Lucky sod: Trainspotter misses Flying Scotsman but lands free US trip

[HowardGWR]

Doesn't 'photo-bombing' require the intended subject to be eclipsed by another subject entering the view in front of it? As FS was behind the VTEC train, this didn't apply.

Must go now; I'm late for my 'Pedants' Anonymous' meeting (woe betide anyone who puts the apostrophe in the wrong place!).

The VTEC was in front of it. No pedantry required.

 

[Deepgreen]

The VTEC was in front of it. No pedantry required.

I think you misunderstand - the post said that the VTEC train had been photo-bombed by the steam (as a joke comment) - my point was that the steam would have had to have been in front to have photo-bombed the VTEC train, but it wasn't.

 

[D1009]

Note there's no mention of Stagecoach, or even East Coast. Just Virgin Trains and Virgin Atlantic.
A gift for Virgin's marketing dept.

Could you imagine any other train company doing this?

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

Could you imagine any other train company doing this?

Northern
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
He's tweeting about it

https://twitter.com/Ryeallen/status/703248008180342784

#HMSArkRoyalIsJealous

 

[GatwickDepress]

I through it was a lovely video of a 91+Mk4 set photobombed by an old kettle causing delays by gathering some trespassing idiots.

Oh, that's the first laugh I've had all day! Thanks, Kite I needed it!

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

By now some of you may have read this story that someone who was hoping to take a photo of the Flying Scotsman got photobombed by a Virgin Trains East Coast service and ruined his shot. Obviously that would be a very annoying thing for the photographer, because he just lost the image he came out for.

As a result, Virgin Atlantic have given him a coupon to fly to Atlanta (I think that's what happened anyway). If you ask me this is seriously overcompensating for something that doesn't need compensation. If you want to take a picture of a certain train, then you shouldn't really take the risk of putting a running line between you and the train. Obviously some might argue the shot would look better from another platform, but a case like this is why you shouldn't chance it unless you've checked the timetable and know if something will pass.

I know Virgin have a great customer service and all, and that's where they put their emphasis, but I still think it's overcompensating even for their standards, but what do you all think?

 

[Bungle965]

I put it down to one thing.
It is good publicity.
Sam

 

[heart-of-wessex]

I got photobombed by people when taking a picture of a Borismaster in an advertising scheme, can I apply to TfL for a free season Z1-6 Travelcard?

I tried getting a shot of a Class 60 on the Tanks but some inconsiderate Class 158 got in the way, can I claim some free trips or compensation from DBS?

I don't want to get any pictures of the flying frothman, but I might get some shots with something in the way then claim a free trip!

Oh and can this guy claim from SWT? !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBBK2hjcPuA

 

[CosherB]

By now some of you may have read this story that someone who was hoping to take a photo of the Flying Scotsman got photobombed by a Virgin Trains East Coast service and ruined his shot. Obviously that would be a very annoying thing for the photographer, because he just lost the image he came out for.

As a result, Virgin Atlantic have given him a coupon to fly to Atlanta (I think that's what happened anyway). If you ask me this is seriously overcompensating for something that doesn't need compensation. If you want to take a picture of a certain train, then you shouldn't really take the risk of putting a running line between you and the train. Obviously some might argue the shot would look better from another platform, but a case like this is why you shouldn't chance it unless you've checked the timetable and know if something will pass.

I know Virgin have a great customer service and all, and that's where they put their emphasis, but I still think it's overcompensating even for their standards, but what do you all think?

See this thread already underway.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=127380

 

[Peter Sarf]

The risk of having Flying Scotsman photobombed could have easily been reduced by trespassing instead . I wonder what sort of "reward" those "enthusiasts" who were the wrong side of the fence will/should get.

 

[nottinghamcity]

And it's a Delta hub

Aren't Delta a significant shareholder of virgin Atlantic anyway?

 

[WestRiding]

If it had been Northern, they would have gave away some Free Tickets to Rotherham................

 

[Crawley Ben]

Aren't Delta a significant shareholder of virgin Atlantic anyway?

Correct. Believe it's a 51/49 split in Virgins favour. Delta brought the 49% stake from Singapore Airlines sometime ago now.

Ben

 

[Busaholic]

I went to see the Doors at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm (relevant - ex-train shed) in 1967 and never got to see Jim Morrison because I was stuck behind a pillar, and he was a famously immobile performer. I've never been to see his grave in Paris - do you think I could persuade Eurostar to fork out for a couple of return tickets if I sob on Twitter?

 

[Poolie]

I went to see the Doors at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm (relevant - ex-train shed) in 1967 and never got to see Jim Morrison because I was stuck behind a pillar, and he was a famously immobile performer. I've never been to see his grave in Paris - do you think I could persuade Eurostar to fork out for a couple of return tickets if I sob on Twitter?

1968 methinks. Respect my man for wanting to see The Doors, but Grace Slick was my my fantasy as a 14 year old and I actually saw her !!!!
Oh and I saw Mr Morrison as well, but the effect was not the same

 

[Peter Sarf]

Most of the youngsters here will not know what a round house is (on topic that - to do with steam) :cry:. If they find out they might wonder why the Doors on a round house are so special . Lastly I have never thought of being (photo)bombed by a pillar - I must have walked into a few over the years though ..

 

[Busaholic]

1968 methinks. Respect my man for wanting to see The Doors, but Grace Slick was my my fantasy as a 14 year old and I actually saw her !!!!
Oh and I saw Mr Morrison as well, but the effect was not the same

Yeah, so long ago, I wasn't even in London for much of 1967. The second part of this story, though, is that the Doors were only the warm-up act and the Jeffersons performed after the interval when the hordes miraculously disappeared and I had a wonderful view of all the band including, of course, the incomparable Grace: also the best light show I ever saw and, boy believe me, I've seen a few!

White Rabbit would have to be one of my Desert Island Discs.

 

[yorksrob]

Most of the youngsters here will not know what a round house is (on topic that - to do with steam) :cry:. If they find out they might wonder why the Doors on a round house are so special . Lastly I have never thought of being (photo)bombed by a pillar - I must have walked into a few over the years though ..

We have a very nice one in Leeds. It is now a big shop seeling plonk !

 

[Peter Sarf]

.......
White Rabbit would have to be one of my Desert Island Discs.

Same here "and the DOORman says ..... keep your head, keep your head" (so on topic !).

 

[doningtonphil]

At one point during a news piece, they oddly cut to some film footage of 55003 Meld - rare in itself as not much exists of her



I might do...



I resent the implication of your post. If you had cared to actually open your eyes and look at the file name, the timecode is contained within - it would have been simple enough to check the time she went through with the time of the picture :-x

Unless I have mis-interpreted your response as being serious when you meant it to be humourous - I think the comment was written jokingly - hence the laughing emoticon (much as I dislike their use). However, it would be better if 'doningtonphil' reponds definitively here!

I don't appreciate being accused of a swindler or a cheat - no matter how much it was said in jest... Been called that far too many times to start finding it funny now

Whoa. What have I started. Obviously the smiley face wasn't quite enough to demonstrate I was jesting. I had in mind that sometimes when someone produces some evidence of something to back up their claim (such as that woman who claimed to have washed the multimillion pound lottery ticket and producded an example with all the right information on it, apart from the essential bits of information which were just too illegible to read). In this case it looked like microsoft paint had been used with 'fill screen green'. Hardly a sophisticated fraud.

I now realise the error of my ways. Thanks for the attempt to defend me Deepgreen (I wont post a smiley face blowing you a kiss here)

PS If you plan to take your camera to the NYMR, don't get too upset that immediatly behind FS might be a big dirty diesel

 

[jon0844]

Just saw the lad on Sky News. Great publicity for Virgin and I did laugh when the reporter said he isn't much of a rail fan anyway!

Everyone is happy and it's the future of social media and marketing in general. I've won a DSLR camera and more recently a VR headset (well, Google cardboard) amongst other things for stuff I've Tweeted.

 

[LAX54]

By now some of you may have read this story that someone who was hoping to take a photo of the Flying Scotsman got photobombed by a Virgin Trains East Coast service and ruined his shot. Obviously that would be a very annoying thing for the photographer, because he just lost the image he came out for.

As a result, Virgin Atlantic have given him a coupon to fly to Atlanta (I think that's what happened anyway). If you ask me this is seriously overcompensating for something that doesn't need compensation. If you want to take a picture of a certain train, then you shouldn't really take the risk of putting a running line between you and the train. Obviously some might argue the shot would look better from another platform, but a case like this is why you shouldn't chance it unless you've checked the timetable and know if something will pass.

I know Virgin have a great customer service and all, and that's where they put their emphasis, but I still think it's overcompensating even for their standards, but what do you all think?

Not over compensating, but simply reaping in the publicity / advertising / word of mouth advertising that this has reaped in, a return flight to Atlanta was peanuts compared to this

 

[LAX54]

Best of luck to him / them at Atlanta Airport....last time I was there, was a nightmare !

 

[Welshman]

Northern
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
He's tweeting about it

https://twitter.com/Ryeallen/status/703248008180342784

#HMSArkRoyalIsJealous

Shouldn't someone have told the young Virgin Lady on his left that she's way over the yellow line on Grantham's platform 1?

It wouldn't have been the best publicity for her company if one of its trains had swept through at 100mph, dragging her into the slip-stream. :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I went to see the Doors at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm (relevant - ex-train shed) in 1967 and never got to see Jim Morrison because I was stuck behind a pillar, and he was a famously immobile performer. I've never been to see his grave in Paris - do you think I could persuade Eurostar to fork out for a couple of return tickets if I sob on Twitter?

Only if the pillar moved in front of you whilst Jim Morrison was performing.

 

[theageofthetra]

Mind you by being behind a pillar at least you didn't have to see as well as hear some of Jim's awful 'poetry'! Its also often forgotten that roundhouses predate the steam railway. They were often used on horse drawn tramways with the horses around a set of central troughs. There is a recreated one on the horse tramway at Victor Harbour in South Australia.

Back to compensation- I doubt BR would have given me more that a curled up Travellers Fare sarnie when one of their freights blocked my view of Lord Nelson passing through Arneside when I was about 8.

 

[8A Rail]

This is OTT as far as I am concerned. Not if the person concerned did not get get the images of 60103, re approaching and going away with the IC train passing briefly! Bottom line - Virgin milking the situation but not impressed with them to be honest - could leave a bitter taste in some of their customers eye's I reckon.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

This is OTT as far as I am concerned. Not if the person concerned did not get get the images of 60103, re approaching and going away with the IC train passing briefly! Bottom line - Virgin milking the situation but not impressed with them to be honest - could leave a bitter taste in some of their customers eye's I reckon.

*raises hand8

Already is for me

 

[backontrack]

This is OTT as far as I am concerned. Not if the person concerned did not get get the images of 60103, re approaching and going away with the IC train passing briefly! Bottom line - Virgin milking the situation but not impressed with them to be honest - could leave a bitter taste in some of their customers eye's I reckon.

How does one taste with one's eye?

 

[Busaholic]

Not over compensating, but simply reaping in the publicity / advertising / word of mouth advertising that this has reaped in, a return flight to Atlanta was peanuts compared to this

Yes, the plane's going anyway, so as long as no-one is being 'bumped off' it's actually cost them next to nothing. Will Beardy insist on being there for the publicity photos though? If so,I'd decline the offer myself

 

[8A Rail]

How does one taste with one's eye?

One of the advantages of getting old - you are allowed to jumble up your words!