Bevan Price wrote:
On 19/10/2020 13:46, Recliner wrote:
With all the fuss being made, rightly, about the soon-to-depart 38TS on
the Island Line, it occurred to me that SWR has
another Birmingham-built fleet due to retire soon, probably with no home
to go to. Like the class 483s, these trains are
being retired for a second time, but their total life may only be a
quarter as long. I think both classes were even
built in the same former MCCW factory, in Washwood Heath.

Yes, I'm talking about the unloved class 458 fleet. I'd not travelled in
them before, so I felt I should give them a try
while they're still in service. I found that they're surprisingly
comfortable — I wonder if Ian Walmsley managed to
sneak comfortable seats in when the 458s and 460s were being refurbished
to become the 458/5s?

The other thing I was keen to catch up on was the rapidly-developing
Manhattan-style canyon that's developing in Nine
Elms. A few decades ago, these were railway lands, full of tracks, loco
sheds and turntables. Then they because
warehouses, the New Covent Garden Market a Royal Mail depot, courier
firms and light industrial units. Now, they look
like they're Manhattan transplanted. Anyone who's not travelled into
Waterloo in the last couple of years might be
amazed at what's erupting, with multiple blocks taller than the
Walkie-Talkie. Soon, it won't be possible to see
Battersea Power station except from the river, so hemmed-in will it be.

I took some photos through a slightly grubby window of a moving class 458/5:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157716527707158


They are making a similar mess of the Manchester skyline, blighted by
enormous monstrosities, and leaving much of ground level in almost
permanent shadow.


I was using an ultra-wide angle lens, which makes things look further away
than they are. It hides just how close those expensive flats are to the
busy railway. The trains are not running quickly, but they still make some
noise.

The blocks are also close to each other, so many of the flats look straight
out on to the next block. That would be expected in cheap flats, but these
aren't.