Advent Quiz 2015

[whole diary]

[PhilWakely]

Too wet for Ruritania, otherwise it could have been the Macedonia and Hertzegovina Railway. 

Despite the slightly damp conditions, had you not spotted the hugely popular Ruritanian signalman, Miroslav Hristofor Ristovski, in his personalised hiviz 

[Richard Fairhurst]

Oh, I thought it was Mark Hopwood, Railwayman, getting some on-the-ground experience during a recent strike.

[grahame]

Great fun going through the abbreviation sites - "Mobile Home Resident" and "Mule Headed Republican" came up for me ... but that doesn't look like Donald Trumf to me, nor Sarah Palin. But, sure, we should have blanked out "MHR" - the picture, of course, is the Midland Highland Railway which opens in the summer of 2029 from Cromford Wharf to Higher Buxton ... following the model of the Welsh Highland Railway and encouraged by the Derbyshire Government which was formed in summer 2020 when Derbyshire broke away from the rest of England, not prepared to stay under p.m. Corbyn. This picture supplied to Phil by Marty McFly.

[Bmblbzzz]

That explains the bi-mode* in the photo: it's the Modernised Hybrid Railway.

*Steam power and will power.

[grahame]

15th December 2015

[AMLAG]

Aberystwyth, early 1970's .

[grahame]

16th December 2015

[grahame]

Aberystwyth, early 1970's .

I can remember catching the 18:58 Aberystwyth to York train in the 1970s ... looked very much like this .. and connecting onto the Edinburgh to Colchester at York.    The train from Aberystwyth ran via Reddish South and Denton (not stopping) so I can claim to have used a train there, though asleep at the time I'm sure.

[Oxonhutch]

16 reminds me of Alice Springs (NT, Australia) and the Ghan which I enjoyed some years ago. Highly recommended.

[eightf48544]

Re Redddishand Denton now the one train one way per week, in the early sixties just after electrification to Manachester it could be quicker to get to Sheffield (Victoria) via Stockport and Guide Bridge and Woodhead. Using that line which at that time had a regular service. I used it several times.

I also used the Manchester Central to Marylebone night train which used the link round to Reddish Depot and Guide Bridge. It was as good as the sleeper you usually got a compartmetn to yourself and got some sleep.

[grahame]

16 reminds me of Alice Springs (NT, Australia) and the Ghan which I enjoyed some years ago. Highly recommended.

Whilst I do have a "cheat sheet" from Phil, I haven't looked this up to confirm or deny the location.  But I was thinking that perhaps we should do a "Christmas list" thread / poll of lines we would like to ride on given a free-range holiday anywhere around the world.

I also used the Manchester Central to Marylebone night train which used the link round to Reddish Depot and Guide Bridge. It was as good as the sleeper you usually got a compartmetn to yourself and got some sleep.

And I think that quietness may be the reason that train - and others from Manchester to Marylebone - cease running.   

Whilst I quite like "a compartment to myself" (or the modern equivalent) sometimes, these days I see it very much more as an underutislised resource and potentially a financial drain on 'the system'.    Most of the trains we surveyed for TransWilts last weekend and Monday were pleasantly busy (and I would describe 6 journeys as "unpleasantly busy"), with only two or three in the "compartment to myself" category.   The train managers for the most part were / are delighted with the cheerful busyness ("isn't this good") with one solitary train manager taking the opposite view.  In response to my "goodness this train is quiet" I got the answer "yes, and that's how I like it" ...

[grahame]

17th December 2015

[JayMac]

That'd be Seaton Junction station.

[ChrisB]

Great Malvern on the downside?

[bradshaw]

I would concur with Seaton Junction