Roni
Member
Hi,
To the previous part of the series:
Nostalgic May 7: Isle of Wight Hovercraft and Steam (50 p. + 1 v.)
railroadforums.com
The video for this part:
May 16 2023
The 14:35 service of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway getting ready to depart Haven Street towards Smallbrook Junction.
It soon returned to continue towards Wootton at 3:15 p.m.
An ambitious hobby photographer lady asked for the best spot to take pictures of the train from. She ended up standing next to the "Train Story" shed (a permanent exhibition) behind me, her husband on the walking path in front of me - that's why these images are cropped on the right side.
The train approaching from Wootton across a private level crossing mentioned in the last report part.
Prussian blue War Department 192 "Waggoner".
As soon as the masses had alighted, I entered an empty unreserved compartment at 3:40 p.m.
We say goodbye for now to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
I travelled one station towards Shanklin to Brading at four o'clock, regular services only stop at Smallbrook Junction during heritage railway operating hours. At first, I got a slight shock thinking the island line stopped operating due to the strike and overtime restrictions, then noticed later departures being displayed at other stations.
Landscape view.
Historical platforms at Brading.
Return to Ryde Esplanade at five to five. The pier railway remained under maintenance for two more months then reopened after criticism during the summer season on 10th July.
Fish & chips from the "Codfather".
Solent view at low tide, a hovercraft to Portsmouth.
You can spot the advantage of the system to be able to travel across sand - I experienced the disadvantage as the hovercraft turned with its stern towards me and started sandblasting the shore with not very hygienic stuff from the bottom of the harbour. Luckily, the fish and chips had been consumed by then.
A shuttle bus took me from the hoverport to Portsmouth & Southsea station.
The building from 1866 with later additions:
en.wikipedia.org
Upper through tracks to Portsmouth Harbour from 1876.
I took the Great Western connection towards Bristol again: the 18:24 Portsmouth Harbour - Cardiff Central service, this time formed of class 165 "Networker Turbo" units:
en.wikipedia.org
The "most British" railway luggage I have ever come across...
Older terminal platforms to the lower right. The upper platform cover from the 1980s still carries its "Network SouthEast" red colour.
Arrival to Southampton Central at 7:10 p.m.
The turbos leaving towards Salisbury.
18:45 Cross Country Voyager Bournemouth - theoretically Manchester Piccadilly... however, rail replacement buses operated between Didcot and Oxford as the Nuneham viaduct had to be renewed. This would be relevant for my travels the following day.
The appearance of my Desiro home could not even be helped by evening sunlight.
It stayed in the shadow after arrival at Bournemouth, 444026 was lit perfectly.
The historic station roof construction shortly before sunset.
May 17 2023
Next morning, I could relax, eat breakfast leisurely and walk to the station with my luggage before 9 o'clock. I did not want to leave too early to avoid rush hour. I had found a nice replacement route for the Voyagers. My 4-day-England-consecutive-BritRail-pass had been activated providing free choice. :0)
The parts from Weymouth and Poole were joined to a 10-coach-train leaving punctually at 9:22 a.m. towards London.
Shortly before arriving to Basingstoke, a passenger a few rows away suffered a collapse - the train staff immediately attended to him. Lastly, he managed to exit the train, an ambulance meeting him at the platform.
I walked to dead end track 5 where GWR diesel services to Reading start.
My previous train departed almost on time.
We already know this class.
I had visited the completed modern Reading station once in late 2014, electrification had finished in 2018. New for me as HST-replacement were the class 800 bi-modal Hitachi units, innovatively called "Intercity Express Train" by the Great Western Railway, "Azuma" on the East Coast Mainline.
It turned out to be a lovely waiting period with permanent class 66 goods traffic. One box slightly lowered virtually.
Nine-part 800304 formed the 11:03 London Paddington – Plymouth service departing punctually at 11:29 a.m.:
en.wikipedia.org
The tele lens had stayed at home, some images have been cropped.
165111 returned to Basingstoke.
Fitting track, spotlight, a colourful container train hauled by DB Cargo 66024 in old EWS livery - it does not get any better at Reading.
Enter a rainbow-coloured unicorn and T-rex...
The next diesel rumbling through the station.
All around a lot of construction work in still-no-city Reading.
Background, e.g.:
I boarded a class 800 as practical GWR direct link from London via the Golden Valley Line Swindon to Stonehouse, Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa. The trip turned slightly surreal with constant companions.
I was delighted by the switch from electric current to diesel - you hardly notice anything at all. We were delayed and had to wait for a free platform before entering Gloucester due to a Cross Country service making an unscheduled stop. My plan had been to change to my favourite GWR service from Salisbury via Bristol to Worcester Foregate Street at Cheltenham Spa. Now suddenly both trains arrived at Gloucester almost at the same time. I did not want to risk it and walked through a crowd across the bridge to the other platform. The trippy animals were following. The previous unit can be spotted through the window in the right-hand photo.
Reaching the West Midlands Railway network at Worcester Shrub Hill - new trains with old infrastructure which I already had taken a picture of during a summer trip in 1994:
This time, I continued to Worcester Foregate Street.
172008 in front of the neo-Gothic Baptist and St. Mary Magdalene churches.
Class 172 "Turbostar" are being operated in several variants by the West Midlands Railway, with and without gangway at the front. Subclass 172/0 originated from the London Overground:
en.wikipedia.org
Terminal for GWR 166213 after its long voyage from the South.
Both directions, both tracks... does not sound typically British to me.
At Southampton Central to the upper right as it should be - a proper dispute over directions seems to have taken place at Worcester Foregate Street...
A class 172/2 with gangway took me to my destination and started washing.
The beautiful nature is distracting from the fact that we are in Kidderminster, opulent Severn Valley Railway heritage terminal close by. :0)
To the previous part of the series:
Nostalgic May 7: Isle of Wight Hovercraft and Steam (50 p. + 1 v.)
Nostalgic May 7: Isle of Wight Hovercraft and Steam (50 p. + 1 v.)
Hi, To the previous part of the series: Nostalgic May 6: Swanage Steam & Double Decker Ferry (50 p.) https://railroadforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/nostalgic-may-6-swanage-steam-double-decker-ferry-50-p.21903 The new video for this part: May 16 2023 The forecast for Tuesday...
The video for this part:
May 16 2023
The 14:35 service of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway getting ready to depart Haven Street towards Smallbrook Junction.
It soon returned to continue towards Wootton at 3:15 p.m.
An ambitious hobby photographer lady asked for the best spot to take pictures of the train from. She ended up standing next to the "Train Story" shed (a permanent exhibition) behind me, her husband on the walking path in front of me - that's why these images are cropped on the right side.
The train approaching from Wootton across a private level crossing mentioned in the last report part.
Prussian blue War Department 192 "Waggoner".
As soon as the masses had alighted, I entered an empty unreserved compartment at 3:40 p.m.
We say goodbye for now to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
I travelled one station towards Shanklin to Brading at four o'clock, regular services only stop at Smallbrook Junction during heritage railway operating hours. At first, I got a slight shock thinking the island line stopped operating due to the strike and overtime restrictions, then noticed later departures being displayed at other stations.
Landscape view.
Historical platforms at Brading.
Return to Ryde Esplanade at five to five. The pier railway remained under maintenance for two more months then reopened after criticism during the summer season on 10th July.
Fish & chips from the "Codfather".
Solent view at low tide, a hovercraft to Portsmouth.
You can spot the advantage of the system to be able to travel across sand - I experienced the disadvantage as the hovercraft turned with its stern towards me and started sandblasting the shore with not very hygienic stuff from the bottom of the harbour. Luckily, the fish and chips had been consumed by then.
A shuttle bus took me from the hoverport to Portsmouth & Southsea station.
The building from 1866 with later additions:
Portsmouth & Southsea railway station - Wikipedia
Upper through tracks to Portsmouth Harbour from 1876.
I took the Great Western connection towards Bristol again: the 18:24 Portsmouth Harbour - Cardiff Central service, this time formed of class 165 "Networker Turbo" units:
British Rail Class 165 - Wikipedia
The "most British" railway luggage I have ever come across...
Older terminal platforms to the lower right. The upper platform cover from the 1980s still carries its "Network SouthEast" red colour.
Arrival to Southampton Central at 7:10 p.m.
The turbos leaving towards Salisbury.
18:45 Cross Country Voyager Bournemouth - theoretically Manchester Piccadilly... however, rail replacement buses operated between Didcot and Oxford as the Nuneham viaduct had to be renewed. This would be relevant for my travels the following day.
The appearance of my Desiro home could not even be helped by evening sunlight.
It stayed in the shadow after arrival at Bournemouth, 444026 was lit perfectly.
The historic station roof construction shortly before sunset.
May 17 2023
Next morning, I could relax, eat breakfast leisurely and walk to the station with my luggage before 9 o'clock. I did not want to leave too early to avoid rush hour. I had found a nice replacement route for the Voyagers. My 4-day-England-consecutive-BritRail-pass had been activated providing free choice. :0)
The parts from Weymouth and Poole were joined to a 10-coach-train leaving punctually at 9:22 a.m. towards London.
Shortly before arriving to Basingstoke, a passenger a few rows away suffered a collapse - the train staff immediately attended to him. Lastly, he managed to exit the train, an ambulance meeting him at the platform.
I walked to dead end track 5 where GWR diesel services to Reading start.
My previous train departed almost on time.
We already know this class.
I had visited the completed modern Reading station once in late 2014, electrification had finished in 2018. New for me as HST-replacement were the class 800 bi-modal Hitachi units, innovatively called "Intercity Express Train" by the Great Western Railway, "Azuma" on the East Coast Mainline.
It turned out to be a lovely waiting period with permanent class 66 goods traffic. One box slightly lowered virtually.
Nine-part 800304 formed the 11:03 London Paddington – Plymouth service departing punctually at 11:29 a.m.:
British Rail Class 800 - Wikipedia
The tele lens had stayed at home, some images have been cropped.
165111 returned to Basingstoke.
Fitting track, spotlight, a colourful container train hauled by DB Cargo 66024 in old EWS livery - it does not get any better at Reading.
Enter a rainbow-coloured unicorn and T-rex...
The next diesel rumbling through the station.
All around a lot of construction work in still-no-city Reading.
Background, e.g.:
I boarded a class 800 as practical GWR direct link from London via the Golden Valley Line Swindon to Stonehouse, Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa. The trip turned slightly surreal with constant companions.
I was delighted by the switch from electric current to diesel - you hardly notice anything at all. We were delayed and had to wait for a free platform before entering Gloucester due to a Cross Country service making an unscheduled stop. My plan had been to change to my favourite GWR service from Salisbury via Bristol to Worcester Foregate Street at Cheltenham Spa. Now suddenly both trains arrived at Gloucester almost at the same time. I did not want to risk it and walked through a crowd across the bridge to the other platform. The trippy animals were following. The previous unit can be spotted through the window in the right-hand photo.
Reaching the West Midlands Railway network at Worcester Shrub Hill - new trains with old infrastructure which I already had taken a picture of during a summer trip in 1994:
This time, I continued to Worcester Foregate Street.
172008 in front of the neo-Gothic Baptist and St. Mary Magdalene churches.
Class 172 "Turbostar" are being operated in several variants by the West Midlands Railway, with and without gangway at the front. Subclass 172/0 originated from the London Overground:
British Rail Class 172 - Wikipedia
Terminal for GWR 166213 after its long voyage from the South.
Both directions, both tracks... does not sound typically British to me.
At Southampton Central to the upper right as it should be - a proper dispute over directions seems to have taken place at Worcester Foregate Street...
A class 172/2 with gangway took me to my destination and started washing.
The beautiful nature is distracting from the fact that we are in Kidderminster, opulent Severn Valley Railway heritage terminal close by. :0)
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