BBC Documentary 'The Railways'

[GodAtum]

Wow 1 guy for a whole station! Surely that's against line worker rules?

 

[VauxhallandI]

Great stationmaster at Twyford

He's excellent, I could miss my train to chat to him and hear his stories

 

[Ironside]

Great stationmaster at Twyford

Agreed, he knows what he is doing and how to talk to people.

 

[GodAtum]

It it just me or does the new bridge look ugly compared to the old rounded one?

 

[Manchester77]

It it just me or does the new bridge look ugly compared to the old rounded one?

The old one looked like it was gonna collapse to me

 

[richw]

Overall showed the Thames Valley in a much more positive way than I expected.
The network Rail guy seemed rather enthusiastic about scooping up that dead dog, and wasnt much less enthusiastic with the deceased person at the foot crossing. I guess in his role need to be of that personality though.

 

[Ironside]

It it just me or does the new bridge look ugly compared to the old rounded one?

Ugly but really needed on cow lane, two lanes rather than one a great improvement for the town. Also lower maintanance than the original.

I should perhaps make it clear that cow lane suffers from traffic jams trying to get through the pair of tunnels with no pavement for pedestrians. The second bridge will be removed in the next year or two.

 

[DavidBrown]

The network Rail guy seemed rather enthusiastic about scooping up that dead dog, and wasnt much less enthusiastic with the deceased person at the foot crossing. I guess in his role need to be of that personality though.

I think he hit the nail on the head himself when he said that his "youthful enthusiasm" helped him get through the job - and fair play to him. I would think that's exactly the type of person Network Rail would want to help manage the practical side of such incidents - having sombody who would get seriously depressed by seeing corpses and gore on a regular basis wouldn't be much good.

I think that it was a very well done episode. It certaintly seemed to show FGW trying their best with an impossible situation, and commuters in the Thames Valley being a bunch of miserable gits!

 

[David Goddard]

He's excellent, I could miss my train to chat to him and hear his stories

Norman is an excellent chap! Always happy to help and keeps that station going really well.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Norman is a top bloke. Got given an MBE a few years ago for services to the Railway. Smashing bloke who is a pleasure to work with.

 

[Pumbaa]

It's not on a platform, what's the problem?

Wasn't that one of your favourite trains featured tonight?

Very enjoyable watch this one, recognised a few people, including myself!

 

[Crossover]

Very enjoyable watch this one, recognised a few people, including myself!

Thanks for the heads up...I'll do a spot the Pumbaa

 

[Buttsy]

I think that it was a very well done episode. It certaintly seemed to show FGW trying their best with an impossible situation, and commuters in the Thames Valley being a bunch of miserable gits!

We're not ALL miserable gits...

 

[Flamingo]

We're not ALL miserable gits...

Which one isn't? I haven't met them yet
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Wasn't that one of your favourite trains featured tonight?

A HST? (Or the 2015?)

Very enjoyable watch this one, recognised a few people, including myself!

Which one was you?
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I have to admit, the programme was better done than I thought it would be, and a lot less "Daily Mail" than they seemed to have the first episode.

 

[Manchester77]

I enjoyed the bit where they were on board the catering vehicle on the HST

 

[Flamingo]

I enjoyed the bit where they were on board the catering vehicle on the HST

They came across well, I thought. Two nice ladies.

 

[trainophile]

Fair play to them all. I haven't seen a job featured yet that I could do myself (even assuming I was trained). I thought maybe the lost property role, until that weirdo started trying to bag himself ANY Nokia phone that happened to be lying around! :roll:

I hope some of those grumpy passengers saw themselves tonight and feel duly embarrassed. (I'm sure Pumbaa was one of the rare pleasant ones!)

 

[Cab2Cab]

Agreed, he knows what he is doing and how to talk to people.

'Norm' a credit to the railway, had it all under control.

Norm for prime minister!

Nice too see the blonde lass (lost property) did not give in to the guy that was just trying claim a mobile that did not belong to him. Bet this happens all the time just trying it on.

 

[telstarbox]

Tonight's episode was the best so far, and the staff featured were a credit to the railway.

 

[Ironside]

Out of interest what was the train in footage of the 1980's footage of reading station (not the hst), the one waiting in a platform.

 

[bnm]

They came across well, I thought. Two nice ladies.

I've had more than my fair share of freshly prepared scran from Travelling Chef Karen. Only the recent burger that was disappointing. Perhaps I got the emergency bland supermarket cheddar on said burger!

That said, very proactive of Karen to ensure she had further supplies en route, rather than saying all items requiring cheese were off.

And Norman at Twyford, once kept an eye on my bike after I'd mistakenly forgot to lock it at the station and boarded a train to Paddington with my d-lock still in my bag.

 

[Flamingo]

She does a mean omlette as well.

 

[Pumbaa]

A HST? (Or the 2015?)

The 2015. Cause you a spot of bother?
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Tonight's episode was the best so far, and the staff featured were a credit to the railway.

It makes me wonder, as this and the previous one were quite good, why the first one was so awful?

 

[bnm]

I've not seen anything pink, feathery and long legged on the 2015 to Bristol Parkway yet.

Perhaps I've just been lucky.
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It makes me wonder, as this and the previous one were quite good, why the first one was so awful?

'Cos it was all London, innit. And featured a state-owned railway.

 

[Flamingo]

2015 is not my normal habitat, I will admit!

 

[paulypaul]

I've enjoyed all of the programmes. There are super railway characters in all of the shows. I was touched by the guy who had been attacked, who relied on the Passenger Assist service and gave it a glowing review.

 

[ainsworth74]

2015 is not my normal habitat, I will admit!

Indeed! Flamingo's are more commonly found wading around lakes in Africa and South America, not checking tickets on the 2015 out of Paddington

 

[Flamingo]

Indeed! Flamingo's are more commonly found wading around lakes in Africa and South America, not checking tickets on the 2015 out of Paddington

What do you mean checking tickets? Cheek! I can be found in either the kitchen or TGS (depending on which way around the train is) drinking tea and reading the complimentary Times.

Checking tickets, indeed!

 

[tsr]

I personally thought this most recent episode was really rather good. Unfortunately, I didn't see myself, but then again I don't use Reading station all that much (wrong end of the line, and all that ). I do generally say I don't comment on people without meeting them, but I was impressed by the enthusiasm of all the staff involved, especially the NR staff talking to the public, the buffet staff and the station master.

It's a pity none of the stations on the North Downs Line were really featured in any way (there seemed to be some advice about the line being broadcast or discussed in the background, but that was it, as far as I saw). Mind you, apart from talking to commuters and perhaps those who have to remove more animals from the lines, I don't know whether or not that would just end up shown as a few short scenic video clips!

 

[Captain Chaos]

I think the closest the North Downs Line was featured was when the Network Rail guy drove under the bridge near Palmer Park en route to the fatality at Marlow.

I thought it was quite good and showed us in a rather positive light overall. The old guy who asked about the 0814 to Paddington with Angela I thought was incredibly rude.