Dumb Hope, Northumberland, UK Superthread

[Axver]

This is inside one of the MTH carriages hauled by A 70. Bloody comfortable. Most comfortable suburban train I've ever been on.

And by "hauled", I damn well mean past tense. Late last month, the carriage train was replaced by Sprinter railcars. Never ridden them but I hear they aren't as comfy as the MTH carriages.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I was barely around myself, though that was mostly due to taking an essay to uni then being visited by a Vision Australia person so that I could get a cane.

I really don't like the fighting and the tension. Hopefully it has all just blown over.

And I'm sure you can dig up plenty of cool Greek stuff.

Ah, righto. Yeah I was around when you talked about the cane. That was around when the hostilities began to cease.

When are you going down to your little Motherland?

 

[coolian2]

I'll fish up a few more photos from my Wellington to Christchurch flight.

 

[coolian2]

This is inside one of the MTH carriages hauled by A 70. Bloody comfortable. Most comfortable suburban train I've ever been on.

And by "hauled", I damn well mean past tense. Late last month, the carriage train was replaced by Sprinter railcars. Never ridden them but I hear they aren't as comfy as the MTH carriages.

A suburban train?

Holy shit.

Compare to

 

[Axver]

It was a Sunday, but the town was dead.

If it wasn't for the trainload of us nothing would have been happening. The only things that were open were The Warehouse, a Foodtown (i believe) and a Robert Harris coffee shop.

Greymouth is bloody dependent on the influx of tourists from that train. The scary part is, it is the largest town on the West Coast BY MILES. Westport and Hokitika are about 4,000 each, I believe. Greymouth's in the vicinity of 12,000-13,000.

 

[coolian2]

Let's continue the role reversal.

Here is a who-knows-what tram in Christchurch.

 

[Axver]

A suburban train?

Holy shit.

Compare to

Wow, is that the inside of the TranzAlpine nowadays?

Those carriages are - or were - leased from V/Line, the regional operator. They're now back with V/Line, though I'm not sure if they've put them into use on any of the regional trains yet.

All the other commuter trains are much less comfortable. The train between Flinders Street and Frankston fucking well made my back sore.

 

[Axver]

Let's continue the role reversal.

Here is a who-knows-what tram in Christchurch.

That would be Brill #178.

 

[coolian2]

Wow, is that the inside of the TranzAlpine nowadays?

Those carriages are - or were - leased from V/Line, the regional operator. They're now back with V/Line, though I'm not sure if they've put them into use on any of the regional trains yet.

All the other commuter trains are much less comfortable. The train between Flinders Street and Frankston fucking well made my back sore.

Yeah. That's actually the worst of the interior photos i took, i picked the crap one to upload for some reason. It's actually very nice, for carriages that are as old as the hills.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Alright, I'm getting in on the act.

This is a Greek vase painting of a Sagartian (Iranian tribe) cavalry soldier. They used lassoes as weapons, and as part of the Achaimenid Persian Empire, invaded Greece in the early 5th century BC.

 

[Axver]

Here's a yard of V/Line carriages, as seen from the LaTrobe Street bridge, with the Dudley Street sidings in the distance.

The amount of carriages in this picture is probably close to the total amount of carriages in the Tranz Scenic fleet in New Zealand. Good God they need new rolling stock and more routes.

 

[Axver]

Yeah. That's actually the worst of the interior photos i took, i picked the crap one to upload for some reason. It's actually very nice, for carriages that are as old as the hills.

I've heard very positive comments about the recently renovated Overlander carriages. Though I bloody hate how they look externally. I swear the "Overlander" logo on the sides looks like graffiti.

 

[Axver]

Here's a Comeng EMU rocking into Spencer Street Station, with the "Melbourne Eye" ferris wheel doodad in the background.

 

[The Sad Punk]

This is believed to be the first ever comic, or the first example of panelled images telling a story. In this case, the story is just a gazelle jumping up in the air, but it's still pretty cool and the frames animate pretty well when seen in succession. 5000 years old, Iranian. (very pre-Persian)

 

[Axver]

They used lassoes as weapons

Ooh, really? Take that, cowboys-and-indians movies!

 

[coolian2]

The United States Antarctic Program hangar at Christchurch Airport

 

[Axver]

Another photo with the Melbourne Eye - and some more of the Docklands precinct - in the background. This time, the train rocking in is made up of two VLocity diesel multiple units, passing stabled Comeng electric multiple units.

 

[Axver]

Close-up of the aforepictured VLocities.

 

[coolian2]

Alright, I'm getting in on the act.

This is a Greek vase painting of a Sagartian (Iranian tribe) cavalry soldier. They used lassoes as weapons, and as part of the Achaimenid Persian Empire, invaded Greece in the early 5th century BC.

History

 

[coolian2]

VLocity

Cute.

 

[The Sad Punk]

This is the first ever steam engine. When was it made? 1st century AD, by Hero of Alexandria. The steam powered the ball to roll around as a spectacle. With more support, the Greeks probably could have had trains by the time Christianity started to make history lamer.

 

[Axver]

These are the Dudley Street sidings. From right to left, there are:

- Empty siding (no shit!)
- V/Line passenger carriages, new livery
- V/Line passenger carriages, old livery
- VLocity diesel multiple units
- Then in the sidings largely hidden by the VLocities are N class diesel locomotives, and although you can't really tell they're there, other photos I have show there are also some A and P class locomotives in those sidings.

 

[coolian2]

This is the first ever steam engine. When was it made? 1st century AD, by Hero of Alexandria. The steam powered the ball to roll around as a spectacle.

Well i'm glad it was put to a practical use.

 

[Axver]

Cute.

How about the major classes of railcars New Zealand had (or in the case of the last one, still has)?

Wairarapa, Standard, Vulcan, Fiat*, Blue Streaks, Silver Fern.

*Also known as Drewrys, Articulateds, 88 seaters, and Twinsets, and when converted into demotorised carriages, Grass Grubs.

 

[coolian2]

These are the Dudley Street sidings. From right to left, there are:

- Empty siding (no shit!)
- V/Line passenger carriages, new livery
- V/Line passenger carriages, old livery
- VLocity diesel multiple units
- Then in the sidings largely hidden by the VLocities are N class diesel locomotives, and although you can't really tell they're there, other photos I have show there are also some A and P class locomotives in those sidings.

Does the guy walking across know he's about to be hit by a train?

 

[Axver]

This is the first ever steam engine. When was it made? 1st century AD, by Hero of Alexandria. The steam powered the ball to roll around as a spectacle. With more support, the Greeks probably could have had trains by the time Christianity started to make history lamer.

Oooh, neat.

Got to love how much more advanced we COULD have been as a species.

 

[Axver]

Does the guy walking across know he's about to be hit by a train?

I do wonder if the railway workers down there noticed myself and my friend taking photos. They were probably thinking "oh, more loony railfans"!

 

[Axver]

Meet the Y class, V/Line's yard shunters.

 

[The Sad Punk]

These French chaps are the 'gaesatai', a particular Gallic warband that stripped naked for battle, wearing only a torque (the thing around their neck) and wielding just a shield as protection. They spiked their hair up and bleached it, using a mixture of different stuff as ingredients. The cool thing about them is that they were completely fearless and tough - they would continue fighting no matter the pain or effect any injury caused. It's really, really likely that they used hallucinogenic drugs before fighting, which may have inspired their ferociousness/idiocy. It's rather accepted now that some Norse soldiers did such a thing with magic mushrooms.

 

[coolian2]

How about the major classes of railcars New Zealand had (or in the case of the last one, still has)?

Wairarapa, Standard, Vulcan, Fiat*, Blue Streaks, Silver Fern.

*Also known as Drewrys, Articulateds, 88 seaters, and Twinsets, and when converted into demotorised carriages, Grass Grubs.

Ok, those are rather bad too.