Not what I call Customer Service

[whole diary]

[thetrout]

Not running the system into the ground during 2 major wars has also helped.

Exactly, My Grandfather believes firmly (expecting a possible argument here but will go on anyway ) that Bristish Rail was not bombed enough during the 1st & 2nd World Wars. Other countries got their network's obliterated completely, hence they have new infrastructure. But also what this country lacks is lack of investment into the Rail Network. Granted we get a bit of funding, but not as much as the Swiss, Germans or Spanish.

wasn't it willc was saying in a thread somewhere that track was being replaced that was installed in 1946 or 1948??

[Super Guard]

Not running the system into the ground during 2 major wars has also helped.

Exactly, My Grandfather believes firmly (expecting a possible argument here but will go on anyway ) that Bristish Rail was not bombed enough during the 1st & 2nd World Wars. Other countries got their network's obliterated completely, hence they have new infrastructure. But also what this country lacks is lack of investment into the Rail Network. Granted we get a bit of funding, but not as much as the Swiss, Germans or Spanish.

wasn't it willc was saying in a thread somewhere that track was being replaced that was installed in 1946 or 1948??

I usually point out to customers that there was the option of having a better infrastructure back in 1945, but that we would all be speaking German.  (Nothing against Germans of course.)

[Tim]

The ideal service would be six shorter trains, with four stoppers and one fast each hour to South Wales and Bristol,  providing the headline journey times that ought to exist. Unfortunately the much fanfared new trains will be longer if anything, so it would appear as though we could be stuck with the current pattern for many years to come. 



 

Didn't Virgin try something like this? the infamous "Operation princess" whic was a total f*ck up in the end!

trains should be long.  The whole point of the railway is that one person can drive a train carrying hundreds of passengers.  Short trains dilute the one major benefit that trains have over other modes.

[Btline]

...Bristish Rail was not bombed enough during the 1st & 2nd World Wars. Other countries got their network's obliterated completely, hence they have new infrastructure. But also what this country lacks is lack of investment into the Rail Network. Granted we get a bit of funding, but not as much as the Swiss, Germans or Spanish.

Quite right. After the war, the Europeans re-built their railways and electrified them.

We built motorways.

[G.Uard]

The 'Europeans' were busy electrifying long before 1939.  Italy, (since 1902) and Switzerland and Austria, (with no native coal or oil), in particular. The French had begun to wire up parts of the main route to the Cote D'Azur by 1935.  The wholesale destruction brought about by WW2 speeded up the process.  (Our sunbed obsessed friends were turning out some pretty classy steam locos, but also experimenting with very fast diesel trains.)

Here in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), faith was pinned on steam, an arguably obsolescent form of traction even in 1935.  This was continued after the war and led to millions of ^s in waste when locomotives barely 20 years old were scrapped from the mid 60s onwards.

The Germans had Autobahns before WW2, though these were I believe, inspired by the Southend Arterial Road.

[thetrout]

The Germans had Autobahns before WW2, though these were I believe, inspired by the Southend Arterial Road.

Ah the good old German Autobahn, Drive as fast as you want, But if you get from Toll Booth A to Toll Booth B in under a certain time we will book you for it

[vacman]

The 'Europeans' were busy electrifying long before 1939.  Italy, (since 1902) and Switzerland and Austria, (with no native coal or oil), in particular. The French had begun to wire up parts of the main route to the Cote D'Azur by 1935.  The wholesale destruction brought about by WW2 speeded up the process.  (Our sunbed obsessed friends were turning out some pretty classy steam locos, but also experimenting with very fast diesel trains.)

Here in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom), faith was pinned on steam, an arguably obsolescent form of traction even in 1935.  This was continued after the war and led to millions of ^s in waste when locomotives barely 20 years old were scrapped from the mid 60s onwards.

The Germans had Autobahns before WW2, though these were I believe, inspired by the Southend Arterial Road.

some steam loco's were less than 5 years old when withdrawn! (9f's spring to mind!!)

[eightf48544]

There is some defence for BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) building new steam locos after WW2. Many of the older pre grouping locos were totally clapped out having done an extra 5 years of war service.

Oil was relatively expensive compared with coal and steam locos were cheaper to build than diesel and the infrastructure was there to keep them running.

Whether they should have gone on building them as long as they did, or having built them scapped them as fast as they did are matters opinion.

DB^» (Deutsche Bahn - German State Railway - about) did build some new steam after the war particularly the the 23 2-6-2 a sort of black five to replace some of the older state 4-6-0s. but they also electrified many lines going straight from steam without the diesel phase we went through. The displaced locos were used on non electrified lines until they were either electrified or dieselised those lines that weren't to be electrified.

Thus steam on the mainline lingered on into the early 70s of course in the East DR without access to cheap oil used steam until well after unification.