I like to think of myself as a bit of a train station connosieur - and today I've found a beauty.
Never before have I stopped in Perth (I've passed through at least once, but possibly no more) and with a 7 minute connection between trains I was somewhat anxious. The snow meant I had nothing to worry about regarding connection times (a 20 minute delay to my departing train at the time of writing) but the station - oh, how my heart sang!
At the moment I'm travelling with my trusty Brompton folding bicycle, Billy. I was able to stepp of the train lifting bulky & heavy (but manageable) the Billy-laden-with-full-panier combo, and once settled at the platform I saw...steps to the bridge to my right...no evidence of a lift to the bridge in front of me...and a RAMP from platform to bridge level to my left! Genius! Not sure how long they've had that ramp, but it looks like it's been there as long as the bridge itself - recent additions don't tend to have the gorgeous ironwork of yesteryear.
Familiarising myself with the station and meandering along the bridge I discovered my next exciting fact: Perth has ramps from platform to bridge for EVERY PLATFORM! What I had anticipated would be a struggle up and down steps was a blissing wheeling of my bicycle. Hurrah!
Now, it being the middle of The Big Freeze it's somewhat of the variety BITINGLY COLD up in Perth. Never fear - friendly waiting room is here! It's very simple - benches round the outside, lots of space for standing / push chairs / luggage in the middle, brightly lit and WARM. Comfortably warm to wait in, and that, at the end of the day, is what waiting rooms are for. So yet again Perth has excelled itself as a station. My experience of it may be brief but oh my, it's very much turning into Tigger's Top Station (current title holder: Preston).
Yes, I am a train gekk. And you know what? It makes me feel proud :)
Saturday, January 9, 2010
And it all worked out perfectly... (Jan 7th)
Things I resolved to learn more about a couple of hours ago: where Carstairs is and what exactly a points failure is. Turns out my impression of where Carstairs is was confused by a false assumption: I assumed we were past Edinburgh. We weren’t. Carstairs is south of Edinburgh. And that was why the train hadn’t reversed direction. But I jump ahead...
So, I made it on to the train, settled in for the night in my sleeping bag (turns out that was essential luggage – even now the seated car is pretty cold such that we’ve all been offered free tea and coffee) and actually got some good rest. Result! Most of the journey I was fairly oblivious of what was going on but was sure we’d had the usual “extended stop” in Edinburgh – from my sleeping bag cocoon I’d had a glance of the yellow lights of a station and we were stopped. I fell asleep again shortly. Now, usually at Edinburgh the train reverses direction (just the way the train tracks work – you go into Waverley from London in one direction and come out another to head on up to Aberdeen) and later in the journey (after the “Edinburgh” stop) I realised I was going the same way. Sleep-brain in action I put this down to a “new way of doing things” and thought nothing of it.
Turns out “Edinburgh” was probably Crewe or Preston – given which side the platform was on, I’d hazard a guess it was Crewe. So, again, sleep-brain in action when we’d been stopped for some time and I got up to ask one of the train crew where we were and she said Carstairs I got all confused and tried to work out where between Edinburgh & Aberdeen Carstairs was. I knew I knew the name...I just couldn’t place it between Edinburgh & Aberdeen. Because it’s not between Edinburgh & Aberdeen. Silly Tig-Tigs. It was when we pulled into the next big station and a big sign right outside my window proclaimed “Edinburgh Waverley” that I realised my mistake. Assumptions: the downfall of so many things. But at least I now know (roughly) where Carstairs is.
The points failure was at Carstairs (hence the 45-60 minute stoppage there) but once we got moving again I noticed a series of flashes of light illuminating the snow-filled fields next to the train. It was almost like lightning, but much more localised and a greenish-tinged light. Turns out it was being caused by large sparks (which at one point turned into a veritable cascade of orange sparks) from the contact between the train and the overhead wires. A little disconcerting, but we were moving which was a good start!
Next issue: we got into Waverley about 7am – which put us about 3 hours behind schedule. And given I had my first viewing of the flat at 9am, this was going to cause me problems. Even more so because it was a viewing with someone who only had a Hungarian mobile and I wasn’t convinced I was going to be able to make contact. So, in a fit of inspiration I decided to bite the bullet and pay for some internet while at Waverley (I’ve done this before). Turned the laptop on. Got the “available networks” up. And got logged on to the East Coast mainline free wireless. Hurrah! While all that was going on in the background I’d drafted a note to my 9am prospective tenant and searched by his name to find his email address – turns out since the last time I’d checked my emails he’d been in touch to inform me he already had accommodation...and was cancelling the appointment. So that *definitely* worked out perfectly!
The train is now on its merry way again – and the light is just coming into the sky so I’ll have the pleasure of watching the Scottish countryside go by on my way up to Aberdeen. The fact that this bit of railway line is one of my faves for gazing at the countryside is, of course, another bonus. It’s going to be a good day.
So, I made it on to the train, settled in for the night in my sleeping bag (turns out that was essential luggage – even now the seated car is pretty cold such that we’ve all been offered free tea and coffee) and actually got some good rest. Result! Most of the journey I was fairly oblivious of what was going on but was sure we’d had the usual “extended stop” in Edinburgh – from my sleeping bag cocoon I’d had a glance of the yellow lights of a station and we were stopped. I fell asleep again shortly. Now, usually at Edinburgh the train reverses direction (just the way the train tracks work – you go into Waverley from London in one direction and come out another to head on up to Aberdeen) and later in the journey (after the “Edinburgh” stop) I realised I was going the same way. Sleep-brain in action I put this down to a “new way of doing things” and thought nothing of it.
Turns out “Edinburgh” was probably Crewe or Preston – given which side the platform was on, I’d hazard a guess it was Crewe. So, again, sleep-brain in action when we’d been stopped for some time and I got up to ask one of the train crew where we were and she said Carstairs I got all confused and tried to work out where between Edinburgh & Aberdeen Carstairs was. I knew I knew the name...I just couldn’t place it between Edinburgh & Aberdeen. Because it’s not between Edinburgh & Aberdeen. Silly Tig-Tigs. It was when we pulled into the next big station and a big sign right outside my window proclaimed “Edinburgh Waverley” that I realised my mistake. Assumptions: the downfall of so many things. But at least I now know (roughly) where Carstairs is.
The points failure was at Carstairs (hence the 45-60 minute stoppage there) but once we got moving again I noticed a series of flashes of light illuminating the snow-filled fields next to the train. It was almost like lightning, but much more localised and a greenish-tinged light. Turns out it was being caused by large sparks (which at one point turned into a veritable cascade of orange sparks) from the contact between the train and the overhead wires. A little disconcerting, but we were moving which was a good start!
Next issue: we got into Waverley about 7am – which put us about 3 hours behind schedule. And given I had my first viewing of the flat at 9am, this was going to cause me problems. Even more so because it was a viewing with someone who only had a Hungarian mobile and I wasn’t convinced I was going to be able to make contact. So, in a fit of inspiration I decided to bite the bullet and pay for some internet while at Waverley (I’ve done this before). Turned the laptop on. Got the “available networks” up. And got logged on to the East Coast mainline free wireless. Hurrah! While all that was going on in the background I’d drafted a note to my 9am prospective tenant and searched by his name to find his email address – turns out since the last time I’d checked my emails he’d been in touch to inform me he already had accommodation...and was cancelling the appointment. So that *definitely* worked out perfectly!
The train is now on its merry way again – and the light is just coming into the sky so I’ll have the pleasure of watching the Scottish countryside go by on my way up to Aberdeen. The fact that this bit of railway line is one of my faves for gazing at the countryside is, of course, another bonus. It’s going to be a good day.
I Feel Sorry for the Pedestrians (Jan 6th)
It's been an interesting evening. Having spent much of my spare brain capacity in the past 24 hours on worrying about whether I would have a train to take me up to Scotland at all, I ended up with oodles of time to spare at Euston courtesy of Snow Panic.
Snow Panic had caused my disturbed rest the evening before.
Snow Panic cancelled a meeting and gave me a day of listening to my own voice.
And Snow Panic emptied the offices I'm working in by 5.30pm at which point the offices were locked. Hence a lot of spare time at Euston.
I had also been concerned, having watched the snow fall all day, that perhaps my journey acrsoss London may be slower than usual. That was Snow Panic talking. Turns out the roads were pleasantly quiet, mainly free of slush let alone ice (after the London gritters had been out full throttle over the past few days) and it was actually a fairly pleasant ride. The one thing that did strike me was the plight of the pedestrians. Although the roads were clear, the pavements looked to be an icy skateland of compacted snow. I found myself reflecting on the different plights of differentr travellers and just had a sense that, in London at least, pedestrians seeme to come off worst. All hail the car lobby. Or something.
My time at Euston also proved mentally stimulating, A lovely woman held a door open for me and Billy (my Brompton - heavily laden with a full panier) - only to discoer we were going a different way. And then I settled myself in the "Food Court" to pass the time.
After reorganising my bags (the ongoing task of a multi-vehicle-type-traveller) and sending reminders of appointments to prospective tenants, I settled into some reading. People came and went around me, moving tabls, catching trains, drinking beverages (mainly hot ones). The most surprising was recognising a face among many - a man I'd met while doing massage for homeless people during Crisis at Christmas. He didn't approach me - I don't know if he saw me & recognised me and decided not to approach, or if he simply didn't see or recognise me. But I did spend a good chunk of time wondering whether to approach him myself. My indecision cost me the option and he walked off. I feel at peace with that outcome - and a good job too given that's what happened.
And so, here I am, awaiting the train's departure on it's merry journey to Scotland. Feeling quite zen, if truth be told (and mildly amused that a friend called while I was sitting in the food court for my train expertise! Hee hee!)
Snow Panic had caused my disturbed rest the evening before.
Snow Panic cancelled a meeting and gave me a day of listening to my own voice.
And Snow Panic emptied the offices I'm working in by 5.30pm at which point the offices were locked. Hence a lot of spare time at Euston.
I had also been concerned, having watched the snow fall all day, that perhaps my journey acrsoss London may be slower than usual. That was Snow Panic talking. Turns out the roads were pleasantly quiet, mainly free of slush let alone ice (after the London gritters had been out full throttle over the past few days) and it was actually a fairly pleasant ride. The one thing that did strike me was the plight of the pedestrians. Although the roads were clear, the pavements looked to be an icy skateland of compacted snow. I found myself reflecting on the different plights of differentr travellers and just had a sense that, in London at least, pedestrians seeme to come off worst. All hail the car lobby. Or something.
My time at Euston also proved mentally stimulating, A lovely woman held a door open for me and Billy (my Brompton - heavily laden with a full panier) - only to discoer we were going a different way. And then I settled myself in the "Food Court" to pass the time.
After reorganising my bags (the ongoing task of a multi-vehicle-type-traveller) and sending reminders of appointments to prospective tenants, I settled into some reading. People came and went around me, moving tabls, catching trains, drinking beverages (mainly hot ones). The most surprising was recognising a face among many - a man I'd met while doing massage for homeless people during Crisis at Christmas. He didn't approach me - I don't know if he saw me & recognised me and decided not to approach, or if he simply didn't see or recognise me. But I did spend a good chunk of time wondering whether to approach him myself. My indecision cost me the option and he walked off. I feel at peace with that outcome - and a good job too given that's what happened.
And so, here I am, awaiting the train's departure on it's merry journey to Scotland. Feeling quite zen, if truth be told (and mildly amused that a friend called while I was sitting in the food court for my train expertise! Hee hee!)
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