The Inverness market railway.

[Rheged]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx26xnrnk85o

Another of those "people cooperating to the benefit of all" stories.  I saw this running 30something years ago. My sons were fascinated............"let's just stay and watch until Thomas comes round again"...............and then again .......and yet again!

[PR19_Kit]

But they dismantled it! Sacrilege!   

[Rick Lowe]

But they dismantled it! Sacrilege! 

To be fair, it would likely have taken significant damage during the renovations... and they did get it put back together, which is nice to see - keeping the history, rather than the "Everything Old must be deleted to make way for the New" ethos that seems to take precedence far too often these days.

[Old Wombat]

Have to agree with Rick, Kit.

They had two options; rip it out & throw it away with the renovations, or; dismantle it & re-install it as part of the renovations. They chose to re-install it.

I would guess that new track was used because some of the original, 50+ years old track may not have been in the best condition.

This way it gets to run for another 50+ years! 


I suppose there was a third option; rip it out & replace it with a CGI train running around a bank of TV screens. 

[PR19_Kit]

I  didn't see the bit about them re-installing it, I read it as if the whole place had been re-purposed. I wish I'd known of its existence, I'd have gone to see it when Hazel and I were up there last year.

[Charlie_c67]

But they dismantled it! Sacrilege! 

To be fair, it would likely have taken significant damage during the renovations... and they did get it put back together, which is nice to see - keeping the history, rather than the "Everything Old must be deleted to make way for the New" ethos that seems to take precedence far too often these days.

Like they did at Euston and are apparently trying to do to Liverpool Street 

[PR19_Kit]

Like they did at Euston and are apparently trying to do to Liverpool Street 

And at St. Pancras when they added the Eurostar platforms too. Normal trains are now banished to what's effectively a shed added onto the north end of the magnificent original station building and passengers have to walk MILES to reach them!

[zenrat]

I never could work out why they moved the Eurostar from Waterloo International.
What's not to like?  Trains from Paris came into Waterloo and when you left the station the first pub you saw was the Duke of Wellington (dodgy clientele but a magnificent mural on the arched ceiling).   

[PR19_Kit]

I never could work out why they moved the Eurostar from Waterloo International.
What's not to like?  Trains from Paris came into Waterloo and when you left the station the first pub you saw was the Duke of Wellington (dodgy clientele but a magnificent mural on the arched ceiling).   

Absolutely!

It's insane going to St. Pancras to catch a train that's heading toward Paris, which is south east of London, and all the tracks at St. Pancras point north! They had to build so much more track and build an extra bridge across the Thames to do that. The phrase 'Jobs for the Boys', comes to mind......

[scautomoton]

I suspect part of it was that its easier to get to for Eurostar customers coming via train into Euston, King's Cross and St. Pancras without having to haul luggage across London via the Tube (which is a PITA).

[zenrat]

I suspect part of it was that its easier to get to for Eurostar customers coming via train into Euston, King's Cross and St. Pancras without having to haul luggage across London via the Tube (which is a PITA).

So what about the Eurostar customers who come into London via London Bridge, Waterloo, Charing Cross, Victoria, Paddington, or Liverpool St?
And it's still a PitA dragging luggage from Euston to St Pancreas.
Passenger convenience won't be the reason though.  I suspect it was done because someone thought that in the future they might like to run Eurostars to Manchester up the WCML.

[PR19_Kit]

I suspect it was done because someone thought that in the future they might like to run Eurostars to Manchester up the WCML.

Or even Glasgow, but not at 186 mph as they don't tilt!   

[NARSES2]

Passenger convenience won't be the reason though.  I suspect it was done because someone thought that in the future they might like to run Eurostars to Manchester up the WCML.

Probably in the origional proposals somewhere, but a snowflakes chance now.

I must admit I much prefered it when the terminus was at Waterloo, but nowadays I can get the Thameslink direct from Norwood Jct to St P in 40 mins, so I can't complain.

When they built Thameslink it was one of the best improvements to our railways in eons 

[Charlie_c67]

It's not helped by the fact that the Waterloo terminus is seemingly being left to rot. So much for encouraging people to cut down on car usage and take public transport!

[NARSES2]

It's not helped by the fact that the Waterloo terminus is seemingly being left to rot. So much for encouraging people to cut down on car usage and take public transport!

Must admit I've not been there for an age. If I'm going Hampshire way I can pick up most of the trains I want at Clapham Jct. Waterloo East, or rather the route to the terminus, was the one that always fascinated me for some reason. A couple of very "interesting" pubs around there that I used to drink in back in the late 60's/early 70's