Advent Quiz - December 2022

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Today's picture: Athlone?

Yes, it .... trains are not frequent, but when they run they really do connect.   

At 09:05 on  25th October, a Galway to Dublin train crosses the morning Dublin to Galway service. To the left is the connection to Westport, which offers a further connection at Manulla Junction from and to Ballina.

The station at Athlone has a marvellous display of "then and now" photographs, showing just how much has changed over the years in Ireland.  I recognise two of them - the others *are* labelled there, and of course members here are welcome to supply labels.

[grahame]

17th December 2022 ...

[PrestburyRoad]

Chester [General] I believe.

A fine Roman city, subsequently modernised but still a fine city.  The amphitheatre has been carefully excavated and it's well presented - standing inside the arena I got a good feel for what it would have been like in Roman times.

I like the station frontage, but I admit I found the platform side confusing - it doesn't have the simple layout of say Reading.

[JayMac]

17th December 2022 ...

Brighton

[grahame]

17th December 2022 ...

Brighton

Yes, it is Brighton (sorry - not Chester) - taken last summer after the demise of GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services there - start of a memorable struggle back west at the time of day that there used to be a through train via West Wilts.   Every cloud has a silver lining and I got a whole load of extra pictures of along the way, including Barnham because the train that was supposed to be going as far as Southampton got diverted to Bognor Regis ...

[JayMac]

Lovely independent cafe on Barnham station. Last time I was down that way I had time between connections for a coffee (proper mug) and sausage bap. Finn got a sausage too, gratis.

[grahame]

An ode to the managers at the major bus companies ...

"Where have all the buses gone?
Long time passing.
Where have all the buses gone?
Long time ago.
Where have all the buses gone?
The staff have left almost every one.
Oh, When will they ever learn?
Oh, When will they ever learn?"

Advent quiz picture for today, 18th December 2022



This is what I originally had planned for today ... call it "extra" now

[PrestburyRoad]

Well, if it's not Chester it could be Brighton and Volk's Electric Railway.

I remember my parents taking me on a day trip to Brighton on a Bank Holiday Monday in the 1960s.  A 54 bus to East Croydon then an crowded extra train of 4-SUBs that had been rustled up to supplement the posh new 4-CIGs that one usually got.  No toilets and less comfortable, but they got us there.

We walked on the shingle beach, but didn't travel on Volk's railway.

[stuving]

Well, they're not buses they are coaches, they are not British, and they are not out of service they are parked on the Cruisepier Zeebrugge on Friday with drivers in attendance. I guess they are waiting to take Iona's passengers on day trips - and from any other ships in that day too (I can see one in the background berthed on the other side of the pier).

[grahame]

Well, they're not buses they are coaches, they are not British, and they are not out of service they are parked on the Cruisepier Zeebrugge on Friday with drivers in attendance. I guess they are waiting to take Iona's passengers on day trips - and from any other ships in that day too (I can see one in the background berthed on the other side of the pier).

You are correct - I count 32 in that picture, but I have cropped it and there were perhaps twice that number present. I am struck by the ability of Carnival / P&O Cruises to call up so many coaches or buses when there are such shortages - primarily we are told drivers - here in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).  These were all for just the one (big) ship with around 5,600 people on board. 

Back into Southampton yesterday morning, there is no similar massing of coaches on the dockside as (being end of cruise) everyone is headed off in their own direction.  We used a taxi (short hop) to the station before the main crowds left the ship and I only saw one other couple off the ship at any point later in the journey - changing trains like we did at Reading to head out west.  There ARE cruise operated coaches headed for opposite corners of Great Britain, but the majority of people tend to have their cars parked at Southampton for the week. Chatting with people from places like Middlesbrough who weren't expecting to be home until the evening.

[ellendune]

Is the extra Hayling Island? 

[grahame]

... it could be Brighton and Volk's Electric Railway. ...

Is the extra Hayling Island? 

It's the Volk Electric Railway in Brighton - probably the oldest electric railway in the world?   Lee and I took a ride (part of the way because it was only partly open) when we were in Brighton looking at electric buses there in May.  A very interesting 3rd rail system, with an offset electric rail between the other two.  This particular section had been out of use for a while, while promenade work was being carried out, but it was just coming back into use and a few minutes after I took this picture, we watched them plugging in the electtic to the third rail at the central depot and the first car leave for the east end of the line.

[grahame]

What, where, when - 19th December 2022

[Bob_Blakey]

This looks like one of those 'Inclined Lifts' (?AKA^▸ (also known as) An escalator with doors) which I recall reading were going to be installed at a number of Elizabeth Line stations in Central London. I will therefore guess Farringdon.

[grahame]

This looks like one of those 'Inclined Lifts' (?AKA^▸ (also known as) An escalator with doors) which I recall reading were going to be installed at a number of Elizabeth Line stations in Central London. I will therefore guess Farringdon.

Close but not quite hitting the bull with your guess.