All line rover – COMPLETE!!!!!!!!!!

[DarloRich]

I am suddenly able to take some time off work next week and want to try for an ALR. As this is very short notice my planning is limited and I would value some advice. What I want to do is try to cover as many of the loco hauled services as possible along with HST/91/90 haulage whilst eliminating Voyager travel and reducing Pendolino travel. I dislike Voyagers and spend my life on Pendos so don’t want to pay extra for the privilege

My time scale is Sunday 30th August to Saturday 5th September and I have done sod all planning due to unexpected leave!!!!!!! I know it is a bit stupid due to strikes and engineering works but my tentative plan is set out below:

Sunday 30th: MKC – Lancaster – Heysham- Morcambe-Leeds (via Bare lane/Hest bank connection)- York-Edinburgh- Glasgow- Lochwinnoch

Monday 31st August: Lochwinnoch – potter about Scotland – fife circualrs – lochwinnoch

Tuesday 1st September – Lochwinnoch – Preston (37’s) – Carlisle – Manchester – Llandudno – MK

Wednesday 2nd September - Anglia 37’s – easy trip out from home to Norwich. It looks like two trips to Yarmouth and one to Lowestoft. Overnight at home in MK

Thursday 3rd September – ATW premier class - Carddif – Chester – MK

Friday 4th September – day finishing with Night Rivera to Penzance. Any ideas?

Saturday 5th Spetmeber - Travel to Penzance. Take 08:54 to St Ives ( to clear the connection and fill in time) back to St Erth on 09:20 and change there for 10:05 to Par arriving 11:05. Change there for sleeper stock service to Plymouth and then Exeter Arrive 1452. Take 1503 from Exeter to Paignton arrive 16:00. Take 16:37 XC service to Birmingham 19:58. Take 20:10 from Birmingham to Milton Keynes, arriving 21:20. Home to bed!

Comments please!

 

[Iskra]

I am suddenly able to take some time off work next week and want to try for an ALR. As this is very short notice my planning is limited and I would value some advice. What I want to do is try to cover as many of the loco hauled services as possible along with HST/91/90 haulage whilst eliminating Voyager travel and reducing Pendolino travel. I dislike Voyagers and spend my life on Pendos so don’t want to pay extra for the privilege

My time scale is Sunday 30th August to Saturday 5th September and I have done sod all planning due to unexpected leave!!!!!!! I know it is a bit stupid due to strikes and engineering works but my tentative plan is set out below:

Sunday 30th: MKC – Lancaster – Heysham- Morcambe-Leeds (via Bare lane/Hest bank connection)- York-Edinburgh- Glasgow- Lochwinnoch

Monday 31st August: Lochwinnoch – potter about Scotland – fife circualrs – lochwinnoch

Tuesday 1st September – Lochwinnoch – Preston (37’s) – Carlisle – Manchester – Llandudno – MK

Wednesday 2nd September - Anglia 37’s – easy trip out from home to Norwich. It looks like two trips to Yarmouth and one to Lowestoft. Overnight at home in MK

Thursday 3rd September – ATW premier class - Carddif – Chester – MK

Friday 4th September – day finishing with Night Rivera to Penzance. Any ideas?

Saturday 5th Spetmeber - Travel to Penzance. Take 08:54 to St Ives ( to clear the connection and fill in time) back to St Erth on 09:20 and change there for 10:05 to Par arriving 11:05. Change there for sleeper stock service to Plymouth and then Exeter Arrive 1452. Take 1503 from Exeter to Paignton arrive 16:00. Take 16:37 XC service to Birmingham 19:58. Take 20:10 from Birmingham to Milton Keynes, arriving 21:20. Home to bed!

Comments please!

Manchester-Holyhead loco-hauled? Would probably involve a 221/390 though?
Norwich on a 90?
Chiltern 68's? Could do the bubble car too if you haven't already.

 

[David Andrews]

Don't forget the loco hauled services on the Cumbrian coast (and one of the most beautiful routes in the country, says he who lives here) - Mon-Sat from Carlisle 0515 (to Preston), 0842, 1156 Sat, 1435 (Sat 1433) and 1737 not Sat; from Barrow 0536, 0845 Sat, 1004 from Preston, 1138 Barrow not Sat, 1437 not Sat, 1731.

 

[DarloRich]

Manchester-Holyhead loco-hauled? Would probably involve a 221/390 though?
Norwich on a 90?
Chiltern 68's? Could do the bubble car too if you haven't already.

Don't forget the loco hauled services on the Cumbrian coast (and one of the most beautiful routes in the country, says he who lives here) - Mon-Sat from Carlisle 0515 (to Preston), 0842, 1156 Sat, 1435 (Sat 1433) and 1737 not Sat; from Barrow 0536, 0845 Sat, 1004 from Preston, 1138 Barrow not Sat, 1437 not Sat, 1731.

Northern 37's = Tuesday

Norwich = Wednesday

Chiltens perhaps on Firday

 

[Techniquest]

Why Lochwinnoch as the end point on a few days? Family base camp?

Can't offer a lot in the way of help but have a fantastic time!

 

[DarloRich]

Why Lochwinnoch as the end point on a few days? Family base camp?

Can't offer a lot in the way of help but have a fantastic time!

parental unit so free accommodation and food - cant stretch to hotels and can only really afford one sleeper

 

[fishquinn]

On the Friday you could go from MK-London then go on the chilterns and then finish in Brum for a XC 170 to Leicester for an EMT HST to St Pancras to connect with the Sleeper from Padd. Maybe something like this.

06:55 MK-Euston 07:39(LM 350)
Over to Marylebone
08:45 Marylebone-Moor Street 10:42(CR 68)
10:55 Moor Street-Warwick Parkway/Leamington 11:15/11:21 (CR 68)
11:32/11:25 Warwick Parkway/Leamington-Moor Street 11:55 (CR 68)
12:55 Moor Street-Marylebone 14:32 (CR 68)
Some sort of fill in move
16:47 Marylebone-Moor Street 18:35 (CR 68)
Over to New Street
18:52 New Street-Leicester 19:48 (XC 170)
20:00 Leicester-St Pancras 21:15 (EMT 43)
Over to Padd
23:45 Paddington-Penzance

 

[Techniquest]

Why Lochwinnoch as the end point on a few days? Family base camp?

Can't offer a lot in the way of help but have a fantastic time!

parental unit so free accommodation and food - cant stretch to hotels and can only really afford one sleeper

Happy days, makes sense. Might as well take advantage of free board if you can. Don't forget the 380s have plug sockets at tables, might come in handy especially on the way back from Central!

 

[30907]

Manchester-Holyhead loco-hauled?

Preferable to the all stations Llandudno in your plan, I would have thought?

Unless you have Valleys to visit, you don't need to start at Cardiff for your Gerald trip (and the meal is cheaper if you don't!). Shrewsbury-Flint is enough to get dinner in, service is speedy, and Flint-Crewe is the Manchester LHCS as well. Though you miss the best scenery that way IMO.

 

[Starmill]

Hereford to Chester is the perfect journey length for 3 courses on the ATW Business Class. Of course for the 'full experience' you could travel from Cardiff.

 

[yorkie]

Lochwinnoch is a nice place. There is a disused railway line through it which you can walk/cycle on. The existing station is a 15min walk from the town.

Shrewsbury-Flint is enough to get dinner in, service is speedy,.

The chef sometimes gets off at Shrewsbury, I think that's where the chef got off when I did it. People joining from there onwards were only offered a microwaved meal. I would recommend being on the train by Hereford.

 

[30907]

Lochwinnoch is a nice place. There is a disused railway line through it which you can walk/cycle on. The existing station is a 15min walk from the town.

The chef sometimes gets off at Shrewsbury, I think that's where the chef got off when I did it. People joining from there onwards were only offered a microwaved meal. I would recommend being on the train by Hereford.

Good point - I think on Friday nights as he's Cardiff based.

 

[DarloRich]

Well day one us going well! Punished for a bingo move from Lancaster to Windermere and back by a de wirement at Carlisle so stuck at oxenholme as all southbound services at a stand - that means no heysham or little nw line

Plan b is Carlisle - Tyne valley - ?????
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Have spent today pottering around Edinburgh (north berwi k / new Craig hall and doing the Celtic cats on the Fife circular
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well things have really gone to plan so far - delays all over on Sunday, no sleeper booking delays yesterday and unexprected company which meant i had to reduce my programme

Today was ok: Lochwinnoch-Glasgow-Preston-Barrow-Carlisle-Manchester-Warrington - Crewe - MKC

Voyager miles: 0

37 miles: Lots

67 miles: Some

 

[Techniquest]

At least you haven't had to endure any Voyagers yet!

Shame it's not gone to plan, rover trips don't tend to though!

 

[DarloRich]

At least you haven't had to endure any Voyagers yet!

Shame it's not gone to plan, rover trips don't tend to though!

last years did - no issues at all!

 

[sprinterguy]

My commiserations as to your problems on Sunday: I rarely seem to have much luck on the north end of the West Coast myself, whether I end up stranded at Lancaster, wondering after the next train north (that was as a result of a high profile failure, where the errant 67018 hauling a railtour had to be pushed into a loop by a following Freightliner Heavy Haul coal train), or stuck in a goods loop south of Lockerbie (struggling mid-winter coal train failing to manage Beattock that time!).
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Voyager miles: 0

37 miles: Lots

Well, you can't complain too much, surely, when you've had far more class 37 mileage than Voyagers.

 

[DarloRich]

more to come tomorrow to
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That's it done - back home last night after a long week with some really long days. Longest being the trip via the Gerald. Left 07:03 train arrived home gone 23:00

Yesterday didn't really go to plan with the sleeper bursting ( i KNEW it would after all the trouble getting there!) so the day turned into an HST potter which got me home about 2230.

It has been really great and i covered all of the loco hauled daytime services except the FGW one. Some fantastic 37 action on consecutive days . I did have to reduce my Scotland day ( meaning i didn't get an EC HST) as my step dad ( who hasn't been well and is recovering ) asked to come along. I could hardly say no!

A proper & detailed report to follow sometime before Christmas, hopefully

 

[Blindtraveler]

Its looked forward to.

 

[Techniquest]

Well looking forward to the full trip report, sounds like a good time has been had overall, except for the sleeper failure!