European Railroad Discussion > Clapham Junction, Happiest Place on Earth

This will be my last fresh pictures from another fantastic trip to the UK. Tomorrow I fly back to the US and resume normal life. Today though, my Southwest Trains 2C60 from Reading to Feltham was the first in a long line of trains to get nailed by a lineside fire causing it to get to Feltham 45 minutes late. The one and only time I've had any problem with anyone here in two trips happened as I was harassed by two of the stupidist kids in England.

All that can make for a depressing end to a good day and wonderful trip, or one can go to the happiest place on Earth, Clapham Junction.

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These are a few of what I took around 2100 and the last at around 2200. I'm not even going to attempt figure out what all the trains are or where they are going.

Good night!

Jim

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The Disney Company's lawyers will be contacting you about using their copyrighted phrase "Happiest Place on Earth" without their permission. ;-)

I disagree. I've spent some time at Clapham Junction before on trips to Europe, and I can't put my finger on it, but something about seeing ten identical commuter trains parade past per minute is a bit depressing to me.

Tor in Eugene

That's why I take it in small doses. The few times I've been there is transferring between trains or riding through. On this visit I rode from Feltham, got off, took the first five pictures and got back on train to Waterloo around ten minutes later. On the way back I rode from Waterloo then picked up a train back to Feltham. So in all the two stops were about ten minutes each. I do agree, it would not be a place to spend a whole day at but I think everyone should visit it at least once. It is unreal to see that many trains running at once.

Jim

Torisgod Wrote:
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> I disagree. I've spent some time at Clapham
> Junction before on trips to Europe, and I can't
> put my finger on it, but something about seeing
> ten identical commuter trains parade past per
> minute is a bit depressing to me.
>
> Tor in Eugene

I can understand if you were to say dull, but depressing? That I don't understand, if anything they speak of the essential part rail plays in our transport infrastructure, not a nice to have but without which the quality of life in the city would be very much poorer.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/14 05:39 by 86235.

You just have to come at the right time to make it less "depressing."

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That certainly improves the aspect.

Brit train spotters tend to be bored by all of the passenger trains and excited when they see a 'goods' train. We Yanks, on the other hand, often find the more rare passenger train much more enjoyable to watch than strings of covered hoppers or double stacks or auto racks. Its all a matter of perspective.

When I visited the Clap for the first time about 15 years ago, 15 minutes of it was all I needed as well. About 40 years ago, however, I stepped off of an Amtrak train in Newark Penn - nowhere near as busy or as colorful as Clapham Junction - and was immediately surrounded by consists of old steel commuter cars rolling in behind single and double GG-1 power (and an original Metroliner consist) and thought "Wow, now this is railroading!"

Watching trains is what we do and who can say that one busy rail line is more interesting than another? There is always something worth watching on most rail lines and well, vive la difference!

timecruncher

Jim - I kinda wondered if you would return to Ohio or just stay over there! Glad the trip went well!