But is any estimate from Network Rail not multiplied by a factor of 10 for 'Contribution to overheads'?

As an aside - at our old house in France we sometimes have to have estimates from builders, etc. We know that every time one looks at a job and says 'Bizarre' , that equates to another 0 on the end of the quote.

Just reading this from the start.
My first visit to India in 2004 I was met at the airport with a car from our office. Mid way into Chennai I asked the driver whether they drove on the left or the right (it certainly wasn't obvious to me). He said "yes".
I asked him if he knew what the white lines were for. "Just some nonsense the British left in 1947, he said.
Then, nor in all my subsequent visits, did I have the courage nor skill to get behind the wheel of a car.

I suspect that the terminal platforms at WSM were the old Locking Road station

My only trip to Kyle was in the early 1980s, I think, and was. both ways, in the Beaver Tail observation car, added to four Mark 1s.

21of those listed visited, 15, travelled by train which rises to 18 if you include metro systems.

And if you go back to the period 1995 to 2010 when I retired, I visited a further 32 countries ( I think, and excluding Scotland, Wales, NI and dependencies). The smallest and most remote being Niue, ( No wonder that I retired with three million BA^» (British Airways - about) miles, and still have a couple of hundred thousand, which I doubt I will use now.)

Just re reading this thread and reminded of the years that I commuted from TW. Everyone would form little queues at the precise location that would align with the  doors. As the train was seen entering Grove Hill Tunnel, we could count the number of windows on each set. If either had 7 rather than eight windows per carriage, the whole queue would snake forward to the new spot (everyone keeping their places). I never remember a train arriving from Hastings with two short units, but I don't doubt suitable further shuffling would have ensued.
Where else but Tunbridge Wells I ask?

between 1995 and 2010 I travelled extensively in the US using all the trans-continentals, some several times (the only exception being San Antonia to New Orleans as each time I carried on to or came from St Louis on the Eagle). Every trip was an absolute joy and I met so many lovely people. All happy experiences and memories.
The only really major delay was on a northbound Coast Starlight with the happy result that we traversed the Cascades by daylight instead of the middle of the night as the schedule in both directions dictated.
Happy Days.
The only other problem was that my itinerary by air often had a 'blank' or missing sector which, after 2001, always turned the spotlight on me and caused very long delays and questioning on each of the other sectors.

10  - the most westerly

19, if I include Syracuse as being in New York State.

Syracuse is convenient for visiting the tallest waterfalls in NY State. No, not Niagara, but the Taughannock Falls in the Finger Lakes State Park - well worth a visit and without the tat of Niagara.

5 is it the Elizabeth Line store pre opening at OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot))

If RPOs accept either a ticket or a time validated transaction on the phone, you are surely opening the door for two people to travel for the one payment (If they were so inclined).

Looking forward to your report from Skegness

I used the DDs quite often when I first started working in London. Yes, they were cramped - in my mind more so upstairs than down, but my main memory is of the cigarette smoke. I do not remember non smoking being available and there was no ventilation upstairs. My parents were both heavy smokers (a doctor amongst them!) and moving to a hostel then to a flat in London introduced me to the joys of a low smoke environment. The contrast was amazing, and the DDs a sharp reminder of what used to be.

I can't see the images either, although all others elsewhere are good.

Perhaps its because I am using Safari. When I've got time I'll change to Chrome and see if its better.

Squirrel this one away for later