Monday, 18 July 2016

LONDON TO GREAT YARMOUTH VIA NORWICH JULY 2016

Allowed myself a long weekend away in Great Yarmouth for some rest, plenty of beach walks and enjoying an old family holiday destination from my youth. Yarmouth has many memories for me, but in the thirty years that have passed since last family holiday at Caister-on-Sea (Haven Holiday Park) can't say much has changed in this seaside town. 

What I did remember however was that the summer timetable had special holiday services "Direct" via Norwich from Liverpool Street. Under modern privatisation no such luxury and the days of 10 coaches filling up the platforms beind a couple of 47's are long gone. 

As you'll see from the images of Yarmouth, once known as Yarmouth Vauxhall and the only survivor of one of three stations in the town, there was plenty of room for services to and from Norwich and all points from there, and now it's reduced to a half hourly service by a 2 car DMU. 


At least some of the heritage survives, the signal box and semaphore signals are present, the platforms and track are generally in good order even though there are few services and the one thing I remember was the resident Class 03 shunter and the rails going over the bridge across the River Yare. 





Now the shunter is long retired and the carriage sidings are overgrown however the arch bridge is still present albeit it's a foot / cycle path now. 





Nice touch to see the platform pay tribute to the services during the wartime evacuation, a time where rail service where in their heyday and a time we hope never to see again for the right reasons. 




Anyway here comes my train right on time. 








Friday, 1 July 2016

CABLE CAR ACROSS THE THAMES (EMIRATES AIR LINE)

HAD A FEW DAYS OFF PLANNED AND ONE OF THEM WAS TO SPEND THE DAY UP IN LONDON. 

SO TOOK A TRAIN RIDE INTO TOWN AND MADE MY WAY FROM WATERLOO AND ONTO THE JUBILEE LINE ALONG TO THE O2 IN NORTH GREENWICH FROM THERE I TOOK A RIDE (THEIR MARKETING CALLS IT A FLIGHT) ON THE EMIRATES AIR LINE ACROSS THE THAMES. 

NOT EXACTLY WELL SIGNED FROM THE O2 BUT YOU CAN'T MISS IT AS LONG AS YOU LOOK UP ! 

WAS NICE AND QUIET TODAY AND ALTHOUGH FAIRLY SMALL (FITS ABOUT 6 ADULTS) AS I WAS ALONE HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO LOOK AROUND AND TAKE IN THE VIEWS. YOU ALSO GET A VIDEO IN THE CABLE CAR AND A RUNNING COMMENTARY ABOUT THE THAMES TUNNEL BUILT BY ISAMBARD KINGDOM BRUNEL AS WELL AS THE THAMES FLOOD BARRIER AND LONDON CITY AIRPORT. 

THE JOURNEY IS ABOUT 15-20 MINS AND ENJOYABLE, GIVEN IT'S ONLY COSTING ABOUT £3 USING MY OYSTER CARD COMPARED TO THE SIMILAR JOURNEY AND VIEWS ON THE LONDON EYE THAT COSTS ABOUT £25 IT'S EXCELLENT VALUE AND AT LEAST TAKES YOU SOMEWHERE. 


GETTING OFF THE OTHER SIDE YOU HAVE THE EXCEL CENTRE AND MORE OF THE DOCKLANDS AREA. YOU ARE THEN A SHORT STROLL TO VICTORIA DOCKS ON THE DLR (DOCKLANDS LIGHT RAILWAY) FROM WHERE I CONTINUED MY TRAVELS BACK INTO TOWN. 



IT'S PROBABLY A LOVELY RIDE AT NIGHT AS I EXPECT IT'S ALL LIT UP NICE, BUT I WILL SAVE THAT FOR ANOTHER DAY. 












Saturday, 18 June 2016

BLUEBELL RAILWAY MODEL RAILWAY SHOW 2016

Bluebell Railway
  - 5th Model Railway Show


Sat 25th June 2016 - Sun 26th June 2016

The Bluebell Railway
Sheffield Park Station, 
Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 3QL

OPENING TIMES:  SAT 10am-5pm, SUN 10am-4pm



The Bluebell Railway will be holding it's 5th Annual Model Railway Show over the weekend of the 25th and 26th of June 2016. As in previous years admission to the show will be free to those purchasing a valid ticket to travel on the Bluebell. For those not wishing to travel a platform ticket will be required at Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes to gain entry.

The main car parks are located at Sheffield Park Station with secondary parking available at Horsted Keynes. The railways two train service will be in operation for the weekend and will be strengthened with a shuttle train running between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes between the service trains. The shuttle train service will be the first use of the Bluebell's four 4 wheeled coach set.

There is disabled access to the majority of the show including a stair lift to the Birch Grove Suite at Sheffield Park.

Catering is available at both Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes but it should be noted that the main restaurant is at Sheffield Park.