Recent content by Dr Strider

I like this a lot. In days gone by we had design classics like the big white circular analogue clocks and the NSE red-and-yellow digital clocks on platforms. Privatisation brought many improvements but they never really got clocks right. Tiny numerals buried somewhere on an led departures board...

If we can't have stock or new lines, I would focus on station experience. Before we get to that, my priority - bar none - would be to bring back some of the big lovely clackety-clack Solari departures boards. I miss them so much! (I'd settle for one in my garage if this were not possible). Big...

Great photos, thanks! I too was at Cosford on the 8th. (My first ever air show!). I managed to get a spot near the runway fence. Main surprise was how much closer the action was than I expected it to be. Watching aerobatics on TV or youtube is fine, but nothing prepares you for seeing it all...

It would be nice if Birmingham to Leicester M-F at peak times didn't have any hour-long gaps in it. Dec 2024 had a gap between 0852 and 0952 i.e. no 0922. That has been reinstated in the May 2025 timetable. But the M-F 0822 has now gone!

Continuing with the John Lewis theme, "Lewis's" was a department store in Birmingham and several other cities, not connected with John Lewis though many folk thought they were. And the John Lewis store in Nottingham was until 2002 known as "Jessops", unconnected to the camera chain of the same...

How about Manchester Airport, weekdays 7 tph towards Piccadilly, only 1 tph towards Wilmslow and Crewe. And no trains at all towards Crewe after 1901!

Agree with many of the ones above, plus a few more random ones since I started travelling regularly 30 odd years ago: - The Rugby WCML remodelling (if I had to pick a single project from the whole WCML upgrade) - The reopening north of Bham Snow Hill, particularly Smethwick Galton Bridge with...

Mobile site now seems to be working again via O2, so someone for the moment is still fixing faults on the old site. Thanks for the tip. Not come across traintimes.org.uk before. Looks great, could be a lifesaver. Dr Strider

I use the NRE site for its departure boards mainly. I couldn't connect at all to m.nationalrail.co.uk yesterday (the legacy mobile site) via both my O2 phones. Tried multiple browsers, purging cache/cookies etc. The problem was some sort of certificate error I think - "your connection is not...

Great Malvern to Hereford, also the tiny stretch from Worcester Shrub Hill to Foregate Street

How about: - Rugby to Wolverton - Rugeley TV to Stoke-on-Trent (or if you're counting mothballed stations: Rugeley TV to Barlaston) - Birmingham New Street to King's Norton (for the next couple of years anyway) - Peartree to Willington Dr Strider

Also Stafford. In the Dec 2019 timetable there is a SO 0712 ex Birmingham New St for Crewe, which omits Wolverhampton.

There weren't any manual announcements on the trip so I couldn't tell if it was the recording, the speakers, or the processing in the middle. I'd guess the processing (e.g. file format / conversion settings or something similar).

I managed to get on a refurbed one today - 2P62 arriving in New Street at 1622. Sorry I couldn't take any photos as the train was rammed. From memory: Plus points: * It does feel like an actual refurb, a good job nicely done. Nice smell of fabric as you walk on (even though the train was...

How about: SX 2142 Birmingham International to Manchester Piccadilly (TfW, via Shrewsbury, Chester and Warrington BQ) SO 1911 Hereford to Dorridge Dr Strider