55013's Contemporary Trip Reports

[Techniquest]

Now if I had 37s relatively easily and affordably within reach, I'd probably not be abandoning the UK scene!

Very frustrating day in Yorkshire for you, but well done on clearing the Northern EMU fleet 100%!

 

[55013]

Thanks.
According to postings on another forum, 68s are coming to the Cumbrian coast, which will be nearly as nice

I had bought a mountain of Halifax Courier’s when they had been printing those vouchers, so had enough left for a couple of moves.
The first of these was on Friday the 17th of November and was, as you might expect, all about the shacks.
I was aiming for one in particular so planned my moves around that.
As this place would be scooped in during the evening it would mean a much later than normal arrival back at Low Moor.
I pondered this and came up with an alternative that would see me back a bit earlier.
I drove to Adwick and began from there.

322483 was first up, to Doncaster.

Now it was diesel traction all the way.
142034 took me from platform 0 to Broomfleet, the first of five new stations I had lined up for today.

From Broomfleet I went to Hatfield & Stainforth aboard 158908.
I was there for just under an hour and had a great time.
First, Colas beast 60096 came through on tanks.

There's not many opportunities to get a shot like this these days:
60096_2017.11.17_3_Hatfield & Stainforth by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Very nice, but what came next was even nicer.
When I arrived, I’d noticed a group of blokes hanging around on the road bridge just beyond the station.
I figured they were probably cranks and something special must be due.
I expected a steam train but could see a light in the distance.
“That looks like a 20” I thought to myself.

It was a 20, 20303 to be precise.
I’d arrived at just the right time to view, not to forget photograph, the RHTT.
20305 was the rear loco.
Great stuff.

20303_2017.11.17_2_Hatfield & Stainforth_& 20305_& 158860 by Phil Wood, on Flickr

The train had a crew change here so stood for a few minutes, allowing me to get shots of it from the bridge and then mooch down the platform to get some more from there.

20305_2017.11.17_4_Hatfield & Stainforth_& 20303 by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Having thoroughly enjoyed my time there it was back aboard 158908 for a run through to Hessle.

DMU 158908_2017.11.17_5_Hessle by Phil Wood, on Flickr

I had nearly three quarters of an hour here before 158849 arrived to take away from the noise of the adjacent road.
158849 took me as far as Thorne North where I had just shy of an hour to wait for the same unit coming back from Doncaster.

It was now quite cold, or as one local chap said to me “F*ck*n freezing, innit?” after he had asked if I would text his mum and ask her to ring him as he had no credit on his phone.
I obliged and as I left on 158849 I observed him on the platform talking on his phone, so it must have worked (I received no reply to the text).

I had barely begun to thaw out when I was once more out in the open, this time at the station which today’s moves had been built around, Saltmarshe.
This station has a fairly poor service; although not the worst in the world it does mean a fairly lengthy fester unless you go early in the morning or during the evening.
There was no chance of me being there before 08.00 so the evening it was.
By now it was nearly fully dark and I echoed my Thorne North chum’s sentiments from earlier.
I had a wait of about forty minutes.
There is a plus eleven if you do it from the Hull direction on the 1743 from there, but that would have meant me getting back much later than I would like.

Eventually 158792 arrived to take me away from all that.
I had a potential forty-minute wait at Doncaster, but at least that has warm waiting rooms.
There was also a plus 0 onto a Lincoln to Adwick service and it was this that I hoped to make.
Coming all the way from Lincoln gave it plenty of scope for delays and I kept a close eye on it using RTT.
It was four minutes late, which was good but I had to get off 158792 at platform 0, make my way through crowds of people and get to platform 4.

Would I do it?
Why, yes, I would – but only just.
I jumped on 142096 just as the beeps started to sound.

142s are not noted for their luxurious warmth and I hadn’t managed to warm up from Saltmarshe yet, so I was very glad to get off at Adwick and get in my car for the drive home.

 

[Cowley]

The above trip looked excellent. What a stroke of luck seeing the 20s too.

Now if I had 37s relatively easily and affordably within reach, I'd probably not be abandoning the UK scene!

I would definitely still go out bashing if they were within easy reach.

 

[55013]

Aye, it was a grand day and the 20s were certainly a highlight.

 

[55013]

The next day I was out on the last of this year’s bumper crop of Northern rovers.
My wife had arranged to go and visit a couple of her mates in Lancaster.
You can buy up to four tickets with one set of vouchers.
Mrs 13 and her friends could go off and visit somewhere and I could, well, ride on trains

We drove to Shipley, purchased the tickets and boarded 150224 for our run West.
My intention today wasn’t to go after 37s, instead I was once again on the hunt for new shacks.
To be fair, there’s not much actual hunting involved as stations tend to remain relatively sedentary.
I left both Mrs 13 and 150224 at Carnforth and made my way over to catch the TPE hire-in.
This was 185147, a unit that would feature quite prominently today.
I needed one coach from this unit, 51147, so that’s where I sat for the ten miles to Kents Bank.

One of Heaton’s finest was next, 156454.
This was both a coach and mileage requirement so I was very pleased to see it.
I was less pleased to see how busy it was and I spent the, blessedly short, run to Silverdale wedged up against the accessible toilet door.

DMU 156454_2017.11.18_1_Silverdale by Phil Wood, on Flickr

156454 remained under ten miles but I hoped it would be this, with slightly fewer passengers on board, that would take me away from Silverdale forty minutes later.
Alas, my hopes were dashed as that proved to be 156469, which was not required in any way.

Out of interest, I had a look on RTT and saw that 156454 had gone empty from Lancaster to Preston in order to work a service to Manchester Airport and back.
On the plus side, 156469 did have some space on it and I managed to get a seat.

I took this to Dalton where I had twenty minutes to wait before 156472, like 156469 dud for the year and with nothing positive to offer me, appeared to whisk me to my next winning shack, Grange-over-Sands.
This was a dodgy one as I only had a plus two, but I made it with time to get a photo of the 156.

The traction away from there was provided by 185147.
This time I took it to Roose.
I knew that I was to get it a third time as I now had to wait for it to go to Barrow and come back.
I used the time to head over to the adjacent Tesco for some supplies.

My third run on 185147 took me to Cark where I joined 156472 for the second time today (why was my low mileage unit the one that didn’t come back????).
156472 was taken to Ulverston where I had a lengthy wait of just over an hour for my only loco of the day.

156472 leaves the unusual station at Ulverston:
DMU 156472_2017.11.18_2_Ulverston by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Today it was 37422 doing the pushing and it was most enjoyable.
I still had one station remaining, Arnside, so that’s where I bade farewell to the loco-hauled set.

37422_2017.11.18_1_Arnside by Phil Wood, on Flickr

My intention was to go back to Grange-over-Sands.
I had three minutes at Arnside for eight at Grange.
Sadly, 153304 arrived six minutes late so I decided it was not worth the risk and remained there instead.

I was heading home now (my wife was spending the night with her pals before coming back on Sunday).
185104 had a couple of required coaches, which was good, was a few minutes late so I could probably have made it off 153304.
Oh well, never mind.
I did this to Lancaster before enjoying the dubious qualities of 144019 back to Shipley.

Not too shabby a day, with all the stations between Lancaster and Barrow now visited.

 

[Techniquest]

Nice bit of work with the shacks, and the bonus of a 37 must have been most welcome. No doubt more enjoyable than the festering at Saltmarshe! 68s going to the Cumbrian Coast? Interesting...

 

[55013]

Thanks.
The 37 was, of course, most enjoyable but I didn't mind the time at Saltmarshe.
The biggest joy of shack scratching is the lack of people at some of the more remote locations.
It was a bit nippy but I still enjoyed the solitude
As for the 68s; it could well be a wind-up, but it does make sense if DRS are looking to reduce the number of types they operate by binning the 37s.
I've no idea, but time will tell.

 

[Kite159]

Agreed that Saltmarshe is quite remote and in the middle of nowhere, like Broomfleet. Good news on scoring a few shacks on the Barrow line

 

[ash39]

You weren't joking when you said you had some catching up to do! Enjoyed the bumper read! The Colas 60 photo is great too.

 

[55013]

Thanks,
there's still more to come when I get the time as well

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Good see that you have been extremely active of late with a nice variety of activity. And as for that little episode with the 321, I think we have all had that at some point in time - chase something down for a specific reason and then keep on falling in to it for the rest of the day/week.

Good read, excellent phots.

 

[AJM580]

A nice shot of 37422 there - I feel privileged to have 37s on my doorstep, of late they have been 37423 & 37419, until recently this beast was on the set.

 

[Cowley]

That Arnside is in some setting isn’t it?
It was 27 degrees when we were there in June. I’m assuming it’s always like that...

 

[barrowjack]

Looks like you had a good couple of Saturdays in my neck of the woods. That 156 service you got from Kents Bank on a Saturday is always absolutely rammed, as is the one before.

 

[55013]

Good see that you have been extremely active of late with a nice variety of activity. And as for that little episode with the 321, I think we have all had that at some point in time - chase something down for a specific reason and then keep on falling in to it for the rest of the day/week.

Good read, excellent phots.

Thanks.
It wasn't the first time, that's for sure.
I'm sure it won't be the last either - in fact, it's already happened.

A nice shot of 37422 there - I feel privileged to have 37s on my doorstep, of late they have been 37423 & 37419, until recently this beast was on the set. View attachment 40096

I saw 37716 was out and about in East Anglia.
Very nice.

That Arnside is in some setting isn’t it?
It was 27 degrees when we were there in June. I’m assuming it’s always like that...

It was probably nearer -27 when I was there

Looks like you had a good couple of Saturdays in my neck of the woods. That 156 service you got from Kents Bank on a Saturday is always absolutely rammed, as is the one before.

Aye, the guard said as much.
No need for me to ever suffer it again though, which is something.

I'm about to head out for the day, but before I do here's the next instalment of my adventures.

It’s my wife’s birthday at the end of November.
This always means a few days away; usually she goes to her favourite place, Bridlington.
As I’m not a huge fan of Brid we’ve settled on a pattern over the last few years; she goes over for a couple of days on her own, then I join her for a couple more.

I also arrive the evening before her birthday, ensuring we are together on the day itself.
Astute readers will have realised this gave me the opportunity for a multi-day move.
I decided to do another 4 day in 8 North East.

My wife was a bit perplexed when I told her I wasn’t having a few days in London.
She obviously doesn’t appreciate the attraction of 91 mileage

I decided to save my annual leave days; as I’m off Fridays anyway I could do the move and save those for future trips.

Mrs 13’s birthday was on Monday, so I had to ensure I reached Bridlington on Sunday afternoon.

Heading up and down the ECML does get a bit monotonous so I decided to break it up with a bit of shack scratching.
How many new stations I roped in would depend on how good my luck was with the 91s.

Low Moor was the first station to see my presence on Friday morning after I’d made my way there for the 09.23 Leeds train.
This was worked by 150143 and was taken as far as Interchange where I left it to buy my ticket.
With my rover safely ensconced in my pocket it was onto 158753 and to Leeds.
Here things went a bit pear-shaped.
I intended to do the 10.15 VTEC service as far as Doncaster, but both platforms 6 and 8 were devoid of red trains.
It was cancelled.
Blast.
Not a good start.

Never one to remain downhearted for long; I viewed a Scarborough service worked by 185117.
I needed one coach to clear this unit, so I found myself a seat in 51117 and headed to York.
York was in chaos, we sat outside for ages, eventually getting into the platform 37 minutes late, having been on time at Colton Junction.

Ordinarily, the morning so far would have suggested that my luck was out today.
This proved not to be the case; a Newcastle service, which I wouldn’t have made at Doncaster off the 10.15 (not least because it didn’t stop there), nor should I have made at York off the 185, was in the queue behind and was worked by a low mileage loco.

I say low mileage, 91128 was on 980 and a bit miles.
By the first stop at Darlington it had assumed the position of member number nineteen of the thousand mile club.

A look on RTT showed that the backlog at York was clearing (I never found out the reason) and the next Edinburgh was only a few minutes behind.

With 91128 ticked off it made sense to bail and see what it was.​

Here it is at Newcastle waiting to head back to London:
91128_2017.11.24_Newcastle by Phil Wood, on Flickr


A seven-minute wait saw 91110 produce.
Not one of my requirements, but quite a nice one to get.
I did this through to Newcastle.
Another loco was not far behind; this one stopped at required station Alnmouth, so could be done.
I must admit, though, that I was kind of hoping I wouldn’t be tempted as it would require a lengthy fester at Alnmouth and was very cold.
I’m sure if it had been the lowest of the low, 91120, I wouldn’t have been able to resist, but it wasn’t.
So; I flagged it.

I hung around Newcastle but there was nothing of interest; so after an hour and a half of freezing my parts off I boarded unwanted 91125 to head back South.

DVT 82210 was leading:
DVT 82210_2017.11.24_Newcastle by Phil Wood, on Flickr

The cold had dampened my mood a bit.
I decided that I was happy with the one addition to the club and would make my way home.
91125 left me behind at York.

The next service to Leeds was a TPE from Scarborough.
Hopefully, by this time next year this will be 68 worked.
Today, though, it was a wedged 185.
On the plus side, as with 185117 this morning, I needed one coach.
This was 54103 and that’s were I found a place to stand.

It was now getting into rush-hour, so I opted for the first thing out of Leeds heading towards home, even though it didn’t stop at Low Moor.
I do this to break up the journey and have a bit of a breather between full trains.
150204 was, as expected, full and standing.
I took this to New Pudsey.
My train from there to home was worked by 158855, also pretty cosy.

Reflecting on the day, I was OK with it.
Another 91 in the thousand-mile club, two 185s cleared for all coaches, but most important of all a relaxing day on the trains as opposed to being at work.

 

[55013]

Well, I was about to head out.
I've taken today off work and was planning on heading to Nottingham to get the last of the NET tram stops and hopefully some or all of my last four trams.
I had a quick shufty at their real-time running web-page and found that there's a car on the tracks and there'll be disruption until 12 o'clock.
As the wind and rain is currently battering our windows I've decided to forget today and try again tomorrow.
This gives me the opportunity to get up to date with my report writing/reading.
So here's day two of my North East rover.

Saturday began, once again, at Low Moor.
This time it was 144016 that began the day’s moves and I was on it to Leeds.

Once at Leeds I spotted dud from yesterday 91125 and rake sat in platform 1.
I realised immediately that something unusual was afoot.
I’d forgotten to check for weekend engineering work.
My 91 hunt wasn’t looking too good for today.
After checking RTT I realised that there were only two locos shuttling back and forth between Leeds and Retford.

I decided to do 91125 anyway.
The other 91 that was on the Retford was due to be at Doncaster at the same time, so even if I couldn’t get across in time to do it I would be able to observe it and plan accordingly.
Hah!
91125 was several minutes late leaving due to “a problem in the cab” of the DVT (82210 – the same as yesterday, unsurprisingly).
This meant that the other set passed at speed North of Donny.

In addition to the Leeds – Retford trains there were a few Doncaster to Edinburgh services.
I viewed the first; this was a high mileage machine so I decided to do 322481 (the one that I’d been after for months and had finally cleared all the coaches of just a few weeks earlier) to Wakefield to get the other Retford back.
My rover is valid to Retford, so I decided that if it was a low mileage machine I would spend a while shuttling between Leeds and Retford.
Sadly, this was not to be as it was 91121 that turned up.

91 turns off Doncaster where few and far between; ever couple of hours for the Edinburgh’s, with HST working, via a diversion, through to Kings Cross in-between.
The next Edinburgh loco was another 91 that that wasn’t on my wants list and was absolutely wedged.

There were other 91 hauled services to Edinburgh starting from York but due to the rammed nature of this one I decided that, instead of doing it to York, I would abandon the 91s for the day and get some new shacks in.
I wanted to get a station in that I have visited many times before, but never by train.
I didn’t want just the one, though.

The first train in the direction of the place I was intending to visit was a Northern service that terminated short of there, so it made sense to catch 142022 to Scunthorpe.

Job done, 142022 waits to cross over and head back:
DMU 142022_2017.11.25_3_Scunthorpe by Phil Wood, on Flickr

I had a short wait there before 185125 arrived to take me on to Barnetby.
I’ve spent many happy hours here photographing freights back in the days when there was a bit of variety.
I’d always driven there then, though.
51125 was the coach I rode in, meaning that 185125 could now be added to the list of fully cleared members of the class - I'm up to nineteen now.

The wait at Barnetby was short, which was good as it was freezing and night was drawing in.
185125 was running a bit late, which meant I couldn’t have made the return at the next stop even if I’d wanted to.

My chariot arrives, cold weather not evident:
DMU 185108_2017.11.25_1_Barnetby by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Sadly; 158108 was already in the “ridden in all the coaches” club, however I had no real choice but to take it.

It was pretty full, so I decided to bail back at Scunthorpe as the local service would be starting from there some ten minutes after the 185 left.
I was hoping this would be empty and it was
142041 took me the remaining 23 miles to Doncaster.
I did think about bailing at one of the intermediate stations but in the end the cold put me off.

Somewhat annoyingly, the next Leeds service was 321901.
Again!
Nevertheless, it was 321901 that I did through to Leeds for 158815 back to Low Moor.

Not the best day; still, two new shacks in the bag.

 

[55013]

Sunday was the day I was heading to Bridlington.

I had planned all the moves for today as I planned on getting the only station between Doncaster and Hull that I still needed and it’s fairly poorly served.

I began from Low Moor on board the seemingly excessive combination of 142018 and 144005.

At Leeds I caught the first Hull service.
This was a wedged 185109.
It was a very sunny, but cold, day and as the train raced towards Selby I saw the shadow on the track-side fields.
I had been so concerned with squeezing on that I hadn’t noticed it was a six-car set!

I was in the centre coach (185109 had no required vehicles) so moved back to the rear one and jumped off at Selby.
The rear unit was identified as 185115; which did have a required coach but was locked out of use.
I jumped back on 185109 and stayed in 51109 as far as Brough.
I had some time to kill before my planned shack would feature, so took 158845 from there to Cottingham.

158845 arriving at Brough:
DMU 158845_2017.11.26_Brough by Phil Wood, on Flickr

A short wait followed before 158796 appeared.
This service was another wedged one and I was squeezed in a vestibule as far as Hull.
After that I had the chance of a sit down, but only for a few minutes until the train reached Ferriby.

Ferriby is very poorly served and there are only two trains East-bound on a Sunday (there are three West-bound).
I was going for the second and last service.
The time was spent photographing a few passing units before boarding 158784.

DMU 158910_2017.11.26_1_Ferriby by Phil Wood, on Flickr

The 158 was taken through to Bridlington, where I met up with my wife and my day was over.
I done exactly what I wanted, so a successful day in my opinion.

 

[55013]

Bringing my reports up to date, here's my latest move.

Day four of my North-East was Friday the 1st of December.
150211 was my traction from Low Moor to Leeds.
The 10.15 to Kings Cross wasn’t cancelled this week, but it was worked by an unwanted 91.
I chose to do the same move as I had done the week before and take a 185 to York.
Luckily, this was another unit that contained a winning coach.
The unit was 185116 and 53116 meant that it was another one cleared.
This proved to be an excellent choice as the first Edinburgh train arrived with one of my “big five” requirements, 91101, on the front.

It might have been one of the five lowest mileage machines when I got on, but doing it to Berwick-upon-Tweed would see it jump straight into the thousand-mile club.

I've had eight runs on 91101 this year, finally it's over a thousand:
91101_2017.12.01_Berwick-upon-Tweed by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Whilst going to Berwick meant member number twenty of the club was assured, it also meant I had to do a Voyager to get away from there.
To make matters worse, when it arrived, it was dud 221119.
As I generally avoid Voyagers, I need loads of them.
Oh well.

My plan at this stage was to get another new station in.
I would do the Voyager to Durham were I had three minutes for a Newcastle bound TPE service.
This would be done to Chester-Le-Street, followed by a ten-minute wait for one back.
I checked on RTT and saw that the one I would get away from there, the 14.03 from Newcastle, was cancelled as far as York due to a crewing issue.
The next service from Chester-Le-Street was nearly two hours later and I wasn’t prepared to suffer that, so I left the 221 at Newcastle.

No sooner had the Voyager departed than I looked on the screens and saw the 14.03 as being due to depart on time.
What?
185120 was stood in the bay platform.
RTT was still showing it as cancelled, with a 14.03 running as a VSTP ECS to York in its place.
The next London train was a HST, so I hung around.
Eventually the doors opened on the 185.
I decided to do it, not least because 185120 was one of the few members of the class that I’d had for less than ten miles.
The train tantalisingly stopped at Chester-Le-Street as booked.
Oh well, maybe next time.

The DMU was disembarked from at Durham.

DMU 185120_2017.12.01_2_Durham by Phil Wood, on Flickr

A wait of twenty minutes followed for the next loco propelled service.
I had been lucky on the loco front already today, would I be lucky again?
Yes!
This time it was celebrity 91111, another of the “big five”, now “big four” after 91101 had departed for a new club.

A run on this to Doncaster would see the mileage reach 968.
Not there yet, but the target is in sight.
Now I have a “big three” list of locos under nine hundred miles; 91112, 91120 and 91131.

It was now time to head home.
Had the loco from Durham been an unwanted machine I would have left it at York as it was now approaching rush hour and I prefer to avoid any crushing.
On the journey I had devised a plan that would hopefully see me avoiding the crowds.

There was a fairly short wait at Doncaster before my first train home arrived.

Get in!
Another low mileage 91.
I thought about abandoning my plan and doing 91107 to Leeds, but the extra ten miles would have left me a few miles short so elected to stay with the crowd avoidance move.
Wakefield was where I left it, making my way over to platform 1 for the 16.44 service to Huddersfield.
This was quite busy, with loads of kids from the local private schools, but I’m sure it was better than the stuff simultaneously running out of Leeds.
On the downside, it was a 144, 144009, which not only suffers from being a 144 but is also one of only two of the shorter units that I’ve had for over a hundred miles.
The three-car ones are almost all over that mark due to them being regulars on my commute home.

I left the unit at Mirfield, where I had a ten-minute wait for my train home.
This was a Grand Central service from London and I guessed that more people would be getting off than on.
I was right and easily got a seat on 180107.
This was taken round to Low Moor and the last, but most successful, day of my rover was over.

 

[Kite159]

Ferriby is well served compared to Eastrington/Wressle [well during the week/Saturdays that is]

Shame on not getting many 91s into your book for 1000 miles, but good news on getting some more shacks into your book

3 minutes at Durham might have been pushing it, at least there is no double barriers now, but still if the underpass was busy it might have messed up your connection

 

[55013]

Ferriby is well served compared to Eastrington/Wressle [well during the week/Saturdays that is]

I know; I have a plan for those two, although when it'll happen is anyone's guess.

Shame on not getting many 91s into your book for 1000 miles, but good news on getting some more shacks into your book

Oh, I don't know, I was happy to get a couple over the threshold and another two a bit nearer.
Of the eleven remaining eight are over nine hundred miles, so I'm getting there.
91120 is the fly in the ointment, though.
That's only on 439.57 miles, so I need to get it a few times and the spectre of the Azumas is looming large.
I was happy with the station scores, that's for sure.

3 minutes at Durham might have been pushing it, at least there is no double barriers now, but still if the underpass was busy it might have messed up your connection

Yeah, I realised that but didn't fancy doing a 185 from further South at the expense of potential 91 mileage.
Durham isn't the worst place in the world to miss your connection, so I would have risked it.

 

[Kite159]

It be a nice walk from Wressle to Howden

(and a nice walk from Gilberdyke to Eastrington)

Maybe a job for next spring on a nice sunny Saturday where you have no other plans

 

[47403]

Finished catching up.again. Cracking read again 55013, nice to see a few pics of my patch in a trip report. Pics of loco s with the Castle Keep.behind them are synonymous with Newcastle Central.
It's only a 10min walk out of Chester Le Street station down onto the main high st, where you could've caught the No.21 bus into Durham. Plenty food outlets and pubs on Chester(as its locally known)High St. Canny chippy in the main high st too by the name of Clems.

Congrats on shunting a few more blunts into the thousand miles club and getting a few steps closer with the 185s.
Belated Birthday Greetings to Mrs 13 too.

On a completely different subject 55013. Im sure i read in one of your trip reports, your a fan of Joy Division, have you listened to ist ist? Give em a YouTube if you ain't.

 

[55013]

Well, I woke up this morning and the road is covered in snow.
No Nottingham trams for me today, then.
Still, I've got a trip out tomorrow with a couple of mates for our Christmas bash.

It be a nice walk from Wressle to Howden

(and a nice walk from Gilberdyke to Eastrington)

Maybe a job for next spring on a nice sunny Saturday where you have no other plans

My plan doesn't involve any walking
Lighter mornings are a must, though.

Finished catching up.again. Cracking read again 55013, nice to see a few pics of my patch in a trip report. Pics of loco s with the Castle Keep.behind them are synonymous with Newcastle Central.

Thanks, I wanted a shot with the keep in the background for that very reason.
I've taken a few from the top but never of the building itself.

It's only a 10min walk out of Chester Le Street station down onto the main high st, where you could've caught the No.21 bus into Durham. Plenty food outlets and pubs on Chester(as its locally known)High St. Canny chippy in the main high st too by the name of Clems.

Cheers - something else to bear in mnd.

Congrats on shunting a few more blunts into the thousand miles club and getting a few steps closer with the 185s.
Belated Birthday Greetings to Mrs 13 too.

Thanks again.

On a completely different subject 55013. Im sure i read in one of your trip reports, your a fan of Joy Division, have you listened to ist ist? Give em a YouTube if you ain't.

Very good!
I've just checked them out - I see where you're coming from; very Joy Division like.
The bass on "Right before your eyes" especially reminds me Peter Hook's playing.
I shall be sourcing further tunes from them.

 

[47403]

Very good!
I've just checked them out - I see where you're coming from; very Joy Division like.
The bass on "Right before your eyes" especially reminds me Peter Hook's playing.
I shall be sourcing further tunes from them.

They are good, Right Before Your Eyes is a cracking song too.

Thanks, I wanted a shot with the keep in the background for that very reason.
I've taken a few from the top but never of the building itself.

I've never been up there for years, I think I went up there when the kettle, Evening Star done a Tour or was needing turned, it went out via the High Level Bridge and my mates Dad wanted a pic of it going towards the diamond crossing. No doubt you'll have similar shots, of the one above, this aint my photo but that of David Ashcroft, showing the diamond crossing before, it was all remodelled

 

[55013]

View attachment 40254

They are good, Right Before Your Eyes is a cracking song too.

My mate liked them so much that he added some of their stuff to a mix tape (well, mix USB) that he put together for our Christmas outing.
Talking of which...

Saturday the 9th of December was the day we settled on for our annual shindig.
As is often the case, this involved me picking up 45135 and driving to our mate's house where we enjoyed a full English breakfast together, reminiscing and bantering.
After that we indulged in our traditional Christmas cigar in his shed of railway memorabilia before I drove us to Solihull, where we arrived in plenty of time to make the 14.06 service to Marylebone.
Today this was pushed by 68008.

68008_2017.12.09_1_Marylebone by Phil Wood, on Flickr

After a very enjoyable run to the capital we adjourned to our usual London residence, The Metropolitan, on Baker Street.
Here we all had a mixed grill whilst they down several pints.
I, of course, stuck to Pepsi Max

The return home was behind 68009, very nice as I'd only previously had it Leamington to Solihull.
All that remained was for me to drive them home before getting to my own abode about 23.30.
An excellent day out, although probably the last one we'll do to Marylebone.
Next year we're hoping to get some 68 thrash to Scarborough instead

 

[55013]

“I’ve started so I’ll finish”.
I wrote those words back at the beginning of the year when I visited the Nottingham tram network three times in two weeks.
Thus; I’d committed myself
Since then I’d done many moves but not once had I returned to the NET.
I wanted to be true to my word, so Friday the 15th of December saw me driving to Toton Lane Park and Ride with a view to getting the nine stops and six units that I needed to clear the system.
I say six units, four were required outright and two were on bus stop mileage of nought point something.
I wouldn’t rest until all were over a whole mile

I boarded my first tram, which was also the first tram.
As 201 pulled out I identified the set that had arrived a few seconds before it departed.
This was a requirement.
I decided to get it in early rather than hope for it later so my run on the doyen of the fleet was short lived as I bailed at the first stop, Inham Road.

All the stops that I needed were on the Clifton South line and my plan had been to get them out of the way first, hopefully getting some of my traction needs in along the way.
I would then finish up by festering in the city centre to see if anything positive was kicking about.
Rejecting a definite winner has backfired on me in the past, though, and it would only put me ten minutes behind with my plan.
228 therefore became my first winner of the day when I took it from Inham Road to Nottingham Station.

Nottingham Tram 228_2017.12.15_Nottingham Station by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Now it was shack time.
202 soon arrived and took me to new stop number one, Summerwood Lane.
I’d only previously had 202 once, on my brief flirtation with the system in 2004.
It wouldn’t be as long before my next trip on it.
In fact, it was five minute, as that’s how long I had to wait for it to go to the terminus at Clifton South and come back.
Queens Walk was were I left it once again.

As I was getting stops near the end of the line, waiting for the same tram coming back was the name of the game at this stage; this time it was 226.
This was taken, first to Holy Trinity, thence to Meadows Embankment.
231 provided me with my next ride, as far as Clifton Centre.

Nottingham Tram 231_2017.12.15_1_Meadows Embankment_& 226 by Phil Wood, on Flickr

Now the pattern changed and it was a different tram, 235, that took me away from there.
This was good as 235 was one of the two that I’d only previously had for less than a mile.
It was also the third time I’d had it!
My first run being the 17 chains from Noel Street to Beaconsfield Street on the 3rd of February.
This was followed the same day by the greater distance of 18 chains from Royal Centre to Nottingham Trent University
Clifton Centre to Wilford Lane is 2 miles 4 chains, so it’s now well over my target for minimum tram mileage.

I’d bailed at Wilford Lane as Wilford Village had been scored back in February when I’d just had time to do the full branch and a couple of intermediate stops (Ruddington Lane being the other).
With the Wilford’s now cleared it was 222 to Rivergreen.

My third run of the day on 202 followed, to Compton Acres and one stop remained.
There were delays on the network at this point and I had a comparatively lengthy wait before I discovered that it was 216 that was to have the honour of delivering me to Southchurch Drive North.

Due to the delays; the next tram the other way was pulling out as I arrived.
The NET is now cleared for stops (including the now closed Station Street, the terminus back in 2004), joining the Sheffield and Croydon systems in that particular club.

I’m not one to rest on my laurels, though, so it was onto hunting down those last four trams.
I knew that that the three outright requirements were working as I’d seen them at various times, two were working Toton Lane services and the third was on Clifton South runs but I'd only seen it after I'd boarded 216.

Once 216 reappeared I took it to Nottingham station where I proposed to fester until one of my wants showed up.
Happily; it was only a short wait as one of the pair I’d seen working on the Toton line arrived three minutes after I did.
The requirement that I’d managed to miss whilst getting the shacks in had gone through to Phoenix Park.
I did some vague mental calculations and figured I could do 227 for just over a mile and make that one coming back.
I therefore left it at Nottingham Trent University.
I was right, but only just.
Less than a minute after I’d got off one winner I boarded another, 232.
Again, I ensured it was had for over a mile, by bailing at Nottingham Station.

My luck appeared to be in – as I was leaving on 227 I’d spotted my sole remaining mileage requirement going towards Toton and just before I got off 232 I’d seen my last outright winner going the other way.

I decided the move would be to head out for the mileage requirement, do that back; then finish with my class-clearing unit to Toton Lane and my car.
Nice plan, shame it didn’t work out.

I took 208 from the railway station to Meadows Way West.
This is only 51 chains but 230 was on 0.91 miles, so only a short hop was needed.

I’d no sooner left 208 than I realised I’d made a mistake; it would take 230 nearly an hour to do go from Nottingham Station to Toton Lane and back – it had only passed through about twenty minutes before.

Dusk was now on its way and it was brass monkey weather.
Plus, my winner might be back before then.

I knew the two trams that had headed towards Hucknall immediately before 218, so if I headed that way I could keep my eyes peeled for them and be slightly warmer.
236 took me away from Meadows Way West and on to Lace Market.

I was hoping I wouldn’t have too long to wait before 227, the tram two in front of my wanted one, would appear.
I was wrong, very wrong.
It was 228 that appeared; I’d done this in the morning and knew that 227 was several trams behind it, so once again I changed my plan.

I had a rough idea of the times for 230, so took 228 as far as NG2.
I stood around for a while and nothing came.
The PIS on the city bound platform said that there wasn’t a tram due for some time, so after quarter of an hour stood in the cold I boarded 229 and went three stops up to University of Nottingham.

Another wait ensued, nine minutes but it felt much longer in the cold, before my target, 230, arrived.
I didn’t want to miss my last one so only took 230 for a short hop to Queens Medical Centre.
Only 38 chains but it meant 230 edged passed the all-important mile mark.

Just 218 to go and I’d have no need to come back to the NET unless they add more stops and/or trams.
I took up a seat on the platform and looked forward to my winner.
227 arrived.
Hurrah, 218 should be two behind.
206 came next; this was between 227 and 218 so I prepared myself.
218 didn’t appear next, it was a different one.
Oh well, I suppose they chuck out extra trams in the rush hour.

I waited and waited.
Trams came and went.
I started to think people would get suspicious of someone hanging around for so long.
After half an hour and several unacceptable trams I left on 236.

Hope springs eternal and I didn’t want to give up so easily.
I left 236 at University of Nottingham where I figured I was less likely to attract attention as a loiterer.
I’d been watching the units heading the other way, just in case I’d got it wrong and 218 had already gone through.
No.
227 passed coming back from the end of the line.
Now I knew for certain; 218 wasn’t that side of me.

I decided, due mostly to the cold but also as the trams were all now wedged, to head back towards Toton Lane in a linear fashion.
210 was next, to University Boulevard.
This was followed by 211 to Middle Street and 203 to Chilwell Road.
It was now dark and I could no longer feel my toes.
I’d had enough, I would do the next tram to my car and head home, regardless of its identity.

Was it 218?
No; I’ve no idea what happened to it – maybe there are some diagrams that turn back in the city centre during rush hour.
Just to rub salt in the wound; it was 219, one out, that provided me with the last run of the day.

After that it was a relatively easy drive, with my heater cranked up full, back home.

All in all, a successful day; all stops cleared and five of my six wanted trams roped in.
The frustration around 218 and the fact that’ll I need to make at least one further trip in the new year did take some off the gloss off it though.
I think I’d prefer it if I'd not seen it at all that day.

 

[Kite159]

218 was my last tram to get on Nottingham as well, getting bowled over by it in April when it was having a day sat on the depot.

It be annoying when you are down to a single tram to get on a system which isn't that local

 

[47403]

Two good reads there. Jealous of 68009, like 13 n 15, always elude getting into the haulage files, when I'm in that neck of the woods.
Great shame 218 didn't materialise for you. Frustrating having to leave with one to go. I have no doubt that itch will be scratched sooner rather than later.

Glad to hear ist ist are proving to be a bit popular, I think they will have at least 3 new folk at their gigs when they decide to tour..

 

[D841 Roebuck]

Just catching up with your latest reports. Some good reads there.

One tram left! Ouch.

Must go after my last two (212/232) at some point - but I suspect a 68 to Scab Vegas may be morea appealing...

 

[Kite159]

A good place to wait is either The Royal or Old Market Square. I prefer the Royal as it has some nice seats and isn't as busy as the city centre (and the Northbound trams normally have to wait for the traffic lights to clear before carrying on up the hill