Topic: Ice cap thaw may awaken Icelandic volcanoes

[sam]

I like to fly to be honest. I like trains too. If I had the option it would always be trains. That really isn't an option over here in Canada - much easier to fly (locally never mind back to the UK).

I love big steam engines, but I'd rather be on one of the high speed trains we have no. Shame they can't go as fast as they should. Can't wait for the government to get their fingers out and properly invest in the rail network. Its the way to go.. having all linked up with local metro services and job done, you never need a car.

[Rik]

They should have stuck with Brunel's wide gauge.

[sam]

oh they should have. That and thought about the height of road bridges a little more. 

[Rik]

Brunel was miles ahead of the rest of his generation.

[sam]

a great engineer who we should be very thankful for.

And his father was pretty smart too... the Thames Tunnel and all.

the atmospheric railway is something that always makes me go wow... and I feel sad that such interesting developments were ignored. How we should have high speed maglevs now if people listened.

[Rik]

Yes, the Thames tunnel was a massive achievement - I got to walk through it as a kid. Brunel was a good architect as well as engineer - a real Renaissance man.

[sam]

cool that would have been a nice walk.  I wonder if it is part of the new London Overground network since the East Line was shut?

[Rik]

Possible, Sam, I haven't been back to London for 30 years now. I also had the privilege of walking the tunnels in the Post Office Railway. Great fun, really interesting to be down there.

[sam]

cool - they have a few post office tunnels in brum that have now been shut, which is a shame

You haven't been to London for 30 years? Bet its changed quite a bit!

[Rik]

I doubt that I would recognise large swathes, but the house I grew up in looks much the same on Google.

[sam]

ah good old Google.

[Rik]

Some say that, others know the sod.

[Simon]

 

[Clive]

When I visited Glasgow to attend a wedding in 2008 train fare from Cardiff was £125 each, airfare £40 each.  No contest really.  

[Rik]

That's a lot of the problem, Clive.