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Thanks for that information

Thanks for your comment. I've never been to Ayr races yet

Thanks for sharing your memories

Thanks for your memories, great times!

Thanks for your comment. The rail fares in Britain are a minefield, especially for the unwary. For me the advantage of Rail Sail was that it has the status of an open ticket and I could travel on any train I liked, and change the return date if I wanted. I sometimes travel on open tickets for the flexibility you get, even though they are dearer than non-changeable non-refundable tickets.

Thanks for your comment. It always pleases me when my films invoke such happy memories.

Thanks for your comment, in a way the Isle of Man is stuck in a time-warp. Old trains, cheap beer (about £3.50 a pint!) and paper banknotes. May be a reason why people like to live there in spite of the isolation of being on an island.

Thanks for your comment. Beofre commiting yourself check the Steam Packet website as some of the ferries from Liverpool are hi-speed ferries which are more susceptible to bad weather. We've had a weird summer with winter type storms this year, don't know if it's going to become typical with climate change. At least if you go from Liverpool you have the advantage of being in a city and not so vulnerable to connections not working. Like I say in this film, travel is not without anxiety and that's part fo the fun of travel - always having a Plan B. I have a video on my channel about Plan B!

That's an interesting comment, as my observation was that if they introduce a bigger ship which clearly has more people and vehicles on board, then the port handling processes need to be reviewed in line with that. I was quite surprised when watching the loading at Douglas (on the return journey) that a large number of cars were required to reverse over the linkspan onto the ferry. Observation of behaviour on single-track roads (of which we have a lot in Scotland!) would tell you that many drivers struggle to drive backwards. At Heysham the process for foot-passengers reclaiming checked baggage was utterly chaotic. I pointed this out in a letter of complaint to Steam Packet, but my reply was the usual bland corporate cut-and-paste rubbish we are used to now.

Thanks for your comment, as always!

Bill Shankly's words were:- "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." Regarding the guy on Girvan platform telling me he was an Arsenal supporter, I have no idea why he suddenly came out with that when we weren't even talking about football. Thanks for your comment.

Thanks for your comment. I love it when my films generate a local response! I am sorry to have missed you, but the relief guy was quite friendly anyway. The explanation about Bishopstone fills a gap in my knowledge. I will be passing by again as soon as I can work out a schedule to go to Stranraer, given the small number of trains in the temporary timetable.

@@Clivestravelandtrains yeah, very poor for midweek, probably your best bet to go to stranraer is a sunday to be honest, the only midweek train is just a turnaround

Thanks for your comment. Some like music, some don't - you can't please all of the people etc. At least everyone has a volume control and on/off toggle on their device!

Thanks for your comment. I'll check out the Martyrs' Tomb date. I did notice the Buckie on the top shelf, it gets everywhere!

Thanks for your comment. I was thinking of stations with name beginning Manchester. Should have included Manchester Airport I suppose!

Sometimes when I wake up at weekends I look at Realtime Trains to see if there's anything interesting coming through my two local stations (Stepps and Lenzie) that day. I saw there was a "loco-hauled express" coming through Stepps, and when I checked the train's schedule I decided to make a day out and go to Garelochhead. I didn't know it was the Midland Pullman until someone else on the station told me. Thanks for your comment.

Thanks for your comment Iain. Did you catch the glimpse of yourself as the Pullman came in? It was good chatting there.

Oh yes. Fame at last 😂​@@Clivestravelandtrains

Thanks Frank, I appreciate that.

Thanks for your comment. I like it when my films evoke such memories.

There's a caption at 4:24 saying that the signal box is being restored. It houses the levers that operate the points and semaphore signals, although the signalman is based in the former ticket office.

Thanks for your comment. Unlikely in my lifetime!

Thanks for your comment. The ScotRail painting gang have been busy with Troon and Ayr in recent weeks. Troon needs to be ready for the golfing Open on 14th July!

The reason is actually because all staff were tied up with the fire at the station hotel building, so we could actually get our trains back up and running 😊

@@bbsmumma8630 Thanks for that explanation.

Thanks for your comment. I'd guessed that, in relation to Bishopstone, but couldn't see a connection with Stow. I've used Stow a few times.

@@Clivestravelandtrains was thinking maybe Stow is what Girvan used to look like?

@@TransportGeekery I've only found one picture of the old Girvan station on-line, on the Railscot website, which wasn't particularly good as it focussed on a locomotive + traincrew. I couldn't see any likeness with Stow, even checking old pictures of Stow on the Disused Stations website. The G&SWR had a grand and distinctive style of station architecture.

Thanks for your comment. I might do another film on the location of Stranraer station.

Yes, I really love it. Thanks for your comment

Thanks for your comment. That's why I explained it in front of a bi-lingual sign!

@@Clivestravelandtrains Thanks! It’s quite common in Gaelic for a town to have the Inbhir but the English just being named after the river - Thurso/Inbhir Theòrsa, Wick/Inbhir Ùige. Sometimes Inbhir Lìobhainn for Leven too.

​@@AlasdairMacCaluim Inbhir Aìr too!

@@robertfoulkes1832 Tha thu ceart - dhiochuimhnich mi mu dheidhinn sin! Yes - you're right - I'd forgotton about that one :)

Thanks for your comment.

Thanks for your comment. I made a note to do a wee bit more research into that.

Thanks for your comment. Religious strife is a horrible thing.

In many countries it is still illegal to have religious/Christian documents (ie the Bible) or practice the faith. And any kind of punishment, including death, would be seen by believers as persecution and ultimately martyrdom. It makes enough sense if you look at religious history.

@@andymerrett in many countries yeah - but its old blighty here, for Christ's sake... And here was I thinking they've gone woke recently...

Read what it says. It says that the soldiers inferred that they were Covenanters because they were carrying Bibles. Covenanters were people who refused to accept the state Church. That made it religious. But it was also political because they came into conflict with the monarchy.

Thanks for your comment. The ScotRail website always said they were committed to re-opening it. I don't think the Scottish Government would want to see a wide rail-less area.

Thanks for your comment. It's extremely sad what happened in Ayr. Did you see my film about Ayr Station Hotel fire?

@@Clivestravelandtrains No, but I will shortly!

@@scottc1589 czcams.com/video/ZhGELjn4l88/video.html

Thanks for your comment. The stations on this line are all different and interesting in their own way.

Not sure if you mean Girvan or Barrhill Frank - maybe both?

@@Clivestravelandtrains sorry I meant Girvan, especially the iron gates and around the tunnel 😅

@@fhwolthuisbelieve it or not it was fully done year ago, obviously not rust proof paint 😂😂😂

Thanks for your comment. Do you mean two consecutive stations on the same line, or two stations that happen to be very close to each other? In the latter case, I think Catford to Catford Bridge is the best example, they are opposite one another, and you can't buy a ticket from one to the other. If you mean the former, then you may be thinking of Culrain to Invershin which looks like about half a mile on the OS map which is 40 chains. Duke Street-Alexandra Parade and Springburn to Barnhill are other examples, and further afield there are suggestions in London and also Ryde Isle of Wight. You can do your own research online I'm sure. Chains are still used in railway measurement, there being 80 to one mile.

@@Clivestravelandtrains The one I was thinking of was Dalreoch to Dumbarton Central. I've just always been struck by how close they were.

Thanks for your comment. I recall the days when Manchester Exchange station was open, and there was a continuous platform from there to Manchester Victoria station. Colchester also used to feature in the list of long platforms. Cheriten is different as I don't think you can walk up and board a train there. Interesting, though.

Thanks for your comment. According to railwaydata.co.uk it's 18 metres long. I intend to go there in the summer to check it out, as I regularly visit cousins in Lowestoft.

Thanks for your comment. According to railwaydata.co.uk the platforms at Dilton Marsh are 27 metres long, which is a bit longer than the two lengths you mention. 60 feet is 18.3 metres. Maybe the website is out of date. I may be able to visit Dilton Marsh this summer to investigate as I'm planning a brief holiday in the Cardiff area, and it's quite easy to get there from Cardiff. Never been before!

I expected somebody to mention Damems, but I don't really count that as it's on a heritage railway and there are probably stopping points on Welsh narrow gauge lines with no platforms at all. Incidentally, the single word "Damems" in your message was identified by Google as not English, and they translated it to "Ladies". Thanks for the comment, anyway.

Thanks for your comment. I thought of that, but the spacing between each flagstone wasn't uniform and I felt there could be centimetres in it between the two stations. Further, at Beauly the flagstones weren't all the same size.

Thanks for the heads-up, I'm planning to visit Ayr again this week and do the trip to Stranraer again. I'd have loved to see the 37s at Kilkerran.

Thanks for your comment - I think you're right as I've checked through my clips (some not used in CZcams!) and the "do not trespass" etc. signs are at the end of the ramps, which means they are part of the platform. So I guess Conon Bridge wins!

@@Clivestravelandtrains 😀It's important for me to know which platform to put on my 'you wish this was your bucket list' list, seeing as I'm not likely to see either in person. Your clips are a treat, therefore.

@@TheGrimStoic I suppose if there's any doubt or debate, people ticking off bucket-list things could visit both stations as they are very close.

@@Clivestravelandtrains 😀not even on the same continent - so they may as well be next door to each other - I can only visit them thanks to old Master Vicarious

Thanks for your comment. I love being able to reach into Canada!

As a retired teacher in BC, if I was back in Scotland, I'd probably wander the rails just like you. I'm from east Kilbride, my father drove trains all his life, so maybe it's in my blood. Whilst at Glasgow uni on the '70s, I'd jump on a night train to London for the weekend often, or even a quick trip to Paris, thanks to having cheap travel.

@@IainMartin-j4u Happy memories!

Thanks Frank - I'm i clined to agree!

Thanks for your comment. I've had a few comments about what is Greenock and what isn't Greenock, confused a bit by boundaries changing over the years. Most online sources credit the naming of Lyle Hill as being after the sugar guy Provost Abram Lyle. kids.kiddle.co/Lyle_Hill is one of many examples.

@@Clivestravelandtrains the boundaries i'm talking about are refined (lol) from local folks boundaries, which are pretty much geo-physically evident on the whole due the them being basically traditional memories of old maps in a way. The sources you found are probably fairly recent ones if they don't have lyle hill recorded as at least medieval, since there's been a lyle moss further south and lyle farm (now gone under new builds at Branchton) for that long... i'd send a link to a map resource ordinarily, 'cause i'm certain you'll find it on 17th century maps... but the site I use recently updated and it's a damned laggy and disorganised AI managed shambles now... But i'm certain you'll find at least lyle moss on maps before the industrial revolution.. maybe the hill was named later... but 'Lyle' is a feature of the area.

Thanks for your comment. The same applies to the bridge over Loch Crerran.

Thanks for your comment. Maybe they only practise with pop-guns, due to austerity cuts!

Thanks for your comment Ken, I plan to re-visit Ayr at some point!

Thanks for your comment. I do indeed love my country!