Portillo returns to your tv screen

[MCR247]

It is a summer saturdays timetable, and sleepers don't run on Saturday nights

 

[EltonRoad]

Of course!

Just to add to the Saturdays list, the Mon - Fri departures are different in the summer. Last Summer it was:

Northbound

0830 Fort William - Mallaig
0450 Edinburgh - Fort William (Sleeper)
0821 Glasgow QS - Oban
0907 Glasgow QS - Mallaig
1221 Glasgow QS - Oban / Mallaig (divides at Crianlarich)
1821 Glasgow QS - Oban / Mallaig (divides at Crianlarich)

From my observations, the 0907 is four cars throughout, and the 1221 and 1821 are six cars to Crianlarich then four to Fort William then two to Mallaig.

Southbound

0603 Mallaig & 0811 Oban - Glasgow QS (combine at Crianlarich)
1010 Mallaig - Glasgow QS
1256 Oban - Glasgow QS
1605 Mallaig & 1810 Oban - Glasgow QS (combine at Crianlarich)
1815 Mallaig - Fort William
1950 Fort William - Edinburgh (Sleeper)

From my observations the 1605 from Mallaig is four cars, combining with the two from Oban. The 1815 from Mallaig is two cars. Not sure about the first two off Mallaig.

Anyway the upshot is that south of Crianlarich some trains are six cars long, and in summer there are two trains off Glasgow within 45 minutes that serve stations to Crianlarich. In winter the 0907 doesn't run, instead the 0821 splits at Crianlarich. Ditto 1256 off Oban which runs at 1211 and combines. Also, you need a degree to understand the timetable, which looks at first as though it's quite simple, but the way they've done it with SX, SO, different dated trains and putting Mallaig and Oban on different tables, it's easy to mess up.

 

[Lrd]

Hello all,

Not sure if anyone is aware but Michael Portillo is currently filming his new series of Great British Railway Journeys, following Bradshaw's book again.

I only know this because he sailed from Southampton - East Cowes on the Red Falcon with Red Funnel, and I was working. They were filming him walking on and off the passenger gangway (with me in the background) and up on the Bridge with a Captain and one of the directors of the company.

He clutched on to Bradshaw's book and kept it with him at all times, he even had a bit of paper with notes on inside the book and told the camera crew not to get a shot of the inside of the book, which for some reason, I found quite amusing.

Hope this is of some interest to some people...

Lewis

 

[SS4]

Cheers for the heads up. I hope they're going to show it on BBC HD like they did before (if it's at half 6 again I'll also be able to fill the tv schedule gap between The Simpsons and Emmerdale )

Hope he comes to Birmingham proper this time though instead of passing through en route from Walsall to Bournville. They could even do a special - Michael Portillo tries to find his way around Birmingham New Street!

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Cheers for the heads up. I hope they're going to show it on BBC HD like they did before (if it's at half 6 again I'll also be able to fill the tv schedule gap between The Simpsons and Emmerdale )

Hope he comes to Birmingham proper this time though instead of passing through en route from Walsall to Bournville. They could even do a special - Michael Portillo tries to find his way around Birmingham New Street!

I believe BBC broadcast standards now require programmes submitted to be in HD with a minimum bitrate of 50mbps. Whether or not they are broadcast in SD or HD is another thing, but I imagine if they've got it in HD it'll go out in HD.

 

[SS4]

I believe BBC broadcast standards now require programmes submitted to be in HD with a minimum bitrate of 50mbps. Whether or not they are broadcast in SD or HD is another thing, but I imagine if they've got it in HD it'll go out in HD.

They have broadcast the other two series in HD so I am expecting this one to be too

 

[Blue Pool Halt]

Thanks for the heads up

I guess we will have to wait for the new year to see it/you

 

[Striker]

Oh fantastic!! I love this programme and Michael Portillo, who has to be one of the sexiest men on television.

 

[OxtedL]

Michael Portillo ... has to be one of the sexiest men on television.

Not even a hint of irony??? Each to their own.

 

[Statto]

Great news, i hope we don't have to wait until January before it's aired

 

[Lampshade]

Thought he'd be running out of journeys by now hock:

 

[OxtedL]

Thought he'd be running out of journeys by now hock:

I don't think he's done the Oxted Line yet (?). He ought to be able to milk a good episode or so with that and Bluebell...

 

[Class172]

Hereford line - plenty of things in Ledbury, Malvern, Worcester, Droitwich then move on towards Kidderminster - then there's the whole of the SVR to do

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I am sure that there are many lines still to be covered, that have not featured so far, that have items worthy of interest. Some have been named in previous postings on this thread. It depends if there are very specific items that he will wish to elaborate upon. For example, when he went to the cathedral in Hereford, the Mappa Mundi was quite well featured.

He has an easy manner of speaking, which is helpful when making such programmes.

 

[rich.davies]

Im suprised he didnt go on the wrexham and shropshire service from shrewsbury. I think he would have had lots to stay about it

 

[kylemore]

Hello all,

Not sure if anyone is aware but Michael Portillo is currently filming his new series of Great British Railway Journeys, following Bradshaw's book again.

I only know this because he sailed from Southampton - East Cowes on the Red Falcon with Red Funnel, and I was working. They were filming him walking on and off the passenger gangway (with me in the background) and up on the Bridge with a Captain and one of the directors of the company.

He clutched on to Bradshaw's book and kept it with him at all times, he even had a bit of paper with notes on inside the book and told the camera crew not to get a shot of the inside of the book, which for some reason, I found quite amusing.

Hope this is of some interest to some people...

Lewis

Well if it's a series about railway journeys I would have thought he would have crossed on Wightlink, they are the "Railway steamers" after all!
Red Funnel were never railway owned.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Yay! I've thoroughly enjoyed watching previous series of Mr.Portillo's rail adventures, so i certainly look forward greatly to his next series.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Hereford line - plenty of things in Ledbury, Malvern, Worcester, Droitwich then move on towards Kidderminster - then there's the whole of the SVR to do

I'm sure he started one week in Ledbury last time around...

 

[Simon Poole]

I'm sure he started one week in Ledbury last time around...

Ledbury to Holyhead

 

[Prodigy]

This series sparked my interest in the train scene. Can't wait for the next series!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

This series sparked my interest in the train scene. Can't wait for the next series!

I am glad to see that you are still persevering on the forum. Your first posting on that other thread certainly provided not a little invigourment to the debate.

 

[Class172]

I'm sure he started one week in Ledbury last time around...

Start in Great Malvern then

 

[merlodlliw]

Oh fantastic!! I love this programme and Michael Portillo, who has to be one of the sexiest men on television.

Is that because Porto confessed to cuddling a fag at college,or is strikers pic just a blind

second time you passed this comment?

 

[YorkshireBear]

This series sparked my interest in the train scene. Can't wait for the next series!

seconded to what paul said But then again that is what a forum is for we all learnt in that thread

They are great series i do like them i think they appeal to alot more audiences than people realise.

 

[Striker]

Is that because Porto confessed to cuddling a fag at college,or is strikers pic just a blind

second time you passed this comment?

Amazing how I have posts removed for some very minor reasons and you seemingly get away with writing "fag".

The hypocrisy on this forum is sickening.

Anyway, I am aware that Portillo has confessed to getting down and dirty with a strapping 6 footer at university but he is now very much married and loving it.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Does anyone know how many programmmes are to be shown in this new series?

 

[dmacw]

I saw Michael Portillo and a crew earlier today at Corfe Castle, Dorset. I can only presume he had been on the Swanage railway.

 

[Smethwickian]

Amazing how I have posts removed for some very minor reasons and you seemingly get away with writing "fag".

Eh? Fag as in skivvy / shoe polisher for an older boy at public school? What's wrong with that expression? Can't imagine what you're thinking of.

Anyhow, regardless of continuity errors or the brevity of detail, these programmes provide plenty of interest to a wider audience while generally showing railways in a good light, for their social history and their usefulness to tourists today.

So I shall enjoy watching and ignore pedantic quibbles on this forum and elsewhere about whether some linking scene was shot in front of a carriage door with the wrong number of bolts on it or couldn't have been shot within 20 minutes of when it was claimed because the sun was 0.0002 degrees too low in the sky or whatever.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

A fag at public school is someone who does whatever the person he's fagging for wants Striker. Not what you are thinking.

 

[AlterEgo]

A fag at public school is someone who does whatever the person he's fagging for wants Striker. Not what you are thinking.

Depends what the fagger wants doesn't it?

Anyway I digress. I'm really looking forward to the new series - I really enjoyed the last one.