Train Chat

[teamsaint]

I like trains. I'm not a train buff, I just like going on them ( usually).Always have , although a 30 year working life of approx 30k miles PA in a car has probably sharpened my appetite for travel on railways.
Anyway,I thought we might share journeys we like, ticketing tips, ( that's probably a sub forum actually) and so on.

Anyway, we're off on our hols in a couple of weeks, and we're going to head up to Scotland on the Caledonian Sleeper. Friday night each way, and short of £50 pp, each way ( booked a long time in advance), with a two together railcard. Really looking forward to that, sipping a nice single malt as the capital slips away, and we glide north. Or something.
Whilst in Scotland, I'm also planning another Mallaig to Fort William rail trip ( just gorgeous scenery), and also a run from Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness.

I may even post a nice photo, if I manage to take a decent one , that is.

What's anybody else up to?

[french frank]

I remember the journeys to Scotland when you could be served a proper dinner - Brown Windsor Soup and things. Is there still a sleeper?

And I'll see your malt whisky up to Scotland and give you a Poire Williams on the old BVZ above the snowline between Brig and Zermatt. That was memorable.

[jean]

I met Jimmy Savile on the Fort Wiliam sleeper once. He invited me to share his cabin.

[Serial_Apologist]

I met a young woman on the train from Bristol to Paddington in September 1978. She was 27 years of age, a Hungarian-born naturalised Canadian, myself 32. We went for several beers to my favourite pub in Bayswater, swapped addresses etc on parting, and she wrote the moment she got back home, to Toronto. Since when we've corresponded, phoned, sent each other emails and visited. She has married three times and divorced twice, had two children (one of each), four grandchildren, and is now approaching retirement from her job as a school teacher, whle I have remained single (if not celibate) and afaik childless. Each of us has a fat file full of the other's letters: the last time she visited me she spent nearly a whole day going through the letters she had sent me. For a platonic relationship which has meant more than any of the intimate ones I, at any rate, have experienced, I have not only her to thank, but that afternoon train she got onto at Bath Spa, loaded up with suitcases and cameras, and I asked her, was she a journalist? and, when she said no, was she American?

[Dave2002]

I like trains. I'm not a train buff, I just like going on them ( usually).Always have , although a 30 year working life of approx 30k miles PA in a car has probably sharpened my appetite for travel on railways.
Anyway,I thought we might share journeys we like, ticketing tips, ( that's probably a sub forum actually) and so on.

Anyway, we're off on our hols in a couple of weeks, and we're going to head up to Scotland on the Caledonian Sleeper. Friday night each way, and short of £50 pp, each way ( booked a long time in advance), with a two together railcard. Really looking forward to that, sipping a nice single malt as the capital slips away, and we glide north. Or something.
Whilst in Scotland, I'm also planning another Mallaig to Fort William rail trip ( just gorgeous scenery), and also a run from Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness.

Are you taking the sleeper to Inverness or Aberdeen? The Inverness run is lovely - though you probably won't see much of it on the way up - you'll catch the last few hours in the early morning daylight. On the way back you should have the benefit of good light for a few hours while the train wends its way down towards the south - some good views as you go down for the first couple of hours.

I didn't know that the sleeper was still running, and that it is still possible to do it for as little as £50. Recently we have been using the plane to Inverness, which arguably is cheaper. The run from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh is a good one and the views after Garve can be spectacular. I still want to do the Fort William to Mallaig stretch, and also the run up to the north via Tain towards Wick.

You can't get everywhere by train though - so other trips to the west coast might be to Gairloch and Inverewe Gardens - which are well worth trying - but you'll probably need to hire a car to do that area. http://www.nts.org.uk/Visit/Inverewe

If you are old enough and have a rail card then travelling first class up/down the east coast main line is also a good thing to do - during the week as the food and drink make it a reasonable experience, though it's not so good at weekends.

[Beef Oven!]

I met a young woman on the train from Bristol to Paddington in September 1978. She was 27 years of age, a Hungarian-born naturalised Canadian, myself 32. We went for several beers to my favourite pub in Bayswater, swapped addresses etc on parting, and she wrote the moment she got back home, to Toronto. Since when we've corresponded, phoned, sent each other emails and visited. She has married three times and divorced twice, had two children (one of each), four grandchildren, and is now approaching retirement from her job as a school teacher, whle I have remained single (if not celibate) and afaik childless. Each of us has a fat file full of the other's letters: the last time she visited me she spent nearly a whole day going through the letters she had sent me. For a platonic relationship which has meant more than any of the intimate ones I, at any rate, have experienced, I have not only her to thank, but that afternoon train she got onto at Bath Spa, loaded up with suitcases and cameras, and I asked her, was she a journalist? and, when she said no, was she American?

How has she put up with your sexist stereotyping all these years? I guess some on the left still struggle with the concept of gender fluidity, and find it difficult to think in terms of a non-binary gender spectrum.

[Serial_Apologist]

How has she put up with your sexist stereotyping all these years? I guess some on the left still struggle with the concept of gender fluidity, and find it difficult to think in terms of a non-binary gender spectrum.

You had me on the hop for a moment there!

[Beef Oven!]

You had me on the hop for a moment there!

[teamsaint]

Are you taking the sleeper to Inverness or Aberdeen? The Inverness run is lovely - though you probably won't see much of it on the way up - you'll catch the last few hours in the early morning daylight. On the way back you should have the benefit of good light for a few hours while the train wends its way down towards the south - some good views as you go down for the first couple of hours.

I didn't know that the sleeper was still running, and that it is still possible to do it for as little as £50. Recently we have been using the plane to Inverness, which arguably is cheaper. The run from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh is a good one and the views after Garve can be spectacular. I still want to do the Fort William to Mallaig stretch, and also the run up to the north via Tain towards Wick.

You can't get everywhere by train though - so other trips to the west coast might be to Gairloch and Inverewe Gardens - which are well worth trying - but you'll probably need to hire a car to do that area. http://www.nts.org.uk/Visit/Inverewe

If you are old enough and have a rail card then travelling first class up/down the east coast main line is also a good thing to do - during the week as the food and drink make it a reasonable experience, though it's not so good at weekends.

We're getting the sleeper to Edinburgh, then hiring a car to get to Skye. The sleeper seems to be much cheaper to Edinburgh or Glasgow than FW or Inverness. At the moment, there seem to be plenty of tickets at around £60 pp, each way, if you book well in advance.
We need a car in Skye anyway, and the run from Edinburgh seemed easier than Glasgow last time.

Coming back over on the ferry to Mallaig to do the train run down to FW. The route is stunning. The ferry trip is also nice, and you can do about 4 hours in FW, and see the steam train going past you !! That run is quite cheap, about £10 before railcards, but I've booked advance tix for Kyle to Inverness , as that is a good bit more expensive. IIRC, the advice is to sit on the left towards Inverness, and right coming back to Kyle, but I better check.

[Dave2002]

I've booked advance tix for Kyle to Inverness , as that is a good bit more expensive. IIRC, the advice is to sit on the left towards Inverness, and right coming back to Kyle, but I better check.

Chances are that the train won't be so full that you can't switch sides during the journey. From Kyle for a few miles going out there is a Loch on the LHS, but after Auchnasheen you might do better to look out of the RHS - at least as far as Garve. The last stretch into Inverness from Beauly probably has the best views on the LHS. If you're only doing the trip one way, you may want to look backwards - for example for the bit from Auchnasheen.

[greenilex]

I always enjoy my regular Eurostar - TGV run St Pancras/Geneva and back. The new section of TGV through the mountains by Bellegarde is heartstopping for a mountain-deprived Hampshire dweller...it is more expensive and much slower than flying, but better in every other way. And I can have lunch in Paris on the return journey.

[Lat-Literal]

One reason why I opted for York University was a friendly conversation with a retired Durham miner and his wife on the journey up to the interview. They bought me a cup of tea and wished me good luck. It gave me a positive impression of the region although I had earlier reasons to think well of it. All of the other journeys by rail to interviews involved no conversation. I have still never set foot in Durham, nor Tynemouth where my grandparents, father, uncle and aunt were for two years in the war although I have visited Newcastle.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I met Jimmy Savile on the Fort Wiliam sleeper once. He invited me to share his cabin.

[jean]

I was talking to him in the buffet as we set out fro London. I was already regretting that I hadn't booked a berth, and he was going to use all his influence to get one for me. Then I realised this meant sharing his. I made my excuses and left, and arranged my own. I always remember the sleeping car attendant saying 'We thought you was with Jimmy'.

[BBMmk2]

I love steam trains! It's a pity that at our local dedicated steam train The Bluebell Railway, I wasn't able to see The Flying Scotsman.