27/05 - 29/05: Highlander Day 1

[Techniquest]

Hi-de-hey chaps. This report will use the same style as the previous one, but using some colour and other useful bits. First of all, an abbreviations key:

HFD = Hereford
GLC = Glasgow Central
GQS = Glasgow Queen Street
INV = Inverness
HA = Haymarket
BNS = Birmingham New Street
BMS = Birmingham Moor Street
BSH = Birmingham Snow Hill
SC = Stagecoach
F = First
R! = Required
SB = Southbound
NB = Northbound
UID = Un-identified
FL = Freightliner
Underlined numbers indicate new bashes

27/05 - Day One

Lift to HFD
Coffee time, due to missing 170512 on the 0850 by mere seconds
52281 (R!) at Maylord Orchards
158783, in 52783, HFD - Droitwich Spa
150016, in 57116, Droitwich Spa - Kidderminster
Missed the SVR volunteer induction start. Damn!
40092 seen here! Hereford allocation!
150005, in 52105, Kidderminster - Smethwick Galton Bridge High Level
Saw the PPP (R!) just south of Stourbridge Junction! Sweet!
342242, in 72472, Smethwick Galton Bridge Low Level - BNS.
57311 in BNS. 221128 spare in a through road!
150022, in 57122, BMS - BSH
168112 in a siding west of BSH. Was due to get 150132 on the 1347 off BSH, but an engine loss in 52132 stopped that. All of us went to the 1252 Chiltern service.
165001 (R!), in 58834, BSH - BMS. Score!
JUST managed to see the 1403 to Newcastle leave BNS, surprisingly on time!
390013, in 69813, BNS - GLC via Law Junction and Holytown. Leaves Motherwell to Law Junction for me on the WCML to do! Left Preston 35 down due to awaiting delayed driver on a mandatory break.
Numbers @ Crewe: (Nothing viewable in Basford Hall!) 9504, 6142, 5946, 5952, 5910, 9520, 1212, 5931, 5931, Blue 20 (no number), 37383, 86401, D3420, 66403, 90039, 94476, 94334, 94488 (last three Royal Mail vans, all R!), 86101 and 86102.
Numbers @ Warrington: 66144, 08775, 67012, 67027 (R!), 67014, 660xx. ONE MORE 67 TO GO!
Numbers @ Preston: 57601 (on a tour on the far side of the station), 150228, 57307, 150145, 158758
Voyager parked in siding at Oxenholme with a broken window, many BTP officers interviewing passengers here on the SB platform.
66021 seen between here and Penrith on china clay hoppers.
Pendo Neds on the SB platform at Penrith :eek: !
MY LORDZ! Tilting! On the Northerly part of the WCML!
Numbers @ Carlisle: 153332, 153360 (R!). 10 more 153s to go!
Numbers @ Kingmoor: 47237 (R!), 66103, 66189, UID FL 66, UID 08.
An 87, VWC MK3s and VWC DVT passed us NORTH of Carlisle at 1824! DUDE!!!
334011 (R!) near Newton. 156431 near Cambuslang.
Numbers @ Polmadie: 90034, 90027, UID 325.
Numbers @ Glasgow Central: 334036 (R!), 334040 (R!), 334028 (R!),
334002 (R!), 314202, 156450, 156502, 156477, 156503 (R!), 156442.
53203 (R!) GLC - GQS, on a 398.
Buses between GLC and GQS: 31245, 61645?, 61615, 32556, 69100, 61704, 61498, 69032, 61705, 52360 (SC), 61654, 61350, 61479, 31486, 69097, 69080 (all R!)
Numbers @ Glasgow Queen Street: 170471, 170430 (R!), 404, 156447, 170476 (R!), 158711, 170393, 170421, 170473, 170413. Also noted outside GQS were 61496 (F) and 31423 (both R!)
170430, in 79430, GQS - Perth, after getting authorisation from the station manager. 170426 seen en-route.
Numbers @ Stirling: 158710, 170476, 158709, 158738, 158740.
170470 at Dunblane.
Numbers @ Perth: 170461, 170455, 170418 (R!)
Taxi along the A9 Perth - INV. Nice 2 hour ride there, would have been £150 if taken off the rank!
Numbers @ INV: 158701, 158722, 158718 (R!), 170408.
Off to the hostel, who screwed up our booking by putting us down for only one person for the night, not the two of us as booked! Sprinter had the bed, I was allocated (eventually) the sofa.

That's all I can be bothered to type right now, I'll do the rest later.

Comments are welcome.

 

[AlexS]

The 87 and Mk3s was actually a 47 + Mk3 + DVT formation on a charter!

 

[Techniquest]

Same front, never expected it though!

Here's Day 2:

After a touch of sleep (4.5 hours I think at the most), up bright and early.
Photted and scored off Inverness' depot and the units in the station. 08788 (R!) takes me to 89 08s seen!
158718, in 52718, INV - Kyle of Localsh
Time for lunch, then got DRENCHED walking over to Skye!
Soon time for videoing the tour arriving. 47851 heads into Kyle.
47245, in 4856, Kyle of Lochalsh - Dalmeny via Rose Street Junction and Ladybank.

Day 3:

SRPS-hired in coach (AAA Coaches) Dalmeny - Edinburgh.
67011 sits by 90028, noteworthy for one reason...
Scored off a load of units before getting, to our surprise:
37401 (R!), in 9807, Edinburgh - Westerton via Croy and Ashfield!
334013, in 65113, Westerton - GLC Low Level
Scored off more units here, walked to Buchanan Street Bus Station.
Absolutely TONS of buses here scored off!
Walked back to GLC, seeing 90040 and more units before:
156503, in 57503, GLC - HA via Shotts
67011 now seen here hauling some sleeper vehicles. Hmm...
Yet more units scored off before:
43115, in 42235, HA - Edinburgh
Photted HSTs, the NMT (196 and 013 on it IIRC) and 67022 where 011 was earlier. It's soon time for:
220018, in 60718, Edinburgh - Crewe
Down 20 at Crewe, missed the connection onto the 1618, so had to hang around with hardly any trains to watch until the 1718 arrived at 1700. Got onboard at this time to update maps (all 5 of them!). Soon time to leave in:
158824, in 57824, Crewe - HFD
Lift home

All in all, a very good trip. I'd rate it 8.5/10 in terms of VFM.
Objectives: See 91101, failed. 50+ new numbers, passed. FC Kyle line, passed. H-O Kyle line, passed.

 

[Nick]

So you didn't go to the induction at the SVR Julian?

 

[Techniquest]

I went, but got there too late, so had to go into Birmingham for some spotting instead. Which was good, got some new bashes and required numbers. Going again now tomorrow, as it has been revealed I hadn't even been put on the list for the induction day anyway!

Here's hoping it goes well!