OK, it might be a bit late in the day, with only a handful left, but I thought I would group my remaining old all-liner moves in one thread, so this is it
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This is a report of the all line rover I did in August 2002.
It was my third of the year and was, once again, a solo move.
This one began somewhat differently to my previous moves.
The rover itself started on the 23rd but I wanted to get into position in order to do the daily loco hauled service from Cardiff to Fishguard that had recently commenced.
I was booked to work a series of night shifts, finishing on the morning of Wednesday the 22nd.
I searched for something to get me down South and came up with a plan.
I looked on-line and found a Travel Inn that boldly stated the walking time from Didcot Parkway was 5 minutes (Its now the Premier Inn Oxford South), so I booked that, then I booked a seat on a cross country service from Wakefield to Didcot.
My night shift finished and I drove straight to Wakefield.
As tired as I was I didnt sleep very well on the journey South.
It wasnt too pleasant as the HST was wedged and it was very hot.
However, worse was to come.
I arrived at Didcot and set off towards my hotel.
5 minutes my foot.
Its just over two and a half miles from the station to the hotel.
Roger Bannister couldnt have done it in five minutes!
I had to walk along a very busy road, much of it without a pavement, with all my baggage, in very hot weather and I hadnt slept properly.
I was fuming when I arrived and had to really hold my tongue as it would have been quite easy to have a go at the poor, innocent, receptionist.
After I returned home I did e-mail Travel Inn but never got a reply and when I checked it out a year or so later, it still informed the gullible that it was only five minutes walk from Parkway.
I noticed the last time I drove that way that theres now a pavement along the full length.
Mind you, Ive no intention of ever walking it again.
My problems didnt end with my arrival at the hotel, however. I still had to make the journey in reverse.
I had to catch a HST to Cardiff in the morning.
The 37 hauled train left Cardiff at 10.35 and so my options were limited.
I pondered booking a taxi for the morning but, being a tight Yorkshireman and now having an idea how long the walk would be, I decided to get up a bit earlier instead.
The next morning I was waiting outside the dining room when they opened the doors (Well, Id paid for breakfast, so wasnt going to miss it). I had my coat on and my baggage with me.
As soon as breakfast was out of the way I was off on my route march to the station.
I had timed it just right and had only a few minutes to wait for my Cardiff bound tram.
No locos yet, but two HSTs.
That had to change and change it did. 37418 was the loco on 1B96, in fact I believe it was the loco for that turn pretty much all summer. I did the beast throughout to Fishguard and back to Cardiff, the return working being 1B97 13.35 Fishguard Rhymney.
Next up was 150265 round to Bristol and yet another HST, to Plymouth.
37418 enjoying its retirement:
37418_2009.07.05_3_Ramsbottom_& 37248 by philwood55013, on Flickr
Naturally, the reason for my visit to Plymouth was to meet up with the up sleeper and this I duly did.
47815 was the loco, although this gave way to 47811 at Bristol.
I had booked a Travelodge in Ipswich for tonight, so a day on Anglia seemed like a good idea.
I mooched over to Liverpool Street from Paddington and did a Yarmouth service, hauled by 86217 to Norwich. I stayed on board and did 47714 to Yarmouth and back.
This was the first time I had done 47714 since I scored it way back in 1990.
Next up was 86209, which I took from Norwich to Colchester and then it was 86234 to Ipswich.
Once again, the hotel turned out to be a fair walk from the station.
Why doesnt someone come up with some sort of on-line map, so that I can check these things in advance, thats what I want to know.
Anyway, it wasnt as far as the Didcot one but once checked in I decided to call it a day.
The next morning I continued with Anglia sparks, doing 86217 to Colchester, followed by a run to Norwich and back on 86215. Next was 86257 into Liverpool Street and then it was over to Paddington.
There was a class 180 unit stood in the station and I thought I would have a spin on that as I had never sampled one before. I found it a much more pleasant environment than a voyager.
I took this unit, 180103, out to Reading and came back on something much better still, 47811.
Next up was my usual Plymouth sleeper move and the loco for that was 47815.
The shunter in the morning was 08645 and I had now cleared my Laira gronks.
Very nice
Sadly, 57601 was not on the morning Paddington turn this time round, 47813 was.
I took this to London and headed over to Euston as West Coast electrics had been sadly neglected on this move so far.
I took 86245 out to Birmingham and then had a run to Wolverhampton and back on my old mukka 86254.
After this I went and checked into my hotel in the city centre and had (another!) early night.
The next day started with me doing 86401 to Euston, followed by a round trip to Crewe, on 90009 and 90012.
86401 at Crewe open day in 2005:
86401_2005.09.09_4_Crewe by philwood55013, on Flickr
Another round trip followed, this time to International, with 86212 out for 87009 back and then it was time for the Inverness sleeper.
90040 worked to Edinburgh and 67030 then became the first of two locos that I had on the 28th.
I had chosen to head up to Inverness as I thought it was about time I cleared the line to Wick and Thurso. I had a bit of time to kill before my intended train and so did 158724 to Dingwall for 158715 back. The unit on the Wick service was 158704 and I did this throughout both ways.
Joy of joys.
Anyway, it got the line in, including the bit to Thurso, and thats what mattered.
When I returned to Inverness I was expecting the sleeper to be in the hands of 67030, so I was surprised to see 67007 bolted on the front.
No bad thing, though, as it, like 67030 before it, was a winner.
67007 at Fort William a couple of years later:
67007_2006.06.28_Fort William by philwood55013, on Flickr
My last days haulages began in the early hours of the morning when 67007 gave way to 90016 at Waverley.
I did this, naturally, to Euston and then spent most of the day on the West Coast.
I took 86260 out to International then had a quick run to Coventry and back on 87029 and 87025 before taking 87002 back to London.
87022 was then done to Crewe and a bit of diesel action followed. A Holyhead to Birmingham turn arrived behind 47799 and that just had to be done.
I did the royal loco to its destination and then headed home.
87008 took me to Euston and the customary walk to Kings Cross followed.
91107 then powered me back to West Yorkshire and the rover was over.
It was a move that had some high points, but also some lows as well and definitely wasnt as enjoyable as some of the previous ones.
I dont know if it was the lack of sleep, the annoyance at the hotel farce or what but I was now starting to feel that all-liners were coming to end for me.
Never again would I do three in a year, although I did still have a handful left in me.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a report of the all line rover I did in August 2002.
It was my third of the year and was, once again, a solo move.
This one began somewhat differently to my previous moves.
The rover itself started on the 23rd but I wanted to get into position in order to do the daily loco hauled service from Cardiff to Fishguard that had recently commenced.
I was booked to work a series of night shifts, finishing on the morning of Wednesday the 22nd.
I searched for something to get me down South and came up with a plan.
I looked on-line and found a Travel Inn that boldly stated the walking time from Didcot Parkway was 5 minutes (Its now the Premier Inn Oxford South), so I booked that, then I booked a seat on a cross country service from Wakefield to Didcot.
My night shift finished and I drove straight to Wakefield.
As tired as I was I didnt sleep very well on the journey South.
It wasnt too pleasant as the HST was wedged and it was very hot.
However, worse was to come.
I arrived at Didcot and set off towards my hotel.
5 minutes my foot.
Its just over two and a half miles from the station to the hotel.
Roger Bannister couldnt have done it in five minutes!
I had to walk along a very busy road, much of it without a pavement, with all my baggage, in very hot weather and I hadnt slept properly.
I was fuming when I arrived and had to really hold my tongue as it would have been quite easy to have a go at the poor, innocent, receptionist.
After I returned home I did e-mail Travel Inn but never got a reply and when I checked it out a year or so later, it still informed the gullible that it was only five minutes walk from Parkway.
I noticed the last time I drove that way that theres now a pavement along the full length.
Mind you, Ive no intention of ever walking it again.
My problems didnt end with my arrival at the hotel, however. I still had to make the journey in reverse.
I had to catch a HST to Cardiff in the morning.
The 37 hauled train left Cardiff at 10.35 and so my options were limited.
I pondered booking a taxi for the morning but, being a tight Yorkshireman and now having an idea how long the walk would be, I decided to get up a bit earlier instead.
The next morning I was waiting outside the dining room when they opened the doors (Well, Id paid for breakfast, so wasnt going to miss it). I had my coat on and my baggage with me.
As soon as breakfast was out of the way I was off on my route march to the station.
I had timed it just right and had only a few minutes to wait for my Cardiff bound tram.
No locos yet, but two HSTs.
That had to change and change it did. 37418 was the loco on 1B96, in fact I believe it was the loco for that turn pretty much all summer. I did the beast throughout to Fishguard and back to Cardiff, the return working being 1B97 13.35 Fishguard Rhymney.
Next up was 150265 round to Bristol and yet another HST, to Plymouth.
37418 enjoying its retirement:
37418_2009.07.05_3_Ramsbottom_& 37248 by philwood55013, on Flickr
Naturally, the reason for my visit to Plymouth was to meet up with the up sleeper and this I duly did.
47815 was the loco, although this gave way to 47811 at Bristol.
I had booked a Travelodge in Ipswich for tonight, so a day on Anglia seemed like a good idea.
I mooched over to Liverpool Street from Paddington and did a Yarmouth service, hauled by 86217 to Norwich. I stayed on board and did 47714 to Yarmouth and back.
This was the first time I had done 47714 since I scored it way back in 1990.
Next up was 86209, which I took from Norwich to Colchester and then it was 86234 to Ipswich.
Once again, the hotel turned out to be a fair walk from the station.
Why doesnt someone come up with some sort of on-line map, so that I can check these things in advance, thats what I want to know.
Anyway, it wasnt as far as the Didcot one but once checked in I decided to call it a day.
The next morning I continued with Anglia sparks, doing 86217 to Colchester, followed by a run to Norwich and back on 86215. Next was 86257 into Liverpool Street and then it was over to Paddington.
There was a class 180 unit stood in the station and I thought I would have a spin on that as I had never sampled one before. I found it a much more pleasant environment than a voyager.
I took this unit, 180103, out to Reading and came back on something much better still, 47811.
Next up was my usual Plymouth sleeper move and the loco for that was 47815.
The shunter in the morning was 08645 and I had now cleared my Laira gronks.
Very nice
Sadly, 57601 was not on the morning Paddington turn this time round, 47813 was.
I took this to London and headed over to Euston as West Coast electrics had been sadly neglected on this move so far.
I took 86245 out to Birmingham and then had a run to Wolverhampton and back on my old mukka 86254.
After this I went and checked into my hotel in the city centre and had (another!) early night.
The next day started with me doing 86401 to Euston, followed by a round trip to Crewe, on 90009 and 90012.
86401 at Crewe open day in 2005:
86401_2005.09.09_4_Crewe by philwood55013, on Flickr
Another round trip followed, this time to International, with 86212 out for 87009 back and then it was time for the Inverness sleeper.
90040 worked to Edinburgh and 67030 then became the first of two locos that I had on the 28th.
I had chosen to head up to Inverness as I thought it was about time I cleared the line to Wick and Thurso. I had a bit of time to kill before my intended train and so did 158724 to Dingwall for 158715 back. The unit on the Wick service was 158704 and I did this throughout both ways.
Joy of joys.
Anyway, it got the line in, including the bit to Thurso, and thats what mattered.
When I returned to Inverness I was expecting the sleeper to be in the hands of 67030, so I was surprised to see 67007 bolted on the front.
No bad thing, though, as it, like 67030 before it, was a winner.
67007 at Fort William a couple of years later:
67007_2006.06.28_Fort William by philwood55013, on Flickr
My last days haulages began in the early hours of the morning when 67007 gave way to 90016 at Waverley.
I did this, naturally, to Euston and then spent most of the day on the West Coast.
I took 86260 out to International then had a quick run to Coventry and back on 87029 and 87025 before taking 87002 back to London.
87022 was then done to Crewe and a bit of diesel action followed. A Holyhead to Birmingham turn arrived behind 47799 and that just had to be done.
I did the royal loco to its destination and then headed home.
87008 took me to Euston and the customary walk to Kings Cross followed.
91107 then powered me back to West Yorkshire and the rover was over.
It was a move that had some high points, but also some lows as well and definitely wasnt as enjoyable as some of the previous ones.
I dont know if it was the lack of sleep, the annoyance at the hotel farce or what but I was now starting to feel that all-liners were coming to end for me.
Never again would I do three in a year, although I did still have a handful left in me.
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