Thanks for ther kind words folks, very much appreciated indeed, too kind. In total honesty, the 2nd part would've been finished, had I not deleted it by mistake
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Part 2 continued.........
We climbed back on the bus, John was yacking to Glen about something and made their way to our seats but I'd been collared, down the front by the main man, Im asked can I have 5mins, Im told to sit down and then he says, theres a trip round London in a couple of months if you fancy it?, ask your lads if they're interested, I said, I will do but wheres on the agenda though?. He goes into his speel, I've applied for a permit for Stewarts Lane and Stratford, plus we'll call at Knottinglay, Doncaster and Peterborough Stations, Ely, March, Ripple Lane, Hither Green, Selhurst, Willesden, Old Oak and a few others, once we've done them, we'll set you's down to do what you want in London till half 10 and leave from Kings Cross at 11pm, inside I'm like, oh sweet jesus, that will press a lot of buttons in my book, on the outside, I'm saying, sounds like a good trip that, I'll ask the lads, you doing anything on the way home too? Im told, Im sure we can arrange that.
I walk up the bus and Glen and John, were saying, what was that about? I said, I'll tell you later, after we've been to Saltley. John was saying, just tell me man, I said, I will but not now, the impatient sod says, write it down on there, I went, honest mate, it's worth waiting for. About 45mins later and shortly after 1am, we arrive at Saltley and see 2 or 3, 58's parked up, Glen says, well this looks promising, 2 lads got off the bus armed with a tray of something, 10mins later, we get the nod, we're off the bus and boy, theres a bit on, I click 2 of the 58's, sure 1 of them was 035 but I cant remember the other, 2 gronks are scored too, John clicks 2 NB 47's too, I needed the nameplates off both them too. Glen wasn't saying anything but he was laughing, which was a good sign. We walked off the depot towards the coach and were having a tab, when Glen said, Come on then, whats the crack? I tiold them both about the London move, John just whistled one of them long whistles and Glen said something silly like, wooaah fanny rockets, which meant he was impressed. We booking then John asked, we'll only need a weekend off, I fancy it, I had to admit, John said, well Im in, if you are I said, ok I'm in too too, we both turned and looked at Glen, Glen said, oh why not then. I said, I'd tell the main man, when we got to the hotel. Lets enjoy this one first. We boarded the bus and sat for the short while yacking about Saltley before all too soon, we pulled up at Bescot.
We sat awaiting the nod, it duly arrived about 15mins later, the place was heaving, I clicked another gronk, there was a 31/4 I needed there too, the biggest cop was
31142, a big get in was shouted when I got my eyes on it, Glen knew, I'd needed it for a long while and he looked at me and said, oh nice one, that's one of your required ones isn't it, I said it is mate. I walked a bit further down a line of loco' and there was
58020, that got got similar treatment to 31142. I walked off that depot delighted, as did John and Glen, we'd all tapped into a fair wad of cops in some shape or form.
With the time now close to 3 in the morning we were heading towards Gloucester, before nodding off John said, I cant believe we're going there just for a shunter, I said, aye but not just any shunter, a one we all need to underline and one thats never going to come wor way mate. I dont think he was too convinced but we were all nodding off, the loud snores and breaking of wind, had become more apparent, as the bus descended into a quiet hush, well sort off. Glen woke John and I up, howay lads, we're here, we clambered off the bus and just walked around, no-one was about and not many loco's either, that I can remember, however the yellow shunter,
97653 was scored, so we boarded the bus happy.
We moved onto Swindon but there was absolutely nothing there, we're told there's normally an 08 parked here, seen as there was nothing to report, I let John and Glen sleep, I walked to the front of the bus and got off to have a ciggy with a few others, an UID 47 came through on a freightliner, still dark then, so after 15mins we all boarded the bus and set off again to Reading, first light was rising when we got there, we got on the station, picked off a few units, stayed 20mins and left for Temple Meads, with the promise we'd call back at Didcot tomorrow morning.
When we got to Temple Meads, there was some groggy heads got off that coach, we walked in an the very first thing we saw was
47571 London Standard in its new Network South East pyjamas, Glen needed the name and livery but John and I had a new underline in the book, after a while and a few units copped, John, Glen and I decided we'd try our luck at getting round Bath Road, we spoke to a big elderly guy, who we'd been informed was the foreman, we told him, where we'd came from and whatever bull we could muster to get round, the bloke looked at us and went 10mins, no walking out the front or back, stay in the shed, we galloped round and said, thanks very much mate, as we left, we did cop a gronk inside but not much else but we'd added Bath Road to the list. We got back to the station and told a few we'd got round, a few more chanced their arm and got round but a fair few got knocked back too.
The next bit, I was really looking forward too, Westbury and Merehead, not least because I'd seen a pic of 50149 in railfreight livery there in Rail Enthusuiast and boy did it look good and I also needed it. We left Bristol just as
50043 arrived and was promptly copped. A while later we pulled into Westbury, where 56040
Oystermouth one of Glen's last ones, passed us with I pressume a stone train, there's a gronk up there and a few locco's stabled, Glen was saying to John and I, however I thought, nowt to get really excited about here and there was certainly no sign of 50149, I was talking/moaning to to John, whilst having a ciggy, saying, I definitely thought 50149 would be here today, a 47 came off the stabling point and past us, I had to do a double take, when long standing requirement
47901
had just trundled past, you could've knocked me down with a feather, that one certainly caught us by surprise, John Glen and I, all needed that one.
We boarded the bus and set off for Meldon Quarry, one lad needed the gronk there to clear his gronks, John said, just one gronk, to clear them, thats some going, even I can't moan about going there for a single gronk, adding, imagine if it's not there though. When we arrived there, the gronk was indeed there and the guy down the front was was deliriously happy, at seeing his last 08 but even so, I bet he wasn't as happy as we 3 were, sure we needed the gronk too but the fact
50149 was parked up there too, had us 3 in raptures
, now that was a result and a half, Glen chirped.
Off we set for Merehead, the prime objective, the new Class 59's that Foster and Yeoman had bought, a guy came round to meet us and showed us round, it was now a gloriously sunny day, I'm sure they had there own super shunters, though I cant really remember, we walked round a corner and there in front of us was
59001 002 003 and
004, all glorious cops indeed, the guide let us climb aboard 59001 to look in the cab. Everyone boarded the bus in a happy fettle, having got the lot of Foster and Yeoman's locos in one fowl swoop, 59005 hadn't even been ordered yet, well I don't think it had anyway. We set off for Temple Meads to hopefully put a dent in our 50 requirements.
to be continued................................................................................
, the times we tried, we never succeeded, permit or get out basically. I always missed the trips where they got round Crewe Diesel too:cry::cry:.
