It has been a while. Having recently moved, it was a slightly longer walk to my local station to join 700103 on 9R06 as far as St Pancras International. This was running a few minutes late due to 1R83 (all shacks from Redhill to Purley) running a few minutes down, as there just isn't enough time to attach the Peak time portion from Gatwick. I remember a few years back, when I used to commute into London, that one day this service turned up as a 4 car vice 12. That was fun! I got to Hull Trains 803301 just after door release, but someone had already taken my favourite seat in Coach A, a single seat. Not to worry, as I choose this service (1H01, 07:27 King's Cross - Hull) as it's usually always lightly loaded. We departed King's Cross Right Time, but were held outside Finsbury Park for a late running Horsham - Peterborough Class 700. We reached my destination, Retford, RT thanks to some pathing allowance for catching up with 1N80, the LNER "Stopper" to York. From Retford, it was a journey on 158791 on 1L44, 08:26 Lincoln - Leeds, as far as Worksop. I walked just under 15 minutes to 'The Liquorice Gardens'. "Worksop's jewel in the crown is its priory church, where liquorice was grown in the gardens for medicinal purposes. Worksop was well known for its liquorice industry; this died out around 1750". I elected to miss this on my last trip up here to get more time in Nottingham, as train times weren't ideal. My chosen drink of pineapple juice (a tiny bit too early to start drinking) was served very quickly as the pub was lightly loaded. A seemingly older style 'Spoons but with a fresher feel. Not a sticky table in sight!
I then meandered back to the railway station for 195024 on 1L48, 09:15 Lincoln Central - Leeds, as far as Sheffield. I find the new CIS announcements interesting. "...service t'Leeds". Now officially Northern! We arrived into Sheffield 2L, as we sat at Woodburn Junction for a few minutes (we had a pathing allowance of 5 minutes, a 1 minute performance allowance and a 1 minute engineering allowance!), then sat awaiting a platform for another few minutes. I duly exited the open station. Sheffield must be one of the largest stations in the country without ticket barriers. Armed with a great value PlusBus, a number 44 bus took me to 'The Woodseats Palace' in Woodseats (funny enough) in the South of the City of Sheffield. On the way, we passed 'Heeley People's Park', but there was no-one eating mushrooms in this people's park. "This pub is a former cinema. Woodseats Palace was the name of the cinema built on this site in 1911. Reconstructed as a supermarket, 50 years later, it is now a Wetherspoon pub bearing the building’s original name.". Another older style pub with a local feel to it. Table service time wasn't too bad, despite there being a few morning drinkers at the bar. I didn't have a reason to stay too long (a standard affair Spoons), so I caught a No.25 bus (which I had to carefully look out for due to an idiot parked in the bus stop) to finally visit Rails of Sheffield (Wallet in trouble), which I forgot, until I passed it, is in this area of town. I then caught a No.25 bus to 'The Sheaf Island'. A very student orientated pub (seeing as Sheffield is a University city) in a very large building. "A pub on the site of an old brewery? What could be better!...Wards was the last of Sheffield's major local breweries, closing down in the summer of 1999. For almost 160 years, Wards produced a range of beers well known to Sheffield's pub-goers, with names such as Sheffield Best Bitter, Kirby Strong and Waggledance. Kirby Strong immortilised John Kirby, who started it all back in 1840 when he established the Sheaf Island Brewery, on Effingham Road". It was here that I had my first alcoholic drink, a half pint of Thornbridge Jaipur, which I've had a keg of in my PerfectDraft machine. It wasn't too busy, so this was served quickly. I then walked a mile to 'The Francis Newton'. "This pub is named after The Master Cutler, head of Cutlers. Broombank House was built for the wealthy cutlery manufacturer Francis Newton, as his family home. The Georgian-style house was within easy walking or riding distance of his Portobello Works. In 1844, Newton was elected Master Cutler, the head of the prestigious Company of Cutlers. Sheffield is the cutlery capital of the world." Here, I rewarded myself with a glass of orange cordial (an entire 38p, I was thirsty from the walk, need to save money and it still counts as a drink!). This is a large pub in an old manor house, with bay windows looking out onto a large tree lined beer garden. Lovely on a Summer's day, not so lovely on a wet and windy day like today! It was then time for my first tram ride of the day (Included with my PlusBus, I completed the tram network here many years ago), up to Hillsborough. Apart from the new 'Class 399' tram-trains for the Rotherham-Parkgate extension, Siemens-Duewag trams dating back to the network's opening in 1994 still operate the services. Vossloh (Stadler Rail Valencia) 399207 was my tram-train traction. I quite literally stepped off this into 'The Rawson Spring'. Conveniently located right next to the tram stop, a welcome relief! "This pub can be classed as watering hole, in more ways than one...The former Hillsborough Baths takes its name from the area which developed from the 1860s and 70s. The Ordnance Survey map of 1855 shows that Langsett Road (then called New Road) crossed a sparsely populated area outside the city limits. The military barracks had recently been completed on the north side of New Road. On the south side – where this pub is – there were only the low-lying fields of Rawson Spring Farm and Rawson Spring itself which supplied the barracks with fresh water". I opted for J20 (served quickly) and a Southern Fried Chicken Wrap (a slightly reduced 'Deli Deals' 'student price') to keep me going. It was then onwards aboard classic (from system opening) Siemens-Dueweg no.104 all the way through Sheffield City, down to the terminus at Halfway Park & Ride, before heading a couple of stops back down to Beighton/Drake House Lane. The purpose of my visit to 'out of town' Crystal Peaks shopping centre here was to visit 'The Scarsdale Hundred', a lovely newish pub opened back in 2021. I really like new openers, this one a former American diner in a round building. "Situated on the west side of Beighton, this centuries-old village is now one of the city of Sheffield's 28 electoral wards. For hundreds of years, Beighton had historically been in Derbyshire, in the Administrative area known as the Hundred of Scarsdale. In the Domesday Book, from 1086, it was one of the 71 places recorded in the Scarsdale Hundred.". Here, I had a half of real ale 'Lancaster Black' from Lancaster Brewery. I then walked back to the tram stop, to catch another tram (No.120) to Castle Square in the City Centre to visit 'The Bankers Draft'. "This pub is named after its previous use as a bank. The building was designed and built in 1904 for the York & County. It became the Midland Bank in 1918, which it remained until it relocated in 1989.". Another older style Spoons pub (complete with creaky stairs up to the 'mezzanine', three levels if you include the basement bogs), a typical large City Centre Spoons. My half pint of guest ale, Cameron Brewery's Cameron Road Crew, was served quickly. Afterwards, I caught another tram a couple of stops to City Hall, to tick off 'Sheffield Water Works Company'. This Palazzo-style building was designed by the architects Flockton and Abbott as offices for the Sheffield Water Works Company. The sculpted heads of Greek and Roman water gods are above the ground-floor windows. The now grade II listed building opened in 1867 and was later the home of the hugely successful Graves Mail Order Empire. It was founded by John George Graves, whose many gifts to the city included Graves Park and Graves Art Gallery.". Interesting fact: one of the only Wetherspoon without 'The' in the name! Another historic building saved by the Wetherspoon company (one of their many strengths), an ex Lloyds No.1 bar (the clubbing arm of Wetherspoon, which means music is allowed to be played, usually Tim Martin doesn't want that). In here I tried the new Iced Salted Caramel Mocha. F to the old Lavazza Iced Coffee cans, the Jimmy's ones just aren't the same. However, this new version is served from the self service coffee machine! Unfortunately, it took a while for my glass for the iced coffee (with syrup) to be delivered to my table. It was worth the wait though, it really beat the old Lavazza cans which I used to love! It was then only a short walk round the corner, past City Hall (now a gig venue) to 'The Benjamin Huntsman'. "This is named after the inventor of the famous crucible steel-making process which made Sheffield famous. The pub now faces Cambridge Street, originally called Coalpit Lane, which was renamed when the duke of Cambridge, in 1857, laid the foundation stone of the nearby Crimean War monument.". In here I had another favourite of mine, orange juice and lemonade. This two level branch (with an upstairs beer terrace) is very clearly geared toward the local student population, who keep them in business! Another pub with slow table service, despite there being nobody waiting at the bar. I was running ahead of schedule, so it was back to Sheffield Railway Station in time for 1L73, 16:38 Leeds - Lincoln. This had conveniently (for me) been cancelled between Leeds and Sheffield, meaning it was slightly less loaded than what I assumed to be usual. I was on this as far as Retford, where I walked for just under a mile to 'The Dominie Cross'. I had a bit of time here, so I opted to take advantage of Steak Club. "This pub is named after the stone cross which marked Retford’s southern boundary in medieval times. The base of the southern cross (the Dominie Cross) was later moved to Market Square and became known as the Broad Stone. It still stands in front of the Victorian town hall, not far from the Wetherspoon pub in Grove Street. Grove Street was added to the town plan in the 13th century, when it was known as New Gate. During the 19th century, it was the location of the town’s annual horse fair, held in March.". My 'Gourmet' steak was very nicely cooked, and came out hot contrary to popular belief. A suitable chip count made the meal most acceptable. 802304 took me from Retford back to London as 1A97 (A service which I frequent as it's usually quiet). We reached the grandeur of London King's Cross 9L, due to a very questionable signalling decision between Stevenage and Woolmer Green junction. We were put on the slows behind a late running 2C stopper AND an early freight service, despite the ex-Leeds service following us staying on the Fast then catching us up through Welwyn North & Garden City! These sorts of decisions are frustrating. 700114 (which we overtook on the East Coast Mainline) took me towards home as 9S65, and so ended another day. Thanks for sticking with me!
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I started today off with the Premier Inn breakfast then headed to Essen Hauptbahnhof. Another pair of P89s (5224 & 5236) started me off to Margarethenhöhe to tick off the rest of the U17. The 'trains' again do a lot of street running here, and there is a single line section just before the terminus.
After a few pictures, I then took the same pair back to Holsterhauser Platz, where I changed for tram line 106 to Moltkestraße (No.1618). I'd actually planned to take this to in the other direction (as far as Helenstraße) but as both trams were due at once I boarded the wrong one! Not to worry. From Moltkestraße, I changed to line 105 to Rellinghausen Finefraustraße after an 18 minute wait. This gave me a chance for a few photos before the nice ride out to the suburbs. It was then back on Line 105 all the way back to Rathaus, where I made my way from the tram tunnels to street level. Shops in Germany are geschlossen (closed) on all Sundays! So walking through the City Centre was earily quiet. Therefore, Sundays are a good day for local travelling around some Stadts (cities). I walked half a mile across the city centre to Berliner Platz, from which I ticked off Line U18 to Mülheim Hauptbahnhof (I'd already ticked the Northern half of the U18 day before as it shares a core section with the U11). Stadtbahnwagen Bs built between 1976 & 1985 No.5016 were my traction for this run. This line is the only one not to run on roads, it is separated throughout. Around half of it is sandwiched between both directions of Bundesautobahn 40, which makes for an interesting run. After running between the lanes, some stations are subterranean; with the line emerging above ground onto bridges to cross gaps. This'd make a great Train Simulator route! Around halfway into our run the front set of doors wouldn't close properly, so the Driver got out of his cab to lock these out of use. Not the worst fault considering these units are nearly 50 years old! (Although still newer than London Underground's Bakerloo 1972 stock). I rode the same units again back to Essen Hauptbahnhof. Essen is certainly one of the most interesting cities for transit I've visited, so I'd love to come back to tick off the remainder of the tram lines, and to try to tick some P86s (there were none out and about on my visit). From Essen Hauptbahnhof I caught ICE109 to Köln (it continues to Basel). An ICE 4 (I forgot to get the number, grrrr) did the honours. After a slow run to Duisburg, we sped up to the max line speed of 200km/h (125mph). This was short lived however, as we seemed to be running behind something between Dusseldorf & Köln (as in ZUSI 3!) as we were only running at about 120km/h, and we were held on the Hohenzollern Bridge (hello again) into Köln for about 4 minutes awaiting a route into Köln Hauptbahnhof. We therefore arrived 13L, which cut my time short to view the main tourist attraction, even more important than the Döm (cathedral)! This is a reference to this video: (https://youtu.be/oI9B7qWXV9Q), I was visiting the exact spot. I can sense your excitement! I had a quick look down at the U-Bahn platforms, where a Croydon Tram (K4000) rolled in, which unfortunately I had no time to ride. I say Croydon Tram because the C4000 is heavily based on Cologne's K4000s. Even the old red liveries of both looked similar! It was then back into the grand Hauptbahnhof for ICE14, which would take me to Bruxelles Nord. ICE 3 406583 (An International Version with Belgian safety systems) was my traction for this journey. I had again booked in the panorama car but this time the driver didn't unfrost the glass for us. I don't think panorama seats should be sold if drivers can frost the glass more often than not. There used to be a ruling that they weren't able to in normal running, but this seems to have been recinded. I respect the rights to a driver's privacy but perhaps panoramic seats should no longer be sold as such. I could see through a small bit of glass from where I was sitting though, thanks to the position of the sun. I was grateful for the motor sounds though! There was another driver change at Aachen (we arrived there a bit early surprisingly!), I tried my best German asking the new driver "Könnten Sie bitte das Glas entfrosten?" ("please could you unfrost the glass", although he may have been Belgian!) and he was happy to oblige, kudos to him. We crossed the border into Belgium and then sped down LGV 3 at 260km/160mph for which I had a great view. We branched off to Angleur (we came to a stand on the viaduct just before it as we were joining conventional lines). An SNCB driver (Société nationale des chemins de fer belges) was sat in the cab from here (we made an additional stop at Waremme to drop him off, lucky him!). Usually we'd call at Liege-Guillemins but we were diverted off the LGV line today due to planned works. Our penultimate stop was at Leuven, not normally served by ICEs, so there were a few Belgian trainspotters out and about to witness our rare run. It was then back on the high speed line for the shortish distance from Leuven to Brussels-Nord. Usually we run through to Brussels-Midi but we only (inconveniently) were booked as far as Nord today. We arrived into Nord 13L and I made my way immediately to catch an SNCB service two stops to Brussels-Midi. On this S8 service was a Siemens Desiro ML. Upon arrival at Midi I was a bit lost, due to no immediate signage for the Eurostar terminal. I eventually found my way, and enquired about availability on the immediate departure but there unfortunately was none. Therefore I had no option but to explore part of Brussels before my booked service at 20:55. I caught metro Line 6 to Elisabeth, then walked the short distance to Simonis to complete the stub of Line 6 (it's a spiral sort of shape, like the Circle Line at home) to Roi Baudouin/King Baudouin. At a few stations, the doors are opened on both sides for an easy interchange. From Roi Baudouin (near the same-named stadium, there had been a match earlier in the day so I'm glad I was there in the evening!) I caught the No.250 bus back to Ijzer, which ran down tram tracks for part of the route with some other segregated running with separate signals. Then Bombardier T3000 No.3072 took me back to Gare du Midi on Line 51. Unfortunately, my first impressions of Brussels were rather grim. Perhaps another trip will change my mind. Back at Gare du Midi, I obtained some frites (unfortunately I didn't have time to try Belgian burger chain 'Quick') before heading through the Eurostar Terminal, which was an easy process. My Eurostar service (no.9167, 9I67 on British soil) was showing as delayed from its origin at Amsterdam Centraal, but actually arrived in Bruxelles on-time. 374014 & 374013 did the honours. The journey home went without a hitch, and we arrived 1E which I was grateful for, as it was a tight walk through customs (nothing to declare) to the Thameslink platforms. 2141 miles & 35 chains later (excluding local trips around cities), I arrived home on 9R61. Thanks for reading my entries from the past 6 days (I hope I hadn't bored you by the first!). I waited for 70 minutes for a shortish (but worth it) ride on the footplate on Dampflok (Steam locomotive) no.382267 (a Prussian P 8 recently overhauled, built in 1918, first based in Erfurt). This cost €10, it would have probably cost a few hundred £ at home! This was well worth the wait and the cost. I enjoyed the atmosphere for a bit longer, visited the Essen Model Railway Club's layout in their club coach then it was unfortunately time to leave. I'll have to come back for a ride behind a Dampflok on the preserved Ruhr Valley Railway. I planned to walk to Essen-Horst S-Bahn station, as I'd used all my cash at the Eisenbahnmuseum so couldn't pay for a ride back to either Dahlhausen S-Bahn nor Essen Hbf. This walking route took me over the Ruhr, past the site of an old railway bridge from Dahlhausen Bahnbetriebswek. The S-Bahn train I wanted to catch from Essen-Horst was cancelled, and the next one 30 minutes after! So, I caught the No.184 bus to Essen-Steele then the S1 to Essen Hauptbahnhof.
The reason for my visit to Essen was for the ageing Ex-DLR P86 & P89 trains (P standing for Poplar depot) which first arrived in Essen from 1991. "the P86s were created by Linke-Hoffman-Busche - so they were effectively returning home...however, since they did not meet British safety standards for use in tunnels, the DLR could not use these vehicles on the DLR’s extension to Bank, which was opened in 1991. Therefore, DLR sold its 11 P86 vehicles, which at that time were only a few years old, to EVAG, which at the time needed more vehicles for its planned route extensions. In 1989, DLR procured ten P89 vehicles from British Rail Engineering Limited for route extensions. These cars were very similar to the P86 vehicles, but could be operated to Bank. Due to strong traffic growth and other route extensions, DLR procured new, more modern vehicles that could be used in trains of up to three sets. The installation of DLR’s new Alcatel SelTrac train control system would have meant that the P89 sets would have had to be rebuilt in order to maintain them in operation. They also could not be operated in coupled sets in the DLR’s tunnel sections due to their lack of connecting doors. As a result, after only a few years of operation in London, the P89 sets were also sold to EVAG. All the acquired DLR vehicles were converted by EVAG for their use in Essen. Among other things, driving cabs and rooftop pantographs had to be retrofitted, as these cars had been driven automatically in London and used bottom contact third rail while the Essen Stadtbahn uses overhead electrification." I entered Essen Hbf U-Bahn/Stadtbahn station and was immediately amazed at how smart it looked. U Bahn & Trams run on parallel tracks underground, and share track through core sections. There are low platforms for trams (which have extendable steps), with a ramp to the high end for U-Bahn (although all trams now stop at the high end now), much like at Rotherham Central back in the UK (although it's no competition with Essen!). Thankfully a pair of P89s (5227 & 5228) rolled in almost immediately, so I caught these to the end of Line U11 at West Süd/Gruga (for Grugapark where there is a miniature railway, which I didn't have time for this time). I then ticked off the rest of Line U11 to Altenessen via some on-street running. It's odd to see these ex-DLR P86s running on roads! From Altenessen Bahnhof I ticked off the entirety of tram line 108 to Bredeney on Duewag M8C no.1154 (built 1982). Intending passengers for these services have to cross a lane of traffic to the tram in the centre of the street, and steps extend when the doors open. This ran through the central core section tunnels, shared with U Bahn services. I then returned on the same tram back to Hauptbahnhof, where I made the "long" walk back to my Premier Inn room for the night, ready for my final day in Germany. Not quite so early on this warm morning in Wiesbaden. My first port of call today was the Nerobergbahn, a funicular railway. "The line opened in 1888, and is one of the few funiculars employing water propulsion. At the upper station, tanks on the downhill car are filled with up to 7,000 litres (1,500 imp gal; 1,800 US gal) of water to ensure that it is heavier than the uphill car. The downhill car then pulls the uphill car uphill with a 452-metre (1,483 ft) long steel cable. When the downhill carriage arrives at the lower station, the water is discharged and pumped uphill.". I caught the number 1 bus, a Mercedes Benz e-Citaro, from the Hauptbahnhof up to Wiesbaden Nerotal (after battling with the bus stop ticket machine as usual!). I reached the Nerobergbahn's bottom station, where I battled with yet another machine. We made our way up and I looked out over Wiesbaden from the panorama point. Photos taken, I then made my way back down on Wagen No.2 (I always tick both sides of a funicular!). A funicular railway with lots of character, so I'm glad I made the trip. I stopped in the small museum in an old building next to the ground station where I learnt a bit more about its history (the pictures at least, my German isn't quite up to standard yet). I returned to Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof on the Number 1 bus, this time an articulated MAN (Mercedes chassis!) example. Bus travel abroad is so much nicer than at home, because bus companies abroad actually invest in decent buses. It probably helps that Mercedes Citaros are built in Mannheim in Germany and Ligny-en-Barrois in France.
I then took line S8 to Mainz-Bischofsheim (a trio of Class 430s) to ensure I'd done all parts of this end of the S8 & S9. We were held at Mainz-Römisches Theater for around 6 minutes to let a faster RE train pass (which uses the local lines behind us). I was busy taking a photo of the train I'd just come in on when I noticed an S8 service in the opposite direction pull in to the other island platform. I didn't make it but this gave me a chance to photograph other trains. I then found out the S8 only runs every 30 minutes! If the one I missed was on-time, I'd had no chance anyways. I therefore caught RB75 (operated by Hessenbahn, the multitude of operators is a minefield in Germany for FIP holders) back to Mainz Hbf. Luckily my day ticket from the buses earlier covered me! This service is run with new Alstom Coradia Continental trains, on which the service number and destination is called out in each doorway at each station which is a great feature. The same door opening chimes as an IET is quite hard to get used to though! In Mainz Hauptbahnhof I ate currywurst and loaded fries from German chain 'Frittenwerk'. Very nice! I was checking the ÖBB Scotty App (which I usually use all throughout Europe) to check my train, which was showing as on-time...sus! However...when I checked the screens on the concourse, my Zug was showing a 50 minute delay (Verspätung) due to 'Reparatur am Zug (train repairs at Würzburg Hbf)...ICE228's worse delay for a few weeks (https://www.zugfinder.net/en/train-ICE_228). It finally rolled in at 15:13 vice 14:20. I had reserved a seat in the 'Panorama Car', which is a benefit of booking on the ÖBB app vice the DB app (although the latter provides a selectable seat map), and is €1.50 cheaper if you're only reserving one service, not connecting services. This was my first ICE-T (tilting) mileage, generally used on routes like ICE228 which spend less time on the high speed lines as their max speed is 320km/h. There was also a TD (Tilting diesel) which ran to Denmark via a ferry at Puttgarten. I was in luck as I was at the front of No.411504...however, I was also out of luck as the driver had frosted the glass (which can be done at the touch of a button)...we were also stuck behind a local service out of Mainz. There was a driver change at Koblenz, I politely asked the new one if the glass could be unfrosted and he obliged. The weather turned not long after, so I had my first experience of rain on the entire trip so far! I enjoyed my can of Warsteiner Pilsner (to quote David Mitchell "I've got a tremendous thirst on" "What could be better on a lovely day than a nice tall glass of cool refreshing alcoholic lager beer?"). It was lovely to have a front row seat through the grand Köln Hauptbahnhof and over the Rhine on the Hohenzollernbrücke. "On 6 March 1945 [only 6 months before the end of WW2] German military engineers blew up the bridge as Allied troops began their assault on Cologne.". This is also a popular place to hang "love padlocks" from, as there is a pedestrian bridge alongside the railway. "estimates are said to range between two (April 2011)[5] and 15 tons (September 2011)[5] with a number of allegedly 40,000 love padlocks. The German Bahn saw no danger for the bridge statics with both weights. In June 2015, the number of locks was estimated at 500,000.". Not long after departure from Köln, we were looped at Leverkusen Opladen for an IC service, which seemed a crazy signalling decision. Perhaps we had more intermediate stops? I'll never know the reason for this odd decision. Leverkusen has always been a worrisome place to travel through! We stopped at Solingen (home of one of Germany's last surviving trolleybus systems), then finally arrived into Wuppertal just under 70 minutes late. My worst ever Deutsche Bahn delay, which isn't too bad in the grand scheme of things! They handed me a stamped form so I could claim the grand amount of €5 in compensation. Of course, the reason for my visit to Wuppertal should be fairly obvious; the Danglebahn (my unofficial name for it, it's really Die Schwebebahn). After checking into the local Premier Inn, I rode the Schwebebahn out to the end of the line at Oberbarmen and then to the other end of the line at Vohwinkel. This really is a unique system! There's a nice view out of rear window and out of the front through the driving cab of the Generation 15 articulated railcars (built by Vossloh Kiepe of Düsseldorf and recently heavily refurbished for ETCS signalling to enable 60km/h running again). The system is well used by locals, and trains run at a 5 minute frequency during the day M-F, and every 3 minutes in Rush Hour! The line straddles the River Wupper most of the way (including over pipelines of the Beyer works between Varresbecker Straße and Zoo/Stadion), but turns off to run over Sonnborner Straße then to intersect with Autobahn 46 towards the end of its run to Vohwinkel. The Solingen trolleybus system extends to here, so Schwebebahn trains run above trolleybus wires. From VohwinkeI, I again traversed the entire line back to Sonnborner Straße (to take some road level photos) then doubled back to Hauptbahnhof where I headed to McDonald's (again I stress it's different in every country and is great for travellers on a budget!). I then took the Schwebebahn a couple of stops to Robert-Daum-Platz and back to Ohligsmühle (so I could experience a night ride) back to my hotel for the night. It was another early start this morning to catch Regional train No.2815 (operated by private operator Trenord, but still owned by Trenitalia) at 06:12 to Milano Centrale. This train was formed of too many carriages to count and was loco hauled by E.464024. We departed 3L for some reason. The service got quite busy with commuters as we called at Tresenda Aprica Teglio, Sondrio, Morbengo, Colico (where we started our run alongside the beautiful Lake Como), Bellano Tartavelle Terme, Veranna Esino, Mandello de Lario, Lecco (a lot of people joined here), Monza (even more joined here, every coach was packed solid) and finally Milano Centrale. This journey only cost me €12! We arrived into Milano Centrale 5L. I caught Metro Line 2 to Garibaldi where I changed for automated Metro Line 5. DLR style front/rear seats are present (and the third rail system is very similar in that the shoe on trains runs along the underside of the third rail). I had a back "cab" ride which I am more than used to! I was on this to the end of the line at San Siro Stadio. In the time it took me to walk up the escalator from the arrivals platform, my unit (AnsaldoBreda series 5500 no.5513) had automatically shunted into the departures platform. I alighted at Domodossola (a different one to the one I'd be travelling through later!). From here, I caught a tram on Line 1, which runs historic Class 1500 trams (circa 1927-1930). No 1897 was my traction. The modern music playing onboard was a bit strange though! Although I discovered the source of this was from a passenger onboard. It turns out that Line 1 is an excellent whistle-stop tour of the city full of tree-lined avenues and historic architecture. After around an hour, (including many battles with motorcyclists and tram traffic jams due to road works!) I reached Via Vitruvio, back near the majestic Milano Centrale.
I visited Penny (continental discount store) for supplies, then made my way back into the very grand station for EC52, which would take me all the way to Frankfurt am Main. Traction today was a tilting Trenitalia ETR610 'Pendolino' (with an SBB 610 on the rear for some reason, it was locked Out of Use, this service is only booked a single 7 car 610). These were bought in 1997 by Cisalpino. "After the sale of the operational activities of Cisalpino, the fleet was equally divided between the Trenitalia and FFS shareholders" I was in the "luxury" of First Class as far as Brig. Luxury in quotes as there is no WiFi! At least the aircon was nice. I thought I'd booked a single seat in First but was seated opposite someone else, but there was a free pair further down the train so I moved to these. Our booked calls were: Stresa, Domodossola, Brig (where I moved to my Standard seat reservation, but the recline on my seat was kaput!), Visp, Spiez, Thun, Bern (Switzerland's capital), Olten, Basel SBB, Basel Badischer Bahnhof, Freiburg, Ringsheim/Europa Park (which I highly recommend visiting!), Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Frankfurt with a booked arrival time of 18:44. We came to an abrupt stop at Musocco but started moving again after a minute or so. We kept slowing down so must have been behind a local or freight service. If only there was OpenTrainTimes here! We departed Stresa 4L, and after our second call, Domodossola (Trenitalia crew relieve SBB crew here and we departed 8L), we entered the Simplon Tunnel back into Switzerland. "(Simplontunnel, Traforo del Sempione or Galleria del Sempione) is a railway tunnel on the Simplon railway that connects Brig, Switzerland and Domodossola, Italy, through the Alps, providing a shortcut under the Simplon Pass route.". After our call in Visp (hello again), we passed through the 2007 Lötschberg Base Tunnel. "...is a 34.57 km (21.48 mi) railway base tunnel on the BLS AG's Lötschberg line cutting through the Bernese Alps of Switzerland some 400 m (1,300 ft) below the existing Lötschberg Tunnel. It runs between Frutigen, Berne, and Raron, Valais." This avoids the winding Lötschberg line, which would had been lovely to see. We called at Switzerland's capital of Bern (in its subterranean station) and were now back on time. We departed Bern the same way we came in as we made our way towards Basel SBB, where we passed an ICE 4 on its way to Zurich. We had yet another reversal here. I couldn't keep track of which way I was going! Basel is a juncture of three countries. Basel of course in Switzerland, Mulhouse in France and Freiburg in Germany. When flying into Basel one can choose which country to exit into. Our next and final stop in Switzerland was Basel Badischer Bahnhof (where the crew changes to DB crew), from which we departed 10L for an unknown reason (no announcements even in German). We then sat at Freiburg for a couple of minutes where many joined, and departed 15L. Thankfully I didn't have a connection today! It's always expected to experience delays when entering DB territory...we were 13L away from Ringsheim/Europa-Park. This is a great connection for many people, and I hope to visit it again soon, it's one of the best (if not the best) theme parks in the world! We joined the LZB high speed line at Offenburg (250km/h - 155mph) which is the fastest we travelled all trip! This was short lived as we slowed down around Baden-Baden and came to a stand. We departed Karlsruhe 17L after sitting in the platform for about 5 minutes and headed to our penultimate stop at Mannheim. We arrived into Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof 11L, not too bad all in all. I've certainly had worse in DB land! From Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, I went a couple of stops on S-Bahn Line S2 to Konstablerwache. I then caught the S9 from there to Wiesbaden, on which was a trio of Class 430s (Built 2012-, although they seem much newer). This was about 5 minutes late departing due to an S1 train occupying the platform for around 5 minutes for an unknown reason. We exited Suburban Frankfurt and called at many shacks along the way, including (but not limited to) Frankfurt Gateway Gardens, Frankfurt Flughafen (airport) and Rüsselsheim Opelwerk (Opel car works). We crossed the Rhine from Mainz-Bischofsheim - Mainz-Kastel rather than serving Mainz Hauptbahnhof and arrived into the grand Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof. This is a very clean and functional bahnhof with a grand trainshed, and 10 functioning platforms. ICE services are provided to various destinations including (but not limited to) Dresden, Hamburg and Munich, as well as frequent RB and S Bahn services to Mainz, Frankfurt and beyond. The architect was Fritz Klingholz (who also designed Essen Hbf and Koblenz Hbf amongst others) in a Neo-baroque style. It was opened in 1906. I took this in for a while before heading to my hotel (via KFC which is better in Germany!). I was staying in a brand new Premier Inn that night (opened only the month before). Many Premier Inns in Germany are great value as they're very modern, definitely places I'd recommend staying in if you ever follow my footsteps into Germany! Finally, I got my head down in preparation for the next day in Deutschland. I awoke this morning to bright sunshine, typical on my departure day! I took the opportunity to take a clearer picture of the Matterhorn from Kirchbrüche bridge. My S23 Ultra camera performed really well in the improved light. It was then time to head back to Zermatt Hauptbahnhof to join The Glacier Express, 'The slowest express train in the world!' "In 2015 the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn AG and the Rhätische Bahn AG decided to found a subsidiary and for the first time in its almost 90-year history to engage a manager for the Glacier Express. Glacier Express AG domiciled in Andermatt was officially founded on 23 August 2017. RhB and MGBahn each own 50% and have three seats each on the Board of Directors."
We departed Zermatt on time and headed non-stop to Brig via the Matter Valley. "The unique situation between the Bernese and Valais Alps at the foot of the Simplon Pass near the Italian border shapes the alpine town of Brig. This was something tradesman Kaspar Stockalper also realised and, in the seventeenth century, made the Simplon one of the most important trade routes south. His magnificent palace is an impressive symbol of his success and his fabulous wealth. Even today, Brig is a must for travellers with its thermal baths and many sights. From here, you can perfectly see the beauty and diversity of the canton of Wallis." Between Visp and Brig, the metre gauge lines of the RhB run alongside the standard gauge lines of SFF. These standard gauge lines head off through the Simplon Tunnel (which I'll be heading through tomorrow) to Domodossola in Italy whilst we ascended from street level (via an at grade crossing) to continue towards Andermatt. We traversed the spiral between Mörel and Fiesch then passed through the 15.381km long Furkatunnel (car shuttles also run through here). "The base tunnel enables the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (MGB) to operate all year round on its entire route network. This was not possible on the mountain line, since operations were suspended here in winter and part of the railway facilities (catenery, Steffenbachbrücke) had to be dismantled or restored after the winter break.". Just after exiting the tunnel, around 11:30, the lunch service started. I'd pre-ordered a 2 course meal (meat dish of the day, today chicken fricassee with herb sauce) with a choice of salad or dessert (a hard choice but I opted for dessert; Apricot Tart). This cost me 42CHF. Bread was served with the red wine I ordered (Dale Cuvée Special Glacier Express, not Chateau de Chassilier, "Who'd a thought thirty years ago we'd all be sittin' here drinking Chateau de Chassilier wine? Aye. In them days, we'd a' been glad to have the price of a cup o' tea. A cup ' COLD tea."). This was for an additional cost of 8CHF per 1 decilitre (100ml). We stopped at Hospental for a passing train (the majority of the route is single track) before calling at Andermatt. We then made the steep climb out of the town (my wine glass staying put throughout the very steep 11.8% climb, and the crew served throughout!), where my main course was served whilst we crossed Oberalppass (at 2033m, the highest point on the line at 2033m, so a rack and pinion system is again utilised). I also now had the table to myself (I got lucky as a couple alighting at Andermatt had swapped seats with another group). Perfect all together! The Oberalppass (and the rest of the lines) are marvels of engineering so hats off to the engineers and navvies (the workforce who constructed it). The audio guide told me that The Alps grow bigger each year by 1mm. Also, that in the height of winter, snowplows clear 19t of snow per minute. There's an intermediate station at Oberappass with a chairlift, I'd love to learn how to ski so I can take advantage of all these chairlifts and pistes (ski slopes). I was in complete awe the entire way as we passed through the many avalanche shelters. Another snippet on the audi guide told me that my train is powered by up to 90% hydroelectric power. We stopped briefly at Mumpé Tujetsch, where the crew swapped with those on the incoming Zermatt bound working. The outgoing crew wished us all "Auf wiedersehen" (as they walked through) then the incoming crew wished us all "Hallo" as they joined. After our brief stop there, we stopped at our booked stop at Disentis/Mustér. "The monk Sigisbert knew what he was doing when he founded an abbey in Disentis at the beginning of the eighth century. Disentis has a wonderful situation at the foot of the Lukmanier Pass in the middle of fantastic mountain scenery. The German kaisers used to like to stop off here on their way to Italy. The magnificent Benedictine monastery has been dominating the village for more than 1,400 years. The Abbey school also has an excellent reputation. Disentis provides visitors with a whole range of activities and unforgettable impressions: everyone who comes here is fascinated by the magic and strength of the place." This is one of the largest Romansh speaking villages. The MGB HGe 4/4 loco was swapped for an RHB Ge 4/4 loco (no.624) here. Not too long after departure from Disentis, we passed through Ilanz in the Rhine Valley, the first city on the Rhine, whilst we were served gratis Bretzeli biscuits. We then passed through the 14km Rhine Gorge. "The history of the Rhine Gorge started with the greatest rock fall of the Alps: 10,000 years ago, 10 billion cubic metres of rock broke off and thundered down more than 1,000 metres into the valley. The masses of debris piled up here – between Castrisch and Reichenau – several hundred metres high through the entire valley. And this meant the Anterior Rhine became a giant lake. Over the course of the millennia, the river dug a new bed and created the Rhine Gorge. Today, this spectacular river landscape featuring rock faces and sandstone towers up to 350 metres high is also known as the Swiss Grand Canyon.". The Rhine flows through 6 countries (Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and empties into the North Sea at Rotterdam in The Netherlands). We arrived in Chur (pronounced 'cour'), the oldest city in Switzerland. It also has the highest density of bars in Switzerland! We arrived on time due to allowance for passing other services and because this stretch from the junction at Reichenau is the fastest section and double tracked. "The alpine town of Chur combines the best of two worlds: alpine mountain magic in magnificent nature with the life of a pulsating town. Here, you look up from picturesque alleys to snow-covered peaks and are as captivated by the wonders of nature as you are by the number of works of art in the many beautiful museums. There is nowhere where you can move faster from the piste to a shopping street or from a mountain peak to a trendy bar. Chur is full of life and exciting stories.". We double backed on ourselves back to the junction at Reichenau (after stopping before it for about 10 minutes, a service was late coming off this busy single line (there's a frequent commuter service to Thusis). We stopped again at Rhäzüns for a late running S2 service to pass us. We also stopped in the loop at Rodels. I estimated us being about 8 minutes behind schedule so I was a bit worried about my onward connection! This driver was not hanging around though, the powerful Ge 4/4 locomotive having rapid acceleration. We continued on fast through Thusis to join the Albula Line. "The most spectacular section of the Glacier Express line lines between Preda and Bergen. Six towering viaducts, three spiral tunnels and two helical tunnels make it possible to scale the 400 metre height difference. A triumph of Railway engineering: "the railway line between St.Moritz and Thusis belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Rhaetian Railway in the Albula/Bernina landscapes)". The most expensive section of the RhB network! We passed a waiting IR service (which had freight wagons, for the postal service in this case, on the rear which is usual for Inter-regional trains) at Solis. Our next call was Tiefencastel, where we departed 4L after a quick stop. After 10 minutes, we crossed the very famous Landwasser Viaduct. "At a height of 65m and a length of 142m, the Landwasser Viaduct has become the emblem of the Glacier Express. The impressive construction of five walled pillars leads in a curved path with 100 metre radius directly into the Landwasser tunnel" We then arrived at our next stop of Filisur, we departed here 4L also. "There are only a few destinations with the kudos and charisma of Davos (near Filisur). The town in the mountains has an incredible attraction. This is where Thomas Mann wrote his novel “Zauberberg” (The Magic Mountain), where Ernst Ludwig Kirchner painted and where the World Economic Forum and the legendary Spengler Cup take place every year. The great and good have all been here and love to come back: from Prince Charles through Bono to Donald Trump. Davos is fascinating and impressive with numerous cultural and sporting opportunities, magnificent pistes and its magical mountain world.". Onwards then, via a 416m ascent between Bergün and Preda with sets of one spiral and two double spirals. In between the two sets of spirals, we crossed with a freight service at Alvra. We passed the construction of the new Albula tunnel, and entered the single track one dating from 1902. The new one is due to open next year to replace the current tunnel (due to the threat of rockfalls and general deterioration over time). We stopped at Spinas (at the exit of the tunnel) for IR1156 to pass. We had a booked stop there for it so we were now back on time to my relief! We joined the double track mainline at Bever and called at our penultimate stop of Samedan (pronounced 'Sam-eden'). 291 Bridges, 91 tunnels, many stops at passing points for the many local services along the single lines, and many interesting audioguide snippets later we arrived in the resort town of St Moritz on-time. "St. Moritz is synonymous with jet set, polo and palace. No other holiday destination promises more glamour, “buzz” and variety. This is exactly how St. Moritz made a name for itself as a host for the Olympic Games and lots of World Championships. The St. Moritz calendar is full of numerous top events: the Engadin Ski Marathon, White Turf, sailing regattas on Lake St. Moritz as well as the exquisite Festival da Jazz. In St. Moritz, there is something for everybody. And if you prefer peace and quiet, take a walk through the wonderful larch forests or enjoy the Engadin sun high up on Muottas Muragl.". I was now higher in altitude (1775m) than I was in Zermatt! The resort is way out of my price range, so I made my way straight down to Tirano on R1649. I was in a rush as if I hadn't had made this, it'd had been a bus replacement from Poschiavo!! It was a shame not to stay for longer but needs (to avoid a bus) must! R1649 was today formed of an Allegro multiple unit hauling older style coaches (with large droplight windows!) on the rear, which is normal. These large openable windows ensured a spectacular view on both sides, and even better I had the coach to myself. We made our way to the Bernina pass, with a clear view of Bernina. "Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers extensive views, but also lying in the path of avalanche courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure is still visible in the high mountains.". We went round the Montebello Curve, a world famous road/rail crossing, then stopped at Ospizio Bernina (at 2253m, the highest station on the RhB network). We crossed over the Berninabach as we wound our way round the frozen over Lago Bianco. The snow & ice made for an amazing sight of Piz Bernina! We passed through many shelters protecting from snowdrifts, seeing as this is the highest railway line in the Alps. We called at Alp Grüm, where I could see our railway line 1000m below us. Looking down from above, one can't image getting down that far! This marks the Italian linguistic border. We rounded a tight 180° curve, then "from here onwards, the line clambers, with a gradient of up to 7%, and via multiple s-bends, downwards into the Poschiavo valley. That this occurs without the assistance of a rack railway system makes the Bernina Railway one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world.". "In a further 180° bend, it heads through the Palü Tunnel and subsequently through the Lower Palü Gallery. A further four half circle loops follow, until the line reaches the Cavaglia station. Since about 2000, there has also been a new automatic passing loop, Stablini, between Alp Grüm and Cavaglia. It bisects a portion of the line that was previously prone to traffic delays. In zigzag fashion, the line continues from Cavaglia further down into the valley via Cadera to Privilasco. From there, the line leaves the tight bends behind, and, still at its maximum gradient, reaches the Poschiavo Valley. In Poschiavo it finally meets up once again with the Bernina Pass road". There was absolutely stunning scenery all around us, which took my breath away multiple times, I couldn't sit still for standing at the windows on both sides. We arrived at Poschiavo (after passing the maintenance sheds where historic vehicles are stored, including open top panoramic coaches), and I looked back up towards Alp Grüm to marvel at the height we just descended! I spotted a maintenance worker in high vis walking along the train, who seemed to be doing something with the coaches...panic set in as I thought my coach would be left behind! Alas, my worry was unfounded as I set off with the rest of the train. We then had an identity crisis as we made our way along the streets of Le Prese in tram like fashion. I looked out the window in the rear coach to watch traffic trying to race us. Between Le Prese & Miralago, we rode along the banks of the Poschiavo Lake, 965m above sea level. We then curved our way into Brusio, home of the famous spiral viaduct which we crossed after passing through the village's station. Another stunning marvel of engineering, which takes trains down to the valley floor. We then passed Campascio, and the Italian border station of Campocologno which is unusually large due to customs facilities. After further descending into the valley (with spectacular views back up), 196 bridges, 55 tunnels and many avalanche/rockfall shelters later we arrived in the Italian town of Tirano, by means of the road through the town square. Here I was staying the night. I of course got an obligatory pizza, then headed to Hotel Corona for the night. I reflected on the spectacular scenery I'd seen every step of the journey from Zermatt to Tirano. I was up at 06:15 to catch the 07:00 from Zermatt - Gornergrat (the first morning service) on the aptly named Gornergratbahn. "The Gornergrat Railway (German: Gornergrat Bahn; GGB) is a mountain rack railway, located in the Swiss canton of Valais. It links the resort village of Zermatt, situated at 1,604 m (5,262 ft) above mean sea level, to the summit of the Gornergrat. The Gornergrat railway station is situated at an altitude of 3,089 m (10,135 ft), which makes the Gornergrat Railway the second highest railway in Europe after the Jungfrau, and the highest open-air railway of the continent. The line opened in 1898, and was the first electric rack railway to be built in Switzerland. The Gornergrat is a starting point for many hikes, as it lies surrounded by 29 peaks rising above 4,000 m (13,123 ft) in the Alps and several glaciers, including the Gorner Glacier (which is billed as the second longest glacier in the Alps). At the end of the line on Gornergrat, the Matterhorn is visible on a clear day. It is also a popular skiing area". This is another rack & pinion railway (maximum gradient of 20%), with stops at Legendär, Findelbach, (and a stop afterwards to let some workmen out!), Fiffelalp (transfer to Riffelalp tram, the highest and shortest tram line in Europe, and where we first met with snow), Riffelberg, Rotenboden and finally Gornergrat at the railway's summit. The Gornergratbahn is another marvel in engineering, and Bhe 4/8 No.3084 performed well! I walked up to the external viewing point, and got lucky as the cloud cover had temporarily cleared. It was bitte(r) up there and Eiffel over twice! (Sorry for the awful European pun). After I'd breathed in the tranquility for an hour, new Stadler Bhe 4/6 'Polaris', nos 3094 & 3092 took me back down.
After a quick stop at Coop (no relation), I caught a small electric bus to the cable car terminal. I paid up and got on the 'Matterhorn Express' cable car, which made stops at many different ski slopes. Schwarzee was a highlight as the cars descend into the valley before climbing back up to Trockener Steg. Thee was much cloud that day, there usually is when I take cable cars! I was amazed at the scenery. Some skiers joined me mid way (there are ski holders on the outside of each car). At Trockener Steg I changed for the older cable car to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise on Klein Matterhorn, high up in the clouds. "Some two thousand cubic metres (2,600 cu yd) of concrete were used in the mountain station, all of which had to be transported there by helicopter in specially insulated tanks, mixed with warm water and 2% anti-freeze. Weather conditions at the work site (3,820 metres or 12,530 feet above sea level) in high mountain terrain were extreme: temperatures falling to −40 °C (−40 °F), snowfalls, and high winds of over 100 km/h (62 mph).". This is the largest and highest ski area in Europe and overlooks the Breithorn. From here you can ski into Italy. A lift took me down into Glacier Palace, inside the glacier. This was fascinating to see, including the hand crafted sculptures. Back on top, cloud cover was thick so it was no surprise the viewing platform was closed. I headed back down to Trockener Steg just as the clouds started clearing...typical...so I headed up once more. Visibility was still low but not as bad as before. After my backtrack, I headed back down towards Zermatt. I alighted the "Express" in Schwarzee to have a look around. I walked to the observation platform overlooking the mountain valley, getting ankle deep in snow along the way! Pictures taken, I took the cable car one more stop to Furi. There used to be a second cable car down to Zermatt from here, but this has been removed whilst the replacement is constructed. So I once more got on the "Express" cable car down to Zermatt. Here, I visited the very interesting Matterhorn Museum (odd opening hours: 3pm - 6pm) where I learnt about the Matterhorn's history including expeditions (both successful and not, only 3 of the group of 7, who were the first to make it to the summit, made it back down), and of Zermatt's history. I visited Zermatt's McDonald's (being in Switzerland this is expensive, about £14 for a meal, but everywhere else is more out of my price range!) and then walked to Kirchbrüche. This is a bridge over the river Matter Vispa; which rises at the glaciers at the feet of the highest peaks: the Gorner Glacier on the east side near Monte Rosa and the Zmutt Glacier on the west side between Dent d'Hérens and Dent Blanche. This is a very famous place to take pictures of the Matterhorn from, thankfully clouds had cleared a bit more. It was then back to my hotel for the night as I needed to be up early again for a bucket list item, The Glacier Express! It was very bright and early this morning so that I could make it to St Pancras in good time for my 08:01 departure on 9O08 London St Pancras International - Paris Gare du Nord. Unfortunately my traction today was 374024 & 374023 (half sets are coupled together) which was a disappointment as I'd specifically booked train no.9008 to try to cop my first 373! So I was denied the opportunity to demonstrate my best Mr Bean impression at the onboard Café Metropole. ("You speak very good French." "Gracias."). This denial was better than being cancelled like last time I attempted it though. We departed bang on time and sped under London, through Stratford International, then out into the Essex countryside near Dagenham Dock & Rainham before flying under the Queen Elizabeth II bridge (Dartford Crossing) into Kent, speeding through Ebbsfleet (& the High Speed 1 Control Centre), then the Medway Viaduct, North Downs tunnel and Ashford (both stations are still unloved by Eurostar since Brexit and COVID). This used to be a sure way of getting a 373 as only these were cleared to call at both EBS & AFK. I wish I knew this a few years back as I'd had already got an OG 373! We reached the Channel Tunnel RT, and roughly 31 miles later emerged in France, having gone forward in time by an hour (we were travelling 12mph faster than 88mph though!). We rushed through the French countryside, along LGV Nord, at 300km/h (186mph), slowing through Lille and finally onto classic lines on the approach to the Paris suburbs.
After just over 2 hours, we arrived into Paris Gare du Nord, about 5E. I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of Paris, having been on multiple occasions. I do however recommend the Arc de Triomphe as it's interesting to witness the traffic chaos below! I caught Metro Line 4 to the Northern end of the line at Porte de Clignancourt, then back to Strasbourg St-Denis. I interchanged there for Line 9 to Franklin D.Roosevelt. The Paris Metro is operated by RATP and is relatively unique as trains are guided by rubber tyres. Line 4 is automatic (MP89 type trains) with no staff onboard. I appreciate the funky guitar rift announcement tone! I had been recommended a visit to L'Autelier Renault (Renault Workshop/Museum) but I found this is closed for refurbishment, so one for another time. So I caught automated Line 1 to Bastille (the line emerges from underground at this stop which straddles the Seine, and a rendition was featured in Wolfenstein: Youngblood) then Line 5 to Austerlitz (which also emerges from tunnels to cross the Seine on which the station is, much like London Blackfriars) to have a quick look. Interestingly the Metro station is elevated above the Gare in the train shed. There's a lot of modernisation going on so I didn't get a proper look, but I noticed the departure screens showing a 3 hour delay and some supprimé (delete!). Then it was then a walk onwards across the Seine to Gare de Lyon (cut to Mr.Bean saying "choo choo...GARE DE LYON", although I hadn't walked an exact straight route to get there like he had!). I made sure to look at the filming locations for 'Mr Bean's Holiday' including Le Train Bleu (eating oysters there would be well out of my price range!) but unfortunately the vending machine in which he gets his tie stuck so subsequently misses his train has been removed. I made sure to make use of the Grand Voyageur Lounge in the Gare, the free coffee was highly appreciated! Armed with a baguette or three, I made my way to my waiting TGV Duplex. Unbeknown to me there are multiple halls, luckily I left enough time to get from lounge to Platform! I got access to the lounge as I'd booked a public fare in First Class, for which I'd paid a reasonable €48.30 public fare (discounted with a Carte Advantage Jeune, the near equivalent of a 16 -25 Railcard, which I'd bought for half price (€24.50) in their Black Friday sale) for the roughly 4 hour journey. My seat was No.101 on the upper deck of Duplex no.4717. This is a single seat and I was glad it was forward facing on my trip. A lovely wide seat with electronic recline, and great scenery. Heaven! We departed Gare de Lyon on-time and began our high speed run through the French countryside along LGV (Lignes à Grande Vitesse) Sud-Est & LGV Rhin-Rhône. We stopped in Bourg-en-Bresse on-time and continued via the single track Haut-Bugey/Carpathian Line, including the Cize-Bolozon viaduct and lots of other spectacular scenery of the Ain Valley. A sign of journey to come! We called at Bellegarde (Ain), where we crossed with the service heading towards Paris. We then joined the mainline to Geneva, running alongside Lake Geneva. What I found strange is that my next train departs Geneva at 17:29 and is all shacks to call at Lausanne 18:11 - 18:21, and my TGV gets to Lausanne at 18:14 (behind it) to connect with it. It was booked to depart Geneva at 17:29, and we were booked to arrive at 17:30. It was a relaxing journey until we departed from Geneva. We were stuck behind a late running IC service so arrived into Lausanne 6L. Connection in trouble! Thankfully I managed to succesfully sprint (not a word I use often) across from Platform 6 to Platform 3 for loco hauled IR90 (operated by SBB CFF FFS) to take me to Visp, continuing my run alongside Lake Geneva, calling at Vevey, Montreux, Aigle, Martigny, Sion (passing Sion airport), Sierre/Siders & Leuk. As the track flowed through the mountains, I realised how dwarfed this little train is by all of them! At Visp I changed for metre gauge privately operated (by Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn) RE42 to Zermatt. This section of line is very steep (%) so a rack and pinion system (Abt rack) is implemented on the first part of the journey (an 'A' sign indicates this so the train is driven at a crawl to engage/disengage the system). The gradient is very noticeable on-board! The line is very undulating, simply a marvel of engineering. I was in awe at every curve. At Saint Niklaus a Postbus was waiting (Switzerland is known for its integrated network). I find it interesting how the Guard gives the Ready to Start signal to the driver. They operate a switch on the platform, which shows the driver a signal indication. When the Guard gets back on and closes the local door, the driver can depart. We reached Zermatt (845km and 13 hours after leaving London) and I arrived at my hotel, Hotel Alphubel, where I'd be staying the next two nights. Zermatt is a very nice & modern town, which is car free (there's a railway shuttle from a Park & Ride in Täsch). There are always small electric taxis whizzing around everywhere though! I took a look at the cloudy mountains which I'd be traversing the next day. Today started at a more reasonable time of 0915, catching Thameslink 700131 (9R20) from my home station to St Pancras. Upon arrival, armed with Greggs coffee from their shop in St Pancras, I made my way to waiting 180108 on Platform 9. I had actually reserved a seat on here (it was busy as expected) because the Advance fare with a Railcard (which I have solely for Advances and PlusBus) was £12.20, compared to £15.25 for a Grand Central only PRIV rate ticket. My allocated seat was rear facing but there were some unreserved seats available so I switched to one of these. We departed RT and thundered Down (Up is always towards London, confusing I know) the East Coast Main Line. I may be in the minority when I say I'm not a fan of the seats on Coradia stock (175s and 180s) as the seat backs are too pitched back for me and aren't adjustable. We reached Doncaster RT and branched off via Shaftholme, Knottingley South (and West) and Pontefract East Junctions. Grand Central are the only operator to use these lines in passenger service, and they're required for me as far as I know. After a slow trundle (compared to the 125 of the ECML through the Yorkshire suburbs (via the delights of Pontefract Monkhill & Tanshelf), taking 70 minutes to travel 44 miles compared to just over 90 minutes for the 155 miles from London - Doncaster, we reached Halifax RT.
It was then onwards on a brisk walk through Halifax (all I could think about was Halifax Howard from the adverts the entire way) to 'The Barum Top Inn' "Halifax is full of history, including the Halifax Gibbet!" (an early guillotine used in the town, "According to tradition, criminals who escaped the gibbet as the blade fell could stay free. One such felon named John Lacy is said to have done this. As his tale was doubted he asked the authorities to let him repeat his escape. He failed!"). "This former long-standing garage is situated in the area once known as Barum Top, so named from the Yorkshire word ‘bouram’, meaning a natural watercourse. Before the advent of purpose-built drainage systems, this watercourse descended from Barum Top into Hebble Brook.". A large & airy pub with an indoor balcony. I tried a 'Baby Guinness' (Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur and Baileys, small but very nice), which is a new offering. This is a lovely pub unfortunately let down by slow table service, despite it being relatively quiet. It was then onwards on my circular tour of Halifax (a pleasant walk) to their second Spoons 'The Percy Shaw' (they're spoilt in this lovely town). "This pub is named after the inventor of the cat's eye...Reflective road studs, or ‘cat’s eyes’, were the brainchild of Percy Shaw. The Halifax-born inventor patented his ingenious invention in 1934 and soon began manufacturing them in his home town. This pub, named after him, was built on a site mostly occupied by a supermarket which had been a 28-lane bowling alley, built in 1964. The site was also partly occupied by the Star Hotel which dated from the early 1800s.". "Halifax's world-famous Piece Hall demonstrates the centre old importance of the local cloth trade. Officially known as the Halifax Merchant’s Hall, the Piece Hall opened in 1779, providing 315 rooms around a quadrangle for the display and sale of cloth “pieces”." "The name of Halifax is known throughout Britain as the headquarters of the world’s biggest building society. The Halifax, founded in 1853, and now a bank, is one of this country’s top ten companies.". A compact pub on a narrow footprint, with large windows looking out over the hills and the new Transport Interchange being constructed. Unfortunately, this is one of the two 'Spoons in Halifax up for sale. My original choice of Saltaire Full Tilt (brewed in Harrogate) was unavailable so I had a can of 'Baby-Faced Assassin' (brewed in Harrogate and it'd probably be quicker served coming from there!), a bit too strong for my liking, and enjoyed the view. It was then back to the elevated railway station for 150211 on 2W19, Bradford Interchange - Huddersfield via Dryclough Junction & Greetland Junction, as far as its destination of Huddersfloof (so named after the resident station cats, Felix and Bolt, who unfortunately were nowhere to be found as is with cats). After marvelling at the wonderous exterior of Huddersfield railway station (designed by the architect James Pigot Pritchett) I walked the short distance to 'The Cherry Tree'. "The Cherry Tree Inn was a popular pub, demolished in the 1860s. A new Cherry Tree was built opposite, but that was also pulled down. However, its site at the junction of Westgate and Railway Street became known as Cherry Tree Corner.". This is a basic Spoons in an office block complex, with a small downstairs area to account for the difference in street height. Nothing historic but the fast service was appreciated! I then continued my walk through the market town of Huddersfield to 'The Lord Wilson'. "Harold Wilson's government was involved in the abolition of capital punishment. Arguably the most able British politician of the 20th century, Harold Wilson is Huddersfield’s most famous son. Born in the Cowlersley area of Huddersfield, in 1916, Wilson twice served as prime minister. He resigned as Labour Party leader in 1976 and was created Baron (Lord) Wilson. He died in 1995. There is statue of Lord Wilson in the town centre.". This is a large open plan ex Lloyds No.1 Bar with perfectly adequate service. Nothing to write home about (apart from in this blog). I meandered back through the town centre to the spectacular railway station to catch 185118 on 1K24, 15:03 Hull - Liverpool Lime Street, which arrived 14L, due to the shocking signalling decision of allowing 2J70 (booked to stop at Deighton) the road at Heaton Lodge Junction ahead of it. Would I make it to Stalybridge in time for the great value Afternoon Deals? You can sense the suspense! Despite a brisk walk through town, I unfortunately I missed it by 1 minute in my penultimate pub of the day, The Society Rooms. "Stalybridge has a number of blue plaques, one of which commemorates the site of Gorse Hall, which was built by Beatrix Potter's maternal grandparents.". A spacious pub with a huge beer garden and quick service. It even won a Platinum 'Loo of the Year' award. Exciting! I wondered back to Stalybridge Hauptbahnhof (along the way I spotted an advert for a toasted teacake at 80p..."Certainly not. And I resent the implication that I'm a one-dimensional bread-obsessed electrical appliance!...I apologise, Toaster, what's the question?...The question is this: given that God is infinite, and that the Universe is also infinite...would you like a toasted teacake?") and caught 2W25, 17:51 Stalybridge - Southport,(unfortunately not Stockport!) on which I was appalled to find 769442, which surprisingly survived my one stop journey! It was then a short way through Ashton town centre to 'The Ash Tree' "This pub name has the same origin as the place name Ashton-under-Lyne. This name refers to the ash trees which gave the town the first part of its name. ‘Ton’ is a settlement, while’ lyne’ is probably a corruption of ‘lyme’ – once the name of the area north of Ashton." this is an older style pub which felt homely, with a newer extension out to a large refurbished beer garden, with downstairs toilets (mega rare!). I had half of Coach House Gunpowder Mild, an interesting liquorice taste. Upon walking to the relatively new tram stop I caught Bombardier M5000 tram no.3101 at 18:23 from Ashton-under-Lyne tram stop (2013) and managed to make it back to Piccadilly for 390050 to take me back to London as 1A76 18:55 Manchester Piccadilly - London Euston. After being delayed into Stockport by around 5 minutes for an unknown reason, then being behind an LNWR ex-Birmingham service, we reached Euston 9 minutes down. I raced across to St Pancras where I caught late running 9T65 (running the og Bedford - Brighton service) to East Croydon as direct services to my home station were disrupted due to an earlier 'one under' (thoughts with their family) at Gatwick. It was back home from East Croydon for rest before heading out early the next day. Today started a couple of hours earlier than yesterday with a trip on 700144 on 9R12 07:28 Gatwick Airport - Bedford, which arrived 5L as usual. Usually this is because 1R89 in front is delayed (not enough time for the morning attachment at Redhill in my opinion) but today this was all the way at East Croydon. I am however grateful for direct STP services. Perhaps surprisingly; we weren't held for 1E10, 07:03 Uckfield - London Bridge, at South Croydon so powered straight through for once. Many more piled on at Norwood Junction. You know it's well loaded when the air compressor goes off! We arrived at St Pancras 6L after dwelling at each stop for about 90 seconds. This meant I had a rush back to Euston (my most used London terminus by now), and via Euston Road as my usual cut-through was 'closed' due to scaffolding works! I just about made it in time, where 390039 ('Royal Scot') was ready at Euston to take me to Manchester Piccadilly via Macclesfield as 1H09. It was relatively well loaded with business travellers. We reached Hanslope Junction and were routed onto the Northampton Loop like the rest of the Down traffic, due to a track defect. 5Q27 (Greater Anglia 720129 on test) was allowed in front of us, but didn't make much difference due to how busy the loop was anyways. This had a booked stop in Platform 2 at Northampton so we were routed round the Platform 3 Loop. We caught up with 1Y19 which had called at Long Buckby (I always think of Buckbeak). The worst part was we were the penultimate service to be diverted. The following Manchester service, 1H10, ran as booked and actually reached Rugby before we did! We departed Rugby 25L. Connection at Stockport in trouble! We passed through the disused stations at Barlaston and Wedgwood, and then I decided to bail at Stoke-on-Trent to catch 323226 (top traction) to Poynton. We departed Stoke 2 minutes late (due to my late running Avanti service) but this wasn't an issue. We sped at full pelt (75mph for 323s) through the ex-station at Etruria and through the still standing station of Longport. We called at Kidsgrove, Congleton, Macclesfield, Prestbury, Adlington and Poynton where I alighted. (I have already visited Macclesfield and Poynton Wetherspoons on previous occasions.
I then walked the 1.5 miles to Brookside Garden Centre, stopping briefly by Poynton Lake. Most importantly this can be walked to along pavements. That's not often the case with out of the town garden centres. This particular garden centre visit was in aid of a ride on Brookside Miniature Railway. I duly paid my £2.50 fare for the half mile long round trip. This took me round the outskirts of the garden centre so was very pleasant on a good weather day like it was! Next to the railway is a very well stocked model shop which persuaded me to part with a few English Pounds! I just about managed to drag myself away so I could walk another 1.5 miles to my first Spoons of the day, 'The Wilfred Wood' "Private Wilfred Wood survived the Great War and was awarded the Victoria Cross ‘for conspicuous gallantry’. Private Wood was given a civic reception at the Mechanics Institute (now the Civic Hall) next to Dale House, on his return. He was a railway worker, who lived most of his life in Hazel Grove, rising from shed cleaner to fireman and then engine driver. A LNWR locomotive was named ‘Private Wilfred Woods VC’ in his honour. After it was scrapped, the nameplate was presented to his old school and then to his old regiment.". I obtained a can of new craft beer from The Wild Beer Co 'Under the Sun'. Despite the bar being empty this took a long time to be served, which seems to be a recent running theme. Again It'd had been quicker getting this from its brewing location! Despite this, this pub is a decent (and well decorated) place to drink in, and well loaded for mid afternoon. It was then on to Hazel Grove station to meet 156460 & 150224 on 2B25, 11:46 Buxton - Manchester Piccadilly, which I was on to its destination. I opted for the 156, but it was a hard decision! I then changed for 185105, 1P77 13:44 Manchester Airport - Saltburn, to take me high over Manchester round the relatively new (2017) Ordsall Chord/Castlefield Curve to Manchester Victoria. I always rate a 185 ride. One of the best long distance units on the network (the only issue being capacity) in my opinion, as they're quiet and smooth riding. This one very well loaded for this time of day, a 3 car formation didn't help (some are 2 x 185). From MCV, 150103 & 150138 took me as far as Walkden as 2K69 13:20 Blackburn - Rainford (a random place to terminate as a lot of Northern services). There used to be a direct service from Hazel Grove to Salford Crescent (continuing to Blackpool North) where I could change for 2K69, but that service now runs from Manchester Airport. Upon arrival at Walkden (Home of the famous meme; don't like my driving? Walk-den), it was a half mile walk through town to 'The Bull's Head Hotel' "This well-known local landmark is situated at busy crossroads today. The original Bull’s Head on this site was built in c1694. During the 19th century, the licence was held by the Gregory family for more than 60 years, until the expiry of the lease in 1893. The Bull’s Head was acquired by Threlfalls, but was too small for the fast-growing town. The old inn was demolished and replaced by the present, much larger, building.". This is historic pub which has been nicely refurbished with a large beer garden. I drank my pineapple juice, which was served quickly (as I was parched from the uphill walk) and then headed back to Walkden railway station. It was 158792 & 158870, 2I18 13:17 Leeds - Wigan Wallgate which would take me the 3 stops to Daisy Hill. I walked into Westhoughton to 'The Robert Shaw'. "This pub takes its name from one of Westhoughton's famous sons. Westhoughton is the birthplace (in 1927) of the film star and author Robert Shaw. He is probably best known for his leading role in the highly successful film Jaws. The son of a local doctor, Shaw’s first major film was the Dambusters. Many others followed, including the hugely successful Jaws. His second novel, The Sun Doctor, won the Hawthornden Prize for Literature. A plaque commemorating his association with Westhoughton was put on the town hall in 1996.". A large, airy, pub with a rear large beer garden area. Part of the ceiling is shaped like a wave to fit in with the Jaws theme of Robert Shaw. A nice touch! On a Thursday in all branches is Curry Club (I miss the days there was a 'Club' every day, Mexican Monday and Chicken Wednesday for example), so I opted for a korma with new Thatchers Blood Orange cider ("I can guarantee someone, probably Stacey, will have ordered a korma and, to me, korma is pointless... futile. I won't touch it...But I also guarantee someone else, probably Pete, is already eyeing up my bhunas - they're MY bhunas, Pete!"). When I was finished there, 769458 (unfortunately) took me as 2W21, 15:51 Stalybridge - Southport, from Westhoughton to Wigan Wallgate via Crow Nest Junction. It was then a short next-door walk to Wigan North Western (some Rush Hour & late night Northern services terminate at North Western using the short link, the stations are next door) where 390122 ('Penny the Pendolino') on 1M15, 13:40 Glasgow Central - London Euston, would take me back to London where we very surprisingly arrived 2E! 700 then took me home on 9R51, 18:32 Bedford to Three Bridges. Thanks again for reading so far, I'll be back in a couple of weeks with a blog from Switzerland & Germany! |
About Me
I should have started writing a travel blog a long time ago considering how much I am out and about. I work on the railway as a Guard so my travels are rather a Busman's holiday! Having Asperger's Syndrome, trains are my intensive interest so I love being around them. I love travelling to different places and seeing the sights. Having discounted rail travel certainly helps. Years before writing this, I had First Class free travel throughout the entire country thanks to my Step-Dad. I have therefore already travelled most of the UK rail network (Ireland and Northern Ireland are still on my list of places to visit). I don't want to stop travelling, so my new mission is travelling round the country visiting every Wetherspoon pub. These are located mainly in town centres, so doing this has enabled me to see things I would never have seen from trains. When I check for directions on Google Maps, I often come across places I've not known about before so I add them to my 'To-visit' list. This should in theory mean I never run out of places to go! Through doing this I've discovered publicly open caves (one of my favourite types of tourist attraction, I love that rugged sort of nature!), museums, and beauty spots just to name a few. Watch this space! I'm not one for vlogging (only vegging) so my content will all be written, along with pictures to go with it. (hover over for captions) |