“I’ve started so I’ll finish”.
I wrote those words back at the beginning of the year when I visited the Nottingham tram network three times in two weeks.
Thus; I’d committed myself
Since then I’d done many moves but not once had I returned to the NET.
I wanted to be true to my word, so Friday the 15th of December saw me driving to Toton Lane Park and Ride with a view to getting the nine stops and six units that I needed to clear the system.
I say six units, four were required outright and two were on bus stop mileage of nought point something.
I wouldn’t rest until all were over a whole mile
I boarded my first tram, which was also the first tram.
As 201 pulled out I identified the set that had arrived a few seconds before it departed.
This was a requirement.
I decided to get it in early rather than hope for it later so my run on the doyen of the fleet was short lived as I bailed at the first stop, Inham Road.
All the stops that I needed were on the Clifton South line and my plan had been to get them out of the way first, hopefully getting some of my traction needs in along the way.
I would then finish up by festering in the city centre to see if anything positive was kicking about.
Rejecting a definite winner has backfired on me in the past, though, and it would only put me ten minutes behind with my plan.
228 therefore became my first winner of the day when I took it from Inham Road to Nottingham Station.
Nottingham Tram 228_2017.12.15_Nottingham Station by
Phil Wood, on Flickr
Now it was shack time.
202 soon arrived and took me to new stop number one,
Summerwood Lane.
I’d only previously had 202 once, on my brief flirtation with the system in 2004.
It wouldn’t be as long before my next trip on it.
In fact, it was five minute, as that’s how long I had to wait for it to go to the terminus at Clifton South and come back.
Queens Walk was were I left it once again.
As I was getting stops near the end of the line, waiting for the same tram coming back was the name of the game at this stage; this time it was 226.
This was taken, first to
Holy Trinity, thence to
Meadows Embankment.
231 provided me with my next ride, as far as
Clifton Centre.
Nottingham Tram 231_2017.12.15_1_Meadows Embankment_& 226 by
Phil Wood, on Flickr
Now the pattern changed and it was a different tram, 235, that took me away from there.
This was good as 235 was one of the two that I’d only previously had for less than a mile.
It was also the third time I’d had it!
My first run being the 17 chains from Noel Street to Beaconsfield Street on the 3rd of February.
This was followed the same day by the greater distance of 18 chains from Royal Centre to Nottingham Trent University
Clifton Centre to
Wilford Lane is 2 miles 4 chains, so it’s now well over my target for minimum tram mileage.
I’d bailed at Wilford Lane as Wilford Village had been scored back in February when I’d just had time to do the full branch and a couple of intermediate stops (Ruddington Lane being the other).
With the Wilford’s now cleared it was 222 to
Rivergreen.
My third run of the day on 202 followed, to
Compton Acres and one stop remained.
There were delays on the network at this point and I had a comparatively lengthy wait before I discovered that it was 216 that was to have the honour of delivering me to
Southchurch Drive North.
Due to the delays; the next tram the other way was pulling out as I arrived.
The NET is now cleared for stops (including the now closed Station Street, the terminus back in 2004), joining the Sheffield and Croydon systems in that particular club.
I’m not one to rest on my laurels, though, so it was onto hunting down those last four trams.
I knew that that the three outright requirements were working as I’d seen them at various times, two were working Toton Lane services and the third was on Clifton South runs but I'd only seen it after I'd boarded 216.
Once 216 reappeared I took it to Nottingham station where I proposed to fester until one of my wants showed up.
Happily; it was only a short wait as one of the pair I’d seen working on the Toton line arrived three minutes after I did.
The requirement that I’d managed to miss whilst getting the shacks in had gone through to Phoenix Park.
I did some vague mental calculations and figured I could do
227 for just over a mile and make that one coming back.
I therefore left it at Nottingham Trent University.
I was right, but only just.
Less than a minute after I’d got off one winner I boarded another,
232.
Again, I ensured it was had for over a mile, by bailing at Nottingham Station.
My luck appeared to be in – as I was leaving on 227 I’d spotted my sole remaining mileage requirement going towards Toton and just before I got off 232 I’d seen my last outright winner going the other way.
I decided the move would be to head out for the mileage requirement, do that back; then finish with my class-clearing unit to Toton Lane and my car.
Nice plan, shame it didn’t work out.
I took 208 from the railway station to Meadows Way West.
This is only 51 chains but 230 was on 0.91 miles, so only a short hop was needed.
I’d no sooner left 208 than I realised I’d made a mistake; it would take 230 nearly an hour to do go from Nottingham Station to Toton Lane and back – it had only passed through about twenty minutes before.
Dusk was now on its way and it was brass monkey weather.
Plus, my winner might be back before then.
I knew the two trams that had headed towards Hucknall immediately before 218, so if I headed that way I could keep my eyes peeled for them and be slightly warmer.
236 took me away from Meadows Way West and on to Lace Market.
I was hoping I wouldn’t have too long to wait before 227, the tram two in front of my wanted one, would appear.
I was wrong, very wrong.
It was 228 that appeared; I’d done this in the morning and knew that 227 was several trams behind it, so once again I changed my plan.
I had a rough idea of the times for 230, so took 228 as far as NG2.
I stood around for a while and nothing came.
The PIS on the city bound platform said that there wasn’t a tram due for some time, so after quarter of an hour stood in the cold I boarded 229 and went three stops up to University of Nottingham.
Another wait ensued, nine minutes but it felt much longer in the cold, before my target, 230, arrived.
I didn’t want to miss my last one so only took 230 for a short hop to Queens Medical Centre.
Only 38 chains but it meant 230 edged passed the all-important mile mark.
Just 218 to go and I’d have no need to come back to the NET unless they add more stops and/or trams.
I took up a seat on the platform and looked forward to my winner.
227 arrived.
Hurrah, 218 should be two behind.
206 came next; this was between 227 and 218 so I prepared myself.
218 didn’t appear next, it was a different one.
Oh well, I suppose they chuck out extra trams in the rush hour.
I waited and waited.
Trams came and went.
I started to think people would get suspicious of someone hanging around for so long.
After half an hour and several unacceptable trams I left on 236.
Hope springs eternal and I didn’t want to give up so easily.
I left 236 at University of Nottingham where I figured I was less likely to attract attention as a loiterer.
I’d been watching the units heading the other way, just in case I’d got it wrong and 218 had already gone through.
No.
227 passed coming back from the end of the line.
Now I knew for certain; 218 wasn’t that side of me.
I decided, due mostly to the cold but also as the trams were all now wedged, to head back towards Toton Lane in a linear fashion.
210 was next, to University Boulevard.
This was followed by 211 to Middle Street and 203 to Chilwell Road.
It was now dark and I could no longer feel my toes.
I’d had enough, I would do the next tram to my car and head home, regardless of its identity.
Was it 218?
No; I’ve no idea what happened to it – maybe there are some diagrams that turn back in the city centre during rush hour.
Just to rub salt in the wound; it was 219, one out, that provided me with the last run of the day.
After that it was a relatively easy drive, with my heater cranked up full, back home.
All in all, a successful day; all stops cleared and five of my six wanted trams roped in.
The frustration around 218 and the fact that’ll I need to make at least one further trip in the new year did take some off the gloss off it though.
I think I’d prefer it if I'd not seen it at all that day.