Epic Rail Travels...

Following on from the previous post on the theme of baggin' but this time of quite a different type. Railway line baggin must be something of a Daf..ydd speciality as I can't really see it catching on much, but still, here is a description of my latest travels. Over the last two days have been out enjoying our fantastic British National Rail Network again, this time starting off on Monday with a quick nip up on the 0844 Voyager from Lancaster to a rather wet and miserable Edinburgh, after spending an hour there mainly in Waverly station it was time to head south down the East coast on GNER to York. On arrival the weather was somewhat improved, now nice and sunny. Couple of hours in the national railway museum followed by a sprint round York to find the York Brewery as recommended by JP, and 'reht good it were too - polished off a pint there before heading back to the station for the train to Derby. VXC down to Derby and then across to Beeston, just outside Nottingham where I settled for a few more pints and a fine meal at the Vic pub with Liz and Steve.

York, one of Britains' railway cities, GNER 91109 leaving with the down Newcastle express.

Tuesday the march southwards continued with midland mainline down to London St Pancras - a most exciting rail hub which will become the finest station in Europe if not the world in November this year when Eurostar moves north of the river with the opening of High Speed 1. Underground to Charing Cross, followed by southeastern through Kent to Dover. Spent a few hours strolling along the seafront and gazing from the top of the white cliffs at ferrys coming and going from Calais. Then time to begin the journey northwards to Lancaster. On the return I took the slightly longer route through East Kent to Victoria and then across to Euston ready for the home leg - and what is always my favourite part of any travels: the West Coast mainline aboard Virgin. I started on the Holyhead bound Voyager from Euston to Crewe, where I changed onto the following Carlisle bound Pendolino, arriving in Lancaster dead on at 2238.
All in all a great trip, on the move pretty much constantly for two days, saw plenty of places - just my cup of tea!

Dover's international port with the Seafrance Rodin arriving from Calais.