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Old and new bashing trips by Cowley

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Ash Bridge

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There's not a lot more I can add to the above comments really Mr Cowley apart from commending you for a thoroughly enjoyable report with some nice shots there, I must say that 33/14 combo looks really bizarre, not done a Severn Valley Gala since October 1990, so perhaps the one before your first visit?
 

Cowley

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There's not a lot more I can add to the above comments really Mr Cowley apart from commending you for a thoroughly enjoyable report with some nice shots there, I must say that 33/14 combo looks really bizarre, not done a Severn Valley Gala since October 1990, so perhaps the one before your first visit?

Thanks Mr Bridge. That's interesting that you went in 1990. Can you remember what was there that year?
One thing I remember is that there were pretty much no buildings on the brand new platform at Kidderminster.
 

Ash Bridge

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Thanks Mr Bridge. That's interesting that you went in 1990. Can you remember what was there that year?
One thing I remember is that there were pretty much no buildings on the brand new platform at Kidderminster.

Just off the top of my head Western Courier in maroon with small yellow panels, Western Ranger in Rail Blue, plus D9000 in two tone green, also seem to recall there was a Centro Livered 150 (how exciting :roll:) can't remember much else so need to dig out my slides for more info. Oh, tell Mrs Cowley I'm very disappointed that she didn't buy a Rover ticket for Doggy McDogface ;)
 

Oerlikon

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What a splendid trip and what a trooper Mrs C is! You and the black and white hairy guy are very lucky! It's years and years since I went on the Severn Valley but I remember a late afternoon trip in a light alcoholic haze in the autumn sunshine. Later I remember wondering whether the castle walls at Bridgnorth really were leaning or whether it was just a state of mind!
 

Cowley

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What a splendid trip and what a trooper Mrs C is! You and the black and white hairy guy are very lucky! It's years and years since I went on the Severn Valley but I remember a late afternoon trip in a light alcoholic haze in the autumn sunshine. Later I remember wondering whether the castle walls at Bridgnorth really were leaning or whether it was just a state of mind!

Hahaha. Oh yes. Some things looked a bit wobbly to me the other weekend too. Maybe it's the way they build things around there?
Glad you enjoyed it and I believe a welcome may be in order too. ;)
 

Cowley

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I've done a few trips out in the last couple of weeks including shock horror a couple of trips on the actual main network with modern trains (actually some weren't that modern to be fair).
While I have a break from doing my books (mind numbingly dull), I'll share this one.

Not the Devon Evening Ranger.

Well I wanted to do an evening ranger but it isn't valid before 6 which makes doing the 57 on the 17:50 Exeter to Penzance slightly awkward.
The guy in the ticket office remembers me from way back in the day still and he knew exactly what I was thinking.
I had Mrs Cowley with me plus a small selection of young teenagers (just the two youngest). If we were going to do the Ranger then it meant buying a load of singles to Dawlish Warren just so that later in the evening I could get a quick return to Tiverton Parkway in to cover a couple of HSTs.
I thought it was probably best to have a bit of a rethink.
Then I remembered the term linear bash that I'd heard on here and thought, yes. That's definitely a thing. :D

Here's what we did:
Two adult and two child returns to Totnes were purchased and the front coach behind 57605 (Totnes Castle too...) was boarded.
Like last time the front coach had luxury 2+1 seating and was very pleasant (the coach behind was refurbished I think, I didn't like it particularly, looked a bit crammed in).
We had a very enjoyable run behind 57605 (having a beer serving proper buffet car is pretty civilised too) and even though I still can't quite forgive it, I must admit that I do like the 57s smooth acceleration (quick too with only load three), the look of it and actually even the sound it makes when initially pulling away.
So now I've had 57603 and 57605, I'm going to try and get any of the others that I see too if I drive by Exeter New Yard on a Saturday afternoon and see a different one stabled.

It was cracking having a run behind a loco on the sea wall again and I was quite enjoying the deteriorating weather too.
On the run up to Dainton I went up to the front and got chatting to couple of other train types who were down from Gloucestershire I think, it was good chatting to them (I asked if they were on this forum but neither were. I've asked quite a few people now and not once have I met anyone else that is. Unless they're lying I suppose? No that'd be really weird). The younger guy informed me that 605 used to be 47206 when it was alive. I didn't have it back then though.

Going up Dainton I was shocked at the bushes hitting the side of the train, I don't remember it ever being like that, it felt like it was really scratching the bodywork.
By the time we'd got to Totnes the weather was pretty dreadful so we got a taxi up into town for dinner in a nice pub, I can't remember what the pub was called now but it was laid back without being full scale lentil (They've got their own type of money in Totnes you know? You meet some unusual people there too).
We were going to have a walk around but the weather was absolute cack and in the end we opted to head back to the station and get an HST which was good as I'd been intending to get a few in this year. While we were at the station it was great watching a westbound HST pass through on the centre road and start putting the power down for the climb up Rattery in the mist and rain, quite evocative really...
Totnes station has some interesting bits on the up side. There was a little trolley weighbridge thing and an old trolley, a nice little bit of garden and a screen on the platform that's a bit like a mini signal box panel with all the trains in the area including the headcodes displayed and all the platforms and sidings etc. I'll post a picture of it.

Our train came in with 43172 at the front and 43069 at the rear and off we went 'crawling through the undergrowth' as David Bellamy would say (sounded pretty good too climbing the hill) on the way to Newton Abbot where the kids decided that they wanted to sample the HST all the way back to Exeter and walk home instead of getting off with us (I can only assume that they wanted to get the mileage in rather than get away from us by now).
We waved them goodbye through the window like they were a couple of evacuees in the war and with genuine emotion and do you know? I think they felt loved (embarrassed :lol:).

At Newton Abbot we then caught 150102 to Dawlish as I wanted to take a couple of photos at the station and headed into The Marine Tavern for a quick drink. This pub is the one you see on the right on the sea front as you head west and it's quite nice really. If sit in the front you can watch the trains going by and there's plenty of railway pictures on the wall too.
On the bar they had a copy of Colin J Marsdens - Dawlish Sea Wall book which I'd borrowed from the library once and quite enjoyed the range of trains in the photos, it said they had copies for sale too. Maybe because I'd had a few by now I asked if she still had any for sale? Then I saw the £22 price and thought perhaps I was being a little hasty.
I asked the lady if she'd met him because I knew he was local and she said "Yeah he's there look, at the other end of the bar".
So I had a bit of chat to him (didn't buy the book) and once we'd finished our drinks we wobbled off back to the station.

The last train of the day was formed of 153382 which was coupled to a 150 which I forgot to check out (it's fair to say that I wasn't taking anything too seriously by now), once we got back to Exeter we headed into the Great Western Hotel opposite St David's to have a last couple of beers before going home having had a very agreeable Saturday night ;)

Thanks for reading. :)

Photos are:

1 - 57605 St David's.
2 - waiting at Dawlish.
3 - The pub in Totnes, help yourself to glasses (we took all of them).
4 - Near Teignmouth, shame the tide wasn't higher.
5 - Totnes station in the olden days.
6 - Westbound HST.
7 - Our HST.
8 - Railway pictures on the pub wall.
9 - Dogbox (so I'm told).
10 - Train display thingy at Totnes.
 

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Cowley

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Great little read that mate. Chin chin.

Thanks mate. I did enjoy it. I got a couple of nice video clips out of it too.
Didn't feel too good the next morning though ;).
 

Blindtraveler

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Feel your pain with admin! Sounds like a pleasent little evening getting plesently sozzled and relaxing. Im not and dont ever want to be a parent but Im told that whilst the teens can be a stressful time they bring many pleasures too and this little writeup proves that as they can be trusted/are clearly grown up enough to go for a pub dinner and to ride home sensibly on the train whilst mummy and daddy get pished. Thanks as ever for sharing.
 

Cowley

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Feel your pain with admin! Sounds like a pleasent little evening getting plesently sozzled and relaxing. Im not and dont ever want to be a parent but Im told that whilst the teens can be a stressful time they bring many pleasures too and this little writeup proves that as they can be trusted/are clearly grown up enough to go for a pub dinner and to ride home sensibly on the train whilst mummy and daddy get pished. Thanks as ever for sharing.

Ah thanks. Yes you can go out and leave them alone for a bit as well, but not for too long otherwise the house starts to fill up with other teenagers a bit like snails into one of those beer traps and you find yourself saying "hello, who are you guys?" "Oh we're friends of" etc etc. "Oh and we've missed the last bus home, can you feed us?"
Yeah that happens quite often.
 

fishquinn

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Sounds like a fun evening out but I'm with the kids - get the tram all the way and avoid the beer ;)
 

Ash Bridge

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Another super (intoxicating) read there Mr Cowley, hope you weren't slurring too much whilst chatting to CJ at the bar ;)
 

Cowley

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Another super (intoxicating) read there Mr Cowley, hope you weren't slurring too much whilst chatting to CJ at the bar ;)

Thanks fq and Dhass, much appreciated.
Mr Bridge, it was funny because years ago I had a letter published in Rail Express magazine asking if anyone had a photo of 50149 piloting 50042 in 1988 when Triumph had suffered a broken windscreen and they put a photo that he'd taken of it next to my letter. He remembered the letter and made a funny little flailing gesture at the bar :lol:.
So I think he may have been more gone than I was...
 

Cowley

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West Somerset railway mixed traffic day 11/06/17

I've already written this out once and then lost it.
After overdoing it the night before I wasn't feeling too keen on getting up today. I forced myself up though and my son too at about 8am.
After a bucket load of porridge we headed off to Bishops Lydeard to meet my very good friend Paul and catch the 09:55 to Minehead.
I've cut it a bit fine in the past and nearly missed the train due to complacency. It took 40 minutes to get there today though which was pretty good (I'm lucky in that The South Devon railway, Dartmoor Railway, West Somerset Railway and Dartmouth Steam Railway are all within 40 minutes of home).

I was happy to find that children travelled for just two quid on the Sunday of a gala weekend, so that probably saved me tenner.

These were the days moves (written in TOPS numbers as it's easier):

33057 Bishops Lydeard to Blue Anchor - a good noisy run in places.
20057 + 20188 Blue Anchor - Stogumber - we had to sit four coaches back because the Quantock Belle stock was coupled behind the locos, one of the 20s was clearly struggling on this and it was a bit of a stagger to Stogumber.
Stogumber though is a very nice place to relax surrounded by nice rural scenery whilst eating a pasty.
26043 Stogumber - Minehead, pretty good and the sun was out.
DMU Minehead - Dunster - sitting in the back watching Minehead recede into the distance, ah memories.
26043 + 33057 Dunster to Crowcombe - we were held at Blue Anchor for about half an hour while one of the passing 20s was coaxed back into life with a hammer and some swearing somewhere near Williton.
They set about catching the timetable up after this with the 33 powering up occasionally and the independently driven 26 being driven at full power for most of the time between Williton and Crowcombe. My word it was chucking some fumes out, I was starting to feel a bit ill after half an hour of it but I had the front window to myself and you only live once. ;)
47847 Crowcombe to Williton. THOR was looking quite rough with rust all over the place especially around the grills on the roof but it sounded superb.
My son then wanted a trip on the steam so we took Manor 7820 Dinmore Manor from Williton up to Crowcombe and paid a couple of quid first class supplement to be nearer the front and I must say it sounded lovely barking away up through the hills (I like steam myself so it was no hardship), unfortunately my son got a smut in his eye though which caused him some discomfort. Luckily it came out and after about half an hour he was fine. That'll teach him then.
33057 again I think although I'm not certain, back to Williton to pick the last remaining diesel up that was out that day - Hymek 7017 (D1010 wasn't out unfortunately but we were able to cab it and the other 33 at Williton depot earlier).
7017 Williton to Bishops Lydeard - I didn't think the Hymek sounded quite right either, a bit lumpy compared to how it used to be.
The other Hymek (7018) was in the shed at Williton along with a class 14 and hopefully when it's done they can give 7017 some attention.

You've got to admire the folks who keep these machines running. They're highly complex and probably difficult to get parts for these days and on top of that there's the constant issue of rust due to being stored outside near the sea...

The West Somerset is a superb railway with much variety and a real feeling of a seaside holiday route. It's almost like two railways really with the Bishops Lydeard to Williton section being a winding, hilly cross country route and the section from Williton to Minehead being a seaside holiday type of railway with views of the sea, harbours and Wales.
I would love to see it open back to Taunton and maybe this will happen one day.

If I have one slight grumble it would be that when the railway has diesels during galas they are often driven in a very reserved way and although these lines have a 25mph speed limit it is still possible to 'play to the crowd' a little - pay a visit to the Great Central or Severn Valley on a gala day if you want to see how it's done...

I only need the platform at Norton Fitzwarren now and I'll have cleared all the stations on the line. I've not got off a train at the new station yet.

Photos are:

DMU at Dunster.
Western and 33 on display Williton.
The obligatory through the door shot 33057 Blue Anchor.
20s arriving at Blue Anchor
20s near Washford
26/33 double header.
Stogumber station.
26/33 pulling into Dunster.

Thanks for reading folks.
 

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djpontrack

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That was a good day out mate. I do like the West Somerset Railway. I've done it a few times and had some good locos on the line, including a pair of class 31s on a charter which I think came from Barking.
I also travelled through to Minehead from Bristol TM on 158855 when it was a Wessex Trains unit and it went there to get named.
Nice photos too mate.
 

Cowley

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That was a good day out mate. I do like the West Somerset Railway. I've done it a few times and had some good locos on the line, including a pair of class 31s on a charter which I think came from Barking.
I also travelled through to Minehead from Bristol TM on 158855 when it was a Wessex Trains unit and it went there to get named.
Nice photos too mate.

Thanks for that. It is a great line, a pair of 31s would be nice on it. At one of the galas they coupled two sets of stock up for something like 11 coaches in the evening and ran it with a Warship or a Western which must've been good. I don't think they did it this year though.
 

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Sounds like some awesome trips recently, oops to the fail to log the 150 though!

I need that platform at Norton Fitzwarren too, and I'm glad the GWR steam didn't disappoint. Ouch to the lad getting stuff in his eye, that's not pleasant!
 

Cowley

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Sounds like some awesome trips recently, oops to the fail to log the 150 though!

I need that platform at Norton Fitzwarren too, and I'm glad the GWR steam didn't disappoint. Ouch to the lad getting stuff in his eye, that's not pleasant!

Thanks Tech. Much appreciated, I thought for a minute that his eye was going to be a major problem but it turned out fine. I've taught him now that if you're behind a steam loco to keep on the side where the exhaust isn't above your window. ;)
 

Oerlikon

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Nice post about the West Somerset Railway! You mention "a real feeling of a seaside holiday route". Yup, it was exactly that and in my childhood days so many years ago I can recall getting into serious trouble because my father had hired a beach hut just outside Minehead for the annual summer holiday and I spent most of the time at the back of the hut watching the steam trains and getting filthy instead of gazing out to sea like a proper family! Happy days indeed!
 

Cowley

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Nice post about the West Somerset Railway! You mention "a real feeling of a seaside holiday route". Yup, it was exactly that and in my childhood days so many years ago I can recall getting into serious trouble because my father had hired a beach hut just outside Minehead for the annual summer holiday and I spent most of the time at the back of the hut watching the steam trains and getting filthy instead of gazing out to sea like a proper family! Happy days indeed!

Well the sea's still there and so are the steam trains which is pretty good.
Nowadays you'd have to go to Butlins though :lol:
 

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Another great read mate. Refering to what you said about diesels being driven in a reserved way, the East Lancs Railway is really good when it comes to getting a bit of thrash. I was there a few years back at a diesel gala and the drivers were coasting at times until they got to tunnels or cuttings and then revving the engine right up so you got the full effect of the sound. Probably not entirely healthy for the loco but as long as they are still able to keep them running.
 

Cowley

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Something old, something new, something borrowed (given actually) and something blue 17/06/17.

My other half has recently started getting into making pottery (bear with me here, it is relevant), we'd got a potters wheel and various other bits and bobs over the last year but to have everything for the process you need a kiln to bake the stuff in.
I was talking to my dad and stepmother about it recently and they mentioned a friend who had one that used to be her partners who used to do pottery as a small business but had unfortunately passed away last year. The friend was called Pat and they suggested giving her a ring which I did. Pat said she'd like us to have the kiln and any other bits we wanted if we could help her sort out the shed and move something heavy to her new place. Pat was an absolute star and has become a new friend for us out of this (we're planning to go up and see her again later in the year).

Pat also lived in Morecambe which gave me an idea...

We headed off up the M5 at about 6pm on the Friday once we'd sorted out the kids, pets and everything else we have to do to escape for a night.
Onto the M6 and past Bescot (you get a good view from the van, Mrs C managed to take a photo of the royal 67s that were stabled there).

I'd worked out a nice place to stay in the van on the beach at Silverdale but unusually (and you might say naively) for me I didn't check it out online before I'd got there.
It was 1 in the morning by now and as we drove into the car park there were signs saying 'Warning car park subjected to tidal flooding'! Great.
There was another van parked up and I hoped they knew the place better than I did as looking it up online didn't leave me anymore relaxed.
Neither did the bucket load of coffee I'd drunk on the 300 mile journey.
I set my alarm for 3:30 (high tide was 4:40am) and tried to sleep despite feeling completely wired and slightly on edge.
I looked out of the door at about 4am and there was no sea to be seen so I went back to sleep.

The morning: Got up, brushed teeth, opened curtains and headed for Carnforth (so tired).
Had a very nice hour having breakfast in the cafe (something old) and watching trains wizz through - a couple of Pendos, a pair of 90s on a liner and a few units.

Had a look across at all the locos parked up in the WCRC depot, actually it was a nice place to spend some time.

Here's the train bit anyway (the new).

185151 Carnforth - Barrow. I don't think I've even seen a 185 before let alone travelled on one. It was rammed but then most of the train emptied out at Arnside so we managed to get our own table just in time to cross Arnside Viaduct and admire the beautiful scenery and weather.
Grange over Sands looked lovely too and this was all new track for me.
We arrived at Barrow and got a couple of coffees while we waited for what I'd really come to Barrow for.

37425 Concrete Bob (The Blue). Barrow to Whitehaven.

You beauty, a winner too! As I took a photo and took in the familiar sound of a hunting 37 tickover, a few cranks were boarding the front coach, but it was very civilised and I spent the journey alternately admiring the scenery, listening to the noise of the jointed track, reminiscing about journeys in Scotland behind 37s in the 90s and going to front window, using the phone like a periscope through the window bars.
This was heaven and even more enjoyable than I thought it would be.
By the time 425 had stormed through the tunnel on the last bit before Whitehaven I was well happy.
Which was lucky really because instead of another 37 meeting us to go back to Carnforth which is what I was expecting, a 156 (with a 142 tacked on back for extra insult) came around the corner. Bah. :cry:
I've no idea why the 37 hadn't turned up but it hadn't, so instead of catching this we opted to go into Whitehaven to find some lunch to take back with us on the next train.

Whitehaven is a strange place, and I know what I'm talking about, I used to work for social services in Tiverton. That's all I'm saying on that...

Back to the station then for our service back to Barrow which turned up with a 153 and 156429.
We sat in the 156 as I've always found them pretty decent trains and it was decent too, rattling along with the windows open. I fell asleep after a while before being woken up by some noisy chatty blokes who'd decided when they got on that the best place to sit in an empty carriage was as near to the sleeping couple as they possibly could be. :roll:
We then changed at Barrow onto:
185112 which we took back to Carnforth to pick the van up again. It's not often I travel on such a modern train but I thought it was pretty nice.

After all this we went to Morecambe and sorted out what we'd come up for before heading back with a load of equipment admiring the original bit of the M6 around Preston and the late evening sunshine, I stopped to take a photo of a nice bridge near Lancaster too.

It was a shame that I only got the one 37, but I'd have done the drive just for that really. I'm going to try and get up there again, in fact I may be doing some work on Pats new place in Morecambe later in the year so I'll try and get another bite of it. :)

Photos:

1) How well would you sleep?
2) Can't sleep, maybe a walk? Maybe not.
3) Where on earth is the sea?
4) There's a bit of smut in my eye, can you get it out?
5) 185 type thing.
6) Grange over Sands, very pretty.
7) Beast at Barrow.
8) A very familiar view.
9) Whitehaven. Signals and loco.
10) Wouldn't mind living here.

Thanks for reading ;).
 

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Cowley

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Another great read mate. Refering to what you said about diesels being driven in a reserved way, the East Lancs Railway is really good when it comes to getting a bit of thrash. I was there a few years back at a diesel gala and the drivers were coasting at times until they got to tunnels or cuttings and then revving the engine right up so you got the full effect of the sound. Probably not entirely healthy for the loco but as long as they are still able to keep them running.

That's what I mean. Nail on the head sir. :D
 

Techniquest

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You have the dubious honour of having had one of my last 6 185s that I need! 37425 is beyond dud, one I've had all over Wales it seems. Fishguard to Bridgend, Cardiff to Crewe and back, up to Rhymney and other bits and bobs at the minimum!

Top read, although that parking spot would have had me worried too. Ouch to the poor sleep but not overly surprised when full of caffeine!
 

fishquinn

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Warwickshire
A great couple of trips there! It must have been pretty annoying to see the signs on the beach car park though. A huge shame that the second tractor didn't produce though - DRS are having problems with them and it was only 425 on the coast at the time.

Tech: Which 185s do you need?
 
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