Misc steam railway, traction, station and rail-related news

[Epona]

Does anyone know whether it is possible to start a return trip at Princes Risborough and travel to Chinnor and then back again?
Rather than starting at Chinnor (which seems ridiculously difficult to get to, compared to Princes Risborough which is something like 2 stops out from Marylebone)
Everything I can see on their web page suggests starting at Chinnor which is a pisser for those of us without cars (somewhat ironically).

 

[teuchter]

Yes I believe you can.

Their website does mention that you can change from national rail at PR.

This is something I often complain about though... the number of preserved railways whose websites only seem concerned with those arriving by car. Even where they have a direct connection to national rail, in the "how to get here" bit of their website, that option is very often listed somewhere at the bottom of the page. And sometimes you'll find timetables that are totally uncoordinated with the mainline trains. So their last train of the day arrives just in time to miss a connection leaving you to wait for an hour for the next one, or similar.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Does anyone know whether it is possible to start a return trip at Princes Risborough and travel to Chinnor and then back again?

This page gives details for 'arriving at' both ends of the line so would have thought you could.

Must admit that while it's (relatively) local to me I've never been there.

This is something I often complain about though... the number of preserved railways whose websites only seem concerned with those arriving by car. Even where they have a direct connection to national rail, in the "how to get here" bit of their website, that option is very often listed somewhere at the bottom of the page. And sometimes you'll find timetables that are totally uncoordinated with the mainline trains. So their last train of the day arrives just in time to miss a connection leaving you to wait for an hour for the next one, or similar.

There was a thread on rail forums about this that got quite inflamed a little while ago - I just decided to ignore the thread completely.

But it can be difficult for a preserved railway to make its plans and get leaflets etc to press in early spring when 'the big railway' changes its timetables in May / early June each year and may not make the information available very far in advance. and trying to connect with buses, where bus operators can change their times whenever they like at a few weeks' notice is worse...

(edited to add link)

also, if their locomotive depot is at one end, they are naturally going to start / end the day's service at that end, so there will be fewer return trips available from the other end.

 

[stethoscope]

Always been a fan of Peter Marshall's photos, and these were posted on Flashbak last week - London By Tube, DLR and Overground in The Early 1990s - Flashbak

 

[stethoscope]

Also found myself watching this the other evening...



I didn't catch BBC Railwatch first time around (and it borrows from the Crimewatch format even down to the theme tune!). I miss telly like this!

 

[[62]]

Always been a fan of Peter Marshall's photos, and these were posted on Flashbak last week - London By Tube, DLR and Overground in The Early 1990s - Flashbak

That takes me back. I was in London that period as a student at Goldsmiths. Loads of free time so we used to just explore on a Travelcard. We took to walking the foot tunnel from Greenwich to pick up the DLR from Island Gardens just to gawp at Canary Wharf, which was weirdly deserted then, like some spooky post-disaster sci-fi movie. Also used to do North Woolwich with the dilapidated EPB units, passing the old Platoon film set and its buildings with Vietnamese writing on them.

 

[StoneRoad]

Was at Statfold Barn Railway on Sunday [18th August '24] ... in process of adding images to the album, after the set of SBR items away from home ...

SBR - Statfold Barn Railway

By StoneRoad2013. Established by Graham Lee as his personal mission to "Preserve the best of the past for the future" and to maintain the necessary skills ... . The initial images of of SBR engines ta…

www.ipernity.com

Interesting displays and a short fun ride, but found the constant muzak from the kiddies areas, esp the soft play, rather over-powering. Have planned another visit for a weekday during the school term - or maybe "risk" going to an enthusiast event. Weather was fine and sunny, which helped. Food was quite good, if a limited menu.

 

[hash tag]

I suspect it's been a while since this old girl saw tooting Broadway

 

[StoneRoad]

Finally, at long last, managed to fit in a visit to Statfold Barn Railway & Museum ...

I did take some images, the best ones are here

{DONE} SBR - Statfold Barn Railway

By StoneRoad2013. Established by Graham Lee as his personal mission to "Preserve the best of the past for the future" and to maintain the necessary skills ... . The initial images of of SBR engines ta…

www.ipernity.com

I need to go back when there's more of an enthusiast bias, and spend more time ...

The only drawback for me was the sheer number of screaming / noisy kids - the children's playing obv gains more income than the enthusiast market, but I did hear some kids asking about "the trains" ...

 

[Puddy_Tat]

I suspect it's been a while since this old girl saw tooting Broadway

it was 2000 when the last 1959 stock ran on the northern line

that one appears to have been done up in 1920s style livery in 1990 to mark the northern line's 100th birthday.

i don't remember seeing it, although i was away from london for most of the 1990s.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

not sure there's a thread that fits, but the london based council worker who had an adventure in 2021 seeing how far you could get from london by bus in a day (the answer was morecambe) has started a new travel adventure (with the same crocheted turtle as travelling companion) following sherlock holmes and doctor watsons' journey to the reichenbach falls

 

[neonwilderness]

There's a few other similar videos on his YouTube channel which are all worth a watch

 

[teuchter]

More from Nigeria.

Have you ever wondered what an HST would look like if it was converted to something like a tube train but with individual high back seats? Here is the answer.

 

[editor]

Francis's eventful day, complete with jobsworth station manager.

 

[locomotive]

Ex-Network Rail chair threatened firm over engineer’s Euston criticism

Letter shows Peter Hendy, now the rail minister, threatened to withhold public contracts until firm disciplined worker

www.theguardian.com

 

[blossie33]

Francis's eventful day, complete with jobsworth station manager.

Wow....busy day!
That's so sweet to see someone who is so enthusiastic, what a nice guy
I see the Tesco train going across at South Tottenham sometimes.