…More at home in Off Topic! Had a ride on a couple of GWR Cucumbers yesterday. One five car, one nine. Both times in an end vehicle and yes, whether on diesel or electric power there is no traction sound really audible (though plenty of track noise as these things ride really hard). So I recant my lament that the pretty much identical Azumas on ECML are too quiet! Of course that’s not to say the sound couldn’t be buffed a bit for entertainment value. Otherwise if, as seems increasingly likely, we do get a GWR stretch as the UK route in TSW6 along with an 800/802, the thrash value will be very limited. Caught a Class 166 down from Bristol Parkway then round to Bath (it was a round trip Swindon - BPW - BTM - Swindon) and those things are absolutely knackered. Lovely engine sound in the saloon, but shake, rattle, high pitched whine (not me moaning) from somewhere in the ceiling. Refurbished with godawful uncomfortable seats. If they make it into the TSW6 route then they need to reflect the really run down state. Now this morning on the exercise bike watching the Videoscene Colas Spoil Train again, reached York to Northallerton. This has got to qualify as one of the most boring stretches of railway in the UK and certainly on the ECML. Really surprised it comes up so frequently in Suggestions. A concept that sounds better on paper than in practice. Guess the racetrack was valid when you had trains along there which took a bit of effort to reach line speed, but modern powerful trains which effortlessly reach and cruise at 125 MPH offer no real challenge. OLE equipment. On the cab ride it really shows how thin this is and DTG’s new system introduced with the ECML and cascaded onto subsequent routes including JT BPO and WCMLoS just looks too thick and chunky. Like those 70’s or 80’s OLE produced for model railways. Even more apparent where headspans are in use. So again, if as likely, the UK route is overhead electric - please do something about the thickness of the wires .
