#17

One of my favourite railway journeys is from Pickering to Whitby, across the North Yorks. Moors.

It’s a heritage railway, which stops at Goathland (TV’s Aidensfield from Heartbeat and, more recently, Hogwarts).

Last time I went, I openly scorned that the locomotive was a dirty diesel as I’d hoped for steam. The volunteer guard overheard me and told me off – “It’s one of only three surviving examples”. Still would’ve preferred a steam train tbh

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#18

Outside of housing stock etc, a lot of it depends on the frequency of the service. There’s a point at which it becomes a turn-up-and-go frequency and that seems to be the threshold for whether people take the active decision to live in a particular area of a city.

#19

I have nothing to add here but I find it interesting as a.f.

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#20

Big fan of the Berlin U-Bahn and S-Bahn services.

#21

I’ve lived in Stretford for about 10 years now and we’re close to Trafford Park train station. I rarely use the station because even though it’s closer to my house, the tram runs much more frequently. It’s also a pretty grotty station and so are its immediate surroundings, but I do like Stretford itself. As you say, housing is much more affordable than the surrounding areas, we’ve got lots of really nice neighbours, I don’t see much antisocial behaviour, its close to the motorway, close to Salford Quays, is on the tramline and I think it is an area on the up (albeit slowly). The community takeover of the townhall, the sip club, events in Victoria park are all things that have happened since we’ve moved here and as first time buyers get more priced out of Chorlton and Whalley Range, I think they’ll migrate more to Stretford.

I think part of the reason for the slow pace of change is that people who live here tend to stay here for a long time. The lady in the elderly couple on the other half of our semi when we bought the house had lived there since 1949, our next door neighbour on the other side has been here since the 1960s and we bought ours from someone who was selling his childhood home after parents passing away. As such, the housing stock that comes on the market is often good, but in need of a lot of modernisation.

#22

Dunno
Empty Coaching Stock
Overhead Line Equipment

#23

This one is near me. Scheduled for closure soon.

My house is right next to a railway. The village I live in has about 15 houses…it used to have a station until the Beeching cuts in the sixties.

#26

Locomotive Hauled Coaching Stock

(as opposed to a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) or Electric Multiple Unit (EMU))

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#27

One of my things to do when I’m bored is watch cab view videos on YouTube. Quite interesting/relaxing really.

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#28

Do enjoy doing this for the really high speed stuff in China and Japan. Just seems really exotic

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#29

one of those parliamentary trains runs from stalybridge to stockport, which, when i was working in stockport and living in staly vegas and it took me an hour to commute there via piccadilly, pissed me off no end

#31

Might get the train back from Dublin next week. Though there are no trains in Ireland.

#32

my ex’s cousin’s dad was a freight train driver and made an absolute mint

#34

:smiley: im pretty sure ive got a picture of me at the same age wearing one of those

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#35

You can do it for a day on the Epping to Ongar railway:

http://www.eorailway.co.uk/visit/experience-days/

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#36

Oh, that rhymed.

#37

Remember seeing this lot on TV years back, Britain’s only trainspotter punk band-
http://www.eastfieldrailpunk.co.uk/ixmain.html
Think they were into the more extreme end of trainspotting such as trespassing in railway depots

#38

I love this so much. If I have any time with nothing else to do and no one around, this is generally what I’m watching.

#39

:smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

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#40

Oh I’m glad this nice thread has been brought to my attention by a knob story in the filth thread, it’s been a lovely read.

Trains are kind of my jam. I’m a big fan of the Manchester Metrolink which I miss getting on everyday but do enjoy WFH so I see it go right by my window. We’re looking at moving close to Heaton Park soon, so tramway museum here I come!

If I go to London I’ll take the tube even if a bus is cheaper or quicker because I find it very exciting.

Sometimes we go for a walk near the East Lancashire Railway and get to see steam trains go past which is nice. I haven’t actually been on it since I was about 5 years old though, maybe I’ll rectify that when Covid buggers off, I’d hate for them to go under.

About once a year we pay a visit to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in the Lake District, which is very lovely because you get to go on a nice walk in the countryside up some fells, then a cute tiny steam train takes you back to your car, in an open top carriage, through the lovely vista of the Lakes. And they always have a nice homemade vegan cake in the cafe. As luck would have it, this year’s trip is going to be this Sunday, which I am naturally extremely excited for as it’ll be the first time we’ve really done anything since March.