Trains, Planes & Automobiles

[Bleep1673 1,788]

Blackpool > Salford, I used to do that cycle, after work

[Copa 4,771]

It’s in this thread where I feel brave enough to admit I used to buy a magazine dedicated to Australian public transport systems.

[Padge 6,459]

1 hour ago, Copa said:

It’s in this thread where I feel brave enough to admit I used to buy a magazine dedicated to Australian public transport systems.

Was it Prison Ship World by any chance.

[Bleep1673 1,788]

3 hours ago, Copa said:

It’s in this thread where I feel brave enough to admit I used to buy a magazine dedicated to Australian public transport systems.

Don't be afraid, there are a number of transport wazzoks like you who will be grateful to expose themselves on this link, and out themselves as transport addicts.

[Copa 4,771]

2 hours ago, Padge said:

Was it Prison Ship World by any chance.

Hulks, Fleets and Chains 

[Clogiron 2,236]

Did anyone else go on the old cable car that used to go out at the Blue Mountains, the one that was a cage with planks around the diesel engine? The old guy running it used to stop it about half way across "puts the ####### up the ladies" he used to say

[Copa 4,771]

27 minutes ago, Clogiron said:

Did anyone else go on the old cable car that used to go out at the Blue Mountains, the one that was a cage with planks around the diesel engine? The old guy running it used to stop it about half way across "puts the ####### up the ladies" he used to say

I went on that nearly 40 years ago on a school trip. The one they have now has a floor that goes clear at the touch of a button which is also fun. The railway they have at the same place also great .. it’s 52 degrees at its steepest!

I’ve also been on the water powered railway between Lynton and Lynmouth in Devon. Very enjoyable.

[ckn 15,740]

The one and only time I've ever been "what the hell am I doing?!" with transport was earlier this year in Malaysia at Langkawi's cable car, the steepest and longest span one in the world.  We were right at the edge of the wind safety on the day, a bit heavier wind and it'd be stopped.  The wife got us booked on the glass-bottomed car.  FFS... wobbling all over the place and a clear "you're not surviving that if it goes down" ticking over the back of the head. I think the bit that got me was the ground underneath going side to side, as viewed from the transparent floor, and being entirely reliant on something way out of my control.

And that's me previously having been sat strapped onto the loading ramp of Chinook helicopters and dangling out reliant on nothing but that strap keeping me in!  Abseiling from a moving helicopter was the closest "Bond" moment of my life though.

(as an interest, I had to do a search on abseiling as it just didn't look right written down, the first search item summary was "Abseiling is the incredibly useful skill of using a rope to get down vertical drops without dying")

[Padge 6,459]

The we are all going to die moment for me was on a day trip from Kos to Rhodes. 

We took the Dolphin Hydrofoil across everything fine. Coming back a storm hit, the boat could no longer get up on its foils as the seas were too rough. 

Hydrofoil are built like aircraft, they are basically a lightweight aluminium can. This thing was being thrown about and every wave that hit sounded like thor was hitting the tin can with an hammer. The captain tried to hug the coast as much as possible but to get from island to island you have to cross open sea eventually. 

Eventually to everyones relief we made it back to Kos. Unfortunately we got back to the news that a ferry approaching Paros had run aground in the storm and 81 people had lost their lives. We had been on Paros ferry many times in past. 

Edited September 20, 2019 by Padge

[The Hallucinating Goose 2,635]

6 hours ago, Bleep1673 said:

Don't be afraid, there are a number of transport wazzoks like you who will be grateful to expose themselves on this link, and out themselves as transport addicts.

I'm not gonna expose myself if you're gonna call me a wazzock (that sounds wrong). 

[Futtocks 16,129]

I had just started work, my sister was at University and my parents were beginning to think of splitting up, so we booked a self-catering cottage in the Republic of Ireland for a final family holiday. Converging on Pembroke, we found that the ferry was seriously delayed... if only that had been the main problem.

To cut a long story short, we set off as night fell, so it was dark when someone set fire to the ship. We were in one of the upper level lounges, but some people had taken cabins, due to the late hour, and they had to crawl along the floor of passage after passage before getting to fresh air.

While helicopters lowered firemen on ropes, the (mostly Icelandic) crew, wrapped wet towels round their faces and plunged into the smoke to retrieve snacks and drinks for us as we clustered on the sun deck.

Exciting, yes, but i could have done without it, especially as the British police insisted on dealing with the matter. So the ship turned back and, to this day, I still haven't got round to visiting the Emerald Isle.

[M j M 6,085]

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

I had just started work, my sister was at University and my parents were beginning to think of splitting up, so we booked a self-catering cottage in the Republic of Ireland for a final family holiday. Converging on Pembroke, we found that the ferry was seriously delayed... if only that had been the main problem.

To cut a long story short, we set off as night fell, so it was dark when someone set fire to the ship. We were in one of the upper level lounges, but some people had taken cabins, due to the late hour, and they had to crawl along the floor of passage after passage before getting to fresh air.

While helicopters lowered firemen on ropes, the (mostly Icelandic) crew, wrapped wet towels round their faces and plunged into the smoke to retrieve snacks and drinks for us as we clustered on the sun deck.

Exciting, yes, but i could have done without it, especially as the British police insisted on dealing with the matter. So the ship turned back and, to this day, I still haven't got round to visiting the Emerald Isle.

This sounds like you were on board the Norrona which was on charter to B&I Line in 1990 -

http://www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk/new-mv-norrona-past-and-present/

I'm not afraid to out myself on this thread; I sail on, write about and collect anything and everything to do with passenger shipping (car ferries and passenger steamers (not really cruise ships)).

The Norrona is now a missionary ship, the Logos Hope. I had the doubtful pleasure of visiting her in Kiel towards the end of the conversion from car ferry in February 2008; the Christian charity operating the ship had stripped out a rather funky 1970s interior with cosy bars, restaurants and saloons and replaced it with all over wipe-down white formica bulkheads, tables and chairs. I've never seen one of my best friends, who wrote a big coffee table book about the people who originally designed the ship and many others of the era, look quite so downcast as he was during that tour at what they'd done to one of his favourite ships.

[Futtocks 16,129]

1 hour ago, M j M said:

This sounds like you were on board the Norrona which was on charter to B&I Line in 1990 -

http://www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk/new-mv-norrona-past-and-present/

I'm not afraid to out myself on this thread; I sail on, write about and collect anything and everything to do with passenger shipping (car ferries and passenger steamers (not really cruise ships)).

The Norrona is now a missionary ship, the Logos Hope. I had the doubtful pleasure of visiting her in Kiel towards the end of the conversion from car ferry in February 2008; the Christian charity operating the ship had stripped out a rather funky 1970s interior with cosy bars, restaurants and saloons and replaced it with all over wipe-down white formica bulkheads, tables and chairs. I've never seen one of my best friends, who wrote a big coffee table book about the people who originally designed the ship and many others of the era, look quite so downcast as he was during that tour at what they'd done to one of his favourite ships.

That must have been the one - I'd forgotten the name, though.

[Adelaide Tiger 1,673]

My ‘I am going to die’ transport memory goes back to 1986 when Cas played Halifax in the Charity Shield in the Isle of Man.

We were at the docks in Douglas waiting to board the Ferry back to Heysham and it was blowing a howling gale with heavy rain. Only our Ferry was given permission to leave.  The boat was bobbing up and down so violently it was just like the opening credits from Noah and Nelly aboard the Skylark.  I was that afraid of the boat capsizing that I sat on the top deck in the driving rain for the entire journey. 

[Futtocks 16,129]

1 hour ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

My ‘I am going to die’ transport memory goes back to 1986 when Cas played Halifax in the Charity Shield in the Isle of Man.

We were at the docks in Douglas waiting to board the Ferry back to Heysham and it was blowing a howling gale with heavy rain. Only our Ferry was given permission to leave.  The boat was bobbing up and down so violently it was just like the opening credits from Noah and Nelly aboard the Skylark.  I was that afraid of the boat capsizing that I sat on the top deck in the driving rain for the entire journey. 

No wonder you got chucked about, sitting on the top deck. And If you'd ever watched The Poseidon Adventure like any conscientious priest would, you'd know that your chances are better close to the hull if the ship capsizes.

[Copa 4,771]

5 hours ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

My ‘I am going to die’ transport memory goes back to 1986 when Cas played Halifax in the Charity Shield in the Isle of Man.

We were at the docks in Douglas waiting to board the Ferry back to Heysham and it was blowing a howling gale with heavy rain. Only our Ferry was given permission to leave.  The boat was bobbing up and down so violently it was just like the opening credits from Noah and Nelly aboard the Skylark.  I was that afraid of the boat capsizing that I sat on the top deck in the driving rain for the entire journey. 

If you’re in Adelaide, you can claim the unique O-Bahn on your transport list..

 

[Futtocks 16,129]

Someone had to post this at some point...

 

[Adelaide Tiger 1,673]

4 hours ago, Copa said:

If you’re in Adelaide, you can claim the unique O-Bahn on your transport list..

 

I’d forgot about that.  Used to use it when we first got here and stayed with wife’s relatives that lived near the Paradise interchange.

Last year a young P plater accidentally drove his mothers car down the O-Bahn and got the car lodged in the track.  It was just before the morning rush hour

[Old Frightful 6,291]

On 18/09/2019 at 07:57, Padge said:

I have travelled by foot

Were you late?

Edited September 23, 2019 by Old Frightful

[Old Frightful 6,291]

13 hours ago, Futtocks said:

 your chances are better close to the hull if the ship capsizes.

I'm never leaving town again.

[JonM 2,985]

On 20/09/2019 at 11:19, Copa said:

I’ve also been on the water powered railway between Lynton and Lynmouth in Devon. Very enjoyable.

That is such a lovely little corner of the UK, possibly my favourite spot in England.

[JonM 2,985]

14 hours ago, Adelaide Tiger said:

Last year a young P plater accidentally drove his mothers car down the O-Bahn and got the car lodged in the track.  It was just before the morning rush hour

We have the guided busway round Cambridge - pretty good system IMO, takes a lot of car traffic off the roads. Even after a few years, there are still occasional numpties who ignore the no entry signs and rails and drive onto it, best one being an HGV driver earlier in the year.

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/guided-busway-cambridge-car-a14-16845022

[bobbruce 2,822]

23 hours ago, Futtocks said:

No wonder you got chucked about, sitting on the top deck. And If you'd ever watched The Poseidon Adventure like any conscientious priest would, you'd know that your chances are better close to the hull if the ship capsizes.

Only at Christmas as you need the tree to get out of the ballroom. 

[The Hallucinating Goose 2,635]

20 hours ago, Copa said:

If you’re in Adelaide, you can claim the unique O-Bahn on your transport list..

 

Don't have to go all the way to Adelaide, there's a guided busway in Cambridge, granted I'd rather be in Adelaide. 

[Padge 6,459]

Just flown back into the UK from Greece on a Thomas Cook flight.

Under the circumstance the staff were absolutely superb and profesional, one steward seemed to be on a one man PR campaign, answering as many questions as possible with the very limited information he had and reassuring people who had other holidays already booked and explaining  how ATOL worked.

When we got back to Manchester the Head Stewardess thanked her crew for working professionally under difficult circumstances,  a spontaneous round of applause broke out.

Amongst the £billion headlines there are human beings trying their best to do their best in circumstances where in 7 days time they could be grounded and out of a job.

Hats off to the Thomas Cook staff.