The Sheringham line was one of the few bits of track that I'd never done. So i thought I'd tick it off before the 755s replace all the Sprinters. I started out by driving to Bristol Parkway. The car park ticket machines have a notice at the top stating that they are out of use. The same sign then mentions paying by phone or at the ticket office. So I went to the ticket office to be told that they don't sell parking tickets and that the machines are working fine. Which they were. Several other confused people stood and watched as I successfully extracted a pay and display ticket. What is going on there? I virtually never park at a station, does this problem exist elsewhere?
An uneventful and punctual trip to Paddington on a pair of 800s. Got to Liverpool Street in plenty of time for the fast 11:00 to Norwich. I forked out the tenner to upgrade to first so I could sit close to 90006. Long story short, it took 92 minutes. Held at a signal outside Ipswich for the 11:52 to depart late (we didn't arrive until 11:56:20 despite what RTT says) and then nearly stopped just before Diss. I'd been watching the 10:30 on Open train times; I thought it was far enough ahead but maybe not.
Arrived Norwich just in time to watch the 37s depart on the 12:36 Great Yarmouth. Rapid acceleration is an understatement. Then I had the joyous news that the 12:45 to Sheringham was delayed. The announcements blamed it on "an unusually large passenger flow" which (predictably) attracted much ridicule from the waiting people. Particularly when Crown Point was stuffed full of trains and there were two 755s parked up in the station. Yes I know about route clearance and traction knowledge but Joe public probably don't. 156416 turned up at 12:54 rather full but not packed. Departed for Sheringham at 13:00 with almost every seat taken. People got on and off en route but it remained equally full throughout. Despite being late, we had to wait at North Walsham for the pair of 153s on the other diagram.
Sheringham itself seemed very busy and the train was slightly fuller on the return run with a few standing passengers. I note that at Cromer trains use the southernmost platform heading to Sheringham and opposite platform on the way back, so all track gets used. Also there's a long section of jointed heading north to Hoveton. Got back to Norwich at 14:56 just in time to hop on the 15:00 with 90001.
Got off at Chelmsford to do the up Braintree behind and got bowled out by a pair of Renatus 321s. In fact almost all the 321s I saw running were Renatus. Was this a fluke or do they plan to run them more than the others? This was my first run on them. I've always sat in the motor coach on a 321 and, whilst lively, none of them have been as bad as 321319 was on this run. On the way to Ingatestone there was an almighty sideways lurch and a loud bang. The doors released/hustle alarms are annoyinging loud, so much so that at every station my two year old boy said "what's that noise, it's annoying me!" Couldn't have put it better myself.
Back over to Paddington for a pleasant ride back to Bristol Parkway. One bonus of the 10 car formations is that a lot of people pack into the back five leaving the front five lightly loaded.
Going back to the Sheringham line, I hadn't realised how busy and how tightly timed it is. It mainly uses two sets all day with tight three or four minute turn rounds at each end. Coupled with the single line, one small delay screws it up for the day. Yesterday it started to go wrong on the 09:45 from Norwich. I'm wondering if this was a single 153. It lost time getting to Sheringham 7 late. It was in the platform for 11 minutes. Perhaps overcrowded with Norwich fans, although it didn't lose time en route.
Once late, it's difficult to see what can be done to recover it. They cancelled the 13:45 at Cromer which achieved absolutely nothing. The return working departed Cromer on time only to wait 15 minutes at North Walsham for the late 156 coming the other way. The only way to recover is turn one round at Cromer and the one after to run from Norwich with a fresh unit and crew.
An uneventful and punctual trip to Paddington on a pair of 800s. Got to Liverpool Street in plenty of time for the fast 11:00 to Norwich. I forked out the tenner to upgrade to first so I could sit close to 90006. Long story short, it took 92 minutes. Held at a signal outside Ipswich for the 11:52 to depart late (we didn't arrive until 11:56:20 despite what RTT says) and then nearly stopped just before Diss. I'd been watching the 10:30 on Open train times; I thought it was far enough ahead but maybe not.
Arrived Norwich just in time to watch the 37s depart on the 12:36 Great Yarmouth. Rapid acceleration is an understatement. Then I had the joyous news that the 12:45 to Sheringham was delayed. The announcements blamed it on "an unusually large passenger flow" which (predictably) attracted much ridicule from the waiting people. Particularly when Crown Point was stuffed full of trains and there were two 755s parked up in the station. Yes I know about route clearance and traction knowledge but Joe public probably don't. 156416 turned up at 12:54 rather full but not packed. Departed for Sheringham at 13:00 with almost every seat taken. People got on and off en route but it remained equally full throughout. Despite being late, we had to wait at North Walsham for the pair of 153s on the other diagram.
Sheringham itself seemed very busy and the train was slightly fuller on the return run with a few standing passengers. I note that at Cromer trains use the southernmost platform heading to Sheringham and opposite platform on the way back, so all track gets used. Also there's a long section of jointed heading north to Hoveton. Got back to Norwich at 14:56 just in time to hop on the 15:00 with 90001.
Got off at Chelmsford to do the up Braintree behind and got bowled out by a pair of Renatus 321s. In fact almost all the 321s I saw running were Renatus. Was this a fluke or do they plan to run them more than the others? This was my first run on them. I've always sat in the motor coach on a 321 and, whilst lively, none of them have been as bad as 321319 was on this run. On the way to Ingatestone there was an almighty sideways lurch and a loud bang. The doors released/hustle alarms are annoyinging loud, so much so that at every station my two year old boy said "what's that noise, it's annoying me!" Couldn't have put it better myself.
Back over to Paddington for a pleasant ride back to Bristol Parkway. One bonus of the 10 car formations is that a lot of people pack into the back five leaving the front five lightly loaded.
Going back to the Sheringham line, I hadn't realised how busy and how tightly timed it is. It mainly uses two sets all day with tight three or four minute turn rounds at each end. Coupled with the single line, one small delay screws it up for the day. Yesterday it started to go wrong on the 09:45 from Norwich. I'm wondering if this was a single 153. It lost time getting to Sheringham 7 late. It was in the platform for 11 minutes. Perhaps overcrowded with Norwich fans, although it didn't lose time en route.
Once late, it's difficult to see what can be done to recover it. They cancelled the 13:45 at Cromer which achieved absolutely nothing. The return working departed Cromer on time only to wait 15 minutes at North Walsham for the late 156 coming the other way. The only way to recover is turn one round at Cromer and the one after to run from Norwich with a fresh unit and crew.
