Rail-looking back and forwards / your 'awards' & predictions

[Masbroughlad]

As the end of the year draws closer - how about:

1) Best rail memory / event from 2013
2) best rail memory / event ever
3) Looking forward to rail-wise in 2014 (and beyond)
4) Rail prediction - bad - for 2014
5) Rail prediction - good - for 2014
6) A wish for 2014 - rail related

These can be contemporary, heritage, model, UK or overseas - the floor is yours

Mine are:

1) XC HSTs Sheffield to Torquay and return
2) Merrymaker trips (old BR days of the late 70s and early 80s) with my Dad to here, there and everywhere! (Or driving a class 50 on the SVR for my 40th)
3) Helping to organise two charity railtours! Watch out - they are happening!
4) Setbacks for HS2 - I hope not though!
5) Virgin seen as favourite for ECML (better if stayed in state hands but...)
6) New entrant please - somebody new and exciting - Open Access or a surprise bidder for franchises....

Look forward to reading others.

Happy New Year to all! :razz:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Was it that exciting? Obviously not! Lol.

Happy New Year!

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Here are some of mine for starters.

I am looking forward to going to the model railshow in Erith later in January, I went for the first time last year and it was an excellent event.

I hope to go to the NYMR later this year when the renovations/new platform and run around loop has been completed at Whitby, which I understand should be ready for the Easter or Summer timetables.

Agree with you about either ECML staying in state hands or going to Virgin, although I hope they don't bring in Pendolines, the ECML 125s and 225s are fine.

More loco hauled Chiltern services from Marylebone to B'rum at weekends as well as weekdays, perhaps also to Stratford.

Extending the GWR to Stratford from Cheltenham/Toddington.

SWT to keep their franchise. They seem to have got it right.

Doing some more mainline steam charters and also hoping that Hastings Diesels will come back on to the mainline too this year.

No doubt I will think of some more.

 

[317666]

1) Going to Berlin by train, and sampling a bit of DB whilst there.
2) Probably taking the train from Ashford to Bodensee back in 2005. Either that or family holidays to Slovenia or Croatia that involved using the AutoZug from Düsseldorf.
3) I'm looking forward to doing a BeNeLux InterRail in March, and possibly an Austrian one later on in the year too.
4) More Bombardier Derby stock will be ordered - think of the poor passengers!
5) I must admit it's pretty hard to predict anything good happening with the UK railway scene!
6) The 317/7s get put back into service somewhere (preferably the WA) so I can finally cop 708!

 

[ATW Alex 101]

-Rail Highlight of the Year
London in April, managed many things I wanted to do and generally a good trip.
-Rail Lowlight of the Year
Ellesmere Port-Helsby trains not sticking to correct timings meaning a lot of 50-55 minute waits at Helsby, usually in the rain.
-Best TOC
Virgin
-Best rail journey
Paddington-Pembroke dock and back first class
-Best 'newcomer'
350's on TPE
-Surprise of the Year
Talking to a random person on Chester station for it only to be Sprinterman
-Thread of the Year
soon to follow...

 

[causton]

-Rail Highlight of the Year
My one week ALR trip with Urban Gateline in July - saw a lot of new places and am thinking of another one soon!
-Rail Lowlight of the Year
Being at work too many times to not go out more often in the last few months! A close second was going to Berney Arms... in the snow. That was fun. Not
-Best TOC
East Coast
-Best rail journey
The sleeper Fort William - Euston. In the lounge car eating and drinking watching the deserted countryside - amazing!
-Best 'newcomer'
This will sound weird, but Steam on the Met - the 150 years celebrations were brilliant and will probably be the only time I get to ride those steam trains on the Underground!
-Surprise of the Year
Going to Norwich for the 158 to Great Yarmouth - to realise due to a fatality at Peterborough the 158 wouldn't make it to Norwich in time! Waited anyway, to find... the class 47 set appear! Brilliant!
-Thread of the Year
Can't say there's been one particular - there have been lots of amazing gen!

 

[Robinson]

1) Train bash around Europe over the summer, taking in TGV, Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, RailJet, DB ICE and a couple of EuroCity routes as well.

2) See above

3) Not sure yet - very probably more Pendolino trips though...

4) Further cutbacks will be made on the First Class onboard service of many operators...

5) Money will be invested somewhere outside London...

6) Services from Helensburgh Central to be swapped with those from, say, Balloch so we can see the back of those Junipers and have our 320s back

 

[harry42]

Rail Highlight of the Year
Riding the highlands: far north line and many others.
-Rail Lowlight of the Year
Nottingham station being closed and bloody beeston having 6 car parking spaces and very limited bus links!
-Best TOC
First Hull Trains
-Best rail journey
Gotta be Eurostar to Paris.
-Best 'newcomer'
158s finally making a regular appearance on matlock line.
-Surprise of the Year
Travelling on the hope valley line 11 times and only having a pacer once!
-Thread of the Year
Although not rail related, gotta be Nottingham bus war.

 

[Qwerty133]

-Best 'newcomer'
158s finally making a regular appearance on matlock line.

They are less frequent now than at any other point during the franchise, 2 of the 3 diagrams were booked 158 at one point IIRC.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

1) Going to Berlin by train, and sampling a bit of DB whilst there.
2) Probably taking the train from Ashford to Bodensee back in 2005. Either that or family holidays to Slovenia or Croatia that involved using the AutoZug from Düsseldorf.
3) I'm looking forward to doing a BeNeLux InterRail in March, and possibly an Austrian one later on in the year too.
4) More Bombardier Derby stock will be ordered - think of the poor passengers!
5) I must admit it's pretty hard to predict anything good happening with the UK railway scene!
6) The 317/7s get put back into service somewhere (preferably the WA) so I can finally cop 708!

Hi, Sorry, don't quite understand your comment on point 4, ?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Another thing I am looking forward to is when DB start operating through the Chunnel later this year or next year....(Wonder how they will serve through trains beyond Brussels, if they call there enroute. I Guess a reversal would be required?)

 

[317666]

Hi, Sorry, don't quite understand your comment on point 4, ?

Personally I'm not a fan of any Electrostars or Turbostars (I have both as local trains) - although I hope you understand that I made that comment in jest.

 

[alex17595]

1) Ride down the Lochalsh Line
2) Same a 1
3) Travelling around on some more train and completing the rest of the lines I need to do.
4) More fare rises
5) There will be more railtours
6) Some new lines need opening

 

[43074]

1) Best rail memory / event from 2013
Work experience at EMT in July.

2) best rail memory / event ever
Leicester to Nottingham return in the cab of an EMT HST in 2009.

3) Looking forward to rail-wise in 2014 (and beyond)
Doing more bashes to fill in the gaps I 'need' to do.

4) Rail prediction - bad - for 2014
Virgin Trains will win the East Coast franchise.

5) Rail prediction - good - for 2014
More ex-BR EMUs will get life extensions and AC traction motors.

6) A wish for 2014 - rail related
Bombardier Derby will win more contracts (although, thats only because my dad has a habit of appearing on East Mids Today to tell us all how bad things will be in the region if Derby don't get anything :roll

Best TOC
Greater Anglia

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Personally I'm not a fan of any Electrostars or Turbostars (I have both as local trains) - although I hope you understand that I made that comment in jest.

Oh I see what you mean.