mrben253
Member
I enjoy reading other people trip reports on here so I thought I'd have a go at writing mine up. Any way here goes:
An extremely late decision (11pm on Saturday night to be precise) saw me doing my first ever Great Escape with London midland on Sunday the 1st of March. After printing the voucher required for the rover off at the 24/7 library, I enjoyed a nice walk in the sun to Bangor station, aiming to catch the first train of the day down the coast to Crewe at 09:13. I didnt really have a plan for the day, just maybe go to London, and try and pick up new track and some new trains. After a bacon cob was purchased from the café on platform 1, dud 175112 rolled in on time, and I duly got a seaward window seat, across from a table of lads getting through a good amount of lager! A good run to Llandudno junction was had in the sun, the weather and scenery was beautiful and the train was fairly quiet. At Llandudno junction the guard announced that we should be joining another train, so the doors wouldnt be unlocked for a couple of minutes, and that we should expect a bump. Well after we arrived there was a good amount of bumps and our train shunting back and forwards, then the guard announced that our train was having coupling issues so everyone had to move forward into the front unit formed of dud 175001. This being a two car was meant it was a lot busier and it was also very cold, but the staff handled everything well and departure from the junction was only ten minutes late. A swift run down the coast ensued, with the train becoming extremely busy at around Rhyl, with people standing the whole length of the aisle way.
At Chester the train emptied out thankfully, and the run to Crewe was a lot quieter, with nothing much to note apart from some dilapidated EWS class 90s outside Crewe EMD. Arrival into platform 9 at Crewe was only 4 minutes late at 1107, and as we arrived I noticed Caledonian liveried 92033 and GBRF grey 66747 in platform 10. After snapping a couple of pictures, I obtained my standard class great escape rover for £16 and a cup of tea for £1.75, and joined winner 350255 on the 11:37 Crewe to London Euston. Departure was right time, and first impressions of London Midlands class 350s are that they are very short on legroom, and the train was quite busy with a wine drinking hen party (seriously why were people drinking so early?!) so I opted not to go for a table seat. As we left Crewe nothing of interest was passed at the LNWR depot, just some East Midlands 153s and 158s, and a couple of virgin voyagers.
This train takes the round the houses route through Stoke and Stone to get to Stafford, but I didnt mind as it was new track for me, although there was not much to note apart from passing marcroft wagon works outside stoke where I saw lots of wagons and an EWS class 08 shunter. As we accelerated away from the Stone station stop, there was a flash and a loud bang and we seemed to lose power and coast for a bit which was very worrying, but we soon started to accelerate again to join the WCML at Stafford, and then headed down the Trent valley line.
As we called at Lichfield Trent Valley, there were a lot more of very loud bangs and arcing from the pantograph as passengers were getting on, with sparks narrowly missing people boarding. The situation didnt look good at all, we waited for 15 minutes with the guard looking at the pantograph and scratching his beard quite comically. There were then even louder bangs and bigger flashes, causing a lot of the people on the train to swear loudly and some people even jumped up and ran off the train! The guard then announced the problem was bigger than anticipated, with the train being cancelled and declared a failure! I must be cursed today, two trains, two failures!! The guard advised people travelling to London to head up the stairs and get the 13:01 train to Birmingham and change there for a train to London, with an arrival time into London at 15:40ish. On the bright side this was an unexpected new line for me, Lichfield was a new station and also I got to sample London midlands winners 323203 and 323218 to Birmingham New Street, although the legroom was still dismal on these trains. (There must only be hobbit sized people who use London Midland!
)
The Lichfield Birmingham line was boring, and the weather turned to rain at errrrrrrdington, but we did pass what I think was Spaghetti Junction at Gravelly Hill which was fairly interesting. After a slow run into Birmingham and then waiting for a platform in the tunnels, we arrived at the hellhole that is Birmingham New Street at 13:42, my least favourite station on the network. To make matters worse the next LM train to London was at 14:14. An extremely busy winner 350121 was eventually boarded, stopping at every station between Birmingham and Rugby, although I decided the 350/1s are slightly better than the /2s, with comfier seats, better seat layout, and folding trays. We then took the Northampton loop line after Rugby which was more new track for me, with nothing to see as we passed Daventry. I decided to bail at new station Northampton, and boarded winners 350372 + 350102 25 minutes later for the run to London. A good run to London was had, passing Wembley stadium and a lot of locos in Wembley yard.
Arrival time at Euston was at 16:53, 2 hours later than I had planned on being there. I walked across to St Pancras and Kings Cross, seeing a couple Eurostars and virgin branded 91s and HSTs. I had planned on getting a travelcard and going for an explore but decided against it with the delay and the light was already starting to fade, so I got a mcdonalds and joined 350111, 350372 (again
) and 350260 for a run to new shack Leighton Buzzard. Nothing really much at LB, so I joined 350129 10 minutes later for the trek back up to Crewe retracing my steps around the Northampton and Stoke loops. Back at Crewe 92033 had disappeared but the Northern Belle was hiding away on the UDGL being topped and tailed by two NB liveried 57/3s. I joined dud 158823 for the run back to Bangor, arriving back 14 hours after departure at 23:12.
All in all not a bad day, Id scored a lot of new EMUs and the Stoke and Northampton loops as well as the Lichfield to Birmingham line which was a bonus. Apart from the two train failures, especially 350255 going pop at Lichfield, Id had a cheap sunday out with lots of mileage, new track and new haulages.
Any comments welcome good or bad
An extremely late decision (11pm on Saturday night to be precise) saw me doing my first ever Great Escape with London midland on Sunday the 1st of March. After printing the voucher required for the rover off at the 24/7 library, I enjoyed a nice walk in the sun to Bangor station, aiming to catch the first train of the day down the coast to Crewe at 09:13. I didnt really have a plan for the day, just maybe go to London, and try and pick up new track and some new trains. After a bacon cob was purchased from the café on platform 1, dud 175112 rolled in on time, and I duly got a seaward window seat, across from a table of lads getting through a good amount of lager! A good run to Llandudno junction was had in the sun, the weather and scenery was beautiful and the train was fairly quiet. At Llandudno junction the guard announced that we should be joining another train, so the doors wouldnt be unlocked for a couple of minutes, and that we should expect a bump. Well after we arrived there was a good amount of bumps and our train shunting back and forwards, then the guard announced that our train was having coupling issues so everyone had to move forward into the front unit formed of dud 175001. This being a two car was meant it was a lot busier and it was also very cold, but the staff handled everything well and departure from the junction was only ten minutes late. A swift run down the coast ensued, with the train becoming extremely busy at around Rhyl, with people standing the whole length of the aisle way.
At Chester the train emptied out thankfully, and the run to Crewe was a lot quieter, with nothing much to note apart from some dilapidated EWS class 90s outside Crewe EMD. Arrival into platform 9 at Crewe was only 4 minutes late at 1107, and as we arrived I noticed Caledonian liveried 92033 and GBRF grey 66747 in platform 10. After snapping a couple of pictures, I obtained my standard class great escape rover for £16 and a cup of tea for £1.75, and joined winner 350255 on the 11:37 Crewe to London Euston. Departure was right time, and first impressions of London Midlands class 350s are that they are very short on legroom, and the train was quite busy with a wine drinking hen party (seriously why were people drinking so early?!) so I opted not to go for a table seat. As we left Crewe nothing of interest was passed at the LNWR depot, just some East Midlands 153s and 158s, and a couple of virgin voyagers.
This train takes the round the houses route through Stoke and Stone to get to Stafford, but I didnt mind as it was new track for me, although there was not much to note apart from passing marcroft wagon works outside stoke where I saw lots of wagons and an EWS class 08 shunter. As we accelerated away from the Stone station stop, there was a flash and a loud bang and we seemed to lose power and coast for a bit which was very worrying, but we soon started to accelerate again to join the WCML at Stafford, and then headed down the Trent valley line.
As we called at Lichfield Trent Valley, there were a lot more of very loud bangs and arcing from the pantograph as passengers were getting on, with sparks narrowly missing people boarding. The situation didnt look good at all, we waited for 15 minutes with the guard looking at the pantograph and scratching his beard quite comically. There were then even louder bangs and bigger flashes, causing a lot of the people on the train to swear loudly and some people even jumped up and ran off the train! The guard then announced the problem was bigger than anticipated, with the train being cancelled and declared a failure! I must be cursed today, two trains, two failures!! The guard advised people travelling to London to head up the stairs and get the 13:01 train to Birmingham and change there for a train to London, with an arrival time into London at 15:40ish. On the bright side this was an unexpected new line for me, Lichfield was a new station and also I got to sample London midlands winners 323203 and 323218 to Birmingham New Street, although the legroom was still dismal on these trains. (There must only be hobbit sized people who use London Midland!
)The Lichfield Birmingham line was boring, and the weather turned to rain at errrrrrrdington, but we did pass what I think was Spaghetti Junction at Gravelly Hill which was fairly interesting. After a slow run into Birmingham and then waiting for a platform in the tunnels, we arrived at the hellhole that is Birmingham New Street at 13:42, my least favourite station on the network. To make matters worse the next LM train to London was at 14:14. An extremely busy winner 350121 was eventually boarded, stopping at every station between Birmingham and Rugby, although I decided the 350/1s are slightly better than the /2s, with comfier seats, better seat layout, and folding trays. We then took the Northampton loop line after Rugby which was more new track for me, with nothing to see as we passed Daventry. I decided to bail at new station Northampton, and boarded winners 350372 + 350102 25 minutes later for the run to London. A good run to London was had, passing Wembley stadium and a lot of locos in Wembley yard.
Arrival time at Euston was at 16:53, 2 hours later than I had planned on being there. I walked across to St Pancras and Kings Cross, seeing a couple Eurostars and virgin branded 91s and HSTs. I had planned on getting a travelcard and going for an explore but decided against it with the delay and the light was already starting to fade, so I got a mcdonalds and joined 350111, 350372 (again
) and 350260 for a run to new shack Leighton Buzzard. Nothing really much at LB, so I joined 350129 10 minutes later for the trek back up to Crewe retracing my steps around the Northampton and Stoke loops. Back at Crewe 92033 had disappeared but the Northern Belle was hiding away on the UDGL being topped and tailed by two NB liveried 57/3s. I joined dud 158823 for the run back to Bangor, arriving back 14 hours after departure at 23:12. All in all not a bad day, Id scored a lot of new EMUs and the Stoke and Northampton loops as well as the Lichfield to Birmingham line which was a bonus. Apart from the two train failures, especially 350255 going pop at Lichfield, Id had a cheap sunday out with lots of mileage, new track and new haulages.
Any comments welcome good or bad
I also enjoy reading trip reports, and I'm always writing trip reports!