All Line Rover July 2000

[RochdalePioneers]

I've read quite a few great trip reports recently, and in digging through boxes in the loft I found my notebook from my only ALR trip back in 2000. At the time I was living in North London, and armed with a 7 day STD rover and a week off, I started planning...

Day 1. Sunday 2nd July 2000.
Today's plan was an out and back, so up relatively late to join the 07:25 Edmonton Green - Seven Sisters. A good start in that the train was 19 late - I remember nervously considering a bus leap at this point! 315 857 was the unit, and like most of the WAGN units on the Enfield Town route at the time it was in dirty purple outside and dirty dirt inside.

Bailed at Seven Sisters for a Victoria Line move to Green Park, then Jubilee to Waterloo. Here I boarded the 09:00 to Exeter St Davids which was formed of 159 014 and 159 017. 014 was newly repainted into SWT colours complete with new fatter seats in tango orange. 017 was still in Rosyth-fresh NSE so to preserve my retinas and have more legroom I take a seat in there. I was a big fan of the original 158/159 layouts - comfortable seats all with a window view and legroom. How have we managed to slide backwards from them?

Its a spirited run onwards through Basingstoke and into Summerset. Overcast with the sun breaking through occasionally. Train is lightly loaded west of Salisbury - but it is Sunday! I've got 25 minutes in the GWR trappings of Exeter St Davids, and watch a Virgin liveried 47/8 pass through on a Manchester - Plymouth run whilst waiting for my next train.

I board the 12:38 to Newquay, an HST set in the newly vinyled FGW fag packet livery. 43 033 and 43 179 provide the motive power as I enjoy the Dawlish Sea Wall and the 1 in 66 drag away from Totnes. Sadly the weather is getting worse the further west we get, and its drizzling miserably by Liskeard. Then onto the Newquay branch (my first and so far only visit) which feels too small for our mainline train. The branch is a delight - stopping to collect the token, lower quadrant semaphores, low speeds, tight bends and tight clearances.

Newquay itself as a station has obviously been much bigger, all that's left is a single track and a supermarket built over what used to be carriage sidings. A quick wander to look at the cliffs and the beach (its good surfing weather!) and I'm back on the train for the return to Paddington. We're going to be heavier loaded for the return so I pick one of the airline seats with perfect alignment for the window. And then a 2nd one when my coach gets invaded by people with large backpacks and larynxes.

The return leaves at 16:00 and I note the almost continuous flange squeal down the branch to Par which hadn't been as noticable on the way down. I stay on it through to Paddington which is reached via the Berks and Haunts route. At Westbury we pass 60532 Blue Peter and associated snappers on every bridge and in every field trying to get a shot.

Its chucking it down in London and the Underground is on the fritz. I make it as far as Edgware Road where all things stop, so I nip up the road to the Bakerloo station to Oxford Circus, then Victoria Line to Seven Sisters. Originally I was heading for Liverpool Street but we lost too much time on the Circle.

Final leap is 315 851, another tatty WAGN wagon at 22:22 for the few stops back to Edmonton Green. My flat is 15 minutes walk and its raining. Hard.

Day 1 totals: 103 new stations passed through, 567.25 miles.

More to follow!

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[RochdalePioneers]

Day 2. Monday 3rd July.

After last night's 11pm arrival home it feels like a short night when the alarm goes off at 4:30am! Anyway, a spirited walk down Church Street to Edmonton Green, where I get onto the 05:25 to Seven Sisters. Blessed relief from tatty 315s and this morning I am treated to 317 327 and 317 660. The refurbished set is very smart in its finished WAGN livery and is already quite busy with people heading into London.

I'm off at Seven Sisters (again) for my usual Victoria Line run south. At the time I worked at Kings Cross so this was my normal commute - albeit I was a few hours earlier than my normal Monday run, and going to Euston.

I'm on the 06:28 Glasgow service which according to the poster by the platform is valid only for full fare tickets! Of course if I did this in 2013 I wouldn't be on Mk3s hauled by 87 028 as these trains are long gone as is the ALR's validity at this time of the morning out of Euston! The train was lightly loaded and I snooze through the mist - perhaps less severe ticket restrictions might generate some more passengers!

At Rugby the rebuild is in full swing and the old roof is being removed. Indeed the whole West Coast has work ongoing. Euston's "sore throat cure" has DC services cut back to Queens Park as they rebuild the approaches, with a full closure planned for Christmas.

We continue north, passing Crewe where I used to spend many happy Saturdays as a teenager having arrived by 304 from Stockport (and the Trans-Lancs Express bus from Rochdale)! We seem to have a fair bit of recovery time in the schedule - for the various works I suppose - and we sit for 5 minutes at most stations. I jump off at Lancaster where I have 45 minutes to wait. Its sunny and warm today, so I go up to the castle and its spectacular view over Castle station and the Lune Estury with the grey box of Heysham Power Station in the distance.

At 10:33 I leave on the Carlisle via the coast service. I have a choice of ride - 142 001 or 153 324. Hmmm, 3 and a half hours, pacer with big windows but original bus seats, bouncy bouncy ride and screeching flanges, or a dogbox with high windows. For some reason I plant myself in the single left hand table seat that aligns with a window, and get ticket checked before departure as the guard retreats into the rear pacer. Then off we go on one of my favourite rides in England.

Leaving Lancaster a Northern Spirit 156 arrives from Leeds in hideous turquoise and lime green. At Hest Bank I wave at the west coast, remembering my only sight of an APT at full tilt stood at the LC barriers one day in 1985. I love this line, with Lake District mountains looming on one side and the estuaries at Arnside and Grange on the other, the long viaducts prompting a slow speed restriction. Past Barrow and Kirkby in Furness we lap 3 sides of the bay. Seascale was once a Victorian seaside resort before it started glowing green. Braystones and Nethertown has the train running along the beach passing small houses many of which look rather rundown, others a little more substantial.

My other favourite location on route is Harrington where we cross the neck of the town's harbour on a tightly curving viaduct. With pacer flange-squeal coming in through my window I'm glad I picked the dogbox. Finally we arrive in Carlisle, my negative views of 153s tempered a bit by having the unit almost empty all the way there, and not having to wedge myself into its dwarf-sized airline seats.

A quick bite to eat before heading back south on board 156 487 via the S&C. Its a refurb set in Turquoise but at least inside you can't see it, and it still has the original seats which are excellent! I'm once again at a well-aligned table managing to avoid the large school party heading for Horton. I'll be back in Carlisle later, but for now its goodbye as I pull out my full timetable and check my options later.

There's a bit of moody cloud which absolutely adds to the amazing scenery and its the usual 156 spirited ride which always feels fast on jointed (in places) track with the windows open. At Hellified I notice that the station has been spruced up since I last passed through - still remote but non longer derelict.

Arrival into Leeds is during the evening rush, but as the station rebuild is substantially complete there is at least more circulating room for commuters with the new north concourse (where so the staff now park...) and additional platforms behind platform 12. The new footbridge is wide, but part of me misses the old gloomy subway with smell of wee from the boys toilets which were down there.

I'm on the 17:29 to York via Harrogate formed of an unrefurbished 156 469. Every seat is taken and my rover gets a raised eyebrow and a grin from the guard. By Harrogate most people have gone and its a reasonably pretty run over the viaduct at Knaresborough and on towards the "terminus" at Poppleton - another fun thrash by 156.

At York my next train awaits on P11, all 14 cars of GNER's "White Elephant" service which tonight is formed of 373 311 and 373 312 in debranded Eurostar livery. We depart at 18:57 and we need all 14 cars to cater for the 11 passengers the guard has counted in this half set on departure. Railtrack has us capped at 110mph due to concerns about the rear pan bringing some catenary with it, but with impressive acceleration we still feel like we're going reasonably quickly.

I had planned on a dive to Gatwick and back but slow running at Potters Bar brings us into the Cross 25 down. So no more trains this evening, just a Mushroom Double Swiss from Burger King and Onion Rings on the side before I wander over to Euston, but more on that later.

Day 2 totals. New stations 152, miles 790.

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[Karl]

I'm enjoying this. Thanks for sharing. I'll look forward to part three

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Day 3 Tuesday 4th July 2000

The day starts slightly early as I board the lowland sleeper to head to Glasgow. 90 035 is at the helm and I board the seated coach. According to the blurb I get a reclining seat - which is true, but my booked seat is in a bay and there is minimal leg room between the seats so as we are lightly loaded I move to curl up on a pair of seats to myself.

I'm asleep by Watford and stir briefly as we stop in Carlisle (hello again, its been so long!) before waking up for good. Its been an OK night but its luck of the drawer which seat you get and the loading. The other concern in the seated coach is that *everything* is Scotrail purple which when lot by orange night lights resembles The Joker's boudoir.

We arrive -30 vs timetable, so time for a few leaps. I go downstairs to Central low level and pick up 303 088 on the 06:45 Dalmuir service which I ride as far as Patrick. The old girl is frankly knackered and bounces wildly even at low speeds. A quick run through the subway and jump onto 320 321 in SPT Carmine and Cream which is the 06:bungle to Drumgelloch.

Off at Queen Street Low Level and quickly up into the main station where I board 170 416 which is the 07:15 service to Edinburgh. Trains now run every 15 minutes which is impressive. A pity the set has the same seat pitch as the Midland Mainline sets (designed for goblins) and doors which beep to an auto close every 30 seconds. I assume this is to maintain temperature for the air-conditioning but its very annoying to listen to! And if Chiltern can get seats with a pitch designed for humans on their Turbostars why can't anyone else?

On departure we storm up Cowlairs bank, past the mound of rubble that used to be Eastfield shed and onwards through the suburbs. I buy a coffee from the trolley (at this time of day) before bailing at Falkirk High to catch 170 412 on the 07:40 back to Glasgow.

I board 156 446 as early as allowed to bag a left hand table seat for the 08:42 departure to Oban. The set has been painted into Scotrail livery and reupholstered, happily retaining the original seats which as you will have read I like a lot. Its a spirited run along the Clyde estuary then onwards to Gareloch and the submarine base.

At Arrochar we pass 37 682 Hartlepool Pipe Mill on a rake on log wagons awaiting loading. Loch Lomond comes and goes on the right before Crianlarich where we turn left onto Caledonian metals. Its a typical highland day - sunny in patches with big clouds near big mountains. I have a short nap before Oban, whose extensive harbour is visible on the left as we drop towards the station. I have 1hr 40 here, so time to grab a bag of gorgeous Fish and Chips and sit on a wall watching the ferry leave for Mull. Its beautiful and warm and sunny. A meander around Oban station whose platforms are numbered 3 & 4, so smaller than it once was but still sporting a working run round loop.

Back on the train for the 13:20 to Glasgow which I ride as far as Crianlarich. My train north is at 14:39, and arrives as 3 sets. The front set is 156 442 which comes off for Oban. 156 462 is going as far as Fort William, and at the back 156 476 which I board for Mallaig. 476 is still in Regional Railways livery and is all original inside. Hopper windows open, jointed track, mountains, heaven. At Tulloch we pass 37 503 and 37 670 which are heading south on a mixed freight. The scenery is stunning and the weather is just right, a great way to spend a day!

At Fort William we drop 462 for the remaining miles to Mallaig. In the service siding is 37 416 on the sleeper, and in the yard I note Fragonset 31 190 and EWS 37 419 awaiting their next turns. I love the 5mph limit over the Banavie Swing Bridge, complete with pronounced clonks at either end of the bridge. The Mallaig Extension is one of my favourite pieces of railway anywhere. Loch after Loch go past my window, and track joins drum a fine tune.

Mallaig is a small village with a busy port. Tempting smells get the better of me and I have fish and chips again before boarding the 18:15 back to Fort Bill.

Now then, about that sleeper in the service siding. On arrival its been shunted back into P1 and we slip alongside, the tractor growling away at the front. I'm in a seat again but knowing that there's a change of train at Edinburgh still ahead I spend most of the journey at the window listening to English Electric's Symphony no 37, definitely their magnum opus. From the window you can see how much the line undulates as the loco noses down sharply in places. We pass another freight at Upper Tyndrum with 37 405 and 37 427 at the helm. With the sun sinking over the mountains its a beautiful end to the day and I want to do it again! Ah well, not long until Thursday....

Day totals. New stations 69, 947.75 miles

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[RochdalePioneers]

Day 4. Wednesday 5th July 2000

The first hour of the day was on the last stages of yesterday's sleeper run to Edinburgh. At Waverley they join together the portions from Fort Bill, Aberdeen and Inverness, but only the sleeper coaches are carried through from Fort Bill, so I need to change trains on a through service...

Its fun getting on too with the doors locked and Aberdeen portion steward insisting I can't board as its not a station stop (so why is my seat reservation from here then?) and Railtrack staff trying to escort me off the premises , but I manage to get in via the guards van and walk down. I've been allocated the same impossible seat as the way up yesterday and this time there's someone in the opposite seat asleep and no room for me. Happily I spot an empty pair of seats for another curl up job and I'm asleep before we depart as the 01:34 with 90 035 doing the honours again.

This time there is no waking up part way, my 2nd night on the seats reminds me of multi-day trips on my Amtrak rover and I am sound asleep until Watford. No ticket check either!

Plan for the day is Fishguard then Welsh valleys then home for a bath. Walk to Paddington to wake myself up, turns out there's no rush as we're late boarding the 09:00 to Swansea and depart 18 down with 43 138 up front and 43 017 at the tail. My connection at Swansea is a +10 so I'm happy that driver is on it! At least as far as Slough where another hold gets us +30 by Reading and getting worse.

Then the PA announces we are caped at Port Talbot with a bus forward to Swansea (never did find out why), so out comes the timetable to figure out a new plan for the day. After briefly considering spending more time bouncing up the valleys I decide to head to Norwich via Birmingham. I'm off the HST at Cardiff Central which always strikes me as a windswept place to spend any time. A pair of 60-hauled steel trains pass through for entertainment whilst I wait for my train to Birmingham.

This leaves at 12:15 and is 158 746 in the Wales and West silver Alphaline livery which has giant stylised A vinyls stuck on the side. Its a quick run up the Severn estuary and as the sun once again burns through thin clouds I'm struck by how newly released from the works this must be - its pristine inside and has that new car (train) smell. We pass Longbridge and cross over to take the direct line to Boardsley and Proof house Junction. This route is so much quicker than the crawl along the canal on the cross city route, why isn't it used more often? More West Coast works evident in the form of sleepers stacked up at Proof House in advance of next month's blockade.

I have a +10 connection at New Street onto Central Trains 14:36 to Stansted which I'm taking to Ely. Train is 170 522 which is an immediate improvement on any of the National Express specced trains - airline seats with leg room for humans! Not that its busy so after a quick sit test I get a table. Its quiet on board as we pass Washwood Heath which still has various Juniper and Coradia sets in the yard for delivery to SWT and SPT. Onwards into Leicestershire and the Stamford line, which is nonstop farms and market towns. And the same on the other side of Peterborough only flatter. A total contrast to yesterday which is the whole point of an All Line Rover!

Ely is dominated by the cathedral, though Pink Floyd's giant metal heads have long gone. And in the sky its dominated by endless jets heading to Stansted which must make life fun for the locals. I've got 25 minutes here and watch another 170/5 heading for Liverpool via Birmingham, before 156 411 arrives on Central's 17:32 to Norwich. Its a refurbished set with new improved seats which knacker legroom and view out the window. At least I get a hopper window to open on my favourite MU. Nothing to look at out the window. I really am a hillbilly.

Last substantial move of the day is the 19:00 Norwich to Liverpool Street which has 86 250 as motive power. Anglia have turned out a 10-coach rake of Mk2 e's and f's, all in Intercity livery in various states of fade. As we await departure Thorpe comes alive with two 67s arriving, one on vans, one shunting light from Crown Point.

Once underway it becomes clear that these coaches are a wee bit worn, with lumpy suspension, vibrating everything and internal doors that dislike sliding. Still, we get a wiggle on with the old girl more than happy to wind herself up to 100mph after each stop. Can't say that Anglia interests me at all (which is why it had been excluded from my plans!) but the ride is fun. Slower south of Colchester, and long, multiple sets of 312s, 315s and 321s can be seen as city types escape London to somewhere nicer. We are -10 into Liverpool Street which means a run to catch the 21:10 back to Edmonton Green formed of another tatty WAGN 315 ( this time its 861).

One final treat - due to West Anglia route modernisation we can't use the road through Hackney Wick, instead running via Stratford and the curves at South Tottenham. A bit tired amend smelly after 3 days away, but looking forward to tomorrow already!

Day totals. New stations 85, miles 963.5

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[RochdalePioneers]

Day 5. Thursday 6th July 2000

Managed to sleep through my alarm and then wake up in alarm! Had to run but did manage to catch the 05:56 Edmonton Green - Liverpool Street, formed of WAGN refurbs 317 671 and 317 650. We run semi fast stopping only at Seven Sisters and Hackney Downs. A Metropolitan Line train to Baker Street then along the road to Marylebone.

I'm expecting a Clubman set so am somewhat bemused to find that the 07:10 to Birmingham Snow Hill is 165 008. We run pretty empty for the first leg, passing rammed platforms full of commuters on the other side waiting for their trains into London. We pick up quite a few passengers at Buckingham and Leamington Spa before being held outside Moor Street awaiting a platform. I'm off here for the walk to New Street.

As I walk through Birmingham I ponder the next couple of moves, the reason for today's whole plan. First North Western have been running 37 hauled trains down the North Wales coast for a while now, recently extending their scope to cover Birmingham as well. I'm about to join a turn that goes to Holyhead then to Manchester....!

37 425 and 4 coaches all in Regional Railways livery rolls in from the east having worked the inbound via Soho and Aston. There are many bashers on the platform and a quick chat reveals that they hate trams (HSTs as opposed to Birmingham's actual trams), plastic (units), sheds (66s) and anything that's not classic traction hauled.

We're away at 10:07 and Concrete Bob is a smoker, with large black clouds of clag from her exhausts with every shove of the driver's right hand. A decent crowd waiting on Crewe's P12 and then we curve away past the Electric Depot and away towards Chester. Its a sunny day in North Wales and the usual spirited run along the coast with EE thrash coming in through the open windows (which is all of them!)

We arrive into Holyhead and on P3 is brand new Coradia set 175 003. Doors are open so a sit test in an airline seat and I find seats that are comfortable, with human leg room and alignment with windows! Meanwhile Bob is running round and off we go again as the 13:23 to Manchester Piccadilly. This service was called "The Irish Mancunian" for years but now isn't for some reason. We stop less on the way back east, flying through Colwyn Bay and Prestatyn. So quickly in fact that we are +7 at Chester and have to wait for time. Passing Warrington there are 60 028 and 66 249 stabled on Bank Quay but otherwise devoid of interest.

The Mk2b that's now the front coach is in a poor state, badly flat spotted and dirty inside. Happily we stay slightly ahead of time across Chat Moss before arriving into P13 at a reglazed and gleaming Manchester Piccadilly. Nice to see Daisy is still with us (101 685) albeit now shown of her centre trailer. Daisy was set for withdrawal at the start of the summer timetable but late delivery of the 175s means she's still pottering down to Rose Hill Marple.

A trip to Rose Hill is tempting, but instead I join 158 908 working the 16:19 to Cleethorpes which is operated by Transpennine Express which in 2000 was a sub brand of Northern Spirit. On this run they have borrowed a Metro set normally used on the Calder Valley line. Passing Longsight the Eurostar depot still proudly proclaims "Le Eurostar habite ici" (nope). Also extant and slightly older are the various signal boxes at Stockport, with the proposed Manchester South resignalling project in trouble (as Railtrack's preferred Ansaldo system doesn't work) if nothing else for the bonkers idea of paring slow and fast lines between Heaton Norris and Slade Lane - instead of the slows being platform roads and the fasts down the middle, we'd have the down platforms at Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme on the down slow, and up on the up fast.

-4 at Stockport, then a misty crawl through the peaks making -14 at Sheffield for my -16 connection. For the second time today I'm running, this time for an HST. Nice platform staff refused to let me leave the door open for the other passengers trying to make this connection and they make the platform in time to watch us leave at 17:24.

I dive into the nearest airline seat. Midland Mainline have painted their sets in an attractive Teal and Tangerine livery and its tasteful inside as well. A pity though that the track is rather lively, giving a bumpy ride. I fancy a coffee but worry about it spilling so decide to wait! The weather is deteriorating again and we slice through a big thunderstorm at Bedford. Off at St Pancras which always seems half empty now that the Thameslink services dive into a tunnel and head for Farringdon. Power cars had been 43 049 and 43 083.

A quick walk to Euston and find the place in chaos. The storm I'd seen at Bedford (or a relative...) struck the power cables at Cheddington delaying *everything*. The highland sleeper isn't on the board but with high number platforms currently shut for the throat rebuild I go low and find it on P3. 90 023 on on the front, my coach is at the back, and we are busy tonight, but happily I have a proper seat by the window. I then trade my seat with someone else to let a family sit together, and once again end up with two seats to myself!

I didn't note what time we left Euston but from memory it wax later than the 21:30 booked time. At Crewe I poke my head out and from the very rear door you can really appreciate the length of 16 coaches as we completely fill what always felt like a very long P6.

I'll resume the sleeper tale tomorrow but count the mileage as today for simplicity.

Daily total, new stations 129, mileage 1,199.5

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[RochdalePioneers]

Day 6. Friday 7th July 2000

I awake briefly at Edinburgh Waverly as 47 791 couples on, them awake properly at Perth. Looking out the window there's about load 7(?), the advantage of a bay to myself and being directly behind the duff means we get nice Sulzer noise coming in as we drag ourselves up Drumochter. Another favourite line, we pause at many of the small stations on the way north with the 47 clagging us away from each stop.

We get held in the loop at Tomatin awaiting the up Chieftain which is powering its way up the incline towards Schlod. Then onwards to Inverness. We are early into Inverness and I have a choice of days! Option 1 I have already missed, which was to bail at Aviemore and take the Chieftan south. Option 2 is back to London via Aberdeen. Option 3 is to Wick and return then the sleeper south tonight. Option 4 is Kyle and back, then Aberdeen to Edinburgh where on a Friday there is a 21:00 to Kings Cross arriving at a sociable 02:58 for an early hours Thameslink run to Brighton and back. Writing this 13 years later I am outraged to have not done option 4 - its outrageous really, especially the red eye arrival at Kings Cross. I have done the north of Scotland before so I don't need any of the Far North lines for red pen.

I wuss put and jump straight onto 158 729 on the 08:42 to Aberdeen. On paper this is a +5 connection but we arrive early so its a gentle stroll across the Inverness concourse. My notes for the journey talk lots about trees! The unit is completely full by Elgin and the scenery becomes more mountainous and interesting.

Aberdeen is a nice city and does very well for itself off the oil industry! Not much granite on show by the station and I board 170 401 forming the 11:23 to Edinburgh. The run along the coast is great, with rugged coastal scenery as far as Stonehaven. Not sure why the gripper wants me to date my rover given its lack of flex in the title, but with no impact on its validity I'm happy to humour him. Beyond Montrose we pass empty beaches and there is a fair bit of coast to see all the way through Fife although its industrial rather than rugged. Over the Forth Bridge and we are very high above the houses nestled beneath us at North Queensferry.

At Waverley I'm onto the 15:00 Scottish Pullman to Kings Cross propelled by 91 031. Standard is very heavily reserved but a quarter of them are no-shows, and on departure they're on the PA inviting standard passengers to dine. We do 40mph through a temporary looking deviation at Prestopans (why?) before belting it along the cliffs north of Berwick.

At York the yard is full of brand new flat wagons being built in the Thrall Europa factory that was reopened a few years back. Also present are two debranded Eurostar sets 373 309-12) which we pass carrying on south. This is the fastest train of the day booked to do the run with 2 stops in 3h59, we fail and arrive 5 down.

Circle line to Liverpool Street and onto WAGN's 19:40 to Enfield Town, with 315 861 as far as Edmonton Green for a very early finish. What was I thinking?

Day total excluding the sleeper to Inverness. New stations 55, miles 640.25

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[ash39]

Really enjoying the read but have to disagree about Northern Spirit blue and lime livery.. I loved it!

 

[RochdalePioneers]

It wasn't one of my favourite paint schemes! And it looked awful when dirty which seemed to be always.

I'll get the final day posted tonight

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[D841 Roebuck]

Enjoying this.

Proper trains as well...

 

[156441]

Very enjoyable read on a quiet afternoon at work!

Agree with the 'proper trains' bit as well!

 

[RochdalePioneers]

Proper trains is right. Even in 2000 there were shrinking numbers to go after, but I wanted to blend haulage with going places. So tram to Newquay was more interesting than XC 47/8, knowing that I had hours of 37 and 47 haulage on later days.

A few words on the 37s. I adore the West Highlands, and knowing the sleeper was 37 hauled just added to the pull at the end of what had already been a spectacular day. I'd done a Scotrail rover in 1996 and done the up sleeper from the Fort as far as Edinburgh ( where if memory serves I spent the night in the bus station!) so knew it was a special ride - and it was. Its just that going back through my notes I see that everything up there was 37 hauled!

And the diagram that took me from New Street to Manchester via Holyhead on the same engine was brilliant planning by First North Western. For me at least. But hood though the traction might be so much of the rolling stock was knackered - the scratch sets on both North Wales and Anglia runs were shoddy at best, and I have been on worse. In particular a Liverpool Street - Norwich run in 2005 where the mk2s were battered and filthy.

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[RochdalePioneers]

Day 7. Saturday 8th July 2000

Final day, and a lot of moves to get in. First one is 06:55 Edmonton Green - Seven Sisters formed of WAGN 315 858, followed by a long Victoria line run to Victoria.

On arrival I realised I'd cocked up. My first planned move was Hastings which goes from Charing Cross! A quick scan through the timetable and I'm OK, just doing the planned route in reverse. Admittedly there's a +3 connection at Ashford, but worry about that later. So, all aboard the 07:35 Victoria to Ramsgate which is 3-CEP 1107 operated by Connex South Eastern. For a slammer the ride is pretty good, with orange bulkheads reflecting the old Jaffa Cake livery which points to a last refurb in the mid 80s.

The route is interesting, with suburbia giving way to the docks of Chatham. At Faversham we divide, my unit for Ramsgate, the rear set for Dover via Canterbury (I don't have a note of what this unit was). Onwards then to the coast with gaudily-painted beach huts and station stops at Sleepy-on-Sea.

On arrival at Ramsgate I note two departures for Charing Cross within a few minutes, one via Canterbury West, and my 09:43 which runs via Dover. Also noted are posters showing off Connex's new fangled Class 375 Electrostar units, which will be on display at Victoria the following week and until then can be spied sticking its nose out of the shed.

I'm sat waiting for time on board 4-VEP 3556 painted in CSE's white and yellow which looks unfinished to my eyes. I have a nosey into a first class compartment which looks very tired. The deep cushion seats remind me of the Class 304 seats I remember from my youth, except now they are so softly sprung that getting up out of them is hard! Up front another unit, 3422 is attached, and I grab a seat in a std compartment. The main difference between this and 1st is the two additional seats, but its just as tired.

I look across at Dover at the site of Western Docks station which I remember visiting once before we see the white cliffs and plunge through tunnels which seem very narrow and tall. Through Folkestone and onto Dollands Moor where a Eurostar set is accelerating off the DC eastbound onto the line into the tunnel. Alongside us are various CTRL works most of the way to Ashford where concrete legs are going up for the high speed viaduct which eventually will bypass the station.

I make my +3 at Ashford and onto Thumper 207 203 (into the engine car of course) where bars have been placed over the drop light windows. Still, at least they are drop lights and that means glorious EE noise coming pouring in as we leave at 10:52 for Hastings. Its flat this Marshlink line (!) but I discover that the Thumper sounds very similar to a 37 if very slow in accelerating. Its not a long ride though which is sad, I could listen to this all day.

On arrival at Hastings I change onto another 4-VEP 3515 on Connex South Central's 11:44 to Brighton. Unlike its South Eastern colleague this set has bars on the windows - perhaps south central punters need to be caged? Its a nice run along the beach with more gaudy huts, before we reverse at Eastbourne and run fast through several small stations. At Falmer students pour on before a curving viaduct shows off Brighton's hills.

At Brighton its another change of operator, this time South West Trains and onto 159 007 which is the 13:00 to Reading. Seems like an odd semi-circular route which is shown as a "fast" service due to its lack of stops. As we set off its clear that its not fast because of speed, we do 60mph at best. Eventually we reach Eastleigh and join the main line towards London where we do open the taps more. And so onwards to Basingstoke and then Reading.

Walking down to the DC platforms I find 5714 on the 15:27 to Waterloo, not the slammer I had hoped for. Still, sit over traction motors, open the hopper windows and off we go. We are lightly loaded and stop infrequently, so the 455 doesn't seem particularly hard worked. Its reasonably pretty as well as we head deep into stockbrokerland. At Staines we pass Anglia's 170 206 working its Cross London service. Having ridden the core section of this it was lightly loaded then, and outside the core even worse!

At Waterloo I'm not staying long, onto a pair of 4-CIGs (1319 and 1302) which still retain their buffet counters albeit closed. Waterloo is rammed with trains, and our P15 can just squeeze 12 coaches on. Railtrack have a plan to extend the platforms onto the concourse, with the shops and circulating area up onto a balcony. Hmmmm. Awaiting departure a Eurostar hums into the International station whose roof is being repaired before it collapses.

We depart for Portsmouth at 17:08, and have a storming run through Wimbledon before an unexpected stop in Surbiton. On to Woking where JB 73 109 stands on Thunderbird duties, and flashing yellows turn to green on approach as we branch off towards Guildford. We are the express, passing a stopper which left Waterloo before us. Finally Portsmouth, where at Southsea we climb above the bays before a steep dive and right S-bends leads down to the Harbour. And unlike some inferior harbour stations this one is literally the end, with the water beyond the buffer stops.

My next move is a South Central Coastaway stopper as far as Barnham on 3-COP 1407, departing at 19:05. At Barnham I change onto an almost empty pair of 4-CIGs (1733 and 1907) which are on Bognor Regis to Victoria service via Horsham. Every other part of the country would have a 2 car unit on this and still be lightly loaded.....

Its a reasonably pretty run with small villages that probably have most of the population commuting to London. Not all of the session ticket money goes into the stations, and I note that Arundel is particularly tatty. I also enjoy the RP accent on the automated station announcer. Rather....!

At Gatwick I bail for the mandatory Gatwick Express run. Coming off an empty rake of slammers I am not surprised to find myself on an empty rake of mk2f's which masquerade as EMUs. Motive power is MLV 9103 at the front, 73 208 at the rear and "units" 8207, 8311 and 8314 sandwiched between them. I'm hanging at the rear vestibule on this 21:05 departure, and as the sun sets there are plenty of flashes from the collector shoes on the ED. We absolutely fly along as well, so a good end to the trip and a good end for the loco hauled sets which get replaced by Junipers soon.

Finally a circle line move to Liverpool Street and onto WAGN 315 858 on the 22:25 Enfield Town service which I'm riding as far as Edmonton Green and home.

Day 7 totals. New stations passed 170, miles 503.5

Week totals. Stations passed through 753, 5,512 miles, 50 services, 17 franchise operators

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[causton]

I am loving this report... giving me inspiration for my own July ALR even though none of the traction will be the same especially as my last day will be based around the south east as well! Made me think about some places and lines I forgot to visit at least... sounds like you had a lot of fun

 

[flymo]

It is at times like this I wish I had kept logs of all of the trips I made on my ALRs in the 80s and 90s. I just quickly read through all of your logs here and got misty eyed. Will give them a good going over later today.

Above all, thanks for posting.

 

[Southwest]

Thoroughly enjoyed your report, thanks for taking the time to post it.

 

[Techniquest]

Thank you for posting this, it shows just how much things have changed in the last 13 years. Wasn't envious of you getting 47791 on the sleeper mind, I'd happily have a 67 on it than a 47! As for the Joker's budoir comment, sounds about right for the ambiance on board. At least it is getting better now they're changing everything to the Saltaire livery. Even so, the thought of doing a sleeper train makes me shudder, not keen on going on one and getting virtually no sleep!

Also, what is this "06:bungle" I saw mentioned I think in the Glasgow area bit? Confuzzled by that, not an old school basher myself and never heard of it.

Fantastic read which I very much enjoyed whilst waiting for videos to get uploaded to YouTube. Was going to sleep 2 hours ago mind, but still so much to do...Hope you do more trip reports, modern or classic

 

[RochdalePioneers]

xx:bungle is where you didn't note down the time of the service you're on. It went at 06:?? if that's any easier. Comments like "jokers boudoir" and 06:bungle where in my notes so I thought I'd write those bits up verbatim.

I still can't work out why I didn't do the Kyle move on day 6! Would have been another all night job but so what - I was only 23, I'm sure I would have handled it....

I will write up some more. Have only got an Amtrak pass left to write up the railway bits. Didn't document all of the other rovers I used to do, and although I've done nearly 3,000 miles by rail so far this year the bulk of it has been Darlington to London wearing a suit. Less interesting

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[Techniquest]

Ahhh, now that makes sense. Thought those bits regarding the sleeper and so forth were great, the sort of humour I like to try and add to my write ups

Would like to read the Amtrak stuff, been keen to go over to the USA for a long time but wouldn't even know where to start. Of course, if you've got any photos to go with it that would great, any bashing tips also a good call.