Rambling Roebuck... (Trip Reports)

D841 Roebuck said:

6148 - the last of the original 250 EWS ones for me to see, was noted at Stainforth and Hatfield.
This was probably the most interesting thing to happen there this century.

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The massive landslide at Hatfield colliery which put the railway out of action for months in 2013 was probably a tad more interesting.

But I take your point ; half my family is from Stainforth - the stories I could tell !

433N said:

The massive landslide at Hatfield colliery which put the railway out of action for months in 2013 was probably a tad more interesting.

But I take your point ; half my family is from Stainforth - the stories I could tell !

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Half of mine is from Goole. With branches in Thorne, Crowle, Fishlake, Kirk Bramwith, etc...
...and the ultimate in one Horse towns that is Barmby in the Marsh.

D841 Roebuck said:

Half of mine is from Goole. With branches in Thorne, Crowle, Fishlake, Kirk Bramwith, etc...
...and the ultimate in one Horse towns that is Barmby in the Marsh.

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Blimey. Given how things are around there, we're probably related !

My uncle used to work the signal boxes at Fishlake and (I'm fairly sure) Kirk Bramwith.

I wonder if you could shed any light on something that has bugged me for a while. When I was very young (early 70's), my dad took me to Goole docks (which I think had an 03 shunter, but that's by-the-by) one Sunday afternoon and, I'm fairly sure we saw a boat being built upside-down. My dad reckoned that Goole was one of the few places in the world that did this but I can find no trace of this on the internet and so I'm starting to wonder if I imagined it. Do you know if this actually used to happen ?

433N said:

Blimey. Given how things are around there, we're probably related !

My uncle used to work the signal boxes at Fishlake and (I'm fairly sure) Kirk Bramwith.

I wonder if you could shed any light on something that has bugged me for a while. When I was very young (early 70's), my dad took me to Goole docks (which I think had an 03 shunter, but that's by-the-by) one Sunday afternoon and, I'm fairly sure we saw a boat being built upside-down. My dad reckoned that Goole was one of the few places in the world that did this but I can find no trace of this on the internet and so I'm starting to wonder if I imagined it. Do you know if this actually used to happen ?

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Upside down boat building rings a bell with me. I've heard this but I don't know where/when. Maybe it's a tale told to gullible young visitors by Gooligans?

As you say, we're almost certainly related...

With previously unthinkable promptitude, here's the first instalment of last week's trip...

Phew! What a Scorcher! 25/7/19

As usual, the last Saturday of the month involved a quiz. As is my wont, I took a roundabout route to get there. For once, advance tickets had been booked, as had two nights stay at Feltham Travelodge (5 minutes from the station, passing McDonald's, Greggs, a newsagents, Wetherspoons and an ATM enroute, and with Asda next door beyond for supplies - ideal for a hedonist of limited taste).

So I walked down to town, then joined tram 3107 for the short trip up the hill to Rochdale station. Here, I acquired my tickets from the machine, then awaited my first "proper" train of the day. Which turned out to be 156423, which had taken me to Bamford and back 3 days earlier. This one's been refurbished recently, and soon whisked me to Hebden Bridge, where I bailed out for a coffee and sausage butty raid on the excellent station cafe.

Carrying my supplies, I then joined 158754 for a run to Halifax. Still with time in hand, I dropped back one service here and was rewarded by random winner 158870, one of the recent refugees from the Highland Clearances and still sporting its spots. An uneventful trip to Leeds ensued.

I'd checked RTT, and knew about the weather - related cancellations and delays. However my train had survived the cull, which meant my seat reservation stood, and so I boarded the Mark I set for some sustained shovage by 91131 down to Kings Cross.

The train was warm and reasonably full, but the common sense and good humour of the guard made the journey pass quickly, even though the anticipated 30 minute delay due to heat issues was extended by 20 minutes thanks to idiots on the line near Retford. It was also quite interesting to pass more slowly through Huntingdon and St Neots, inter alia, so they weren't the usual blur.

Arriving at Kings Cross, my first move was outside for a smoke - and into the furnace-like 35+¤ temperature. Use of deep tubes in central London would be deeply unpleasant, but the nearest shade was the Underground, so I decided on a spot of cut and coverage. I wended my way, one stop at a time to Moorgate, via winners 21105/106 to Farringdon, duds 21459/460 to Barbican and winners 21097/098 to Moorgate. There is reconstruction work going on here, so it was a convoluted up, down, around and along route to the big railway.

Here was a winner, 717009, the first of these for me, taken to Finsbury Park on a Hertford loop service. I then dropped back in the hope of something older. With the ongoing scrapping of 313s, my needs list on Great Northern had been reduced from 8 to 5, and were further reduced when the partner of 313052 turned out to be winner 313044 . A winner deserves a winning destination and my last required shack within the Travelcard boundary on this route was Oakleigh Park, so here I headed.

This was a peacefully suburban sort of place, so I crossed over for the next service back, which was dud pair 313042 + 313122 which whisked me back to Alexandra Palace. There is a newsagent/grocery shop here which sells reasonably priced sandwiches, so a cheese ploughman's and carton of juice were acquired. I then headed back to Highbury and Islington on winner 717021 and considered my next move. I fancied grabbing a 315 or two, so decided to head for Tottenham Hale on the Underground.

Winners 11093/094 duly appeared as far as Finsbury Park, then while dropping back here for duds 11075/076 I heard an announcement indicating a complete overground outage at both Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale. This was confirmed when I arrived at the latter, so a short walk seemed in order!

This took me down the road to required shack South Tottenham. Here, I had a shock, when something resembling one of those Australian HST derivatives appeared. I'd forgotten that the new stock on the Goblin line didn’t have yellow fronts! Anyway, what turned out to be 710263 turned up to take me to another required shack, Leyton Midland Road.

A look at the PIS screens here indicated a window of opportunity for a gratuitous red pen move, so 710262 took me back to Walthamstow Queens Road for another reversal on to third winner of the class 710266 through to Barking.

I still had hopes of a 315 or two, but first needed to get somewhere where one might appear. C2C also appeared to be suffering from the heat, but in a few minutes winner 357023 and dud partner 57006 arrived in a wedged state, so I was thankful to be only going to Upminster!


Here was joy - a 315. However it was dud 315808 on the shuttle to Romford. No sign here of any 315s, so winner 345015 was taken to Stratford for a PNB and a change of direction. I also needed to head Felthamwards…

The DLR seemed to be running well, so I joined winning pair 096 + 068 down to Canning Town, changing for winner-in-dud-sandwich trio 046 + 032 + 058 in to Shadwell. I'd just gone downstairs here and was having a ciggie before descending to the ELR when there was a roll of thunder and large drops of liquid Hydrogen Hydroxide started falling. So I descended into shelter.

By good timing, the first Clapham Junction train was the third due, giving an opportunity of some linear bashing and to score the two shacks I needed enroute. So winner 378143 took me to Wapping, with it's severely narrow platforms, winner 378138 onwards to Surrey Quays, which was quite interesting in being half in a tunnel, then winner 378150 (3/3 - thanks LO) all the way through to Clapham Junction.

Here, madness had descended. Someone's chihuahua had overheated and run off down the lines, and the owner had stupidly chased it, resulting in complete closure of Waterloo to Clapham Junction and hence no trains running for a while.

So time for plan B. Getting a bottle of coke and a pint glass full of ice from the buffet, I headed outside to find a bus stop. The one I found had several services stopping, but the three most frequent all intercepted the District Line at various points. So it was a red double - decker which took me to Sloane Square, via the Kings Road, passing Bywater Street where fictional spy chief George Smiley lived.

Back to the trains here, and duds 21365/366 took me to Earls Court on a Parsons Green service, then winners 21319/320 to Barons Court for a five second cross platform leap onto winners 894/150 to Hatton Cross.

The last bit hence was straightforward - first bus to Feltham, via Bedfont. Then check-in, dump rucksack and back out to Spoons for a Jalfrezi…

A good day in London, other than it being very hot. I bet those trains with AC felt very welcome.

Also a good South Pennies Rover

Kite159 said:

A good day in London, other than it being very hot. I bet those trains with AC felt very welcome.

Also a good South Pennies Rover

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Thanks. The aircon on the various units was indeed most welcome, but probably not as welcome as the Shadwell downpour (said with smugness, as I was about three yards from the station entrance when it started )

Amazingly, I've got my finger out and done day 2...

Suburban South Side Meanderings - 26/7/19

Friday morning dawned cooler than the day before, nevertheless I decided on a visit to Spoons again for my sausages and coffee fix before venturing on the rails, for a day which ended up in three distinct segments.

The first part was almost pure winner hunting, starting with 458534 and dud 458535 from Feltham to Twickenham. Following closely behind were winner/dud pair 707025 + 707004, taken to Richmond; then double winners 707026 + 707012 onwards to Clapham Junction.

A quick pnb and smoke break here, then winner in dud sandwich 456010 + 455859 + 455716 were taken out to Wimbledon. Next up were double winners 455733 + 455703 to New Malden, then winners 456017 + 455732 + (dud) 455908 appeared. As these were on a Hampton Court train it would have been rude not to go to a shack score at Thames Ditton, before the same trio returned me to Surbiton.

The next train here was a service which had been delayed enroute by a passenger being taken ill, and so ran non-stop to Waterloo. As the rear half of the 455914 + 455909 partnership was required, I did the trip anyway. I wasn't long at Waterloo, with my train arriving at Platform 2 alongside double winning pair 455858 + 455919, in Platform 1, which were taken back out to Clapham Junction, for another pnb (the extra coffee at Spoons probably being responsible!)

Time for a change now, so I had a look at the Southern departures, first up being dud/winner (and rhyming) pair 377134 + 377434 which were taken to East Croydon. And another very brief station visit, as the adjacent platform again held double winners in the shape of 171727 + 171202, so a spot of diesel haulage was had to London Bridge.

I then decided to have a look at the South Eastern services, so went over to Platform 1. First train was dud/winner pair 465009 + 465186, which I took to the first stop at Deptford, as this was a winning shack. I went out for a smoke here (pleasant surroundings, with a tempting café) and studied the timetable, being surprised by the service frequencies and so deciding for the second part of the day to clear out my eight required shacks on this line as far as the Travelcard boundary.

First up were double winners 465041 + 465241 as far as the pleasantly situated Westcombe Park; then dud Thameslink interloper 700017 Westcombe Park to Plumstead. Following on behind were another winning pair in 465038 + 465014, taken as far as Belvedere - which unlike it's Swiss namesakes doesn't particularly have a view, nor (disappointingly) access by gondel-bahn, chairlift or funicular. So I travelled onwards on solo winner 465179 to Slade Green, where I walked across the road to the newsagents to grab a meal deal.

Returning to the station, winner/dud pair 465015 + 465250 soon appeared to take me back to Erith. I had fifteen minutes here while a Thameslink service and 66128 on a freight passed through, then dud/winner pair 465156 + 465246 took me on to Abbey Wood, where the rebuilt station was patiently awaiting the opening of the Elizabeth Line.

The run of turbostars (but not winners) ended here, with dud/winner 376036 + 376032 forwarding me to Woolwich Dockyard, situated in a gap between tunnels. The next service was booked to go via Blackheath, but as the first half of the 376027 + 376024 partnership was winning I took it anyway to the previously visited Charlton, then double winners 376023 + 376006 took me to the last required shack on the loop at Maze Hill. Escape from here was on dud/winner pair 466001 + 465183 to Greenwich.

I was enjoying the shack - scratching, so decided to carry on. Aiming for the remaining required shacks on the Hayes line, I took gratuitous triple winners 042 + 031 + 064 on the DLR to Lewisham. However only certain trains to Hayes call here, and I'd just missed one. So I got the first convenient train out, my run of luck continuing with dud/winner pair 465006 + 465046 to London Bridge.

Back here, both sides of the station were showing numerous cancellations, and the rush hour was beginning. However, the Southern side showed that a Caterham/Tattenham Corner "splitter" was due to depart, so I decided that the third part of my day would be spent in leafy outer suburbia. Double winners 377702+377625 were therefore taken to Purley, where the latter was detached, whilst I remained on the former to a new shack at Kenley. Enroute, I'd worked out a plan of shack clearance, but on the Tattenham Corner line…

This started with winner 377616 back to Purley, where 59005 trundled through on Yeoman hoppers, then winner 377605 arrived, detached itself from its Caterham-bound partner and then headed down under the main line to Coulsdon Town, the station here sitting high on a curve above the nice-looking village.

I reversed direction here, with winner 377603 returning me to Reedham, where some newish houses are sandwiched between the main and branch lines - possibly an ideal spot for retirement for the reasonably wealthy rail fan? Another winner in 377620 put paid to my musings and took me along the branch as far as Woodmansterne.

This turned out to be an island platform; however I was doing a linear leap so just waited where I was for 20 minutes. My run of winners came to an end at this point, with dud 377623 appearing to take me on to Kingswood. Another reversal of direction here, so across the footbridge and time for a quick smoke before 377605 returned to take me to Chipstead, which was a quiet and pleasant spot, again with a convenient footbridge.

Dud from earlier, 377616 was a couple of minutes late in its mission to take me on to my last required shack of the line at Tadworth, but surely my plus 4 connection would give me enough time to cross over? Not a bit of it; no island platform or handy footbridge here. Instead, think of Northern stations such as Ashley or Gathurst - a walk round via a road Bridge was required, meaning I missed both my connection and also a possible bus-escape over the hills to Sutton. Nothing for it then but to join dud 377622 to the end of the branch at Tattenham Corner, then 377616 again back to Purley, where it attached to the rear of 377603 to return me to East Croydon.

A stroke of luck here - not only did I make the connection over to a Brighton to London express here, but it was one of those evening services which allow Gatwick Express units off the leash. So it was double winners 387205 + 387222 to Clapham Junction, then a brisk walk across to pick up dud/one last winner pair 458522 + 458528 for the run to Feltham, a supply raid on the handy Asda and an early night.

This was one of those days when most things went right, particularly as regards winning units turning up. Mind you, I still need at least half of every class running down on the Southern Region..

A very productive day for both units & stations!

Noticed I hadn't put up Day 3 of my July trip...

27/7/19. Home the long way…

Twas an early start on the Saturday, as I had an advance ticket booked on the 0747 from St Pancras to Corby. So it was a six am start from the hotel, walking to the station, getting a coffee and almond and apricot cereal bar, then joining duds 455901 + 455720 for a straightforward run to Vauxhall. Winners 11015/016 then appeared downstairs for a Victoria Line trip to Kings Cross St Pancras.


I was aware that my train had been cancelled due to that day's industrial action, but surmised that the 0735 Nottingham service to Kettering and the connecting shuttle provided thence to Corby would be acceptable to the gate line, and so it proved. Duds 222016 + 222023 took me efficiently to Kettering, where my musings as to what would be on the shuttle were answered when winner 222101 appeared for the short trip to winner shack Corby.

From here it was a lift from a friend to Naseby, a day's quizzing and then another lift, from another fellow quizzer, to Coventry Arena where he was due at a Poker Tournament.

So an unexpected second new shack was scored, and also a nice winner in 172004.to Coventry. Dud 221111 was busy, but emptied out after New Street, and took me competently to Stafford, whence a nice bonus in the hitherto elusive 220008 gave my red pen a last bit of exercise and took me to Manchester Piccadilly. Trams 3103, to St Peters Square, and 3115, onwards to Rochdale, completed a decent trip away.

Back to the present, and I'm shortly heading off in search of the odd winner - South Pennine Rover style!

Good to get a required Merdian & Voyager

4/11/19 - A Blue Monday with the New Order.

Up later than planned, but nevertheless went for a South Pennines Ranger.

Tram 3030 up the hill then, as the Leeds - Rochdale - Chester route is booked 195x, of which I hadn't sampled any, an unsurprising winner in 195114 into Victoria.

I waited for the first 68 diagram, which was 185143. Did it to Huddersfield anyway, thinking of grabbing a shack on the Sheffield line during the hour's wait - but delays meant the Sheffield train pulled out as I was walking down the platform. So a pint of rather nice dark mild was had, then 68030 pulled in on the second diagram to take me to Leeds. Not bad trains, but working wifi would be useful...

Leeds is still a dump so another new class was sampled, with 800113 being taken on a short leap to Wakefield Westgate. The next train behind was the Sheffield local, and I fancied a shack scratch so trundled along to the scenic and delightful Goldthorpe on a 158902/153301 combination.

While "scenic and delightful" may be a bit rich, there is a garage with shop next to the station, and my 15 minute fester was enlivened by a couple of passing voyagers, being brought to a close by the appearance of 158794/153324 to take me back in the twilight to Wakefield.

A third new class here, and double winners in 801108 + 801104 to take me back to Leeds as efficiently and uninterestingly as their half sister earlier.

Did I say that Leeds was a dump? With delayed and overcrowded trains at the tail of the rush hour, it actually took me an hour to get out of the place - I sat on 195106 for 20 minutes while a driver was awaited - no announcements so I got off and the thing promptly departed Rochdalewards without me. However, the reverse working of 68030 was due - so I caught this through to Manchester, and a comfortable 8 minute connection on to final winner 195109, which arrived at Rochdale just as 106 was departing - so I didn't lose any time, at least.

Not a bad day, might have another go tomorrow or Wednesday...

158+153 combos seem odd for Leeds - Sheffield via Moorthorpe stoppers. An ideal route for 150s.

Other than the farce at Leeds, sounded like a good day, especially with some 68 based noise over the hills

Kite159 said:

158+153 combos seem odd for Leeds - Sheffield via Moorthorpe stoppers. An ideal route for 150s.

Other than the farce at Leeds, sounded like a good day, especially with some 68 based noise over the hills

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Absolutely anything is turning up anywhere at the moment in Northern Land. Last week I had a 144 on the Sheffield-Leeds semi-fast while 158’s were on the Penistone line.

Can’t agree that Leeds is a dump. Now it’s finished the station is okay and the city centre is one if the best in the North.

Iskra said:

Absolutely anything is turning up anywhere at the moment in Northern Land. Last week I had a 144 on the Sheffield-Leeds semi-fast while 158’s were on the Penistone line.

Can’t agree that Leeds is a dump. Now it’s finished the station is okay and the city centre is one if the best in the North.

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Nothing against the city itself, but the station is still overcrowded and unpleasant. And some construction work still going on. And, unlike Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield and Wakefield Westgate, the gate line will not open to a South Pennine Rover ticket...

28/11/2019 Swinging down to Swinging London, again.

It is perhaps unwise to call in Wetherspoons for a last pint on Payday. Particularly so when you idly surf the net and note that your favourite Travelodge at Feltham has a cheap room available for the next night. And you have two days off, and an itchy red pen…

So it was that an earlyish start found me boarding 150111+153324, for a trip from Rochdale to Manchester Victoria, whence tram 3020 trundled me across to Piccadilly. I had time to source a Greggs breakfast, before boarding soon-to-lose-its-Virginity 390043 for a relaxed run to Crewe.

It was still too early here for my ultimately-off-peak LNWMR return to be valid, so I had a walk, then a coffee and bun, returning to the station to find a cancellation. However, a Manchester local was waiting to go, so a sneaky shack scratch was had, with 319364 chugging me up to Sandbach, for a 50 minute fester with the Telegraph Crossword, before 319380 appeared through the drizzle to chug me back again. Locos noted en passant were 03073 and 87035 at the Heritage Centre and 67027 idling about.

Time to head south now, and at last a winner, with dud 350257 being joined by winner 350377 for the semi-fast to Euston, and a needed catch up on sleep. On arrival, the usual ritual of cigarette, recharge Oyster and head for the tube was indulged in - the Northern line as I fancied some South Eastern shack'n'winner action. As usual, a linear bash was done as follows:
Dud 51617/618 Euston to Goodge St
Dud 51501/701 to Tottenham Court Road
Winners 51525/727 to Leicester Square
Winners 51645/646 to Charing Cross.

Upstairs here, and a winner was sourced, to a winning shack, with dud 375627 leading 375611 to Orpington. Here, I decided to grab a few local shacks, with the first move being winner/dud pair 465024/465909 to Chislehurst for a quick turnaround for winner-in-dud-sandwich 466032/465236/465040 to the rather pleasant Elmstead Woods. Here, I got wind of delays due to a damaged rail near New Cross, so decided to head out to the Travelcard boundary, with dud 465015 leading winners 466006/465034 to Knockholt. PIS here indicated delays to London, so a rethink was had.

After a play on the automatic ticket machine, I decided to clear some required track, so a single to Dorking was purchased. Dud/winner pair 465163/465185 then appeared to take me to Sevenoaks, whence a nice winning pair in 377502/377509 took me on to a shack scratch at Tonbridge. Now for the first bit of new track - very straight new track as well, and the bonus of a winner in 377305 to a required shack in Redhill.

I left the station here for a smoke and to pick up a coffee, and had a bonus spot of fox-watching, with a very forward four legged ginger canine parading brazenly about the car park only about five meters away - a very handsome creature. Returning to the platform, GWR provided a winner in 165106 for the trip up the hill to Dorking Deepdene.

The original plan here was to step back one train, with a 30 minute fester, and then complete the required track by heading to Feltham via Guildford. But it was now raining more persistently, time was getting on, and there was a required shack five minutes walk away…

…so I trotted up the road to Dorking station (noting enroute that my boots were leaking), and bought a single to the Travelcard boundary, with winner-in-dud-sandwich trio 455722/455735/456023 taking me to a last shack score of the day at Ewell West.

Here, the state of my boots militated against a walk to East (one for another day), but winning pair 455904/455709 trundled me competently to Clapham Junction, for a fast connection onto their dud siblings 455739/455729 for a run to Feltham. I then booked in to the Travelodge, and hit the next door Asda for replacement footwear (scoring a bonus in that the £30 boots I found were mis-priced at £7.50) and a supply raid for supper (prawn pasta salad). A shower and shave after supper, then I slept like a Class 50

Nice bargain on the footwear! I did similar recently with sitting in Spoons planning a trip, bit different sipping away on a couple of pints while flicking through holiday brochures in Spoons Pretty sure I've done similar with the railway more than a few times in the past too, certainly was easier when I had a railcard!

Overall it looks like a decent trip was had there, a good combination of winning track shacks and trains always makes for a decent day out. That Travelodge is one I need to keep in mind, what with my use of Heathrow and it being close by...

Techniquest said:

Nice bargain on the footwear! I did similar recently with sitting in Spoons planning a trip, bit different sipping away on a couple of pints while flicking through holiday brochures in Spoons Pretty sure I've done similar with the railway more than a few times in the past too, certainly was easier when I had a railcard!

Overall it looks like a decent trip was had there, a good combination of winning track shacks and trains always makes for a decent day out. That Travelodge is one I need to keep in mind, what with my use of Heathrow and it being close by...

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It's popped up a few times for me as an option when sorting by price as it looks to be close to the station, but the times I've come to book up has been knocked out by buses.

Sounded like a good day in London

29/11/19 - And Swinging back again (dodging the terror attack)

After my good night's sleep I was keen to get going again, so hit the station for a coffee and flapjack breakfast, consumed on nice winners 707016/707020 whilst heading to Clapham Junction. I spotted a winner waiting here, with the bonus that it could be taken to a required shack, so the delights of 378216 were duly sampled to Clapham High Street. A short walk here, and it was back on the Northern Line, hoping for better luck than the previous day.

And lucky I was, with the linear leaping producing the following, all winner :
51649/650 Clapham North to Clapham Common
51652/653 Clapham Common to Clapham South
51642/643 Clapham South to Balham;

Moving upstairs here, my luck continued. First up was winning trio 377322/377323/377111 as far as the pleasantly tidy Gipsy Hill, then another winning trio to another required Hill, this time 377324/377312/377416 to Forest Hill. This brought me back to London Overground territory, and the winners continued with 378233 to new shack Brockley, then 378144 to new shack Hoxton for a smoke (the train behind being cancelled).

All good things come to an end, and dud 378140 was my steed to Haggerston, the final required shack on the East London section of the Overground. However, winner 378142 was just behind, on a Dalston Junction terminator. Crossing platforms here, another dud in 378146 turned up to take me on Dalston Junction to Highbury and Islington, where I indulged in some more linear tube bashing - rather succesfully:
Winners 11023/024 to Finsbury Park
Winners 11063/064 to Seven Sisters
Winners 11077/078 to Tottenham Hale.

Back upstairs to the big railway (being rebuilt here), and the search for a shack score was successful here, winning pair 317649/317342 taking me to Brimsdown for a scuttle through the subway and on to fellow winners 317672/317513 back to Tottenham Hale. (Not only were these four required, three were sight requirements - don't tend to bother with these in reports, but reducing my 317 needs by 50% in two moves deserves a mention.)

The next move was a guaranteed pair of winners, as I thought it about time that I sampled a 379 before they got transferred to Corby! 379007/379011 duly obliged to Liverpool Street. Here, I noted a pair of 315s awaiting departure to Shenfield, so I hurried to board them, and was flabbergasted to get yet another winning pair, with 315824/315849 producing for the short run to Stratford.

I thought about the DLR here, but decided against when quadruple winning Central line set 92147/042/256/305 pulled into the adjacent platform and were taken thence to Leyton. It was now definitely time to calm down; a smoke break outside led to a perusal of the bus stop and a trip on bus VN36136 to Walthamstow.

The first thing I noticed here was a pair of 66s (66732 being the tail gunner) heading for Chingford, presumably on leaf/rail treatment duty. The next thing was a continuation of my ridiculous run of luck, with winning pair 315816/315811 taking me to Clapton, the last required shack on the branch. Another winner, 315806, returned me to St James Street, where I crossed over for 317889/317729, the latter surprisingly being dud, down to Hackney Downs.

From here, I had plans for scratching a shack that had gotten away on previous trips. I did so, but hadn't realised that Walthamstow diagrams recycled themselves on the Edmonton lines! Thus it was new old friends 315811/315816 as far as Stamford Hill (for the shack) and 317729/317889 on to Seven Sisters, where the small run of duds continued with 11053/054 on the Vic to Finsbury Park.

It was now time to head towards Euston, and I did so in an orgy of further winners, with 700112 taking me to St Pancras International, 700003 onwards to Farringdon, 21049/050 back to Kings Cross St Pancras and finally 21473/474 to Euston Square.

Walking across to the mainline station, there was the usual chaos and my intended train was cancelled. However, this did give an opportunity for one last shack score, with double winners (inevitably) 350117/350238 transporting me to Leighton Buzzard, to pick up 350119/350111 on the Crewe and Rugeley splitter (the latter being my penultimate winner of the trip before being detached after a slow run to Birmingham New Street; 350119 continuing solo to Stafford and a leg stretch for me.

The last winner of the day soon appeared, with 350237 taking me from Stafford to Crewe; then the duds set in with 390131 on to Manchester Piccadilly, Trams 3066 and 3055 into and out of St Peters Square on the way across to Victoria and finally 153316/150114 home to Rochdale.

A spur of the moment trip, where I was perhaps luckier than I deserved - particularly when I heard what had happened on London Bridge that day...

Sounded like a productive day in London

Although it is the 360s which are heading over to run the Corby electrics, not the 379s

Nice reports, enjoyed reading those, my last track was Redhill to Tonbridge for all my passenger likes in England, Scotland and Wales.

Kite159 said:

Sounded like a productive day in London

Although it is the 360s which are heading over to run the Corby electrics, not the 379s

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Ah, thanks for that. I knew it was something or other that ran into Liverpool Street...

shredder1 said:

Nice reports, enjoyed reading those, my last track was Redhill to Tonbridge for all my passenger likes in England, Scotland and Wales.

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Just got odd bits left:
Holytown Jc to Midcalder Jc
Portobello Jc to Tweedbank
Dovey Jc to Aberystwyth
Ely to Kings Lynn
The Stansted triangle
Thorpe-le-Soken to Clacton
Marks Tey to Sudbury
Witham to Braintree
Swanley to Ashford
Strood to Paddock Wood
Dorking Deepdene to Guildford
plus various PSUL bits and the Crediton to Okehampton Sunday service...

Gradually whittling away year by year

Yes theres no rush with these things, I took my time really, I still have a few preserved lines to do and some in southern Ireland too, keep chipping away at the European railways.

shredder1 said:

Yes theres no rush with these things, I took my time really, I still have a few preserved lines to do and some in southern Ireland too, keep chipping away at the European railways.

Click to expand...

Exactly. Although I won't finish at all if I keep forgetting Hurst Green to East Grinstead - omitted from the pervious list!

Easy enough done that, I made such errors many a time in my track bashing days!

A very productive day in London there, very fortunate events above ground were missed. Glad to see you finally got to try a 379, and your view on them heading to Corby was the plan at one point. It got changed to 360/1s a while ago, which admittedly I only found out by chance. Indeed, I don't know what is happening to be the 379s, but they're good trains and I hope they go to a sensible home.

31/12/19 PEP Hunting in the west...

Time for a last hurrah for 2019, which started with the purchase of a wayfarer, then double trams 3070/3095 up the hill from Rochdale Town Centre to Rochdale Railway Station. Then the local stopper with 150107/150131 from the bay platform down to Manchester Victoria , before picking up the following Leeds to Chester service, with winner 195119 as far as Newton-le-Willows, where I bailed out to get a Scouse Saveaway ticket. Next up was a new class for me, with winner 331008 (and nice and sparkly it was too) for the short hop to Lea Green. Here, I sourced a coffee (very decent) from the Dog and Bull next to the station, then a bit of gratuitous loco action from winner 68022 in to Liverpool Lime Street, passing heritage liveried sight-score 66779 at Edge Hill.

Now for some PEP Hunting. At start of play I needed five each of the 507s and 508s for haulage/rideage/whatever you call age. This was immediately reduced when the first thing to appear downstairs was winner 507016 on an Ellesmere Port service, duly scooped in to Liverpool Central. A dud West Kirby service was flagged, 508143 taken round to James Street purely for a change of scene and then a second winner in 507027 through to Birkenhead North on a New Brighton service.

It was now approaching the hourly event which is a Cardiff based 150 sneaking round the corner from Wrexham, so I took dud 507012 through to Bidston to check for a bonus winner. Alas, today's offering was 150264, on which I had scratched every shack up the Conwy Valley a couple of years ago, so I returned on 507007 to Birkenhead Park. I had a walk here, then returned to the handy island platform in time to pick up my third winner, 507013, back to Birkenhead North. Not much happening here, but 40 minutes had passed since I left Bidston, so I caught 507007 again to go back there, flagged 150235 on the second borderline diagram as dud, then joined 508130 back to Hamilton Square. It was time to look at the other half of the Wirral lines..

First up was 507004 to Rock Ferry, where a local newsagent supplied a sandwich and bottle of Coke. Then 508117 was taken to to Bebington for a change of scene, with winner #4 in 507005 following on behind as far as Spital. 507026 was then taken to Bromborough, where it was getting dark so crossed over for 507009 back round to Moorfields, for a thrash on the Northern Line.

508128 was taken to Sandhills on a positioning move. Three duds passed, then winner 508122 appeared and was taken to Liverpool Central. 20 minutes or so of duds here, and I decided on a change of scene, so dud 508141 was taken to Liverpool South Parkway, where I headed upstairs for the first service back to Lime Street. This being a London North Western service was promising, however it was 10 minutes late and formed of ex Tippex unit 350410, and therefore well dud.


Time to head homewards now, and a flight of three trains gave me the chance of a linear bash. Firstly, 150104 was taken to Broad Green (where 66773 stormed through with its train of cat litter), then a winner in 331007 for the short hop to Roby and finally 319386 on the all-shacks to Manchester Victoria. This was held up on the way into the station, but not by enough to make me miss a last winner in 195123 back to Rochdale. Tram 3105 down the hill completed 2019 for me.

Ten winners for the day; not a bad way to end the decade! Happy New Year folks…

in my neck of the woods with u being at lea green my local station,all zone saveaway's are great value it's what I do regularly, a lot of variety on Merseyside it always surprises me what we get up here.happy New year to you also.

Sounded like a productive day in the Liverpool area

Final figures for 2019 are 228 winners and 81 new shacks. Could do better - already 4 not out on the 2020 winners...