BBC Documentary 'The Railways'

[EM2]

Animals also tend not to stand on their hind legs for extended periods...

 

[Flamingo]

As I have often said on here, all that is needed to improve conditions between London and Reading is to educate the people going to Reading to move down the platform before boarding, in both directions.

It'll never happen, although FGW are at fault as well, we need to start telling people where to go and direct them, not just let them behave like sheep (or do what hey want). But then there would be complaints about the Jobsworths telling me where to go. The level of abuse some can give has to be experienced to be believed, and every sentence starts "I'm a season-ticket holder, you can't tell me what to do".

My train last night, in the middle of peak, had over 100 empty seats (more, as that was subtracting the total headcount off the number of seats, including the twenty or thirty standing). Most of the seats were in A&B. E and F were jammed.

Don't forget, there are 400-480 seats in Std class on a HST, the twenty or thirty standing are the ones that piled on at the last minute rather than waiting for the train to Reading five or ten minutes later. I find most of the ones standing won't sit even if you tell them there are seats in the carriage they are standing in the vestibule of.

I'm sure the programme won't reflect any of this.

 

[DarloRich]

I'm confused. The section about the boy killed on the tracks, the narrator says that it was a tragic accident rather then a deliberate act. Surely being on the tracks is a deliberate act?

TBh I am a very angry and petty commuter and an expert shoulder barger!

I am assuming this to be an ironic statement.................

 

[Monty]

I'm confused. The section about the boy killed on the tracks, the narrator says that it was a tragic accident rather then a deliberate act. Surely being on the tracks is a deliberate act?

TBh I am a very angry and petty commuter and an expert shoulder barger!

The narrator implied that the death was accidental and not intentional (ie suicide), the act of trespass was obviously deliberate.

 

[Chew Chew]

Does that involve ham on Honey Oat ???

No mate, not into any of that kinky stuff.

It crossed my mind that if ever a female passenger undergoing chemotherapy, with the unfortunate hair loss side effect, comes to their desk, I do hope they would demonstrate a bit more maturity.

Oh come on, I think you are looking far too seriously into that.

 

[D365]

No mate, not into any of that kinky stuff.

Watch it cheeky?!

Oh come on, I think you are looking far too seriously into that.

You know the Facebook photos with descriptions to the tune of 'Like if you hate cancer' featuring a picture of a bald women, inevitably clogging your feed? One of them, she in the photo commented that she isn't suffering from it! Don't know if it would be acceptable to link the image but this just reminded me of that. I still don't understand what the service desk was laughing at!

 

[D1009]

My train last night, in the middle of peak, had over 100 empty seats (more, as that was subtracting the total headcount off the number of seats, including the twenty or thirty standing). Most of the seats were in A&B. E and F were jammed.

I've been at Padd for the 1845 Padd-Swansea when there were spare seats in coach A, but there were so many people wedged in the vestibule who weren't interested in sitting down that it was totally impossible to board the train. And yes, there are HSTs to Reading at 1847 and 1850.

 

[CC 72100]

My train last night, in the middle of peak, had over 100 empty seats (more, as that was subtracting the total headcount off the number of seats, including the twenty or thirty standing). Most of the seats were in A&B. E and F were jammed.

Maybe we ought to either a) have a really long coach E or b) call every coach 'Coach E' then people can be spread out, but still enjoy the charm of being in the coach labelled 'E'. (That's why everyone stands there right, its got something special about it hasn't it? )

 

[Altrincham]

Far more engrossing than last week's episode, although I did still enjoy watching Kings Cross.

I felt a real pang of anxiety watching as the police drove into Asda's car park. The programme dealt with that very well.

I got the impression that the BBC were aiming for a pro-North slant (translated by a production assistant as lots of warmth (very accurate!) but also lots of drunken yobbos).

We could have had more from the control room for instance and less of the platform shouting and bawling.

 

[pinguini]

We could have had more from the control room for instance and less of the platform shouting and bawling.

I agree, I can look outside my window and see p*ssheads. I'd really enjoy seeing more of the railway back offices.

 

[TDK]

The narrator implied that the death was accidental and not intentional (ie suicide), the act of trespass was obviously deliberate.

It depends on what way you look at it - A death in this manor will always be accidental unless it is a suicide where someone decideds to end their life by whatever means and in some cases this is accidental. The narrator was correct in saying this death was accidental although the deseased was trespassing - he didn't intend on getting killed.

 

[Chew Chew]

You know the Facebook photos with descriptions to the tune of 'Like if you hate cancer' featuring a picture of a bald women, inevitably clogging your feed? One of them, she in the photo commented that she isn't suffering from it! Don't know if it would be acceptable to link the image but this just reminded me of that. I still don't understand what the service desk was laughing at!

They were laughing at, what they felt were, the womans ridiculously shaped eyebrows.

 

[TDK]

They were laughing at, what they felt were, the womans ridiculously shaped eyebrows.

And to add I really do not think that there was any wrong in that as I would laugh at someone with wierd shaped eyebrows as well. It may have been wrong if they laughed in her face.

 

[trainophile]

And to add I really do not think that there was any wrong in that as I would laugh at someone with wierd shaped eyebrows as well. It may have been wrong if they laughed in her face.

You only have to spend half an hour sitting in any major hub station to see all sorts of weirdos. I found it hard to believe that they actually worked there, yet apparently had not become immune to the more eccentric aspects of humanity.

If she'd had tartan dyed hair or something maybe, but eyebrows...???

 

[D365]

You only have to spend half an hour sitting in any major hub station to see all sorts of weirdos. I found it hard to believe that they actually worked there, yet apparently had not become immune to the more eccentric aspects of humanity.

If she'd had tartan dyed hair or something maybe, but eyebrows...???

Agreed, you'd have thought they would be used to seeing a variety of people and different personas. One must always be careful when making comments or similar, or the situation may escalate rapidly.

 

[SS4]

I agree, I can look outside my window and see p*ssheads. I'd really enjoy seeing more of the railway back offices.

Pfft, an episode set in the Midlands would be rarer yet

 

[Flamingo]

Maybe we ought to either a) have a really long coach E or b) call every coach 'Coach E' then people can be spread out, but still enjoy the charm of being in the coach labelled 'E'. (That's why everyone stands there right, its got something special about it hasn't it? )

I did a thread suggesting that a while back

 

[rebmcr]

As I have often said on here, all that is needed to improve conditions between London and Reading is to educate the people going to Reading to move down the platform before boarding, in both directions.

A particularly devious use for SDO springs to mind.

 

[Trainfan344]

Why don't they do an episode in East Anglia, oh wait, were not:
A) Overcrowded
B) Hooligans
C) London Commuters.

 

[Flamingo]

A particularly devious use for SDO springs to mind.

It can be done - and is to keep First Class tidy at certain stations on late trains!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

why don't they do an episode in east anglia, oh wait, were not:
A) overcrowded
b) hooligans
c) london commuters.

You're boring then

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Why don't they do an episode in East Anglia, oh wait, were not:
A) Overcrowded
B) Hooligans
C) London Commuters.

There is however an episode on railways in the community, every chance it could be on that as the East Country has some very successful CRPs and the like.

 

[big_dirt]

You only have to spend half an hour sitting in any major hub station to see all sorts of weirdos. I found it hard to believe that they actually worked there, yet apparently had not become immune to the more eccentric aspects of humanity.

If she'd had tartan dyed hair or something maybe, but eyebrows...???

But you would surely act differently with a tv crew there. We've all had situations where we'd ordinarily be fine but add a vicar, teacher, policeman and we get the giggles. I'm sure a tv crew is no different.

 

[CC 72100]

I did a thread suggesting that a while back

Hehe I'm not surprised... it obviously does have a certain allure that everyone wishes to take advantage of!

 

[yorksrob]

I was quite impressed that the controller at Leeds had a picture of an NSE liveried VEP on his computer!

 

[Wyvern]

The one that said "I'm not a spotter"?

 

[Bald Rick]

The one that said "I'm not a spotter"?

The thing with Jerry is that you can never be sure when he's telling the truth

 

[Wyvern]

I think I know what he is distinguishing himself as an enthusiast not just a loco number collector. After all there is a picture of him as a youngster next to a 37.

THere's something about the railway that draws people into a community even in these days of privatised "divide and rule" We even felt it in the sixties working in the research department, even though we kept a low profile. (We were seen to be the people that meant that locos no longer went chuff chuff, carriages no longer went clickety clack and wagons no longer went wibble wobble and signals no longer went up and down with a crash)

It has always been said "Once a railwayman, always a railwayman"

 

[Starmill]

They do King's X, nada on FCC. West Yorkshire? Not a peep from TPE.

How are they going to go on in Scotland?

 

[YorkshireBear]

They do King's X, nada on FCC. West Yorkshire? Not a peep from TPE.

How are they going to go on in Scotland?

Next one is reading, so FGW, and with Scotland it will be FSR, so that probably explain the lack of attention to First on other episodes when there are alternative companies. Cant give First too much otherwise its unfair...

 

[Manchester77]

They'll probably cover SWT and FGW at reading?