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Good News, then a Cliffhanger

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Planned engineering work for July is now published.   Surprisingly Lewisham station will be completely closed - not a major problem as I can start from Ladywell.   However, Ramsgate to Dover will have replacement buses so I must think my way around this problem. The work-around results in a key journey of just one station, Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction, now being possible! Three cheers! Updated plan for days 1, 2 and 11 to 14 (days 4 and 8 I'm "resting"): [Not part of the tour] Ladywell to London Bridge and Ashford, arriving three hours earlier than the original plan via Ramsgate. [The tour starts here] Day 1: To Eastbourne, Brighton (cancel the hotel), Southampton and Weymouth (book new hotel) Day 2: Yeovil Pen Mill, Yeovil Junction, Exeter, (cancel Taunton hotel) and Cardiff (book new hotel). I might have a chance to meet a couple of university friends here. Day 3: Continue Bridgend, Swansea and Shrewsbury as original plan all the way up to Day 10 when I arriv...
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Fort William to Euston

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 Back in the Caledonian Sleeper lounge again, with a welcome complimentary coffee and snack. The facilities in here are very good.  On board. Have nice seat in lounge car.  Disaster: there's no lounge car in the morning! Have to have breakfast in the cabin.  Depart in 15 minutes, it hasn't stopped raining all day.  Ordered my meal.  Double disaster: there's no cheeseboard!!! So having a whisky and marmalade pudding with chocolate.  Triple disaster: a rather obnoxious family who were in the brown four-seater in the distance in the photo above decided to come and sit across from me, I don't know why, we never spoke. They were just too loud and forever coming and going. I ate as fast as I could. Starter: Chicken and ham terrine Main: Lamb According to the chap I met on the way up , the hermit who was on TV recently lives here, 14miles from the nearest road. Pudding: Whisky and marmalade thingummy with chocolate sauce. This was absolutely wonderful.  ...
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Location: Fort William, UK
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To Fort William

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 I'm not the only person who decided to return to the station early, there are no seats left.  Strange... three times now I've felt the station shudder as though there's a mini earthquake. No train moving, no kids jumping. Maybe it's just my reaction to the cold! Just spent the coldest 20 minutes of my life huddled on Mallaig station with some 50 others failing to avoid the Arctic gale. Eventually we were allowed on the equally cold but relatively draught-free train. I don't think I'll return in a huŕry. A reminder of why I subjected myself to this permafrost: Looks warmer here We sat at Glenfinnan station for a few minutes the were informed that, because this is the last passing place before Fort William, we'll have to wait for the north-bound train which is running about half-an-hour late. I should still easily catch the sleeper.  The 7 locks again  NEXT:   fort-william-to-euston
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Location: Fort William, UK
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To Arisaig and Mallaig

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 Problems on the trains today. This one is only 2 coaches and should be 4. It's packed but I have got a window seat facing travel!  Here we're passing the southern end of the Caledonian Canal with Neptune's Staircase - 7 locks. Approaching the Glenfinnan viaduct: Everybody rushed to my side of the train at this point! This is looking back at the viaduct and the station is just around the next bend. The purpose of this trip: Arisaig  Train conductor advised me which train door would be nearest to the Most Westerly sign.  Why aren't there similar signs on the other three stations? I never spotted one. You can tell what the weather is like - typical west coast summer Stayed on the train to cold, wet Mallaig where I had a good lunch starting with expensive local langustines followed by haddock and chips all washed down with unusually low-priced beer   The haddock was superb with exceedingly thin batter. There was over an hour to wait for the train back to Fort Willi...
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Location: Arisaig, UK
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Fort William

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This was my sleeping car and Caledonian have their own locomotives      The adjacent platform had The Jacobite steam train which also goes to Mallaig return but it's around four times the price of an ordinary return to Mallaig.    They don't do single fares and are almost fully booked all season although some cancellations meant they were touting for customers today but could only accept cash Had a brief walk. It's very cold and very wet, not for the likes of me. Sorry Fort William. Now in the Caledonian Sleeper lounge. Just heard there are problems on the trains between Crianlarich and Glasgow.  Drivers have called in sick so there are very few trains on that part of the line. There will be at least four buses per 2-coach train to take passengers onwards. Sensibly, all those for Glasgow will be in the same bus(es) and go direct, other passengers will be on the stopping buses. It won't affect the sleeper because that's a different company. Waiting on the st...
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Location: Fort William, UK
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Sleeper to Fort William

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 Left home over an hour early and just as well I did as there's a huge traffic jam locally caused by the bud before mine breaking down in the middle of rush hour.  My bus now on diversion round the back of the shopping centre. I'm the only happy passenger, everyone else wanted the shops. Train and bus worked perfectly.  Now in First Class Lounge at Euston. Will board sleeper in half an hour.  Now for a nice meal.... after a thirst quencher. Venison platter to start. Nearly forgot to snap the main course  - chicken with black pudding. Pudding: cheese of course. Washed down with a malt.  I'll sleep well tonight.  7am, awaiting breakfast... And  here it is. Loch Lomond, I never managed to get a tree-free shot, sorry. Still no Internet on the Caledonian Sleeper, but there is Wi-Fi. I don't understand that. So I can't use the laptop for the blog, phone is OK but tricky.  [Photos you see now have been edited once I returned home.] Now 9.20 at Tullo...
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Location: Fort William, UK
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Plans for Arisaig trip

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 This is from the Wikipedia entry for Arisaig, where I aim to be Thursday, 12 May " Arisaig railway station  on the  West Highland Line , seen from the last carriage of  The Jacobite  steam service from  Fort William  to  Mallaig , [...]  Arisaig is the most westerly station on the British mainline railway network." Other items of interest, to me at least, are that the station is Category B Listed and that during Covid-ridden 2020 it had just over 1000 passengers - that's just 1/6 of it's normal traffic. However, as I mentioned in the Plans for Thurso, I try to plan for transport going awry so here are my current thoughts about the Arisaig trip. The London end is exactly the same as the Thurso trip so I won't repeat them here. If the train from  Euston to Fort William  is cancelled: Postpone this trip and rebook for next week or later, although the Fort William sleepers are heavily booked. If the train from  Fort Will...
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Location: Arisaig, UK
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