Recent content by vc-10

Hattons aren't, in fact they're on bargain at the moment at £62.

I'm off on a rail trip around Europe this summer, and I'm having some problems with finding out about fares and supplements etc. We're getting interrail tickets (proper gap year fares!), but we want to do the following: Eurostar cheapo tickets from London to Lille, then a TGV to Paris. This...

Babcock and Brown are expanding quite a bit at the moment. They've recently launched the new Airbus A330-200F freighter plane...

I had chapman seats on a Pacer from Westbury to Bristol once, involving a 45 minute delay at Westbury trying to get the interlock on the doors to play ball. I was looking forward to my connection on an HST...

What's a 'Chapman' seat? I've noticed that the vinyls aren't holding up to much as well. Seen some 158s reading 'F rcat Gr at eslern' instead of First Great Western. One thing I noticed is that on one of the 158s I was on the table (fixed, in a 4-seat bay) was set really low, and I could barely...

Why? The Turdos are loud and slow, and worst of all, you can't stick your head out the window :D The seats on the HSTs aren't that bad. I was in one today, between Reading a Slough, it was fine. The Flying F logo is a bit odd though staring you in the face...

OK, so it was a 180. Not as nice as the HSTs, though the seats were marginally more comfortable, but it was loud and the vestibules smelt (a la Voyager). I actually went on 180108 Techniquest! At least, I think it was, as they'd removed the panel over the coupler, and the number ended in 08. Had...

Why stay out of the buffet? Carbon fibre is remarkably good at absorbing energy, it just does it by splintering. But I believe that if you reinforce it with aluminium, it's stronger and lighter, and deforms more like a metal. Then there's GLARE, which is used on the new Airbus A380, which is...

Isn't that standard suburban first class? It's the same on the Turdos.

165s have one first class section between the doors and the cab, 166s have 2, one at each end. In both, the seats are standard suburban fare, think standard class on a 158 but with broken reading lights and you're there. They're fine for the Slough services, but it is nice going on an HST instead...

^^ That's why I always try to take an HST from Slough! If I end up at Reading, and would miss my connection at Slough if I waited, then I will take a turdo, but there's really no advantage.

The train from Windsor arrives a minute before the one to Reading leaves, I can normally make it (they normally arrive a bit early). I presume that the Oxford train has no catering, but the Hereford one does? If the Oxford one has catering, then I'll rush to make it, but if not, then I won't...

You'd rather slog it across the Irish sea on a ferry than jump across with easyjet? While I refuse to fly Ryanair, why refuse to fly across with Aer Lingus, easyjet or BMI Baby etc?

I'm going mad, it was 11:37.. which goes to Oxford. Turdo, 180 or HST? It's 14 minutes. But I'm after a 180, so best bet would be to hang around for the 12:07? Edit: I'm reserved on the 12:47 to Westbury, which is an HST (I'm in coach H), but I'm not restricted on the other 2 trains. I presume...

I pre-booked my ticket to Westbury on Thursday, and it said that I'd get an allocated seat in Coach D when I tried to buy the ticket online, despite selecting a first class ticket. This was on the Slough-Reading sector, leaving Slough at 11:56, which is a service to Hereford. Anyone know which...