Following on from my post on December 1 last year, I have now returned to the UK to complete my route coverage. I now have seven stretches of track to complete.
Tulse Hill to East Croydon
Motspur Park to Chessington South.
Surbiton to Hampton Court
Surbiton to Effingham Junction
Selhurst to West Croydon
Balham to Epsom Downs via West Croydon
Thornton Heath to Caterham
This Thursday 20th September it's my 65th Birthday. Part of the celebration will be completing these lines. Then I will have covered all available passenger lines on the Mainland British Railway (not NI) System.
Looking back, I don't begrudge a single penny in expense: a single mile of the journey; a single second of the time. Each time I have ridden on new rails there has been a tinge of excitement.
In spite of many problems there are with the rail system today, we, in the UK have a rail network to be proud of. Most probably I have met hundreds if not thousands of rail workers all of whom have been courteous, polite, friendly, chatty, and helpful.
The lovely lady in Troon, The guard up in Chester who gave me his badge when I was seven or eight years old, and the platform staff, who have held up trains for me by a few seconds, so I could make a connection, all come to mind. Illegal now, and most probably back then, the drivers who invited me to cab ride with them. Brilliant people all of them.
Today more than in yesteryear, fellow passengers annoy me. Feet on seats, obviously cheating on fares, bags on seats preventing others from sitting next to them or sitting in an isle seat to keep the window seat next to them empty. Mobile phones are a nuisance, and swearing! How fellow humans degrade themselves.
One thing the rail network needs more than HS2 and electrification is coaches, coaches, coaches, and longer platforms in lots of places. There is nothing quite so soul destroying to my mind than to see a train from the south west going to the midlands and way beyond with 4 or 5 coaches, full to the gunnels by the time it gets to Plymouth. A two or three coach train (as I experienced recently) from Manchester to Cardiff.
My first train ride, I was told, was from home in Lelant to St Ives. then to St Erth and Penzance. Home is no longer in Lelant, and indeed Lelant is just a requeststop these days (hence my nickname), I still get a thrill when I return home and pass Truro and see our cathedral. I still think St Erth is the best little main line station in the network, and my home line, the St Ives branch the best in the entire bloody world. (wipes away metaphorical tear)
I'll post on Thursday my final coverage of the network. If you are travelling the lines listed above on Thursday, and see a youthful(ish) 65 year old with a huge grin on his face, give me a smile huh!
Update: 21/09/18 Route coverage completed. See log in Trip reports thread.