Where Was I? 25/3

[goodgoalie]

More straightforward this week, though got sidetracked by Iain Crichton Smith - the infernal internet! As ever, when looking at remote railways on a map I'm amazed at the fortitude and effort of those who had to toil in extreme circumstances to build it in the first place, and how grim the conditions must have been in the camps they were forced to live in.
Good to be back 'home'; would love to do that rail journey.

[Etch]

I had a feeling of déjà vu this week, however the previous visit was some time ago - 10/12/2000. On that occasion it was "a knot of shivering hikers" who boarded the train at the remote station.

I'm surprised he didn't mention the 96 mile long distance footpath that passes through the village where he boarded the train

[goodgoalie]

Etch, as you've kept a lot of the much older puzzles, am I right in thinking that they're now much shorter, ie fewer words? I seem to remember them being longer and much more involved ( and harder).

[zebo]

Sneaky, I went for the wrong poet at first!

[Etch]

GG, the text of the last few puzzles has been between 258 and 290 words, whereas back in 2000 a similar sample contained from 367 to 415 words, so you're right, the puzzles are now shorter. I would imagine this is due to fewer column-inches being allocated for the puzzle, probably to fit more holiday ads into the Travel section!

As to whether they are easier, I suppose it depends on ones general knowledge. Even in 2000 there were some give-away clues:

"An especially impressive feat of engineering – the eye-popping 180-degree Horseshoe Curve, periodically held aloft by viaducts as it traverses two valleys"

"A village, where, on the shores of a lake, there is a monument commemorating an uprising that started here, led by an Italian-born claimant to the throne" - hmm, even without online resources I think I can guess who the claimant might be!

"a place on whose outskirts were shot scenes for a 1983 film about a disenchanted oil-company representative" - no doubt the company rep was seen as a local hero :-)

[Flonska]

I agree GG - the navvies were clearly resolute in their approach to the task ahead of them.

The feeling of déjà vu is even stronger when further south along the railway track we find the place where, literally, dry runs for "boat races" took place - those also being featured in a previous Fautley offering.