I braved the snow to travel on the first northbound Thameslink train
to use the Canal Tunnels, the Horsham to Peterborough. I travelled
from East Croydon to Finsbury Park.

However, I almost missed it at East Croydon: it was increasingly
running late, and there was a last minute, unannounced platform
change, from 4 to 2. Luckily, I spotted the changed departures board,
and just made it up and down the ramps in time. The long scheduled
wait at London Bridge meant we caught up and joined the GN line on
time. But this is an example of how easily delays from one side of the
Thames can be exported to the other.

The train itself was almost empty, with about half the passengers
taking no special interest in the new route, but the others rushing
round with cameras. There were no announcements about it being the
first run, but a chap came round as we passed through the Canal
Tunnels handing out free celebratory Thameslink cupcakes. Most of the
pax seemed to get off at Finsbury Park.

Here's a few pictures. I managed to snatch one inside the Canal
Tunnel, and noticed that the concrete tunnel linings say 'CTRL',
presumably because the tunnels were built as part of the CTRL project,
and perhaps the tunnel linings came from the same factory?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157693123465884

In message , at 16:01:12 on
Mon, 26 Feb 2018, Recliner remarked:

I braved the snow to travel on the first northbound Thameslink train
to use the Canal Tunnels, the Horsham to Peterborough.

So was I. (See report in uk.r) Also on the earlier first southbound one.

I travelled from East Croydon to Finsbury Park.

I got off there too, from the PB train.

The train itself was almost empty, with about half the passengers
taking no special interest in the new route,

Even more so on the later Cambridge train, people with LGW tagged
luggage apparently oblivious to the novelty of the working.

but the others rushing round with cameras.

Or like me, sitting there enjoying the trip but not rushing around with
a camera.

There were no announcements about it being the first run,

Indeed. And on the later "first northbound train to Cambridge", there
were almost no announcements at all of any kind.

but a chap came round as we passed through the Canal Tunnels handing
out free celebratory Thameslink cupcakes.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DW9QwxdWAAAT6P0.jpg

Most of the pax seemed to get off at Finsbury Park.

Bashers.

ps. Some poor chap got on at Hitchin wanting a ride to Letchworth, and
was mortified when it turned out to be non-stop to Cambridge.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157693123465884

The later Cambridge train didn't show on the London Bridge A-Z either.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 16:01:12 on
Mon, 26 Feb 2018, Recliner remarked:

I braved the snow to travel on the first northbound Thameslink train
to use the Canal Tunnels, the Horsham to Peterborough.

So was I. (See report in uk.r) Also on the earlier first southbound one.

I travelled from East Croydon to Finsbury Park.

I got off there too, from the PB train.

The train itself was almost empty, with about half the passengers
taking no special interest in the new route,

Even more so on the later Cambridge train, people with LGW tagged
luggage apparently oblivious to the novelty of the working.

but the others rushing round with cameras.

Or like me, sitting there enjoying the trip but not rushing around with
a camera.

There were no announcements about it being the first run,

Indeed. And on the later "first northbound train to Cambridge", there
were almost no announcements at all of any kind.

Actually, now I think about it, I don't think there were any announcements
on my train, either.


but a chap came round as we passed through the Canal Tunnels handing
out free celebratory Thameslink cupcakes.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DW9QwxdWAAAT6P0.jpg

Did the chap handing them out look like he'd consumed a few himself?


Most of the pax seemed to get off at Finsbury Park.

Bashers.

Yup, plus I think it was the last station in the London zones.


ps. Some poor chap got on at Hitchin wanting a ride to Letchworth, and
was mortified when it turned out to be non-stop to Cambridge.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157693123465884

The later Cambridge train didn't show on the London Bridge A-Z either.

Yes, those displays obviously have a static list of destinations that's not
yet been updated.

In message
-septe
mber.org, at 17:28:18 on Mon, 26 Feb 2018, Recliner
remarked:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DW9QwxdWAAAT6P0.jpg

Did the chap handing them out look like he'd consumed a few himself?

That's a bit "fattist", but yes there was definitely an amply
proportioned employee involved.
--
Roland Perry

Thank you for that. Very good.

In message , at 16:01:12 on
Mon, 26 Feb 2018, Recliner remarked:

I almost missed it at East Croydon: it was increasingly
running late, and there was a last minute, unannounced platform
change, from 4 to 2. Luckily, I spotted the changed departures board,
and just made it up and down the ramps in time. The long scheduled
wait at London Bridge meant we caught up and joined the GN line on
time.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/trai...02/26/advanced

Not the most encouraging diagram in the world.
--
Roland Perry

On 2018\02\26 16:01, Recliner wrote:

Here's a few pictures. I managed to snatch one inside the Canal
Tunnel, and noticed that the concrete tunnel linings say 'CTRL',
presumably because the tunnels were built as part of the CTRL project,
and perhaps the tunnel linings came from the same factory?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157693123465884

Whatever factory the linings came from, they would have had CTRL stamped
on them because that was the customer name. The factory doesn't care
what actual line the bits will be used on.

applause for the pictures with Peterborough on the internal indicator
and London Bridge / Blackfriars on the station name boards.

I've never understood why the CTRL bridge over the ECML is enclosed.

Interesting idea of alphabetical order on the East Croydon A-Z screen...
London Victoria comes under V but other London termini are under L.

Thanks for all the railway pictures... Someone else was on the train
whose only picture was of a cupcake...

Basil Jet wrote:
On 2018\02\26 16:01, Recliner wrote:

Here's a few pictures. I managed to snatch one inside the Canal
Tunnel, and noticed that the concrete tunnel linings say 'CTRL',
presumably because the tunnels were built as part of the CTRL project,
and perhaps the tunnel linings came from the same factory?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/albums/72157693123465884

Whatever factory the linings came from, they would have had CTRL stamped
on them because that was the customer name. The factory doesn't care
what actual line the bits will be used on.

applause for the pictures with Peterborough on the internal indicator
and London Bridge / Blackfriars on the station name boards.

Thanks. I was quite pleased to capture one image of the New Cross Gate
station sign reflecting off an Overground train, with the Peterborough
display in the same image:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/recliner/38688248100/in/album-72157693123465884/

This is, of course, the first day that ECML destination trains have run
alongside LO trains.


I've never understood why the CTRL bridge over the ECML is enclosed.

I think it was for noise reasons. Some VIP lived nearby and was placated by
enclosing the bridge.


Interesting idea of alphabetical order on the East Croydon A-Z screen...
London Victoria comes under V but other London termini are under L.

Thanks for all the railway pictures... Someone else was on the train
whose only picture was of a cupcake...

I did think of including a picture of my cupcake, but decided not to
bother…

In message , at 19:14:32 on Mon, 26 Feb
2018, Basil Jet remarked:

Thanks for all the railway pictures... Someone else was on the train
whose only picture was of a cupcake...

Ah, but mine was the first picture posted, and the first mention of
cupcakes

Managed to snatch a bit of 3G on the run into Farringdon at 11:12.

I'll post some more "incidental" photos later - there's more to events
like this than just the trains!
--
Roland Perry

In message , at 08:12:00 on Tue, 27 Feb
2018, Roland Perry remarked:

Thanks for all the railway pictures... Someone else was on the train
whose only picture was of a cupcake...

Ah, but mine was the first picture posted, and the first mention of
cupcakes

Here's a bit more cupcake stuff; originally intended to be filming the
entry into the tunnels, the chap had just begun walking down the aisle
handing out cupcakes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kswOMOpSG68
--
Roland Perry