Juliano's World Frenzy/Tech's Trip Reports

[fowler9]

I hope you don't disappear from the forum Tech, I know that many of us value your input, knowledge and positivity on here.
Perhaps you're just entering a different phase in your railway/transport interests?
Hope everything's ok mate.

Seconded. Really good photos by the way.

 

[Blindtraveler]

I do hope you dont go. Your reports, advice, banter and general presence will be a great los..

 

[D841 Roebuck]

I do hope you dont go. Your reports, advice, banter and general presence will be a great los..

Agreed 100%. But its your cboice, best wishes either way.

Switzerland is great, for scenery as well as trains. If you're shack-scratchimg there, though, please remember that Eigerwand to Eigergletscher is not walkable

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Tech,
Your inactivity had not gone un-noticed - just hope that everything's OK with you, If you do take a break from here, you will be sorely missed. That's everything from your humour, banter, dedication and advice to others through to comradeship and the like.

Perhaps the British scene is not providing enough interest for you as your recent trips abroad seem to have demonstrated.

I'll leave you with one thought - it was your inspirational trip reports that got me into trip reporting. Some day when time permits (alas they don't make it any more), I'll get around to sharing more of my experiences from days gone by.

Finally - whatever you end up dong - I hope that Lady Luck is on your side.

 

[185143]

Tech,
Your inactivity had not gone un-noticed - just hope that everything's OK with you, If you do take a break from here, you will be sorely missed. That's everything from your humour, banter, dedication and advice to others through to comradeship and the like.

Perhaps the British scene is not providing enough interest for you as your recent trips abroad seem to have demonstrated.

I'll leave you with one thought - it was your inspirational trip reports that got me into trip reporting. Some day when time permits (alas they don't make it any more), I'll get around to sharing more of my experiences from days gone by.

Finally - whatever you end up dong - I hope that Lady Luck is on your side.

Agreed. Here too it was mainly Tech's reports that made me start doing them

 

[47403]

All the best tech. I agree with whats been said above.

Thanks for all the advice over the past couple of years.

Whatever you choose to do, Enjoy mate.

 

[rg177]

I can only echo the sentiments above.

It's you that got me into trip reporting and getting to know so many wonderful folk on here.

All the best whatever it is you choose to do. There'll always be a spot at the metaphorical droplight for you here.

Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk

 

[Techniquest]

Tech,
Your inactivity had not gone un-noticed - just hope that everything's OK with you, If you do take a break from here, you will be sorely missed. That's everything from your humour, banter, dedication and advice to others through to comradeship and the like.

Hi Keith, and indeed to all the other wonderful people who've taken the time to post such wonderful comments. Genuinely touched by each and every one of them!

I'm not coming back yet, I've only popped on to check in on the aviation discussion thread. I found PMs which were also genuinely appreciated, as I'm currently down and out with a heavy cough and the early stages of the flu. I blame spending so much more time in a cold environment than I ever used to, and it's going to get worse this week coming...

Keith good sir, your comment above really did put a smile on my face. I haven't decided yet what I'm doing, and to be perfectly, brutally honest, it's only because all my mates are being quiet today that I've had time to get on here.

I've actually got a social life these days, so understandably I'm enjoying that whenever possible. Not that I've had much chance, but I've managed three impromptu socials as well as a booked one so I'd say that's not bad. I think there's still 3 more booked this year (Halloween, a mate's birthday and a combined works Christmas do/my birthday bash) plus the inevitable post-Crazy Season unwind social.

That's not taking into account the next Tech's World Frenzy, the possible return to how things used to be and indeed 2018's first round of Tech's World Frenzy (booked earlier!), so it's a busy few months!

Perhaps the British scene is not providing enough interest for you as your recent trips abroad seem to have demonstrated.

I've thought about it endlessly for a while, and yes my Euro trips have been generating far more interest these days. It's just how things are, even if there is still plenty on these shores I still need. I'm testing the waters properly next month when I pop in on London, and while the Spa Valley gala/beer festival appeals I'm still toying with spending the day at Heathrow for an enormous session of filling my AFQR! Who knows, a good session on LU may bring it all back...

I'll leave you with one thought - it was your inspirational trip reports that got me into trip reporting. Some day when time permits (alas they don't make it any more), I'll get around to sharing more of my experiences from days gone by.

Finally - whatever you end up dong - I hope that Lady Luck is on your side.

Preaching to the choir with time no longer being made! It is certainly an honour to have inspired you and indeed several others to have got into trip reporting. You all do an amazing job it must be said, even if I never have time to say so. If it's not time it's bad signal, and if it's not that it's usually low battery!

Plenty going on here that needs attention, but a lot of things will fall into perspective after my next trip away. It's fair to say I miss my two days off together, and that the move in January is considered a mistake. Just short of 8 months feels like just short of 8 years...

Anyway, that's the insight into what's going on here. So far trip reports will continue when I come back next month, as will the Live Trip Report on Twitter. I've started them after all, might as well finish the job! In the meantime, it's back to NormLand for me, which I have to admit to having enjoyed in recent weeks. Will that continue to be the case in 2018? Only one way to find out all...

I'll be back when time allows but posting probably won't happen. Thank you again to every single one of you who took the time to post and/or PM, it was lovely to see! If time allowed, I'd respond to you all individually but right now I need a big dose of cough medicine. And a replay of The Ketchup Song

 

[alexf380]

Have fun on your holidays, Tech! Your name will be missed from these boards, and I do hope you decide to return one day, however long into the future that may be. All I'll say is don't be a stranger, and if you ever find yourself in Edinburgh looking for something to do, I'm sure myself or BT (or both) will be happy to meet for a pint.

It's been a pleasure and an honour,
Alex.

 

[Kristofferson]

I can only echo what the others have said. There's not much in the way of decent trains in my current neck of the woods, so my interest has also been diverted. But it was your trip reports that got me into the railways, and they were always an excellent read.

Enjoy your break in norm land, however long it lasts!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[urpert]

From Britain you're pretty much limited to BA from LHR and VS from LGW or MAN (occasionally GLA). Most are transatlantic (incl all of VS, generally Florida or the Carribean), though there are some BA 747 flights to the Middle East (Saudi, Kuwait, Dubai) and Africa (Cape Town, Lagos). Also Beijing I think.

Best bet would be New York or Boston with BA off season, however pick your flight carefully.

EL AL certainly used to fly 747s from Heathrow to Tel Aviv.

ps: I will also miss your trip reports, particularly the Foreign Ones.

 

[Techniquest]

Well ladies and gentlemen, you'll have noticed a LOT of activity from me in the Trip Reports sector of the forum today. The long story cut short is that I had considered going bashing, but the need for rest after yesterday's really hard going day (let's not talk about that...) meant I didn't bother setting any alarms and had a lie-in. 0735 is quite a significant lie-in for me, given I'm usually awake around 0545! The weather is hardly appealing today either, and funds aren't that great.

So with absolutely jack squat to do today, I've been catching up on the trip report threads. Which I've now done! I'm also posting this because there is an update. My basher brain is slowly coming back to life, having played some of my favourite HST Thrash tunes on the way home yesterday. Clearly it's not quite there yet, but I am returning to the UK rails 3 weeks tomorrow. Below is the rough plan so far:

Friday 20th October, rest day at home
Saturday 21st, National Express to London for various LU and mainline railway moves
Sunday 22nd, Spa Valley Railway's diesel gala and beer festival, Megabus overnight to Glasgow
Monday 23rd, SPT Daytripper
Tuesday 24th, unknown moves as of yet
Wednesday 25th, Edinburgh to Stansted on Ryanair (or at least, that's the plan)
Thursday 26th, the return of Tech's World Frenzy with a Stansted to Basel Ryanair flight, then onwards to Zurich
Friday 27th, Zurich to Milan via Chur, the Bernina Express and Tirano
Saturday 28th, Milan to Stansted with Ryanair and trains home

January 2018, I have the first instalment of 2018's Tech's World Frenzy booked. I'll be off to Alicante for my first ever visit to Spain! Copenhagen will eventually follow, as will Helsinki, but they are due to come along in the spring of 2018 all being well.

I'm still working on various bits and bobs, but my stay in NormLand and most of its related activities (not all by any measure!) may well be over soon. Depends how much I enjoy my visit to London!

 

[Dhassell]

Great to hear Tech! I had a little stint a few weeks ago where i couldn't be assed at all to do any bookwork, I soon also got back into it!
Sounds like you have got a very busy end of October!

 

[D841 Roebuck]

As Peters and Lee said (before you were born) - Welcome Home...

 

[Kite159]

Welcome back to the land of the basher

 

[Techniquest]

Welcome back to the land of the basher

I'm not quite back yet, although I have had to cancel my planned night out for Halloween which sucks.

I've just finished researching my Alicante visit, looks like I'm going to be busy with all those trams! Of course, there will be some Spanish beers to sample and the beach will simply have to be visited too. I've not yet decided if I'll go all the way to the end of line L9 to Denia, as there doesn't appear to be much there. Depends what the ching turns out to be like (bit difficult to tell on the operator's website) and if it's in my European rail atlas!

I will hopefully get to have a spin on a Renfe train as well, although that bit is still very much subject to research. A beer is needed to celebrate these decisions

 

[Cowley]

And 17:28 is a good time to have a beer on a Friday afternoon.

 

[Techniquest]

And 17:28 is a good time to have a beer on a Friday afternoon.

I'd had a couple already before that time of day

While replying to Shred earlier, I realised there's some bits and bobs to look up and cost up, so going to do that next. The Renfe bit might get looked up later, and I still haven't had that beer yet!

 

[Cowley]

I'd had a couple already before that time of day

While replying to Shred earlier, I realised there's some bits and bobs to look up and cost up, so going to do that next. The Renfe bit might get looked up later, and I still haven't had that beer yet!

I think the sun's over the yard arm Tech. You should probably have one, it might be performance enhancing...

 

[Techniquest]

I think the sun's over the yard arm Tech. You should probably have one, it might be performance enhancing...

I've just finished it, a dud beer that I had earlier this year in Hereford Beer House but it was worth trying again. Now to go and look up that Renfe thing, as I'm not sure trams and beer will keep me occupied for 4 days

 

[Techniquest]

Afternoon all,

Well as I've hinted elsewhere on this forum today, I've now set up a new blog for my trip reports rather than posting them all on here. I'm sorry but that 10,000 character limit is going to drive me crazy. The forum's new layout and style is also annoying the living daylights out of me, so it's got to that point which I'm on here less and less. I've been about a bit this week but nothing compared to what I used to be. Quite, the majority of the forum I've not read since August and I have no intention of changing that any time soon.

My break from the forum was not total, as it was originally expected to be, and I was going to quit trip reporting altogether. Indeed, this may well happen in the future, but for now I'll be posting elsewhere. I've already set up the introduction on my Blogger page, which is where I intend to post my future trip reports. My forthcoming one is due to go live from 21st October. Below is the link, or at least I hope it is, to the blog:

https://technniquestsreports.blogspot.co.uk/

 

[Dhassell]

Never even knew there was such limits! I will definitely pin your new webpage!

 

[Techniquest]

Never even knew there was such limits! I will definitely pin your new webpage!

It's been mentioned in a number of trip report threads today, but until I read the forum this afternoon I didn't know either. Well kept secret...

 

[Blindtraveler]

I am not personally keen on commenting on blog sites external to the forum, to many unmoderated and unmoderatable trolls around for my liking. Whilst you have set it up please stick with it here for a bit at this one aint going anywhere so it may well get sorted.

 

[Techniquest]

IF it gets sorted I may come back to this thread with them all, but then there's this new forum style which I just don't like. I've now been on here several times since it was refurb'd and I just can't stand it.

Fair enough on commenting elsewhere, feel free to forward comments by text if that suits you? Some of my next trip report we'll obviously be discussing in person later this month anyway. I'm also feeling the lack of images on the blog site will be beneficial for those of us on restricted data allowances, myself being one.

 

[Dhassell]

IF it gets sorted I may come back to this thread with them all, but then there's this new forum style which I just don't like. I've now been on here several times since it was refurb'd and I just can't stand it.

Fair enough on commenting elsewhere, feel free to forward comments by text if that suits you? Some of my next trip report we'll obviously be discussing in person later this month anyway. I'm also feeling the lack of images on the blog site will be beneficial for those of us on restricted data allowances, myself being one.

We could always still leave our comments in here and read the reports on the other site!

 

[alexf380]

Indeed, perhaps set it up so that only yourself can post there. We can still discuss it here.

 

[rg177]

Yeah, a decent compromise might just be drop a link each time you post a new report and we can comment here.

 

[Cowley]

I'll keep an eye on it Tech. Quite glad I finished posting my nostalgia reports now as I think they were well over 10000.

 

[Techniquest]

Sounds like a good compromise gents, stay tuned for the start of the report in 12 days time!