Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Coastway Will

@coastwaywill.me

1.7K followers 170 following 740 posts

First Class Host in Purple | @hastingsdiesels.co.uk Volunteer | Asexual, He/Him

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · Dec 29

Hello! Loads of you are migrating from Twitter again after my last shout 😁

Want to find all your favourite transport people? @jenonthemove.com's starter pack is for you!
go.bsky.app/ULquJ55

Trying to find UK traincrew? I made a pack, tag me if you're traincrew to get added go.bsky.app/88FVtEu

5 2 36

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 20h

We also got some photos of trains around Essen before catching out ICE to our hotel

Yes, some ICEs were 90L+, yes ours was delayed too, yes we lost even more minutes so ended up about 50L at our destination. Unrefurbished ICE2 seats aren't comfy either 🥲

Hey, we've had good fun anyways!

3/3

A DB 146 Locomotive at Essen train station

1 23

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 20h

Swiftly moving on to Essen... for something British 🤨

The original DLR P86/89 stock ply their trade round here, albeit with a cab, pantograph and retractioned motors these days

They're very fun, especially as they do some street running! It's cursed, absolutely do it, they're on borrowed time

2/3

A P86/89 train at Messe South West station

A P86/89 train going onto the street at Halbe Hohe station

A P86/89 train at Hirschlandplatz station

A P86/89 train at Margarethenhohe station

1 1 29

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 20h

So, my first ever visit to Germany... I just *had* to do the Wuppertal Schwebebahn didn't I? 😉

@pacerclara.insanity.tube and I absolutely loved it! For us, it was incredibly fascinating, yet for many that's just how you get around normally

Oh, it's signalled with ETCS too, because lol

1/3

A Schwebebahn train above a street near Vohwinkel

A Schwebebahn train at Oberbarmen station

A Schwebebahn Train running over a river

4 6 61

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 1d

For the first time ever, I've crossed into Germany!

.....only to immediately be met with a points failure that added 20 minutes onto the journey 😭

I've not even experienced DB yet!

A Eurobahn FLIRT train at Venlo train station

5 32

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 1d

Ahh, too late for me sadly! Have a safe trip!

1 1

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 1d

So you know how nothing ever gets disrupted in Europe?

Well, I had a cancelled train on the first night and now I'm going to miss the loco hauled train from Venlo because NS had issues and many trains were delayed or cancelled resulting in a replanned itinerary where I missed a connection
Whoops 😭

3 17

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 1d

Thanks for Hosting Richard and Co! Hoping you'll be out TM coming back on Tuesday 👀

1 2

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 1d

After hanging about in Amsterdam, we did an ICNG to Amersfoort to end the day early before having time in a restaurant in Almere.

It's been a fun couple of days, now to go somewhere I've never stepped foot before 👀

3/3

A Vectron train and VIRM train at Amsterdam Centraal station

An e320 train at Amsterdam Centraal station

An ICNG train at Amsterdam Zuid station in the sunset

An SNG train arriving into Hilversum train station in the night. The platform is well lit

1 17

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 1d

Loco hauled IC Berlins will be a thing of the past soon as it switches to multiple unit ICEs temporarily before becoming ICE-L next year. Some special window labels were produced by German enthusiasts, the TM let our group take them home!

I also did my first Protos unit. Looks like a whale!

2/3

An ICNG train about to go over a level crossing

A Protos train at Amersfoort train station

A Vectron loco hauling DB coaches at Amersfoort train station

A train destination label showing the stops between Berlin and Amsterdam

1 14

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 1d

Yesterday was a more rolling stock oriented adventure and we had excellent fun travelling the length and breath of The Netherlands!

Me and @pacerclara.insanity.tube went to Zwolle and Kampen before heading to Utrecht to meet up with others. We did the line via Soest which is rather pretty

1/3

A Koploper train at Almere Centrum train station

1 34

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 2d

If that was Sheffield Sarah, then she's amazing (and was such a brilliant mentor!)

1 1

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 2d

A few photos from yesterday's trotting around the Netherlands with @pacerclara.insanity.tube

An SNG type train at Weesp train station

An SLT type train and VIRM type train at Utrecht Centraal train station

A pair of ICNG type trains at Rotterdam Centraal station viewed from a footbridge

A steam train (not sure what type they are) at Gouda Gowerville station

1 1 42

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 3d

Righto, let's go to The Netherlands shall we? 👀

A pair of e320 Eurostar Trains at London St Pancras train station

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 4d

Right with you on GatX 442s. Saw them more than plenty yet never got a spin on them. Glad I managed to at least grab a couple SWR 442s whilst they were short lived at least

Learning from the 442s meant I was satisfied that I'd done my best with 313s by the time they got withdrawn at least 🫡

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 5d

I then went up to Newcastle to do a quick spin on the new 555 Metro trains. They're absolutely excellent, a very good quality replacement to the Metrocars

I also managed to have a quick spin on said Metrocars, even lucky enough to bag the fabled front seat 😍

My next adventure will begin tomorrow

A Class 555 train at South Gosforth metro station

A Class 555 train at Airport metro station

A T&W Metrocar going under an old footbridge at South Gosforth metro station

1 19

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 5d

Last weekend was great fun at Newton Aycliffe!

The open day that Hitachi organised was absolutely brilliant! It was great fun looking round the factory and the real highlight included a ride behind the replica Locomotion 1

Plenty of purple around, can't wait to work them soon 👀

A Class 810 train bodyshell inside a brightly lit factory

A Class 66 train with the "Inspiration" MK3 coaches in a siding

The Locomotion train on the test track near Newton Aycliffe

1 2 38

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 5d

The Eastcroft depot pet!

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 5d

18 months of working the Iron Road today! Feels simultaneously like I'm part of the furniture but equally like I've only just begun

In any case, I'm now done for an entire week, 222003 was my office for 5 hours today, the next train I get out of London will be very exciting though 👀⭐

A Class 222 train at Nottingham train station

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 8d

Certainly looks comfortable! The hats look cool too

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 9d

I wish the 225 Group the best of luck with their future endeavours, the door is open should you wish for me to return provided that your actions speak louder than your words.

A window label which reads "London King's Cross" on the side of a train

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 9d

In any case, I've got other things like the career I'm pursuing and my life outside of voluntary services and work to enjoy. It's important to put yourself first, nobody is more important than you first and I'm confident this is the right decision for me.

1 17

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 9d

The entire marketing team is leaving in one fell swoop because of the poor directorate, especially after one of the directors made unfair comments about the marketing team. The attitude of the directors has descended into limiting what we can discuss even amongst one another inside the group.

1 10

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 9d

Nothing happens though, only words, no meaningful actions. Excel Members pay £30 per year for priority to 225 Group ran events, yet we've never run a single event of our own. If we can't do that, how do you expect a set to be preserved?

1 9

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 9d

Whilst the group does its utmost to promote and cherish the history of the IC225s, I cannot see it preserving a set. We're promised every year that the next year will be exciting and we will achieve ambitions such as running a railtour, or making meaningful advancements to eventual preservation.

1 9

Coastway Will @coastwaywill.me · 9d

As much as the group has been fun, a shakeup in the directorate has changed the shape and direction of the group. Unfortunately the direction of the group doesn't align to my own values or to what I was promised when I first signed on to cover the socials, which I'm glad to have done my part for.

1 10