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Skymonster's RailTrek
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Far north 37
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The depot and yard are now not needed for hs2 anymore so dbc have confirmed they will remain in use.
Skymonster
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Indeed, but the HS2 station will occupy the area where the 24 redundant class 60s are stored in a row on the east side of the through lines. So at the very least, if they haven't disintegrated into rust by then, those class 60s will have to be moved.
Skymonster
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Season 2, Episode 9: Tram-jam (air date August 28, 2018)
Firstly I need to make one thing clear: I don't do trams!
However the need to meet an acquaintance in Sheffield presented itself, and it hadn't escaped my attention that the city has seven new(ish) Vossloh / Stadler Citylink tram/trains that are registered on TOPS and certified to operate on the national rail network as Class 399s. To date they have largely been confined to the depot, but with the infrastructure between the SuperTram and national networks having recently been completed they have ventured out on test between the city centre and Rotherham, utilising a newly electrified section that was previously a freight-only line near Meadowhall. So with me needing to 'tick off' the 399s for sight I hatched a plan...
Due to the Derby resignalling, fares from/to Long Eaton (LGE) were discounted by 10% and although it was a hassle to take a rail replacement bus it was cheaper to use LGE than to start and finish at Nottingham (NOT) or Derby - and parking cost less. Plusbus also had a reduced fare available until the end of August (£2 instead of £4 in Sheffield / Meadowhall, which included the tram), so I decided to buy that too in case I needed to travel around South Yorkshire.
The vending machine at LGE obstinately refused to spit out my pre-booked tickets and the miserable so-and-so in the office had pulled down the blinds, but the 'green jackets' overseeing the rail replacement bus operation allowed me to board on the pretext the problem would be sorted out in Nottingham - a nice gesture that reduced an unexpected and unfounded stress a little. Then the genial coach driver did a splendid job of getting all five of us to Nottingham station in short order where a TVM with a much friendlier attitude printed the coupons without murmur. So armed with four bits of orange and beige cardboard, I wandered the platforms in search of winners.
Surprisingly the 10:07 Cross Country to Cardiff was a Voyager (unusual, as typically only one early morning XC service from NOT is worked by anything other than a 170), while EMT 153368 was lurking at the end of Platform 2 - it is a fairly recent acquisition by EMT but sadly a dud as I'd seen it before in GWR-land. EMT 156406 also put in an appearance before my transport of delights - dud NOR 158816 - arrived on Platform 4a to convey me northwards. Sweet-running wasn't quite how I'd describe it but despite hold-ups at Trowell and Chesterfield it made Sheffield only six minutes down. En-route FLR 66597 was noted southbound on tanks near Ilkeston, then FLR 66957 (cue sudden concern I might have developed numeric-dyslexia) passed at Chesterfield where DR73946 was stabled in a siding and AXC 220005 vied to overtake but dismally failed - thank you Mr. Signaller! All were duds, but in a moment of desperation I decided to start recording track machine sightings to keep the winners flowing.
As 158816 arrived at Sheffield dud GBR 66759 departed and the depot south of the platforms held NOR 142017. NOR 158797 was also on Platform 4 but nothing else was present or planned that had the prospect of raising the excitement levels. Everything was dud... See now why I Was tempted to start noting track machines for sight!
SuperTram
With an hour to spare before my meeting and with little of appeal in prospect on the mainline, I resolved to make a start on seeing what the tram network had to offer. Although there is a stop at the station, it is a five minute walk to Park Square where the city's three lines intersect. Having set myself up on a bench where the pigeons misguidedly sensed I had food, a few trams passed by before 399206 then 399205 followed in quick succession on regular services between Meadowhall and Middlewood. Fifteen minutes later winner #3 for the day 399207 also dropped by on a regular passenger run. But with time moving on I headed up to The Bankers Draft (Wetherspoons) for my appointment, a convenient watering hole beside the tram line that enabled activity to be monitored while enjoying conversation and imbibing of the offers within. Needless to say none of the remaining four 399s passed by, but the price of a pint or two meant a most agreeable time was spent.
Having completed my business with time to spare, I decided to take a trip out to the SuperTram depot at Nunery Square in the hope of catching a few more 399s: for goodness sake, I still needed four out of seven for sight, how hard could it be? It was only four stops from the city centre so ten minutes later I was there, courtesy of 399205 which provided a very comfortable ride. On disembarking it was immediately apparent that winner 399203 was inside the depot (thank you to Supertram for leaving the doors open) alongside a selection of regular vehicles which were stabled outside. A walk beside the line to the opposite end of the depot revealed 399202 stabled next to the building and while I was strolling back along the footpath 399204 rumbled by, displaying 'On test' on its digital headboard. Six down, one to go!
Annoyingly it seemed that some of the 399 runs listed on RTT weren't going into the city, and with it being obvious that 399201 wasn't on the depot I began to wonder where it might be. Maybe, I thought, it was just doing Rotherham-Meadowhall South / Tinsley turns and not venturing nearer to Sheffield. I really wanted sight of the last one to avoid coming back so I decided to hop on the next service to Meadowhall to see what was going on. As I waited 399202 left the depot headed toward Rotherham and just 30 seconds before I boarded the outbound tram, a city-bound move not showing on the platform screens trundled over the bridge... Lo-and-behold it was the last 399 winner, 399201. Hurrah, job done! With no need to go further I boarded one of the older Siemens units back towards the city, the experience ultimately demonstrating that the new tram/trains are far more comfortable than the older stalwarts.
Tram/trains noted:
399201 399202 399203 399204 399205 399206 399207
The following regular trams were noted - but please remember I don't DO trams (didn't I say that about track machines a while ago?):
102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125
I've no idea where 101, 115 and 116 were as they weren't inside or outside the depot nor did I see them running the normal 'schedule', but if I was a tram-fan (I'm not, remember) then I guess 22 from the fleet of 25 wouldn't be a bad result. Anyway with the Class 399 tram/trains all done I headed back to the mainline station in the hope of catching some Northern action - I still needed 12 Class 142 Pacers for sight (but no 144s) so I hoped to bring the tally down a bit.
Sheffield Midland
Over the next hour or two so the following were noted [most EMT excluded] from the Sheffield Tap on Platform 1 while sipping a pint or two of very agreeable Thornbridge Jaipur IPA (ABV 5.9% - a heady brew!):
ASR 158871
AXC 220027 220033 221121 221129 221135 221138 221139
EMT 158810 158889
FLR 66623
NOR 142013 142017 142023 142096
NOR 144002 144007 144008 144011 144014 144018 144019
NOR 150139
NOR 153359
NOR 158791 158795 158796 158797 158816 158844 158848 158853 158909 158910
TPE 185114 185119 185123 185129 185132
FLR shed - dud, but different (used to be Bardon Aggregates)
My first Jockrail unit - albeit one that is now with Northern
Sheffield Tap - far more interesting than the platforms!
I must admit was rather disappointed with the selection of 142s and 150s on offer - previously quite a few have been around SHF but it seems that the 158s are now more prevalent. There were also more AXC Voyagers and some EMT 222s to be seen, but it was late afternoon my and interest in the Sheffield Tap was greater than chasing DEMU fleets already completed for sight. I also assumed the Scotrail Sprinter was a recent transfer to Northern, but it was the highlight for someone [like me] who has not logged any units from north of the border so far. Three at Sheffield wasn't a great result, but at least it closed down the EMT fleet again and brought the Pacer-count down slightly. All bar one of the remaining 11 needed for sight are allocated to Newton Heath, so maybe a trip to the northwest is required?
By 17:45 I was ready to go home and a lightly loaded 1L14 Liverpool Lime Street-Norwich formed of EMT 158889+158810 did the business admirably. Unbelievably 889 was a winner having been transferred from fellow Stagecoach TOC SWT a while ago. It had escaped my direct attention even though I was aware of it, mainly because I just couldn't be bothered to chase it - message to self: must try harder in future. So although I don't log haulage it was inevitable which unit I travelled in, and it ran far more sweetly than the Northern 158 I'd had earlier.
Fifty minutes later a quick scout around NOT before boarding the rail replacement bus back to Long Eaton revealed diddly-squat (plus an EMT HST and an AXC 170), but I was expecting that - welcome to my world...
EMT 153355 153384 156403 156497
Ten (11 if you count track machines) winners wasn't a great result, and demonstrated that Sheffield wasn't really worth my attention except for the 399s. Nevertheless the Sheffield Tap on Platform 1 still has an almost compelling appeal - or at least it's beer does. I managed to clear the Class 399s for sight, and as I don't do trams the prospects of a prolonged stay at Sheffield in the near term future are limited.
Winners: 10 (or 11 including track machines)
Classes complete: 1 (399)
Fleets complete: 2 (399, EMT 158)
Firstly I need to make one thing clear: I don't do trams!
However the need to meet an acquaintance in Sheffield presented itself, and it hadn't escaped my attention that the city has seven new(ish) Vossloh / Stadler Citylink tram/trains that are registered on TOPS and certified to operate on the national rail network as Class 399s. To date they have largely been confined to the depot, but with the infrastructure between the SuperTram and national networks having recently been completed they have ventured out on test between the city centre and Rotherham, utilising a newly electrified section that was previously a freight-only line near Meadowhall. So with me needing to 'tick off' the 399s for sight I hatched a plan...
Due to the Derby resignalling, fares from/to Long Eaton (LGE) were discounted by 10% and although it was a hassle to take a rail replacement bus it was cheaper to use LGE than to start and finish at Nottingham (NOT) or Derby - and parking cost less. Plusbus also had a reduced fare available until the end of August (£2 instead of £4 in Sheffield / Meadowhall, which included the tram), so I decided to buy that too in case I needed to travel around South Yorkshire.
The vending machine at LGE obstinately refused to spit out my pre-booked tickets and the miserable so-and-so in the office had pulled down the blinds, but the 'green jackets' overseeing the rail replacement bus operation allowed me to board on the pretext the problem would be sorted out in Nottingham - a nice gesture that reduced an unexpected and unfounded stress a little. Then the genial coach driver did a splendid job of getting all five of us to Nottingham station in short order where a TVM with a much friendlier attitude printed the coupons without murmur. So armed with four bits of orange and beige cardboard, I wandered the platforms in search of winners.
Surprisingly the 10:07 Cross Country to Cardiff was a Voyager (unusual, as typically only one early morning XC service from NOT is worked by anything other than a 170), while EMT 153368 was lurking at the end of Platform 2 - it is a fairly recent acquisition by EMT but sadly a dud as I'd seen it before in GWR-land. EMT 156406 also put in an appearance before my transport of delights - dud NOR 158816 - arrived on Platform 4a to convey me northwards. Sweet-running wasn't quite how I'd describe it but despite hold-ups at Trowell and Chesterfield it made Sheffield only six minutes down. En-route FLR 66597 was noted southbound on tanks near Ilkeston, then FLR 66957 (cue sudden concern I might have developed numeric-dyslexia) passed at Chesterfield where DR73946 was stabled in a siding and AXC 220005 vied to overtake but dismally failed - thank you Mr. Signaller! All were duds, but in a moment of desperation I decided to start recording track machine sightings to keep the winners flowing.
As 158816 arrived at Sheffield dud GBR 66759 departed and the depot south of the platforms held NOR 142017. NOR 158797 was also on Platform 4 but nothing else was present or planned that had the prospect of raising the excitement levels. Everything was dud... See now why I Was tempted to start noting track machines for sight!
SuperTram
With an hour to spare before my meeting and with little of appeal in prospect on the mainline, I resolved to make a start on seeing what the tram network had to offer. Although there is a stop at the station, it is a five minute walk to Park Square where the city's three lines intersect. Having set myself up on a bench where the pigeons misguidedly sensed I had food, a few trams passed by before 399206 then 399205 followed in quick succession on regular services between Meadowhall and Middlewood. Fifteen minutes later winner #3 for the day 399207 also dropped by on a regular passenger run. But with time moving on I headed up to The Bankers Draft (Wetherspoons) for my appointment, a convenient watering hole beside the tram line that enabled activity to be monitored while enjoying conversation and imbibing of the offers within. Needless to say none of the remaining four 399s passed by, but the price of a pint or two meant a most agreeable time was spent.
Having completed my business with time to spare, I decided to take a trip out to the SuperTram depot at Nunery Square in the hope of catching a few more 399s: for goodness sake, I still needed four out of seven for sight, how hard could it be? It was only four stops from the city centre so ten minutes later I was there, courtesy of 399205 which provided a very comfortable ride. On disembarking it was immediately apparent that winner 399203 was inside the depot (thank you to Supertram for leaving the doors open) alongside a selection of regular vehicles which were stabled outside. A walk beside the line to the opposite end of the depot revealed 399202 stabled next to the building and while I was strolling back along the footpath 399204 rumbled by, displaying 'On test' on its digital headboard. Six down, one to go!
Annoyingly it seemed that some of the 399 runs listed on RTT weren't going into the city, and with it being obvious that 399201 wasn't on the depot I began to wonder where it might be. Maybe, I thought, it was just doing Rotherham-Meadowhall South / Tinsley turns and not venturing nearer to Sheffield. I really wanted sight of the last one to avoid coming back so I decided to hop on the next service to Meadowhall to see what was going on. As I waited 399202 left the depot headed toward Rotherham and just 30 seconds before I boarded the outbound tram, a city-bound move not showing on the platform screens trundled over the bridge... Lo-and-behold it was the last 399 winner, 399201. Hurrah, job done! With no need to go further I boarded one of the older Siemens units back towards the city, the experience ultimately demonstrating that the new tram/trains are far more comfortable than the older stalwarts.
Tram/trains noted:
399201 399202 399203 399204 399205 399206 399207
The following regular trams were noted - but please remember I don't DO trams (didn't I say that about track machines a while ago?):
102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125
I've no idea where 101, 115 and 116 were as they weren't inside or outside the depot nor did I see them running the normal 'schedule', but if I was a tram-fan (I'm not, remember) then I guess 22 from the fleet of 25 wouldn't be a bad result. Anyway with the Class 399 tram/trains all done I headed back to the mainline station in the hope of catching some Northern action - I still needed 12 Class 142 Pacers for sight (but no 144s) so I hoped to bring the tally down a bit.
Sheffield Midland
Over the next hour or two so the following were noted [most EMT excluded] from the Sheffield Tap on Platform 1 while sipping a pint or two of very agreeable Thornbridge Jaipur IPA (ABV 5.9% - a heady brew!):
ASR 158871
AXC 220027 220033 221121 221129 221135 221138 221139
EMT 158810 158889
FLR 66623
NOR 142013 142017 142023 142096
NOR 144002 144007 144008 144011 144014 144018 144019
NOR 150139
NOR 153359
NOR 158791 158795 158796 158797 158816 158844 158848 158853 158909 158910
TPE 185114 185119 185123 185129 185132
FLR shed - dud, but different (used to be Bardon Aggregates)
My first Jockrail unit - albeit one that is now with Northern
Sheffield Tap - far more interesting than the platforms!
I must admit was rather disappointed with the selection of 142s and 150s on offer - previously quite a few have been around SHF but it seems that the 158s are now more prevalent. There were also more AXC Voyagers and some EMT 222s to be seen, but it was late afternoon my and interest in the Sheffield Tap was greater than chasing DEMU fleets already completed for sight. I also assumed the Scotrail Sprinter was a recent transfer to Northern, but it was the highlight for someone [like me] who has not logged any units from north of the border so far. Three at Sheffield wasn't a great result, but at least it closed down the EMT fleet again and brought the Pacer-count down slightly. All bar one of the remaining 11 needed for sight are allocated to Newton Heath, so maybe a trip to the northwest is required?
By 17:45 I was ready to go home and a lightly loaded 1L14 Liverpool Lime Street-Norwich formed of EMT 158889+158810 did the business admirably. Unbelievably 889 was a winner having been transferred from fellow Stagecoach TOC SWT a while ago. It had escaped my direct attention even though I was aware of it, mainly because I just couldn't be bothered to chase it - message to self: must try harder in future. So although I don't log haulage it was inevitable which unit I travelled in, and it ran far more sweetly than the Northern 158 I'd had earlier.
Fifty minutes later a quick scout around NOT before boarding the rail replacement bus back to Long Eaton revealed diddly-squat (plus an EMT HST and an AXC 170), but I was expecting that - welcome to my world...
EMT 153355 153384 156403 156497
Ten (11 if you count track machines) winners wasn't a great result, and demonstrated that Sheffield wasn't really worth my attention except for the 399s. Nevertheless the Sheffield Tap on Platform 1 still has an almost compelling appeal - or at least it's beer does. I managed to clear the Class 399s for sight, and as I don't do trams the prospects of a prolonged stay at Sheffield in the near term future are limited.
Winners: 10 (or 11 including track machines)
Classes complete: 1 (399)
Fleets complete: 2 (399, EMT 158)
Last edited:
Kite159
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A good day in Sheffield 
Skymonster
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Sheffield is quite a challenge for me these days Mr. Kite, but the beer in the Tap makes up for it!A good day in Sheffield
The_Train
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A good day there Skymonster (certainly helped by the pub) and yes you should definitely log track machines
TT-ONR-NRN
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A Voyager operating in place of a Turbostar is a blessing, dear sir
Enjoyed the report.
Enjoyed the report.
Skymonster
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Hmmm, it's a slippery slope Mr. Train...A good day there Skymonster (certainly helped by the pub) and yes you should definitely log track machines
Skymonster
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Season 2, Episode 10: Dud-day afternoon (air date August 29, 2018)
Just a quick look-see today, primarily to find out what was on the Leicester LIP-Castle Donington move - more 56s for store I suspected, and I was proven correct on that one. Sadly all duds:
COL 37116 Barrow Hill-Burton (light engine)
DBC 60020 Kingsbury-Humber
DBC 66002 Lindsey-Kingsbury
DBC 66150 Bescot-Toton
DRS 37409+Caroline Gresty Bridge-Norwich
FLR 66415 Toton-Stenson (DRS blue; Derby remodelling?)
GBR 66759 Bardon Hill-Tinsley
GBR 66781 Washwood Heath-Peak Forest
ROG 37611+C56 56301+UKR/GBR 56018 Leicester LIP-Castle Donington EMDC
37611 arrives at Castle Donington EMDC - with 56301, 56018 and a Nightstar sleeper coach in tow. Sorry for the poor pic but gypos have invaded the area and I didn't fancy leaving the car unattended...
Just a quick look-see today, primarily to find out what was on the Leicester LIP-Castle Donington move - more 56s for store I suspected, and I was proven correct on that one. Sadly all duds:
COL 37116 Barrow Hill-Burton (light engine)
DBC 60020 Kingsbury-Humber
DBC 66002 Lindsey-Kingsbury
DBC 66150 Bescot-Toton
DRS 37409+Caroline Gresty Bridge-Norwich
FLR 66415 Toton-Stenson (DRS blue; Derby remodelling?)
GBR 66759 Bardon Hill-Tinsley
GBR 66781 Washwood Heath-Peak Forest
ROG 37611+C56 56301+UKR/GBR 56018 Leicester LIP-Castle Donington EMDC
37611 arrives at Castle Donington EMDC - with 56301, 56018 and a Nightstar sleeper coach in tow. Sorry for the poor pic but gypos have invaded the area and I didn't fancy leaving the car unattended...
The_Train
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You've been chasing trams around Sheffield, I think you're halfway down the slope already
Skymonster
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Ahem!You've been chasing trams around Sheffield, I think you're halfway down the slope already
I don't do trams remember... I spend a couple of hours tracking down powered vehicles that are registered on TOPS and certified for use on the national rail network - the 399s are EMUs in my eyes. Splitting hairs to some maybe, but I'm keep to avoid starting that slide!
The_Train
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Ahem!
I was looking forward to your response and you've not disappointed haha. I'm not ashamed to admit that I had a good chuckle to myself reading that
87electric
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I hope you'll be going after the Class 230 as well when in service.
Skymonster
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Oh yes - they intrigue me a great deal and I will be wanting a trip in one.
I believe there's an almost identical quote from me somewhere on this forum.
Four years or so later and I've cleared the original Sheffield ones, as well as Croydon.
I need one to do the same with Nottingham and have done a few in Blackpool, Edinburgh and Manchester.
Beware that slippery slope
Jolly good report, by the way.
Skymonster
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Oh I am thank you - well aware - and I'm doing my best to avoid it. I had to go into Nottingham yesterday. I have no idea how many I saw and what their indenties were - because I don't do trams!Beware that slippery slope
A
The_Train
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Oh I am thank you - well aware - and I'm doing my best to avoid it. I had to go into Nottingham yesterday. I have no idea how many I saw and what their indenties were - because I don't do trams!
View attachment 51945
View attachment 51946
A
Trams......Trams everywhere
Skymonster
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Well looking at the pictures I now know I've seen NET 210, 217 and 233... Slippery slope - what slippery slope?Trams......Trams everywhere
The_Train
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Well looking at the pictures I now know I've seen NET 210, 217 and 233... Slippery slope - what slippery slope?
Haha brilliant. Must admit those Nottingham trams look quite nice actually
Kite159
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Trams are fine...
... It's when you go down the slope to start bus spotting
... It's when you go down the slope to start bus spotting
Skymonster
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Hahaha... Absolutely NO CHANCE of that as far as I'm concerned!Trams are fine...
... It's when you go down the slope to start bus spotting
Skymonster
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Season 2, Episode 11: Deja Vu (air date September 3, 2018)
I had a need to be in Nottingham again, and with it being likely I'd be spending several hours in the city the notion of driving in and finding somewhere to park didn't appeal. As a result I turned to public transport and by far the easiest option was to drive to Toton Lane Park & Ride, and then use NET to get into the centre. An added advantage is that NET offer a reasonable £4.00 all-day unlimited travel ticket (less than the cost of two singles from Toton), which substantially undercuts city-centre parking.
For those who have sampled my recent ramblings and know the name NET, I suspect you might already be able to guess where this episode is headed!!
Trip in
As I arrived at the large free car park at Toton, I just saw Bombardier Incentro 214 heading off to Shipstone Street (named after the once-famous local brewery) - presumably returning to the depot at Wilkinson Street. I then also failed to catch Alstom Citadis 234 while messing about at the ticket machine, leaving me with a bit of a wait. The city's two fleets (Incentro - 201 to 215, Citadis - 216 to 237) fully intermix so there is no telling which type of vehicle could operate a specific service, and individual units are not confined to one or other of the two lines - Toton Lane to Hucknall, and Clifton South to Phoenix Park. Both routes serve the section between Nottingham Station and Wilkinson Street in the city centre, which provides the best opportunities to bag as many of the feet as possible in the shortest time. The longest runs from the city are around a half hour in each direction (Phoenix Park is slightly shorter), so repeats will start after around an hour.
Anyway, still at Toton and I had to settle in for the ten minute wait for Citadis 224 which provided a comfortable ride into the city, the benefit being one of the front seats could be bagged which afford an excellent view of the track ahead (and oncoming trams). As the tram progressed through Chilwell, Beeston and Lenton 216, 235, 211, 232, 206 and 237 all passed by in the opposite direction heading for Toton Lane. By the time 224 crossed over Nottingham Midland station, 222 and 227 had also fallen to the red pen.
Summary for the trip in from Toton:
Bombardier Incentro: 206 211 214
Alstom Citadis: 216 222 224 227 232 234 235 237
206 carries an overall livery advertising the airline Jet2.com, East Midlands Airport, and Jet2Holidays
Newer Alstom Citadis 219 passes the well-known Debenhams department store on the edge of Old Market Square
A couple of hours to spare
Realistically there is little chance of me netting any winners at Nottingham Midland station as I've completed EMT, AXC and need very few Northern 158s - and that's about as exciting as it gets there, with the exception of the odd (very odd) freight movement. I had finished with my business near the Old Market Square by mid-afternoon and had a NET ticket that was valid all day, and having become intrigued with the trams I decided to ride out to the depot see if I could net (pardon the pun) a few more. As I walked across the square winner 210 headed south, and by the time 237 had reached The Forest 220, 219 and 233 were also in the bag.
I can't believe I'm using the words 'winner' and 'dud' for trams! Noooo!!!
The line splits at The Forest for a short distance so no more oncoming trams could be noted until the stop at Wilkinson Street. I spent about a half hour noting vehicles both stabled in the depot and running on the live lines between the city and Phoenix Park and Hucknall...
Bombardier Incentro: active - 202 203 205 207; depot: 201 208 209 213
Alstom Citadis: active - 223 224 225 228 229 231 236; depot - 217 218 226 230
Most of those in the depot can be seen from the adjacent park and ride car park, but optics may be needed to identify those further from the fence.
One of the Alstom Citadis fleet, 228, at Wilkinson Street adjacent to the NET depot
Home-delivery fast food must be big business in Nottingham - Bombardier Incentro 211 carries an overall wrap for deliveroo
Eventually everything was dud and boring, so with time to spare I decided to have a ride out to Phoenix Park, the one part of the network I've not used in the past. 203 quickly presented itself, and having not used a Incerntro so far during the day I boarded it. The older trams have less appeal to me as views out of the front are not so easy from a seated position, but for those prepared to stand opportunities to see forwards are still eminently possible. The Bombardiers also ride the track - and particularly the tight curves and points - much more smoothly than newer Alstoms, making for a more pleasant and a quieter trip.
Having checked out the one remaining section of track, I backtracked two stops to Highbury Vale on 202 and crossed over to take 213 to the northern extremity of the network at Hucknall. The NET line through Bulwell parallels the Robin Hood Line (real railway) and EMT duds 156408, 156470 and 158856 all ran past during the journey there and back.
Arriving at Hucknall - the view from the front of Bombardier Incentro 213 (standing in the passenger cabin)
NET 210 carrying overall advertising from Just Eat arrives at a damp Hucknall
Incentro 210 provided transport back to the city centre followed by Citadis 220 to the heavy-rail station, and finally Incentro 206 in Jet2 livery to Toton Lane. But with it being peak time all the westbound trams full and standing, before I made that last move I decided to take a half an hour to see what I could catch on the main platforms:
AXC 170111 170523
EMT 43045 43064
EMT 153302 153310 153313 153319 153374 153384
EMT 156405 156410 156415 156470 156497 156498
EMT 158780 158783 158784 158799 158864
EMT 222016
GBR 66748 Immingham-Ratcliffe
NOR 158910
Before I got back to the car park at Toton 208 appeared on a service in the opposite direction - one more down.
And that was that - an enjoyable couple of hours, but nothing more than that. I still don't really do trams - or at least I wouldn't go out of my way for them. Despite recording the vehicles I travelled in and visiting the NET lines I haven't used before, I certainly don't do tracks or shacks - and I doubt I ever will. I didn't expect much railway-wise from the day (it wasn't really a railway day anyway) and for the most part my expectations were met, but it was great to get a chance-encounter with a winning GBRf Shed, taking those I need for sight down to just two. Indeed I would happily have traded all the trams for that one Shed. But today it was the trams that scored the points - 35 NET vehicles seen, leaving just two of the 37 (204 and 221) outstanding. Next time maybe...?
Note for anyone wanting to do the NET
It is possible to ride all the lines to the extremities of the network at Clifton South, Toton Lane, Phoenix Park and Hucknall and view any stock on the depot within a single morning or afternoon - as long as you don't want to get off at every shack or ride every unit. Sure there will be a few infrequently used crossovers missed, maybe even a platform or two at the termini, but the vast maority can done quickly for £4.00 while still leaving time to sample Nottingham's other delights. Have a good one if you decide to do it!
A
I had a need to be in Nottingham again, and with it being likely I'd be spending several hours in the city the notion of driving in and finding somewhere to park didn't appeal. As a result I turned to public transport and by far the easiest option was to drive to Toton Lane Park & Ride, and then use NET to get into the centre. An added advantage is that NET offer a reasonable £4.00 all-day unlimited travel ticket (less than the cost of two singles from Toton), which substantially undercuts city-centre parking.
For those who have sampled my recent ramblings and know the name NET, I suspect you might already be able to guess where this episode is headed!!
Trip in
As I arrived at the large free car park at Toton, I just saw Bombardier Incentro 214 heading off to Shipstone Street (named after the once-famous local brewery) - presumably returning to the depot at Wilkinson Street. I then also failed to catch Alstom Citadis 234 while messing about at the ticket machine, leaving me with a bit of a wait. The city's two fleets (Incentro - 201 to 215, Citadis - 216 to 237) fully intermix so there is no telling which type of vehicle could operate a specific service, and individual units are not confined to one or other of the two lines - Toton Lane to Hucknall, and Clifton South to Phoenix Park. Both routes serve the section between Nottingham Station and Wilkinson Street in the city centre, which provides the best opportunities to bag as many of the feet as possible in the shortest time. The longest runs from the city are around a half hour in each direction (Phoenix Park is slightly shorter), so repeats will start after around an hour.
Anyway, still at Toton and I had to settle in for the ten minute wait for Citadis 224 which provided a comfortable ride into the city, the benefit being one of the front seats could be bagged which afford an excellent view of the track ahead (and oncoming trams). As the tram progressed through Chilwell, Beeston and Lenton 216, 235, 211, 232, 206 and 237 all passed by in the opposite direction heading for Toton Lane. By the time 224 crossed over Nottingham Midland station, 222 and 227 had also fallen to the red pen.
Summary for the trip in from Toton:
Bombardier Incentro: 206 211 214
Alstom Citadis: 216 222 224 227 232 234 235 237
206 carries an overall livery advertising the airline Jet2.com, East Midlands Airport, and Jet2Holidays
Newer Alstom Citadis 219 passes the well-known Debenhams department store on the edge of Old Market Square
A couple of hours to spare
Realistically there is little chance of me netting any winners at Nottingham Midland station as I've completed EMT, AXC and need very few Northern 158s - and that's about as exciting as it gets there, with the exception of the odd (very odd) freight movement. I had finished with my business near the Old Market Square by mid-afternoon and had a NET ticket that was valid all day, and having become intrigued with the trams I decided to ride out to the depot see if I could net (pardon the pun) a few more. As I walked across the square winner 210 headed south, and by the time 237 had reached The Forest 220, 219 and 233 were also in the bag.
I can't believe I'm using the words 'winner' and 'dud' for trams! Noooo!!!
The line splits at The Forest for a short distance so no more oncoming trams could be noted until the stop at Wilkinson Street. I spent about a half hour noting vehicles both stabled in the depot and running on the live lines between the city and Phoenix Park and Hucknall...
Bombardier Incentro: active - 202 203 205 207; depot: 201 208 209 213
Alstom Citadis: active - 223 224 225 228 229 231 236; depot - 217 218 226 230
Most of those in the depot can be seen from the adjacent park and ride car park, but optics may be needed to identify those further from the fence.
One of the Alstom Citadis fleet, 228, at Wilkinson Street adjacent to the NET depot
Home-delivery fast food must be big business in Nottingham - Bombardier Incentro 211 carries an overall wrap for deliveroo
Eventually everything was dud and boring, so with time to spare I decided to have a ride out to Phoenix Park, the one part of the network I've not used in the past. 203 quickly presented itself, and having not used a Incerntro so far during the day I boarded it. The older trams have less appeal to me as views out of the front are not so easy from a seated position, but for those prepared to stand opportunities to see forwards are still eminently possible. The Bombardiers also ride the track - and particularly the tight curves and points - much more smoothly than newer Alstoms, making for a more pleasant and a quieter trip.
Having checked out the one remaining section of track, I backtracked two stops to Highbury Vale on 202 and crossed over to take 213 to the northern extremity of the network at Hucknall. The NET line through Bulwell parallels the Robin Hood Line (real railway) and EMT duds 156408, 156470 and 158856 all ran past during the journey there and back.
Arriving at Hucknall - the view from the front of Bombardier Incentro 213 (standing in the passenger cabin)
NET 210 carrying overall advertising from Just Eat arrives at a damp Hucknall
Incentro 210 provided transport back to the city centre followed by Citadis 220 to the heavy-rail station, and finally Incentro 206 in Jet2 livery to Toton Lane. But with it being peak time all the westbound trams full and standing, before I made that last move I decided to take a half an hour to see what I could catch on the main platforms:
AXC 170111 170523
EMT 43045 43064
EMT 153302 153310 153313 153319 153374 153384
EMT 156405 156410 156415 156470 156497 156498
EMT 158780 158783 158784 158799 158864
EMT 222016
GBR 66748 Immingham-Ratcliffe
NOR 158910
Before I got back to the car park at Toton 208 appeared on a service in the opposite direction - one more down.
And that was that - an enjoyable couple of hours, but nothing more than that. I still don't really do trams - or at least I wouldn't go out of my way for them. Despite recording the vehicles I travelled in and visiting the NET lines I haven't used before, I certainly don't do tracks or shacks - and I doubt I ever will. I didn't expect much railway-wise from the day (it wasn't really a railway day anyway) and for the most part my expectations were met, but it was great to get a chance-encounter with a winning GBRf Shed, taking those I need for sight down to just two. Indeed I would happily have traded all the trams for that one Shed. But today it was the trams that scored the points - 35 NET vehicles seen, leaving just two of the 37 (204 and 221) outstanding. Next time maybe...?
Note for anyone wanting to do the NET
It is possible to ride all the lines to the extremities of the network at Clifton South, Toton Lane, Phoenix Park and Hucknall and view any stock on the depot within a single morning or afternoon - as long as you don't want to get off at every shack or ride every unit. Sure there will be a few infrequently used crossovers missed, maybe even a platform or two at the termini, but the vast maority can done quickly for £4.00 while still leaving time to sample Nottingham's other delights. Have a good one if you decide to do it!
A
Last edited:
The_Train
Established Member
- Joined
- 2 Jun 2018
- Messages
- 4,347
Did you break any records sliding down that slope?
In all seriousness I actually enjoyed reading that to be fair
In all seriousness I actually enjoyed reading that to be fair
Trams are fine...
... It's when you go down the slope to start bus spotting
Hahaha... Absolutely NO CHANCE of that as far as I'm concerned!
Totally agree!
Buses? No chance of me doing them.
Trams, on the other hand.….
Once again a post reminds me that I need to get my backside into gear and head off somewhere I've not visited for a while.
I just need 218 to clear the NET for haulage.
One day.
Anyway, that looks like a most enjoyable few hours.
Trams, on the other hand.….
Once again a post reminds me that I need to get my backside into gear and head off somewhere I've not visited for a while.
I just need 218 to clear the NET for haulage.
One day.
Anyway, that looks like a most enjoyable few hours.
Skymonster
Established Member
- Joined
- 7 Feb 2012
- Messages
- 1,729
Season 2, Episode 12: The Mancunian Way (air date September 13, 2018)
Well... As noted in another topic, I've recently conducted a review of the locos and units needed for sight, which brought home some thruths. Despite believing I was doing pretty well with Northern - and indeed I was if consideration was limited to 143s, 158s, 323s and 333s - it turned out I still needed plenty, most of them working off Newton Heath (Manchester) or Allerton (Liverpool). So a plan to attempt to grasp some of the 12 Class 142s, 18 Class 150s, 6 Class 153s and 29 Class 156s I needed to see was hatched...
And so the fateful day dawned - 13th, but thankfully not a Friday. It was cheaper and easier to leave the car at the NET Toton Lane Park & Ride and take the tram than to drive to Nottingham station, which also avoided the hassle of getting into town. So at around 08:45 I bought a ticket at the machine, just missing dud 225 in the process and having to wait a few minutes for dud 234 to arrive to convey me to the station. By the time the tram had arrived at Nottingham Midland duds 205, 207, 211, 216, 219, 222, 227, 228, 230, 231 had passed in the opposite direction. Sadly thee was no sign of the two I needed for sight - 204 and 221 - but the day wasn't meant to be about trams.
I picked up the pre-booked rail ticket after a brief altercation with the TVM and progressed to the platforms to review what was around:
EMT 43052+43081
EMT 156405 156406 156410
EMT 158777 158812 158813 158852 158858
EMT 222016 222017
NOR 158903
There was now't good in that lot, so onto 158812 (one of two, partnering with 158858) working 09:47 1R66 Norwich-Liverpool Lime Street for a one and a half hour ride to Manchester Piccadilly. Nothing much was worth noting on the first part journey, other than dud GBRf 66721 'Harry Beck' in London Underground livery near Alfreton hauling a rake of yellow wagons from Cliffe Hill to Doncaster, and AXC 221121 just north of Dore & Totley. Sadly EMT services to Manchester use the wrong end of the station to view any Northern Metro units on the other platforms, so the reverse at Sheffield was a bust.
Earles Sidings at Hope was my only 'hope' on the way through Edale, and FLR 66413, 66539, 66603 and 66614 were duly noted along with two others obscured by tank wagons. None of the Sheds were any good but 413 certainly stood out in its orange Genesee & Wyoming-style livery (the first time I've seen it as such). Although the paired Sprinters sped on, 1R66 was four down at Manchester Piccadilly (MAN) thanks to delays into the Stockport area and a rather slow crawl into Platform 14. By then Northern dud 319372, dud TPE 185110 and Longsight depot shunter 08451 (another dud - there was a trend developing) had also entered the book.
At 11:41 instead of 11:37 as booked - not bad I suppose, given the service's reputation for delays - and three hours in, I'd made a sum total of zero! It wasn't as good as I'd hoped, but much as I'd expected.
Piccadilly
The plan was to stay at MAN for an hour and a half, mainly because the TPE Nova set hauled by a Class 68 was due through around 13:00 on its return to Manchester International Depot from Bletchley. After that had gone through, the idea was to head over to Victoria for a while.
I quickly set myself up, initially at the end of Platform 13/14, but later moving to the eastern end of 9/10 where it proved easier to identifying the Pacers heading into the lower numbered bays. Almost immediately a steady flow of winners commenced, led by 142031, 142037, 156421 and 156443. Within a few minutes the 150s got in on the act too, with 150110 being the first to hit the mark. Just what I was after! The Pendolinos were coming and going too, but as all of them were duds they did little for me other than being more numbers to note for completeness. However, in an otherwise quiet moment winner TPE 185142 slipped past on a Manchester Airport to Newcastle working, reducing the number outstanding to three. Sadly Arriva Trains Wales were being far less cooperative, failing to deliver the one 175 I needed.
Half an hour in and I was able to open the day's TPE 350 account, with winner 401 heading north to Scotland and dud 409 coming the opposite way. The winners continued to roll in at a steady rate, mainly 142s, 150s and a few 156s although another TPE 350 - goody 408 snook through before the unmistakable growl of a Caterpillar loco could be heard in the Oxford Road direction. By that time several more enthusiasts were on the platform brandishing cameras, so it must have been an eagerly anticipated move. After pausing twice on Platform 13, 68020 with the DBSO leading slowly merged onto the mains to make its way back to the depot. Very nice but sadly the loco was a dud for me.
ATW 175011 175107 175114 175115 175116
AXC 220006 220007 220034 221123
DBC 66172
EMT 158783 158788 158852 158856 158863
NOR 142005 142022 142027 142029 142031 142037 142040 142041 142043 142044 142051 142093
NOR 150110 150114 150120 150128 150135 150137 150142 150146 150150 150204 150205 150206 150211 150224 150268 150273
NOR 156421 156427 156443 156452 156459 156460 156466 156468
NOR 158861
NOR 319362 319367 319372 319375 319377 319380 319381 319386 319458
NOR 323223 323227 323229 323231 323232 323233 323235
TPE / DRS 68020+Nova3 set 1
TPE 185103 185108 185109 185110 185115 185121 185124 185130 185133 185132 185136 185140 185142 185151
TPE 350401 350408 350409
VWC 390002 390020 390040 390103 390104 390118 390125 390152
Northern lash up into Platform 14 at Piccadilly - including one of the sought after 156s
I noted pretty much everything that moved during the almost two hours at Piccadilly, partly to avoid any oversights and also to give some background to the likes of Mr. Train of this parish who is considering a Manchester trip. Picking up 17 wasn't a bad result as far as I was concerned.
Anyway, by 13:30 I felt it was time to move on and with a direct train due I made a leap. In the past transferring between Piccadilly and Victoria has necessitated a ride on the Manchester Metrolink tram, or a two train trip via Salford Crescent. But TPE services between Manchester Airport and Newcastle now use the Ordsall Curve to link the two every half hour. And so with my Nottingham - Manchester Stations super offpeak ticket still valid, at 13:33 I boarded dud 185109, operating 1P27, for the ride across the city (booked for 11 minutes, actually 14 minutes due to a crawl through Salford Central). On the way I noticed Manchester Metrolink trams 3019, 3051 and 3079 near Deansgate and wondered whether to make a note of others I saw. At the same time, EMT pair 158812 and 158858 headed back east towards Norwich on the return of the working I'd used earlier.
Victoria
So by 13:50, I was established in the dingy gloom of Victoria, waiting with anticipation. Almost the first things I saw, NOR 150111 and 150228, were winners - and I hoped a portent of a good couple of hours to come. Surprisingly a Freightliner 66 also passed through before I'd really established by bearings, trailing a smelly rake of waste bins. But after that it was back to unit - unit - unit for the most part. I settled on the end of Platform 4/5 at the east side of the station for the most part, in the sunshine although a few runs to the other end were required to catch the occasional inbound from the west that reversed.
Shiny 150 on Platform 4 at Victoria with another unit attached
FLR 66513 (Runcorn - Brindle Heath)
NOR 142005 142007 142014 142032 142038 142040 142044 142056 142058 142094
NOR 150101 150102 150103 150111 150118 150119 150121 150129 150131 150132 150139 150142 150144 150145 150203 150204 150209 150218 150210 150212 150228 150269 150270
NOR 156489 156491
NOR 153301 153316 153330 153359 153360
NOR 158754 158756 158757 158759 158784
NOR 319371
TPE 185104 185105 185106 185112 185121 185123 185125 185128 185135 185139 185144 185145 185148
A Pacer, a 158 and a tram pause under the canopy at Victoria
At 15:40, partial winner GBRf 66787 headed east from Hope Street to Peak Forest - I'd seen it previously as 66184 but not carrying its new identity. By then I felt in needed a break, and headed out of the station to find something to eat and drink. Half an hour later I was back for another stint, with only those differing from earlier being noted - the repeats were starting to pile up;
NOR 142013 142034 142050 142054 142061
NOR 150112 150113 150115 150141 150143 150146 150201 150218 150224 150271
NOR 153304 153331
NOR 156444
NOR 158793
TPE 185101 185119 185126 185134 185142 185151
At 16:40 FLR 66513 sped through again in the opposite direction, it's load presumably discharged and the bins now empty.
Another 156 (and two 153s if I remember correctly) in the gloomy part of Victoria
I can't say I particularly liked Victoria. The eastern end of the station is OK, out in the open near the new canopy, but Platforms 3 to 6 are dark and gloomy, and the atmosphere is filled with diesel fumes. So as rush hour developed, my plan to go back to Piccadilly was thwarted by TPE terminating a Middlesborough-Manchester Airport working in Platform 2 at Victoria due to late running - that meant, with the link being only half-hourly, it was 17:55 before I got back to Piccadilly where I noted:
ATW 175001 175011
AXC 220011 221134
NOR 142004 142009 142014 142015 142033 142089
NOR 150110 150128 150268 150273
NOR 156445 156468
NOR 319365 319376
NOR 323227 323230 323232 323234 323237
TPE 185103 185130 185137 185150
VIR 390016 390020 390104
Nearly time to go home - Pacers and 323s under the roof at Piccadilly
NOR 150110, 150268 and 156468 were winners earlier but duds now, point to the fact that the repeats were piling up. Winning TPE 185137 and another Pacer were small blessings, brining my requirements of the former to just two and the latter more than halved. However, boredom was setting in and twenty minutes was all I gave it...
Homebound
Having decided I'd almost had enough for the day, I initially resolved to get the EMT 18:42 1L16 service all the way through to Nottingham. However, I suddenly realised that there were choices, and decided to try the 18:19 TPE service to Cleethorpes. My idea was that the earlier train would give me a break en route, enabling me to pop into the Sheffield Tap for a quick bevy. 185150 duly arrived from Manchester Airport but was rammed, which almost prompted me to revert to plan-A with EMT. However, I suddenly noted an unoccupied unreserved seat in Coach C and hopped on board. Latecomers weren't so lucky and by the time 1B88 departed one late the service was full and standing and remained that way despite stops at Stockport and Dore & Totley. The only things of note on the earlier part of the journey were dud TPE 350402 and 350410 working 1S82 from Manchester Airport to Edinburgh, EMT 158812 and NOR 323228 at Stockport. Sadly the two FLR 66s still at Earles were obscured by more wagons. A delay into Platform 1 at Sheffield put the train 12 down at 19:20 but placed me right next to the Sheffield Tap - it was too tempting to resist, even though there was precious little time for imbibing prior to my planned 19:37 EMT departure to Nottingham.
The initial idea was to have a quick drink in the Tap, but with the arrival delay and departures to Nottingham every half hour-ish one pint soon turned into two - the Thornbridge Jaipur (ABV 5.9%) is really rather pleasant. While I was enjoying the IPA, the following entered the book (plus some 144s which I could not be bothered to note):
AXC 220024 220032
EMT 158783 158866
EMT 220002
NOR 142031 142037 142088
NOR 150106
NOR 158842 158843 158870 158872
Second-born Meridian about to leave Sheffield for Pancy
Any other day I'd have been really pleased to get two potentially winning Pacers (031 and 037) at Sheffield in one visit, but as luck would have it they'd been caught at Piccadilly earlier in the day. The winning 158 was still in Scotrail livery and brought my current Northern 158 needs down to zero again. Anyway Sheffield rarely delivers much for me these days and by half past eight I was ready to move on. EMT's 1L17 Manchester - Nottingham worked by duds 158813 and 158783 showed up more or less on time at 20:41, surprising given all the stick for a lack of punctuality the route has been getting recently. A mere 45 minutes later and the two Sprinters were back home, with me rather tired but with still a tram ride and a short drive to go. Before walking up to the NET platforms I took a quick look around a fairly quiet Nottingham station:
AXC 170102
EMT 156415 156497
EMT 158783 158799 158813 158854
GBR 66705 (Ratcliffe-Immingham)
Alstom Citadis 229 soon arrived for the trip to Toton Lane and en route 211, 214, 216, 219, 226, 229 and 233 were seen - all duds of course, and so the day had ended as it began.
Summary
Throughout the day the Northern 150s fell at a regular rate, brining me down to needing just eight for sight. It was also great to cut the Northern Pacers down (twelve to five, all allocated to Newton Heath). But where were the Allerton 156s? I went needing 29 for sight but only managed to knock that down by seven. I assumed they'd be regular through Victoria but only three (one winner and two duds) put in an appearance - they were actually more prevalent at Piccadilly. Clearly they are lurking somewhere (maybe in Jordieland) so research and a plan needs to be hatched to make inroads into the remaining 22. By contrast I started out the day needing 18 Northern 150s for sight and brought that down to eight, a fair result. And actually I've always liked Piccadilly but have developed a dislike of Victoria as despite me having high-hopes it didn't deliver particularly well. I enjoyed the day and it was entertaining to see some of the lash-ups the Northern Random Unit Generator (a Mr. Kite term if I remember correctly) put out - 156+two 153s, not a problem; 150+142, yup we can do that; 158+153, why not... I noted almost exactly 200 units and locos, which was a good haul, and 33 winners from that wasn't bad but to echo an earlier comment: not as good as I'd hoped but much as I'd expected. One final thought though...
Did I mention trams?
I knew some of the Manchester Metrolink tram routes passed through Victoria, but I had no idea how intense the service was or how easy the vehicles were to see from the mainline platforms. I've said several times before that I don't do trams and that remains broadly my thinking - I certainly don't go out of my way for them and I'd always put heavy rail ahead of the lighter side. However, if there are trams in front of me, I've decided it might be worth taking a note of them for sight. And the following were observed during my time in Manchester:
3001 3002 3003 3006 3008 3009 3010 3011 3012 3014 3017 3018 3019 3020 3021 3023 3025 3026 3027 3028 3032 3034 3035 3036 3037 3038 3040 3041 3043 3046 3047 3048 3049 3050 3051 3054 3055 3057 3064 3065 3066 3069 3070 3074 3076 3077 3079 3082 3083 3085 3086 3088 3089 3090 3091 3094 3096 3101 3105 3107 3108 3109 3112 3113 3116 3117 3120
Adding 64 at Victoria to the three I saw earlier - 67 out of a fleet of 120 - was a result when I wasn't really expecting to do any. If those were added to the heavy rail vehicles a total score of 100 winners would have made for an excellent day out. But I don't do trams, do I. I just begs the question: will I have to go back to the area to try to finish the job off? No, no - the 156s I mean!
Well... As noted in another topic, I've recently conducted a review of the locos and units needed for sight, which brought home some thruths. Despite believing I was doing pretty well with Northern - and indeed I was if consideration was limited to 143s, 158s, 323s and 333s - it turned out I still needed plenty, most of them working off Newton Heath (Manchester) or Allerton (Liverpool). So a plan to attempt to grasp some of the 12 Class 142s, 18 Class 150s, 6 Class 153s and 29 Class 156s I needed to see was hatched...
And so the fateful day dawned - 13th, but thankfully not a Friday. It was cheaper and easier to leave the car at the NET Toton Lane Park & Ride and take the tram than to drive to Nottingham station, which also avoided the hassle of getting into town. So at around 08:45 I bought a ticket at the machine, just missing dud 225 in the process and having to wait a few minutes for dud 234 to arrive to convey me to the station. By the time the tram had arrived at Nottingham Midland duds 205, 207, 211, 216, 219, 222, 227, 228, 230, 231 had passed in the opposite direction. Sadly thee was no sign of the two I needed for sight - 204 and 221 - but the day wasn't meant to be about trams.
I picked up the pre-booked rail ticket after a brief altercation with the TVM and progressed to the platforms to review what was around:
EMT 43052+43081
EMT 156405 156406 156410
EMT 158777 158812 158813 158852 158858
EMT 222016 222017
NOR 158903
There was now't good in that lot, so onto 158812 (one of two, partnering with 158858) working 09:47 1R66 Norwich-Liverpool Lime Street for a one and a half hour ride to Manchester Piccadilly. Nothing much was worth noting on the first part journey, other than dud GBRf 66721 'Harry Beck' in London Underground livery near Alfreton hauling a rake of yellow wagons from Cliffe Hill to Doncaster, and AXC 221121 just north of Dore & Totley. Sadly EMT services to Manchester use the wrong end of the station to view any Northern Metro units on the other platforms, so the reverse at Sheffield was a bust.
Earles Sidings at Hope was my only 'hope' on the way through Edale, and FLR 66413, 66539, 66603 and 66614 were duly noted along with two others obscured by tank wagons. None of the Sheds were any good but 413 certainly stood out in its orange Genesee & Wyoming-style livery (the first time I've seen it as such). Although the paired Sprinters sped on, 1R66 was four down at Manchester Piccadilly (MAN) thanks to delays into the Stockport area and a rather slow crawl into Platform 14. By then Northern dud 319372, dud TPE 185110 and Longsight depot shunter 08451 (another dud - there was a trend developing) had also entered the book.
At 11:41 instead of 11:37 as booked - not bad I suppose, given the service's reputation for delays - and three hours in, I'd made a sum total of zero! It wasn't as good as I'd hoped, but much as I'd expected.
Piccadilly
The plan was to stay at MAN for an hour and a half, mainly because the TPE Nova set hauled by a Class 68 was due through around 13:00 on its return to Manchester International Depot from Bletchley. After that had gone through, the idea was to head over to Victoria for a while.
I quickly set myself up, initially at the end of Platform 13/14, but later moving to the eastern end of 9/10 where it proved easier to identifying the Pacers heading into the lower numbered bays. Almost immediately a steady flow of winners commenced, led by 142031, 142037, 156421 and 156443. Within a few minutes the 150s got in on the act too, with 150110 being the first to hit the mark. Just what I was after! The Pendolinos were coming and going too, but as all of them were duds they did little for me other than being more numbers to note for completeness. However, in an otherwise quiet moment winner TPE 185142 slipped past on a Manchester Airport to Newcastle working, reducing the number outstanding to three. Sadly Arriva Trains Wales were being far less cooperative, failing to deliver the one 175 I needed.
Half an hour in and I was able to open the day's TPE 350 account, with winner 401 heading north to Scotland and dud 409 coming the opposite way. The winners continued to roll in at a steady rate, mainly 142s, 150s and a few 156s although another TPE 350 - goody 408 snook through before the unmistakable growl of a Caterpillar loco could be heard in the Oxford Road direction. By that time several more enthusiasts were on the platform brandishing cameras, so it must have been an eagerly anticipated move. After pausing twice on Platform 13, 68020 with the DBSO leading slowly merged onto the mains to make its way back to the depot. Very nice but sadly the loco was a dud for me.
ATW 175011 175107 175114 175115 175116
AXC 220006 220007 220034 221123
DBC 66172
EMT 158783 158788 158852 158856 158863
NOR 142005 142022 142027 142029 142031 142037 142040 142041 142043 142044 142051 142093
NOR 150110 150114 150120 150128 150135 150137 150142 150146 150150 150204 150205 150206 150211 150224 150268 150273
NOR 156421 156427 156443 156452 156459 156460 156466 156468
NOR 158861
NOR 319362 319367 319372 319375 319377 319380 319381 319386 319458
NOR 323223 323227 323229 323231 323232 323233 323235
TPE / DRS 68020+Nova3 set 1
TPE 185103 185108 185109 185110 185115 185121 185124 185130 185133 185132 185136 185140 185142 185151
TPE 350401 350408 350409
VWC 390002 390020 390040 390103 390104 390118 390125 390152
Northern lash up into Platform 14 at Piccadilly - including one of the sought after 156s
I noted pretty much everything that moved during the almost two hours at Piccadilly, partly to avoid any oversights and also to give some background to the likes of Mr. Train of this parish who is considering a Manchester trip. Picking up 17 wasn't a bad result as far as I was concerned.
Anyway, by 13:30 I felt it was time to move on and with a direct train due I made a leap. In the past transferring between Piccadilly and Victoria has necessitated a ride on the Manchester Metrolink tram, or a two train trip via Salford Crescent. But TPE services between Manchester Airport and Newcastle now use the Ordsall Curve to link the two every half hour. And so with my Nottingham - Manchester Stations super offpeak ticket still valid, at 13:33 I boarded dud 185109, operating 1P27, for the ride across the city (booked for 11 minutes, actually 14 minutes due to a crawl through Salford Central). On the way I noticed Manchester Metrolink trams 3019, 3051 and 3079 near Deansgate and wondered whether to make a note of others I saw. At the same time, EMT pair 158812 and 158858 headed back east towards Norwich on the return of the working I'd used earlier.
Victoria
So by 13:50, I was established in the dingy gloom of Victoria, waiting with anticipation. Almost the first things I saw, NOR 150111 and 150228, were winners - and I hoped a portent of a good couple of hours to come. Surprisingly a Freightliner 66 also passed through before I'd really established by bearings, trailing a smelly rake of waste bins. But after that it was back to unit - unit - unit for the most part. I settled on the end of Platform 4/5 at the east side of the station for the most part, in the sunshine although a few runs to the other end were required to catch the occasional inbound from the west that reversed.
Shiny 150 on Platform 4 at Victoria with another unit attached
FLR 66513 (Runcorn - Brindle Heath)
NOR 142005 142007 142014 142032 142038 142040 142044 142056 142058 142094
NOR 150101 150102 150103 150111 150118 150119 150121 150129 150131 150132 150139 150142 150144 150145 150203 150204 150209 150218 150210 150212 150228 150269 150270
NOR 156489 156491
NOR 153301 153316 153330 153359 153360
NOR 158754 158756 158757 158759 158784
NOR 319371
TPE 185104 185105 185106 185112 185121 185123 185125 185128 185135 185139 185144 185145 185148
A Pacer, a 158 and a tram pause under the canopy at Victoria
At 15:40, partial winner GBRf 66787 headed east from Hope Street to Peak Forest - I'd seen it previously as 66184 but not carrying its new identity. By then I felt in needed a break, and headed out of the station to find something to eat and drink. Half an hour later I was back for another stint, with only those differing from earlier being noted - the repeats were starting to pile up;
NOR 142013 142034 142050 142054 142061
NOR 150112 150113 150115 150141 150143 150146 150201 150218 150224 150271
NOR 153304 153331
NOR 156444
NOR 158793
TPE 185101 185119 185126 185134 185142 185151
At 16:40 FLR 66513 sped through again in the opposite direction, it's load presumably discharged and the bins now empty.
Another 156 (and two 153s if I remember correctly) in the gloomy part of Victoria
I can't say I particularly liked Victoria. The eastern end of the station is OK, out in the open near the new canopy, but Platforms 3 to 6 are dark and gloomy, and the atmosphere is filled with diesel fumes. So as rush hour developed, my plan to go back to Piccadilly was thwarted by TPE terminating a Middlesborough-Manchester Airport working in Platform 2 at Victoria due to late running - that meant, with the link being only half-hourly, it was 17:55 before I got back to Piccadilly where I noted:
ATW 175001 175011
AXC 220011 221134
NOR 142004 142009 142014 142015 142033 142089
NOR 150110 150128 150268 150273
NOR 156445 156468
NOR 319365 319376
NOR 323227 323230 323232 323234 323237
TPE 185103 185130 185137 185150
VIR 390016 390020 390104
Nearly time to go home - Pacers and 323s under the roof at Piccadilly
NOR 150110, 150268 and 156468 were winners earlier but duds now, point to the fact that the repeats were piling up. Winning TPE 185137 and another Pacer were small blessings, brining my requirements of the former to just two and the latter more than halved. However, boredom was setting in and twenty minutes was all I gave it...
Homebound
Having decided I'd almost had enough for the day, I initially resolved to get the EMT 18:42 1L16 service all the way through to Nottingham. However, I suddenly realised that there were choices, and decided to try the 18:19 TPE service to Cleethorpes. My idea was that the earlier train would give me a break en route, enabling me to pop into the Sheffield Tap for a quick bevy. 185150 duly arrived from Manchester Airport but was rammed, which almost prompted me to revert to plan-A with EMT. However, I suddenly noted an unoccupied unreserved seat in Coach C and hopped on board. Latecomers weren't so lucky and by the time 1B88 departed one late the service was full and standing and remained that way despite stops at Stockport and Dore & Totley. The only things of note on the earlier part of the journey were dud TPE 350402 and 350410 working 1S82 from Manchester Airport to Edinburgh, EMT 158812 and NOR 323228 at Stockport. Sadly the two FLR 66s still at Earles were obscured by more wagons. A delay into Platform 1 at Sheffield put the train 12 down at 19:20 but placed me right next to the Sheffield Tap - it was too tempting to resist, even though there was precious little time for imbibing prior to my planned 19:37 EMT departure to Nottingham.
The initial idea was to have a quick drink in the Tap, but with the arrival delay and departures to Nottingham every half hour-ish one pint soon turned into two - the Thornbridge Jaipur (ABV 5.9%) is really rather pleasant. While I was enjoying the IPA, the following entered the book (plus some 144s which I could not be bothered to note):
AXC 220024 220032
EMT 158783 158866
EMT 220002
NOR 142031 142037 142088
NOR 150106
NOR 158842 158843 158870 158872
Second-born Meridian about to leave Sheffield for Pancy
Any other day I'd have been really pleased to get two potentially winning Pacers (031 and 037) at Sheffield in one visit, but as luck would have it they'd been caught at Piccadilly earlier in the day. The winning 158 was still in Scotrail livery and brought my current Northern 158 needs down to zero again. Anyway Sheffield rarely delivers much for me these days and by half past eight I was ready to move on. EMT's 1L17 Manchester - Nottingham worked by duds 158813 and 158783 showed up more or less on time at 20:41, surprising given all the stick for a lack of punctuality the route has been getting recently. A mere 45 minutes later and the two Sprinters were back home, with me rather tired but with still a tram ride and a short drive to go. Before walking up to the NET platforms I took a quick look around a fairly quiet Nottingham station:
AXC 170102
EMT 156415 156497
EMT 158783 158799 158813 158854
GBR 66705 (Ratcliffe-Immingham)
Alstom Citadis 229 soon arrived for the trip to Toton Lane and en route 211, 214, 216, 219, 226, 229 and 233 were seen - all duds of course, and so the day had ended as it began.
Summary
Throughout the day the Northern 150s fell at a regular rate, brining me down to needing just eight for sight. It was also great to cut the Northern Pacers down (twelve to five, all allocated to Newton Heath). But where were the Allerton 156s? I went needing 29 for sight but only managed to knock that down by seven. I assumed they'd be regular through Victoria but only three (one winner and two duds) put in an appearance - they were actually more prevalent at Piccadilly. Clearly they are lurking somewhere (maybe in Jordieland) so research and a plan needs to be hatched to make inroads into the remaining 22. By contrast I started out the day needing 18 Northern 150s for sight and brought that down to eight, a fair result. And actually I've always liked Piccadilly but have developed a dislike of Victoria as despite me having high-hopes it didn't deliver particularly well. I enjoyed the day and it was entertaining to see some of the lash-ups the Northern Random Unit Generator (a Mr. Kite term if I remember correctly) put out - 156+two 153s, not a problem; 150+142, yup we can do that; 158+153, why not... I noted almost exactly 200 units and locos, which was a good haul, and 33 winners from that wasn't bad but to echo an earlier comment: not as good as I'd hoped but much as I'd expected. One final thought though...
Did I mention trams?
I knew some of the Manchester Metrolink tram routes passed through Victoria, but I had no idea how intense the service was or how easy the vehicles were to see from the mainline platforms. I've said several times before that I don't do trams and that remains broadly my thinking - I certainly don't go out of my way for them and I'd always put heavy rail ahead of the lighter side. However, if there are trams in front of me, I've decided it might be worth taking a note of them for sight. And the following were observed during my time in Manchester:
3001 3002 3003 3006 3008 3009 3010 3011 3012 3014 3017 3018 3019 3020 3021 3023 3025 3026 3027 3028 3032 3034 3035 3036 3037 3038 3040 3041 3043 3046 3047 3048 3049 3050 3051 3054 3055 3057 3064 3065 3066 3069 3070 3074 3076 3077 3079 3082 3083 3085 3086 3088 3089 3090 3091 3094 3096 3101 3105 3107 3108 3109 3112 3113 3116 3117 3120
Adding 64 at Victoria to the three I saw earlier - 67 out of a fleet of 120 - was a result when I wasn't really expecting to do any. If those were added to the heavy rail vehicles a total score of 100 winners would have made for an excellent day out. But I don't do trams, do I. I just begs the question: will I have to go back to the area to try to finish the job off? No, no - the 156s I mean!
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To answer your Allerton 156 query- they're not exactly 'Allerton' anymore. In the past week I've noted 156459, 156461, 156471, 156483 and 156487 out on the Tyne Valley.
The_Train
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Firstly thanks for logging everything as it's given me a clear idea of what I can expect when I finally make it to the North West.
Moving on to your day, I'd say your volume of winners (the real winners I'm talking about) was pretty good considering how far you've eaten into your requirements already.
I'm impressed by the number of tram winners you obtained, particularly for someone who 'doesn't do trams'
I think I need to give myself time to sample the Tap at Sheffield as well. I don't really do real ale but I do like a proper cider which I assume they have on tap as well?
Moving on to your day, I'd say your volume of winners (the real winners I'm talking about) was pretty good considering how far you've eaten into your requirements already.
I'm impressed by the number of tram winners you obtained, particularly for someone who 'doesn't do trams'
I think I need to give myself time to sample the Tap at Sheffield as well. I don't really do real ale but I do like a proper cider which I assume they have on tap as well?
Skymonster
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Thanks for that rg177 - four out of those five needed for sight, so I guess I have to schedule a trip to Jordieland!
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