As a fan of New Towns I decided on an awayday to Thamesmead estate via the Croydon Tramlink. Plan A was to change at Reading and have a quick look at the building site before continuing to Clapham Jct thence on to Wimbledon to have a quick look at the building site. When I actually check the times properly I discover that I have chosen the one service that does not stop at Reading but with no apparent time benefit. .
Start the day in the standard FGW HST (I don't do numbers). I will never like those high backed seats however I did try to work out previous layouts and while it upsets some by my rough calculation the removal of most of the tables has meant an additional 20 seats per carriage. We crept through a platform I had never been through before at Reading and then stopped at the first signal outside. Arrival at Paddington 10" late. A time I will certainly travel again as the lack of Readingites meant it had a good loading without people standing and, even better. No MP3 player through cheap headphones!
Plan B meant using the Underground. Whilst waiting for the District Line train to
Wimbledon at Paddington a service used the opposite platform. I had noticed the gap in conductor rail opposite and after departure the device to trip the air cock rose with a hiss in this area. The complexities of the Tube in Central London fascinate me but the longer distances between stops and station design further out appeal far more, even if it does have to be done twisting round in a bench seat. I am sure Earls Court has been opened up and is far brighter making the listed departure boards look rather out of place. As the doors shut there was some shouting from the platform and it appears that a party of foreign students spread between two carriages with leaders in each were meant to alight. The leader and therefore his charges in my carriage had not. At least I was only involved with leaving one child on the underground many years ago. The roof-tops of Putney were seen in a very stop, start manner before entering a wooded cutting and sharing the trackbed with South West Trains.
Having rail staff travel is a wonderful privilege but here was one of the times I wish I had brought a print out of the conditions as, understandably with all the variations in ticket types and validities there is not always awareness. Anyway touch out Oyster and back onto the staff travel card for the (Croydon) tram link which I have been intending to catch since it was built! Tfl website loses marks for lack of integration for only indicating tube station on underground station location map. Tube/Proper trains and trams all share the same station.
Even with the blind lowered it is possible to see forward through the cab and from your perspective see people crossing in front a bit closer than you would like. Pity I didn’t get to see the outcome when a lady walked straight past the Oyster Terminal and was trying to get round the revenue protection staff at one station. Far too much digital Derek and Doris. Along with the station announcing there were long winded announcements on ticket types. There was also a passenger sat a fair way back who needs better headphones as I was still aware of their music during the announcements.
A fast but very smooth run through a mixture of single and double track with some excellent inclines/declines before reaching the slower street running section in Croydon. I will return at a future date to experience the full network but I had other plans so just had a quick explore cursing the tram wires for getting in the way of a photo of a building I was trying to take.
I entered the greenhouse that now forms East Croydon station barely able to read the departure boards due to the sunlight. Managed to make out a service within the next 15 minutes going to London Bridge and the platform for my first experience of First Capital Connect. (Thameslink Brighton – Bedford last time I travelled down here). Comfortable enough for the shorter journey though, surprisingly for the South East area people standing instead of sitting next to someone. Sufficient space not to pay footsie with the young lady opposite. 3 people in my vicinity wearing headphones and I couldn’t hear one of them. Bliss. And announcements were limited to next station only. As one who travels mainly on DMUs electric traction seems so quiet.
London Bridge gave me my normal problem when using suburban services. Which of the many trains I know are heading in the right direction actually stop at Abbey Wood. One day I might ask someone but by a combination of the trains to… board and the summary screen I was able to pick which train it was likely to be and commenced my all stops journey in South Eastern land of which I can recall very little as I was approaching the reason for the journey.
Thamesmead Estate-as seen in A Clockwork Orange. The Utopian dream. Streets in the sky. It should work. However government policy meant councils started filling them with every undesirable they had on their books, and did not maintain the areas to a high standard. It is easier to blame the building as unfit (and some of these estates were poorly built) than to admit to other failings.
I knew it was under threat but did not expect to find a large area being demolished. Surprisingly the tower blocks appear to be being refurbished and the low level maisonettes with their interesting design are being flattened.
Back to the transport. After a walk to the dreadful town centre but a very good bacon roll in the café (no toasted tea cakes!!) I decided to use the bus back into central London. Apart from the night buses (Every 20 mins 2300-0400 then every 7 mins!!!) there are no long distance through routes so I caught the 177 to Peckham knowing from past experience there are buses to the city centre from there and it will be an interesting ride on something, I gave up bus recognition after losing my PSV licence on health grounds in 1990. At Woolwich market the line of bus stops suggested I may find something else so I alighted and after a quick perusal of the stops.(Excellent information) found a bus to Whitehall/Horse guards parade which should be back to normal after Lady Thatcher’s funeral. (Woolwich Tesco is one heck of a building).
I knew Routemasters ran on Heritage partial route 9 to High St Kensington so I found the stop and waited. It was around 5pm and I wasn’t sure when they stopped running but after a few minutes a silver one pulled up over the road so I gave it a bit longer and a red one with a proper CLT number plate came round. Human announcements from the Conductor for the important tourist stops. Problem with the Oyster card reader not wanting to read the card in my wallet which a trip round the washing machine had welded it to. I was disappointed. I know that refurbishment replaced Tungsten bulbs with their yellow glow years ago, but I did miss the wind down windows. Also I know they have been re-engined several times over the years but whatever Low Emission Zone compliant block they have now is too quiet. Especially when you can hear the 04 plated London United vehicle (Nothing external to id engine) 2 buses in front pulling away.
Do I tube it those few stops back to Pad but that would put me on first off peak train so I wait for the next RM which was silver on the last trip back to Trafalgar square before crossing the road for a bus to Paddington taking less than 30 minutes so by the time the long walks underground are taken into account I don’t think there was much in it.
For once I turned up without seeing the tail lights disappearing 15 minutes before departure. No platform advertised. 2 HSTs over by the booking office but as there is no barrier I’ll see if there are any window labels on this one in platform 9. As I am walking past the power car the announcement is made for Swansea off Platform 9. Result. An impressive announcement leaving no-one in any doubt about what would happen if they were on the wrong train for their tickets or railcard. Definitely ran under yellows for some way to Reading but a good driver who kept it rolling at a constant speed so only a few minutes down till just outside Cardiff where we stopped for twenty minutes waiting for a platform.
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Start the day in the standard FGW HST (I don't do numbers). I will never like those high backed seats however I did try to work out previous layouts and while it upsets some by my rough calculation the removal of most of the tables has meant an additional 20 seats per carriage. We crept through a platform I had never been through before at Reading and then stopped at the first signal outside. Arrival at Paddington 10" late. A time I will certainly travel again as the lack of Readingites meant it had a good loading without people standing and, even better. No MP3 player through cheap headphones!
Plan B meant using the Underground. Whilst waiting for the District Line train to
Wimbledon at Paddington a service used the opposite platform. I had noticed the gap in conductor rail opposite and after departure the device to trip the air cock rose with a hiss in this area. The complexities of the Tube in Central London fascinate me but the longer distances between stops and station design further out appeal far more, even if it does have to be done twisting round in a bench seat. I am sure Earls Court has been opened up and is far brighter making the listed departure boards look rather out of place. As the doors shut there was some shouting from the platform and it appears that a party of foreign students spread between two carriages with leaders in each were meant to alight. The leader and therefore his charges in my carriage had not. At least I was only involved with leaving one child on the underground many years ago. The roof-tops of Putney were seen in a very stop, start manner before entering a wooded cutting and sharing the trackbed with South West Trains.
Having rail staff travel is a wonderful privilege but here was one of the times I wish I had brought a print out of the conditions as, understandably with all the variations in ticket types and validities there is not always awareness. Anyway touch out Oyster and back onto the staff travel card for the (Croydon) tram link which I have been intending to catch since it was built! Tfl website loses marks for lack of integration for only indicating tube station on underground station location map. Tube/Proper trains and trams all share the same station.
Even with the blind lowered it is possible to see forward through the cab and from your perspective see people crossing in front a bit closer than you would like. Pity I didn’t get to see the outcome when a lady walked straight past the Oyster Terminal and was trying to get round the revenue protection staff at one station. Far too much digital Derek and Doris. Along with the station announcing there were long winded announcements on ticket types. There was also a passenger sat a fair way back who needs better headphones as I was still aware of their music during the announcements.
A fast but very smooth run through a mixture of single and double track with some excellent inclines/declines before reaching the slower street running section in Croydon. I will return at a future date to experience the full network but I had other plans so just had a quick explore cursing the tram wires for getting in the way of a photo of a building I was trying to take.
I entered the greenhouse that now forms East Croydon station barely able to read the departure boards due to the sunlight. Managed to make out a service within the next 15 minutes going to London Bridge and the platform for my first experience of First Capital Connect. (Thameslink Brighton – Bedford last time I travelled down here). Comfortable enough for the shorter journey though, surprisingly for the South East area people standing instead of sitting next to someone. Sufficient space not to pay footsie with the young lady opposite. 3 people in my vicinity wearing headphones and I couldn’t hear one of them. Bliss. And announcements were limited to next station only. As one who travels mainly on DMUs electric traction seems so quiet.
London Bridge gave me my normal problem when using suburban services. Which of the many trains I know are heading in the right direction actually stop at Abbey Wood. One day I might ask someone but by a combination of the trains to… board and the summary screen I was able to pick which train it was likely to be and commenced my all stops journey in South Eastern land of which I can recall very little as I was approaching the reason for the journey.
Thamesmead Estate-as seen in A Clockwork Orange. The Utopian dream. Streets in the sky. It should work. However government policy meant councils started filling them with every undesirable they had on their books, and did not maintain the areas to a high standard. It is easier to blame the building as unfit (and some of these estates were poorly built) than to admit to other failings.
I knew it was under threat but did not expect to find a large area being demolished. Surprisingly the tower blocks appear to be being refurbished and the low level maisonettes with their interesting design are being flattened.
Back to the transport. After a walk to the dreadful town centre but a very good bacon roll in the café (no toasted tea cakes!!) I decided to use the bus back into central London. Apart from the night buses (Every 20 mins 2300-0400 then every 7 mins!!!) there are no long distance through routes so I caught the 177 to Peckham knowing from past experience there are buses to the city centre from there and it will be an interesting ride on something, I gave up bus recognition after losing my PSV licence on health grounds in 1990. At Woolwich market the line of bus stops suggested I may find something else so I alighted and after a quick perusal of the stops.(Excellent information) found a bus to Whitehall/Horse guards parade which should be back to normal after Lady Thatcher’s funeral. (Woolwich Tesco is one heck of a building).
I knew Routemasters ran on Heritage partial route 9 to High St Kensington so I found the stop and waited. It was around 5pm and I wasn’t sure when they stopped running but after a few minutes a silver one pulled up over the road so I gave it a bit longer and a red one with a proper CLT number plate came round. Human announcements from the Conductor for the important tourist stops. Problem with the Oyster card reader not wanting to read the card in my wallet which a trip round the washing machine had welded it to. I was disappointed. I know that refurbishment replaced Tungsten bulbs with their yellow glow years ago, but I did miss the wind down windows. Also I know they have been re-engined several times over the years but whatever Low Emission Zone compliant block they have now is too quiet. Especially when you can hear the 04 plated London United vehicle (Nothing external to id engine) 2 buses in front pulling away.
Do I tube it those few stops back to Pad but that would put me on first off peak train so I wait for the next RM which was silver on the last trip back to Trafalgar square before crossing the road for a bus to Paddington taking less than 30 minutes so by the time the long walks underground are taken into account I don’t think there was much in it.
For once I turned up without seeing the tail lights disappearing 15 minutes before departure. No platform advertised. 2 HSTs over by the booking office but as there is no barrier I’ll see if there are any window labels on this one in platform 9. As I am walking past the power car the announcement is made for Swansea off Platform 9. Result. An impressive announcement leaving no-one in any doubt about what would happen if they were on the wrong train for their tickets or railcard. Definitely ran under yellows for some way to Reading but a good driver who kept it rolling at a constant speed so only a few minutes down till just outside Cardiff where we stopped for twenty minutes waiting for a platform.
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