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A brief day out on the rails

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47403

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I hopefully won't bore you to death but I'd hastily planned a day out on the rails for the friday, well I say planned, I was on a day off and thought, screw this after the school run I'm off over to Carlisle and gonna do a Cumbrian Round Robin. No thought or advance planning went into it, other than I needed to make the 10.22 from Newcastle.

However after leaving the school at 5 past 9 and recieving half of what I was owed by a certain person, my plan was now having to be downgraded, I had some money on me but I had to stick some money into mine and my mothers account, mine into the bills account and my mothers for her Birthday, more pressing was getting into Town and getting to both banks in Newcastle and catching the 10.22.

Quick dash to the bus stop and straight to Heworth metro, where like a clown, I press single by mistake, meaning now, I have to dash from the bank, down to Central on foot instead of jumpimg back on the metro:oops::oops::oops:

Duds 4051/4069 whizz me from Heworth to Monument, where I bail to both banks, I do the neccesary transactions and hurtle to Central. Wondering what I'm gonna do now, after a bit advice, I get myself a Hadrians Wall Day Ranger, meaning I could at least do the cunbrian coast 37's as far or from Whitehaven and chuck in a move up to Dumfries to pass Kingmoor, especially with the newly delivered 68's sitting in there.

I dunno how but shortly before 09.55 I arrived at Central, just after 10, I had the ranger, I went through the barriers and went into Costa and had a deserved coffee. It was bliss, I'd been tear arsing round since 7am. I drained my coffee and made my way to the North end bay to see what my chariot west would be, I saw dud, 156463 at the blocks coupled to dud 142092. At the head of them was semi dud 156438, I say semi dud because it had a nameplate, which I need, so Timothy Hackworth nameplate was scored for haulage.

I enjoyed 156438 thrashing its guts out over the beautiful Tyne Valley, its one of my modern day guilty rail pleasures, riding along this line on a 156, I preffered the ole days, loco's replacing units, thrashing along this line on an NB 31, 37 or 47, unfortunately them days are long gone, so if it has to be unit, then I'm relatively happy it being a 156.

At Hexham, I realised I'd made another cock up, I was supposed to be doing a hashtag on twitter, #LSGsPlayingOut. This is when I realised my phone was nearly dead:-x:-x:-x:-x, I had it on charge through the night though. Oh i had indeed, only Id forgot to flick the switch to on:roll::roll: I called myself a fair few names, under my breath.

As we rolled up the hill into Carlisle station I noted bodysnatcher 57311 in Wapping Siding and a pair of dogboxes in platform 2, well thats a potential move to Workington for the 37, I thought to myself, I went to check RTT and my phone simply said, Goodbye.

I went for a quick ciggy then made my way over to Platform 2, to see what dogboxes were there, dud 153363 was with winner 153307, unfortunately they weren't coupled, so I flagged 153363, safe in the knowledge, whatever worked the 12.52 to Lancaster, would have the dogbox in tow, everytime I've seen that working its a 156 and 153 combo, so I went and got a coffee and ate my Mars bar and nipped over to check the price of a return to Dumfries, £6, so I purchased my tickets there and then and went into Smiths for a look in the Rail Magazines.

I duly departed and made my way back to platform 2 for the journey out to Maryport to meet up with either 37401 or 37423, noting 156462 arriving from Glasgow Central, on the way. Imagine my utter dismay to see a 142 coupled up to 153307, still the door lights were on for the dogbox, I went and checked the 142's number, it was 142035, I thought well at least it's a NH tin can, I knew I'd need it for haulage, when I checked the NREA, I was shocked to find out 142035 was an all round winner. All round winner or not I riding in winner 153307, I pressed the button to enter said 153 and nothing, I pressed again and got nothing, the guard on the 142, shouted it's knackered mate. Your joking aren't you?, no mate, was his reply. Apparently the doors would only open manually, fitters had tried to repair them and failed, so I had to board the 142, to say I was miffed was a major understatement.

Inside I was, swearing like a trooper, whilst waiting for the off 37610 rumbled through light engine, whilst 390148, one of my 3 remaining renumbered pendo's needed for sight pulled in and at least lightened the mood. To say the 142 was a tip was being kind to a tip, seats akin to bus seats, the floor was manky, however as we set off the journey to Maryport, the said 142 was............equally as bad as I remember any journey on a 142 can be, I was distraught, this after all was my 3rd journey on a 142 in 3 years and thats still 3 too many in my eyes, the last pacer haulage was from Heworth-Newcastle on 142093 and that was on the 4/7/14 because I was meeting my brother to go into Newcasle and he was coming from Sunderland and the previous one, was 3 days before, when I'd been to my grandmothers in Sunderland, with my daughter and she wanted to get the train home, I couldve killed her, having to ride 142065. Anyway I digress, I bobbed along on on 142035, wondering what would happen to 153307, it was dead in transit, so I couldnt even count it for haulage, poor soul was like me, stuck with the 142. Would it be deatched at Barrow, if so what would move it, if it went to Lancaster and went into the bay there, it'd be at the head of the train, maybe it got ditched in a siding at Lancaster, I hope it got free eventually.

Thankfully we arrived in Maryport on time, where I had an easy plus 9, same platform, where I went off and and had a ciggy and a can of coke. The day took a turn for the better, the sun came out and a quite stunning woman, gave me some eye candy to ogle at whilst waiting for the 37. A couple of minutes down 37401 arrived, I'd positioned myself for the front coach, only to find it was locked out, I thought can this day get any worse? Fortunately 37401 put in a much better performance than when I last had it, I aint complaining about 37's for haulage in this day and age but 37401 was a pale shadow of its former glories, last time out, ole Mary looks the nuts, in her resplendent large logo livery, at least this time she looked and sounded like she should.

I decided, I'd hang round Carlisle Station in hope of some feight trains and see if I could get either of those last two required pendo's and see if my last ScotRail, 156, 156457 would turn up off the Sou Western. I went off the station in order to find a bite to eat, 2 Greggs pasties and a coffee later, I arrived to see 350403, my last 350/4 required to clear em for haulage, departing for Manchester Airport, much swearing ensued, shortly after 68004 and 57302 rumbled south on an empty ballast train, the 68 sounded immense, I seriously like these cats. Therafter, there was absolutely nothing but duds on both lines on the Tyne Valley or to Barrow, mega dud 156454 was going to Barrow, again I could've jumped aboard to meet the other 37 coming back but I'd made a decision to go for the 16.17 to Dumfries for the whizz past Kingmoor and back on the same unit at 1707, before climbing aboard the 18.35 ScotRail 156 to Newcastle. The southbound pendos were repeating now, so any cops on the pendo front were from Euston, thus reducing my chances, I was getting bored rigid, no freight at all, fortunately before I made my way to Platform 7 for the run up to Dumfries, cop 390104 duly turned up.Wow 2 out of 3, maybe its not as bad a day as I thought.

The luck continued too, winner 156514 was my steed up into Scotland, even better was to follow, Kingmoor mustve had at least 20 locos on, I obviously couldn't ID the lot, I wish I could have, it would probably doubled the days sightings but 68022 was a surefire cop indeed. There was naff all in Kingmoor Yard but 66507 and 66044 and a boatload of wagons with no locos anywhere near them.

The journey up to Dumfries was pleasant enough and a station I hadn't visited in god knows how long, it was a station my friends and I always visited, in the mid 80's, riding back n forth between there and Carlisle, them days we'd be hauled by the odd 25 or 26 but predominately by 27's and 47's, they ruled the roost on the passenger turns to Glasgow Central and Stranraer Harbour, at the time. At Carlisle too, you could even jump aboard the stock, if you asked the shunt man for permission ofcourse and stayed on the opposite side to him and ride the gronk, as it shunted the coaches out of the platform, for the loco to get out and couple up to the North end of the stock. Also Carlisles bus cranks used to mill at the North end of the station waiting for the National express coaches that'd come down the ramp awaiting folk off trains, for breaks up to Dumfries and Galloway, one day John heard some cranks saying something like 234, Im not sure what it was, buses were never my thing but whatever it was, it was on the trip to Dumfries, John came running over and repeated, what he'd overheard, I said 47234, 37234 and he replied I dunno I just heard 234, Glen just burst out laughing and said, they're on about the coaches, you divvy man, John said something less than complimentary, while we all laughed at him. Ah memories.

Arriving at Dumfries, I got off said unit and walked up the platform and transferred into the front coach, fortunate for me, as a Hen doo got on the carriage I'd left and they were loud, yet again, when aren't a group of women together not. Again I was posiioned by the window awaiting passing kingmoor again, only thing different I saw was 37425, there was a couple more cats in there unfortunately however I crained my neck I couldn't ID anymore of them.

I had roughly half an hour before my train home 66706 went through on the Hunterston-West Burton coal train, a couple more unrequired pendos before, my train came into view, Im standing there hoping its a winner, no such luck though, 156502, probably my biggest mileage ScotRail 156 and it was rammed, still my guilty pleasure would be appeased again. I did laugh to myself when the automated Scottish announcement came over, next station will be Prood Hoe, we Geordies call it Prudda, its pronounced Prud oh, certainly not Prood Hoe. Though I'm sure theres probably many live there:lol:
We get in early and see the thunderbird is 67018, I dash accross the bridge out the station, 2 mins later Im on the bus, for the bus cranks, it was a green Go Ahead 8345 and in the house with a coffee by 20.30 reflecting on what was hardly a productive day, 2 winners for haulage albeit 1 was an all round winning tin can and 2 of the 3 remaining pendos I need, leaving 390136 to clear them and 68022 in the bag. I've had better days, 4 or 5 freights witnessed all day, hardly helped either but it was a day out on the rails and a very much needed one too.
 
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fishquinn

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Hell... Horrid 142... I can't believe you went for it though! I would have headed to Dumfries then and went for the other tractor later in the day! Sounds like a fun day apart from that though!
 

Techniquest

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Grim day Lord Goon of the Spoons, at least there were some highlights in there. Harsh on the 153, and I bet you're glad you were on the 156 all the way to Glasgow!

Interesting pronounciation for Prudhoe, I'd have said it in the Scottish way personally! You have reminded me that I need a decet shack score session on the Tyne Valley, and I totally agree with the 156 thing, fantastic DMUs and Northern's lot just seem so much thrashier than with EMT!

Let's hope the next adventure goes better for you!
 

rg177

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An excellent day out there, despite the Pacer joys down to Maryport! I had 142091 vice 37422 last October so at least you weren't deprived of loco haulage :lol:

And yeah the ScotRail PIS is funny in England, listen to her say Corbridge, sounds like someone's jabbed her to say it... 'Haydon Bridge, Hexham, CORbriDGE!!' :p
 

47403

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An excellent day out there, despite the Pacer joys down to Maryport! I had 142091 vice 37422 last October so at least you weren't deprived of loco haulage :lol:

And yeah the ScotRail PIS is funny in England, listen to her say Corbridge, sounds like someone's jabbed her to say it... 'Haydon Bridge, Hexham, CORbriDGE!!' :p

oh god if a 142 had arrived instead of a 37, I think Id have been like John Cleese, instead of whacking the car with a branch, it'd have been the 142. Seriously it was good to get out n about but for freight, that has to be the worst day I've ever had in Carlisle. Nevermind, some you win, some you lose. Still got 4 cops out the day. 4 I didn't have when I left the house.

As regards the pacer action, yes, what can I say, only consolation was it was an all round winner and 37401 was worth the pain.

Quinn, I didn't want a mega fester in Dumfries, hence choosing the 16.14, I could've waited at Dumfries for my train to Newcastle but it was hoying it down and it was baltic. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet, many moons back, we had to get the 143s down to Snow Hill on Wear, for the summer Saturday Scarborough-Newcastle via the Durham Coast, that was booked a NB 37, normally the GD and TE ones but a few rare CF ones materialised too, so a case of a neccesary evil. Mind you I don't think I could've taken 142035 to Barrow, nevermind Lancaster. I just put it down as my 1 for the year.:lol:
 
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alexf380

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A nice wee read there, and a great (albiet short) insight into what you got up to back in the day. Can't be long now until your big outing, can it?
 

55013

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It looks like a nice little day out to me, including the 142 action :)
As is often the case, your post brought back a memory of the old days - my only visit to Dumfries was on the 8th of September 1990.
A few of us did 31412 Leeds - Harrogate - York - Leeds - Carlisle, then monster 37693 to Dumfries for an unrecorded DMU back to Carlisle and 47417 from there back to Leeds.
Happy days.
 

fishquinn

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June 6th for the big one Alex. Time's dragging like hell mate.
You could have a read of these, if your remotely interested
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=122259
That might be because of me. I want time to drag until the 6th but it doesn't seem to be doing for me! Oh, how I hate exams...

oh god if a 142 had arrived instead of a 37, I think Id have been like John Cleese, instead of whacking the car with a branch, it'd have been the 142.

:lol:
 
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Kristofferson

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I thought that was your reaction to a two tone Pacer horn? ;)

Cracking read, always entertained by your reports and had a giggle talking bullocks with you lot on Twitter earlier.

Nicely done on the Pendos, 2 out of 3 ain't bad...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Techniquest

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I barely saw any of that video but I was giggling away like mad very quickly, just the image of Lord Goon screaming like that goat at the 142 :lol:

Welcome to the group on Twitter Kris, now you're one of us! *pictures Kris running like mad* :lol:
 

47403

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Yes the evening social on twitter is good fun. Tonights topic, should you be able to join in, 37403, its going on hire to DRS for 18months, will it won't it turn up on August 5th?
Kris jebidiah the goat, is used for all situations. Funnily enough, especially, when referring to those of the splinter group, the protectors of the pacer:lol::lol:
 
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Techniquest

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Have I missed the conversation?Not seen it turn up in my notifications! Please tag me in if I have missed out.

37403 would be more than welcome, I must confess I can't remember when I last saw it.
 
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