtrak stations have no platform at all really, just pavement - and the conductors of the train will set step stools in front o the open doors when the train stops. Outside of the major commuter rail areas, travel by train is very uncommon - typically only those who are afraid to fly and have a reason not to drive or take a bus travel long distances by train. Older retired people who do not mind the slow pace and have no constraints on their vacation time take longer trips by train - but in these cases the train itself is a primary part of their trip, rather than a means to travel to their vacation.

Good luck on seeing the eclipse! I know hotels and car rentals have been booked up and roads are expected to be crowded!

Slight off-topic :

McZapkie wrote:Northeast corridor is an impressive 4-tracks main line, inner tracks for fast Amtrak trains, outer tracks for commuter trains. Something similar to openttd layouts

Not quite how I do most of my layouts ! Most of them would only be equiped with another set of rails in each direction once there are soo many freights it's not possible to chug down more.

McZapkie wrote:BTW, US railways are incredible sparse and minimalistic (not in term of train length), for example some passenger platforms are just wooden steps located where train doors are suppossed to be when train stops. Very ascetic in comparison to all these new platforms constructed with help of EU funds

Local stations here usually only have low platform (platform being level with railhead) long enough for a few carriages, and there are no designated pathway between the platforms. There are cases where there's no plaforms at all at a few extra lanes in such stations. Even the main station for the city where the train company is headquartered only have one high plaform (platform level with train floor) and the other 5 (?) are mid-plaform (platform level midway between railhead and train floor) ! The station layout is still old though, with only narrow spaces between the rail lines, so I presume they accept that installing a high platform isn't worth the narrowness of the platforms - they compensate by having lots of benches somewhere else instead.

On-Topic :
I've been shuttling between Bandung and Bekasi for a few times lately. The line after Purwakarta (from Jakarta) are suffering from land movements, being situated on hilly unstable landscape. I've known one instance in a cutting ever since I first went on this route about a year ago where it's currently being dealt with; but now they have another one sprouting up near a bridge embankment. It makes the journey slower, but I couldn't imagine of the whole line were to be disrupted.

The other news is that there's a completely new bussines-ish train class offered here. It only differs by reclined seat from the usual economy class (with most economy class fitted with aircon nowadays), but it makes quite a difference.

Yesterday got the west dales bus from just outside sedbergh to dent station - what a great community project! Then the train from dent to Leeds. Packed with tourists on holiday (very annoying children) and then got held at Keighley for an hour due to trespassers. I wasn't in a hurry so didn't mind

supermop wrote:Outside of the major commuter rail areas, travel by train is very uncommon - typically only those who are afraid to fly and have a reason not to drive or take a bus travel long distances by train.

Exactly, north-east corridor is excellent, probably west coast is also well served, but transcontinental services are very rare and sometimes have horrific delays (for example 10 hrs, look at black marked trains on Amtrak interactive map). These trains are also very expensive (140$ for Acela before arrival, 50$ for regional if purchased 2 weeks earlier, 20$ for bus), prices are comparable to flights. The only real reason for using trains in US is much larger luggage limit than for an aircraft.

BTW, I had unpleasant incident in Philadelphia: I was sitting in first car of Phily metro line - these cars have 2 front windows accessible for public, and small cab for driver. I was texting when train started to run on surface route from 69 Street Transportation Center,
when suddenly train was stopped in a middle of stations and woman opened cab door yelling at me, that filming infrastructure is prohibited! (driver can observe passengers via semi-transparent mirror or surveillance cameras).
I showed her my phone with sms chat, and she nodded that it is OK.
But it is not OK - WTF??? Are there really such ridiculous regulations (worse than in Soviet Union), or it was just her racist attempt to bully me?

McZapkie wrote:... when suddenly train was stopped in a middle of stations and woman opened cab door yelling at me, that filming infrastructure is prohibited! (driver can observe passengers via semi-transparent mirror or surveillance cameras).
I showed her my phone with sms chat, and she nodded that it is OK.

Huh. That driver should re-learn the route I guess. She might have tripped the emergency brake or something ?

Not my actual last train, but I was on a Cl.360/2 recently...! - in Bangkok!

McZapkie wrote:
BTW, I had unpleasant incident in Philadelphia: I was sitting in first car of Phily metro line - these cars have 2 front windows accessible for public, and small cab for driver. I was texting when train started to run on surface route from 69 Street Transportation Center,
when suddenly train was stopped in a middle of stations and woman opened cab door yelling at me, that filming infrastructure is prohibited! (driver can observe passengers via semi-transparent mirror or surveillance cameras).
I showed her my phone with sms chat, and she nodded that it is OK.
But it is not OK - WTF??? Are there really such ridiculous regulations (worse than in Soviet Union), or it was just her racist attempt to bully me?

P
Prohibitions on filming operators generally are fairly common here, although often enforcement will not hold up in court. The NYPD and MTA used to forbid filming and photography in the subway for a few years after 9/11, ostensibly on the idea that you might be documenting the infrastructure to plan some attack, however, this was challenged and defeated in a court case, and subsequently the respective agencies were ordered to allow photography and recording so long as it does not interfere with safe operation. A friend was once accosted for taking a picture of a drawbridge lifting in front of her bus by the driver - generally these rules are in place and enforced at the behest of the operators themselves who often may find strangers filming them to be a nuisance, rather than any determination that some sensitive information is at stake. Full-width cab units on the NYC subway have a window in the drivers door so that evacuating passengers may determine that the path of egress is safe, but in some older examples drivers have papered over the glass with newspaper to prevent passengers from watching them. Modern units has a privacy film that only allows a (distorted) view straight on, and not at an angle where driver might be visible.

supermop wrote:Modern units has a privacy film that only allows a (distorted) view straight on, and not at an angle where driver might be visible.

Ah! I was wondering why it was so distorted on the C train front window!

supermop wrote:

McZapkie wrote: generally these rules are in place and enforced at the behest of the operators themselves who often may find strangers filming them to be a nuisance, rather than any determination that some sensitive information is at stake. Full-width cab units on the NYC subway have a window in the drivers door so that evacuating passengers may determine that the path of egress is safe, but in some older examples drivers have papered over the glass with newspaper to prevent passengers from watching them. Modern units has a privacy film that only allows a (distorted) view straight on, and not at an angle where driver might be visible.

It was in such case, I didn't stand behind driver, which can be of course frustrating.
Driver cab in Philadelphia metro occupy only 1/3 of the vehicle front and is enclosed with venice-mirrored door. The rest of 2/3 vehicle front can be used by passengers (there is seat for 2 persons right to the front window), so I absolutely didn't interfere with any driving procedures, I was just sitting as others do.
I even doesn't had plans to make photos, because it was low light level, on dusk, but I was so angry after this photo prohibiting paranoia, that I went into little rebellious mode and secretly took some pictures, here is one:

I was used to make illegal photos in communistic countries, and wasn't sent to Gulag, so I don't affraid of silly woman and her Gulantanamo

This morning from Salisbury to Gatwick via Clapham Junction on 2 x class 159 Exeter to London Waterloo and 2 x class 377 on London Victoria to Southampton and Bognor Regis. Now stuck at Gatwick because my flight is delayed by over an hour...

Had a meeting in Milton Keynes yesterday.

18th Sept:
1115 Manchester Piccadilly to Milton Keynes Central on 390126, delayed by around 6 minutes near Hanslope Jn, due to an issue south of Milton Keynes.

19th Sept:
1050 Milton Keynes Central to Manchester Piccadilly on 390020, came in "backwards", that is to say with 1st Class at the Manchester end, so confused a few people at MK. Fortunately made it through Longport before everything kicked off there though, so that was alright.

Thanks for coming to say hi...

Ameecher wrote:Thanks for coming to say hi...

Big place is The Quadrant, doubt I would have found you; and that's if you were still working at half 5 when my meeting eventually finished

Pilot wrote:

Ameecher wrote:Thanks for coming to say hi...

Big place is The Quadrant, doubt I would have found you; and that's if you were still working at half 5 when my meeting eventually finished

Nobody in that building is still there at 5.30.

I'm on one of the 3rd floors, you've just got to guess which one.

Well, I've done a bit of travelling over the last few days!

Friday 29th September
0908 Sydenham to Bangor on 4006, which I believe is a CAF DMU
1227 Bangor to Belfast Great Victoria Street on 3011, again, another CAF DMU thing (though, I think they sounded rather similar to a 175, and reminded me of a 170).
1340 Belfast Great Victoria Street to Lisburn on 4002
1508 Lisburn to Botanic on 4002 yet again.

Saturday 30th September
0936 Botanic to Belfast Central on 3020
0955 Belfast Central to Carrickfergus on 4014. Got to see the Northern Irish MPV on this run, which was rather interesting IMO.
1150 Carrickfergus to Larne Harbour on 3008.
1225 Larne Harbour to Carrickfergus on 3008 again, straight back down the line.
1454 Carrickfergus to Botanic on 3016.

Sunday 1st October
0949 Botanic to Belfast Central on 4014.
1105 Belfast Central to Dublin Connolly pushed by 227 on the Enterprise service. Enterprise Plus was very enjoyable, even though the food and drink isn't complimentary

Monday 2nd October
0940 Dublin Connolly to Bray on 22441, a Hyundai Rotem built Express DMU. Held outside Bray for a good 5 minutes waiting for a platform to clear.
1142 Bray to Dublin Connolly on the DART, made up of 8631 and 8633.
2047 Manchester Airport to Manchester Piccadilly on 185129, which appeared to be stopping literally everywhere on it's way to Cleethorpes!