Galvanize
Member
I started at Ladywell and waited for the 9:15 to Beckenham Junction, this was the train with Sprinter, FGWfan and H-O-W. I had already done the Beckenham Junction spur but obviously the others hadn't. At Beckenham junction, we watched an 8 Car VEP formation which was heading for Canterbury West or Ashford, then we crossed to the Tramlink platforms and bought some Travelcards.
A Tram pulled in, so we took the front seats behind the cab (sadly the driver had the blind down :cry: ) and headed for East Croydon. Here we changed to Route 1 tram to...
...Apere way, for Ikea! This was Sprinter's idea to go for Breakfast at the cafe in Ikea, which wasn't a bad idea. While James and Julian had a full english (for 95p hock: ), I just bought a chocolate muffin and Orange Juice for £2.10 hock: :x.
Afterwards, it was back to the tram to mitcham junction, where we got a Box machine to Balham, the Northern line to Kings Cross-St Pancras (on the Way, Martin loved making the announcments!)
At St Pancras, we did some spotting (spotting the HSTs and Meridians) and we saw the 9 car meridian but some STUPID MML woman stopped me, told me not to use Flash photography F**K off to her. By the time the train did stop, there were too many people in the way. Thanks a lot to that woman :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x
Then we went over to Kings Cross to do some spotting (saw a Hulltrains Pioneer departing for ... well guess!) and we saw a GNER HST ticking over ready to form the 14:00 to Aberdeen (HST thrash non stop to York) several "Milk Floats" (365s to the inexperienced because've their motor sounds) a White Rose arriving from Leeds and a 91 Mallard set departed for somewhere. Then over to Euston, me and H-O-W took the circle line, Sprinter and FGWfan took the Victoria line?
No sign of any LHCS sets at Euston, so we went to the silverlink platforms to get a 313 to Harrow and Wealdstone. At Harrow and Wealdstone (sooo hungry at this point) we went to the McDonalds to buy some McFlurrys (H-O-W bought a Dairy Milk one, I bought a Caramel one ) back at gthe station a Class 90 came whizzing through on a Freightliner train (which was nice and Chilling).
There was no delay to our next service, a Southern Class 377 to Clapham Junction, we saw quite a few units on the way, a 220 from Brighton to Manchester at Kenny O, Class 90s and 66s in Wembley Yard. We spent an Hour and a half at Clapham Junction seeing a tonnage of 377s, 455s, 460, 450s, 444s, 170s,159s you name it-we saw it. A 12-VEP formation came through on ECS and 'bout 30 mins later it came on the 17:17 Victoria-Seaford/Littlehampton? train (where's the CIGs when you need 'em).
After a While, it was over to Platform 6 for the 17:53 to Shepperton via Strawberry Hill which was a 8DES formation (Martin and James sat in declassified FC) while me and Julian stood up for the run. At Fulwell, we alighted but Martin and James didn't, they stayed on 'till Hampton, so we let a Box Machine go and the next train to Waterloo wasn't till 18:54, a 30 minute wait THIRTY hock: :x So we got the 18:43 over to Hampton and re-joined Martin and James.
It was a 450 to Waterloo but James, Julian and Martin wanted to go to Chessington South to Tick the line off, I almost did but was feeling tired so I only just caught a box Machine to Waterloo, a 465 to Lewisham. Here I had to wait 40 minutes for a 484 FORTY! The 20:13 shouldv'e gone, the 20:28 should've gone and the the 20:35! Eventually it came at 20:42 and I got home at 20:58.
A great trip but some bits I've mentioned were the bad parts
This trip would be an 8/10
A Tram pulled in, so we took the front seats behind the cab (sadly the driver had the blind down :cry: ) and headed for East Croydon. Here we changed to Route 1 tram to...
...Apere way, for Ikea! This was Sprinter's idea to go for Breakfast at the cafe in Ikea, which wasn't a bad idea. While James and Julian had a full english (for 95p hock: ), I just bought a chocolate muffin and Orange Juice for £2.10 hock: :x.
Afterwards, it was back to the tram to mitcham junction, where we got a Box machine to Balham, the Northern line to Kings Cross-St Pancras (on the Way, Martin loved making the announcments!)
At St Pancras, we did some spotting (spotting the HSTs and Meridians) and we saw the 9 car meridian but some STUPID MML woman stopped me, told me not to use Flash photography F**K off to her. By the time the train did stop, there were too many people in the way. Thanks a lot to that woman :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x
Then we went over to Kings Cross to do some spotting (saw a Hulltrains Pioneer departing for ... well guess!) and we saw a GNER HST ticking over ready to form the 14:00 to Aberdeen (HST thrash non stop to York) several "Milk Floats" (365s to the inexperienced because've their motor sounds) a White Rose arriving from Leeds and a 91 Mallard set departed for somewhere. Then over to Euston, me and H-O-W took the circle line, Sprinter and FGWfan took the Victoria line?
No sign of any LHCS sets at Euston, so we went to the silverlink platforms to get a 313 to Harrow and Wealdstone. At Harrow and Wealdstone (sooo hungry at this point) we went to the McDonalds to buy some McFlurrys (H-O-W bought a Dairy Milk one, I bought a Caramel one ) back at gthe station a Class 90 came whizzing through on a Freightliner train (which was nice and Chilling).
There was no delay to our next service, a Southern Class 377 to Clapham Junction, we saw quite a few units on the way, a 220 from Brighton to Manchester at Kenny O, Class 90s and 66s in Wembley Yard. We spent an Hour and a half at Clapham Junction seeing a tonnage of 377s, 455s, 460, 450s, 444s, 170s,159s you name it-we saw it. A 12-VEP formation came through on ECS and 'bout 30 mins later it came on the 17:17 Victoria-Seaford/Littlehampton? train (where's the CIGs when you need 'em).
After a While, it was over to Platform 6 for the 17:53 to Shepperton via Strawberry Hill which was a 8DES formation (Martin and James sat in declassified FC) while me and Julian stood up for the run. At Fulwell, we alighted but Martin and James didn't, they stayed on 'till Hampton, so we let a Box Machine go and the next train to Waterloo wasn't till 18:54, a 30 minute wait THIRTY hock: :x So we got the 18:43 over to Hampton and re-joined Martin and James.
It was a 450 to Waterloo but James, Julian and Martin wanted to go to Chessington South to Tick the line off, I almost did but was feeling tired so I only just caught a box Machine to Waterloo, a 465 to Lewisham. Here I had to wait 40 minutes for a 484 FORTY! The 20:13 shouldv'e gone, the 20:28 should've gone and the the 20:35! Eventually it came at 20:42 and I got home at 20:58.
A great trip but some bits I've mentioned were the bad parts
This trip would be an 8/10