Thanks, I certainly had a good time, as I'm sure the trip report below will show!
31/05/2015 - Tech's Got The Moves, Day 1
Yep, it's another musical pop culture reference for this trip title! The next one's not though! I would assume most people will get this one without prompting, but for those who don't it's referencing Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger.
So after a couple of weeks' break from bashing [well, 12 days! - Ed], during which time it's been hard going, this trip has been well earnt! It's off to Yorkshire, as I had my tokens for Northern's special day ranger offer, and wanted to use it to clear some shacks not in regular day ranger territory. Originally the plan had been to do it on the first day of the trip, but I forgot it's not valid that day, without a doubt due to it being half-term. So the plan changed to doing a West Yorkshire Day Rover on Day 1, then the Northern day ranger on Day 2. I booked the relevant Advances some time before the new evening bus was confirmed, if I had held out for it I would have had an extra 2 hours in Yorkshire. Hey-ho, never mind, I'm already planning a return for October. Quite, as I write this all available slots for bashing until October are already either booked or allocated! With all the cheap trips done this year, it'll be a case of doing plenty of overtime to pay for it all, especially the year's third big bash [see a future post for details - Ed]! As it's Sunday, I get a lift into town ready for the first train of the day, the 0830 Cardiff Central to Manchester Piccadilly.
I'm really groggy today as I came down with a cold yesterday morning, wasn't going to let it stop me get on the rails though! 175109 takes me north, and I spend the journey to Crewe underlining EMUs in my 2015 NREA. By the time we reach Crewe, it's time for a break and I end to the end of the 395s. 442s to 508s to do yet, so after the break I continue to the 456s, leaving the rest until tomorrow's long journey home. I score 68003 and 68009 for sight which was most pleasing! As we near Manchester, I can't wait to get to Costa for a coffee!
185143 from the forum contacts me via Twitter, and we arrange to meet for a brief time during my interchange at Piccadilly. I somehow walk straight past him when I got off the 175, but he manages to find me and we have a good little chat about railways before I have to board the 1245 to Newcastle. It was nice to finally meet you, hope your day went well! I board 185110, dud, and find my seat. TPX have failed to put seat reservations out, with the old ones from its trip down from Newcastle still in place! Fortunately the man in my seat was happy to move, and the phone gets put on charge for the journey to Leeds. The trip report gets updated while I enjoy the scenery, I had forgotten how nice it is around here. I had forgone my Costa move, foolishly, in Manchester so I'll be on the hunt for some coffee in Leeds now. Well, once I get my West Yorkshire day rover of course, bring on the main event of the day!
It looked like two enthusiasts joined the train at Huddersfield, noticed their Thomas Cook UK railway map, and one of them was armed with a big DSLR too. I don't ask them of course but if they're reading this, hope it was a good day! A predictament at Leeds, with two 158s I need to choose from. I settle with 158790 in the end with the 1357 to Carlisle. Just as well as 153332 was on the front, so double winners for the trip to Shipley! Dud 333014 is flagged for the trip back to Leeds, just as well as I get winner 144010 back to Leeds on its way from Morecambe! I discover a day return Leeds to Shipley is £4.60, so that makes my Train Only West Yorkshire Day Rover seem excellent value at £7! Back at Leeds, I see a 155 which needed investigating, but as I get to the bridge I see a 150/2 arriving. It's 150211 which I needed so back down the stairs to score it on the 1451 to Rochdale, on which I go for a leap to Bramley (West Yorkshire) which is the day's first winner shack! I'm almost out of fluids, which on a gorgeously sunny day is not good, so I visit the Morrisons near the station. 2 big bottles of Dr Pepper, a steak and ale pie for later, Wispa multipack for tonight's snacking needs and a bottle of Hobgoblin Gold sourced, I get onto the beer during the fester on the station. 99p currently in Morrisons and it goes down beautifully! Winner number 5 [that reminds me of that Lou Bega song, Mambo Number 5! - Ed] with 150203 taking me back to Leeds, well chuffed!
333011 has been noted, so since I need it I'm on it to Guiseley. I had forgotten Northern has fitted free WiFi to the 333s, so I take advantage for some tweeting! There's a +2 at Guiseley, but we make it no problem with dud 333014 taking me back to Leeds. The approach sees me noting an EMT HST in the station, cue a rush to see what's going on! 43066+43064 are on it and I get as close to 43064 as I can for the noise. After all, it's been years since I had a non-MTU'd HST so I enjoy some VP185 action to Wakefield Westgate. Oh yes, most enjoyable! I just stand and watch the departure, oh the sound and smell, it's been far too long! Wakefield Westgate has been done up quite nicely, no longer is the concourse and station entrance a dump. I had come here to join 322485 on its return from Doncaster, however that plan changed when winner 91106 rolls in, I couldn't resist it! So it's back to Leeds, and I have a choice. Winner 158787 for a leap to Shipley or winner 155342 (with dud 153378) for a trip to winner shack Headingley. After some consultation with the Baker, confirming the required shack, the choice was obvious. I haven't had a 155 for years, I couldn't turn it down! I chose a bad day to do it though, as there was cricket on in Headingley so it was rather busy! Dud 158756 takes me back to Leeds, and I decide it's time to start heading towards Huddersfield. Dud 185 after dud 185, after more dud 185s were flagged so I change plans and look elsewhere!
"Ooh nice", I think to myself, 158793 is on the 1904 to Nottingham. "Need that!" I say out loud, so it's back down the stairs to join the crowd awaiting the doors to be unlocked. After dealing with urgent matters [someone had spent almost all the journey from Headingley to Leeds in the WC! - Ed], it's off 2 minutes late due to a late running XC HST. I believe this has taken me to just 6 more Northern 158s to get now, which is most pleasing! 1935 for the next train back to Leeds,so 14 minutes to wait. "Hmm, I could walk to Westgate" I conclude, as it should put me in place to get 322485. 1940 I convince myself it's due off Westgate, so when I'm still not there at 1937 I'm panicking! I make it just before 1939 to see it's actually not due until 1957, I got worried I'd miss it for nothing! I flag an XC HST for it, so I hope it's either the expected 322 or another EMU now! The timetable suggests it will be, so fingers crossed the fester on windy Westgate [I'm nicknaming this station that name now! - Ed] is worth it. 322485 does produce and I'm rather happy to score it as I now only need 2 more 322s. We get held outside Leeds for what feels like an eternity, cutting into my meal break! We finally arrive at 2020, and it's off as fast as my legs will get me there to Burger King.
Yes I know what you're all thinking, it's really not good for you. In all fairness it had been just over 7 hours since lunch so it's not so bad. My usual meal is sourced and my Bite card gets used for the first time in nearly 4 months, thank Goodness for it as it saved me 73p and brought my meal down to £6.56! Oh I miss the days of 20% off with those cards. Over to platform 16 and a lot of cricket fans have got rather drunk and rowdy now, what fun. The poor young lass having to put up with them must have been glad when they bailed at Huddersfield! I was alighting there too, and I know you're all asking what got me there. You're not going to believe it, but I managed to score 185134 on it. 9 more 185s to go, one day I'll get 'em!
Off to base camp next, and it's The Cambridge Hotel in Huddersfield. Readers with good memories will recall I stayed here last year after The Retro Shakespearean Tug in August 2014. £39 on this stay too, and I still consider it a bargain. It's a nice hotel and not far from the station either, always a bonus! Check in is completed in no time, and I'm soon upstairs and onto the WiFi to get this trip report posted. It's early to finish the day, I know, but I'm feeling the effects of this cold still messing me about so I'm tired and need rest. It also gives me a chance to catch up on the bookwork, so I'm quite happy to stop bashing now.
I haven't processed my journeys into RailMiles yet, so no mileage figure but here's some stats from Day 1 still for you all:
Winners: 11
Required shacks: 2
Cost of tickets: £31.60 (£7 rover and £24.60 Advance Hereford to Leeds)
Other expenditures: £11.70 (£5.14 Morrisons and £6.56 Burger King)
Hotel ching: £39
Total: £82.30
So not a cheap day out at all, and I honestly dread to think what it will all add up to at the end of the year! Still, it's been a good time and so worth every penny
Now bring on tomorrow and the epic adventure that should bring!