If music soothes the savage beast...

This from the late Roy Plomley...

Philip Hammond's been uploading his Desert Island Discs on the Radio 4 website.

I thought Eye readers might appreciate a sneak preview of his favourite tracks..

Elvis Costello - Trainbuilding

The Vapours - Turning Japanese

Style Council - Costs come tumbling down (12" McNulty megamix)

Bay City Rollers - Bye Bye Bimode, Bimode Bye Bye

Eurythmics - Thorn in My Side (Grand Central remix)

Pet Shop Boys - East Coast Girls

Simon and Garfunkel - Scarborough Fare (£3.60 single, £4.20 off peak return, £1.54 book ahead super Apex 1, £2.27 with plus bus add on)

And last and not least...

The Cars - Drive (XJ Limited Edition)

With a copy of the Baker Atlas for his book and a set of highlighters for a luxury he should be all set.

UPDATE: This from a Mr Tony Miles...

What about:

Eddie Grant - Electric Avenue

Black Box - Ride on Time

Bob Dylan - Slow Train Coming

Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street

And given the DfT's decision to reject a loco hauled replacement for the HST perhaps there should also be room for the traditional shanty "Haul Haul Away"?

UPDATE: This from a Mr Milner...

Might I also suggest:

Doobie Brothers - Long Train Running (specially shortened Pendolino nine coach version)

Gladys Night - Midnight Train to Georgia (Olympic mix)

The Monkees - Last Train to Clarksville (McNulty special cut)

and perhaps in recognition of the role of the Heritage sector, Tina Turner - Steamy Windows

UPDATE: This from Captain Deltic...

Can we all play?

The Monkees - What am I doing standing round (Kings Cross karaoke version)

Kraftwerk - Trans-Europ Express (DB Eurotunnel remix)

And what about Aqua's Barbie Girl?

UPDATE: Yet more from Captain Deltic...

Might I be permitted to add that the relevant section of Barbie Girl is the line 'Life in plastic, it's fantastic'.

This is, of course, a reference to the growing use of composites in transport and the slowness of railways in adopting the technology behind such icons as the Boeing 787 and the Reliant Scimitar (except for its use on Sexy Front Ends for multiple units).


And to illustrate here is the Delticmobile - showing that life in plastic is indeed fantastic (Stop it! This is all getting jolly silly. Ed)

UPDATE: This from yet another satisfied reader...

Once again I have to take up my pen to correct yet another of Eye's solecisms.

Music calms the savage breast!

I would like to think that this was a missprint, but given your past record I must assume that it betrays your ignorance of culture and is yet another indictment of the low standard of writing in the so called railway press.

When one remembers the limpid prose of past giants such as O S Nock and Cecil J Allen I can only echo Horace in his plangent ode: eheu! fugaces labuntur anni.

I remain, Sir
R Slicker