SwissRailPassion

I'm sure some here will know this railway well but I've just come across two lovely videos of the 78 mile line in winter. this is with steam and this a longer slow film of daily operations in heavy snow with Henschel diesels (with added thrash) There are 4 trains a day the first starting at 2 am!

Just come across this website which has lots of information and photos of the station before and after the rebuild. There's also photos of the splendid curving viaduct after the station. Obviously a lot of character has gone but I hope the bar is there for when I ride the line in summer. http://www.vlakregion.cz/trate/036/dopravny/smrzovka/smrzovka.html

I came across this video of a wonderful layout. I'm not sure if it has been posted before. Art meets modelling - a real work of genius. Wonderful presentation by Vikas Chander. My apologies if this has been posted before.

That's pedantic.

Reports of problems with the new signals. Aspects changing to red in front of trains etc.

A recent photo found on Goog. https://kurierkolejowy.eu/img/680_400_1/568a2a0648.jpg

Lovely layout with an ingenious backstage. I remember talking to you at Warley a few years ago. A recent Youtube search shows the station layout has been entirely rebuilt during 2015. There is a very model worthy viaduct in the village too. I hope the station bar is still open.

I suspect that 5 cars will not be enough. The LCHS sets capacity doesn't match a 6 car 185 and too many of the trains even after 9 PM are full and standing. 7 Cars would be better. I caught the last train to Hull from Leeds at 2211 (that's the last in the old TT!) and there were at least 250 standing. But this is the UK and we like short trains.

I agree with your point on aesthetics. York used to have round topped signal heads and useful double-sided theatre boxes with large clear figures using lamps. The modern replacements are ugly, lack style and modern theatre boxes use harsh thin white figures. As for those stumpy LED signals with no backboards, I despair.

How many 4 bedroom houses could be built for that? A small street or close of pleasant family homes? Why does everything NR touches cost so much?

I agree, well at least for England.

Taxis

It's very convenient to argue over private or public and for Adonis to throw himself into the fray elsewhere but it's a massive distraction from the incompetence and stubbornness at the DfT which is the real story. The anti electrification lunatics who were defeated by Shooter et al are resurgent once more. Meanwhile Network Rail gets away with monumental failures.

I can't see any draught screens by the doors. They do help.

Why wait till 2040? A rolling programme of electrification would massively reduce diesel use within 10 years. Oh hang on. Perhaps he could tell us about 2020? That would be a challenge..... All those nice new DMUs in production with a book life of 30 years just got more expensive Mr Johnson. Who is spending £360M on new Diesel engines to bolt onto Japanese electric trains for 27.5 years? Is that your department Mr Johnson? The media could have field day with all this. Where are they?

I think it's the Hull to Brighton train which ran at lunchtime. The inbound working was from Paddington!

I know people who have moved house from Sussex to Bucks in order to save their jobs due to Southerns meltdown. They were risking their chances of promotion by relying on Southern. They have had to adapt to changes in their working practices too as have most people working in business. The RMT seem to think nothing should change and rail workers should have jobs for ever.

I suggest folks buy this months Modern Railways for a good perspective on the realities of the EC situation.

Quite so, but it's slick, manipulative civil servants at the DfT who are duping us. They speak with forked tongue eg "bringing the benefits of electrification without the disruption of electrification" The media fall for it every time. Even Mark Carne seems to believe it!

I agree Filisur is perhaps the best place to stay as your right in the station. I've stayed there twice and had good rates but it's often busy in the summer. They give you a railcard for free travel to Davos etc and there's at least 5 trains most hours. It's a short trip to Bergun for the museum and a pleasant walk down to the Landwasser Viaduct or even Wiessen. There are other good walks especially the hike up to Preda. There's also the Ladina at Bergun which is inexpensive. Alas it's the exchange rate that makes Swiss hotels quite expensive as most are mid-price. Pontresina is a pleasant place to stay as well and there is quite a bit of shunting at the station but most of the hotels are a distance away in the town except for the youth hostel which is opposite. An open air orchestra plays in the forest just along from the first station out of Pontresina on the Bernina. Samedan is the place to see almost everything but it's not very pleasant. I'd recommend the open air trucks on the Bernina - nothing else like it.

Thank you Mick for continuing to post these rare photos of a time when Hull was teeming with railway activity.

Local news article here http://www.bahnonline.ch/bo/26518/les-tpf-et-le-mob-lancent-les-travaux-de-la-gare-de-montbovon.htm

Transport for the North will actually funnel money into the priorities across the north. Scotland has devolution and as a result has a clearer more proactive transport policy driven by democratic will than England. England has the counties and then Whitehall. Many transport priorities simply don't get a look in. Since the destruction of the excellent PTE's, co-ordinated policy has been much more difficult. That's why TfN deserves a chance. The people of the north voted against devolution but it would have been an effective instrument against Whitehall and largely corrupt and ineffective county councils.

Yes I understand there is a plan to run a shuttle from Montbovon to Gstaad as well. The platform works are happening all over as the railways become accessible for disabled across the Cantons. I think there is funding from the Federal Government to help, but I may be wrong. The new Stadler units look quite smart.

The newish station at Chateau d'Oex is a good example of the MOB's largesse. Three platforms and an underground power station fed by rail. Full disabled access via ramps as on the RhB rebuilds.