The BeerTrain

Over 5 years since my last visit to Bavaria, with a little bit of Franconia thrown in (last visited over 17 years ago!), it was going to be a pub outing (from Heaven & Ale, Barnsley) but striking Railway workers (both here & in Germany), added to a Lufthansa ground-crew dispute put paid to that. Single manned then! Tuesday 16th April 2024 To avoid the above disputes I would have to travel down to Stansted Airport to get a (Ryanair) flight to Nuremberg, this added an additional overnight stay in Cambridge so involved an extra hotel, luckily my Priv railway passes meant this was the only additional cost involved. Unit  Barnsley - Wakefield Kirkgate 1717 Nottingham - Leeds 11miles Unit   Wakefield Kirkgate -  Wakefield Westgate 1840 Knottingley - Leeds 1mile I'd spotted that the 1945 ex Leeds was consisted with the booked class 91 so headed to Wakefield. I killed the 50 minute wait with a pint in the excellent Harrys Bar, followed by another in the quirkily...

It was with great sadness and shock that I heard, on Sunday 9th May 2021, of the untimely death of John "Zuzzy Hell" Sandham. He was running for a train at Cardiff Central station, Unit bashing, when he sadly had a heart attack & Died - doing what he loved most, Trains. John with only ONE bag shocker! Stockport 10/04/82. Photo used with courtesy of fgrsimon Though known to most of the UK's Bashing fraternity from at least the early 80's, if not before, I only got to know John from early 1987 when we were both solidly bashing Crompton's on the Southern. As one of those few who were regularly out daily, like myself, we would often share a Compo on the overnight moves. Woking Tea party If we were on the 2238 Weymouth to Waterloo we would nip to John's house for a quick cup of tea before going back to the station for the 0245 ex Waterloo to Portsmouth & Southsea. Similarly if we did the 2345 out to Woking we would have a few cuppa's and relax at his ho...