Alphabet Challenge Day 22 R is for...

...Railway. Bit of a Rubbish blip Really, but the imagination has gone into Reverse today.


This is the line connecting Leeds to York calling at 12 small stations (more like platforms) on the way. The line winds through a narrow tunnel on its way from Leeds and after a short distance from Harrogate, which is mid way, becomes a single line track to York with two level crossings.

The line originally was started by the Leeds Northern Railway & the East and West Yorkshire Junction Railway connecting to many of the small stations in the Dales, which have now long disappeared. In the mid 1800s a branch line terminated at Harrogate bringing hundreds of people to visit the town spa and baths.

Today fast trains whizz from Kings Cross London to York or Leeds in under 2 hours. From London I usually try to catch the one which goes direct to York in 1 hour 45 minutes. I then wait about 15 minutes for my connection and then chug across to Harrogate to arrive in about 35 minutes, but only if there is a following wind!

Not bad really, only two and a half hours from here to London. Often it would take me that time to cross London when I lived there.