I was 22 years old and in college when I made my first overseas trip from Chicago to London as part of a College overseas program. Our group stayed at 34 Harrington Gardens near the Gloucester road tube station. At this point in my life I had ridden every Amtrak route in the USA, some more than once, and was quite familiar with the details along the routes. So the United Kingdom was an exotic, anticipated experience for me. I had no idea what to expect. The guide books talked about the Intercity 125 services and then some services to tourism spots around London. I read Britain by Britrail front to back several times trying to figure out how to ride as many routes as possible. Since it was designed for people using trains to get from point A to B, it helped me understand how to buy tickets and seat reservations and that eating in a dining car was to be put on the to do list. But that was about it.
The day of the trip arrived and I boarded the TWA 747 from ORD to LHR. This was my first overseas flight. I was seated by the window. The 8 hours seemed an eternity, and my rear end was numb from the sitting. I was hesitant to get up because the know it all girl on the aisle seat acted annoyed every time I got up to use the bathroom. I already did not like her. We landed at Heathrow and walked and walked to get to Immigrations and customs. I was fascinated by seeing Jets from different corners of the world. Then our group was loaded onto a coach for the drive into London. On the way into London, I napped from Jet lag. When I woke up the British Chaperone with her wonderful accent noted that I had a "bit of jet lag."
After we settled in and were allowed freedom to do what we want, I set off on my first tube ride. The goal was to obtain a national time table. I had carefully plotted my ride on the circle line from Gloucester road to Victoria station which was the closest major station with a tourist office and a booking office a month before I left the United States. The tube system was wonderfully complex and different from the 5 or 6 mundane subway and elevated lines in Chicago. I got off at Victoria station, and found the information booth. I asked for a National time table. I wanted a pamphlet like the one Amtrak issued a few times a year. Amtrak's pamphlet was about 80 pages in total for the entire country. The agent wanted to know my destination. I explained I wanted the NATIONAL timetable with a map in it. I believed in the moment that the person was being officious like Amtrak employees and giving me what he though I needed rather than what I wanted. He sighed, bent over, and then plopped this huge book on the counter. It was the size of a large cities telephone book back in the states. 3 pounds 50 he said. In my mind I said, "Holy crap, 7 bucks for a dang train schedule, that is expensive." A system map was sitting on top of the book and I wanted that map and book. So my second purchase in London was the time table, the first being my monthly student tube pass which I would use for the month I was in London before I set off on an 8 day rail pass.
I got back to the tube station and rode back to Gloucester Road. I came up out of the tube station and started looking around. I could not orient myself. I was three blocks from 34 Harrington Gardens, and I did not have a clue where to go because there were no street signs. I knew if I started walking I could really get lost. I had never been this disoriented in my life. Normally, I was an excellent reader of maps and getting around. But in that moment I kept looking at my London Map and kept trying to figure out where to go. People passed by. Finally, an older lady stopped and asked me if I was lost. I told her if she could just show me where Gloucester Road was and the direction to Harrington Gardens, I could find my way. I also asked where the street signs were. She showed me the street names on the buildings, and then walked me to 34 Harrington Gardens. I was impressed by her kindness and relieved to get back safely.
During my 4 weeks of studying I used free time to explore. The first free Saturday I planned a train ride from Waterloo to someplace to ride a steam railway. I rode the tube to Waterloo, found the correct platform and boarded my train. I had used the timetable to book an express service. IIRC this was the line to Southampton. Onboard I discovered the train had compartments and each compartment had a door that was operated by the passengers. The windows were open too. I was astonished. This would be considered lawsuit territory in the US. I had been scolded numerous times on Amtrak for opening the dutch door to enjoy fresh air on Amtrak. Here the windows were nonchalantly left open. I settled in. We pulled out. Once we got up to speed I could not resist. I stood up and took my position by the window. If you stand with the window all the way down, it was almost like riding Amtrak equipment with the top half of the dutch door open. I am not sure how old these cars were, but they seemed ancient. I estimated that we were doing 90 mph. I enjoyed the clatter of switches, junctions, and rail joints. It was familiar but different. And totally awesome. At stops I observed how other passengers operated the doors, and opened the door of my compartment and carefully closed it when I got off at my stop.
The station for the steam line was adjacent to the British Rail station. This train also had open windows and slam doors. I had never ridden behind steam engine. Of course I had to stick my head out the window to enjoy the view on a curve, and almost immediately got a cinder in my eye for my efforts. I sat down and worked on getting it out. Finally relief. The train back to London also had the slam door cars. I was now pretty skilled at getting around London on the Tube. The "Mind the gap" messages were no longer exotic but familiar background noise.
I carefully plotted my 8 day rail pass using the National Timetable. I spent hours doing this during my free time. Finally, I had an itinerary put together. It would cover all corners of England, Wales, and Scotland. I went as far north as Wick, Scotland. I went to Wales to ride the Blestau FFestiniog (I know the spelling is wrong) railway. I rode to Penzance. I rode the Kyle of Lochalsh line. I went to the British Rail travel center and gentleman reviewed my itinerary, and made suggestions to improve it so that I would have a better trip. Then he printed seat reservations for window seats on all of the trains that required seat reservations and reservations for the night trains to Inverness Scotland.
There are too many highlights to recount all of them. My favorites, a meal in a dining car that included yorkshire pudding. Eating breakfast in the dining car on an intercity train from Glasgow to Crewe. The scenery in Scotland was amazing. The hospitality even better. I stayed and bed and breakfasts and met many kind, caring people. I ate numerous servings of fish and chips. All were delicious. The train rides in Scotland were fascinating and exotic as we rolled along and the driver blew the whistle to chase sheep off of the tracks. In the USA the right of ways are usually protected. by fencing to keep animals off of the tracks. So Amtrak never had to contend with sheep grazing on the tracks.
I hope you all enjoyed this report. I do not know all the classes and train types I rode. The intercity 125 and the Mark 3 coaches on the Euston Glasgow lines were probably the most comfortable. The slam door cars with open windows were great for fresh air. I had a long ride from western wales to Birmingham new street on a 2 or 3 car diesel multiple unit that sounded and accelerated like a bus. The seating was not that great, and the windows did not open enough to counteract the greenhouse effect of the sun shining through the windows.
The day of the trip arrived and I boarded the TWA 747 from ORD to LHR. This was my first overseas flight. I was seated by the window. The 8 hours seemed an eternity, and my rear end was numb from the sitting. I was hesitant to get up because the know it all girl on the aisle seat acted annoyed every time I got up to use the bathroom. I already did not like her. We landed at Heathrow and walked and walked to get to Immigrations and customs. I was fascinated by seeing Jets from different corners of the world. Then our group was loaded onto a coach for the drive into London. On the way into London, I napped from Jet lag. When I woke up the British Chaperone with her wonderful accent noted that I had a "bit of jet lag."
After we settled in and were allowed freedom to do what we want, I set off on my first tube ride. The goal was to obtain a national time table. I had carefully plotted my ride on the circle line from Gloucester road to Victoria station which was the closest major station with a tourist office and a booking office a month before I left the United States. The tube system was wonderfully complex and different from the 5 or 6 mundane subway and elevated lines in Chicago. I got off at Victoria station, and found the information booth. I asked for a National time table. I wanted a pamphlet like the one Amtrak issued a few times a year. Amtrak's pamphlet was about 80 pages in total for the entire country. The agent wanted to know my destination. I explained I wanted the NATIONAL timetable with a map in it. I believed in the moment that the person was being officious like Amtrak employees and giving me what he though I needed rather than what I wanted. He sighed, bent over, and then plopped this huge book on the counter. It was the size of a large cities telephone book back in the states. 3 pounds 50 he said. In my mind I said, "Holy crap, 7 bucks for a dang train schedule, that is expensive." A system map was sitting on top of the book and I wanted that map and book. So my second purchase in London was the time table, the first being my monthly student tube pass which I would use for the month I was in London before I set off on an 8 day rail pass.
I got back to the tube station and rode back to Gloucester Road. I came up out of the tube station and started looking around. I could not orient myself. I was three blocks from 34 Harrington Gardens, and I did not have a clue where to go because there were no street signs. I knew if I started walking I could really get lost. I had never been this disoriented in my life. Normally, I was an excellent reader of maps and getting around. But in that moment I kept looking at my London Map and kept trying to figure out where to go. People passed by. Finally, an older lady stopped and asked me if I was lost. I told her if she could just show me where Gloucester Road was and the direction to Harrington Gardens, I could find my way. I also asked where the street signs were. She showed me the street names on the buildings, and then walked me to 34 Harrington Gardens. I was impressed by her kindness and relieved to get back safely.
During my 4 weeks of studying I used free time to explore. The first free Saturday I planned a train ride from Waterloo to someplace to ride a steam railway. I rode the tube to Waterloo, found the correct platform and boarded my train. I had used the timetable to book an express service. IIRC this was the line to Southampton. Onboard I discovered the train had compartments and each compartment had a door that was operated by the passengers. The windows were open too. I was astonished. This would be considered lawsuit territory in the US. I had been scolded numerous times on Amtrak for opening the dutch door to enjoy fresh air on Amtrak. Here the windows were nonchalantly left open. I settled in. We pulled out. Once we got up to speed I could not resist. I stood up and took my position by the window. If you stand with the window all the way down, it was almost like riding Amtrak equipment with the top half of the dutch door open. I am not sure how old these cars were, but they seemed ancient. I estimated that we were doing 90 mph. I enjoyed the clatter of switches, junctions, and rail joints. It was familiar but different. And totally awesome. At stops I observed how other passengers operated the doors, and opened the door of my compartment and carefully closed it when I got off at my stop.
The station for the steam line was adjacent to the British Rail station. This train also had open windows and slam doors. I had never ridden behind steam engine. Of course I had to stick my head out the window to enjoy the view on a curve, and almost immediately got a cinder in my eye for my efforts. I sat down and worked on getting it out. Finally relief. The train back to London also had the slam door cars. I was now pretty skilled at getting around London on the Tube. The "Mind the gap" messages were no longer exotic but familiar background noise.
I carefully plotted my 8 day rail pass using the National Timetable. I spent hours doing this during my free time. Finally, I had an itinerary put together. It would cover all corners of England, Wales, and Scotland. I went as far north as Wick, Scotland. I went to Wales to ride the Blestau FFestiniog (I know the spelling is wrong) railway. I rode to Penzance. I rode the Kyle of Lochalsh line. I went to the British Rail travel center and gentleman reviewed my itinerary, and made suggestions to improve it so that I would have a better trip. Then he printed seat reservations for window seats on all of the trains that required seat reservations and reservations for the night trains to Inverness Scotland.
There are too many highlights to recount all of them. My favorites, a meal in a dining car that included yorkshire pudding. Eating breakfast in the dining car on an intercity train from Glasgow to Crewe. The scenery in Scotland was amazing. The hospitality even better. I stayed and bed and breakfasts and met many kind, caring people. I ate numerous servings of fish and chips. All were delicious. The train rides in Scotland were fascinating and exotic as we rolled along and the driver blew the whistle to chase sheep off of the tracks. In the USA the right of ways are usually protected. by fencing to keep animals off of the tracks. So Amtrak never had to contend with sheep grazing on the tracks.
I hope you all enjoyed this report. I do not know all the classes and train types I rode. The intercity 125 and the Mark 3 coaches on the Euston Glasgow lines were probably the most comfortable. The slam door cars with open windows were great for fresh air. I had a long ride from western wales to Birmingham new street on a 2 or 3 car diesel multiple unit that sounded and accelerated like a bus. The seating was not that great, and the windows did not open enough to counteract the greenhouse effect of the sun shining through the windows.
