Paul Merton, Secret Stations

[Envoy]

The policy of Channel 4 is to show new programmes first on More 4 as it is only available in HD to those who subscribe to Sky & Virgin. Due to this policy, I being a Freeview & Freesat person simply don't bother with More 4 & just wait for such programmes to appear on CH4 in HD. The unfortunate thing is that in many listings, the CH4 showing gets billed as a repeat even though it is new to that channel. A case of CH4 shooting themselves in the foot methinks!

BTW, on BBC 2 Scotland tonight (Tu 26 April 2016) at 9pm is a programme about transport in Scotland. (Sky & Freesat viewers can pick this up nationwide).

 

[LowLevel]

I saw Portillo once. Him and his crew got on at Smethwick Galton Bridge and off at Wolverhampton. Not the most glamorous / interesting journey, that.

Not the most interesting story either. I'll get my coat.

I sat behind him once. He was so focussed on his filming that when the guard opened the doors he just set sail straight into him and both nearly ended up on their arse He was most apologetic and personable to everyone he came across though.

 

[allaction]

They filmed at Penally last year, apparently...

 

[EssexGonzo]

I quite enjoyed watching that. A great advert for the rural railway and the paces it serves.

 

[Llanigraham]

I might watch the one that features the Cambrian, but after last night, not that bothered. Preferred Portillo.

 

[clc]

I chuckled when the guy said no one knows why Altnabreac exists.

 

[Envoy]

Merton said that Ferryside was in Pembrokeshire when it is in fact in Carmarthenshire.

 

[Alicatt]

I chuckled when the guy said no one knows why Altnabreac exists.

Not seen it that far, just watched the part about the Kyle Line and then had to go help the wife.

Altnabreac was not far from where I used to live and I went out there a lot.

Loch Dhu lodge is the reason, as the railway line was built to service the shooting lodges of the Duke of Sutherland and the Earl of Caithness as they provided a portion of the finance to build the line.

 

[backontrack]

Not true, I'm afraid. The shooting lodges were built after the railway was opened.

 

[Alicatt]

Not true, I'm afraid. The shooting lodges were built after the railway was opened.

Well they needed the infrastructure in to transport the materials to build the lodge, it is pretty remote out there and the track that takes you out there is quite rough, though it was tarmacked until the late 1980s when it was dug up and covered with hard-core/chippings by Fountain Forestry.

I think 2008 was the last time I was out there.

 

[backontrack]

I think it purely comes down to operational purposes - the need for a passing loop and a water tank.
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Well they needed the infrastructure in to transport the materials to build the lodge, it is pretty remote out there and the track that takes you out there is quite rough, though it was tarmacked until the late 1980s when it was dug up and covered with hard-core/chippings by Fountain Forestry.

I think 2008 was the last time I was out there.

The hunting lodges were built a full 21 years after the railway opened.

 

[Crossover]

I quite enjoyed it overall

 

[Alicatt]

I think it purely comes down to operational purposes - the need for a passing loop and a water tank.
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The hunting lodges were built a full 21 years after the railway opened.

I'm going by the local history books I read about the building of the Far North line and also the Wick-Lybster Light Railway and the debate of the reason why it followed the route it took rather than the direct route.
Though my personal thought that the direct route would have had too steep a climb out of Helmsdale to keep to the coast, and taking the valley inland gave the line of least resistance.

 

[backontrack]

I'm going by the local history books I read about the building of the Far North line and also the Wick-Lybster Light Railway and the debate of the reason why it followed the route it took rather than the direct route.
Though my personal thought that the direct route would have had too steep a climb out of Helmsdale to keep to the coast, and taking the valley inland gave the line of least resistance.

Yeah, that's what happened. It's a pity that they couldn't serve places like Latheron, Dunbeath and Lybster on the direct route, but they just couldn't afford it - I'm not sure it would have been worth it based on the line's usage today.

You may also know that they were once going to extend the light railway south from Lybster to Dunbeath, but that never happened. And they were going to have all sorts of other lines... as well as the Black Isle, Strathpeffer, Lybster and Dornoch branches, lines connecting to the FNL and also the Kyle Line were planned from Conon Bridge to Cromarty (six miles were built at the Cromarty end, but never finished due to the war), Garve to Ullapool, Clachnaharry to Lochend (at the northern end of Loch Ness), Achnasheen to Gairloch, Poolewe & Aultbea, Culrain to Lochinver, Lairg to Laxford Bridge, Forsinard to Melvish & Portskerra, and from Thurso to John O' Groats. There was even a plan for a line linking Thurso to Scrabster - a big shame that that never happened, it would be worth doing.

The Highland Railway by H. A. Vallance is a great book - and it details these plans as well as others. Can you imagine that they wanted to build railways on Skye and on Lewis/Harris? There were plans for lines from Kyleakin to Broadford and Torrin, from Isleornsay (near Armadale) to Broadford, Portree, Uig and Dunvegan, and from Stornoway to Breasclete and Carloway! The latter two propositions we from the Hebridean Light Railway.

 

[Alicatt]

I knew about the planned extension to go to Dunbeath, most of the traffic there would have been fish but the harbours at Latheron and Dunbeath were smaller even than the one at Lybster and were closed due to bad weather quicker even than the one at Wick.

Extending the line down into Scrabster would have been a challenge too with it being at the bottom of the cliff, I worked in Scrabster way back in the 1970s and know that a line coming down there would have been good for the port as it has access more days per year than the one at Wick has.
Thanks for the book info, I'll have a look for the book, the library in Wick had a good collection of railway books, and the Caithness Collection has accounts and information going back quite far, that is, if the collection hasn't been moved as there was a constant fight to keep the collection in Wick.

 

[Condor7]

We really enjoyed it and looking forward to the rest of the series i

 

[Requeststop]

Has he travelled the wrong way on a line and got off on the wrong side of a train which was of a different class he was earlier filmed sitting in, travelling in the wrong direction to which the train was filmed arriving at, wearing different clothes, or any other poorly edited sections of the programme?

It's usually what Portillo gets it in the neck for!

 

[backontrack]

I knew about the planned extension to go to Dunbeath, most of the traffic there would have been fish but the harbours at Latheron and Dunbeath were smaller even than the one at Lybster and were closed due to bad weather quicker even than the one at Wick.

Extending the line down into Scrabster would have been a challenge too with it being at the bottom of the cliff, I worked in Scrabster way back in the 1970s and know that a line coming down there would have been good for the port as it has access more days per year than the one at Wick has.
Thanks for the book info, I'll have a look for the book, the library in Wick had a good collection of railway books, and the Caithness Collection has accounts and information going back quite far, that is, if the collection hasn't been moved as there was a constant fight to keep the collection in Wick.

The Scrabster line would still be useful today! It's a big challenge, however, as you say. There doesn't seem to be any room next to the A9 on either side, so you'd have to suspend the railway next to it over the beach (which would take you to the village and the terminal), or go on a large curve round to where the Holburn Head lighthouse is and build a staircase or lift down to the car park (still a long way from the village). Then you've got to get to Thurso station - either going round the hospital and the college, or somehow cutting through Ormlie. It's not the easiest opening to do, as you've said.
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Has he travelled the wrong way on a line and got off on the wrong side of a train which was of a different class he was earlier filmed sitting in, travelling in the wrong direction to which the train was filmed arriving at, wearing different clothes, or any other poorly edited sections of the programme?

It's usually what Portillo gets it in the neck for!

He did say that Drigg is the next stop away from Sellafield. Safe to say that many pedantic members of the forum will have field days over the omission of Seascale.

Personally, I think that he's turning into Jim Broadbent.

 

[Railsigns]

Has he travelled the wrong way on a line and got off on the wrong side of a train which was of a different class he was earlier filmed sitting in, travelling in the wrong direction to which the train was filmed arriving at, wearing different clothes, or any other poorly edited sections of the programme?

If I remember correctly, he was seen boarding a LHCS train (DBSO at front; loco at rear) on the Cumbrian Coast line, followed by views aboard a Sprinter, then alighting from a Sprinter at his next destination.

 

[lejog]

Though my personal thought that the direct route would have had too steep a climb out of Helmsdale to keep to the coast, and taking the valley inland gave the line of least resistance.

I though the prime reason for the inland route was to avoid the 150m drop and then climb into/out of Berriedale, even with many loops IIRC the A9 has a 13% gradient here.

Also remember the local area was a little different when the railway was built in the 1870s, Kildonan had been relatively well populated until the Highland Clearances in the 1820s to set up a major sheep farming industry and I assume that sheep farming was still significant in the 1870s. This would explain the half a dozen stations between Hemsdale and Forsinard,

Not true, I'm afraid. The shooting lodges were built after the railway was opened.

From Forsinard the line turns across the boggy Flow Country, which certainly had none of the 20th century forestry/ tracks at the time it was built, nor the estate lodges.

I've always assumed that Altnbreac station was built because it was where the railway crossed the Ca na Catanach, the old drove road that ran from Kinbrace to Thurso. If you feel adventurous its still possible to walk the route (I have) as long as you can contend with bogs, deer fences and wading streams (there's a hint why in my username). While the area would be less suitable for sheep farming, there are the remains of farms/sheep pens around so there may have been some sheep farming related traffic.

 

[backontrack]

Sounds fantastic!

 

[Kite159]

If I remember correctly, he was seen boarding a LHCS train (DBSO at front; loco at rear) on the Cumbrian Coast line, followed by views aboard a Sprinter, then alighting from a Sprinter at his next destination.

Plus throw in a couple random pacer shots to complete the set

Quite a good show I felt, I look forward to watching the next episode (s).

And remember in the days of black and white the driver couldn't see the red flag and didn't stop

 

[yorksrob]

Well, I'd like to give an opinion but (Surprise Surprise, it's Cilla 'ere) it doesn't seem to be on 4OD.

It seems to be a recurring theme that the few programmes I actually want to watch aren't available on demand.

 

[Flying Snail]

Well, I'd like to give an opinion but (Surprise Surprise, it's Cilla 'ere) it doesn't seem to be on 4OD.

It seems to be a recurring theme that the few programmes I actually want to watch aren't available on demand.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/...1757-001?intcmp=catch_up_pages_picks_section1

 

[Requeststop]

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/...1757-001?intcmp=catch_up_pages_picks_section1

Managed to see it out here in Thailand, so you must be able to see it back in the UK.

I enjoyed it. I'm not yet ready to drop him off at Altnabreac in mid winter and leave him there.
I thought St Keyne Wishing Well was a bit of miss and silly. It would be last on my list of Requeststops to visit. Looking forward to the next two episodes.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I got off at Altnabreac in the middle of winter. It was a magical experience. I was properly equipped, though, and the guard was certainly very forthright in checking that!

 

[yorksrob]

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/...1757-001?intcmp=catch_up_pages_picks_section1

Many thanks - I shall try the link when I get back !

Very enjoyable. The fish worrying and nuclear installation visits were particularly good.

 

[Henbury Loop]

One would hope that he would get the train to Pilning, although not strictly a request stop it is certainly little known - even to locals.

 

[Kite159]

Managed to see it out here in Thailand, so you must be able to see it back in the UK.

I enjoyed it. I'm not yet ready to drop him off at Altnabreac in mid winter and leave him there.
I thought St Keyne Wishing Well was a bit of miss and silly. It would be last on my list of Requeststops to visit. Looking forward to the next two episodes.

St Keyne has more stuff around it then the other two request stop on the Looe line

 

[Mikey1984]

Where is the tunnel in the title sequence. Was a Scotrail train crossing a bridge into a sort of rock tunnel?