ash39's Trip Reports & Photos 2

[Kite159]

Running is a useful way of speeding up the shack collecting. Cycling would be useful for some of the stations further apart but it's a bit of a faff with the bikes on trains.

Hence why I used a folding bike back in the day, easier to carry on trains as it could be folded away and stored in luggage racks etc.

But running gets you out and about with exercise. Personally I'm trying to fit in walks between/around my last couple hundred stations I need for photographs.

 

[xotGD]

Isn't the best way to travel between two stations......


.....a train?

 

[ash39]

If there is one, yes!

 

[Techniquest]

Running is a useful way of speeding up the shack collecting. Cycling would be useful for some of the stations further apart but it's a bit of a faff with the bikes on trains.

Oh tell me about it! I'm getting better with the hooks on GWR's IETs now, had use of their trains quite a bit in recent weeks. Still a huge effort, don't get me wrong, but most of the time I'm able to do it now. That is when there's no other bikes on there though, so it will be interesting to see how it goes when I inevitably have to share a compartment with someone else's bike one day...

That 5km run I did last month (woohoo it's finally May, new challenges have begun on Strava!) ruined my legs something crazy, took a few days to recover so there's no way I'll do that again. A quick dash for the final bit to a station or something, yes that will do, but a proper run like yours I can only admire!

 

[ash39]

May attached. Not the most exciting but some local stations finally ticked off.

 

[Techniquest]

Not a bad month that, and is that both parts of the vaccine had or just one? I had the first part yesterday, looking forward to the second part later this summer. Minor headache last night and I've had two doses of soreness in the arm this morning, but so far I've not done too bad. Hoping it doesn't do anything else, as I've booked a trip to Derbyshire for Wednesday!

Good tip on that West Yorkshire ticket, I must make a note of that. I've been going to go to Leeds for a red pen fest for 2 years now, still not made it that far yet! So much to score up there, nearly done all the 150s at least. 2 158s of interest, I'll never clear the 153s now, there's still 4 333s to get plus all the 331/1s, almost all the 802/2s, all the LNER Azumas...Going to be a busy one when I do get up there again!

 

[Kite159]

A good month for your red pen and local stations. I need to remember about that ranger in case I'm in that area on a weekday.

Was the canal towpath decent enough between Kirkstall & Leeds?

 

[ash39]

Not a bad month that, and is that both parts of the vaccine had or just one? I had the first part yesterday, looking forward to the second part later this summer. Minor headache last night and I've had two doses of soreness in the arm this morning, but so far I've not done too bad. Hoping it doesn't do anything else, as I've booked a trip to Derbyshire for Wednesday!

Good tip on that West Yorkshire ticket, I must make a note of that. I've been going to go to Leeds for a red pen fest for 2 years now, still not made it that far yet! So much to score up there, nearly done all the 150s at least. 2 158s of interest, I'll never clear the 153s now, there's still 4 333s to get plus all the 331/1s, almost all the 802/2s, all the LNER Azumas...Going to be a busy one when I do get up there again!

Just the first vaccine so far. The sore arm lasts a few days but the other symptoms pass nice and quickly!

You'll have a field day next time you're in Leeds, so much new stuff to go after. It's nice not having the bunfight on platform 16 for a 3-car 185 anymore!

A good month for your red pen and local stations. I need to remember about that ranger in case I'm in that area on a weekday.

Was the canal towpath decent enough between Kirkstall & Leeds?

The path is decent all the way, one bit gets a bit waterlogged but you can bypass it by walking on the road to the side. If you have the time I'd start from Shipley for a slightly longer walk, would be about 10 miles.

 

[xotGD]

Just the first vaccine so far. The sore arm lasts a few days but the other symptoms pass nice and quickly!

You'll have a field day next time you're in Leeds, so much new stuff to go after. It's nice not having the bunfight on platform 16 for a 3-car 185 anymore!



The path is decent all the way, one bit gets a bit waterlogged but you can bypass it by walking on the road to the side. If you have the time I'd start from Shipley for a slightly longer walk, would be about 10 miles.

Starting from the Leeds end, the Kirkstall Bridge Inn provides a welcome rest stop. Did that in the days before Kirkstall Forge and then walked up to Headingley for the train back.

Back to the trip report, it looks like you've got an opportunity to score quite a few more 222s on their service up to Leeds.

 

[Techniquest]

I have been lucky then, I've not really had much in the way of a sore arm. Still got some aches from a recent accident, which do seem to be minorly related to the vaccine. Not sure!

I've only had it a couple of days ago, and rumour has it side effects usually kick in after 3 days. We will see! Already booked my Derbyshire trip so hopefully everyone is wrong and I'll be fine. Yes indeed Leeds is going to be epic when I get there, and not getting ready to fight through the crowds for a solo 185 is definitely a nice thought!

 

[NorthWestRover]

All things being equal I'm having a bit of a unit bash around West Yorkshire tomorrow and possibly my long delayed West Midlands bash (with maybe 67 haulage) on Thursday. Jab number 2 on Friday. AZ. I was totally fine first time around so fingers crossed it's the same again this time. Friends and family have had mixed experiences, so I think it's just luck of the draw.

 

[ash39]

June should be an interesting one. 1 week in and I've already done 11 new (very random) stations. Aylesbury, Berry Brow, Kingussie and Spean Bridge should give an idea of how random!

 

[Techniquest]

June should be an interesting one. 1 week in and I've already done 11 new (very random) stations. Aylesbury, Berry Brow, Kingussie and Spean Bridge should give an idea of how random!

That's an eclectic mix! Definitely looking forward to your June report when it's ready, and you might be interested to know I'm expecting to have one up myself in due course. Possibly...

 

[Iskra]

That does sound interesting. I like the names of those stations you chose, as well as being interesting places in their own right; Spean Bridge, Kingussie and Berry Brow are very evocative I'm looking forward to the report.

 

[Cletus]

Nice report and pictures.

It's good to know there's a version of the WY Rover that can be used in the afternoon peak.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Nice report and pictures.

It's good to know there's a version of the WY Rover that can be used in the afternoon peak.

Ditto, I've tended to do it in the winter months where I didnt mind calling it a day at 4pm but great to know there is an all day option.

 

[Kite159]

The path is decent all the way, one bit gets a bit waterlogged but you can bypass it by walking on the road to the side. If you have the time I'd start from Shipley for a slightly longer walk, would be about 10 miles.

*Adds to big list of things to do*

Probably on a Sunday if I ever find myself in Bradford on a Saturday night

 

[NorthWestRover]

All things being equal I'm having a bit of a unit bash around West Yorkshire tomorrow

Well, I did this yesterday. Had my first 802, had 91 haulage x 2 between Leeds and Wakefield, ticked off 2 more 333s.

 

[ash39]

Well it's a bit late, purely because it took so long to write up a 7 day trip, but June's report is finally attached. Apologies for the quality of the images, I've had to use high compression rather than medium due to the amount of photos to keep it under the forum 5mb file limit.

Since this report, I had a very quiet July and it probably won't even warrant a report. August however will be another good one when I finally get round to it - just finished a 3-day Heart of England rover.

 

[Techniquest]

I haven't read your June PDF yet, as I'm about to finish getting ready for work. So I'll have to read it later, however for the moment I note your comment on July being quiet. Maybe worth adding July to the August file, for completeness if nothing else?

I'm hoping my August doesn't turn out to be as quiet as it appears your July was, so far all I have to show for my August is a Hereford to Colwall and Ledbury to Hereford trip. I should be off to Bristol on Wednesday for the diverts though, after that there's nothing exciting in my month at all!

 

[ash39]

I haven't read your June PDF yet, as I'm about to finish getting ready for work. So I'll have to read it later, however for the moment I note your comment on July being quiet. Maybe worth adding July to the August file, for completeness if nothing else?

I'm hoping my August doesn't turn out to be as quiet as it appears your July was, so far all I have to show for my August is a Hereford to Colwall and Ledbury to Hereford trip. I should be off to Bristol on Wednesday for the diverts though, after that there's nothing exciting in my month at all!

I have also been to Hereford, Colwall and Ledbury in August!

 

[Techniquest]

I have also been to Hereford, Colwall and Ledbury in August!

A shame I didn't know, would have been nice to put a face to the name of ash39 One does wonder what you were up to in my local area, I guess I'll enjoy finding out in due course when the PDF is ready!

Just finished reading your June write-up, after starting it on break this morning. As always, an enjoyable read from start to finish. The walk around the falls sounded terrifying! Especially in inappropriate gear, that can't have been fun. The scenery around there does look amazing, I need to go and explore it properly one day.

Lots of stunning scenery across the board on your trip, just a wee bit jealous right now! I am very curious to know what the vegan haggis was like, that sounds strange but intriguing in equal measures. Plenty of scores all over Scotland I see too, I'm looking forward to taking full advantage of that allocations in RTT thing when I go up there. Like yourself, I need a fair few of the 5xx 156s, and I would like to get my last 158s if possible whilst up that far north. No idea when I'm going yet of course, hopefully I'll know soon...

 

[Kite159]

A productive trip to Scotland

 

[ash39]

August was another random month - featuring Avonmouth, Saltcoats and Coleshill Parkway, amongst others!

 

[Techniquest]

Wow that was quite the variety! As always I really enjoyed the read, it's a shame I wasn't aware of your arrival in my home city as I'd have put the red carpet out! It's not too often we get a legend of the trip reporting community up here after all!

I wonder how your September has been going in comparison, your August was certainly fun!

 

[Kite159]

I believe all the Avanti voyagers have been refurbished on the inside

A good mix of variety

 

[Andy Pacer]

A good read as ever Ash. You can pick up my home station of Syston another time!

 

[ash39]

Wow that was quite the variety! As always I really enjoyed the read, it's a shame I wasn't aware of your arrival in my home city as I'd have put the red carpet out! It's not too often we get a legend of the trip reporting community up here after all!

I wonder how your September has been going in comparison, your August was certainly fun!

Your red carpet would have got wet!

Likewise I see you've been up in our neck of the woods - I did a WYDR the same day you were up here. We must have crossed paths at some point as you have a photo of the 37 in platform 6 which I also saw, and I don't think it was there long?

I believe all the Avanti voyagers have been refurbished on the inside

A good mix of variety

Well I obviously wasn't paying attention when we travelled on the other pair between Tamworth & Lichfield! Come to think of it I think we stood in the vestibule and didn't make it into the saloon.

A good read as ever Ash. You can pick up my home station of Syston another time!

We did try! Thank you.

 

[Techniquest]

I don't immediately remember if the 37 was around for long, I think I'd not long got back from getting my very late breakfast and a cuppa going on, following my first visit to Decathlon. Either way I didn't stop to wait for it to leave, I think that was when I was off to Wakefield. I'm surprised the trip report text didn't mention the 37 to be honest, I must have been rushing that bit.

I'm hoping to return to West Yorkshire for another red pen fest soon enough, it doesn't look likely I'll be resuming my World Frenzy trips any time soon. So something needs to fill the void!

 

[ash39]

September report up. Not as active or varied as some this year, but two days in London got me plenty of stuff ticked off.