A new direction?

With regret (though to be honest probably with as much regret as Lord Sugar when he sacks one of his Apprentices) i have stopped updating Trip-TV my music and movie blog. Truthfully it had been a bit of a chore now for a few years but i kept updating it hoping the enjoyment i got from it would return but have decided it is time to shelve it.

At the same time i am thinking about this blog which has stagnated a bit with just a trickle of updates a month now the norm. I think there is scope to take some aspects i still enjoyed from Trip-TV and post them here too. Maybe it can revitalise this blog. Keep tuned.

Tyseley Locomotive Works Open Day

Tyseley Locomotive Works in South Birmingham held a couple of of their open days at the weekend which included an impressive display of locomotives (including some good diesels) and some running steam. Its always interesting to visit their sheds and see the progress of the various new build locomotives as well as enjoy a bit of live steam. You can see my photos here.

A trip to Crewe

While the world was being destroyed (or the EU referendum result was being announced anyway) and my car was in for it's service i headed up to Crewe to take some photographs. I got some good ones too including a triple-header light engine movement which included some impressive diesel thrash. You can see my photos here.

Peak Rail / Heritage Shunter Trust

Well last month i was disappointed by a trip to Matlock to find Peak Rail was out of service, but i gave them a second chance last weekend and i'm very glad i did. I travelled on their line up to Rowsley South through the Derbyshire Dales. Then i had a look around their base and had a great tour of the Heritage Shunter Trust's sheds seeing a lot of rare diesel shunter classes for the first time. A great heritage line for sure and always enjoyable to travel behind a Class 14 (of which they have a few on the line). You can see my photos here.

66 Gala

Last weekend the lovely Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway held a special gala with a DB Cargo Class 66 as special guest. It was enjoyable being hauled up the line by the 66, the first time i have been on a train hauled by the freight locomotive. Also novel was the fact the train i was on and being hauled was the CPPR's 3-CEP EMU. This is a train i love (and indeed own one myself... albeit in model form!)

Galas are always fun to visit as you get these unusual combinations and also a lot more trains than on a usual service day. You can see my photos here.

Hidden Euston

At the weekend i went on another Hidden London tour of the Underground's secrets, unlike Aldwych in January this new tour was of an operating (and busy) tube station and included obligatory wearing of hi-viz! The tour was of Euston underground station and involved exploring parts of the station now restricted normally to the general public. The tour was wonderful and included walking along a ventilation tunnel where you could see the platforms (and some passengers) through the grills below! You can see my photos here.