Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
 No recent travel & transport from BBC stories as at 20:15 03 May 2025
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]		 today - Walk to Pilning
10/05/25 - BRTA Westbury
10/05/25 - Model Railway Show, Calne
13/05/25 - Melksham TUG / AGM

On this day
3rd May (1954)
Lochluichart new station opens (link)
Train RunningCancelled
19:46 Avonmouth to Bristol Temple Meads
22:15 Bristol Temple Meads to Westbury
Short Run
15:00 Cardiff Central to Penzance
18:52 London Paddington to Great Malvern
Delayed
17:34 Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads
19:55 Basingstoke to Reading
20:37 Reading to Basingstoke
21:23 Basingstoke to Reading
22:05 Reading to Basingstoke
22:55 Basingstoke to Reading
•
PollsOpen and recent polls
Open to 08/05 09:07 Steam Excursion - or diesel excursion with a featured steam section?
Open to 07/05 09:27 Should train, bus and coach operators be required to accept cash
•
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
•
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
•
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
•
Train companiesSelect from:
GWR
SWR
XC
Chiltern
TfL
TfW
WMR
Southern
• Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple Meads • Bath Spa • Chippenham • Swindon • Didcot Parkway • Reading • London Paddington • Melksham
Exeter St Davids • Taunton • Westbury • Trowbridge • Bristol Parkway • Cardiff Central • Oxford • Cheltenham Spa • Birmingham New Street
May 03, 2025, 20:19:49 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[181] Subtle train time changes
[122] Steam excursion - except there's much more diesel than steam!
[85] Bath Spa station - dealing with future capacity issues - ideas...
[59] A very easy riddle
[56] In memory of the Weymouth Harbour Tramway on the anniversary o...
[36] Service reduction - Coombe Junction
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Great Western Coffee Shop > Sideshoots - associated subjects > The Lighter Side > Modern Developments?
Pages: [1]
« previous next »
  Print  
Author Topic: Modern Developments?  (Read 2751 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 43974



View Profile WWW Email
« on: March 17, 2011, 22:14:37 »


What would Brunel make of some of the modern developments around rail travel?  You can see a couple that he appears to have turned his back on in the picture.
Logged
Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 19310



View Profile
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2011, 22:45:58 »
Perhaps someone bought him the coffee. I'm sure it's better quality than the stuff he famously complained about at Swindon!

And I doubt he'd sit there for long if he were alive today. You'd find him at the top of the steps opposite the taxi rank on Eastbourne Terrace. Can't puff on one of his cheroots within station confines!
Logged
"Good news for regular users of Euston Station in London! One day they will die. Then they won't have to go to Euston Station ever again." - David Mitchell
Tim
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2738


View Profile
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2011, 09:06:00 »
... if he was still GWR▸ (Great Western Railway) boss, would anyone on the station even think about challenging him?
Logged
Electric train
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4532


The future is 25000 Volts AC 750V DC has its place


View Profile
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2011, 14:28:39 »
I think he would ask why has it taken so long to electrify the whole of the GW» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about)
Logged
Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
eightf48544
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4574


View Profile Email
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2011, 14:40:47 »
Just think if he had  25kv traction at his disposal we would have 300 mph broad gauge trains out of Padd.
Logged
Tim
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2738


View Profile
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2011, 14:58:09 »
Quote from: Electric train on March 18, 2011, 14:28:39
I think he would ask why has it taken so long to electrify the whole of the GW» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about)

IIRC▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly'), Brunel was a slow adopter or electricity for signalling and telegraph purposes.
Logged
Electric train
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4532


The future is 25000 Volts AC 750V DC has its place


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2011, 16:20:54 »
Quote from: Tim on March 18, 2011, 14:58:09
Quote from: Electric train on March 18, 2011, 14:28:39
I think he would ask why has it taken so long to electrify the whole of the GW» (Great Western - used as an abbreviation for the area / lines under the Great Western franchise, as opposed to FGW which includes "First", the company operating them too. For tickets - about)

IIRC▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly'), Brunel was a slow adopter or electricity for signalling and telegraph purposes.
Not so sure he was so slow off the mark http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2010/04/07/railway-telegraph-arrest-murder-1845/
Logged
Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
dayranger57
Jr. Member
**
Posts: 14


View Profile Email
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2011, 21:37:41 »
IKB▸ (Isambard Kingdom Brunel)'s hat is not on! This must have been on of his best trade marks!
dayranger57.
Logged
Electric train
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 4532


The future is 25000 Volts AC 750V DC has its place


View Profile
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2011, 21:52:50 »
Quote from: dayranger57 on March 22, 2011, 21:37:41
IKB▸ (Isambard Kingdom Brunel)'s hat is not on! This must have been on of his best trade marks!
dayranger57.
What can not be seen in this photo he is holding his stove pipe hat in his left hand down the side of his chair, I seem to recall a debate at the time the statue was commissioned that a Victorian gentleman would not be seen sitting with his hat on
Logged
Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
inspector_blakey
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 3574



View Profile
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2011, 22:13:09 »
And presumably he'd never be seen with his hat on indoors either!
Logged
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
« previous next »
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules via admin@railcustomer.info. Full legal statement (here).

Jump to top of page • Jump to Forum Home Page