Random thoughts; afterburners

Perhaps I was meant to be a trainspotter; there's something romantic about travelling this way. These metal snakes of engineering perfection carve through the countryside whilst offering a sublime view and providing comfort and relaxation that no other transport can. On land, traversing a fixed path and safe in the knowledge that there's no other vehicle to avoid, nor no altitude to plummet from, it must be said; I'm a fan.

Arguably this is worth the trip alone, marvel as the workforce cleans the train to Hospital hygiene standards, spinning the seats to face in the direction of travel and wiping every surface down; eat off the floor you might. And can. South West Trains you suck, and in a country where trainspotting originated I'm bemused why we've allowed such a shambles of a service to continue unchallenged. Rip it all up and start again, just build it properly this time.
Already we've nosed into triple figures and this is just the beginning; without GPS calculating my speed I’d simply never have guessed; for the ride is unsurpassed in its smoothness. I've even managed to balance a coin for a whole 10 seconds; imagine that on the Windsor and Eton Riverside.

One hundred and sixty and still accelerating; it's now apparent that were getting up to speed. The motors sound like the afterburner of a fighter jet as we spin all the way up to a mind-boggling 267 km/h: That's some serious momentum, Mr. Newton. Let's think about that for a moment; London to Edinburgh in two hours. John o'Groats to Landsend in three. I doubt the infrastructure in Britain is in place to support such a service; no wonder the tickets start at £45 on the Shinkansen.

The first line from London to Manchester, as designed and engineered by the genius that was Brunel, cut tunnels, built bridges and levelled hills in order to lay the foundation for the straightest and flattest route possible. You'd think he was alive and well, consulting for Japan Railways in that case as the route that my Tokyo to Kyoto train is taking is as close to a straight line as they dare make it. As the crow flies, so to speak, not that it would stand any chance of keeping up.

Visiting Akihabara to marvel at the electronics on sale, I passed through many different premises, a large number offering toys for sale. It's no wonder I found so many train-related plastic; and it's something the Japanese can truly be proud of.