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So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

Trenchfriend

Trenchfriend

Messages
12,471
Location
Germany
Farting people in the railcar...

Come on, my smalltown-homies, our secondary railway is just 25 kilometers/45 minutes long, not 250 kilometers/450 minutes. :rolleyes:
 
GHT

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,341
Location
New Forest
Fading Fast said:
ChiTownScion is correct. The old (real, true, beautiful) Penn Station was knocked down in the early '60s and a new "complex" was built over the existing tracks that includes Madison Square Garden and the "new" Penn Station that is a horrible warren of late-'60s architecture (low ceilings, dark corridors, man-made materials).
"Brief Encounter" is an outstanding movie - love it - in a very post-war British way where they simply told good stories in beautiful B&W.
Click to expand...
There's a former politician name of Michael Portillo who fronts a TV show for the BBC, exploring the country by rail, using a Victorian guide book. The current series of the show sees him exploring the US using a late 19th century guide book by Daniel Appleton. One of the programs featured the original Penn Station, and what a magnificent, cathedral like building it was. Portillo said that after Penn Station fell victim to the wrecking ball, Grand Central was next in the developers sights. But the loss of such a magnificent building like Penn, galvanised New Yorkers, so that not only was Grand Central saved but the railways and, in particular, the commuter train, is enjoying a renaissance.

New York isn't alone in losing a fine railway building. One of the many London Terminii is a station called Euston. If you were to Google Euston before and after, you would be horrified at the corporate vandalism.
 
Fading Fast

Fading Fast

Messages
16,868
Location
New York City
GHT said:
There's a former politician name of Michael Portillo who fronts a TV show for the BBC, exploring the country by rail, using a Victorian guide book. The current series of the show sees him exploring the US using a late 19th century guide book by Daniel Appleton. One of the programs featured the original Penn Station, and what a magnificent, cathedral like building it was. Portillo said that after Penn Station fell victim to the wrecking ball, Grand Central was next in the developers sights. But the loss of such a magnificent building like Penn, galvanised New Yorkers, so that not only was Grand Central saved but the railways and, in particular, the commuter train, is enjoying a renaissance.

New York isn't alone in losing a fine railway building. One of the many London Terminii is a station called Euston. If you were to Google Euston before and after, you would be horrified at the corporate vandalism.
Click to expand...

I Googled as directed and am horrified - your gorgeous station suffered the same horrible fate as Penn did.

That said, I do have to admit that Penn's death was so gruesome that it set in motion the movement - historic preservation - in NYC that has saved literally hundreds of historic buildings. So, at least it didn't die in vain.

But my God, what a beautiful station it looks to have been. It can be seen in many old movies. "The Clock" from '45 is an okay movie at best, but well worth it for all the incredible shots of Penn Station.
 
GHT

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,341
Location
New Forest
Penn Station certainly was magnificent. The photos of Euston prior to redevelopment, show it to be grime and soot covered, but since the 50's we have had many a structure cleaned and restored. In a mirror image of Penn and Grand Central, we have a station named St. Pancras. It too was run down and destined for the wrecking ball, but after the destruction of the former Euston, public opinion swayed the decision to demolish it. Nowadays it is the magnificent UK terminus for the international line that takes trains through the tunnel under the English Channel, onto mainland Europe. There is even a weekly, freight only, train direct to China. Here's a couple of photos, before and after the clean up. Click on the link and you will see many a photo of the magnificent refurbished, Victorian arch that spans the platforms.
st pancras b4.jpeg st pancras after.jpg
Photos of the interior of St Pancras.
 
HudsonHawk

HudsonHawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,381
Location
Heaven for men and dogs, Hell for women and horses
GHT said:
There does seem to be a big Katherine Jenkins fan club in the US, maybe it was her appearance on Dancing with the Stars. I saw a few episodes on YouTube, the comments were all sugary about the lilt of her Welsh accent.
So, here for you, and for fans of Katherine Jenkins, is the Welsh National Anthem, sung in Welsh, before a packed stadium, at the start of the Rugby. The clip is only one minute forty-five seconds long, but it does clearly demonstrate all the passion that we feel about the game of Rugby.

The Celtic nations do seem to have a monopoly on cracking anthems. I remember standing in the Scottish, Murrayfield Stadium when the Scots gave voice to their magnificent anthem.
Click to expand...


Interesting how Wales has a "national" anthem. I suppose that's like Lone Star being declared 'the National Beer of Texas".
 
Fading Fast

Fading Fast

Messages
16,868
Location
New York City
GHT said:
Penn Station certainly was magnificent. The photos of Euston prior to redevelopment, show it to be grime and soot covered, but since the 50's we have had many a structure cleaned and restored. In a mirror image of Penn and Grand Central, we have a station named St. Pancras. It too was run down and destined for the wrecking ball, but after the destruction of the former Euston, public opinion swayed the decision to demolish it. Nowadays it is the magnificent UK terminus for the international line that takes trains through the tunnel under the English Channel, onto mainland Europe. There is even a weekly, freight only, train direct to China. Here's a couple of photos, before and after the clean up. Click on the link and you will see many a photo of the magnificent refurbished, Victorian arch that spans the platforms.
View attachment 106748 View attachment 106749
Photos of the interior of St Pancras.
Click to expand...

One of the things I really want to do one day is to take a train through the Chunnel. Sure I want to see England and France, too, but even if there are cheaper ways to do it, I'm taking the train to get from one to the other. It's nice to know that the English side has such gorgeous and historic station.
 
2jakes

2jakes

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,680
Location
Alamo Heights ☀️ Texas
Fading Fast said:
One of the things I really want to do one day is to take a train through the Chunnel. Sure I want to see England and France, too, but even if there are cheaper ways to do it, I'm taking the train to get from one to the other. It's nice to know that the English side has such gorgeous and historic station.
Click to expand...

I've taken a cross-country train twice.
First time I was in my 20s about forty
years ago.
Second time was last July.

I recommend you do it as soon as
possible.
Your body will thank you! ;)
 
Edward

Edward

Bartender
Messages
24,788
Location
London, UK
HudsonHawk said:
Interesting how Wales has a "national" anthem. I suppose that's like Lone Star being declared 'the National Beer of Texas".
Click to expand...

Wales, Scotland and England all have separate national anthems for sporting occasions; it's the nature of having a state (the UK) which is comprised of several countries, rather than just one. As a rule, only English people ever refer to the UK as "the country" (and then often interchangeably with 'the country' meaning just England).
 
ChiTownScion

ChiTownScion

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,241
Location
The Great Pacific Northwest
GHT said:
New York isn't alone in losing a fine railway building. One of the many London Terminii is a station called Euston. If you were to Google Euston before and after, you would be horrified at the corporate vandalism.
Click to expand...

Chicago has lost Grand Central Station (Baltimore & Ohio; Chesapeake & Ohio), LaSalle Street Station (New York Central, Rock Island Line, Nickel Plate Road), Central Station (Illinois Central; New York, Chicago, Cleveland and St. Louis.. the "Big Four;" Soo Line; ) Dearborn Street Station (Santa Fe, Chicago & Eastern Illinois; Wabash; Erie; Northwestern Terminal (Chicago & North Western, including the Cities and Overland trains ran with the Union Pacific prior to 1955;) Union Station alone serves intercity trains, and about half of it was razed to create air rights for a high rise office building.

I haunted those terminals as a kid in those pre- 1971 Amtrak days. Even in the sixties, when intercity train travel was a shabby ghost of what it had been, you'd occasionally see interesting consists. Sic gloria transit mundi... etc.
 
Fading Fast

Fading Fast

Messages
16,868
Location
New York City
Bruce Wayne said:
The fact that ebay/paypal feels it necessary to hold the funds for completed auctions for several days. You think they could at least release the shipping funds so that I don't have to borrow money just to send the item.
Click to expand...

My guess, as interest rates rise, this behavior (effectively, capturing a few day of "float" (free interest) from the seller) will only get worse.
 
H

Harp

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,508
Location
Chicago, IL US
ChiTownScion said:
Chicago has lost... LaSalle Street Station (New York Central, Rock Island Line, Nickel Plate Road),.
Click to expand...

I always prized old LaSalle Street Station for its charming grandeur. The Sting briefly caught the grand dame on film.
Today's carved reception ticket station seems antiseptic and simply functional, the Options Exchange obscuring all that once was.
 
Lean'n'mean

Lean'n'mean

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,077
Location
Cloud-cuckoo-land
Edward said:
Wales, Scotland and England all have separate national anthems for sporting occasions; it's the nature of having a state (the UK) which is comprised of several countries, rather than just one.
Click to expand...

Technically, Scotland & Wales are nations rather than countries, (along with Northern Ireland) ,only the Republic of Ireland could truly be called a country. ;)
 
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