Clifton Rocks Railway history

Constructed in the late 19th century inside the cliffs of the Avon Gorge, Clifton Rocks Railway was built to reduce the impact of a railway system on the picturesque local surroundings.

It opened to the public on 11 March 1893, carrying a total of 6,220 passengers on its first day. Though it was initially a success, by 1908 the company in charge was declared bankrupt, and were forced to sell to Bristol Tramways.

In 1922, Hotwell Road was expanded to become Portway, removing the Hotwell station of the Railway. This caused transport numbers to further dwindle and on 29 September 1934, the final train ran along the service. Thus after 40 years of operation, it finally closed shortly before World War Two. During the war however it served as a communications post and air raid shelter for Bristol’s residents, and was also an emergency studio base for the BBC.

Clifton Rocks Railway today

Today the Clifton Rocks Railway is operated by a charitable trust which aims to preserve and restore the railway. The striking exterior of its dilapidated Bottom Station is still visible from the road, while its old Top Station retains some of the ornate details once enjoyed by Bristol’s 19th and early 20th-century commuters.

There are open days twice a year and the site is available to visit via pre-booked tours. In 2019, a project also began to refurbish the Clifton Rocks Railway and establish a museum there.

Getting to Clifton Rocks Railway

Clifton Rocks Railway is located in Bristol near the Clifton Suspension Bridge, just off the B3129. The nearest train station is the Clifton Down station, a 25-minute walk to the site, while the 8 and 505 bus services stop at Clifton Village, a 10-minute walk to the site.

Le P’tit Train de la Haute Somme history

In 1915, the French Army built a railway along the Somme Canal between Péronne and Froissy. Between 1916 and 1918 the railway was at the Allied front line, and transporting 1,500 tonnes of materials daily.

After the war, the railway was used in assisting with the reconstruction and also to bring food into the villages it served. New lines were laid including a zig-zag to reach the Santerre Plateau. The line escaped World War II with little damage, although one train of molasses was attacked by a British aircraft.

Le P’tit Train de la Haute Somme today

Le P’tit Train de la Haute Somme still operates today as a tourist attractions, using traditional steam or diesel trains. It offers a great panoramic view over the Somme Valley as far as the Santerre plateau on a 14 km round-trip from Froissy to Dompierre. Along the way, visitors will notice the zigzag to get up the hill.

Le P’tit Train de la Haute Somme also has a museum, some of which concerns the World War One aspects of the railways and others of which are related to the use of the railways for industrial purposes. It features a large collection of 600mm gauge railway material, steam engines, diesel engines and wagons, in an 1800 m² exhibition hall inaugurated in 1996.

Getting to Le P’tit Train de la Haute Somme

The address of Le P’tit Train de la Haute Somme is Hameau de Froissy 80340 LA NEUVILLE-LES-BRAY, France. This is where you can board the steam train and begin a 14km journey through history and past fields with fantastic views of the Somme valley.

Prices for Adults range from 9.50 to 11 Euros, whilst children can board for 7 Euros. There is free parking and a bar, cafeteria and tea-room on site.

The village is a popular tourist attraction because of its extraordinary name which is made up of 58 characters split into 18 syllables. It is widely purported to be the longest place name in Europe and the second longest one-word place name in the world.

Today, a few thousand local residents welcome around 200,000 visitors per year to the village, with the most popular site being the Llanfairpwll railway station that features the plate with the full name of the village.

History of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

There has been human settlement and activity in the area since the Neolithic era (4000-2000 BC), with fishing and agriculture being the main occupations for most of the village’s early history. It was captured by Roman forces and held until the end of Roman Britain.

Though it has been a site of some religious activity, the rural nature of the settlement meant that in 1563, the population was only around 80 people. However, when Anglesey was connected with the rest of Wales via Thomas Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge in 1826, the population increased. When the Britannia Bridge and North Wales Coast railway line was constructed in 1850, the population increased yet again. Today, the population stands at just over 3,000.

The village’s name translates to ‘St. Mary’s Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the red cave.’

It is thought that longer versions of the name were first introduced in 1869 as a way of improving tourism in the area. According to Welsh linguist and poet Sir John Morris-Jones, the name was created by a local tailor whose name he never divulged.

From 1900-1910, a local shopkeeper devised “An English, Irish and Scotchman’s cure for Lock-jaw”, which comprised a sealed envelope with instructions inside.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch today

Today, the village is certainly most well-known for its unusual name. However, there are other sites in the area such as Anglesey Sea Zoo, Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Chamber, St Tysilio’s Church, Menai Bridge and Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens.

The area is also known for its natural beauty: Anglesey is included on the northern section Lôn Las Cymru trail, Wales’ long-distance cycling route, which translates to ‘Wales’ Green Lane’.

Getting to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

The village is located in the Welsh Isle of Anglesey, just over the Menai Strait from Bangor on the mainland and easily accessible by train. If you are travelling from London, there’s an hourly train service from London to Chester which offers a connection to the village along the way.

Pacific Central Station history

The Neoclassical Revival Pacific Central Station was completed in 1919 for the Canadian Northern Railway, and designed by the architecture firm Pratt and Ross. It became a heritage railway station in 1991.

In 1993, the station was converted to a multi-modal transportation facility that includes intercity buses; it stands across Thornton Park from the Skytrain monorail stations. A bus concourse has been added in the rear of the building. Since the Amtrak Cascades crosses the border into the U.S., there is a customs area that passengers must pass through to board the train.

Pacific Central Station today

Pacific Central Station is a handsome illustration of Beaux-Arts architectural principles, retaining both the exterior features and interior detailing typical of the style.

The station retains the general layout and major components of its site and serves as a prominent landmark in the urban fabric of Vancouver.

Getting to Pacific Central Station

Pacific Central Station is located at 1150 Station St. Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 4C7.

It is situated near the corner Main St and terminal, Science World Skytrain Station, east of downtown adjacent to Chinatown and Olympic Village.

If travelling by car, long term parking is available on the north side of the gated entrance.

Syntagma Metro Station history

Athens was first inhabited around the 11th and 7th millennia BC and by 1400 BC had become an important hub of Mycenaean civilisation, the Acropolis a major Mycenaean fortress site. Later, Iron Age burial sites such as Syntagma were richly decorated, demonstrating that from 900 BC Athens remained a site of trade and prosperity. Through the 6th to the 3rd century BC during the Golden Age of Athenian democracy, and into the Roman period, was allowed to thrive as a free city.

Syntagma Metro Station opened in 2000 after years of collaborative work between archaeologists and metro engineers to prepare a subway network before Athens hosted the 2004 Olympic Games – much like their ancient forebears. The station was not only Athens’ first subway stop, but also the largest excavation in the city’s history. Archaeologists uncovered between 30,000 and 50,000 artefacts.

The stop was built to serve the Hellenic Parliament in Syntagma Square. However, during the ancient period the area would have been situated outside of the city walls. As a result, the location was perfect for a cemetery – the ancients forbidding the burial of the dead inside the city limits. The site was used as a burial place from the 11th century BC and therefore the modern station was built an area to exhibit the findings that included grave goods as well as ancient Greek plumbing.

Syntagma Metro Station today

Today, catch a ride along subway lines 2 or 3, or simply enter from Syntagma Square, to visit the museum within this bustling station. Behind a glass wall you can clearly see an archaeological cross-section of the city’s history, beginning with the Byzantine period, through the Roman, ancient Greek and finally prehistoric era.

The passageways of the metro station display signage explaining and showcasing the ancient findings. Plus, when the summer heat of Athens is too much the subway station’s subterranean air conditioning provides a cool oasis.

Getting to Syntagma Metro Station

As mentioned, located in the heart of the city along Lines 2 and 3, Syntagma Metro Station is best found travelling along Athens’ subway. If using buses, the station is also a stop along routes 227, 230, 790, 856, A2, A3 and X7. You could also get the trolleybuses 1, 2, 4, 5, 11, 12 or 15.

History of the Train Cemetery

The town of Uyuni, high on the Andean plains, was an important colonial transportation hub in South America, connecting several major towns as part of the ambitious European project to link east and west South America. Imperial expansion meant that there were plans to grow the network of trains running through, but these were gradually abandoned as relations

Trains and railway building equipment were simply abandoned, left to rust, as it was easier than transporting them back to transport hubs, given Uyuni’s remote location. The majority of the locomotives are early 20th century British trains. Abandoned trains are far from special in themselves, but the salt winds that whip across the plains in Uyuni corroded the steel, leaving a somewhat more eerie sight.

The Train Cemetery today

No matter how many pictures you’ve seen, the Train Cemetery remains magical. The light – particularly at dawn or dusk – on the salt plains is beautiful, and there’s something haunting about these steel giants being reclaimed by the powers of nature.

Getting to the Train Cemetery

The cemetery is about 10 minutes outside the town of Uyuni – taxis or local buses will be able to drop you here easily if you don’t have your own transport. It’s about half an hour’s walk from the centre of town if you want to stretch your legs, although you might want to avoid this if you’re going early or late i.e. not in daylight.