Barrowjack's Irreguar Perambulations

[barrowjack]

First of all since this is my first report, let me say a bit about myself, having a Dad who worked on the railways meant I was always going to have an interest, and really until the end of loco hauled workings would often be out and about predominantly in the North West. Anyway pacers and sprinters weren’t for me so for many years whist I still travelled by train on many occasions I stopped keeping records. Living on the Cumbrian Coast, the introduction of 37’s on regular service trains reawakened my interest and along with the purchase of an ICRS combine ,from May last year I started keeping records again. The two main reasons I travel are commuting to our offices around the county on an irregular basis and also to watch various sporting events (mainly football) so the main entries in the book are from Northern, Trans Pennine and Virgin West Coast.

Anyway the end of April saw the local team Barrow playing the final game of the season at Torquay so this gave the opportunity to go into new territory and red line some GW stuff for the first time since I started recording trips again, along with the chance to cover some of the preserved lines in the area, and scratch some new football grounds at the same time, so here is a summary of the weekend. Sorry this is a bit late but I have just managed to catch up on writing everything up so here goes with the first of what will be my irregular reports. As this is my first one, and I have already waffled on a while, rather than write a detailed report this time I am going to list the weekend’s moves with notes where appropriate. I have highlighted the ‘winners’ in red, obviously though being the first visit, this applies predominantly to everything!

Thursday 21st April
156444 Barrow in Furness to Lancaster (Mega Mega Dud 6th entry in 2016 alone!)
221116/221109 Lancaster to Birmingham New Street
43285/43384 Birmingham New Street to Exeter St Davids
143612/143621 Exeter St David’s to Exeter Central (Much easier than the 20 minute walk up the hill!)
143618 Exeter Central to Exeter St Davids
150131 Exeter St Davids to Exmouth, (This 150 haunted me! I lost count of the times it was refused after this one!)
Football at Exmouth – Winning Ground
143620 Exmouth to Exeter St Davids

Friday 22nd April
159005/159003 Exeter St David’s to Exeter Central
150239 Exeter Central to Exeter St Davids
43010/40031 Exeter St Davids to Newton Abbot
150120 Newton Abbot to Totnes
6412 Totnes Littlehempston to Buckfastleigh and Return (South Devon Railway)
221138 Totnes to Plymouth
43028/43088 Plymouth to Totnes
43366/43304 Totnes to Exeter St Davids

Saturday 23rd April
220019 Exeter St Davids to Newton Abbot
143618/143603 Newton Abbot to Paignton
4277 Paignton to Kingswear and Return (Dart Valley Railway)
150265/153368 Paignton to Torquay (First non Northern 153 so was pleased with this one!)

Football at Torquay United – Winning Football Ground (Didn’t realise how far the walk up the huge hill was!)
143620/143611 Torquay to Newton Abbot
43158/43175 Newton Abbot to Exeter St Davids

Sunday 24th April
221120 Exeter St Davids to Taunton (Then the bus up to the West Somerset Railway)
53808 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead (7f)
4936 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard(GWR Hall)
43128/43165 Taunton to Exeter St Davids

Monday 25th April
159108/159017 Exeter St David’s to Exeter Central
143618/143612 Exeter Central to Exeter St Davids
221136 Exeter St Davids to Birmingham New Street (220016 added to front at Bristol TM)
390046 Birmingham New Street to Preston (Chaos 2 trains in one due to WCML being blocked by a failed engineers train all day!)
156471 Preston to Barrow in Furness

Total Winners - 40
Total Miles - 905
New Shacks 9 plus 5 on Preserved Railways (Not that I am counting these!)
New Football Grounds - 2 (120 now in total)

It isn’t often I go back to the same ground twice, but Torquay will be an exception. Other reasons to go back are to find the remaining 2 Exeter 143’s, increase the number of red lined HST’s before they go, 150’s and 153’s. All in all a great weekend, oh and the football? It finished 2-2 with a Barrow equaliser in added time.

 

[Kite159]

Sounded like a good long weekend in Devon covering varied lines

 

[Keith Jarrett]

Welcome to the Guild of Tripwriters. The jaunt down to Devon was entertaining and well done on getting all those winners even though you left a couple of 143s behind. But that's the perfect excuse to go back to grab them in the future.

 

[barrowjack]

Welcome to the Guild of Tripwriters. The jaunt down to Devon was entertaining and well done on getting all those winners even though you left a couple of 143s behind. But that's the perfect excuse to go back to grab them in the future.

Thank you. Reading your entertaining reports made me decide to have a go myself. I will definitely be going back there at some point so hopefully will find those then.

Sounded like a good long weekend in Devon covering varied lines

Yes first time I have been down since I was young and was nice to go somewhere different for a change.

 

[jayalongtheway]

Ground hopping eh? What is it about us blokes that we have to tick stuff off a list! I've done Football Grounds, Beers, Wetherspoons, Trains, Buses, Aircraft, Lorries, Ships .... I even eyed up the Boris Bikes in London which have fleet numbers! My records show I saw Stockport County at Torquay on 07/12/90 but I can't remember much about it now except for it was 1-1 and Chris Beaumont scored! I look forward to reading more.

 

[Techniquest]

Welcome to the Trip Reporters Club! Indeed, welcome back to the hobby!

An excellent trip there, clearly, although I must confess to not partaking of the football enjoyment myself. I am jealous of 150131 as it's one of the last I need down there.

Agreed on the units up the hill is a better choice than walking up it, not a fun one that in Exeter! I look forward to more from you in the future

 

[fishquinn]

Welcome to the trip reporters! Sounds like a good time in Devon there too!

 

[barrowjack]

Nearly 3 Days in London

As you will start to realise from these reports, I am a huge sports fan, so the European Swimming Championships in London during May gave me an excuse (not that I need one!) to head to London. An early start, saw 156463, as with all the Heaton 156’s bar one a dud, take me round Morecambe Bay to Lancaster. Sitting in Costa the direct London train passed me by until 15 minutes later 221109/221143 arrived on the Euston via Birmingham service. Even though taking this route takes me an hour longer, i was swayed by the £60 saving on this occasion over going directly, so to me was worth it. Being based in Kings Cross meant there was only ever going to be one way I would be heading to Stratford for the Olympic Park, and even though it is more expensive, that was by ‘Javelin’ as I simply hate that trip on the Central line!

Transport to the Monday evening session was provided by 395008/395013, arriving at Stratford International in no time. A great night at the swimming and 395016 took me back to St Pancras. As it was still only just after 8pm it was too early to go back to the hotel but too late to see a show, so a quick check of the departure board showed two southbound Thameslink services not far away, so after making my way across the station to Platform A 377509/377523 arrived to take me to Farringdon where after a very short wait 319442 followed for the journey to Blackfriars. As it was a lovely night I strolled back along Southbank, over the Golden Jubilee Bridge and back up to Leicester Square tube station for to take me back to King’s Cross and onto the hotel.

Tuesday brought an early start as the swimming started at 10.00 so it was over to St Pancras for the ’Javelin’ back to Stratford after checking I saw 395013 on the next service so as I had already ridden that one the previous night I waited another 10 minutes and eventually 395029 took me on my way. In no time I was alighting at Stratford International and heading back to the swimming pool for another mornings viewing. The last event being three 1500 metre heats each taking 20 minutes each saw me leave a bit early and having barely arrived back at the station 395012 was taking me back to St Pancras. Following a quick pit stop at the hotel it was back on the Piccadilly Line taking 236/247 to Leicester Square. A quick purchase of a theatre ticket and it was back to the tube this time taking the Northern Line all the way to the top – High Barnet 51569/51570 duly performing the honours. After a lovely afternoon drinking far too much coffee with a friend, I was heading back south taking 51657/51658 to King’s Cross before it was back to the Piccadilly for 238/friend yet again heading back to Leicester Square and the Theatre Royal Haymarket. 225/160 taking me back at the end of the night to rest my weary head (and tired feet!)

A final day saw me heading back to Stratford yet again, today 395028 having the honour. Another morning over too quickly and it was back to Stratford International for a final time on this trip 395012, a dud from Tuesday and back to collect my bag for the trip back. Following the same route home to save money, 221104/221116 being provided by Virgin for the trip north to Lancaster, for a dash over the footbridge and another mega dud 156438 taking me back home!

Total Winners – 11
Total Miles - 591
New Shacks 0 this time.

So what next, I have a couple more trips to the Capital booked at the end June and also July, the July one will definitely feature some more 395 action as I am going to the Athletics at the Olympic Stadium. Otherwise as there is so much to do in London anyway, it will probably be restricted to short blasts on Thameslink as I stay in Kings Cross, so I can use my Oyster card, though a rainy day will hopefully see a travel card and a blitz on the Overground.

 

[Techniquest]

It must have bumped up the cost of the trip somewhat with all those Javelin leaps!

Looks like you had a good time, good to have variety in your interests as you clearly do with sport, drinking/socialising, railways and theatre!

 

[Kite159]

Cue Quinn popping up about those 221s being run under the wires for their entire journey. Sounded like a good time through with some winning 395s and some hopeful good swimming witnessed

 

[fishquinn]

I can't believe you had all of those 221s! Certainly not worth the £60 saving! Other than that it sounds like you had a good time.

 

[barrowjack]

I can't believe you had all of those 221s! Certainly not worth the £60 saving! Other than that it sounds like you had a good time.

I would rather sit on a 221 and save the money! Plus I only require a few 390's now as travel a lot between Lancaster and Carlisle to our different offices so most of the 221's are still required.

It must have bumped up the cost of the trip somewhat with all those Javelin leaps!
Looks like you had a good time, good to have variety in your interests as you clearly do with sport, drinking/socialising, railways and theatre!

It did a bit but is the only service I don’t mind paying the extra for, its only 2 mins from where I stay, its quick and can be back at the hotel in the time it would take me to get to the Central Line at Stratford. Did that once – never again! So to me it’s worth it. Surprising how many people were only using it St Pancras to Stratford and back again too. It was a good trip though hectic and short as most of mine are plus doing the other things allows me to use the railways! I just wish I was keeping records in 2012 as my Olympics and Paralympics trips would probably have just about cleared the 395's for me.

 

[Techniquest]

We all have regrets with bashing, my record keeping was dismal back in the day. Who knows what I could have had and when if I'd written it all down at the time!

 

[55013]

Echoing what the others have said, welcome to the trip reporters club.
Another old timer from the 80s who's found the lure of the railway too strong to keep away
There are one or two of us on here that wouldn't be seen dead on a sprinter twenty five years ago and now go galavanting across country to get a new one in.

 

[Keith Jarrett]

There are one or two of us on here that wouldn't be seen dead on a sprinter twenty five years ago and now go galavanting across country to get a new one in.

Sprinters? Are they some new fangled thing on the railway or are they to be found in an athletics stadium? It was loco hauled all the way in my younger days and only a few of us had the foresight to note down DMUs & EMUs (and even I did not note down as many as I could have. Moral of the story is note down everything - you'll not regret it in years to come.

 

[55013]

Agreed.
I bitterly regret my poor record keeping back in the old days.
I had 141s loads of times, but how many moves have I got recorded?
None.

 

[Techniquest]

Oh yes, I regret not taking note of what I travelled on on London bashes back in the early days. I'd have had more 313s, 508s, slammers, far less Tube sets to get and countless more. If I had been clued up enough at the time I'd have done that 312 I saw...

 

[barrowjack]

Saturday 25th June 2016
Another weekend in London, and supposedly a non-railway one! Arriving at Barrow in Furness for the journey south, 153352/153378 for the journey to Lancaster, sadly both already have several entries in the journey log this year alone! A short wait at Lancaster today as this is one of the rare occasions I take the direct service rather than through Birmingham, and right on time another dud 390045 rolls in for the journey south. As I had plans for the afternoon I was intending to make a quick dash to the hotel, but realised that as I needed to add the funds to my Oyster card for the onward travel, that were waiting at Kings Cross, I took 11053/11054 on the short hop to my hotel. Bags dumped, it was straight off to St Pancras for the Thameslink 319372 taking me up to Elstree and Boreham Wood for the walk (and an absolute soaking) to Meadow Park (Winning Football Ground) to see Arsenal Ladies play Sunderland. Leaving a few minutes early I only arrived back at the station as 319218 rolled in to take me back to St Pancras and the Hotel, before a night out in London, starting in Leicester Square courtesy of 102/209

Sunday 26th June 2016
Early Sunday morning and an almost deserted Kings Cross, I took the Piccadilly line to Covent Garden onboard 164/896 before a long walk right through to Vauxhall. Despite my many visits to London this is the first time i had walked along the south bank of the Thames past Westminster Bridge so was nice to see something different, but rather than walk back I decided to go to the Vauxhall mainline station and red line my first SWT unit, in fact it was two as the first Waterloo service was formed of 5742/5860. The original intention was then to go to Waterloo East for a Charing X train but I hadn’t realised it was closed for Engineering Works that day, so another long walk through the Royal Parks eventually ending up back at Hyde Park Corner and back to the Piccadilly line for 243/214 to Leicester Square, before a few other moves in the course of the day and night as follows: (All Piccadilly Line)
133/152 Leicester Square to Kings Cross
864/168 Kings Cross to Leicester Square
126/179 Piccadilly to Kings Cross

Monday 27th June 2016 – A Little London Lundi (Fr) Leap!
I had realised last night that today could be my last chance to sample the London Overground 172’s before the full closure of the GOBLIN in September, so although not originally part of the plan I decided on an early start to try and red line a couple of them.

Setting off from my handily placed hotel in Kings Cross, I found myself on the Victoria line before 8am heading to Highbury and Islington on 11017/11018. A quick transfer and 378231 arrived for the ten minute journey to Gospel Oak. A check of the monitor showed the next South Tottenham service was in 7 minutes so plenty of time to board 172005 for the short hop to Upper Holloway. Having not budgeted for the roadworks and the footway diversion, a quick dash over to the other platform and in no time 172006 was taking me back to Gospel Oak. Happy that I now had a couple of these ‘in the book’ I made my way back to Highbury and Islington onboard 378226. The original plan was to be back at St Pancras for the 09:24 Thameslink service and following the return to Kings Cross on 11093/11094 I arrived at St Pancras in plenty of time only to find the 09:24 cancelled. A few minutes later however in rolled 319436/319421 that I took Farringdon, for 319430/319219 on to City Thameslink before completing the trio of Thameslink moves to London Blackfriars aboard 377210/377514. All this, and 10 winners in less than 2 hours!

The rain had now stopped so I took a walk back along the Southbank and up to Leicester Square, time running out i took the Piccadilly line back to Kings Cross (109/246) collected my case and as it looked like rain again back down for 11073/11074 for the short run back to Euston. Going via Birmingham meant it was double voyager winners 221106/221117 back to Lancaster for one of the mega dud Heaton 156’s, 156484 back to Barrow and home.

Total Winners – 16 plus 14 Underground half sets
Total Miles - 576
New Shack – 5 plus 1 underground
Winning Football Grounds – 1

So considering there wasn’t supposed to much time for Railways, I didn’t do too badly. That now takes me to having red lined around 40% of the Piccadilly stock and 25% of the Victoria Line, plus I have started to chip away at the LO and Thameslink, and back in the Capital in 3 weeks so hopefully will bag some more

 

[Kite159]

Sounded like a good few days in London

 

[47403]

Cracking read that. Certainly food for thought riding the javelins to and from Stratford. Whilst I'm no fan of voyagers a £60 saving, is not to be sniffed at. Young Quinn, wait till you have bills to pay etc, then you'll realise, sometimes you have to make certain sacrifices.

 

[Techniquest]

Considering it wasn't planned to do much on the rails, you sure got a fair bit done! Another good read too

 

[fishquinn]

You certainly got lots done there as it wasn't a trip about the railways! Even when I do pay bills, I think you know I'd still avoid the Voyagers like the plague!

 

[47403]

You certainly got lots done there as it wasn't a trip about the railways! Even when I do pay bills, I think you know I'd still avoid the Voyagers like the plague!

I'm the same but sometimes you have to bite the bullet. If you saved that £60 and could use that money buying a ticket to travel further affield to get your last tram for haulage on that day, would you not think thats wiser. If I had to ride a 142 for a 100 miles, to be in place to make a huge dint in requirements or clear a class, I'd not be happy but I'd do it and already have, 142035 to meet up with 37401, even though the 37 was a dud. Mind you Augusts overnighter at Carlisle, I'll gan nuts if the last train out of toon is a 142, not the booked 156.

Sorry barrowjack, trying to talk sense to this impressionable young lad.

 

[fishquinn]

220/221s are completely banned for me so I wouldn't even contemplate it. A good way to save over £60 on your FOSS though (for a random example) would be to flag the hotel and spend the night on Temple Meads station or another random station. I would much rather have done that to save £60 !

 

[rg177]

Excellent few days in London there quietly filling up the books whilst not even intended!

And Quinn, if a Voyager is the cheaper option (and with my local being XC, it rarely is) I go for it too. That, and they're the only things through Newcastle I need anymore! I think I need a single XC HST power car (43301), as well as 185138 and aside from Newton Heath and Allerton strays that's your lot So for a £60 saving that was a very wise move, I could easily get another couple of bashes out of that 60 quid!

 

[47403]

Excellent few days in London there quietly filling up the books whilst not even intended!

And Quinn, if a Voyager is the cheaper option (and with my local being XC, it rarely is) I go for it too. That, and they're the only things through Newcastle I need anymore! I think I need a single XC HST power car (43301), as well as 185138 and aside from Newton Heath and Allerton strays that's your lot So for a £60 saving that was a very wise move, I could easily get another couple of bashes out of that 60 quid!

Nice to see one of my brethren talk sense too. That's up to you young Quinn, I respect that.

Richard, what will we do when the 68s arrive here, then the Satsuma's. We'll be spoilt, not since we got the blunts and 185s will we have such variety. If we want variety we have to go to Edinburgh or Carlisle

 

[Techniquest]

It won't take you long to decide what to do

Could do with some new variety here too, send us some 68s to warm 'em up for you all

 

[barrowjack]

Sorry but for me £60 is one and a half tickets to London or a hotel room for a night, so I am not bothered whether I spend an hour longer on a Voyager rather than go direct on a Pendelino its a means to an end. As I have said the only exception I make on saving money is to take the 'Javelin' over the Underground to Stratford Int. Plus I still require a whole heap of the 221's for haulage. But it is each to their own.

I am back down in 3 weeks, and there will definitely be more 'Javelins' as I am going to the Anniversary Games, and more Thameslink. I am hoping for a 387 on there before they move on. Hopefully later in the year there will be 2 trips to Scotland, Manchester and lots more London! All this, and I have already done over 1,000 miles more this year than in 2015

Thanks for all your kind comments too!

 

[Kite159]

220/221s are completely banned for me so I wouldn't even contemplate it. A good way to save over £60 on your FOSS though (for a random example) would be to flag the hotel and spend the night on Temple Meads station or another random station. I would much rather have done that to save £60 !

So what would you do if booked onto the final southbound Virgin (West) service of the day which is normally a 390 however due to a day of disruption down Euston meant it replaced by a 221?

-----

As for saving money, if it means going via Birmingham to save money then so be it, that extra £60 will come in handy for a future trip

 

[fishquinn]

I wouldn't book on the last Southbound VT one so it wouldn't matter! I'd probably find myself overnighting on the station if that happened though.