Richard Smith

@raves

He/Him. Travels a lot. Posts a lot. Occasionally complains a lot. @richardavsmith on Twitter and @richardavsmith@mas.to on M

425 Folgt1.824 Follower1.310 Posts

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Richard Smith @raves· 6d

5/21 Portugal 🇵🇹 (and my 35th country/territory this year) Back to UTC+1. You can see Ayamonte/Villa Real on the left. There's a little ferry between them (done before!) that needs an up to date, clear timetable online, esp. Sundays (it is written in such an odd way!) and better bus coordination.

Richard Smith @raves· 6d

The other part of the avoiding junction. While the direct ride was handy (if a bit bumpy - Talgo's S102s are still better than the S106, though!)- I spent most of the journey dealing with some incredibly loud and obnoxious fellow passengers, almost constantly on the phone. Made it hard to relax.

Richard Smith @raves· 6d

The avoiding junction outside Madrid, taking us straight onto the high speed line to Cordoba. S102 (+S102 to Málaga) (@ AVE 03942 ➡️ Sevilla Santa Justa) #NowTräwelling traewelling.de/status/8679041

Richard Smith @raves· 8d

2/21 France 🇫🇷 And something new for me: Intercités de Nuit. #eclipse2026 #eclipsebyrail Nez Cassé and couchette coaches (@ ICN 3971 ➡️ Andorre-L'Hospitalet) #NowTräwelling traewelling.de/status/8670698

Richard Smith @raves· 8d

Since submitting this I have now learnt this event is in Träwelling but it is in German and will only appear on the 12th, sigh #Eclipse2026

Richard Smith @raves· 8d

1/21: United Kingdom. Here we go. #eclipse2026 #eclipsebyrail

Richard Smith @raves· Jul 5

Zeppelin spotted, distantly, from Romford. I suspect that's my last opportunity, unless I get lucky as my train crosses the M25.

Richard Smith @raves· Jul 5

Was thwarted in my attempts at a better shot by some overgrown bushes.

Richard Smith @raves· Jul 5

@flightradar24.com is tracking it.

Richard Smith @raves· Jul 5

Blimey there's a Zeppelin over Central London

Richard Smith @raves· Jun 29

The marketing team for Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker are good, I'll give them that.

Andy Burnham with subtitle "I am going to give Britain the circuit breaker it needs."

Richard Smith @raves· Jun 17

It's one of my finest achievements on that platform. Another was this. x.com/i/status/151...

Richard Smith @raves· Jun 10

The Railway: Goes out of its way to set up a fun 40th anniversary tribute to Network SouthEast, including on the announcements. Evening peak busker: Time to turn up my amp as high as it'll go. God this is frustrating.

Richard Smith @raves· Jun 3

To take the ferry cost a fiver, and in those days, fivers had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Gimme four bees for a twenty, you'd say.

The Bank of England poll on what animals should appear on the next set of bank notes. Bumblebee has been selected by me.

Richard Smith @raves· May 28

Richard Smith @raves· Mar 30

Do NOT get introspective.

Richard Smith @raves· Mar 15

This isn't the original station headhouse: they keep that in storage because it's in such a bad condition.

Richard Smith @raves· Mar 15

Taking the Bentham line to Lancaster via Clapham. The Settle & Carlisle shares the route, but while it is very beautiful, I find this route a lot more utilitarian.

Richard Smith @raves· Nov 7

"Drivers say" what kind of attribution is that?!!

Richard Smith @raves· Oct 30

That's... certainly a claim. @jon.gruene.social.ap.brid.gy

Google Result from Alstom. "Avelia Horizon: The only double-deck high speed train in the world."

Richard Smith @raves· Oct 18

So much for "when the time is right". Given her bio, I'm not remotely shocked, considering her lack of experience outside SNCF and Finance. Explains so much about their direction. Also, fine dining my ass, they've given up on Plus dessert lately in favour of a single square of chocolate.

Richard Smith @raves· Aug 7

Seats on the new NextGen Acela look like alien robots giving a lower back rub and/or needy hug, I saw it and now you will too. (Hitchhiker's vibes.)

Richard Smith @raves· Aug 2

My review of The Greatest Gathering.

Me in front of a Class 50 locomotive with a temporary livery reading, in large white letters on a red background: "So. Many. Trains." Full stops are used for emphasis, which may confuse some screen readers.

Richard Smith @raves· Jun 27

Hotel in Vietnam. Stood up from the toilet and the edge of the lid of the metal loo roll holder sliced through my elbow. It hadn't seen sandpaper or a file in its life. Hotel cleaner got worried I'd damaged a towel cleaning up the blood, but fortunately realised this probably wasn't worth pushing.

Richard Smith @raves· Jun 15

Curiously

Google Search: "Is Andorra or Spain closer to the UK?"

AI result:
Spain is closer to the UK than Andorra. While both countries share a border with France, Spain is geographically closer to the UK than Andorra, which is nestled between Spain and France in the Pyrenees mountains.
Here's why:
Spain's location:
Spain is on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, with a direct connection to France.
Andorra's location:
Andorra is a landlocked country situated high in the Pyrenees mountains, between Spain and France.
Distance:
The shortest distance between London and Spain is shorter than the distance between London and Andorra, according to distance calculators.

Richard Smith @raves· Jun 15

Not the map I would have chosen but you do you

Richard Smith @raves· Jun 15

Folks, I think we're doomed.

Asked Google "is Spain or Andorra closer to the UK?"

Google AI Overview:

"Andorra is closer to the UK than Spain. The shortest distance (air line) between Andorra and London is 623.57 miles, while the shortest distance between Spain and England (which is what most people would think of when they say "Spain") is 4,645.93 miles according to a distance calculator.
To elaborate:
Andorra is a small, landlocked country located in the Pyrenees mountains, bordered by Spain to the south and France to the north.
The UK is an island nation located off the coast of mainland Europe.
Because Andorra is nestled between Spain and France, it's geographically closer to the UK than Spain itself.
The Channel Tunnel, which connects the UK to France, also makes travel to Andorra more direct than it would be to Spain. "

Richard Smith @raves· May 24

Touristing in Geneva.

Richard Smith @raves· May 23

High effort trainspotting.