Anglia Plus Rover

[43167]

After many years of thinking about it, this week I have headed to the East for 3 days.

Started from Keighley on the Skipton-London to Peterborough on 43295/316, from there I did 170110 to Ely.

From there I did 170205 to Ipswich to scoop in the line from Ely to Bury St Edmunds. From Ipswich it was a quick spin along the Felixstowe branch on 153335.

Back at Ipswich the next move depended on what was going to Lowestoft, and as it turned out, a dud 170. So I did 90009 on 1400 Liv St to Norwich, then 156409 on 1436 to Great Yarmouth and 1512 Return as it covered both routes.

Back at Norwich, it was time to meet the family I am staying with.

Tomorrow depends if the Loco-hauled Yarmouth set is out, otherwise its up to Sheringham in the morning and some winner units in the afternoon.

 

[Crossover]

Did you get to call at Berney Arms? I did the line at the end of last year and we didn't call - not that there would have been any way off the station anyway with the amount of water around!

 

[TheEdge]

If you happen to be heading towards Cambridge tomorrow throw us a wave. Look for a "Dave"

 

[43167]

Did you get to call at Berney Arms? I did the line at the end of last year and we didn't call - not that there would have been any way off the station anyway with the amount of water around!

No, went straight through.

 

[43167]

So got to Norwich to see if the Loco-hauled set was out, but it was still stabled round the back of the station, so spent much of the day chasing winner units, with great success.

Started with getting 170272 on the 1005 to Lowestoft, took that Brundall, there I dropped onto 153314, and back at Norwich 156417 was about to go to Yarmouth, so it would have been rude not to join it. At Yarmouth had an hour, then got 153314 back to Norwich, where on the approach I saw 156418 going to Sheringham. So did the service an hour behind it on 156409 to Hoveton & Wroxham to get 418 on the way back. At Crown Point, the locohauled set had been thrown into action on 1436 to Yarmouth with 47818 leading, so I did 1458 Lowestoft to Reedham to make the 1512 Yarmouth-Norwich, with 47841 leading. On board the guard was kind enough to tell me it should then do the 1640, indeed, back at Norwich it was shown as doing that, but despite an ontime departure, 47818 only made it to Crown Point before been declared a failure and 841 took us back to the station.

However that then ment I could do 156412 on the next Lowestoft to Brundall and in doing so, cleared the Class. 156407 back to Norwich. Then 90010 on 1800 London to Diss, to make the 321 turn coming the other way and dropped onto 3 winners, 331, 310 & 448.
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Today was the 3rd and final day.

Again was out to see if the 1005 was hauled, but it was a 170 again, so I started the day with a trip to Ipswich and back, doing the 1000 Norwich-Liv St on 90013 and returned on 1000 Liv St-Norwich on 90007. Then focused on units again, 170204 to Brundall for 170270 back, (2 winners), was going to do 1240 GA service to Cambridge, but it was cancelled due to an earlier train failure, so had to due EMT's 1257 Liverpool service to Ely on 158854, then had a quick spin to Cambridge on 365516 and back on 170206, then headed back to Peterborough on 158863.

An hour and abit watching HST's, 91's and other things pass through, then did 1703 KX-Lds with 91103 back north and ended the day with 158904 on 1919 Leeds-Ribblehead to Keighley.

 

[Techniquest]

Sounds like you had a really good productive trip! Did I read it correctly that you've now cleared the massive fleet of 156s? If so, my envy and congratulations to you! Still need 63 of the things!

Looks like it's a lot of 170s to/from Lowestoft, don't know if that's booked but since I only need 1 more 2-car 170 over there it may be worth a look when I eventually make it over there.

Hopefully when I do get there GA get some 37s in place of the unreliable 47s, wouldn't mind a nice bit of EE noise to Yarmouth or Lowestoft! Or anywhere else for that matter. Say if a 90 expired part-way to London, bang a 37 on the front RA to London, yes please! So long as it's my booked train of course! I can dream...

So now you've had a massive clearout in Anglia, where's next?

 

[43167]

Thankyou. Still need to do Sheringham, so will do that when there's a diesel gala on at the North Norfolk and need 2 153's and 5 or 6 170's.

Next area, I think will be either the 3 Cardiff Valley branches I still need to do or the Thames Valley branches. Then that will leave just afew bits in the southeast.

 

[transportphoto]

Thankyou. Still need to do Sheringham, so will do that when there's a diesel gala on at the North Norfolk and need 2 153's and 5 or 6 170's.

That'll be the middle of June then *ShamelessPlug*

Seems like you made a rover that I now consider fairly mundane and boring (due to over use) fairly exciting! I'm glad you enjoyed your jollies in East Anglia... and that Abellio didn't annoy you too much!

TP

 

[Techniquest]

Seems like you made a rover that I now consider fairly mundane and boring (due to over use) fairly exciting!

I've kinda got the same problem in my patch with WMDRs and WM Daytrippers. Done them so often and in a relatively short space of them this year alone that it's not much fun at the moment. Whereas a trip to, say, Merseyside is more interesting as it's different. Besides, everyone finds their local patch boring/mundane after a while!

 

[TheEdge]

Seems like you made a rover that I now consider fairly mundane and boring (due to over use) fairly exciting! I'm glad you enjoyed your jollies in East Anglia... and that Abellio didn't annoy you too much!

Well I've done the best part of 9500 miles worth of Anglia Plus since January!

 

[D6975]

Cleared your 156s. Quite a feat. I've had 68 of the things without trying. En route to a required loco hauled or doing branches mostly. I gave up haulage bashing back in 1991, so alot of them were quite some time ago. Never had one North of Dundee/Perth or on the West Highland I'm glad to say.

 

[transportphoto]

Well I've done the best part of 9500 miles worth of Anglia Plus since January!

Yes, but you get paid for it :razz:

 

[matabiau]

If I understand correctly it is possible to cover the whole of the network covered by the Anglia Plus Rover ticket in the three days it is valid for? I will be basing myself in Norwich for the weekend 4th - 6th July and hope to take in a trip on the North Norfolk railway at the same time.

 

[transportphoto]

If I understand correctly it is possible to cover the whole of the network covered by the Anglia Plus Rover ticket in the three days it is valid for? I will be basing myself in Norwich for the weekend 4th - 6th July and hope to take in a trip on the North Norfolk railway at the same time.

Should be possible in a day if you're out long enough... certainly in three! I would say look out for me at the NNR but I don't reveal the link between my internet profile and my real self very often, so you might see me but you won't know about it! Present your valid Abellio Greater Anglia ticket / Anglia Plus at Sheringham Ticket Office to receive 10% off full priced tickets at the NNR.

 

[matabiau]

Thank you for the reassurance! I shall hopefully have time then to branch out onto other lines beyond the coverage of the rover ticket; Kings Lynn, Harwich, Clacton and even Sudbury. I have given myself a day either side of the three day rover to get to and from Gatwick so should be able to make a couple of stops on the way and the way back too.

Are there any other heritage railways or centres on the circuit?

 

[Crossover]

Myself and a few other members had a day on the Anglia Plus late last year (with 2 of us starting from Leeds! So naturally, a more limited time in the area) and still managed Sherringham, Great Yarmouth (Acle and Berney Arms) and Lowestoft (both lines to it)

The two of us that came from Leeds also did both routes from Ely to Ipswich and Ely to Norwich as part of the way across to/from Peterborough

So even from that, there isn't much that we missed just spending a day there

 

[matabiau]

I did Devon and Cornwall last summer over four days (including travel to and from Bristol) and it was a bit tight on the timing, so much so I didn't get to ride on the Bodmin Railway. The year before that was the North of Scotland from Edinburgh again over four days. That was a little more leisurely but then there weren't many trains each day. East Anglia seems geographically smaller and much better served by frequent trains. Hopefully that means there will be less waiting time at stations.

 

[43074]

Are there any other heritage railways or centres on the circuit?

There's also the Mid Norfolk Railway which runs between Wymondham & Dereham - the MNR station is a short walk away from the Wymondham Mainline station; Wymondham is on the Norwich to Ely line and is served by hourly services between Norwich and Cambridge. Check the MNR timetable if/before you go, because they are not as frequent as trains on the mainline.

From Hoveton & Wroxham station on the Norwich to Sheringham line there's also the Bure Valley Railway; trains run hourly between Norwich and Sheringham with all services calling at Wroxham, however there aren't as many trains on the Bure Valley Railway so check the timetable to avoid a lengthy wait at Hoveton & Wroxham. The BVR station is next to the Bittern Line station, and there is a dedicated footpath between the two. Also note this is a narrow gauge railway in a very nice area of Norfolk.


Further afield (not in the Anglia Plus Rover area), if you're considering the Sudbury branch there's the East Anglian Railway Museum on the Marks Tey to Sudbury line - this shares the Greater Anglia Chappel & Wakes Colne railway station on the Marks Tey to Sudbury line. Again trains run hourly between Marks Tey and Sudbury connecting with trains to Colchester & London at Marks Tey.

 

[matabiau]

Thank you for all your advice. I just need to find a good pub in Norwich now to savor real English ale! Unfortunately the line to Southwold was closed years ago!

 

[IanD]

As usual I'd suggest you look here:

http://whatpub.com/search?q=Norwich&t=ft&p=1&features=Pub,RealAle,Open

 

[TheEdge]

Thank you for all your advice. I just need to find a good pub in Norwich now to savor real English ale! Unfortunately the line to Southwold was closed years ago!

The Coach and Horses. All of two minutes from the station (and the unofficial traincrew pub!)

 

[Trainfan344]

In regards to heritage, the East Anglia Transport Museum is a 20 min bus ride away from Lowestoft.

 

[thegrimeater]

If I understand correctly it is possible to cover the whole of the network covered by the Anglia Plus Rover ticket in the three days it is valid for? I will be basing myself in Norwich for the weekend 4th - 6th July and hope to take in a trip on the North Norfolk railway at the same time.

The NNR have their vintage transport festival on 5th and 6th July. Looking at website it's a slighlty more intensive service. It also kicks off quads week so you can have a ride in the Gresley Quad-Arts to experience communting 1920s style!