68003 would be a dud but 006 would be a winner. I figure Id like 21 & 25 please, Quinn if its not 21 & 25 im coming to get ya
Trip report up in next couple of days, just got in, up at 05.30 for work and out tomorrow evening. Do my best to get the report all up on Wednesday. Never stopped today. Tottally booshed.
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LSGsMagicRoundabout
4/7/16
Im up at silly o'clock, when the alarm rings at half 4 in the morning, I have the distinct urge to turn over and go back to sleep and enjoy a lie in, it's my day off for gods sake. However I race out of bed, well,it was more like a grumbling plod to the kitchen, flick the kettle on, make a coffee and go and sit on the back steps, it's not a bad morning really considering the time, I tell myself, I light a ciggy and contemplate todays journey. The usual obloutions are done, the bag packed and by 0525, I'm in my flatmates car, for a lift to Central.
Before I go ono the Station, I nip over to Greggs and get a coffee, I also pause for a ciggy and synchronise my watch by the clock on the outside of Central, mines about 5mins fast, before making my way towards platform 1, to see what the 156 is there, I've got all but 2 of Northern's DMU's, 156420 and 144015, evade me but I'm a creature of habbit, so I go check it out regardless, 156484 is noted before turning on my heels, to wander down platform 2, to the south end of the platform. Theres nothing in the bays but at least the thunderbird has changed, not by much, 67024, has been replaced by 67023, a skip that I had from Hereford to Chester, whilst on my HoE, a good while back, with a certain Mr Techniquest, who joined me, part of the way to Shrewsbury, after we'd had a few beers in the Kings Fee first.
Like a nomad, I wandered back up said platform, as I wanted to be in position to see which blunt I was getting to Edinburgh and be able to get the stock as it rolled into the platform off Heaton, time was tight at Edinburgh, I had 15mins before I had to get the 08.22 to Queen St, plus the 06.22 booked into platform 8, so I had the shananigans of getting over the bridge before I could do a quick sweep round Waverley (where potential winners for sight could be lurking), so doing it now, saved farting on and allowed me to get cracking. I'm a good half way back up the platform, when 43302 rolls in beside me, I'm halfway through getting the stock, when a) I realise it's not needed and b0 there's window stickers(who used to collect them as a kid?) for Edinburgh Waverley, when was the 1S01 changed from a blunt to an HST diagram? Granted it's 2 years or so, since I last got on this train but I was still expecting a blunt and just thought this was going to Kings Cross. Great news then, 43302's dud, so's the stock and rear power car, which will lead the charge North, 43295 is dud too. I'm not having much luck roping in my last 8 or so VTEC HSTs of late am I. A cursory bollocks is made and I wander back to coach M and find my seat.
Thankfully I've got what I requested, a forward facing window seat but with 3 other reservations around me, however no-one showed so I had a space to stretch out to myself for the journey North, getting a coffee just after Morpeth and a couple more refills before breakfast was served, just before Berwick. Good fare too, I walloped it down, with more coffee and two slices of toast, feeling all the better for it too.
Nothing really to report till Craigentinny, Heaton, saw GC's Gronk, 08648 plus one of their 180's, the flying banana, we were going too fast to get the stock of it though and a clutch of UID 142's. Oxwellmains was empty bar one of the LeFarge shunters and at Craigentinny, there was a few Cross Country HST coaches lying round the back, 08627, marooon 66743 and first cop of the day, an HST barrier coach
6394, which looks like it's had a new paint job.
Arriving into Waverley bang on time, I made haste off the train and over the bridge, 92014 was there, with the Cally sleeper stock, no winners among them either, wether 92014 worked it I'm not sure but it was responsible to take the stock up to Polmadie.
90044 was parked up in the station and 67024, god, I'm sick of the sight of this skip, was in the the South end bay. INothing else of note, so I made for the 08.22 to Queen St, which was off to Helensburgh, I think, formed off all round winner
334031 and winner
334039, for a maiden voyage on a 334, sitting in the very front seats next to the cab of 334031. I was expecting a bit motor coach noise, I was wrong, sorry if your a 334 fan but it was as dull as ditch water, I was very disappointed. Long gone are these days
(this photo aint mine but is that of @plodder1973) hope he doesn't mind me using this photo. Still kicking and screaming she is too, back in her ole pyjamas and re-united with its name, I thought I was gonna cry when this was tweeted to me. Ah the memories this evoked. Trying to get as far away from the gripper, to get more out of our tickets, to get more of these turns in. I miss those days. Anyway I digress, On route to Queen St, I managed to click
158740 on Hymarket depot and
334011 at Uphall, so it wasn't all bad.
Into the depths of Queen St Low Level, where now I had to go and purchase my Roundabout ticket, I did try to get it at Newcastle, the day before but alas they couldn't find it, much to the guy behind the counters disappointment, saying, that would of been a first for me. I then had to walk through Queen St High Level after purchasing the Rover, out the station round and back onto, to access the low level platforms, for a train to Hyndland, after a short wait, winner
334008 and AR winner
334023 arrived and took me the few miles, to one of my all time fave little stations of Hyndland.
I had about a half an hour at Hyndland, I copped a couple more EMU's and notably
321420 and still in London Midland livery, then double cops
318256 and
321416 also rolled in, I did think of returning back to Queen St with them but surprisingly thought better of it, I'm normally a make hay while the sun shines type of person but time was of the essence today. Soon after they departed, I thought I'd ensnared my last ScotRail 156, the now infamous (and no doubt boring everyone rigid, with my ever present ramblings for its requirement) 156457 passing through, It was close but no cigar, it was 156456:cry:, I recoiled, head in hands, like when your team hits the post, when it looks a certain goal. After a quick nip off the platform for a ciggy but close enough to see stuff coming and going without breaking the law, I returned for the spin to Glasgow Central with dud 318252, at the time I thought it was a winner and but it was a welcome break from the 334's, now this was a noisy ole EMU, thats more like it. On the way I managed to cop
334036 at Partick.
I bailed 318252 and strode up to the High Level Platforms, as I entered the light, I coppied both
380002 and
380012 without breaking stride, ah cheers I said to myself, I had a wander round to the PIS to check what time the Lannark trains were, for a ride up to Motherwell later and also to pass Polmadie, in hope, that maybe, any of the super EDs below 73969 might be on show. I had about 10mins, to amble round the platforms to seek out any requirements, only
314216 obliged before I boarded winner
380016 for a ride out to a place I'd never been to, Paisley Gilmour Street and a maiden voyage on the 380's. Sound wise they're nothing spectacular but the acceleration seems quite impressive, plus they have sockets to charge your phone, which I did, a top up wont harm, so that was a bonus.
I have to say I was quite impressed with Gilmour Street, that said, I needed a cold drink so bailed down the stair and found a WH Smiths and got a bottle of coke, made my way through the underpass and stood watching various 380's whizz to various places before AR winner
314210 arrived to take me back to Glasgow Central, again sitting in the motor coach, enjoying the noise of an ole fashioned EMU.
Back at Central I hopped off 314210 and made over to the 380 bound for Lannark, no problems with the roundabout ticket, it actually opens barriers, so straight through and onto another AR winner, this time
380103 for the spin past Polmadie and up to Motherwell, clicking
314204 on the way out the station, nothing of note at Polmadie, I thought I'd clicked the gronk 08954 but on checking the NREA, I actually hadn't, 57302 was also there along with 92014, which I'd seen at Waverley earlier. 37059 was outside te DRS Depot at Motherell, and just inside the depot were two UID Moggies(68's), now fishquinn and postye had reliably informed me 68025 and 68021, were on tonights fife circle turns, so I assumed, that these would be them, however at the ths time, I couldn't ID them due to cop
320303 being in the way.
I'd no sooner bailed 380103 when I copped and saw double AR winners
320306 and
321412 leave before I had a chance to even run for them. I was feeling peckish, so I thought, may as well go for a ciggy and go to the infamous, Meet n Eat, outside the station.
I looked the watch and found that it was 5 to 12, christ wheres that time gone, I'd barely stopped, I had 3 and a half hours max, before I had to make tracks outta Glasgow. At 12, I was singing a song a late, great friend used to sing at lunchtime, he was diabetic and had set times for meals, I travelled all over this country, spending hours with him on coaches, going to the footy and having many a laugh and just as many beers, I'd only got to know him properly on the coach journeys because as I got on one, to find my seat, he shouted to me, do me a favour sit next to me, I said but such and such is down to sit there aint he, really, I'll sort that, he said. This guy came up the bus and said, sorry son, your in my seat, I said, ah alright and went to get up, When my mate said, sorry there's been a change of plan mate, your up there on the left, 3 from the back by the window, as the guy walked away, I asked, why don't you want him sitting next to you?, he said, is your nose bust?, he works on the bins and he bloody smells like a bloody badger, SO HE'S NOT SITTING THERE. I laughed and said, Ok. At 12 o'clock prompt, he'd break into song, singing, "DO NOT FORSAKE ME OH MY DARLING, ON THIS OUR WEDDING Daaaaayy", for those not old enough to know, its from the Western, High Noon, it became so normal, we'd normally join in with him, as the bait box was presented, to a cheer all round Here I am, in Motherwell in the rain, remembering him, laughing at another old memory, of when we won the domino card at an away match, in the clubs clubhouse, we used to put two each on and go halfers, this day we won £50 between us, the woman handed him the money and he turned and said, oh great that'll pay us into the speedway(his other great passion) tomorrow, I said, what you on about, speedway, I don't go to the speedway, he said, you are, if you want to get your grubby claws on half of this and tucked, the majority into his pocket, gave me a tenner and said, gan get 2 pints each. I was gobsmacked but done it
. I'd made the mistake of telling him, my uncle used to take me to the speedway, when I was a kid, you'll have to come with me one night, my missus won't, I'd said, aye, maybe one night deffo:roll:, well this time I had no option but to go, so the next night, I met him and he gave me £20, after we'd got through the turnstile, turns out he had 2 free tickets for us, apparently he'd won them at a previous meet, what a laugh it was though, my ribs were aching with laughing, everytime he won tickets after that, we always went, he had a deadpan whit and was one of the funniest blokes, I've ever met. Now he'd be chuckling, as I'm singing his song (and now his praises on here), as I order a bacon and egg sarnie and a large coffee, for the princely sum of £2.70 and boy was it good. I raise my coffee to the sky and say under my breath, I bet your making them laugh up there, you barmy old get and then laugh to myself, as I picture him saying, less of the old, you little sh*t. Funny how things just jog your memory, sorry for going off topic a bit but it was quite a poigniant moment for me at the time.
Anyway enough rambling, next up was a move to Whiflet, for a pass at Mossend Yard, there was a few bits n bobs on, 90028, 66041, 66161 and 08532, plus a few I couldn't see due being parked behind something or covered by the trees at the bottom end of the yard, nothing needed but I was happy because I was onboard double AR winners
318258 &
318263. I must've spent roughly 15 minutes here at most before winner,
334009 came and whisked me off back to Motherwell, where handily we got a signal check outside the DRS Depot, where I could ID cop
68021, which boded well for this evenings entertainment. With time marching on, I decided to take the next train out of Motherwell back to Glasgow Central. Winner
380002 was given the job, where just outside Uddingston, 92032 was stood at a signal going via a freight only or branch line, I presume to either Mossend or Coatbridge, I'm sure someone will know, I certainly don't. As we pass Polmadie, nothing has changed, so I sit and relax a bit. I had another close call, at Glasgow Central, this time with a pendo, my last one for sight is 390136, however the one in the station was 390134. Just to poke fun at me, there was plenty 156's around but none were the one I was after. On the way over to the low level platforms, I was now, what I called Wombling, overground, underground wombling free, off we go to hyndland with LSG, on the way towards the Low Level entrance, I did manage to get
380112 onto the cops list. Fresh duds 334008 & 023 took me off to Hyndland, about 10mins later, winner
320306 to take me to Queen St. I couldn't find the platform I was after for my train to Croy and after going out the Station and back, when I did eventually bloody find it, my train was leaving, meaning I'd missed my connection, thankfully I had an off peak single from Croy to Edinburgh, not an advance ticket.
Next one was about 20mins away and if it came on time, I'd have about a +8 at Croy, however that turned up late, I was now on a +3, with a same platform connection, all was not lost, especially with AR winner
170428 and winner
170461 and we basically crawled to Lenzie and were halted for 8 minutes at Bishopbriggs, thus bollocksing up any hope of getting my connection at Croy, to get to Haymarket for kicking out time for the Evening peak, though some small consolation was clicking
320302, whilst waiting at Bishopbriggs. At 16.24, winner
170471 rolled in to take me on to Edinburgh, leaving with me a +14 onto my next move.
I got to Wavweley and quickly made a hastey exit through the barriers in time to see 68021 thrash it's way out with the 17.08 to Glenrothes with Thornton and it sounded like pure heaven too.
I made my way to the platform for the 17.20 to Cardenden, showed my anytime ticket and stood where the front door of the front coach would stop, in rolled winner
68025 about 2 mins late, I got my prime spot, front window right behind the loco, just after half past, the driver pulled back the power handle and we thundered out of Waverley into the tunnels, the noise was amazing, as the rolling thunder echoed off the walls. We left Haymarket in a bit of a thrash, as the driver tried to make up time, it was stotting down with rain now, so I kept my head inside but had the window down, to hear the sweet symphony of that Caterpillar engine. After stopping at Dalmeny, with wet tracks, a slight gradient and curve up to the Forth Rail Bridge, 68025 had bit of a task getting going, up until the driver pulled the power handle back and opened her up with a plume of clag and the noisiest, gutteral growl I've heard for many a year, as we climbed the gradient, I was at the window, going, oh sweet jesus, listen that. Pure unadulterated pleasure, I still smile now, thinking about it. Time was marching on and my original +17 at Dunfermline Town had been eaten away, with the late departure, I was down to a +7 on leaving Waverley, thankfully we'd pulled a couple of minutes back and I did think of bailing at Inverkeithing but at Inverkeithing, I was still on a +9, so ploughed on regardless. I sadly bailed off 68025 and briefly listened to it rumbling away towards Cardenden, before picking up a brisk pace through the underpass, for the 18.07 down to Inverkeithing, I had to admit, I was grinning like a DRS cat, at that performance away from Dalmeny.
A mere 6mins later, winner
170413 arrived to take me down to Inverkeithing, poor turbo wasn't even close to a pale shadow of the beast that had just entertained from Edinburgh but I just couldn't stop grinning. Now for the fester at Inverkeithing, at least now, I could have a ciggy in relative peace and theres enough goes through the station to stave off the boredem, added bonus if your a bus crank too, which I'm not, the half an hour fester tends to whizz by, at 18.50 into view comes winner
68021 for the penultimate move of the day. 68021 was a bit of a powerhouse too, unfortunately it had 68025's performance to follow and it was never going to beat that, god I wished it had but I aint complaining because those Caterpillar engines still sounded awesome. Alll to soon, we'd arrived at Haymarket, where I clicked
158869 for sight. We rumbled through the tunnels into Waverley where unfortunately, I had to bail.
With an hour and 3 quarters to go till my train home, I had a quick peruse round the station before walking up the ramp had a ciggy and waited to see if I could add any of the trams to my cops list, unfortunately I didn't, so I nipped over to McDonalds to get out the rain, got a coffee and a cheeseburger, when it dawned on me, I could use the first clas lounge. What a berk, so I made out back to the station, clicking
158735 before I made my way to the rather lavish surroundings of the first class lounge, where I topped up my caffiene levels further. With 10mins till my train, I said my goodbyes and made for platform 19 and the last train of the day, would I be lucky with the HST home, in short no, it was double duds again, this time 43300 and 43238. The journey home was on the plush tush too, so I had chicken Ceaser salad wraps, with crips and a couple of bottles of coke, relaxing in my posh seats
for the uneventful journey back home. It had been an excellent day, with 68025's performance being the ultimate highlight but I was cream crackered when I got home but still sporting that silly grin when I went to bed.