Back on the platform

[The_Train]

A good few days for your book of sights with more locos being added to it

Always nice to add some locos to the book

I've also got a trip to the Anglia region planned for next week. It would be via Nuneaton as this is cheaper and would make use of the Anglia Plus ranger.

My intitial plan would be to head to Cambridge, stay there for an hour before heading to Norwich for an hour. Then I want to ride the 37s to Great Yarmouth and back before heading to Ipswich (getting a bit of 90 haulage) for around 3 and half hours before heading back to Cambridge for around 20 minutes before my train back to the Midlands.

It's an area I've not visited before so thought I'd garner people's thoughts on where I should go to maximise my day.....particularly in relation to the 90s on the Liverpool Street-Ipswich/Norwich workings as (I believe) they might not be around too much longer

 

[Kite159]

3 or so hours at Ipswich will get a good number of the 90s sets, plus any freight. EMUs from London (hourly service) plus DMUs on Lowestoft/Felixstowe/Cambridge/Peterborough services.

 

[The_Train]

3 or so hours at Ipswich will get a good number of the 90s sets, plus any freight. EMUs from London (hourly service) plus DMUs on Lowestoft/Felixstowe/Cambridge/Peterborough services.

Thanks Kite. How many LHCS sets do they have out to cover the daily diagrams?

 

[fishquinn]

My intitial plan would be to head to Cambridge, stay there for an hour before heading to Norwich for an hour. Then I want to ride the 37s to Great Yarmouth and back before heading to Ipswich (getting a bit of 90 haulage) for around 3 and half hours before heading back to Cambridge for around 20 minutes before my train back to the Midlands.

A better idea may be to not do Cambridge at the start and instead head straight for Norwich (changing at Ely), have an hour or two there with the 37s to Yarmouth and back too, then 3 hours or so at Ipswich and just do Cambridge for a while (maybe an hour?) on the return.
Another thing, I think a travelcard for the day may be very productive for you!

 

[The_Train]

A better idea may be to not do Cambridge at the start and instead head straight for Norwich (changing at Ely), have an hour or two there with the 37s to Yarmouth and back too, then 3 hours or so at Ipswich and just do Cambridge for a while (maybe an hour?) on the return.
Another thing, I think a travelcard for the day may be very productive for you!

To be honest the hour at Cambridge was purely because that's how long the wait is for the next train to Norwich after I arrive. I will see if a connection at Ely is more favourable

Edit: also wanted to ask what the Travelcard is that you mention?

 

[fishquinn]

To be honest the hour at Cambridge was purely because that's how long the wait is for the next train to Norwich after I arrive. I will see if a connection at Ely is more favourable

Edit: also wanted to ask what the Travelcard is that you mention?

It may well be EMT from Ely to Norwich if you change there as opposed to GA but will almost certainly get you to Norwich sooner.

It's one for London: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/how-to-pay...kets-and-oyster/travelcards-and-group-tickets
£42 from Stafford if you take a 350 all the way in (and is best on a weekend because of the ticket's restrictions): http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=STA&dest=0035&rte=42&tkt=FTC

 

[Kite159]

Thanks Kite. How many LHCS sets do they have out to cover the daily diagrams?

IIRC there is 10 sets out during the day with another coming out for an additional service.

I don't know why Quinn is going on about getting a travelcard for a day in Cambridge/Ipswich/Norwich, as you will still need a ticket from London to the Anglia Plus area, and risk having a luxurious 350/2 all the way to London from Stafford

 

[palmersears]

I would second spending as much time as you can around Norwich and Ipswich. The benefit of using the ranger means you can leave one for the other when the duds start rolling in.

Freight through Ipswich is mainly a green and yellow shed-fest, but you might get a bonus winner or two. If travelling there from Norwich the main yard is on your left just before the station. There's also the loco depot directly behind the station itself, you should easily be able to identify any 66s parked up there.

At Norwich keep your eyes peeled for 37s lurking in the sidings on the left hand side as you pull in, as well as some of the new Stadler units on crown point depot, again on the left as you draw in towards the station.

 

[xotGD]

At Ely and Cambridge you'll see the emus out of Kings Cross. On the way in to Ely from Peterborough look out on the left for stored HSTs.

I'm off to Norwich in a couple of weeks' time - 37s to the coast and North Norfolk mixed traction weekend. Oh yes, and normal touristy stuff with my other half!

 

[keith1879]

Nearly caught up now as we head into March which has included my first serious venture out for 2019. However, to bring us up to that day out first I will update a couple of ventures to the local starting on 7th March where a wander to town allowed me to witness 37402 and 37425 taking some new flasks to Crewe Coal Siding having come out of Shirebrook Davis & Son that morning. That tempted me onto the platform as I headed home from town and I was immediately rewarded with yet another winner working the Southampton to Halewood empty car wagons, this time it being 66128 heading into the book. I had nothing to rush home for so I decided to hang around for a few hours, passing the time reading my book whilst marking down dud after dud but it was a late evening flask movement that caught my eye and as I was still hunting 68033 to complete the DRS liveried fleet (just the TPE and ScotRail to then find) I decided to chance my arm and wait for it. It was getting on for 8pm and becoming very cold when it rolled through but it was proven to be a good decision as 68033 was working with 68003 as they headed towards Crewe. No klaxons but a mini success none the less

Full list from this outing below:

37: 37402, 37425
66: 66001, 66128, 66424, 66519, 66556, 66563, 66605, 66730, 66766
68: 68003, 68033
70: 70007, 70010
90: 90044, 90046
220: 220013, 220014, 220018, 220028, 220034
221: 221129, 221133, 221134, 221135, 221138, 221139
350: 350103, 350118, 350123, 350124, 350125, 350233, 350238, 350240, 350243, 350246, 350265, 350368, 350373
390: 390039, 390042, 390049, 390121, 390125
OTMs: DR73906

My 2nd trip to the local came on the 11th and was a bit of a prelude to my planned day out the following day. It was another trip that saw me off to a good start as the Cliffe Vale clay empties were hauled back to Bescot by 66151. Still plenty of sheds to find but the required list is slowly becoming lighter and lighter. There wasn't much else to get excited about until 66744 passed through working the GBRf containers from Trafford Park to Felixstowe. It was the first time in a long time that this working had thrown up a winner for me and it would prove to be the last one for today as everything else went into the dud book including 66727 looking resplendent in its Maritime livery and 66730 which was still on the Garston cars.

Full list of what I sighted below:

66: 66151, 66426, 66533, 66534, 66727, 66730, 66744, 66775, 66957
70: 70002, 70007
220: 220002, 220009, 220013, 220015, 220020
221: 221104, 221106, 221109, 221111, 221118, 221120, 221129, 221133, 221139, 221140
350: 350112, 350113, 350128, 350129, 350130, 350231, 350234, 350245, 350251, 350253, 350262, 350267, 350374
390: 390001, 390002, 390005, 390009, 390010, 390013, 390016, 390020, 390043, 390044, 390103, 390107, 390115, 390117, 390119, 390128, 390131, 390132, 390148, 390156

I will hopefully have my trip report from my Cheshire Day Ranger outing posted over the weekend

A big thankyou from me for this post.......it confirms that 220018 does actually exist. It is that irritating last one of the cross-country voyagers for me and has been for about two years.

 

[The_Train]

I don't know why Quinn is going on about getting a travelcard for a day in Cambridge/Ipswich/Norwich, as you will still need a ticket from London to the Anglia Plus area, and risk having a luxurious 350/2 all the way to London from Stafford

It did confuse me I won't lie so I'm glad you posted this. Even though I'm not sure it'll work for this trip, it's still interesting to read about....does the £42 ticket cover travel from Stafford and then include travel around the zones in London? Seems very generous if that's the case

 

[The_Train]

I would second spending as much time as you can around Norwich and Ipswich. The benefit of using the ranger means you can leave one for the other when the duds start rolling in.

Freight through Ipswich is mainly a green and yellow shed-fest, but you might get a bonus winner or two. If travelling there from Norwich the main yard is on your left just before the station. There's also the loco depot directly behind the station itself, you should easily be able to identify any 66s parked up there.

At Norwich keep your eyes peeled for 37s lurking in the sidings on the left hand side as you pull in, as well as some of the new Stadler units on crown point depot, again on the left as you draw in towards the station.

Yep, after @fishquinn mentioned Ely I've checked and will have 2 options from there that will get me into Norwich an hour earlier than on my original plan so will definitely be doing that now.

I'd guessed the freight would be the yellow and green stuff. Would be a massive bonus if I could grab a winner from this considering I only need 24 from the listed fleet and 8 of those are gronks (where do I go to see these?) and 3 are stored locos at Basford Hall which I'll probably never see as I imagine they will have to be removed with the rails still attached to them!

As always, thanks for the info regarding depots. If I just relied on luck to be on the right side of the train I was on, I'd never see anything on a depot

 

[The_Train]

At Ely and Cambridge you'll see the emus out of Kings Cross. On the way in to Ely from Peterborough look out on the left for stored HSTs.

I'm off to Norwich in a couple of weeks' time - 37s to the coast and North Norfolk mixed traction weekend. Oh yes, and normal touristy stuff with my other half!

To be honest that's why I thought an hour at Cambridge wouldn't be too bad but as my aim is to work on the GA stuff probably best to get into Norwich sooner rather than later. I'll nab what I can at Ely though.

I believe some parts of the Norfolk coast are glorious although my coastal visit will be Yarmouth and I don't recall it being that nice of a place when I last visited a few years back

 

[The_Train]

A big thankyou from me for this post.......it confirms that 220018 does actually exist. It is that irritating last one of the cross-country voyagers for me and has been for about two years.

No problem, it's one of the reasons that I try to log everything I see (even if the Pendos and Voyagers are stuff I see everyday) to assist others who might be searching for particular units/locos.

I've not logged 220018 since that last sighting you quoted but a quick check on train logger shows that it's very much out and about. It's been spotted most days throughout this year and the last week or so have seen it sighted at stations along the North East-South West route

 

[Mills444]

What Gronks do you need?

 

[The_Train]

What Gronks do you need?

Well I need a whole mass of them in general but I was referring to the ones listed within the Freightliner fleet. These are:

08530
08531
08575
08585
08624
08691
08785
08891

To be fair, I imagine seeing all gronks is pretty much impossible considering some of them live within port's, depots and other points of delivery that are not for public access and can't be seen from trains......but that might just be my thought process haha

 

[fishquinn]

I don't know why Quinn is going on about getting a travelcard for a day in Cambridge/Ipswich/Norwich, as you will still need a ticket from London to the Anglia Plus area, and risk having a luxurious 350/2 all the way to London from Stafford

I was suggesting it for a separate trip, a day in London. Who cares about what 350 you get in, it's just the method of transport to get to London for a day of spotting?

 

[Mills444]

Well I need a whole mass of them in general but I was referring to the ones listed within the Freightliner fleet. These are:

08530
08531
08575
08585
08624
08691
08785
08891

To be fair, I imagine seeing all gronks is pretty much impossible considering some of them live within port's, depots and other points of delivery that are not for public access and can't be seen from trains......but that might just be my thought process haha

Ah yes well I know of at least two which are visible 08530 and 08585 which you could combine with an trip to Southampton central which I feel will reduce your SWR and GWR requirements substantially

08530- is currently at Southampton Maritime which is located between Redbridge and Millbrook stations on the side where the sea is, so can be seen from the train and if you can see it if you go to this https://www.google.com/maps/@50.914...4!1sn93l0eALVx6jO_00KD88kg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 bridge you can get all locos on shed.

08585- same location as 08530

 

[The_Train]

I was suggesting it for a separate trip, a day in London. Who cares about what 350 you get in, it's just the method of transport to get to London for a day of spotting?

Well London is on my agenda.....as much as I've tried my best to put it off haha.

I asked this question above but as it was you who suggested it, maybe I should re-ask now......

Does the £42 ticket cover travel from Stafford and then include travel around the zones in London? Seems very generous if that's the case

As for the 350s I don't tend to notice any difference except that the 350/2 seat layout is a bit naff for long distance travel, especially if it's busy but as most trains are formed of 8 cars that shouldn't be the case anymore.

The issue with the 350/2 was shown during my recent trip to Tamworth which was on a 350/2 and a group of 5 (clearly travelling together) were split with 2 of them in a batch of 4 seats and the other 3 opposite in a batch of 6 seats. Now if a group of 5 can't make use of the 6 seats then who can?

 

[The_Train]

Ah yes well I know of at least two which are visible 08530 and 08585 which you could combine with an trip to Southampton central which I feel will reduce your SWR and GWR requirements substantially

08530- is currently at Southampton Maritime which is located between Redbridge and Millbrook stations on the side where the sea is, so can be seen from the train and if you can see it if you go to this https://www.google.com/maps/@50.914...4!1sn93l0eALVx6jO_00KD88kg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 bridge you can get all locos on shed.

08585- same location as 08530

Thanks for the info, good to know at least a couple are visible. I do want to head in that direction at some point but it's not on my hit list just yet

 

[fishquinn]

Well London is on my agenda.....as much as I've tried my best to put it off haha.

I asked this question above but as it was you who suggested it, maybe I should re-ask now......

Does the £42 ticket cover travel from Stafford and then include travel around the zones in London? Seems very generous if that's the case

As for the 350s I don't tend to notice any difference except that the 350/2 seat layout is a bit naff for long distance travel, especially if it's busy but as most trains are formed of 8 cars that shouldn't be the case anymore.

The issue with the 350/2 was shown during my recent trip to Tamworth which was on a 350/2 and a group of 5 (clearly travelling together) were split with 2 of them in a batch of 4 seats and the other 3 opposite in a batch of 6 seats. Now if a group of 5 can't make use of the 6 seats then who can?

Sorry, didn't notice your original question. Yep, the £42 includes your travel to London and anything you wish to do in the zones. For maximum winners I'd advise a good amount of time at Clapham Junction, Bethnal Green (or Stratford) and London Bridge.

 

[The_Train]

Sorry, didn't notice your original question. Yep, the £42 includes your travel to London and anything you wish to do in the zones. For maximum winners I'd advise a good amount of time at Clapham Junction, Bethnal Green (or Stratford) and London Bridge.

No need to apologise, I didn't quote you when I asked so you wouldn't have seen it.

That's a pretty good ticket then and from what I've read it is restricted in the morning peak on weekdays (ie having to arrive into Euston after 10am) but there are no restrictions for my return home?

 

[fishquinn]

That's a pretty good ticket then and from what I've read it is restricted in the morning peak on weekdays (ie having to arrive into Euston after 10am) but there are no restrictions for my return home?

I've just noticed that the fare I quoted appears to be the family travelcard and not the regular one and it's actually this one you'd need for £44: http://www.brfares.com/#faredetail?orig=STA&dest=0035&rte=42&tkt=ODT
It does indeed appear to be unrestricted on the return.

 

[Techniquest]

£44 for that travelcard is brilliant value! I've been beaten to it regarding Southampton's 08s. I echo the others' comments on maximising time in Norwich and Ipswich. Cambridge is really boring to wait 10 minutes at, let alone an hour. Ipswich is much busier, and Norwich having 37s (not for much longer!) should make it a high priority. 37s are way too much fun, my comparison to how much fun is not entirely family-friendly Still haven't decided if I liked the original sound of HSTs more than a 37 though, both are incredible.

Coming in from Ely you will have Crown Point on your right, but you may not see much on there. Maybe an 08 or a couple of MK3s, not been past there for years so there could well be new stuff there now.

I believe Kite is correctly on the MK3 sets, I think it is indeed 10 sets but it might be 9. From memory the north end of Ipswich station is best for spotting, as you'll have the DMUs from Felixstowe, Lowestoft etc up that end. The stopper from London you may need to walk down the platforms to get all the EMUs on them but that's not a challenge. The town centre is quite the walk from memory from the station, never done it myself. Might be worth checking what time GBRf container trains are due into Felixstowe though, and pop over to Trimley for them. Not knowledgeable on freight so hopefully someone will know better than me.

More importantly, have a great trip!

Also, thanks for the video clips from Stafford, I love the look of the new TPX trains and can't wait to try them out!

 

[DavidGrain]

If you do spend any time in Cambridge, the station is some distance from the town centre so don't bother about sightseeing. That is an event for a non-trainspotting day.

 

[Kite159]

Take binos for Cambridge as depending on the time of day the carriage sidings might have some GA 317/379s sat there. There is a footbridge outside the station which might give better views of the sidings.

 

[The_Train]

I echo the others' comments on maximising time in Norwich and Ipswich. Cambridge is really boring to wait 10 minutes at, let alone an hour. Ipswich is much busier, and Norwich having 37s (not for much longer!) should make it a high priority. 37s are way too much fun, my comparison to how much fun is not entirely family-friendly Still haven't decided if I liked the original sound of HSTs more than a 37 though, both are incredible.

For me, nothing beats the original noise of the Valenta powered HSTs but a 37 (and 47) is not far behind. Will be my first haulage behind a 37 since I was a nipper so looking forward to that

Coming in from Ely you will have Crown Point on your right, but you may not see much on there. Maybe an 08 or a couple of MK3s, not been past there for years so there could well be new stuff there now.

I've seen some photos of a few of the new GA units stabled on Crown Point although apparently this isn't the norm so will just have to hope they are still there on Tuesday - yes the date is confirmed and tickets are booked

I believe Kite is correctly on the MK3 sets, I think it is indeed 10 sets but it might be 9. From memory the north end of Ipswich station is best for spotting, as you'll have the DMUs from Felixstowe, Lowestoft etc up that end. The stopper from London you may need to walk down the platforms to get all the EMUs on them but that's not a challenge. The town centre is quite the walk from memory from the station, never done it myself. Might be worth checking what time GBRf container trains are due into Felixstowe though, and pop over to Trimley for them. Not knowledgeable on freight so hopefully someone will know better than me.

Thanks for the info. I'm not too fussed about the town centres for this trip as I want to maximise my time on platforms as is usually the case with my outings haha. I've still not forgotten your offer to show me around Hereford/Malvern though - I will be back down there at some point!

Any freight is a bonus on these sort of trips......it's all about the units (well and the 37s and 90s of course)

More importantly, have a great trip!

Also, thanks for the video clips from Stafford, I love the look of the new TPX trains and can't wait to try them out!

Thanks and no problem with the video, thought I'd do something a bit different as the opportunity came up with the set pausing. Quality isn't great as I'm not armed with a decent camera but you get the idea

 

[The_Train]

If you do spend any time in Cambridge, the station is some distance from the town centre so don't bother about sightseeing. That is an event for a non-trainspotting day.

Thanks David, I'm going via Ely now so Cambridge is out anyway. I imagine it's a decent place to spend a few hours though

 

[The_Train]

Take binos for Cambridge as depending on the time of day the carriage sidings might have some GA 317/379s sat there. There is a footbridge outside the station which might give better views of the sidings.

I'm going via Ely now so won't be pausing at Cambridge. Will they be visible from the train?

Also, is there anything to keep an eye out for on the Nuneaton to Ely leg of my journey? Obviously the depot at Leicester but is there anything around Peterborough these days?

 

[Kite159]

Station food wise, Cambridge has a little WH Smiths and coffee shop on the station. Ely has a large tesco next door (plus a coffee shop on the platforms). Norwich had a Co-Op along with Upper Crust/Smiths plus coffee shops (large Morrisons located ~ 5 minutes away). Ipswich has a Greggs and a coffee shop on the platform.

Keep an eye on the left hand side when you come onto the ECML as there might be some GBRF 66s on the depot north of Peterborough. I haven't seen anything on the DBC depot the last few times I've passed. Probably the chance to grab some GN units on the sidings as you exit Peterborough (although they might be empty during the day with the units in London)