Tuesday 18 June 2013

Toot toot, chuff-chuff - off we go......

 Steam Train nostalgia
The train now boarding at Platform 1 leaves for the Spey Valley at 3.30pm


Off we go - farewell Scotland

54 comments:

  1. beautiful
    old train stations are beautiful

    bon voyage : )

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  2. Everything looks so shiny and CLEAN.

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    1. It was, it was beautiful - they were in the process of painting it. The setting was lovely.

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  3. So beautiful, elegant and old style. Good thing they have preserved it very well.

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    1. It is good that it is looked after and hasn't been updated. It is still on the mainline from Glasgow in the south to Inverness in the north - so a working station.

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  4. Beautiful! when I was a child, I had a train like that one...

    Marina

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    1. There has been a very big resurgence of interest here in steam trains with lots of enthusiasts restoring them.You can go on some lovely trips with 'fine dining' on board etc.

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  5. Hello Rosemary, These photos once again demonstrate the charm of everything that was build a while ago. We were commenting just recently how ugly and cheap-looking most modern bridges and stations are.

    By the way, what is Craven A?
    --Road to Parnassus

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    1. Dear Jim - the station was a delight both in its situation in the middle of a plain surrounded by hills, and the architecture which was well preserved and cared for.
      Believe it or not but the Craven A vintage sign is for cigarettes. Apparently they were a favourite during WWll, and were made in Canada, Jamaica, Vietnam, and North Korea according the Wikipedia. People must have been even more gullible then - will not affect your throat!!!

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  6. An adorable station and train. Love the collages you made and especially the one of the cartoonfigure-realmanfigure comparison. Striking!
    That scenery again! Beautiful!
    Marian

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    1. Dear Marian - who would think that a train station could be adorable - but you are right it was - I was thrilled when I saw it.
      The cartoon figure is from Thomas the Tank Engine, all small children here have the series read to them - I wonder if you know it in Belgium.

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  7. Dear Rosemary, You're having way too much fun. Fun with your pictures and fun as you travel. Thanks for including us in your wonderful journey. ox, Gina

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    1. You are right of course Gina, but I know that you enjoy a bit of fun with your photos too - I think that we are two of a kind.

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  8. Lovely and clean. Your photos are so clear, well done.

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    1. The station was spotless, and the air clear and bright which all helps - thank you.

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  9. Hello dear Rosemary ! So nice this old train station .I think that is for another time !Thank you that you sharing these photos and moments from your trip !
    Have a nice day !

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    1. Dear Olympia - lovely to hear from you - yes, you are right it is a lovely old train station, and is from another time - it is Victorian and was opened in 1898.

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  10. Hello dear Rosemary..
    What a well kept railway station. It must have been a pleasure to ride on the poof poof train!
    I do not know Scotland. I can see you both had a splendid trip.
    Thank you for your comments..
    I will keep on trying..
    lost all my e mail addresses on gmail!..
    kind regards val x

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    1. Hello Val - gorgeous train and railway station - it was a pleasure to visit and ride on the train.
      Hope you can resolve the problems Val, everyone will find you if you start again. I will let everyone know if you do.

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  11. I love youre photo's, the old buildings are so nice.
    you have make a nice trip.

    Greetings,
    Inge, my choice

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    1. Dear Inge - I thought that the station buildings were lovely too. It is a shame when you think how many have been pulled down and rebuilt. Thank you for your kind comment.

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  12. Dear Rosemary,

    I would have loved to have experienced both the train and the station — such a time warp! I do hope that the station is designated as a landmark — it would be a huge shame to lose it. (It seems as if we have to fight to keep every great old building here, and then they're often replaced by something that lasts for only 40 years!)

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    1. Dear Mark - I do not think anything detrimental will be happening to this station. They were obviously very proud of it, and were in the middle of a repainting job. The mainline from Glasgow to Inverness passes through several times a day - the steam train platform is an historical sideline with lots of enthusiastic volunteers maintaining and running it.

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  13. My husband just loves trains - especially old ones. This station looks quite beautiful, and I loved the signs along the fence.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed seeing it - a charming little station in the heart of the Highlands, we loved it too.

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  14. Lovely pictures Rosemary, what a lovely adventure. Toot-Toot! The Craven A advert is quite amusing, underneath another sign should say "....but does knacker your lungs!

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    1. That vintage sign amused me too - it made me realise that advertisers have always put a less than honest slant on products they want to sell, but that is pretty brazen.

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  15. What a great blog. I love the way you make your photo's Rosemary.
    Have a wonderful day.

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    1. Dear Marijke - what a very generous comment - thank you. All the photos are done on Picmonkey, if you ever want to know how I do things do ask and I will be happy to email you some instructions.

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  16. Looks like something from an old film, really fascinating :-) Thanks for sharing these beautiful places with us...almost like a guide, should we ever get there. xx

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    1. The station is Victorian and really well looked after, the train I suspect must be early Edwardian. It was a lovely trip done in the old fashioned way, leisurely and slowly.

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  17. Great post Rosemary!!I love the old trains stations!!Wonderful pictures!!
    Thank you for sharing!!Have a lovely evening!!
    Dimi..

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    1. Thanks Dimi - glad that you enjoyed seeing this lovely Victorian railway station and the old steam train.

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  18. It's lovely to see so much pride taken in maintaining the old train and the station, such a contrast to the majority of modern stations and trains. Lovely photos - I love the cheeky comparison photos from Thomas the Tank Engine and 'real life'.

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    1. Dear Wendy - yes, that was indeed very naughty of me, but couldn't resist - you are the only person that has actually but two and two together and made four.
      The station was a joy and as you mention such pride seemed to be taken in keeping it spotless and beautifully painted.

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  19. very cute+I love how witty you have made the collages:-)))thanks for this tour!

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    1. Thank you Jana - so happy that you enjoyed the tour.

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  20. What an enjoyable post, Rosemary. Images do indeed so often speak louder than words. :-) I remember being force-fed Virol as a child after I'd been ill. :-)

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    1. Dear Perpetua - my mother gave us Virol everynight - a teaspn full of cod-liver oil followed by a large spoon of the malt extract to get rid of the taste of the oil. We all loved it perhaps because it was so delicious after the awful oil.

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  21. So appealing to see the train station - so clean and uncrowded. were there any passengers taken on at this station? I was just about to say - I used to love Virol - and then I saw Perpetua's comment and your reply! Thankfully I was never given cod liver oil!

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    1. Dear Linda - the station is on the daily Glasgow to Inverness route and a regular train came in whilst we were waiting for our our train to get up steam. I few people were waiting for it and several got off.
      Yes, we all liked Virol, but with Perpetua's comment I wonder whether it was because of the spoon of cod liver oil that preceded it. I wonder if the cod liver oil did any good? it was vile.

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  22. Just glorious, Rosemary!! Phl and I have feated on your pictures today. Though my personal favourites are the two of The Fat Controller. Beautifully presented today. The station clocks are fabulous.

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    1. Hello Kate & Phil - glad that you enjoyed seeing the photos - the station was gorgeous, the sun was shinning and the landscape perfect so a perfect photo opportunity. I couldn't resist the photo I took of the look alike!!!

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  23. Love this post. I have a passion for trains - and anything related to them. Would love to sleep on a train - love dining cars - the smell of steam trains - the buzz and people watching on a busy platform and so much more. Thanks for sharing.
    Patricia x

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    1. Dear Patricia - you must catch the Caledonian from Euston which goes all the way to Fort William over night, and then wake up in the Highlands - a great experience, and then make that extra magical trip from Fort William to Mallaig.

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  24. Terrific post! These photos and the ones from your trip are all just awesome. I love trains.

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    1. Trains seem to be very popular with everyone Marie - I used to thing that it was just a male thing but it is universal.

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  25. What an exciting ride on a steam engine! Red colors are impressive on the train, station, and other facilities. I like it when they are old-fashioned but clean and effective. The scenery from the train including the previous posts is beyond words. I’m enthralled by the Scottish landscape, rosemary.

    Yoko

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    1. Dear Yoko - the station was so beautifully maintained, and in fact was in the process of being repainted. The railway men obviously took a real pride in it.
      The Highlands has a wonderful landscape which is virtually untouched by man - apart from roads and railways, some small towns, and castles, it is as it has always been.

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  26. I love these crisp black and red colours and the pristine condition of the train and the whole rail area. Must be a gorgeous way to view the countryside. Rosemary, I would like to tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtful comments on my blog. It makes my difficult journey feel a little easier. Thank you :)

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    1. Dear Rosemary - I received so many kind words of comfort from fellow bloggers last year when I lost my dear friend. Surprisingly I found that writing about my friend was therapeutic and an emotional release too.
      I never imagined when I started blogging how touched I would be by people's lives from around the world, feeling their distress and also their joy in quite the way I do.
      I was so pleased to learn that your lovely daughter is in expert hands, that she is in good spirits, and that you are able to spend your days with her.

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  27. Old trains bring back fond memories to me - my father's ancestors worked for the railways in various capacities. He was a train driver, including steam. He loved the work for the independence, the scenery and the speed - but he had no nostalgia for it after retirement, unlike "amateur" enthusiasts.

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    1. I can imagine that most of the amateur enthusiasts are probably frustrated boy train drivers. It is one thing doing it for fun another doing it to earn a living.

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