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Being as many of the transfers into FAW were well used to London area commuting and choice , it would have been quite important to them - and indeed their bosses. Yes - quite a long time ago now , so at least something was done to alleviate the situation. The present station is the third in the...

I imagine the MOD couldn't give 2 hoots about a through connection. Especially now MS Teams exists. I cannot let that go - yes numbers at Filton Abbey Wood are a bit down post pandemic , but the first ever tranche of money in the SRA's fund for capacity enhancements (Rail Passenger Performance)...

Yes , I was lent Mr Cornish's book and it is a good read. There is a huge match between the travails of getting the job done in the background of almost constant change and inevitably re-organisation.

The Black Mountain (Mynydd Du) area in South Wales and the Llandovery area immediately to the north of it. Less frequented than the more eastern summits but a nice combination of high upland country and quiet rolling, green hills. Magnificent road from Brynamman over the Black Mountain with...

Gourvish is excellent for data and detail , but hard going ! , I would recommend some of John Heaton's writings on his experiences as the Area Manager at Exeter in the 1980's for an overall appreciation of a very multi-faceted job (and very readable) ..

"Metroland" had run it's course by 1938 , and the Abercrombie report of 1944 and the Town and Country Planning Act of 1947 saw to it as the end of limitless suburbia.

Hence my comment that for Crossrail 1 , there was really too much service planned, -as well as cost !

Conducter , in Welsh is "arweinydd" - my SW Wales roots point to chapel influence , as the term was often used for those leading services or choral singing etc....... "Traffic Manager" in Welsh was "Rheolwr Trafnyddiad" (I think) - a much more direct translation ........ No doubt , I will be...

Not to mention the second man on the stopped mail train . who also had issues in life as a result of this robbery. The hype over this robbery is one thing , but in reality there were many victims........

There is a huge amount of speculation etc written about the GTR. I would recomend "Great Train Robbery Confidential" 2019 by Graham Satchwell - a retired British Transport Police senior officer which is utterly superb and the railway operations sections are well written and researched. (had...

A reduced service ran certainly , but often strenghened to maximise loco power and paths , - someone I worked with many years ago fired a Kings Cross to Leeds train of 16 coaches aged under 20 , it very nearly killed him due to bad coal etc and refused to go beyond Doncaster - but was persuaded...

Possibly a bit too far - but turning some services a bit closer in - like Gerrards Cross or West Ruislip could be valuable. Trouble is one would have to gauge the service levels very carefully. Crossrail to Aylesbury was worked up in considerable detail , operationally I did a lot of it , and...

There was an option worked for wiring the ex Met lines in the manner described , plus a feed off the grid at Mopp End ! (forget the old Croxley depot site - long gone and built over) It was noticeable that once Tring got a regular 4 tph service - loadings from there increased solidly , some of...

Rebuilding Ricky was an option at one time - but there was (and is) a need to maintain the berthing sidings there ....... Transferring a few Chilterns to either West Ealing , or better still OOC would allow excellent connectivity into the Elizabeth line (and release a few slots into Marylebone)...

Some knowledge as to the Aylesbury route , having been involved in Crossrail 1 (the one that got cancelled in 1994)- Tricky to get OLE up Amersham to Rickmansworth due to the tight clearances on the 4 tracked section , though not impossible. North of Ricky not too tricky , and that included...

There have been "efficient" Conservative shuffling of boundaries - one would expect the alliance of Harpenden and Hitchin with a belt of rich countryside would be "safe" - but no - they have now aligned HPDN with Berkhampstead - nice places but with no obvious connection. Anyway , this may not...

Far too modern in my view - a series of chariot journeys along the Roman road network , with stays at noteble villas and temples........

Many of my friends are hoping for a "Portillo" moment for this gentleman........

Mentioned this before - but the structural regime of the railways since 1996 makes (a) Train fleet leases often have mileage caps imposed , so if you exceed the annual target - you pay more -a factor for explaining why the old Thameslink franchise tended to run 4 cars vice 8 at weekends ...

There is still a Thunderbird loco at Rugby ? - used to be - now a bit of prudent planning would have moved that to say Banbury to "protect" the West Midlands traffic which was pretty much all off Marylebone , obviously with qualified and competent staff present. All possible at a cost of course...