MAN - Bangor with VS in J (Train)

[Javaman]

Tongue planted v.firmly in cheek with the description....

Pictures will come a tad later due to diddly uploading via phone.
Embarkation at Manchester Piccadilly is a nice experience - the station was refurbed quite extensively and is now warm, light and airy, with a half decent selction of places to eat/drink - though seating is sparse outside of food retail settings.
The Virgin 1st class lounge is upstairs, with floor to ceiling windows on two sides making it a bright place to hang out, as you look over the crowds below.
Food & Drinkin the lounge is hot and cold soft drinks, crisps and biscuit snacks, fresh fruit. It's generally self service though upon intial entry the very welcoming 'lounge dragon' offered a drink and brought it to my seat. This was done for every lounge guest (load factor reached 45%)
A selection of papers and wifi is available.

Criticisms are that some of the chairs, light grey armchairs inparticular, haven't aged too well and show signs of staining.
The toilets, while clean and spacious, lack any fancy toiletries as you would expect. With my critical head on again, the 'public' toilets at the station are brighter, being lots of steel and light colours - but they do cost 30pence to use.
I'm also not sure what the point of the three wall clocks is, at least when they all show the same time.

[nickbot]

Looking forward to seeing the photos and reading more

One question, I've never travelled on Virgin trains before (all EMT travel for me), so am confused by the J class title,...or is that the tongue in cheek remark in itself (i.e. sold as F but not quite cutting it)? Perhaps I should just be quiet and wait for more installments

[Javaman]

Another thought occurs to me as I sit here....
Maybe it's the midweek crowd, or maybe train is the predominant business travellers choice for land ( as opposed to my car preference) but I'm surrounded by a sea of suits, a fug of designer cologne and more Macbook Pro laptops than the Apple Store.
Sort of feel a tad out of place in cargo pants, Hard Rock t-shirt and a guitar....

[Javaman]

Nick - I'd have to go with the 'sold as F but not quite'.
Full breakfast service at seat is reserved for the London run services or at least Pendolino trains. I'm on the poor relation Super Voyager.

[SQflyergirl]

I'll take "tongue in cheek comments on SQTalk" for $200 Alex.....

[jhm]

Looking forward to the onboard food (?) photos!

I remember taking a few years ago the VS J Pendolino BHX-LON and having the full English brekkie whilst speeding through the smog and dirt of the Midlands to the English countryside and fresh air down south.

[Javaman]

I've been back for a week now, and finally got the photo's off the phone....
So here we go with the trip report update
The VS 'F' Lounge in Manchester Piccadilly - red fabric sofa...dull

But while the red ones are nicer, the grey are by the windows- get to watch the world go by.


Onboard:

Obligatory SQFG Leg shot.... That footrest does move out of the way, so you can stretch out.


General space is okay, and seats are reasonably comfortable. Luggage accommodation overhead is only really suited to small-medium softbags - my roll-on had to go in the luggage rack at the end of the carriage.

Through the doors, the toilet. Very spacious. Easily get two people in there with plenty of room (Not so much 'Mile High Club, more '90mph Club!).
Only hitch is, I think, there's an element of chemical toilet about it - there is a definite whiff of poorly maintained hospital/public toilet about it - not dirty, just a bit weird.

Interestingly, my first leg of the trip was on a Pendolino, so i got breakfast!

Bacon - nice and crispy. couple of hash browns. The roasted tomatoes were sweet and juicy. The sausage, acceptable, if a tad overdoing the filler-to-pork ratio. The real mistake is the omelette thing - powdered egg, clearly - bizarre consistency of a sponge, holding a lot of water (which I think had come from the bacon, judging from the taste.....) and completely unseasoned.
Of course, this may be a bit harsh, as I do a mean scrambled egg anyway.

I changed at Crewe, and despite the station itself being a collection of platforms out in the open, they had a much nicer VS 'F' Lounge.

Second leg was on the less salubrious Super Voyager train, still in 'F'.
Pretty much identical really.


Of course, the real joy of train travel is that you get to see some gorgeous scenery....so I'll leave you with a few shots en route and of my final destination.
between Conwy & Llandudno
[IMGhttp://gallery.me.com/javaman365/100133/Wales%20011/web.jpg?ver=12694167940001[/IMG]


There's a few of these sort of things coming down from the hills by the coast - i figure they're from the heyday of Welsh coal mining.


Early morning sunrise view.

[Kyo]

I've been back for a week now, and finally got the photo's off the phone....
So here we go with the trip report update
The VS 'F' Lounge in Manchester Piccadilly - red fabric sofa...dull

But while the red ones are nicer, the grey are by the windows- get to watch the world go by.


Onboard:

Obligatory SQFG Leg shot.... That footrest does move out of the way, so you can stretch out.


General space is okay, and seats are reasonably comfortable. Luggage accommodation overhead is only really suited to small-medium softbags - my roll-on had to go in the luggage rack at the end of the carriage.

Through the doors, the toilet. Very spacious. Easily get two people in there with plenty of room (Not so much 'Mile High Club, more '90mph Club!).
Only hitch is, I think, there's an element of chemical toilet about it - there is a definite whiff of poorly maintained hospital/public toilet about it - not dirty, just a bit weird.

Interestingly, my first leg of the trip was on a Pendolino, so i got breakfast!

Bacon - nice and crispy. couple of hash browns. The roasted tomatoes were sweet and juicy. The sausage, acceptable, if a tad overdoing the filler-to-pork ratio. The real mistake is the omelette thing - powdered egg, clearly - bizarre consistency of a sponge, holding a lot of water (which I think had come from the bacon, judging from the taste.....) and completely unseasoned.
Of course, this may be a bit harsh, as I do a mean scrambled egg anyway.

I changed at Crewe, and despite the station itself being a collection of platforms out in the open, they had a much nicer VS 'F' Lounge.

Second leg was on the less salubrious Super Voyager train, still in 'F'.
Pretty much identical really.


Of course, the real joy of train travel is that you get to see some gorgeous scenery....so I'll leave you with a few shots en route and of my final destination.
between Conwy & Llandudno



There's a few of these sort of things coming down from the hills by the coast - i figure they're from the heyday of Welsh coal mining.


Early morning sunrise view.

Your photos are not authorised for public viewing

[Javaman]

How about now?

[Kyo]

How about now?

Almost - you missed one square bracket



Thanks for the TR though

[nickbot]

That square bracket was well worth the wait Many thanks for the TR Javaman

[sutrakhk]

I miss those Virgin Trains Pendolino......!!