Bob Loves Trains

By popular demand, Bob is now here on Twitter! Have you seen his lovely Christmas Video yet? @mummybycycle made him something very, very special… youtu.be/47Vyc3JmEfA

@DaneTank656 And Dawlish had a lovely listed signal box which Network Rail never should have got away with neglecting and demolishing.

For some of the younger railway fans, there was a time when smaller engines were allowed to take a sprint along the Dawlish Coast with a regular rail tour train known as "The Dawlish Donkey" from 1400's to Standard 4s saw a little mainline reprieve along the South West Coast.

@AndyRoden1 @JoeBrownLondon Not to mention the rapid routes into the tube ticket hall. None of your ‘walk half the length of the station in the wrong direction before there’s an escalator going your way’ nonsense.

@JoeBrownLondon As beautiful as the trainshed restoration is, I can't help but feel some of the character of old St Pancras has been lost.

#OnThisDay 21 years ago, the last Midland Mainline train left St Pancras trainshed to allow its redevelopment into the Eurostar terminal we know today. Now unrecognisable, the day before DMU 170106 awaits depature while HST 43043 idles: James Stearn buff.ly/3W8BWC6

@Bluefox63 @philatrail Best seats on the railway, since the Mk1, they were! The seat for the poor MM’s bar steward was less comfortable, but did have a useful shelf to stand your book on. 🤣

@philatrail All 17 ex Midland Mainline Class 170s are with Cross-country these days, but I remember when 10 centre cars were built and added to 170101 to 110. The first class section in those new coaches was lovely.

St Pancras was the definition of faded grandeur back then. It’s so different today but perhaps it’s best ‘modern era’ day was 2010 when a Deutsche Bahn ICE visited and, with Eurostar, the station felt truly European.

Big moment for me: after 38 years, my final day at the BBC. I've spent more than half my life as transport correspondent, and it has rarely felt like working. Travelled the world, won the prizes, worked with the best in the business, met amazing people. But now I'm off.

@DanielSedd8283 @philatrail The better you are at looking for stuff, the more you may find.

@philatrail Improved inspection methords, increasing danger. Please explain, in plain english please.

Rail union RMT is branding Network Rail’s modernising maintenance programme as dangerous and expensive. Yet the increase in faults might be coming from improved inspection methods and the increase in repair times from NR’s safety ban on live line working. rmt.org.uk/news/modernisi…

@philatrail @AlwaysRails @ATyldsley Advance public fares can be cheaper than a Priv. Especially first class. That precipitated a change to allow Off-Peak walk-up fares to be bought at PRV rate.

@AlwaysRails @ATyldsley No priv on advance tickets?

More from the transport committee: DfT reckons passengers have welcomed LNER’s fares simplification that has ditched cheaper off-peak tickets in favour less flexible, and often more expensive, advance fares.

@DownOnTheStour It looks much more slab-fronted that way. Almost like a TfW 185.

So Crosscountry New Livery is something.....😅

@Clinnick1 @railandroad Does it have a nearby Travel Tavern?

The @railandroad has authorised into service the new East Linton railway station ahead of its expected opening on 13 December.

@paulbyrail @GarethDennis Disneyland is now further away than it was, that’s for sure!

Attended an event inside the currently mothballed part of Ashford International station today, caught in a March 2020 time capsule. All very neat, tidy and well-maintained. Just needs a few cross channel trains to drop by daily rather than whizzing over the flyover…

Peter Sam lives!!

Roll up, roll up! Last chance!

@RailwayMuseum @GarethDennis Please can you consider how the museum responds to the prevalence of neurodiversity amongst railway enthusiasts in everything it does. This includes how you make and communicate changes to the fabric and operating of the museum, arrangements for key assets, etc.

📢 We need you! 'Curating for Change' is a new project launching at the NRM and we're looking for local disabled, D/deaf, or neurodivergent people to join a focus group. The project aims to empower disabled people in museum curation. 👇 More information below!

@Clinnick1 @LNER @NetworkRailKGX @NetworkRailEDB The promotional film has big shoes to fill. #WatchFiremanMungoDoingHisStuff

A new named train from @LNER - the Carolean Express. Begins on May 6, to celebrate the coronation. Will be the 11.00 @NetworkRailKGX to @NetworkRailEDB.

@JoeBrownLondon @philatrail @seb_barrow @Captain_Deltic @CrecyRail For that, I miss the old Ian Allan one, to be honest. That was properly portable. Owned both throughout my career, mind you!

@BobLovesTrains @philatrail @seb_barrow @Captain_Deltic @CrecyRail Yes 100%, the Baker brand is a small portable simple and easy to follow atlas for when you’re out and about on the network

First glimpse of the Sixteenth edition of 'Baker'... I'm remaining as faithful as possible to the 46 year old format. Same scale, same symbols, same colour scheme, but I have made subtle improvements… What do you think? #railwayatlas #Baker @CrecyRail

@philatrail @JoeBrownLondon @seb_barrow @Captain_Deltic @CrecyRail It has to retain that cleanliness and simplicity to justify opening this rather than the Trackmaps Atlas, these days.

@JoeBrownLondon @seb_barrow @Captain_Deltic @CrecyRail I think it’s a good idea to change. The cross-hatched single-lines looked very clunky in later editions. For multiple lines I’m not fussed about differentiating between 2, 3, 4 or more tracks.

Watford Model Railway Exhibition yesterday; @Vintage_Trains ‘Shakespeare Express’ today! Bit of a purple patch for Bob after his trip to the Talyllyn. ‘Henry’ is coming for the ride today, too. 👍🏻

@RAIL It was better once the grate was sorted out, and the eccentrics had some oil going to them 🙄. Much easier to fire that one with an enthusiastic driver!

As a GCR driver I generally loved my turns on Ditcheat Manor back in the day....apart from one dire day of teeming rain....the most miserable turn I ever had! Damn those low tenders!!!

I have to ask @TalyllynRailway - is there an actual internal directive about waving? Part of the induction course ? 👋🏻 Very impressive how everyone does it!

A tale of two ‘Tattoos’ this weekend. Bob took his little diecast ‘Peter Sam’ to meet both the real ones! A wonderful welcome at @TalyllynRailway and @CorrisRailway - thank you to everyone who made us welcome! Now, watch this space… #BirthdaySoon 😜

Bob is going for a bike ride today, but first we are catching the train over the immense 82 arch Welland Viaduct at Harringworth… @EastMidRailway