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TheScreamingEagles said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

antifrank said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HS2 is an anti-trainspotter conspiracy - the idea is to make the trains so fast that you can't take pics of them or note down their numbers!

How many stops is it from Charing Cross to get to Greenwich?

Edit: Via the tube

The boat is the nicest way to do this journey:

http://www.thamesclippers.com/images/pdf/ThamesClippers_timetable.pdf

Having watched Thor 2 last night, Thor ended up on the tube, at Charing Cross, and he asked a passenger how far was it to Greenwich, and the lady replied with about 3 stops.

It just seemed wrong.

This may have been my geekiest post on PB ever.

Via National Rail it's close enough:

Waterloo Ost
London Bridge
Deptford

Thanks, this was definitely on the tube.

Naughty writers and producers with their inaccurate depiction of the British tube and train service.

The film itself was rather awesome.

Given our, ah, "creative" disagreements re. Star Trek, I'll treat that endorsement with caution

JosiasJessop said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

There are actually 8 tracks through Wembley Park (two Chiltern sans platforms, four Metropolitan platforms and two Jubilee line platforms).

Marylebone is thoroughly underused, there are currently only two trains per hour all the way to Birmingham. Places like Sudbury Hill and South Ruislip get only one train an hour. And why stop there? You could conceivably connect to Crossrail to provide through trains, in fact Crossrail originally was supposed to have a branch connecting to the Aylesbury line.

Yep to the lines, but the capacity and speed problems still exist on that line.

As for Marylebone. From memory, there is not much room for expansion - new platforms were built there recently to cope with possible increased services.

There's a bigger problem. The new trains are upwards of 400 metres long, much longer than existing trains (witness the St Pancras HS1 trainshed extension). Marylebone's platforms are a maximum of around 240 metres (only 2 faces), with little prospect of extension due to surrounding buildings and curves.

A better alternative would be to link the route to the GC/GW joint 1906 Chiltern line and take a HS route into the Paddington environs (Old Oak Common?) But that has its own problems ...

Having said that, altering Euston for HS2 is going to be massively costly as well.

I've never heard of the Crossrail - GC links - do you have any further info?

The plan is shown as a dotted line in my 1998 copy of Baker. Notable by its absence from the 2010 edition.

The HS1 trains out to Kent are maximum 12 cars of standard 20m, making 240m. Although Eurostars are much, much longer, natch.

antifrank said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

antifrank said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HS2 is an anti-trainspotter conspiracy - the idea is to make the trains so fast that you can't take pics of them or note down their numbers!

How many stops is it from Charing Cross to get to Greenwich?

Edit: Via the tube

The boat is the nicest way to do this journey:

http://www.thamesclippers.com/images/pdf/ThamesClippers_timetable.pdf

Having watched Thor 2 last night, Thor ended up on the tube, at Charing Cross, and he asked a passenger how far was it to Greenwich, and the lady replied with about 3 stops.

It just seemed wrong.

This may have been my geekiest post on PB ever.

I managed to correct SeanT on an underground error in one of Tom Knox's plots (he had a character taking a tube from Barbican to Angel). This remains one of my pb highpoints.

The Jubilee line does not stop at Charing Cross any more (and doesn't go to Greenwich at all). Waterloo, the nearest stop, is 6 stops from North Greenwich by tube.

By train, the journey from Greenwich to Charing Cross can indeed be only three stops - London Bridge, Waterloo East and Charing Cross. But that is only on fast trains. Some also stop at Deptford.

Our highpoints are quite sad aren't they?

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

antifrank said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HS2 is an anti-trainspotter conspiracy - the idea is to make the trains so fast that you can't take pics of them or note down their numbers!

How many stops is it from Charing Cross to get to Greenwich?

Edit: Via the tube

The boat is the nicest way to do this journey:

http://www.thamesclippers.com/images/pdf/ThamesClippers_timetable.pdf

Having watched Thor 2 last night, Thor ended up on the tube, at Charing Cross, and he asked a passenger how far was it to Greenwich, and the lady replied with about 3 stops.

It just seemed wrong.

This may have been my geekiest post on PB ever.

Via National Rail it's close enough:

Waterloo Ost
London Bridge
Deptford

Thanks, this was definitely on the tube.

Naughty writers and producers with their inaccurate depiction of the British tube and train service.

The film itself was rather awesome.

Given our, ah, "creative" disagreements re. Star Trek, I'll treat that endorsement with caution

Did you like The Avengers, then you're going to love this.

Plus this film has Natalie Portman in it, I'd do horrible unforgivable things for a chance to swing my hammer at her.

Although I'm developing a man crush on Tom Hiddleston

Must admit not seen Avengers yet. Portman looked OK in the Star Wars prequels and V for Vendetta.

Sunil_Prasannan said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

antifrank said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HS2 is an anti-trainspotter conspiracy - the idea is to make the trains so fast that you can't take pics of them or note down their numbers!

How many stops is it from Charing Cross to get to Greenwich?

Edit: Via the tube

The boat is the nicest way to do this journey:

http://www.thamesclippers.com/images/pdf/ThamesClippers_timetable.pdf

Having watched Thor 2 last night, Thor ended up on the tube, at Charing Cross, and he asked a passenger how far was it to Greenwich, and the lady replied with about 3 stops.

It just seemed wrong.

This may have been my geekiest post on PB ever.

Via National Rail it's close enough:

Waterloo Ost
London Bridge
Deptford

Thanks, this was definitely on the tube.

Naughty writers and producers with their inaccurate depiction of the British tube and train service.

The film itself was rather awesome.

Given our, ah, "creative" disagreements re. Star Trek, I'll treat that endorsement with caution

Did you like The Avengers, then you're going to love this.

Plus this film has Natalie Portman in it, I'd do horrible unforgivable things for a chance to swing my hammer at her.

Although I'm developing a man crush on Tom Hiddleston

Must admit not seen Avengers yet. Portman looked OK in the Star Wars prequels and V for Vendetta.

She was superb in Leon back in 1994. Quite a creepy and off-putting performance by a young girl.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Léon:_The_Professional

Guardian - John Denham warns against Labour division on HS2 rail line

surbiton said:

Pulpstar said:

peter_from_putney said:

Current polls suggest Labour on about 350 seats - the betting odds assume that the Tories will recover somewhat prior to the GE which is fair enough.

It doesn't mean either assumption is correct though .... all is still to play for.

Labour 350 can't see it - Labour 300 however...

I will take a considered guess for GE2015.

Labour 300

Conservative 280

Liberal Democrats 37

Others 33

If anyone does not agree, what are their projections. My guess is not based on current polls but what I think will happen.

One of the scenarios I've been toying with for a PB thread is this vote distribution

Con 33%

Lab 32%

LD 13%

UKIP 14%

Which gives a seat distribution according to Baxter

Con 280

Lab 311

LD 31

UKIP zero

Sunil_Prasannan said:

Trying to out-sad me, antifrank?

By Northern/Central/DLR (possibly fastest non-National Rail route):

Charing Cross
Leicester Square
Tottenham Court Road (change for Central line)
Holborn
Chancery Lane
St Paul
Bank (change for DLR to Lewisham)
Shadwell
Limehouse
Westferry
West India Quay (sometimes skipped)
Canary Wharf
Heron Quays
South Quay
Crossharbour
Mudchute
Island Gardens
Cutty Sark*
Greenwich

*note that Cutty Sark is actually the stop for the maritime/tourist sites

Wouldn't

Charing Cross
Embankment
Waterloo (change to jubilee)
Southwark
London Bridge
Bermondsey
Canada Water
Canary Wharf (change to DLR)
Heron Quays
South Quay
Crossharbour
Mudchute
Island Gardens
Cutty Sark*
Greenwich

Be a bit quicker? Of course, the waterloo/Canary Wharf chenges are a bit of trek, but if it's Thor, shuldn't be a problem.

Full disclosure: I live in Greenwich, remember when they were filming Thor in the ORNC - there was a cool set with half buried cars that I guess had been chucked/hit with hammer. Almost as good as when they were filming Les Mis there.

surbiton said:

I will take a considered guess for GE2015.

Labour 300

Conservative 280

Liberal Democrats 37

Others 33

If anyone does not agree, what are their projections. My guess is not based on current polls but what I think will happen.

Certainly that sort of outcome looks well within the range of what is possible (I think it's quite a big range).

Musing on your figures and the implications for individual seats: if you are right and the LibDems drop 20 seats, where will they go? There aren't many LibDem-held Labour targets, the SNP might snaffle a couple, but I'd hazard a guess that at least 10, perhaps more, of those 20 losses would have to be to the Conservatives. To get to your 280 Tory seats from the 2010 306, if we assume at least 10 gains from the LibDems, there would have to be 36 losses to Labour. On a uniform swing that would mean seats with up to around a 5% to 5.5% 2010 majority would fall to Labour - so seats like Kingswood, Erewash and City of Chester would be on a knife-edge, seats like Corby, Ipswich and Gloucester would be Labour gains, and seats like Keighley, Loughborough and Worcester might stay blue with small majorities.

That all sounds reasonably plausible, if the Tories improve a bit from now but don't do as well as 2010, but we shall see!

pinball13 said:

saddened said:

Bobajob said:

Just picked up the Standard - dire front page for the government, closing casualty units in London.

"The NHS is safe in our hands"

Why in your view is it bad to close them? Do you mean poor politics or poor health outcomes?

I think the point is it's bad press. If it's good policy is another question.

Which is why the Labour party will never be good for the country. They are too cowardly to do what is right in the face of what's popular. What focus groups well, determines what route will be followed.

tim said:

saddened said:

pinball13 said:

saddened said:

Bobajob said:

Just picked up the Standard - dire front page for the government, closing casualty units in London.

"The NHS is safe in our hands"

Why in your view is it bad to close them? Do you mean poor politics or poor health outcomes?

I think the point is it's bad press. If it's good policy is another question.

Which is why the Labour party will never be good for the country. They are too cowardly to do what is right in the face of what's popular. What focus groups well, determines what route will be followed.

You do realise that the first act of Cameron and Lansley in 2010 was to stop the reconfiguration of health services in London?

I don't respond to self confessed lying trolls, don't bother replying to me again.

HopiSen said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

Trying to out-sad me, antifrank?

By Northern/Central/DLR (possibly fastest non-National Rail route):

Charing Cross
Leicester Square
Tottenham Court Road (change for Central line)
Holborn
Chancery Lane
St Paul
Bank (change for DLR to Lewisham)
Shadwell
Limehouse
Westferry
West India Quay (sometimes skipped)
Canary Wharf
Heron Quays
South Quay
Crossharbour
Mudchute
Island Gardens
Cutty Sark*
Greenwich

*note that Cutty Sark is actually the stop for the maritime/tourist sites

Wouldn't

Charing Cross
Embankment
Waterloo (change to jubilee)
Southwark
London Bridge
Bermondsey
Canada Water
Canary Wharf (change to DLR)
Heron Quays
South Quay
Crossharbour
Mudchute
Island Gardens
Cutty Sark*
Greenwich

Be a bit quicker? Of course, the waterloo/Canary Wharf chenges are a bit of trek, but if it's Thor, shuldn't be a problem.

Full disclosure: I live in Greenwich, remember when they were filming Thor in the ORNC - there was a cool set with half buried cars that I guess had been chucked/hit with hammer. Almost as good as when they were filming Les Mis there.

This discussion is just crying out for someone to say 'Mornington Crescent'

:-)

New Thread

GeoffM said:

Richard_Tyndall said:

HopiSen said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

Trying to out-sad me, antifrank?

By Northern/Central/DLR (possibly fastest non-National Rail route):

Charing Cross
Leicester Square
Tottenham Court Road (change for Central line)
Holborn
Chancery Lane
St Paul
Bank (change for DLR to Lewisham)
Shadwell
Limehouse
Westferry
West India Quay (sometimes skipped)
Canary Wharf
Heron Quays
South Quay
Crossharbour
Mudchute
Island Gardens
Cutty Sark*
Greenwich

*note that Cutty Sark is actually the stop for the maritime/tourist sites

Wouldn't

Charing Cross
Embankment
Waterloo (change to jubilee)
Southwark
London Bridge
Bermondsey
Canada Water
Canary Wharf (change to DLR)
Heron Quays
South Quay
Crossharbour
Mudchute
Island Gardens
Cutty Sark*
Greenwich

Be a bit quicker? Of course, the waterloo/Canary Wharf chenges are a bit of trek, but if it's Thor, shuldn't be a problem.

Full disclosure: I live in Greenwich, remember when they were filming Thor in the ORNC - there was a cool set with half buried cars that I guess had been chucked/hit with hammer. Almost as good as when they were filming Les Mis there.

This discussion is just crying out for someone to say 'Mornington Crescent'

:-)

You can't get to Mornington Crescent from there unless you claim an extra turn by jumping on the Heathrow Express and sweeping straight back into the West End to arrive at Paddington. Which outflanks Sunil's attempts to put you in Nidd.

Should anyone wish to challenge this I refer you to NF Stovold’s "Mornington Crescent: Rules and Origins" second edition. Rule 45 (b) (iii) has been amended to allow this move- as first used in the now infamous grudge game "Labowski versus Johnson" of 2003.

I am sorry to have to disagree with you but you are forgetting the Roblozinski Amendment as set out in "Notes and Ephemera 27" in the December 2006 edition of Crescent Conundrums.. This quite clearly stated that when a Sunday or Bank Holiday service was in operation it was possible to use any properly certified TFL alternative means of transport - in this case including the Greenwich to Tower Bridge River Service - as a means of avoiding the potential "Nidd shunt".

Like Graham Garden so many times before me... I call Roblozinski.