Out Pace(ring) Myself - 01/02/18
A modest start time for once given recent journeys, and after a pleasant walk to New Mills Central it was 150205 doing the honours on the only semi-express service of the day into Piccadilly. Stopping only at Marple and Romiley thereafter (instead of the all-shacks plodding of other services) this is always popular with commuters, although today was surprisingly sparse. Arrival a couple later, as is standard when the service has to wait at Ashburys East Junction for a TPE to go through, and it was a quick stop at Pret for porridge before a very early boarding of 220024 for the 0907 to Stoke. My initial plan had been to use one of my many free day passes from Northern to get the stopper to Stoke and save a bit of cash, but in the end the fare was only £5 from Stockport (using my GM Traincard between Piccadilly and Stockport), so I decided to save the free pass for another day.
Coach F of the 220 was almost dead, so I had a table of four to myself until Wolverhampton. Stockport was welcoming the Flying Banana as I arrived, and I also picked up 66739 at Longport as we approached Stoke, but there was nothing of much note after that, with the mediocre journey down to Birmingham dragging slightly if truth be told. The Bat Cave duly arrived and I wandered up to the main concourse for a PNB (and to get a few steps in) before descending back into the chilly bowels of hell for 43301+43357 to take me for some HST action down to Devon. Absolutely rammed all the way to Taunton, I took the opportunity to have a spot of lunch and a wee nap, so there might have been a few winners go passed, but they’ll only have been 800s so I wasn’t too concerned. By Taunton things had thinned out, I noticed half of the HOBC at Fairwater yard, which I’ve not seen in the flesh before, but there were no winners to be had as I alighted at Exeter.
Once there I realised I’d left my ticket on the HST, so couldn’t exit the station, but I was only scheduled to be there for 2 hours or so, so it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. The depot was surprisingly full, mainly with 153s. Two, 153305 & 153372, were required, as was 143611. After that I wandered up and down platforms 3/4 (steps!) and observed the comings and goings. Two further 143s turned up on Barnstaple-Exmouth’s, but sadly the remaining GWR 143 was down at Laira receiving attention. As the sun came out to warm my slightly chilly bones, I was pleased to see 158885 arrive from Waterloo, taking SWR 158s down to three, and also two 150s, namely 150121 (soon to depart for Northern Land) and 150243. Things thinned out markedly after that, and the last 30 minutes were spent watching a rather eccentric photographer getting in the way of everybody and coming perilously close to being taken out by a 43 at one point. With that 43357+43301 came back from Plymouth to drop me off at Bristol before heading northwards to Leeds.
I’m always staggered at how quiet Temple Meads is in rush hour, but as I’ve mused before that’s probably because I compare it to London terminals or Manchester. Still, it was rather sparse, though whilst I waited for 158954 to take me to Cardiff I did get 150219 in the eastern bay. Just five GWR 150s to go now. The aforementioned 158 arrived 7 late at 1801, and I had to stand until Severn Tunnel Junction. The pitch black doesn’t lend itself to picking up passing unit numbers, so I settled back until Cardiff, smashed through a couple of packets of nuts, and then alighted on platform four. Gen was provided earlier in the day regarding a couple of outstanding ATW units, and thankfully they both came through within 30 minutes of arrival to ensure my toes didn’t completely die of frostbite. Firstly 143614, to leave just the aforementioned 603 to come back for to clear the 143s, whilst the cannon was sounded to deafening levels when 142072 pulled in to signal the clearance of the 142s. I need never look at a nodding donkey ever again. To celebrate I wandered to M&S for some chocolate cashew nuts, returning to find D6757/37057 and bonus DBSO 9703 arriving. I had 20 minutes until my train back to Bristol, just long enough for 800024+025 to pull in from Paddington (I must say they look awesome from the front at night, even if the inside looks rather sterile and harshly-lit). With that it was 166204 back to Bristol, once I’d located the ridiculous way up to Platform 0, arriving at the same time as the NMT which I’d seen at Stockport at the beginning of the day, and which nicely bookended day one.
Winners: 15
Classes cleared: 1 (142s)
Sub-classes cleared: 1 (ATW 143s)
Steps: 11666
Back in the late-winter of 59s – 02/02/18
The 0410 alarm was most unwelcome on day 2, but after an excellent shower (I heartily recommend IBIS Budget on Temple Meads Quay, by the way, a winner all round) it was a quick 5-minute walk to Temple Meads for the 0445 to Paddington, today utilising 43010+43124. Lightly loaded, as you’d expect for such a ridiculous time of the morning, I did manage to snaffle 800009+018 at Parkway, coming out of Stoke Gifford before reversing back to Temple Meads, but then promptly fell asleep until the masses boarded at Reading. It was still too dark to really see much as we whizzed towards London, so the next winners for the day all came as I hopped off at Paddington, with a veritable feast of IETs in the platforms. 800020, 021, 022 & 023 were all winners as I strode off towards the H&C line for the tube to Liverpool Street.
A quick PNB here it was on to the 0718 to Bethnal Green, 315813+812 doing the honours, and I settled in on the London-bound platform to see if I could whittle the 317 & 321 needs down a bit. Safe to say there was quite a bit going in and out given the time of day, but things were sadly interrupted when a bird decided to poo on my notebook. Could have been worse, it could have been my head, but I did have to think on my feet and wipe it off with some pages from the back. Disaster averted I settled in to pick up a number of winners, the highlight of which was 379027, the arrival of which sounded the second cannon of the trip. A few 345s out as well after their emergency withdrawal from service the day before:
Bethnal Green (BET)
317: 317662, 317666, 317670, 317885
321: 321301, 321426
345: 345008, 345011, 345016
379: 379027
After a couple of hours, and with rush hour out of the way, I decided it was time for a change of scenery. Back in the Liverpool Street aboard the same 315s that brought me out earlier, then back to Paddington, and 387156+141 for the short trip to Ealing Broadway (picking up 800028 & 802101 at North Pole) for a bit of action around the newer end of the unit-age spectrum. The station works have come on a lot since last I visited, with most of it now done and just the bridge left to commission from the looks of it, and it was actually pleasantly warm in the shelter on platform 3. A number of significant notes here, with 800302 passing through on a test run to Swindon and back, my last GWR 165 falling when 165110 crashed through, and no less than 10 387s also entering the winners enclosure:
Ealing Broadway (EAL)
59: 59001
165: 165110
387: 387143, 387147, 387152, 387162, 387164, 387168, 387169, 387170, 387172, 387173
800: 800026
It was now 1145, and I’d worked out that I could snaffle a couple of further 59s with a quick visit to Acton Main Line. 387172+143 were duly boarded for the 3 minute journey, and I arrived just in time to see 59204 power in from Watford Cement Works. All the DB 59s done. Some 15 minutes later 59102 also arrived, this time from Dagenham, to leave me with just two 59s to get to clear Mendip fully. A bonus of 378153 was also copped as I waited for 387137+387133 to take me back to Ealing Broadway. Luck was definitely on my side today as I just managed to see 43005 blast through, taking me down to three 43s remaining.
Cornish pasty purchased for some much needed warm food it was then the Central Line to Shepherd’s Bush, before 377708 down to Clapham Junction. 455s and 456s were high on the wish list here, and I settled in on platform 9/10 as usual to observe coming and goings in the mid-afternoon sunshine. I got chatting to a guy from Hull who was down for the day to find his last few London units, 387223 was all he needed at Clapham, and I picked off a good number of winners as we talked, including a surprising number of 377s, which leave me with just three to get. The 707s were also out in force, and I need just four more to clear the lot just under 12 months since the first was seen. Sadly no sign of the last required 455, or indeed the last 456 after 456010 was found, but they’ll come. Highlight was gen received from Kite detailing the anticipated arrival of 159002, and I hung around just long enough to see it pull in, complete with frankly awful new grey SWR livery, and clear the 159s. Sound the cannon!
Clapham Junction (CLJ)
159: 159002, 159010
377: 377115, 377316, 377405, 377427, 377463
378: 378151, 378153
444: 444002, 444030
456: 456010
707: 707016, 707017, 707018, 707019, 707020, 707029
1556 to Victoria was the next journey of the day, 377410 doing the needful, and it was a quick (free!) PNB at Victoria before 465034+193 to Herne Hill. There was a pleasant surprise with 67013 on the back of a Pullman tour that was coming in to Victoria as we left but, that aside, this was a time-wasting move if anything. I didn’t fancy the tube to London Bridge so instead went to Herne Hill, was there long enough to get 700028 & 700132 in the book, then departed on 700021 to Elephant & Castle for a nice walk along the A3 (nice as in a good bit of exercise, not nice to look at!) to London Bridge. Here it was a quick sweep of the Southern platforms, just 700111 made the winner’s enclosure before I took up residence on platforms 6/7 as per usual to watch things unfold. Mainly 466s here, meaning I now need just three, but there was a smattering of other winners as well:
London Bridge (LBG)
375: 375308, 375310, 375701
465: 465919
466: 466004, 466031, 466032, 466036, 466038, 466043
700: 700111
I was getting cold by around 1900, so I reasoned upon a last bit of Thameslink spotting at St Pancras. Northern line was traversed, and 75 minutes underground at A & B threw up 700026, 700050 & 700052. It was just after 2000 by this point, so after a brisk walk down Euston Road it was aboard 390013 via M&S (more chocolate cashews) for the run home. I was planning on going all the way back to Piccadilly and getting the 2324 back to New Mills, but I’d been up for 19 hours by this point so I binned that off and got an Uber home from Stockport instead.
Winners: 72
Classes cleared: 2 (159, 379)
Sub-classes cleared: 2 (DBC 59s, GWR 165s)
Steps: 19754
An excellent couple of days all told, three classes cleared, 87 winners and I can see the winning post in terms of SWR, Southern & SouthEastern. I hope another couple of trips to London can get 5 or 6 TOCs cleared, which would be a major milestone. Disappointed not to get the last 143, and I doubt I’ll bother going down to Devon again to get it to be honest.
Next up is Scotland a week today. I’m at a stag-do in Cardiff the weekend before it, so I’m now beginning to question the wisdom of a 0430 start after that, but I’ll power through I’m sure in an attempt to pick off the remaining 320 and 334 I need, the last of the 380s and a few more of the DMU from Queen Street. I’m ending in Edinburgh so I may get a trip past Craigentinny in for any of the recently delivered 385s that are in the open.