rapidotrains Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Edit: First report is here - #47 Second report is here - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/118446-jasons-2017-mystery-tour/page-3&do=findComment&comment=2573225 Third report is here (warning: some buses) - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/118446-jasons-2017-mystery-tour/page-4&do=findComment&comment=2579780 Fourth report is here (warning: some more buses) - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/118446-jasons-2017-mystery-tour/page-4&do=findComment&comment=2581176 Fifth report is here - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/118446-jasons-2017-mystery-tour/page-4&do=findComment&comment=2581790 And final report is here - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/118446-jasons-2017-mystery-tour/page-5&do=findComment&comment=2582646 ----- Hi guys, Long time no speak! I'm preparing to come to the UK for the first time since 2015. I'll be landing at Heathrow on Monday the 9th. There is no big show this time. It's just boring old meetings. But I intend to have some fun along the way. This week-long trip has far less travel than usual. It's only: Heathrow Reading Birmingham Peterborough Darlington Shildon Stockton Darlington (again) Leeds Wythall Birmingham (again) Crewe Manchester Crewe (again) Sheffield London (finally!) Leamington Spa Birmingham (again) Peterborough (again) Somewhere yet to be determined Heathrow I will be posting updates to this thread. It should be interesting.... I hope! For the first time since 2009, I will be in London for more than two hours. I will in fact be there for three hours, eating delicious vegetarian food with Ben and Mike from Revolution Trains. I'm particularly looking forwad to Wythall. My fellow bus foamers will know why. Best regards, Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold teaky Posted January 2, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 2, 2017 This may be disappointing news. Have you made special arrangements for Wythall Jason or will you still be there on 25th March when they reopen? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Good to see Peterborough on the list. I owe you several meals. (CJL) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Wow, at least 3 different places per day! I seriously would not feel confident just traveling all of them in such a short time, let alone have meetings etc.... Édit: unless Rapido have cracked teleportation technologies! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 This may be disappointing news. Have you made special arrangements for Wythall Jason or will you still be there on 25th March when they reopen? Arrangements have indeed been made. No worries! -Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted January 2, 2017 Author Share Posted January 2, 2017 Wow, at least 3 different places per day! I seriously would not feel confident just traveling all of them in such a short time, let alone have meetings etc.... Édit: unless Rapido have cracked teleportation technologies! From the perspective of a Canadian, most of the mainland UK is within the boundaries of "day trip." We drove most of the way to Washington DC the other day. 500 miles with the three kids in the car. Thankfully no explosions. The whole UK trip should work, unless we get The Wrong Kind Of Snow. In that case, I'll never leave Reading..... -Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Phil Parker Posted January 2, 2017 Administrators Share Posted January 2, 2017 When are you in Leamington Spa? Proper tea or beer on offer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheesysmith Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Remember, when in Sheffield you must visit the space centre, a comic/sci-fi/doctor who/geek shop in the shadow of the wicker arches. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Remember, when in Sheffield you must visit the space centre, a comic/sci-fi/doctor who/geek shop in the shadow of the wicker arches. And for those visitors to Sheffield expecting to see some artistic installation made out of reeds or willow stalks, the Wicker arches are in fact made of stone, and part of the original Sheffield-Manchester rail line, now only a freight stub. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 From the perspective of a Canadian, most of the mainland UK is within the boundaries of "day trip." We drove most of the way to Washington DC the other day. 500 miles with the three kids in the car. Thankfully no explosions. The whole UK trip should work, unless we get The Wrong Kind Of Snow. In that case, I'll never leave Reading..... -Jason Agree most of the UK should be within a day trip, though personally I found I could travel quicker from Toronto to Quebec than I could from Central London to Heathrow! Good luck on the trip and may the gods protect you from strikes, snow and leaves.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubber duck Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Take off, you Hoser......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Ah, Jason is having meetings. Which means business meetings. Which means possible forthcoming models under review. Which means new announcements imminent. Yeah, pretty much that. Though this time I'm hoping we won't announce anything until we're closer to delivery. But with two Rapido factories working now, that should not be too onerous a task. If you haven't seen our two factories at work, here are two videos I shot in China in November. This one is the new factory starting up: And this one takes you through our main factory when it is very, very busy: -Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted January 3, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 3, 2017 Brilliant Jason, really interesting to see behind the scenes like that. I don't think any of the others have made videos of their own production processes! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelpara Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Yeah, pretty much that. Though this time I'm hoping we won't announce anything until we're closer to delivery. But with two Rapido factories working now, that should not be too onerous a task. If you haven't seen our two factories at work, here are two videos I shot in China in November. This one is the new factory starting up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlbMfyaOykE And this one takes you through our main factory when it is very, very busy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo5vPMEc6v0 -Jason Oh god, it's going to become the year of cryptic clues! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Ah, Jason is having meetings. Which means business meetings. Which means possible forthcoming models under review. Which means new announcements imminent. Which means: Let the frothing commence! (yes Jason, we're onto your game! but we like it way too much, so we'll play along ) Well, one thing which has not gone up in price in model railways is the froth! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Roy Langridge Posted January 3, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 3, 2017 Well, one thing which has not gone up in price in model railways is the froth! Shhhhh. Somebody will decide to tax it now. Roy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
srihaggis Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 That is some mileage! I'm off work this week so deciding where to go, decided any further than Shildon is too far for one week... (Actually decided to go to a certain cheese factory in Hawes, N Yorks tomorrow) but all those locations? You getting a private jet or something? haha Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 That is some mileage! I'm off work this week so deciding where to go, decided any further than Shildon is too far for one week... (Actually decided to go to a certain cheese factory in Hawes, N Yorks tomorrow) but all those locations? You getting a private jet or something? haha When we lived in the UK we always found it amusing that there were hotels attached to the services on the motorway. You can drive from London to Aberdeen in a day. Why do you need a hotel? And then one Sunday I stopped in a services at the bottom of Pershore Road to use the loo, and I saw people sitting in the cafe reading the newspaper over a cup of tea. That's when I figured it out. If you stop at every services for an hour, you definitely need a hotel or two en route..... -Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 When we lived in the UK we always found it amusing that there were hotels attached to the services on the motorway. You can drive from London to Aberdeen in a day. Why do you need a hotel? And then one Sunday I stopped in a services at the bottom of Pershore Road to use the loo, and I saw people sitting in the cafe reading the newspaper over a cup of tea. That's when I figured it out. If you stop at every services for an hour, you definitely need a hotel or two en route..... -Jason If you haven't driven long distances in the UK in recent years, I think you'd find it a gruelling experience now. Part of the problem is that you can't rely on how long it will take. I did Peterborough to St. Ives, Cornwall, in around six hours last summer (with plenty of comfort stops) but the trip back took nearly twice as long due to heavy traffic, diversions and weather. We are also advised to take frequent stops after some serious accidents due to people falling asleep at the wheel. Most of our roads now are like the Gardiner Expressway the last time I was in Toronto - Ok when they aren't busy but hopelessly overloaded most of the time - like getting out of the NEC on Saturday evenings! (CJL) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidotrains Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 Most of our roads now are like the Gardiner Expressway the last time I was in Toronto - Ok when they aren't busy but hopelessly overloaded most of the time - like getting out of the NEC on Saturday evenings! (CJL) Oh dear... and I do remember how difficult that was! I also remember that same night we got lost in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, and I was trying to do a 17-point turn in a manual car while balancing a map on my knee and interrupting a drug deal being concluded in the lorry directly in front of us. Now THAT was an experience to remember. Some things don't make it into the official Rapido newsletters...... -Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted January 3, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 3, 2017 All depends on the size of country you're used to, on the IoW my friends there think Ventnor to Newport is an big excursion! I mollified them by stopping halfway every time at the rather good cafe at the Old Smithy for the most impressive cake counter this side of the Mr Kipling factory! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 4, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 4, 2017 If you haven't driven long distances in the UK in recent years, I think you'd find it a gruelling experience now. Part of the problem is that you can't rely on how long it will take. I did Peterborough to St. Ives, Cornwall, in around six hours last summer (with plenty of comfort stops) but the trip back took nearly twice as long due to heavy traffic, diversions and weather. We are also advised to take frequent stops after some serious accidents due to people falling asleep at the wheel. Most of our roads now are like the Gardiner Expressway the last time I was in Toronto - Ok when they aren't busy but hopelessly overloaded most of the time - like getting out of the NEC on Saturday evenings! (CJL) I used to think nothing of driving down from Reading to Cornwall. I have never liked the M4/M5 (especially) route so used the A303 but nowadays I much prefer to go y train and hire a car down there - keeping well clear of the peak tourist season. Many long distance driving journeys are no fun at all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatofludham Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 A lot of driving capability depends on the car you drive as well - Fairbourne to the South Coast non-stop in my Saab 9-5 is the equivalent of Rugeley to Cannock in my old Mk1 Vauxhall Corsa despite me being nearly 20 years older and more prone to fatigue! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz9284 Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 love the fact you have Yorkshire tea in China :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 5, 2017 Share Posted January 5, 2017 Oh dear... and I do remember how difficult that was! I also remember that same night we got lost in Sparkbrook, Birmingham, and I was trying to do a 17-point turn in a manual car while balancing a map on my knee and interrupting a drug deal being concluded in the lorry directly in front of us. Now THAT was an experience to remember. Some things don't make it into the official Rapido newsletters...... -Jason Yep, that was one Heck of an evening! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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