Back on the platform

[palmersears]

So should we start a sweepstake around how many winners you'll get?

He should get most of the 387s, loads of 43s and IETs, a few DMUs and bits of the SWR stuff, as well as freight, so I reckon 122.

 

[The_Train]

a sweepstake sounds like a good idea actually. I can't offer any prizes to the winner though - maybe the person who hits the can win a and become

 

[03_179]

Shame you're over to Reading on Thursday .. I'm in Ipswich.

Wednesday I'm off to Leeds.

My sweepstake guess 249 'cops'

 

[47403]

Reading tickets all sorted for Thursday

Despite having had my day around the West Midlands not so long ago, I've maintained my previous plan to spend a bit of time at New Street and then Moor Street before heading south to Reading via Banbury. Hopefully Brum will play fair and give me some of the 170/172/323s that I missed out on during my last visit.

Looking forward to my first venture into GWR land and as always a report will follow

Enjoy Mr Train, I.well n truly filled my boots on GWR metals when I done a FoSS a while back, so i hope its as productive for you as it was for me. Happy hunting squire.

So should we start a sweepstake around how many winners you'll get?

With all them 800s I'd well n truly fill my boots too and I'd positively burst seeing any of the 59/1s but put me down for 53 please.

 

[Mills444]

Shame you're over to Reading on Thursday .. I'm in Ipswich.

Wednesday I'm off to Leeds.

My sweepstake guess 249 'cops'

wow 249 that seems quite high I will go for 150 cops

 

[03_179]

At Reading yesterday I managed a fair few cops in about 25 minutes.

 

[Kite159]

I would also say scores for Mr Train at Reading will be between 150 & 200. All those Turbos, SWR EMUs, 387s, 800/802s plus 43s will soon add up

Remember when coming in from the Oxford direction sit on the left hand side as you might grab some Chiltern stuff in the bays at Oxford, plus you will hopefully pick up a lot of bits at Reading depot if the XC service uses the relief lines [but you can always buy a return to Tilehurst to pass the depot again on a 387].

 

[palmersears]

To add to the above you'll also get Hinksey yard on the right just after Oxford, where there's often a few Colas 70s lurking, but you'll need a bit of luck that there aren't a rake of wagons on the line nearest the mains blocking the view.

Didcot yard is also on your right as you go round the curve, but it's a bit far away to ID anything properly.

 

[The_Train]

Remember when coming in from the Oxford direction sit on the left hand side as you might grab some Chiltern stuff in the bays at Oxford, plus you will hopefully pick up a lot of bits at Reading depot if the XC service uses the relief lines [but you can always buy a return to Tilehurst to pass the depot again on a 387].

Thanks Kite, I was going to ask about this sort of stuff so you must have read my mind

 

[The_Train]

To add to the above you'll also get Hinksey yard on the right just after Oxford, where there's often a few Colas 70s lurking, but you'll need a bit of luck that there aren't a rake of wagons on the line nearest the mains blocking the view.

Didcot yard is also on your right as you go round the curve, but it's a bit far away to ID anything properly.

Thanks mate. Let's hope the XC service from Banbury is quiet so I can jump from side to side

 

[Skymonster]

The 50s will in all likelihood pass through again after the SVR gala is done - 50008 taking 50015 back to the East Lancs. Look for a path from Kidderminster SVR to Bury ELR on Sunday / Monday / Tuesday.

Sadly the 50s are both headed from the SVR to a gala at the Nene Valley Railway via Butterley so won't be returning through Stafford.

 

[The_Train]

Sadly the 50s are both headed from the SVR to a gala at the Nene Valley Railway via Butterley so won't be returning through Stafford.

That will explain why I've not been able to find them on RTT then ah well I'm sure there will be other opportunities to nab them

 

[The_Train]

Having decided that technology should never be solely relied upon, my new ICRS UK Pocket Book has arrived today. I'm well invested and truly kitted out for this hobby now

Only question now is do I underline as I did as a kid or have times changed now? I've seen people using highlighters and all sorts to log in their books these days

 

[Kite159]

Having decided that technology should never be solely relied upon, my new ICRS UK Pocket Book has arrived today. I'm well invested and truly kitted out for this hobby now

Only question now is do I underline as I did as a kid or have times changed now? I've seen people using highlighters and all sorts to log in their books these days

Underline, ticking, highlighting, crossing, putting smiley faces in, it's all up to you.

IIRC someone I know ticks the unit number when they have seen it, underlines the unit number when they have had it for haulage and also underlines the carriage number.

 

[47403]

I underline in my platform 5, I've never seen the layout of the ICRS books but here's an example what I do in my platform 5, Beware I'm a bit OCD with my books.
For sight
43316 (43116) VE A IECP EC
For haulage
43316 (43116 VE A IECP EC

Might be a bit time consuming but I think it's looks tidy.
However each to their own but colouring in certainly isn't for me. Mind, as I've already said, I'm a bit OCD with my spotting books, same black pens, no free hand or ticks and woe betide a different colour pen being used.

 

[The_Train]

I underline in my platform 5, I've never seen the layout of the ICRS books but here's an example what I do in my platform 5, Beware I'm a bit OCD with my books.
For sight
43316 (43116) VE A IECP EC
For haulage
43316. (43116 VE A IECP EC

Might be a bit time consuming but I think it's looks tidy.
However each to their own but colouring in certainly isn't for me. Mind, as I've already said, I'm a bit OCD with my spotting books, same black pens, no free hand or ticks and woe betide a different colour pen being used.

Your underlining for sight is exactly how I used to do it as a child so I think that is the way forward. Will certainly keep me busy for a while anyway

 

[Skymonster]

Have a great trip tomorrow... I reckon about 130 in Biscuit Town itself, and a few more enroute. Good luck and good hunting.

 

[The_Train]

Have a great trip tomorrow... I reckon about 130 in Biscuit Town itself, and a few more enroute. Good luck and good hunting.

Thanks mate, looking forward to it.

Just out of interest, my first ticket is Stafford to Leamington Spa and it's this I will use to navigate Birmingham. Should I have any concerns about the barriers at New Street/Moor Street pinching my ticket?

 

[47403]

Your underlining for sight is exactly how I used to do it as a child so I think that is the way forward. Will certainly keep me busy for a while anyway

Oh good, I don't feel as bad now, thought it was just me
Have a good trip tomorrow, hope the book of sights profits big time. Look forward to the trip report, expect a bit envy, when you see the 59/1s. The gits always avoid me when I go to Ealing Broadway or Acton. Happy hunting squire.

 

[Skymonster]

Thanks mate, looking forward to it.

Just out of interest, my first ticket is Stafford to Leamington Spa and it's this I will use to navigate Birmingham. Should I have any concerns about the barriers at New Street/Moor Street pinching my ticket?

No I think it will be fine - it won't be pinched, the worst that can happen is it'll be rejected and you'll have to show it to a human being. Hope you get lots of good numbers to tick off in your new book - almost certainly you will do...

 

[The_Train]

Oh good, I don't feel as bad now, thought it was just me
Have a good trip tomorrow, hope the book of sights profits big time. Look forward to the trip report, expect a bit envy, when you see the 59/1s. The gits always avoid me when I go to Ealing Broadway or Acton. Happy hunting squire.

No I think it will be fine - it won't be pinched, the worst that can happen is it'll be rejected and you'll have to show it to a human being. Hope you get lots of good numbers to tick off in your new book - almost certainly you will do...

Thanks guys, here's hoping for a profitable day

 

[03_179]

How did it go mate ???

 

[The_Train]

How did it go mate ???

It's been a good day mate. Plenty going on at Reading to keep me busy and got to see a few things I'd not considered seeing which is always a bonus.

Not totalled up the winners yet so I'll keep you all on tenterhooks to see how many I bagged. Will probably start my report tomorrow

 

[noddy1878]

I underline in my platform 5, I've never seen the layout of the ICRS books but here's an example what I do in my platform 5, Beware I'm a bit OCD with my books.
For sight
43316 (43116) VE A IECP EC
For haulage
43316. (43116 VE A IECP EC

Might be a bit time consuming but I think it's looks tidy.
However each to their own but colouring in certainly isn't for me. Mind, as I've already said, I'm a bit OCD with my spotting books, same black pens, no free hand or ticks and woe betide a different colour pen being used.

I too have to do it neatly with nothing freehand. All the same colour and if my pen blobbed I was always livid!

Your underlining for sight is exactly how I used to do it as a child so I think that is the way forward. Will certainly keep me busy for a while anyway

Me too and thats how I carried on when I came back to this hobby. Only difference now is I have an ever growing spreadsheet which has everything I have seen (so includes all the stuff thats gone!) which I still fill out as if I was using books. I then convert the spreadsheets to PDFs for use on my mobile and is all stored in the cloud so always have the latest copy. The biggest benefit is at the end of the year, I create a new copy of the file and that is ready for the forthcoming year and is pre filled in already. I then also have a snapshot of everything up to the end of the previous year. It has got a little more complicated over the years as I use it to track everything including stations and mileage by loco/unit and class.

It's been a good day mate. Plenty going on at Reading to keep me busy and got to see a few things I'd not considered seeing which is always a bonus.

Not totalled up the winners yet so I'll keep you all on tenterhooks to see how many I bagged. Will probably start my report tomorrow

Good to here it was a good day.

 

[The_Train]

Thursday 11th October 2018 - Reading numbers in Reading

Part 1 - Stafford in the dark

I decided to start my day to Reading a few hours early by venturing for a late evening trip to the local the night before. My thought process was that it was not a time of day I'd spent much time at Stafford so hopefully winners would be heading up a lot of the later freight - the plan worked....a little bit anyway. I was starting to wonder whether it had been a bad decision to venture out (particularly as the warm day had changed into a very cold evening) as the first hour or so was littered with duds before DB 66082 came by with a Bescot to Arpley light engine working before another DB shed went into the book, this time being 66125. Another lull occurred and I was about to give it up only for me to get chatting to another spotter who was in the area for a couple of days having come up from Southampton and this proved to be a good move as a late flurry nudged my winner count up with 66302 coming by with a Crewe-Bescot Engineers train, followed by another 66, this time a GBRf shed in the form of 722 "Sir Edward Watkin". The final success of the evening arrived with yet another variation on a 66 winner as it was Freightliners turn to join the party with 66517 working containers from Ditton to Felixstowe and it was at this point I decided enough was enough and it was time to head home and prepare for the big day out tomorrow.

A short but worthwhile outing which takes my 66 winners ever closer to the 200 mark - 196 to be precise.

Part 2 - A brief visit to Birmingham

My first venture into GWR land (and a first visit to Reading since the turn of the millennium) began with a short stint in the Second City. Even though I'd recently spent a day around the West Midlands I decided to stick to my original plan as you just never know your luck and maybe a 2nd visit would generate some new sightings.

My 6am alarm call threw me into action and having been ultra prepared in getting stuff ready the night before, I was out of the door before 7am and making my way towards the station well before first light. I grabbed a coffee and headed for platforms 3/4 but there was little going on to interest me although a quick check on RTT showed the Tesco train running early and due to pass 2 minutes before my expected departure on the 0724 VTWC service to Birmingham New Street. My interest soon disintegrated though as a later check on Traksy showed that the early running Tesco train was being held outside the station to allow a XC service to make its way into platform 5 and soon enough my first steed of the day arrived in the form of dud for everything 390156. Here it is arriving as dawn slowly arrived over Stafford
A Virgin Trains West Coast Pendolino arriving into Stafford by The_Train

It was a quiet service so I didn't bother hunting down my reservation, instead opting for a seat that was reserved from New Street and settling in for the run to Birmingham. As we would have to get across the slow lines to head towards Wolverhampton I knew we would crawl out of Stafford but what I didn't expect was to come to a complete halt at the next signal. My decision to sit in a random seat on the right hand side proved a very good choice as it gave me a good sight of the reason for us stopping - the signaller had (surprisingly) allowed the Tesco train to go ahead of us and as we waited 88006 crept past us. My first winner of the day and takes my winners of 88s to 50% of the fleet

After our little break, we were soon on the move and heading towards Wolverhampton and during our stopover there I was able to pick up ATW 175113, my first winner of this fleet, and WMT 170631. Soho offered nothing but its shunter and we were soon making our way through the tunnels that indicate the bat cave is not too far away and before long I was back in my previous position at the end of platforms 6 and 7 to see if I could eat a little further into the 170/323 stocks. 323219 was first in the book just before my first sighting of a HST as dud power cars 43303 and 43301 arrived working a late running XC service from Leeds to Plymouth. A pair of 323s were next in the book as 218 and 222 worked a local stopper for WMT but I wasn't having much luck in tracking down my missing 170s. The 323s kept coming though and 323206 was next to enter the book before I got to chalk off more ATW stuff with 158839 and 158824 pairing up to work a service from Aberystwyth to Birmingham International. Finally I had some luck with the 'Turbo'star stocks as WMT 170508 and 170517 were a double success before it was back to the 323s with 323243 also heading into the book
WMT Class 323 323243 departs Birmingham New Street by The_Train

XC were not offering much but what was lacking with XC was made up by WMT who were being very kind with what they were putting in front of me and it was their 170501 next to be marked off. 323207 also went into the book but my final half hour or so would be mainly about the duds, including of course more XC 170s such as 170522 seen here with 170523 hidden behind in the darkness
XC Class 170 170522 at Birmingham New Street by The_Train, on Flickr

Just before my move from New Street to Moor Street I was able to bag a few more WMT winners with a pair of 170s in the form of 512 and 510 before a special guest appearance by Network Rail MPV DR98908/DR98958 passed through with a railhead treatment working around the West Midlands. My time at New Street ended with another winner, this time 323203 working a local stopper with dud 323209 in tow
Network Rail MPV DR98908 and DR98958 at Birmingham New Street by The_Train

I made the short trek across to Moor Street (can't believe how close they are!) where there was an immediate reward as 168003 was sat in the bay and my Chiltern 168s were further boosted by the arrival of a treble headed service to Snow Hill which saw each of 168005, 168322 and 168326 chalked off in one swoop of the pen. I'd chalked off a good chunk of the WMT 172 stocks during my last outing in the area and my required numbers reduced further when 172333 came by to leave me requiring just one 172/3 for a sub-class completion and that task was completed just 20 minutes later when 172338 arrived with a service towards Dorridge. There wasn't much else to shout about at Moor Street until 172219 arrived with a service from Whitlocks End to Worcester Shrub Hill to make it a second sub-class completion with all of the 172/2s now chalked off as well. With the remaining 12x 172s due to be with WMT by December (I believe), hopefully I can get the full set completed early next year.

After these mini successes it was left to 68015 and DVT 82302 to take me on the next leg of my journey as I headed down to Banbury before heading off to Reading. Tune in to part 3 to find out what GWR land had in store for me but having managed 27 winners between Stafford and Birmingham, I'd certainly set myself up well enough for the day. Surely I couldn't repeat the plus 200 winners I managed at Doncaster....could I?

Anyway, I shall leave you all with these pics of the absolute stallion (and the DVT) that powered me towards Oxfordshire
Chiltern Railways Class 68 68015 sits at Birmingham Moor Street by The_Train
Chiltern Railways DVT 82302 at Birmingham Moor Street by The_Train

 

[Mills444]

very good start to the day Mr train almost up to me on the sheds how did you find your first 68's

 

[Kite159]

I believe WMT are only getting the 8x 172/0s from London, the 4x 172/1s are staying with Chiltern for the time being

Well done on putting a big dent in the West Midlands stock

 

[47403]

Good start Mr Train.
68015 for haulage, not a bad way to start the day. Hope you sat in the coach near the loco, to hear them Caterpilar engines thrash like mad.
I look forward to the rest squire.

 

[55013]

A very productive start, I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

 

[Skymonster]

I notice Mr.Train continues to try to boost his numbers by noting track machines and unpowered carriages, which will also cause confusion for the day-total sweepstake. . Ah well, at least it was a good start and I look forward to being further entertained by the rest of the day's shenanigans.