My stash just grew again 2018.

[TheChronicOne]

Nice. Austin is ALMOST within range of being a place I could travel to, but not quite. Even though we're neighbor states that still something like a 10 hour drive. 

Now that's one of the things that fascinates me about N America and Australia, the huge distances between what those of us in Europe would consider to be next door neighbours. I can walk to the next county in about 20 minutes. Mind you we are almost on the Surrey/Kent border where I am 

It's pretty substantial, the sheer size of the place. Not just the U.S., but Texas all by its lonesome. You could drive a straight line from one corner of the state to another, start at sunrise and still be in Texas by sunset with plenty of miles to spare. It's just under 1,000 miles from Texline, Texas to Brownsville Texas. Lawton to Austin isn't even near that, but it's still equivalent to going from London to Luxembourg. Then there's the return trip...

There used to be a cartoon about that downunder, many years ago during WWII.  A US Soldier is talking to an old timer in the Australian Bush and mentions how big Texas is and how long the train takes to get from one end to the other.  The old timer replies, "Yep, we got trains that slow here downunder too..."   

Ha!!!   

Or as the saying goes:

Britain is a place where they think 100 miles is a long distance, while America is a place where they think 100 years is a long time...

Accurate!     Houses in Europe older than the U.S. 

[Nick]

Or as the saying goes:

Britain is a place where they think 100 miles is a long distance, while America is a place where they think 100 years is a long time...

Accurate!     Houses in Europe older than the U.S. 

I forgot who told me this but they talked of taking visitors from overseas to a pub in the City of London. Shortly before arriving at the door they would apologise as the place simply wasn't the same as it used to be following the recent fire but not to worry as the modern rebuild wasn't too bad.

That's Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street, burnt down during the Great Fire Of London in 1666.....

[Rick Lowe]

"Recent"... no-one does Classic Understatement like the Brits.

[PR19_Kit]

"Recent"... no-one does Classic Understatement like the Brits.

While on a guided tour of Fort Snelling in Minneapolis once, I commented to the guide that the roof structure of Col. Snelling's house in the fort was exactly the same as that of my house in the UK. The guide asked me if my house was a 'reproduction build' and I said 'No, it was built in 1856'.

The stunned silence amongst the rest of the tour group was almost deafening. 

[NARSES2]

All this talk of distances got me thinking so I thought "how long would it take to go from one end of Great Britain to the other ?"

So from Penzance which is the most southerly station in the U.K. to Thurso which is the most northerly -

Penzance to Edinburgh 10 hours 37m ; Edinburgh to Inverness 3 hours 34m ; Inverness to Thurso 3 hours 59m

So that's 18 hours 10m, from one end to the other. However you have to have an overnighter in Inverness or Edinburgh so total elapsed time is 26 hours 31m.

I have to be honest this has intrigued me and given some of the scenery on the way it might be a journey I undertake next spring 

[Gondor]

All this talk of distances got me thinking so I thought "how long would it take to go from one end of Great Britain to the other ?"

So from Penzance which is the most southerly station in the U.K. to Thurso which is the most northerly -

Penzance to Edinburgh 10 hours 37m ; Edinburgh to Inverness 3 hours 34m ; Inverness to Thurso 3 hours 59m

So that's 18 hours 10m, from one end to the other. However you have to have an overnighter in Inverness or Edinburgh so total elapsed time is 26 hours 31m.

I have to be honest this has intrigued me and given some of the scenery on the way it might be a journey I undertake next spring 

That's all very well as it will depend on your route, and how often you take 'pit stops' as it were.

Gondor

[NARSES2]

All this talk of distances got me thinking so I thought "how long would it take to go from one end of Great Britain to the other ?"

So from Penzance which is the most southerly station in the U.K. to Thurso which is the most northerly -

Penzance to Edinburgh 10 hours 37m ; Edinburgh to Inverness 3 hours 34m ; Inverness to Thurso 3 hours 59m

So that's 18 hours 10m, from one end to the other. However you have to have an overnighter in Inverness or Edinburgh so total elapsed time is 26 hours 31m.

I have to be honest this has intrigued me and given some of the scenery on the way it might be a journey I undertake next spring 

That's all very well as it will depend on your route, and how often you take 'pit stops' as it were.

Gondor

They are the actual legs mate. I was really surprised to find there is a direct train from Penzance to Edinburgh. Pit stops are taken on the train 

[PR19_Kit]

I did the Penzance-Inverness bit during my BR days on a test run, but we often had to wait for paths so it took over 20 hrs which was pretty boring.

But we WERE being pad for it of course. 

[Rick Lowe]

I did the Penzance-Inverness bit during my BR days on a test run, but we often had to wait for paths so it took over 20 hrs which was pretty boring.

But we WERE being pad for it of course. 

Getting paid for sitting & twiddling thumbs? Bonus score!

I regularly (well, once a year) drive between Wellington and Auckland, some 700 km's or so, and it takes me about 8-10 hours.
This is overnight, and stopping every hour or so for a microbreak, as well as said Pit Stops, and a short 1/2 hour nap.

There again, it's also factoring in the fact that a lot of our 'State Highway' network, especially in the boonies, is one lane each way...
and it usually passes through the towns on the way, so dropping to 50 km/h pretty regularly.

[Gondor]

They are the actual legs mate. I was really surprised to find there is a direct train from Penzance to Edinburgh. Pit stops are taken on the train 

Didn't realize you were intending to travel by train.

Gondor

[Weaver]

"Recent"... no-one does Classic Understatement like the Brits.

While on a guided tour of Fort Snelling in Minneapolis once, I commented to the guide that the roof structure of Col. Snelling's house in the fort was exactly the same as that of my house in the UK. The guide asked me if my house was a 'reproduction build' and I said 'No, it was built in 1856'.

The stunned silence amongst the rest of the tour group was almost deafening. 

My ex girlfriend's teenage son was at Cambridge, and one year, for various reasons, he had to stay on there longer into the summer than most students, which meant he was still around as the place filled up with tourists. One day, he was walking past one of the older colleges (I forget which one) and an old American lady stopped him.

"Excuse me young man," she asked, "does this college pre-date the war?"

"Madam," he replied, drawing himself up to his full height and putting on the snottiest upper-class accent he could muster, "this college pre-dates America..." 

[PR19_Kit]

"Recent"... no-one does Classic Understatement like the Brits.

While on a guided tour of Fort Snelling in Minneapolis once, I commented to the guide that the roof structure of Col. Snelling's house in the fort was exactly the same as that of my house in the UK. The guide asked me if my house was a 'reproduction build' and I said 'No, it was built in 1856'.

The stunned silence amongst the rest of the tour group was almost deafening. 

My ex girlfriend's teenage son was at Cambridge, and one year, for various reasons, he had to stay on there longer into the summer than most students, which meant he was still around as the place filled up with tourists. One day, he was walking past one of the older colleges (I forget which one) and an old American lady stopped him.

"Excuse me young man," she asked, "does this college pre-date the war?"

"Madam," he replied, drawing himself up to his full height and putting on the snottiest upper-class accent he could muster, "this college pre-dates America..." 

Hehehehe, LOVE it! 

[Dizzyfugu]

Two dead cheap new purchases:
- A(nother) Matchbox Siskin IIIA, could not resist the opportunity
- An Italeri IAI Kfir C.2/7, soon to materialize as a C.10 in exotic markings

[kerick]

There is St Augustine, Florida, founded 1565 by the Spanish.

[rickshaw]

Nice. Austin is ALMOST within range of being a place I could travel to, but not quite. Even though we're neighbor states that still something like a 10 hour drive. 

Now that's one of the things that fascinates me about N America and Australia, the huge distances between what those of us in Europe would consider to be next door neighbours. I can walk to the next county in about 20 minutes. Mind you we are almost on the Surrey/Kent border where I am 

It's pretty substantial, the sheer size of the place. Not just the U.S., but Texas all by its lonesome. You could drive a straight line from one corner of the state to another, start at sunrise and still be in Texas by sunset with plenty of miles to spare. It's just under 1,000 miles from Texline, Texas to Brownsville Texas. Lawton to Austin isn't even near that, but it's still equivalent to going from London to Luxembourg. Then there's the return trip...

There used to be a cartoon about that downunder, many years ago during WWII.  A US Soldier is talking to an old timer in the Australian Bush and mentions how big Texas is and how long the train takes to get from one end to the other.  The old timer replies, "Yep, we got trains that slow here downunder too..."   

Ha!!!   

Or as the saying goes:

Britain is a place where they think 100 miles is a long distance, while America is a place where they think 100 years is a long time...

My daughter suggested a variation on that.  "100 miles?  Wouldn't even get to the end of the driveway Downunder..." 

I am often amazed at how long it takes to get anywhere in the UK.  Downunder, we regularly drive over 300 km for lunch.  I used to drive from Canberra to Adelaide for a weekend when I lived in Canberra - that is ~1200 km.