Thanks lads.
I scored 31285 on a Blackpool to Preston service back in 1991.
That was the only time I had it before the NVR, so it was nice to catch up.
Anyway, I've just returned from a few days away with Mrs 13, celebrating her birthday.
She's now catching up with some shopping, so I've got time to do the much more important job of catching up with posting my moves
A couple of months ago; my wife informed me that her best friend, accompanied by her two daughters, would be coming for a weekend in October.
Why on earth would I want to be around the house whilst they were all enjoying themselves doing whatever groups of females do?
The answer is, I wouldn’t.
I therefore saw the opportunity to do another North-East rover with the intention of spending Saturday night in a hotel.
A hotel was booked and my move started on the Friday.
The first day began, as is usual these days, at Low Moor.
150277 started me off, to Bradford Interchange.
I got off there as I still needed to buy the ticket.
My four-day in eight ticket was duly purchased and 158757 was boarded for a run to Leeds.
Being a North-East meant that 91 mileage was my main focus.
As soon as I arrived at Leeds I knew my first loco wouldn’t be a sub 1000 mile 91.
In fact, it wouldn’t be a 91 at all.
As I left the 158 I could see 90029 stood on the adjacent line.
90029_2017.10.20_1_Leeds by
Phil Wood, on Flickr
I’d last had 90029 from the unlikely location of Drem back in 2004 when 90s had briefly ruled the Edinburgh to North Berwick turns.
Even though I’d only had it eight times before, this was not the first time I’d done it in West Yorkshire, indeed I’d scored it from Wakefield to Leeds on the 3rd of February 1999, immediately doing it back to Wakey.
I’d also done it Westgate to Doncaster in April that year followed by another Wakey to Leeds run in the December (having had it Carstairs to Edinburgh on a sleeper portion in between the latter two moves).
I enjoyed my first run on it in thirteen years as it pushed me to Doncaster and I took up position.
I now needed fourteen 91s for mileage and this causes problems; namely I might have to wait around for a bit and I don’t know where I’ll be going.
Obviously, my desire was for one of my wants, especially a very low one, to be working up to Scotland to enable me to get maximum use of the rover.
Unfortunately, that proved not to be the case and the first couple of locos I saw were flagged.
At least there was plenty to look at whilst I festered, with no less than three 67s present, including the Colas pair.
67023_2017.10.20_2_Doncaster by
Phil Wood, on Flickr
I had six machines that are on my “most wanted” list as they are below 900 miles (they are 91101/111/112/120/127 & 131 – of which 120 & 131 are below 700 and 91120 is less than 500!).
Obviously, these are my priority as most of the remaining nine would be cleared with a Wakefield to Leeds and back trip.
Sadly, I knew one of these at least wouldn't be getting added to the haulage book today; 91112 was stood in the naughty siding waiting entrance to the works and some repairs to its wheels.
It was, however, one of the big six that took me away from Doncaster; 91101.
This was only on a Leeds turn but beggars can’t be choosers, so it was a near sixty-mile round trip on the doyen of the class.
Not as much as I would like but better than nothing.
I still needed two coaches from Yorkshire’s EMU fleet and had spotted one of those whilst on the 90 in the morning.
I’d kept this at the back of my mind and knew which diagram it was working.
Friday was a day that I intended to finish at home so, as my requirements were united in ignoring me, I decided to do 91108 to York and hope that something useful would take me back to Doncaster where I would pick up the required unit.
This time I was in luck.
91127 was the loco that pushed me the 32 miles back to Donny.
Enough to get it past 900 miles, but still some way short of the thousand.
During my earlier fester I had seen a HST going to Leeds.
Nothing unusual in that, you might think, but this was being worked by a pair of EMT power cars, one of which I needed.
I worked out that I had a plus five at Wakefield off the EMU for it coming back.
My plan, therefore, was to do the unit to Wakey for the winning HST back to Doncaster, then do the next 91 to Leeds and a unit home.
The plan started out fine, 322481 turning up at the appointed time.
I sat in 63137, meaning that I’ve now ridden in all the class 322 coaches.
Unfortunately, that’s where the move went pair-shaped.
The 322 slowly lost time.
As it arrived at Westgate the HST was already sat there; pulling away at the same time as the unit’s doors opened.
Oh well, it’s only a tram.
I decided to call it a day and stayed aboard the 322 through to Leeds.
My day finished, a bit earlier than anticipated, with 158904 to Low Moor.
I had hoped to go a bit further afield than York, but that’s the way the chips fall sometimes.