Train Appreciation Thread

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If we have one of these already please tell me.

Post about what you love about trains.

I love High Speed Rail but I also have a trainspotting book which I am ticking trains off in. I haven't had huge chances to go on High Speed Rail, except for HS1 in the UK. As far as non-high speed; so far I've only been using First Capital Connect services, but I'm hoping to go around the UK one day on different train services. So far I'm only really using Class 319s but I'm hoping to spread out, especially as I have a Disabled Freedom Pass which gives me free travel all over London.

My first special interest was in trains at the age of 3 or so. I haven't really followed it since though.

I used to love travelling on trains as a kid (and still do), and I remember passing some of my time in the playground in primary school watching the trains going to Battersea Park station go past.

I like travelling on trains although my prefer traction is diesel as i like the sound of them also admire the scenery when looking out of the train window prefer the seat to be aligned though.

I went to visit a friend in NYC by taking Amtrak and I really enjoyed the experience. I would rather take Amtrak over a plane. The train car somehow felt much less cramped then an airplane.

I also enjoyed eating in the diner car.

Alright, my most recent shot:


S56 at Westmead by My good self, on Flickr

Click it, and you'll see all my train shots

I would DEFINITELY go on a train in preference to an aeroplane.

I went on a Class 319 First Capital Connect train today. I prefer the Class 377s to the 319s, but unfortunately the Class 377s only run to Brighton (I use the Sutton to Luton service).

I took a picture of a DR 98916 engineer's train (it was cleaning the tracks) today at St Helier station (my home station), but it's on my Facebook so I don't know how to post it here. It was really good stuff and I was very happy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHkKJfcBXcw[/youtube] I like trains because they are cheaper than riding the plane and you can get drunk on them and time goes by faster!!

It feels odd that HST's are now classed as preserved locos and one can see HST powercars thankfully donated by FGW to a few preservation societies. But it feels odd. Also find it odd as massive grants were given to re-engine almost the entire fleet of HST's with new "Enviromentally friendly" GM engines so they would be good to last another 25 years of service only to find most of them being scrapped just a few years later after all the major tax payers funding grant aid money came through and they were totally rebuilt. Many of them were in severe dilapidated state of repair when they were rebuilt, and came out looking like new "Straight out of the factory" locomotives. I remember being amazed how much work they put into them and I was absolutely gobsmacked when several years later the Welsh Assembly government declared yet more funding was being provided to electrify the South Wales main line (Which let's be honest, didn't really need electrifying when other lines (Or the lack of) were far more pressing issues) so MP's could reach Cardiff and Westminster a few minutes quicker. I have honestly marveled at how road and railway routes MP's regularly use are really impressive but other routes that locals use that do not go towards Cardiff or Westminster tend to be a bit of an after thought despite them being regularly used by the locos people and others. Seems like all routes to Cardiff and London have an excessive amount of funding spent on them but so many lesser routes are either permanently closed "Awaiting funds to repair" or have had temporary traffic lights (Again waiting for repair) which have been like this for years. Probably cost them more to power the traffic light electrical generators in fuel than if they had taken loans out and had to pay the interest.
I do sympathize when one wants to do more, but I was honestly puzzled at the new electrification meaning new trains when the new trains were not needed as they had just spent absolutely millions to rebuild the old ones to get them into top condition with new enviromently friendly engines. And the new trains? Well. I have not been on them, but passengers who have have made their comments clear on YouTube that they give an uncomfortable ride and they want the HST's back!
I have to say, out of all the units I worked, the most practical train I ever worked for an all stopping local service was the class 143. Always kept to time on them. Very quick in and out of stations with a fair turn of speed and excellent acceleration. Their top speed was way above their official booked top speed. Not many people know that. They had a reputation for bouncing if the shock absorbers were on their way out. They actually rode well with new shocks (Including the outer stabilizing shocks), and they were even faster when they used to have the bus style seats in them as they were given much thicker floors to mount the airline seats (Which actually came out of the class 158's when they had their rebuild a year or two earlier where they had new seats. The old 158 seats were refurbished and put in the 142's and 143's when they were given the heavier floors... I always found the 143's rode better (Less prone to "Bounce") and were faster accelerating, but they did both suffer with the rear car shake when one hit "Warp speed" which took place around 68mph but the shake stopped and they ran near silently with no shake as if floating on air when they hit speeds above 80 (A few topped out at about 82 while the good ones topped out at 86. This was before black boxes were fitted and drivers had to have their eyes glued on the speedometers which as one is aware, can distract one from looking at the signals. So mixed feelings about the black boxes making rail travel safer... But I really do miss the 143's. Only other downside is the cold winter mornings! One learns where to put passengers where they can keep warm! But what a thrill of a ride! There's nothing like it!

It seems quiet but it does have sound.

How could I not appreciate trains when this is my laundry, 3 guest bedrooms, library, sewing room and it has a balcony. (Not to mention a wood stove)
The drivers compartment contains the house batteries and inverter.