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An old 1957 Film showed last Saturday on TPTV called ‘The Secret Place’, featured much on-location footage in the East End of London. Numerous views showed the Great Eastern Main Line between, I guess, Bethnal Green and Stratford on the continuous viaduct, complete with original DC Overhead...

My very first Hovercraft trip was in May 1969 on the British Rail SRN6 Southampton-Cowes service. Couldn’t see much on the 20 minute journey due to the spray! First experience on the SRN4 was the Hoverlloyd service from Pegwell Bay in March 1978, carrying me, a lady friend and my (then) trusty...

Memory permitting, I recollect taking the down Royal Scot on a Friday in September 1972, departing from London Euston at 10.05 hours, consisting of Mk2a/Mk1 stock hauled by an electric Class 86 Loco. It was a very fast non stop run to Basford Hall but, we then stopped there for several minutes...

An Avengers episode from the first colour series of 1966 is called ‘A Funny thing happened on the way to the Station’. Set on and includes lots of footage of the newly electrified WCML, including a sequence at the start, I’m guessing, filmed at Willesden’s Carriage Sidings? Plenty of motion...

My girlfriend’s teenage niece wanted to travel on the 1st January from Warrington Bank Quay to London Euston, en route returning to her home in Essex. Unfortunately, she isn’t at all railway minded/experienced and was simply told, at the point of origin, she would have to change several times...

Thanks for the interesting and educational replies to my original post. My memory was jogged about hearing a ‘door bell’ type ring on a platform, in my formative years, to advise the platform staff of an imminent arrival. On further reflection, agree with ‘Sir Felix Pole’ that, David Lean may...

This classic Film was very recently re-shown on BBC Television/iPlayer, in a seemingly new cleaned up ‘BFI’ edition, which made the period detail, especially the railway Scenes, much clearer. A separate, this time, sound query - whilst the major cast members are waiting for their respective...

Then, wasn’t there the infamous ‘European’ from Harwich/Parkeston Quay to Glasgow via Colchester, Chelmsford, Shenfield, the NLL onto the WCML? If I remember correctly it was even mentioned on the TV consumer show ‘That’s Life’, as BR tried not to publicise it, despite being popular with...

I agree the HEX seems useful for travellers wanting connections to/from GWR main line services. Otherwise, in my past experience the time and long walk taken from the Paddington arrival platforms to the Underground has always negated any advantage over the Elizabeth Line, let alone the...

Like some others, I hadn’t realised that the Earls Court Exhibition Centre had been demolished. I can remember using the direct linking subway from the Underground Station, in my formative years in the 1960-70’s, to visit the National Motor Show also, the Royal Tournament, both on more than one...

There are historical references/rumours that, the original larger order for EM2 (Class 77) Locomotives, was to facilitate potential 1500v DC extensions from Rotherwood (near Sheffield), to both Woodford Halse and March. Obviously the former would have simply involved electrification of the GC...

Well frankly, that menu on the website reconfirms it was reasonable to expect Breakfast to be served at that departure time! (I had previously read it at time of booking and assumed so accordingly.) Maybe not quite ‘Pullman‘ Standard should be expected, but I was expecting a more personal and...

I thought I would finish my recent trip to the Netherlands by treating myself to the so called First Class Business Premier accommodation on the direct Eurostar service from Amsterdam Centraal to St. Pancras International departing 08.45am, which wasn’t cheap but I thought of it as a special...

A very interesting film with plenty of nostalgia rail footage. The Fell controls, including the ‘regulator’ which was quite substantial for a throttle lever plus, the gear levers mode of operation were intriguing too! As an aside, some good footage too of the Liverpool Street - Shenfield...

In the very late 1950’s, as a young child, I was taken on a Steam hauled excursion from Highams Park to Clacton on Sea. Can recollect the Loco was a B1 or similar looking 4-6-0 tender Loco and, the routing was direct, using the then connection from the Chingford Branch to Lea Bridge and on to...

I believe there were provisional plans to extend the Woodhead Electrification from Rotherwood to both March and Woodford Halse, primarily for freight but, the latter could have also seen an accelerated main line passenger service to Marylebone!

I commenced commuting in early 1969 between Brentwood and Liverpool Street so, was a regular user of the peak hour service that called at all stations from Southend Victoria to Harold Wood then Stratford and finally Liverpool Street. My recollections as an enthusiast, etc., I can confirm that...

Although I realise the disaster was kept very quiet for many years afterwards, and only got substantial publicity in more recent years, I do recollect reading about it in detail way back in 1964-65 in my teens in a library copy of the book ’Rails through the Clay’. RIP to the victims, etc.

I wish to concur that, this new series of Secrets of the Underground has reached the perfect balance of reaching both a general audience, together with maintaining the interest of a more specialist rail enthusiast one. The Waterloo & City Line episode was very interesting - I've always liked...

All very interesting thanks and I believe I have the same publication somewhere in my collection. Regarding the controls of the Woodhead in Blue (ie advanced) Class 76 - there are two separate levers - the usual reverser and then, the combination control lever which goes from off to series (to...