So. It was the 27th of June 2002 and I was off on another solo soiree around the network.
I began in the time honoured fashion of leaving my car in the car park at Wakefield Westgate and heading off to Birmingham - this time on 47805.
47805 on a previous all-liner:
47805_1997.06.07_Weymouth by philwood55013, on Flickr
Once at New Street it was straight on with the business of sparky bashing.
I did 86229 to Coventry before continuing towards London on EWS liveried 86401.
At Euston I espied 87035 waiting to go North and so I took it to Crewe.
At Crewe 47759 was seen on a Birmingham bound service, it was very low mileage and so had to be done.
I did this to its destination and then back out again as far as Wolverhampton.
86231 took me back to New Street and then it was off to Paddington as I was booked on the Night Riviera.
I was already on the right train and so just had to get a look at what loco replaced 86231. It was 47828. I then settled down for 135 miles or so of 47 thrash.
The sleeper loco was 47811 and, as was by now my usual custom, I was in the Plymouth coach because I was hoping for a winning Laira gronk.
My luck had been in on these services previously, I had never had a dud shunter at Plymouth and was expecting a knock back.
I didn’t get one.
It was the marvellous 08644, a loco that had been the Penzance station pilot on many of my past visits to Cornwall.
08644,in an undated shot, sat at Penzance:
08644_Penzance by philwood55013, on Flickr
I was well pleased.
I was also very happy that 57601 was once again on the morning loco hauled service to Paddington.
Three times in a row this beast had produced.
I left Paddington behind another First Great Western loco, 47813, which was working the 1C11 12something to Plymouth.
After Plymouth I made my way down to Penzance on Cross Country’s 47829.
As expected, the machine on the up sleeper was the same one that had done the previous night’s down and so my nocturnal slumber was accompanied by the sounds of 47811 as the train made its way to London.
The 29th was a Saturday and I had booked a Travelodge in the unusual location of Horsham.
This was because I intended to get a bit of combined heritage EMU and track bashing in.
Locos come first, though and so it was off to Birmingham I went on the 06bungle departure from Paddington.
47843 was the loco, a fine former Western Region namer
I then did 86233 to Stafford before making my way to Euston on 90001.
A stroll to Kings Cross Thameslink followed and 319424 was taken to Gatwick.
I couldn’t visit the former Southern region and not have a spin on a 73, it would be rude.
73211 was done to Victoria and back before my unit move began in earnest.
4-VEP 3445 was taken to Horsham, where I did the short walk to the hotel and checked in.
Then it was 4-CIG 1906 to Bognor Regis, 3-COP 1407 was a cop to Barnham
and another CIG, 1856 back to Horsham.
I must have been half asleep on the Sunday morning as I neglected to record my first move, but it was obviously an EMU of some description that I took from Horsham to Gatwick .
73210 was the obvious choice from there to London.
I did the underground from Victoria to Euston and headed North behind 90002.
A summer Sunday? It must be Nuneaton drags, then.
I did a couple of round trips on 47744/47829/47790 and 47744 again before moseying back South on 86259.
86259 before it went blue:
86259_2006.05.08_1_Tyseley by philwood55013, on Flickr
I was booked on the Edinburgh sleeper but had time for a quick trip to Watford Junction.
I did 90009 out for something unrecorded back.
I must have been hoping for a loco but didn’t have time to dawdle and so jumped on the first thing to Euston. I must have been so disgusted with whatever turned up that I refused to record it.
Either that or I forgot.
The sleeper loco was 90033 and I accompanied it through the night until a parting of the ways at Carstairs.
90040 worked the last leg to Edinburgh.
Next up was 91031 over to Glasgow Central and then I nipped to Preston, doing 87013 South for 87024 back.
I was booked on the Inverness sleeper and so intended to make the Highland Chieftain HST service.
I didn’t have time to get to Edinburgh for it so took 170413 to Perth instead.
When the HST arrived it was running about 20 late.
Not too much of a problem, I thought, as I had plenty of time to walk across the platform at Inverness.
Unfortunately the train lost more time en-route and I considered bailing at Aviemore.
The train made up a bit of time and so I decided to keep going to Inverness.
Sadly, I had forgotten about the single track section and we were held up awaiting a unit that was booked to depart Inverness at the same time the HST arrived there.
I was getting nervous now.
As we approached the station I was stood in the vestibule ready to leap off.
I looked out of the window and my heart jumped as I saw a 67 heading towards me!
67025 and the sleeper rake trundled past and my head began spinning.
Could a taxi make it to Aviemore before the sleeper?
It was possible and something I was willing to try.
Then I looked at my watch.
Hang on, it’s not due out for five minutes.
I leapt off as soon as the doors opened and ran to a station bloke.
“Has the sleeper, gone?” I asked
“No, it’s been held up, it’s just shunting into the platform now”
“Oh, thank f*&^ for that” I replied.
The rest of the day was an anti-climax.
I boarded 67025 and collapsed in a heap of nervous exhaustion.
It was a while before my heart rate had settled down enough for me to sleep.
Maybe it’s worth mentioning that the coach I slept in was numbered (Cue Twilight Zone theme) 10666.
Then again, maybe it isn’t.
I was obviously still in the same coach when 90025 took over and the journey South passed without incident, supernatural or otherwise.
Once at Euston, on what was my penultimate day, I headed straight back North, behind 86210 (later to become Network Rail’s 86902), to Birmingham International.
86902:
86902_2006.08.13_3_Barrow Hill by philwood55013, on Flickr
I then took 87029 for a short run to Rugby and 86261 back to London.
I had booked a room in a bed and breakfast close to Warrington Bank Quay and so that was where I headed next, doing RES 86424.
The next day began with me leaving the exotic climes of Warrington and heading to Euston on 90013.
Next up was 87012 to Birmingham and then I set off back to London on 87029.
I set off to London but I didn’t get there.
Something was amiss and the train didn’t leave Coventry for ages.
When it did, 47790 was on the front. I was running out of time now, so had to bail at Milton Keynes.
86233 was then taken to Wolverhampton and I was back on schedule. I hung around Wolves for a bit and did 86233 again, to New Street, where I picked up my train home.
This was hauled by 47810.
And so ends another all-liner.
Plenty of electric miles, a good few runs on 47s, a couple of winners (08644 and 67025) and a run on the always splendid 57601.
Not a bad week at all.
I began in the time honoured fashion of leaving my car in the car park at Wakefield Westgate and heading off to Birmingham - this time on 47805.
47805 on a previous all-liner:
47805_1997.06.07_Weymouth by philwood55013, on FlickrOnce at New Street it was straight on with the business of sparky bashing.
I did 86229 to Coventry before continuing towards London on EWS liveried 86401.
At Euston I espied 87035 waiting to go North and so I took it to Crewe.
At Crewe 47759 was seen on a Birmingham bound service, it was very low mileage and so had to be done.
I did this to its destination and then back out again as far as Wolverhampton.
86231 took me back to New Street and then it was off to Paddington as I was booked on the Night Riviera.
I was already on the right train and so just had to get a look at what loco replaced 86231. It was 47828. I then settled down for 135 miles or so of 47 thrash.
The sleeper loco was 47811 and, as was by now my usual custom, I was in the Plymouth coach because I was hoping for a winning Laira gronk.
My luck had been in on these services previously, I had never had a dud shunter at Plymouth and was expecting a knock back.
I didn’t get one.
It was the marvellous 08644, a loco that had been the Penzance station pilot on many of my past visits to Cornwall.
08644,in an undated shot, sat at Penzance:
08644_Penzance by philwood55013, on FlickrI was well pleased.
I was also very happy that 57601 was once again on the morning loco hauled service to Paddington.
Three times in a row this beast had produced.
I left Paddington behind another First Great Western loco, 47813, which was working the 1C11 12something to Plymouth.
After Plymouth I made my way down to Penzance on Cross Country’s 47829.
As expected, the machine on the up sleeper was the same one that had done the previous night’s down and so my nocturnal slumber was accompanied by the sounds of 47811 as the train made its way to London.
The 29th was a Saturday and I had booked a Travelodge in the unusual location of Horsham.
This was because I intended to get a bit of combined heritage EMU and track bashing in.
Locos come first, though and so it was off to Birmingham I went on the 06bungle departure from Paddington.
47843 was the loco, a fine former Western Region namer
I then did 86233 to Stafford before making my way to Euston on 90001.
A stroll to Kings Cross Thameslink followed and 319424 was taken to Gatwick.
I couldn’t visit the former Southern region and not have a spin on a 73, it would be rude.
73211 was done to Victoria and back before my unit move began in earnest.
4-VEP 3445 was taken to Horsham, where I did the short walk to the hotel and checked in.
Then it was 4-CIG 1906 to Bognor Regis, 3-COP 1407 was a cop to Barnham
and another CIG, 1856 back to Horsham.I must have been half asleep on the Sunday morning as I neglected to record my first move, but it was obviously an EMU of some description that I took from Horsham to Gatwick .
73210 was the obvious choice from there to London.
I did the underground from Victoria to Euston and headed North behind 90002.
A summer Sunday? It must be Nuneaton drags, then.
I did a couple of round trips on 47744/47829/47790 and 47744 again before moseying back South on 86259.
86259 before it went blue:
86259_2006.05.08_1_Tyseley by philwood55013, on FlickrI was booked on the Edinburgh sleeper but had time for a quick trip to Watford Junction.
I did 90009 out for something unrecorded back.
I must have been hoping for a loco but didn’t have time to dawdle and so jumped on the first thing to Euston. I must have been so disgusted with whatever turned up that I refused to record it.
Either that or I forgot.
The sleeper loco was 90033 and I accompanied it through the night until a parting of the ways at Carstairs.
90040 worked the last leg to Edinburgh.
Next up was 91031 over to Glasgow Central and then I nipped to Preston, doing 87013 South for 87024 back.
I was booked on the Inverness sleeper and so intended to make the Highland Chieftain HST service.
I didn’t have time to get to Edinburgh for it so took 170413 to Perth instead.
When the HST arrived it was running about 20 late.
Not too much of a problem, I thought, as I had plenty of time to walk across the platform at Inverness.
Unfortunately the train lost more time en-route and I considered bailing at Aviemore.
The train made up a bit of time and so I decided to keep going to Inverness.
Sadly, I had forgotten about the single track section and we were held up awaiting a unit that was booked to depart Inverness at the same time the HST arrived there.
I was getting nervous now.
As we approached the station I was stood in the vestibule ready to leap off.
I looked out of the window and my heart jumped as I saw a 67 heading towards me!
67025 and the sleeper rake trundled past and my head began spinning.
Could a taxi make it to Aviemore before the sleeper?
It was possible and something I was willing to try.
Then I looked at my watch.
Hang on, it’s not due out for five minutes.
I leapt off as soon as the doors opened and ran to a station bloke.
“Has the sleeper, gone?” I asked
“No, it’s been held up, it’s just shunting into the platform now”
“Oh, thank f*&^ for that” I replied.
The rest of the day was an anti-climax.
I boarded 67025 and collapsed in a heap of nervous exhaustion.
It was a while before my heart rate had settled down enough for me to sleep.
Maybe it’s worth mentioning that the coach I slept in was numbered (Cue Twilight Zone theme) 10666.
Then again, maybe it isn’t.
I was obviously still in the same coach when 90025 took over and the journey South passed without incident, supernatural or otherwise.
Once at Euston, on what was my penultimate day, I headed straight back North, behind 86210 (later to become Network Rail’s 86902), to Birmingham International.
86902:
86902_2006.08.13_3_Barrow Hill by philwood55013, on FlickrI then took 87029 for a short run to Rugby and 86261 back to London.
I had booked a room in a bed and breakfast close to Warrington Bank Quay and so that was where I headed next, doing RES 86424.
The next day began with me leaving the exotic climes of Warrington and heading to Euston on 90013.
Next up was 87012 to Birmingham and then I set off back to London on 87029.
I set off to London but I didn’t get there.
Something was amiss and the train didn’t leave Coventry for ages.
When it did, 47790 was on the front. I was running out of time now, so had to bail at Milton Keynes.
86233 was then taken to Wolverhampton and I was back on schedule. I hung around Wolves for a bit and did 86233 again, to New Street, where I picked up my train home.
This was hauled by 47810.
And so ends another all-liner.
Plenty of electric miles, a good few runs on 47s, a couple of winners (08644 and 67025) and a run on the always splendid 57601.
Not a bad week at all.
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