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Andy's Wanderings

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andyb2706

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21 Jan 2013
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A cracking reading there Andy, you've certainly had a bit of a clearout over them 3 trips, plenty winners, so a few very productive trips out. I don't quite know how you finished a night shift, then went straight out and had a day on the rails but still managed to get up at 6am, the following morning, I'd have been like a zombie, You'd have had to whack me round the back of the head with a bat, just to get my eyes facing forward, nevermind open.

Plus thats 2 of you folk on here, thats seen 144015 recently and had it for haulage, it's still my last 144 for sight. I need to get into Yorkshire and Manchester, as soon as I get a chance.

Good luck updating them records, its gonna be a nightmare and a true labour of love, getting them up to date. Hope its done sooner rather than later.

Oh I find it quite easy, 25 years of shift work kind of mucks with your body clock.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Not everyone is as crazy about trams as you are FQ ;):lol: I haven't been on an HST since 24th June, feels like ages ago!

Want to go back myself!!!
 
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andyb2706

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Firstly, I would like to apologise for being quiet in both posting and reading peoples reports. This was down to a computer crisis and stupidity on my behalf, my computer crashed a few months ago and I hadn’t backed up my data for 6 months and had lost all my train logs, luckily I still had the paper copies so the last few months have been catching up while still going out grabbing units and shacks. As you can tell I have now caught up over this last weekend and normal service will resume. The thing I have learnt from this experience is that I need to back up my data on a more regular occurrence.

Now, as to today’s trip OCD for GWR. This is my 5th day trip this year from Manchester down to the Great Western Railway so you can see why I have given the trip that name, but honestly I am trying to clear my GWR HST’s before they disappear and seeing I have copped 47 of them for haulage so far this year and have another 38 to go I hoping I won’t be far off by the time they disappear, on a separate note though it was a tough decision as after the announcement from Great Anglia with their replacement of their entire fleet I still need a load of theirs, however I have a few extra years to get them so I’m not too worried at the moment.

As to today’s trip, last night I was shattered as I had been out for most of the day walking the Cheshire countryside so was in bed for 2130 with the plan of getting up at 0600 to catch the 0700 to London, however by 0445 I was awake and having my first coffee of the morning. I could have gone out earlier than I did but I wanted to make sure that Greggs would be open for my obligatory breakfast, so at 0550 I head off and drive into Manchester where I can park all day for £3 instead of paying £5.70 for the tram.
At Piccadilly I head off to Greggs and found them open at 0615 and picked up my usual Bacon roll and coffee for £2 (Breakfast and parking £5…. still cheaper than the tram!!-Ed.) and then On the station I have 2 trains to pick from, the 0635 or 0643 to London Euston and seeing both units were dud I board 390151 on the 0635 to London Euston and find a window seat with a table for the journey down and start preparing this report.

Arriving in London Euston a few minutes down I head straight to Euston Square where I boarded a required S7 stock in the form of 21410 across to London Paddington where I find 4 required HST power cars on 3 different trains, so after consulting RTT I board the first to depart which was formed of dud 43169 with required 43125 for the 0930 to Bristol Temple Meads for a trip out to Reading for a +17 fester waiting for the arrival of the 1012 to Bristol Parkway which was formed of required power cars 43131 and 43129 to take me to Swindon.

On arriving at Swindon I leave the train and have another +22-minute wait for the final one of the three that I saw at London Paddington which was formed of a dud 43159 and required 43179 for a trip to Chippenham. With a 12-minute wait for my return trip there is plenty of time seeing it is an island platform for the arrival of required 43192 and dud 43028 to take me back to Swindon where I leave the train hoping for another required train to take me on my next leg of my day.

Unfortunately the following HST at Swindon was formed of a pair of dud HST’s in the form of 43069 and 43128 to take me to Didcot Parkway where, after a +13 fester another pair of duds 43141 and 43079 to get me back to Reading.

At Reading I decided to wait for the next required HST power car and I did not have to wait long as 10 minutes later dud 43196 with required 43024 arrived to take me to London Paddington, for the first time today I pay attention to the locomotives on the trip back to London Paddington logging 7 class 66 locomotives.

On arriving at London Paddington I spot at the opposite side of the station 43002 in the old Intercity 125 colour scheme, also the power car was a required one! I dive off the train as quickly as possible and head straight over to the platform with 43002 because I thought it might leave before I had a chance to climb aboard, luckily it wasn’t due to depart for another 10 minutes so I had a chance to even get a picture of the locomotive. I then climb aboard required 43002 with a dud 43091 which I remain on to Didcot Parkway.

At Didcot Parkway I decide to wait a bit to see if a required HST appears, unfortunately none turn up so 30 minutes later I board a pair of duds 43018 and 43093 to take me back to Reading, on arriving again I wait a bit to try and pick up any required HST power cars it was not until I missed required 43188 (GWR liveried) as it was blocked from view by another dud HST set that I decide to have a change of tact and start on hunting the GWR DMU’s and start with required 166207 to take me back to London Paddington which was express apart from stopping at Slough, after a good run I arrive back at London Paddington and rush over to platform 13 to pick up a stopping service to Twyford which was formed of 3 units with a required unit of 165122.

Once aboard the train I check RTT and decide to remain on the train to Southall for a new shack and then to pick up a Heathrow Connect to another new shack of Hanwell and a play around on the DMU’s. At Southall I leave the GWR train and cross to the opposite platform to wait for the Heathrow Connect service, while waiting I noted a HST speed past to London Paddington and a pair of required power cars…!!! Required 360202 of Heathrow Connect arrived to take me back towards London and seeing the noted required HST’s I decide to remain on the train back to London Paddington with speed (of sorts) so that I can pick up the aforementioned power cars.

At London Paddington I have a 9 minutes to pick up the required HST’s of 43029 and 43009 on the 1706 service to Westbury and while walking along the platform I noticed another two required power cars on the adjoining platform, none for hours, then 4 all at once!!

On the journey to Reading I trace the other two HST power cars were working the 1722 to Hereford and after consulting RTT I figure out a trip on them to Oxford where I can pick up a Cross Country service back to Manchester Piccadilly. On arriving at Reading (5 minutes late for some reason) I have just got 5 minutes to make my way to the other platform when required 43003 and 43031 arrive to take me onto Oxford.

Arriving at Oxford I have a 20 minute fester for my train back to Manchester which was formed of a dud 221141, 4 car, at peak time and the train was heaving. The journey home is a miserable and uncomfortable journey and is a reminder as to why I try and avoid these units as the seat are uncomfortable and cramped. Should have gone back via the West Coast from Euston!
 

fishquinn

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Sounds like a great day on trams! No sympathy about the 221 - it's your fault for being on it ;)
 

Techniquest

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Welcome back to the trip reporting community Andy!

One heck of a good day there, I still haven't seen my machine in its new colour scheme yet. Ouch to the Voyager, you should have stayed on the HST to Hereford and go up the Marches!
 

andyb2706

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21 Jan 2013
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This morning is a bit of a late start, had my alarm set for 0700 but got up about 0630 instead (late start…yeah!!!- Ed.) and after a freshen up it was out and on the way into Manchester and my usual routine for when I head down to London, drive into Manchester and breakfast from Greggs unfortunately as I entered the station I had a catastrophe I spilt some coffee on my hand which resulted in me dropping the entire cup onto the floor…..nooooo!!!! My first caffeine fix of the day, but there was no time to cry over spilt milk (or should that be coffee) as the next London train was only 4 minutes from departing so I quickly found a member of staff to advise them of the spillage and then boarded dud 390151 which was working the 0735 to London Euston which to my horror I found was a local stopping service to London (by that I mean stopping at Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Nuneaton and Watford Junction!!- Ed.) Oh well, I have time to buy another coffee and not spill it this time. Now I have this typed up it is time to sit back and relax and enjoy the journey to London. Although my hand is taunting me – I can still smell the coffee I spilt on it!

At London Euston I quickly leave the station and walk over to Euston Square for the, what now seems regular trip across to Paddington on the Hammersmith & City line with a required 21326 , on arriving at London Paddington there was not a single required HST power car in so after giving it 20 minutes to see what arrived I decided to go for the DMU’s and EMU’s that operate out of London Paddington and board required 166217 to take me to dud station of Ealing Broadway with a plan in mind as only a few minutes behind it was a Heathrow Connect service and still needing a few 360/2’s I was hoping to have a bit more success and I was not disappointed when required 360204 arrived to take me forward to my first new shack of the day.

At Hanwell I leave the train and have a 20 to 26 minute fester depending on what I decide to do next as I have two options, cross to the opposite platform and get the next Heathrow Connect service back towards London or wait a few minutes more and get the next Heathrow Connect train towards Hayes & Harlington. To be honest with you it was so a nice sunny day and I found a brilliant spot in the shade where I could sit down and I could get some cracking shots as trains went through the station. Although I am having to use my phone as I think my actual camera has gone tech and I may need to purchase a new one because as I am taking pictures with it it claims a photo has been taken but it is not recording it anywhere!? Even before the next Heathrow Connect to London arrived I had decided to hang on for the next one towards Hayes & Harlington simply because it was a lovely location and an extra 6 minutes isn’t going to be an issue, plus if the train going towards London was a required one I could always get it later on in the day, but as it happens the London bound train was formed of dud 360202 and the extra 6 minute fester resulted in a required 360201 meaning now I am down to needing one 360/2 in the form of 360205.

Although it was a dud station I had to leave 360201 at Hayes & Harlington as my ticket does not allow me to go to Heathrow on it so I now have a 5-minute wait for my next train and when it arrived it was a required 165110 to take me to my next new shack for the day. At Taplow I leave the train and cross to the opposite platform for a 15-minute fester waiting for required 165137 to take me to yet another new shack in the form of Burnham, during this time I start formulating my next few moves as it is coming towards lunch time. After a +12 at Burnham I board a dud 165134 for a short journey to Maidenhead where I leave the train hoping the next train would be of more success but unfortunately it was another dud train in the form of 165104 for the short hop to Twyford.

At Twyford I leave this train and cross over to the bay platform for a trip over a new section of track on a required 165133 to take me to a new shack. At Henley-on-Thames where the train terminated I leave the train and the station to do a bit of the touristy thing and have a look around Henley and grab some lunch, if you ever get a chance to visit Henley it is a lovely town with the old fashioned black and white timbered buildings, bunting (they must have known I was coming – Ed.) and I river that I was surprised to find ;) the weather may have helped too. I found the local Spoons and purchased a Panini with a pint of Peaky Blinders, which for being a black ale it was a very enjoyable pint. After being suitably refreshed I left the establishment and with the train not being for another 50 minutes I had time to stroll back along the river and pick up a Black Cherry whippy ice cream which went down very well in the blazing hot sun. I arrived back at the station with a 12-minute fester before the dud 165133, which was no surprise I board for the short trip back to Twyford. My plan now was once back at Twyford to head for Reading and try and pick up more DMU haulage so back at Twyford there was a +10 wait for required 166221 to arrive to take me to Reading.

Arriving at Reading I thought about heading out towards Basingstoke for shack and hopefully unit hunting but after consulting RTT I decided, foolishly to head back via Birmingham tonight and contend with a Voyager again and in doing so I could pick up the two stations between Didcot Parkway and Oxford, however this did mean a 30-minute fester waiting for the GWR DMU to take me to the first of the stations. In the meantime, the Basingstoke service arrived formed of required 150001 looking very resplendent in the sun in the new GWR livery……ah, dilemma!! Well, really not much of a dilemma and sod the stations between Didcot Parkway and Oxford they can wait for another time and I start re-planning the remainder of the afternoon and board 150001 for a trip along a new section of line towards Basingstoke. With it being the very first 150 built (I think – Ed.) a run out to Reading West would not be sufficient so I remained on board to new shack of Mortimer where I planned a 22-minute fester to continue my journey towards Basingstoke. After the fester required 166205 arrived to take me on to my next new shack which was Bramley (I wonder if this is where the Apples come from – Ed.) where, yet again a 30 minute fester was in use but with the beautiful sunshine and a good book to read this time soon flew by when dud 150001 appeared after already doing a round trip back to Reading to take me on to Basingstoke, my plan for the remainder of the day was to pick up the Manchester Piccadilly voyager train from Basingstoke and head off home. On arriving at Basingstoke I got another photograph of the 150 and could of sworn that Hassan (off Twitter) was also taking a picture but by the time I had taken mine he had already jumped back on board and I had an urgent need for a PNB so a twitter later on confirmed it. It was now hot and sticky and starting to become unbearable and after the PNB and a nip to the Sainsbury’s to pick up some tea I head back to the platform to wait for the Cross Country train home. As I waited the thought of being stuck on a cramped train for four hours became less appealing and then the lightbulb went on, there was a 1743 to London Waterloo and checking RTT it arrived into London at 1833ish which would give me enough time to get over to London Euston to pick up either the 1900 or 1920 to Manchester Piccadilly to get home. So with 2 minutes until the train was due I rushed over to the opposite platform and required 444009 arrived to take me on to London Waterloo as the Voyager arrived.

On the journey back to London Waterloo I caught up with some of this report and before I knew it we were arriving into London and after noting what was present around me it was straight off to the Underground and required 51621, from here it went downhill…. I arrived back at London Euston and found the trains were all delayed due to an earlier train failure and my train home which turned out to be the 1920 didn’t arrive until 1916, I had already checked with RTT what platform the train was going off and I boarded dud 390138 into the unreserved coach F before anyone else so that I could get to a plug charge point at a table. The train left 10 minutes late and within a few minutes when the coach had filled up it became apparent the air con on the hottest September day in 100 years (if the internet is to be believed – Ed.) doesn’t seem to be working, I put up with it for as long as I can but I can stand it no longer, people (including me – Ed.) or sweating shed loads of fluids and people wafting themselves to try and keep cool but it wasn’t really making a difference. I head off through the train to find the train manager to see if he can do anything while the rest of the train was nice and cool with the air con working brilliantly. When I return to the coach after reporting it as I entered the coach the heat was so bad my glasses started to steam up! Anyhow the train manager arrived but could not do anything as it was not a tripped fuse so I head off to another part of the train to find a nice cool location to sit and type this report and log up. I have come to realise Virgin Trains West Coast are not all that good. If you want to use the internet you have to pay (unlike GWR – Ed.) but more importantly you have to grab a table if you want a plug so there is a massive fight to get to a table before anyone else while on GWR each set of seats has a plug socket set in the seats in front of you, even the dreaded Voyagers have a plug socket at every window seat….come on Virgin book up your ideas!!
The guard then makes two announcements, the first is that if there is still anyone conscious in coach F due to the malfunctioning air con there are seats in the rest of the train that are available for people to use and the second that there was a signalling failure in the Macclesfield and at this point we were not sure whether we would be diverted via Crewe as no trains were passing through the area and that there has been a bus replacement service put on for Macclesfield passengers but we would have to be fitted in between other trains to go via Crewe and we had to watch this space. It wasn’t until passengers had got on at Milton Keynes did we find out about the massive thunder storm that had occurred in the North West which has caused the signalling failure along with the postponement of the Manchester City UEFA Champions League match, also the Manchester Metrolink had been hit, thank goodness I drove in this morning. More news and for those people who want Macclesfield it is not looking good as there is a points failure at Cheadle Hulme which has locked the points for the Crewe direction and as thought we are being diverted but no timescale can be given with the diversion….this could be a long evening, so glad I wasn’t sat on the Voyager now as this was routed this same way as us too! Not what I wanted seeing that tomorrow I am heading up to Scotland for 5 days and I haven’t quite finished packing yet. The train arrived back into Manchester over 30 minutes late, and would you believe it yesterday when I knew I was doing this trip I was more concerned about getting stuck in football traffic on the way home.

Time for bed, Glasgow tomorrow.....
 

fishquinn

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Apart from the coffee incident and the problems on the pendo home, it sounds like a cracking day! No trams though :(
 

Kite159

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Did you enjoy your trip on one of the Reading depot pets?

Sounded like a chaotic end of the day though with the delays caused by a spot of rain
 

Techniquest

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That weather was proper grim wasn't it Andy? I saw it on Twitter yesterday, felt sorry for you all up there!

Quite a beast of a day all in, aside from the extreme weather event causing chaos. Even contemplating going all that way on a Voyager is enough to question one's sanity, unless you have a seat reservation and on the first one of the day!
 

andyb2706

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21 Jan 2013
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By the time I have finished this holiday I am on I am going to need another one to recover! This is day three of my four days of full spotting trip (followed by climbing up a little hill called Ben Nevis on Saturday – Ed.) I am now looking forward to getting back to work. Anyhow, alarm goes off at 0545 this morning and after a quick shower it is straight out of the door with my usual small bag and a big rucksack with all my walking gear in. Just so glad I don’t have to carry that around all the time and I am sure I have forgotten something. The two things I know I haven’t forgotten are my two hip flasks. One containing a friend’s home made Sloe Gin and the other containing Highland Park whiskey for drinking at the top of Ben Nevis.

At Manchester Piccadilly I buy the usual Greggs (this time I don’t drop my coffee all over the concourse – Ed.) and head to platform 14 where I don’t have long to wait for the 0716 to Glasgow formed of dud 350402, which is no surprise as I don’t need any of the 350/4’s for haulage and am looking forward to the arrivals of the new CAF stock for these services. Although even after today’s trips 350402 remains one of the medium mileage units standing at 281 miles 74 chains (while 350410 has been haunting me as that stands at roughly 741 miles worth of haulage.) I manage to get myself a table and transfer as much of my written log to my database as possible until I can’t retrieve any information I need due to the poor internet access…again roll on the new stock with their free Wi-Fi. When that is no longer possible I started on today’s log while admiring the views of passing through the Lake District baked in the morning sunshine with shadows being cast among the hills this is now wetting my appetite for my trip on Friday afternoon on the West Highland line on the way up to Fort William. With not having time to get any cash out this morning I was disappointed to find out that the trolley service on the train was cash only this morning and I would have to wait until my arrival into Glasgow to have another drink, that was still over two hours off. As we start to leave the hill of the Lakes behind I decide to half forty winks and lean back in my seat, stretch out my legs and have a doze, hoping not to miss Kingsmoor and whatever delights may be on show as we pass by and as we leave the Lakes the weather is taking a turn for the worse and becoming very dull and very cloudy. This isn’t the start of the bad weather that Manchester had last night is it? They did say it was moving north, here is hoping it is only a glitch and will soon clear.

Weather did pick up as we got over Shap but still nothing like yesterday when I was around the Reading area, anyhow we arrive in Glasgow bang on time and after dropping off my rucksack I start the unit chase with a successful 314210 out to Pollockshaw East where after a +12 another new unit 314215 appeared to take me back to Glasgow Central, to be honest this was no surprise as I had seen the unit departing Glasgow earlier and had worked out its back working.

After a 20-minute fester at Glasgow Central I spot a 313 drop in on top of a 156 to work the 1136 to Nielson, with not knowing which one it was I head to it to find it to be dud 314213 which I decide to travel on to Mount Florida, as we are leaving the station a required 314 unit is arriving so after consulting RTT I find I can pick this unit up after a +15 fester at Mount Florida.

So at Mount Florida I leave the dud 314 and all I can say is I wish it was as warm as its famous American state. Waiting the 15-minutes the required 314206 arrives to take me back to Glasgow via Cathcart.
Back at Glasgow I am down to requiring two 314 units to clear the fleet but on my travels these two units haven’t been spotted so I make a decision to change unit type and just as I decided that a required 156 departed for Barrhead, which was also a required station…drat!! On the platform opposite though was another required 156 and it was departing in about 13-minutes time to Kilmarnock with first stop being Barrhead with the previous mentioned 156 departing Barrhead back to Glasgow 3-minutes afterwards, brilliant, what a result I was quite happy with this so decided to board the Kilmarnock train, however a few minutes after this jubilation a dud 156, in the form of 156458 dropped in on top of it to work the Kilmarnock service, my heart dropped a bit but still I knew that it would result in a new shack and a required unit coming back so I decided to go ahead with it. With 5 minutes to go the train crew arrive and close and lock the doors of both units, no I can’t be? Can it? Then after seeing no movement I hear the revving of an engine several times as if testing a coupling so I head towards the rear of the dud unit and there sure enough required 156511 had attached so without further ado I boarded the required unit for an express run to Barrhead.
At Barrhead, my first new shack of the day I leave the train for a +3 to get across to the other platforms to pick up required 156496 and with about a minute to spare I make it, settling down for the 20-minute all station run back to Glasgow I contemplate my next moves. The time is now 1300 and I can check in to my hotel in an hours’ time and at some point over the next two days I need to nip to a Cotswold for a new set of walking poles for Fort William over the weekend. So after checking Googleverse I find one only a 7-minute walk from Partick station, excellent hopefully a couple of more required units while I go and spend more Ching. Back at Glasgow I head down to the lower levels to head out to Partick and do not have to wait long for required 318256 to arrive to take me on to Partick.

At Partick I leave the station and head to the retail park where I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I entered the Cotswolds, it was massive!! If you do not know walking is another one of my passions, anyhow I managed to go in and buy just what I required and after a quick visit to Boots to pick up razors and shaving cream (I always forget something when I am going away! – Ed.) I head back to the station to briefly resume my unit hunting and with another good result when needed 334040 arrives to take me back to Glasgow Central.

If you noted from my last paragraph I did state “briefly resume” well you see I needed to retrieve my bags from the left luggage and paying more Ching and go and check in to my hotel room and have a PNB, luckily the hotel is only around the corner from the Glasgow Central station and only spitting distance from the Spoons (as you can see I have stayed in this hotel before  - Ed.) After checking in and paying more Ching – this last 90-minutes have been expensive! I drop my bags off in the room, have a PNB and then head back out to continue my hunt.

And it starts well, back at Glasgow Central my first trip is on board required 320416 which is still sporting its old London Midland livery coupled to 320415, also a required unit. So I remain on board 320416 as far as required station Cambuslang (my rule is as long as I set foot on the station and depart by another unit or the same unit on its back working that is a scored shack – Ed.) where I transfer to 320415 on to Bellshill, where after a platform transfer and +22 another new unit in the form of 380013 takes me forward to Uddingston where with a +5 and yet another platform change the arrival of 320417 and 320309 arrive to take me on, seeing that I require both units I first board 320309 as far as Motherwell where I transfer to 320417 to take me to Wishaw where with a 20-minute fester for my next train which was required (and my 13th of the day) 380112 to take me to Carluke.

Having arrived at Carluke I now only have two stations to do to complete all the stations between Glasgow Central and Lanark and them are Lanark and Shieldmuir and would seem silly not to do them now. So with only a 5 -minute wait at Shieldmuir for the next train to Lanark was due I decide to hang on and dud 380013 arrives to take me there.

At Lanark I leave the train and decide to let that one go and have a 40-minute fester for the next train hoping for a new unit and I passed the time by having a walk into the high Street which architecturally quite nice. Although needing another PNB I could not find a suitable pub! Back at the station with still 15-minutes to wait I start to progress on this report and when the train arrived it was dud 380101 to take me to my next new station of Shieldmuir.

At Shieldmuir I have two options, either wait 30-minutes to pick up the next train to Glasgow in the chill or to cross to the other platform, get the next train back to Wishaw (and hopefully that will be a new unit) and then pick up the unit I was going to pick up from Shieldmuir anyway. I decide on the second option just to break up the 30-minute wait. What I will say about Shieldmuir is never attempt a platform change unless you have greater than a +5….it is miles and some uphill, on the plus side it did help to burn off some of the pink jammie doughnut I had from Greggs earlier on. The train arrived and was dud 320417, but now with all stations complete I wasn’t too bothered. Back at Wishaw it became apparent that the rule for Shieldmuir of greater than a +5 applies here too and when the train arrived to take me back to Glasgow Central it too was a dud 320417. Am I going to get beyond 13 for today? Only time will tell.

After an hour at Glasgow Central with no success I head downstairs to platforms 16 and 17 to see if anything good was there, and I did not have long to wait when the second train arrived for Dalmuir was formed of a pair of required units so I boarded the rear unit 321315 for the trip to Partick, I had now decided to wait for a required unit at Partick instead of mileage accumulation on dud units, I had only 14 minutes to wait (which included three services with dud units on – Ed.) for a pair of units to arrive with a dud one and required 318257 forming the 1946 to Airdrie so a quick run to Glasgow Queen Street, while there I hit a dilemma, should I head to the spoons for some food or should I grab fish and chips and carry so I put this quandary to some fellow pm’ers on Twitter and they instantly replied with the same answer…fish and chips. So I crossed to the opposite platform to wait for the first required unit back to Partick and when it arrived both units where required so I travelled on 334017 first to Charing Cross and then 334039 to Partick.

At Partick I wonder whether there was a chippy nearby and when I saw a guy with a plastic tray and the smell of salt and vinegar I knew I was on a winner, so following my nose it didn’t take me long to buy a chippy supper and seeing I had had no alcohol I got the next best thing when in Scotland, a bottle of Irn Bru. Back at the station I start on my supper while train hunting and the first one was a pair of duds while the second train had a dud leading while required 318255 on the rear so I boarded the unit and finished my supper while heading to Glasgow Central, on arrival I only had a 4-minute wait until the next winner turned up which was required 318265 which I stayed on until I reached the only shack I needed between Glasgow Central and Partick so left the train at Anderston. After letting several dud trains go (what I like about Glasgow Central and Anderston is that it is an island platform so you can jump on which ever train you need) until required 320311 arrived to return me to Glasgow Central.

Back at Glasgow Central some delays were starting to accumulate and the next train wasn’t for 12-minutes which would give me enough time to nip up to the main station and call at Boot’s for some toiletries I forgot and while up there I had a look at what was in and came to a sudden halt, at the start of the day I needed five 314 units, three of them I knocked off in quick succession but two of them (207 and 211) where nowhere to be seen…until now, there stood in platform 8 was 314207 with Cathcart on its destination blind but nothing on the platform destination board so I could not take it for granted that it was working the service and the next Cathcart service was not for another 25-minutes at 2116, do I wait around just in case? Yes, there is no other answer and 10-minutes later it comes up on the station boards that it is working the service. So at 2116 I am departing Glasgow Central on board 314207 for my last trip of the day doing the Cathcart circle from Glasgow Central to Glasgow Central.

So I ended the day on a high, with a total of 21 red pens and 10 new shacks which wasn’t a bad do after spending the first 3 hours of the day on board a dud train getting up to Glasgow, but it does leave the trip on a bit of a cliff hanger……will I get my last 314 for haulage, will 314211 show up? The only way to find out is for me to get out there tomorrow and for you to read tomorrow’s trip report.

Tech: I was lucky enough yesterday not to see any of the bad weather up around Manchester as I was on the GWML for most of the day and the first thing I knew about it was on the way home in the evening.
 
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fishquinn

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Sounds like a great day! Good luck at Ben Nevis and I'm looking forward to the report.
 

Techniquest

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Wow that was a good day! I need all the 320/4s which I had forgotten about, cue a need to get to Glasgow asap!

Hopefully you've got that 314 now, and that Day 2 has been a roaring success full stop!
 

Kite159

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Sounded like a good day in Glasgow :)

(Btw you have put down 313 a couple times, I doubt 313206 will get that far without third rail)
 

andyb2706

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Sounded like a good day in Glasgow :)

(Btw you have put down 313 a couple times, I doubt 313206 will get that far without third rail)

Bugger! I tried to proof read as I went through and had done a 314 as a 313 several times and managed to notice them, that one seemed to sneak through.
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Sounds like a great day! Good luck at Ben Nevis and I'm looking forward to the report.

Ben Nevis report: Nice and simple it took us 4hr 10 mins to climb from 0m to 1345m and 3hrs 50mins to come back down, nice and sunny while up there but as we started to come down the weather started to turn and our attention was distracted by the coast guard rescuing some one off the mountain (for the second year in a row!) Ended up in the Ben Nevis Inn and had a really nice meal of Chicken and Haggis in a whiskey and peppercorn sauce on a bed of creamy mash and green beans washed down with a nice pint of Trade Winds.

Glasgow Trip Day 2 – Thursday 15th September 2016

I have the alarm set for 7am this morning with just enough time to have a shower before heading down to breakfast, however I am up an hour earlier so decide to transfer my paper log into my database log and have a cup of coffee before heading down for breakfast. Breakfast was an all you can eat hot and cold buffet so after a bowl of cereal, bacon, sausage, egg, baked beans, mushrooms and fried bread washed down with a glass of orange and another coffee I am ready to start the day. So it is up to my room to prepare for the day ahead and within 15 minutes I’m heading out of the hotel for the 2-minute walk to Glasgow Central.

As I enter Glasgow Central and head up the escalator I wonder what today will have in store for me, will I get my final 314 unit? Should I just chase units or mix it with shack hunting? Should I concentrate on the 380’s? Or should I concentrate on the Yoker loop? So much to choose from. I initially decide to see what is in the station and my first sighting is a couple of 314 units but none of them the one I require, then I spot the distinctive shape of a 314 roof hiding behind the wall of platform 8 so I head round hoping and pleading for it to be the one…..and it was, there resplendent was my only remaining 314 for haulage working the 0827 service to Neilston, I board 314211 for a short trip out to Crosshill to clear my 314’s. At Crosshill I don’t have long to wait for dud 314203 to return me to Glasgow Central.

Seeing we are still in the rush hour I decide to forego going downstairs and doing the Yoker area and concentrate for a few hours on the 380 units heading out to Paisley Gilmour Street, having checked what is in I locate the next required departure and boarded 380006 to take me on the ten minute hop out to Paisley Gilmour Street a trip I have already done a few times in the past to a station that I personally think is one of the best kept stations around. At Paisley Gilmour Street we arrive on the island platform 2 which is ideal as the other side of the island platform will get me back to Glasgow where after a +13 a required 380116 arrives for the trip back to Glasgow Central….and they just keep rolling, as back at Glasgow Central it was only a +10 before I was sat on another required 380 in the form of 380007 to take me to Paisley Gilmour Street where with a +10 another required 380 appeared in the form of 380019 which takes me back to Glasgow Central and after a +15 I was off to Paisley Gilmour Street again on required 380015 and with a mad dash to the opposite platform with only a +3 at Paisley Gilmour Street I board required 380105 back to Glasgow Central.

At Glasgow Central there is only a +3 to get through two sets of barriers to pick up a required 380, but unfortunately for me it was not enough time as I had just got through the barriers and the train departed, however on the adjoining platform was the 1112 to Paisley Canal formed of required 380009, which I boarded and travelled to required shack of Paisley Canal followed by a 20-minute walk across to Paisley Gilmour Street.

I now decide to do a bit of shack hunting and even employing this method it still doesn’t stop the units from rolling in as the train is a required 380018 which take me to new shack Port Glasgow, where I cross to the opposite platform for a dud 380013 to take me to new shack Bishopton. My next train is the one that I missed earlier on its return journey so boarded required 380021 to Paisley St. James having seen a required unit heading towards Gourock at Bishopton I cross to the opposite platform and plan to get the next train towards Gourock and with the help of RTT I plan where I can pick the unit up form, I have now visited all three stations in Paisley.

At Paisley St. James I have a +12 to wait for the next train back towards Gourock, which was a very nice wait as the sun has decided to come out when dud 380015 arrives to take me to a new shack in the form of Bogston where I finally pick up the unit I saw earlier and boarded required 380011 as far as Paisley Gilmour Street where I wait for the next service back to Glasgow and boarded dud 314213.

Back at Paisley Gilmour Street I head down to the lower level to spend some time on the Argyle and North Clyde lines for shack and unit bagging. With only a few minutes to wait required 334009 arrived to take me East to the new shack of Rutherglen, on arriving here I remember passing through here in the past because my recollection of the station was that we were stood for about 10-minutes because the train crew were helping a person in a wheelchair who had gone on the stone section of the platform and had got stuck but I never set foot on the platform. Leaving the train here I only have a couple of minutes to wait for the arrival of required 320311 to take me straight through Glasgow and out the other side all the way to Westerton, where with a +3 I rush to the opposite platform and get required 318267 to dud station of Partick, where I swap over to the other set of this train which was also a required 318269 and head off to Anderston.

At Anderston I have a +21 to wait for a pair of required units and when it appears it is 318270 leading which I travel on as far as Partick where I transfer to 320310 for the final leg of this journey to required shack of Drumchapel. Where a mad dash to the other platform with a +3 I was blessed with another required unit in the form of 318263 to the following station of Westerton where I leave this train hoping that the train a few minutes behind was also going to be a requirement, I was not disappointed when required 320322 arrived to take me the short hop to Hyndland, here I cross leisurely to the opposite platform with a +6 and a needed 318260 arrives to take me to Westerton where I leave the train yet again and wait for the next train in either direction that would be useful and I do not have long to wait as the following train was also a required unit in the form of 318268 which takes me to a new shack of Singer, where a crawl to the opposite platform would have been feasible with a +10 yet another required unit turns up and is another ex- London Midland train in the form of 320413 with dud 318257, so off course I board the 320 to take me to my next required shack of Drumry.

At Drumry I have a 8-minute wait for my train to Dalmuir which is formed of two class 320 units with 320318 being a required unit to take me to Dalmuir, once there I get confused with the platform layouts as usual at this station, once I had sorted myself out and decided I would pick up the 1721 to Edinburgh I just had to wait to see if I would be lucky with this train too, and I was as it was formed of a pair of required 334 units so I boarded 334031 as far as Hyndland, which was its first stop and then I transferred to 334010 to take me to Partick.

This is where the fun began, we are in the middle of the evening rush hour and the trains are losing time and a pair of required 334’s in the form of 334005 and 334020 arrive to form the late running service to Milngavie (later found out the trains were running late due to trespass somewhere between Edinburgh and Glasgow – Ed.) and as I was about to board the service was announced as cancelled and all six coaches emptied and it was about three quarters full, and the train left Partick a few minutes later empty (to be spotted later on in the sidings at Hyndland for its back working– Ed.) luckily for the workers trying to get home on that train there was another Milngavie train only a few minutes behind……unfortunately for them it was only a three coach train! With the passengers already on the train and then two thirds of a full six coach train of passengers trying to get on this three coach train I thought was going to be impossible, but they did it although I did think they would have to get a shoe horn out to prise everyone in so that the doors could shut, needless to say I didn’t try and get on it and anyhow it was a dud unit for me. I wait for the late running 1737 to Helensburgh and am not disappointed when the train arrives it is formed of two units and one of them was a requirement so I boarded 334023 for a trip out to Hyndland where I have a +3 wait for the next required unit which is 334016 which I stay on until reaching the new shack of Scotstounhill where I disembark and cross to the other platform as I want to do some more shack hunting and with the added bonus of yet another new unit with 320303 for a short hop to new shack Jordanhill were it is only a +1 to get to the other platform for a late running required unit in 320307.

I stay on this train to Clydebank and by this time I only need three stations over the two routes from Partick to Dalmuir so I am not bothered any more by the units and am concentrating on these three stations with Clydebank being the first. At Clydebank I have a +9 to wait for a dud 320319 to take me to Garscadden with another +14 for the next train, which was dud 318253 to Yoker before a further +9 for dud 320318 to take me back to Glasgow Central to complete my day.
Or so I thought!! On reaching Glasgow Central at 1925 I make my way upstairs and see standing there required 380110 to work the 1945 to Largs…I’ve been on the go near enough none stop since 0822, it’s been a long day I really need to stop, but I find myself climbing aboard required 380110 for a quick return trip to Paisley Gilmour Street as I cannot resist. At Paisley Gilmour Street I leave the train with every intention of heading back and calling it a day, however I board 380022 which takes me back to Glasgow Central but as I leave the train and head over to the barriers I noticed a needed 380008 due to depart in 14-minutes to Gourock…here we go again with a trip to Paisley Gilmour Street and within 5-minutes of arriving at Paisley Gilmour Street yet another required unit in the form of 380004 arrives to work the 2125 service to Ardrossan Harbour so I board the train to head to the new shack of Milliken Park with a +5 for my train back towards Glasgow on dud 380110 but I am only going as far as Paisley Gilmour Street as a required 380020 should be working the 2200 to Gourock with a quick run out to Bishopton where there is under a ten minute wait for the train back to Glasgow, however while waiting at Paisley Gilmour Street the 2155 to Glasgow Central arrives and is formed of required 380103 and I think this is the end of my day and head back to Glasgow. 380020 will have to wait for another time and I cannot complain with the sort of day I have had.

Overall these last four days have been excellent with GWML day 1 resulting in 15 red pens and 1 new shack, GWML day 2 resulting in 12 red pens and 6 new shacks, Glasgow Day 1 resulting in 21 red pens and 10 new shacks and the best day by far Glasgow Day 2 resulting in 33 red pens and 16 new shacks. With a grand total of 81 red pens and 33 new shacks!! I’m already have an idea for a trip next week and the week after. Look out for these reports if they do happen. Thanks for reading.
 
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Techniquest

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Jeez how empty was your book before this trip?! The hotel is nice and close to Central, I wonder which one it is as it could prove useful.

Milliken Park, one of just two stations on the electric lines west of Glasgow that I need!

Another fantastic read good sir, I am curious as to where you're going next. Well done on the major amount of red penning and shack scoring!
 

Cletus

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Near the end of the day, you got on a needed 380008, but you'd been on it earlier in the day to Paisley Canal. ;)
 

andyb2706

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Near the end of the day, you got on a needed 380008, but you'd been on it earlier in the day to Paisley Canal. ;)

Thanks for noticing that, just checked back in my book and it was a typo. It was 380009 that took me to Paisley Canal and not 380008.
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Jeez how empty was your book before this trip?! The hotel is nice and close to Central, I wonder which one it is as it could prove useful.

Milliken Park, one of just two stations on the electric lines west of Glasgow that I need!

Another fantastic read good sir, I am curious as to where you're going next. Well done on the major amount of red penning and shack scoring!

Quiet a lot but I'm now down to 5x318's, 6x320's and 9x380's and I'm sorry I've got Milliken Park before you.....erm, actually no I'm not :p

The hotel is called Alexander Thomson. Go down the first escalator from the main station as if you are heading down to the lower level but turn right at the bottom and leave the station, cross at the lights and walk away from the station with the bridge to your back, pass the Spoons and it is just down there on your right. It cost me £64 a night for a double room with single occupancy but did include a hot and cold buffet breakfast so all you could eat.

My plans are (if they come off) to have another major red penning and shack crossing off because one day would be a T&W Metro day (something I have been saying for ages) and the second day would be a Zone 1-6 pass for London.
 

Techniquest

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Some interesting plans good sir, I'm having a bit of a clearout next month on the Tyne and Wear Metro. London is seriously calling too but no available dates for it until January!
 

andyb2706

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After missing over a month of getting out on the rails due to a holiday and crazy time at work I finally have a day were I can just get out and enjoy myself, my actual decision on what rover to do as I had a choice of the Wets Midland, Cheshire and Lancashire was a hard decision which I had been contemplating for over a week but on the eve of the trip I finally decided to go with the West Midland, so choice made I was able to relax and await the following morning.

With the alarm sounding a 6am, this in fact was a lie in seeing what time I’ve been getting up for work for the last week I had some breakfast and prepared lunch and showered before heading out, although it was a little bit later then attended as I was looking to pick up the tram at about 07.30 it turned out to be about 20 minutes later and kind of scuppered my original plan. So I boarded dud 3095 for the trip to Cornbrook and while on the trip I looked for alternative plans and came up with one to start the day off which would result in a new shack with not much festering time.

On reaching Cornbrook we were all asked to leave the tram as this was its destination with only 1 minute to wait until the Piccadilly tram arrived formed of dud 3085 to take me to Manchester Piccadilly station, arriving at Piccadilly I go and purchase my tickets for the day and realise that my original plan was still possible but this would eliminate the new shack or a longer fester at Stoke to carry out the new shack, so I make my way to the platform for the 0827 to Bournemouth to discover with a minute before departure it was dud 221132 so I decide to let that go and head over for the 0835 to London Euston formed of dud 390129 to take me to Stoke-on-Trent to go with my second original plan, hope you are still following me. So I settle down for the trip to Stoke with a table to myself and start on this report.

At Stoke I depart the London Euston service with a 15-minute wait until the departure of my next train, just enough time to grab a coffee and required 350376 arrives to take me to my first new shack of the day.

At Stone I leave the train and cross to the opposite platform for yet another 15-minute fester for my return journey to Stoke-on-Trent when required 350125 arrived to take me there, back at Stoke-on-Trent I don’t have long to wait, only 8-minutes for dud 221124 to take me to Wolverhampton where the plan was to pick up the Arriva Trains Wales service to Shrewsbury and get some of the stations done along that line, however when the train arrived they were both dud units in the form of 158821 and 158837 while in the meantime a required 350259 was stood in platform 5 to form a service to Walsall about 5-minutes after the ATW train departed, so a quick change of plan and I boarded 350259 to take me to my next new shack for the day and I stayed on this train until we reached Witton. On the way to Witton I noticed one of my two required 323 units for haulage was sat on Soho so that was a probable no go for the day.

At Witton I leave the train and cross to the opposite platform to pick up a dud 350240 to dud station of Duddeston. I didn’t fancy standing on a cold platform for 30-minutes too often today. At Duddeston with a 10-minute fester when dud 350266 arrives to take me to the new shack of Hamstead, at Hamstead I have a 30-minute fester (which turns out to be a 40-minute fester due to late running) I have enough time to nip out of the station to pick up my next coffee before returning to the platform with enough time to drink it and have some lunch, with just short of 10-minutes to wait after finishing lunch required 350232 arrives to take me to my next new shack.
Arriving at Bescot Stadium I miss two Colas Class 70 locomotives which are parked behind a load of Network Rail wagons which is quite disappointing as I do not have many of them to date. I leave the train at Bescot Stadium for a 25-minute wait until my next train and during that time there were quite a 66 locomotives noted down and one was on a container train which was going into the yard from the Walsall direction and came to a stand right across the junction bringing all the trains to a stand….oopps! One of the trains it brought to a stand was 170510 which turned out to be a required unit so a bit of searching of RTT I figured out a way to pick it up later. My next train was dud 323207 to take me to dud station of Walsall, there was a reason for this move as this was where I picked up the required 170510 to take me back to Birmingham New Street after a 20-minute fester at Walsall.
Back at Birmingham I had a game of musical trains, all will become clear, my train arrived on the opposite platform to a pair of Virgin Trains 221 units with one of the units being a required unit (221115) so I had decided to go on this unit to either Birmingham International or Coventry but I had 26-minutes to kill until its departure so I had a mooch around. With 5-minutes to go I noted that there was a London Midland 350 to Liverpool Lime Street only 5-minutes after the Virgin Train departs, so I check the London Midland unit and find it is a required 350, so scrub the Virgin 221 I’m going to go for the London Midland 350 to either Wolverhampton or Stafford…then I turn around, and notice an ATW 158 to Shrewsbury (then off into Wales but I struggle to spell the name of those places so I just refer to the service going to Shrewsbury – Ed.) and find out that the leading 158 was a dud but the rear 158830 was a required unit, so scrub the London Midland 350 and board the ATW 158 as far as Wolverhampton.

With only a 5-minute wait at Wolverhampton the London Midland 350 that I abandoned in favour of the ATW 158 arrives and I board required 350248 to take me to Stafford. With a 20-minute fester at Stafford before my train back towards Birmingham I manage to get a photograph of 92033 in the Caledonian Sleeper livery on a light engine move through Stafford, I then board dud 220030 for my trip back towards Birmingham New Street.
By the time I get back to Wolverhampton I have had enough of the Voyager (have I ever mentioned I do not like the Voyager fleet? – Ed.) and bail on one side of the island platform while on the opposite side is sat a Virgin 390 working the 1545 to London Euston and to my surprise it was required 390154, I thought I’ll have some of that so jump on board for a 6-minute fester before we depart. During that time, I am trying to decide where to go on it. Birmingham International or Coventry although I am surprised it also calls at Sandwell & Dudley. As we depart I’m peering out of the window and see something that fundamentally changes the remainder of the day, when there waiting in platform 5 to work the 1550 to Walsall was 323241….the one of my last two 323 units I require for haulage. So like a flash I decide to bail of the 390 at Sandwell & Dudley (if you ever told me I would be getting off a Virgin 390 at Sandwell & Dudley at the beginning of the day I would think you were of your rocker – Ed.)

So at Sandwell & Dudley I leave the Virgin train which to me seemed weird getting of an Intercity train at a station of this size and stature and then while waiting it was straight onto Twitter to see if London Midland could help in locating my last 323, unfortunately they were too busy to help so I had some thinking to do, 323241 arrived bang on time, one down one to go. Will I clear my 323 units today? Only time will tell.

At Birmingham New Street I leave the train and decide to go old school, chance my arm and hope it turns up, see who cracks first myself or London Midland so I head to platform 12 and think my best bet would that it would turn up on the cross city service and I would check every service towards Longbridge (I did have to change platforms once or twice due to re-platforming. I just think London Midland were testing me) and seeing they were every 10-minutes I thought I might stand a chance. Trains came and trains went, platform staff must have been wondering what I was up to but I might have just blended in with the rest of the crowd as it was getting to rush hour. After 40-minutes I was beginning to wonder if it was going to turn up but seeing I did not know what was going in the opposite direction I decided to give myself a couple of hours to give trains a chance to return from the far reaches of the Cross-City route. Although I did not have that long to wait as after 42-minutes to 1702 to Redditch arrived and 323221, my last 323 unit for red penning arrived. I so much wanted to jump and scream with glee but thought better of it with the platform being full of passengers, that was the next issue, getting on the train, I didn’t care if it was sardines I was getting on, elbows at the ready I was as determined as ever but happily I found it quite easy to get on board the train.

At University, I leave the lovely train, the 323’s have been stuck on two now for a good two years so I have a satisfied glow that it is now completed. I cross to the opposite platform for the definite dud 323215 to take me back to Birmingham New Street. On arriving I decide it is now time to head off for some dinner but decide to leave Birmingham for the last time and notice that within 10-minutes a London Midland service to Liverpool will depart, so I head off to the platform and find it to be required 350104 and although this was another game of sardines with standing room only I decide to go with it and board the train, a few minutes down we depart and it is standing room only until Wolverhampton where I manage to get a seat and leave the train at Stafford and start a 10-minute walk (it has just started to rain – Ed.) to The Picture House pub (a spoons by the way) in Stafford…..They still have the screen above the bar with a load of movie memorabilia plastered on the walls, food consumed and a stupendous pint of Exmoor Gold I update my report to this point and I can go no further at this moment.

Back at the Stafford station with a what should have been a 20-minute fester but my train was running 8-minutes late and what should be the first thing I see but 68007, one of the Scotrail livered engines heading south on a freight train….wonder what was operating the Scotrail services then? Time was spent by observing a couple of freight trains pass through one hauled by a pair of 90’s while the second was a 66, in the meantime 2 Royal Mail trains rushed through each formed of 3 x325 units of which I didn’t get a single unit number, so difficult to get at night. After moaning about my trip home to a few fellow spotters on the internet my train rolled in and it turned out to be required 220006 and it was 8 minutes late, so I boarded and found a pair of empty airline seats and plugged my phone in, I have said it in the past and will say it again the Voyagers are better than the Pendolino in one aspect and that is that there is a plug socket at every window seat so everyone is not fighting for a table. The journey goes pretty well….actually very well although we were 8 minutes late leaving Stafford we were 1 minute early arriving into Piccadilly, we had done Stafford to Manchester in 58 minutes. Maybe the Voyager isn’t that bad after all?........Nah! they are.

Downstairs at Manchester Piccadilly I only have a few minutes to wait for a dud 3008 tram to take me to Cornbrook where again after only a few minutes to wait dud 3109 tram to the Airport arrives to take me home. A day that I was going to enjoy ended up being a spectacular day with the highlight being the way I cleared the 323 units for haulage….old school style, the not knowing whether my last unit was going to turn up, the game of attrition I was having with London Midland to see who would buckle first and then it happened London Midland flinched and 323221 rolled into the platform, also the unusual sight for me of alighting a Pendolino at Sandwell & Dudley, the constant changing of plans when I spot something else new and a few new shacks to boot. I went to bed a very happy boy.

NEW SHACKS
Bescot Stadium, Hamstead, Stone, Witton

NEW UNITS
158830, 170510, 220006, 323221, 323241, 350104, 350125, 350232, 350248, 350259, 350376, 390154.
 

fishquinn

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A huge congrats on clearing the starships - something I'm 5 away from (all Northern). Ouch to the fester at Hamstead too - I had a +3 when I did it from the Walsall direction.
 

Techniquest

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I don't remember much about Hamstead to be honest, it was that long ago!

Quite a decent variety had there, and plenty of scores. Welcome back after what must have been a tough time with so much work lately.

Surprised you didn't know about 390s calling at Sandwell & Dudley, done it several times myself. Including off 390s hauled by 57/3s in August 2008!
 

andyb2706

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To be honest I didn't mind the fester at Hamstead. Found a nice coffee shop a few minutes walk from the station, was going to head to the chippy a few doors down but wanted to save myself for the spoons late on (calorie count more than anything!), so grabbed a coffee and back to the station into the shelter with a seat and was able to have my lunch in peace.

Work is still crazy Jules, working last two nights and tonight although I should have been off and I'm being asked to work Wednesday night as well, although I've not said yes to that yet.
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Well the plan for this week was to do two big day trips somewhere, but do to short notice work commitment that all changed, so what should I do? After much deliberation, I decided to repeat my last trip that was only 5 days ago and return to the West Midlands as it was only on my last trip that I realised how much more I still needed in the area. I had in the past been mainly concentrating on the London Midland 172’s, 323’s and 350’s. Although none of the 172’s or 323’s are now needed there is still quite a few of the 350’s required and that’s not taking into account the rest of their stock and also the Cross Country and Virgin 221’s that pass through Birmingham along with still needing 30+ stations. So it appears I still have a good few trips in this neck of the wood to come, this trip will follow in the same principle as the last…..a lot of bashing and a new spoons for food in the evening before heading home (Oh my God!! I’ve started collecting Spoons as well, this is getting desperate – Ed.)

I leave my flat at the same time as my previous trip and have a 10-minute walk ahead of me to get to the tram stop where I pick up a dud 3085 at the same time as 5 days ago for the trip Cornbrook where I must change trams on to dud 3077 to take me to Manchester Piccadilly station. This is going to be a tight connection but after purchasing my tickets I climb aboard the 0835 to London Euston with 4 minutes to spare on dud 390104 for the trip to Stoke-on-Trent.

Arriving at Stoke-on-Trent 8 minutes late due to abridge bash it was only a few minutes’ wait for dud 350116 to take me on my next leg of the journey, now where would this be too? On the trip I have an internal discussion as to whether this would be Stone to pick up the return trip to Stoke-on-Trent, or Stafford as there would be a large choice of trains or on to required shack of Atherstone but do I really want to be standing around on a cold platform for 30 minutes waiting for its return trip?

At Stafford, I decided to leave the train because after looking at RTT I realised if I leave Atherstone until next summer I should be able to tie Wilnecote in with it in some (hopefully) nicer weather. In a 20-minute window, I have two trains to choose from to take me towards Birmingham, either a Cross Country or a London Midland. The Cross Country arrived first working the 1000 to Bristol Temple Meads and was formed of required 220019 which was quite full and no two seats available, I don’t know about you but have I said before I find these units’ quiet claustrophobic and if you are sat next to someone you feel like you are sat on their lap, so I decided to stand in the vestibule as I was only going to Wolverhampton on this train.

At Wolverhampton, I had three options. These were the 1020 to Walsall, 1020 to Liverpool Lime Street or the 1025 to Shrewsbury which would have included a bit of shack hunting. The 1020 to Walsall was formed of dud 350232 while the 1020 to Liverpool Limes Street was a required 350245 which I boarded for a short run back to Stafford.

Back at Stafford I realise that yet again within a short period of time I have a choice of 5 trains so a good chance of a requirement among one of them, however one of the possibilities turned out a no go as it took me a few minutes to figure out that its first stop was London Euston… I don’t think the WMDR stretches that far, anyhow a few duds came and went but then required 350101 rolled in to work the 1055 to London Euston so I hopped on board and did a quick check on connections at this trains stops and decided to stay on until I reach Nuneaton so its sit back and relax for a 40-minute run on quiet a quite train, although we are going extremely slowly this run may take a little more than 40-minutes. I was right, we lost 6 minutes between Stafford and Rugeley Trent Valley which meant I would only have a 3 minute connection if the train remained on these timings, and it did on arriving at Nuneaton I had 3 minutes to get over the bridge to the Birmingham New Street trains platform and the design of the bridge did not help as I had to go back on myself and then on the steps down people were walking really slowly and taking up all the steps – people if you are going to walk slowly do it at one side (angry moment rant -Ed.) I jumped on board 170638 with 30 seconds to spare and upon checking I was disappointed, although I still need many of the Cross Countries 170’s this was not one of them…637 and 639 would have been though- typical. Anyhow on the trip to Birmingham I came to the conclusion that Cross Countries 170’s was far superior to their Voyager trains and also planned my next move, we were booked to arrive into platform 9 and on platform 10 was the 1219 to Nottingham so I had a 5-minute connection.

At Birmingham New Street everything went to plan, as we arrived I noted required 170107 was standing on Platform 10 so as soon as the doors opened I was like a jack-in-a-box and off the train heading over to Platform 10, you know other passengers do get in the way ;) . This trip out to Tamworth on 170107 should be a success in more than one way. Firstly, it is a new unit, secondly it will be a new bit of track between Water Orton and Tamworth, oh and thirdly did I mention that the next train from Tamworth back to Birmingham New Street should be a Cross Country HST!!!

At Tamworth I swap platforms to wait for the HST train back to Birmingham New Street, the train is on time but it is not looking good as the PIS states it is only 5 carriage long, hmmm a bit short for a HST although it could be a short formation that was until the headlight cluster of a Voyager came into sight and my heart dropped. On the positive side, it was a required 221135 to take me back to Birmingham New Street, on arriving back at New Street it was turned 1308 and I was planning to go and get some lunch, however on the adjoining platform was required 170519 to Nottingham. Lunch can wait and after examining RTT I will have a good 30-minute fester at Tamworth, but hey it will be worth it as I have just scrubbed another 170 off my needs list.

After my 20-minute fester at Tamworth my train arrived to take me back to Birmingham new Street and transpired to be required 170520 (I’m doing well with these today! - Ed.) so the trip back to Birmingham I noted another new 66 for the day as we passed Saltley and to be honest every time I passed there today there was a new locomotive.

Back at Birmingham New Street I decide it is time to get a few shacks knocked off my required list so I board a required 350263 to take me to my first new shack of the day and leave the train at Tile Hill, with only a 5-minute fester my next train soon arrived formed of also required 350256 to take me to my next new shack of Hampton-in-Arden where with a +8 I made a leisurely stroll to the opposite platform where a pair of duds (350241 & 350129) arrived to take me on to my next new shack of Canley.

At Canley I had a 30 minute wait for the next time and now at 1600 it has gone dark and the chill is really starting to bite, when the train arrived it was a dud 350244 to take me to my final new station of the day Berkswell where with an 18 minute wait in the cold I knew the day was drawing to an end. My train arrived and was formed of required 350101 and took me to Coventry where I had decided to find a Wetherspoons to add to my slowly growing collection. A ten-minute walk from the station was The Flying Standard and a Chicken, Bacon and Cheese Panini was purchased and washed down with a pint of Mad Goose (still can’t make my mind up about that pint – Ed.)

I decide it is time to head home after having my dinner so I make my way back to Coventry station knowing that there was an 1827 to Manchester Piccadilly which I intended to catch, anyhow back at the station a few minutes before my train was due to arrive a Virgin Train to Birmingham New Street arrived and was formed of a required 390047, so my plans changed and I quickly rushed over to the opposite platform and boarded the Virgin Train and headed off to Birmingham New Street ( I’ll have to remember and start calling it The Bat Cave – Ed.)

At Birmingham New Street my plan was to now pick up the train I was going to pick up from Coventry before the Virgin Train appeared, however on the opposite platform of the island platform we arrived on there was a Cross Country Voyager to Manchester which should have been the 1831 but was still there at 1845, actually this train turned out to be a VSTP (Very Short Train Plan) as the train that should have worked the service was 1M61 1700 Bristol Temple Meads to Manchester Piccadilly but was stuck around Cheltenham Spa area due to leaves on the line and therefore they had found a spare unit and started 1T61 1831 Birmingham New Street to Manchester Piccadilly with a delay. On checking the unit it was found to be required 220027 so I hopped on board to as far as Wolverhampton where I finally picked up the train I was intending to pick up from Coventry but when it turned up it was a dud 221135, I decided to only go as far as Stafford on this train then as I knew behind it was a couple of London Midland 350’s working services to Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent as well as a couple more Voyagers.

At Stafford I leave the Voyager and don’t have long to wait for the first London Midland to arrive which was formed of dud 350260 and a few minutes after that a pair of dud units (350241 & 350129 ) arrived to form the second service to Crewe, I let that go too knowing that a Voyager was due in 17 minutes time at 2002, however it was running 15 minutes late but I would have to wait…and wait…and wait, but in the meantime 70006 and 68003 where seen heading their own freight trains. I waited so long the 2032 from Stafford to Manchester Piccadilly arrived first and I was awarded for my delay when it turned up as required 220007 to take me forward as the train I was waiting for was supposed to be only 8-minutes behind so I had thought of getting off this train at Stoke-on-Trent to wait for the late runner just in case it was a required unit. However, by the time I got to Stoke-on-Trent I had been dozing and couldn’t be bothered getting off (which turned out to be a wise choice as the original train was further delayed and ended up getting to Manchester Piccadilly 59 minutes late due to leaves on the line – Ed.)

On arriving at Piccadilly, I head straight for the tram and board dud 3086 to take me to Cornbrook where I transfer (within 2 minutes, when the Metrolink runs well it does run very well – Ed.) dud 3106 to take me onto the Airport line, while I was at Cornbrook I did have my first sighting of 3117, the highest numbered tram I’ve seen so far heading to Manchester Victoria. Getting off the tram I have a 10-minute walk in the rain to get home but I have my umbrella with me and reflect on the day and the rain was not all that bad and didn’t dampen my mood.

NEW SHACKS

Berkswell, Canley, Hampton-in-Arden, Tile Hill

NEW UNITS
170107, 170519, 170520, 220007, 220019, 220027, 221135, 350101, 350106, 350245, 350256, 350253, 390047.
 

Techniquest

Veteran Member
Joined
19 Jun 2005
Messages
21,674
Location
Nowhere Heath
Wow that was quite the clearout!

I had forgotten how irritating the bridge is at Nuneaton, thankfully it's not one I need to use very often. I'm not convinced I would rate an XC 170 higher than a Voyager, in fairness I'm not exactly the forum's biggest fan of 170s though. A lot of that is down to having to use them so often through no choice on my way to/from the Midlands, trust me 170s get boring very quickly!

I sympathise with Canley though, I spent about the same amount of time there as you when I got it, and it was almost dark and rather nippy when I went. That must have been in 2009 from memory, as I don't remember the 350/2s being all that old at the time. Certainly the seats on 350/1s were in better condition back then!

Ouch to the 221 vice HST at Tamworth though, more than disappointing! Overall a very good day for you and your books, and the read helped fill the fester in the cold for my bus to work this morning. The rest finished on board and the reply filled the first third of the journey too, so I'm very pleased about that!

Hopefully one day I might be around and able to join some of you regular trip reporters on my stomping grounds! Quite, the Midlands has proved popular lately with yourself, Kite and rg177 all coming down in the last week!

Finally, remember we all call New Street The Bat Cave! ;)
 

andyb2706

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Joined
21 Jan 2013
Messages
747
Location
Manchester
This trip was sort of a last-minute decision. After a couple of heavy days of celebrating Christmas with a Santa Walk, a birthday celebration and a works do I still had 24 hours left on my pass, but I wasn’t sure whether it would have been a good idea and would a quite day at home recuperating be the best choice. Well in the morning and within 30 minutes I must have changed my mind ½ a dozen times. But seeing I am writing this report it must tell you that I did decide to take the plunge and off I went. I wanted a rather relaxed day so decided to do some shack hunting along the North Wales coast and that I would get the 0950 to Holyhead which is booked to be a class 67 and then see where I go from there.

So it was off to the tram stop for dud 3063 to take me to Cornbrook where there was a 2-minute wait for my next tram which was also a dud 3105 but I only stayed on this as far as St. Peters Square as the tram was for Shaw and I needed to get to Manchester Piccadilly, at St. Peters Square I only have a minute to wait for yet another dud 3100 to take me to Manchester Piccadilly.
Arriving at Manchester Piccadilly I am getting a bit pushed for time and do not have time to call at Greggs for breakfast so source a breakfast roll from the Upper Crust on the station, it was not bad but nothing like a Greggs bacon roll.

Off to the far outer reaches of platform 14 I head and once the Blackpool and Barrow train waits I wait with bated breath for the arrival of the Class 67……..and a 175 turns up!! (I later find out the Class 67 had failed at Crewe this morning – Ed.) Saying that though it was 175106 and my first requirement of the day so as the saying goes every cloud has a silver lining. On the trip to Holyhead I start planning my moves for the day, today is more about shack hunting than unit hunting so any good units are a bonus.
At Holyhead I don’t have long to wait as the next departure is only 16 minutes later and I board a dud Virgin Trains 221110, as we travel through Anglesey I decide these station will have to wait for the summer with a chance of better weather.

At Bangor I leave this train to score my second shack of the day, where I cross to the opposite platform as there is only a 13 minute wait for required 175003 to take me to my next new shack of Llanfairpwll, here I leave the train and after the obligatory shots of the full name of the station which is the longest name on the British network (I had to visit here for just this – Ed.) I am heading off within 16 minutes on required 158841.

At Llandudno Junction I leave the train to score my next shack and nearly went off plan today for a quick trip to Deganwy on board dud 175007 but decided to stick to plan which probably proofed more fruitful. Required 221115 of Virgin Trains rolled in to take me onto my next new shack and it wasn’t long before I was leaving the train at Colwyn Bay, here with a 7-minute fester before the dud 175007 (remembering me mentioning it from earlier? – Ed.) to take me to my next new shack.

At Abergele and Pensarn I leave the train for a new shack, here I have a 27-minute fester for my next train so decide to take a PNB and also visit the Co-Op across the road to pick up a couple of beers for the curry I am having at friends in Stockport later tonight. Back at the station with only 10 minutes remaining it is not long before dud 175005 to take me to the new shack of Rhyl where after an 8-minute fester dud 175003 to take me onto new station of Prestatyn.

At Prestatyn it was booked a 50-minute fester but only a minute or so after setting foot onto the station required 158818 arrived going to Holyhead with a dud 158830 on the rear, so I jumped on board the 158818 for a short hop back to Rhyl with it now only being a 32-minute fester for my next train, when that arrived I was surprised to see it was 158830, which must have been detached from the rear of the Holyhead train at Llandudno Junction.
I remain on the 158 as far as Flint which is my final new shack for the day, when with just over 10-minutes to wait for dud 175112 arrives to take me back to Manchester Piccadilly, to be honest I don’t remember much of this journey as I think I was asleep for the most of it.

Back at Manchester Piccadilly it was a quick dash over to the main station to pick up dud 175111 for a short hop to Stockport and a visit to a friends and great company and fabulous food and beer before heading back to the station to head home. I boarded a dud 185143 and was met by a few colleagues who I had been out with the day before so a chat on the 10-minute run back to Manchester Piccadilly was a joy. I headed down to the Metrolink station and boarded a dud 3051 to as far as Cornbrook before picking up dud 3084 to Wythenshawe Park and home.

What a great day I had, Plenty of new shacks, a few new units and a planned and unplanned meet up with friends and a curry and beer on top. That is a perfect day for me.

NEW UNITS
158818, 158841, 175003, 175106, 221115.

NEW SHACKS
Abergele & Pensarn, Bangor, Colwyn Bay, Flint, Holyhead, Llandudno Junction, Llanfairpwll, Prestatyn, Rhyl.

NEW ROUTES
Chester to Holyhead
 
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