20th/21st November
And time for another day (and a bit) on the rails with 1 of my best friends Techniquest. The idea this time to put another bold red line against a very hard to do section of the UK's rail Network, namely the awquard and rarely used diversion route taken by VT Services out of Glasgow via Cathcart and Newton onto the WCML. Presumably to retain driver and Train Manager Route Knoledge this does see 1 booked train per week but before you get excited about it, you should perhaps be aware that said working is the 04:26x Glasgow on Saturdays. Unsure if it runs other days also but dont think it does and so as youl now understand its a tough 1 to get. Planning for this started back in Sept when we were out on the Borders line and Fife Cats and since then I've made a huge effort to get Scotland's remaining fidly bits all done as I'd like to end the year with only the odd unbashed area and if I can get up to Kyle before Xmas then this looks like it will happen with only the freight only via Kincardine and the BS and KR left as well as a few loops and the like which will doubtless stay untouched for a long time yet for whatever reason. The 1 advantage (and even to an earlybird like me there is just the 1) of starting the day at this time is that one does have the rest of it free for a good honest crankfest and various options ranging from shack scoring in Cumbria to a Manchester based day were considered but with advances for our chosen train rocketing in price (didnt think it'd be so popular on this flow at this time) we had to make a choice and based on ease of getting home and our individual requirements OTO a handful of shacks and units for Tech and pritty much all of Mersyrail accept Chester for me we settled on a Saveaway and duely purchased DSB Railcard Discounted Advances to WGN and the appropriate tickets for our respective return journeys. Also bought well in advance was a £1 Megabus seat (they clearly do exist) on the late Friday Morning Northbound run from Brum to Glasgow which would allow Tech to get up to Scotland and in position for minimal cost. Pitty the HFD>BHM CDR and the LIV>BHM Advance he's splicing travel to and from home with isnt better value although I still think getting a bottom teer LM AP on a Weekend train is pritty good going!
I spent a farely average Friday at home with the intention being to set off around 17:00. However, all was not going to plan with Techs Megabus which due to a combination of delays leaving Birmingham, accidents and traffic was acruing some MegaDelays and by 18:30 hadnt even reached Preston. Baring in mind that it should have been passing Hamilton at this point this was pritty major. Plans had been made for a little bit of shack scoring and clearing up of unfinished business from our Daytripper outing in August, followed by a nice evening at bass camp with a takeaway, a drink and a good kip but all this went out the window and I left at just before 8, complete with haistilly made rols as well as crisps, chockys and a big bottle of fizzzy orrange for the now much delayed and hungry tech, with the bus trip to Waverley being the prelude to nearly 24hrs on the rails with only a quick hotel stay to recharge and rejuvinate. First thing to do was position myself to Strathclyde and in my never ending quest to avoid 170s, Voyagers (and for the meantime until my bumb and back recover Scotrail 156s) the onners of doing this fell surprisingly (both because I actually had a reason for using it and because for once it wasnt canseled as often happens) the 21:14 XC HST To Glasgow, 12:25x Plymouth and running 5 late meaning a long cold fester on the P9/8 Island. Creddit where due though the station staff and TM worked hard and got us away only 2 behind and by Carstairs we were early. Tech had in all this time bad a non emotional good by to his Megabus, made a mad dash across Preston and jumped on a train North. I found him feeling much better after a fester in the fresh air at Motherwell and we appreciatively observed 43303 and 43207 thrashing off towards Central before bording 318257 On the 21:14 stopper as far as Cambuslang.
We were booked into the Glasgow Cambuslang/M74, J2A (try saying that after a few) Premier Inn which we discovered like 2 hours before we were due to go to it was much nearer to Carmile station but a Taxi number provided outside Cambuslang station had us there in no time although the driver innitially wasnt sure where we were going. . If flying solo on an early show like this then maybe try find somewhere nearer as a taxi into Glasgow will set you back roughly a Tenner but if sharing the cost or getting up at a more conventional time of day then everything about this hotel is great. Its far enough out to both have the lowest £35 Saver Rates easily obtainable and not have all kinds of idiots spoiling your night and in addition to the Table Table Restaurant, parking, a Garage, shops, takeaways and trains are all near at hand. It does however date from the times when opening small hotels with a pub next door and a major road very near by was Whitbread's main aim in life but unlike a certain other chain (the 1 with crap beds) more than a little attention has been paid to soundproofing meaning that 1 of Scotlands busyest roads might as well have not been there for all we could hear of it. It has also recently been extended and is undergoing refurbishment and our room was everything these 2 tired bashers needed and more. Got to bed at half 11 which was much later than planned But as ever PI's great beds ment a good sleap and after a 3am (Yes I have booked myself in for a check on my sanitty) alarm and a cracking hot shower we headed out to meet the taxi, booked in advance by hotel reception the night before. A smooth and traffic free run up the M74 saw us at Gordon Street at 5 past 4 where the police were busy removing those members of society too far gone to do it themselves. Now I know why our driver was glad to get some sober passengers for once. Lots of 314s hanging around the buffers along with our chariot for the run south which was a loveley warm 390049 on which we took our seats and tried to calm the jitters. Would the booked route be used? A slow but timely start saw us traversing much of the station throte and just at around the time we thought we had been badly withered a sharp turn to the right took us onto the Cathcart Circle, a fact confirmed by familiar shacks flying past. All attention was on our progress as we passed Newton and with a nice smooth left hand curve we rejoined double track and began accellerating Southwards! What a feeling, we'd done it, another hugely fiddly bit all finished! At around this time the Crewmember manning the shop announced she was ready to go although without the full range of hot drinks due to a fault. This was done in a v cheery manner, a stark contrast to the TM who didnt I dont think know what a smile was. She could have taken a lesson from us as required track plus an instant coffee (a marked upgrade to the machine offering in our opinion) ment we were both able to do it readily. The run to Wiggan was spent trip planning, dozing and chilling but we were ready and glad to bail as the train was now very busy.
A short wate here during which time we tried to buy tickets for the main part of the day but as amazingly Wiggan cant issue Saveaways we just got singles to Garswood and planned to buy onboard. 142007 (happy me) was working the 07:31 stopping service to Liverpool and produced our 2nd grumpy guard of the Morning. Suffice to say he did a cursary ticket check on departure and then hid in the back cab only reluctantly coming out to do doors meaning we remained ticketless till LIV. I wonder how much Northern are losing thanks to this kind of thing? Maybe its compensated for by their £80 charges levied on unsuspecting innosent punters? Anyhow tickets eventually obtained from the eccess fares office and stopping only to get food from Burger King we headed for the Wirral Lines. The idea today was to cover as much of Mersyrails empire as posssible as for me it was all required other than Chester and Tech had offered to help keep me motivated whilst maybe copping some winners and getting some decent and nostalgic milage in. First up 507020 to West Kirby then back again to Birkanhead north where we changed for 508131 to New Brighton. Plan now was to return with the same set to the City Centre for a coffee break but at Hamilton Sq the CIS showed 507006 (although obviously we didnt know which one it was till it came) was 3 down on an Elesemere Port working and as these are only half hourly we bailed just as the hussle alarm was sounding and raced over to catch it and indeed stayed with it for the whole of its return trip to Central, using it as a venue for a welcome snooz. With these branches now complete we took the escalaters to the surface and after a welcome visit to the Gents (copped another airblade hand dryer
) whent through the barriers which odly rejected our tickets and stocked up on drinks and a large coffee each in Greggs where the staff were excillent at turning a huge cue round quickly.
Back through the barrier and into the Lift to the Northern Line. Grycers tip - if you and a pile of Xmas shoppers stand back to let an old lady with walking aids out of an arriving elivater and she then has a grump as she cant get past coz your all in the way, dont bother trying next time! And they say the younger generations have no respect? News to me!! 507023 was bording for a service to Kirkby as we reached the Platforms and off we went, returning with the same unit to Kirkdail for a 15 minute wate for a very busy 508128 to Ormskirk and the return trip which again got very crouded to morefields. Iv got to say that I much prefer the Northern Line as its faster and therefor much more fun. Still got Southport and Hunts Cross to do but that'll get finished quite soon I hope. Down the escalaters here for the final 5x unit in the form of 508143 back to Lime Street. If the person responsible for TVM allocation is reading this then how about a few more on the Network Rail concourse here? Collection of my Wiggan>Carlisle Advance took so long that the late lunch Id intended to buy never materialised and it was a brisk trot over to P1 for some York built MK3 EMU Excitement curticy of 319363 on the 14:32 Northern Electrics (according to the slightly long winded auto announcements onboard) to Wiggan, Tech joining me as far as Edge Hill. Revenue Protection shocking to non existant here again but 6 up at Northwesten and as the guard was hanging about I showed him my Saveaway and railcard and paid the cost of a single from Garswood to make the journey Id just made all nice and valid again, despite his Protestations. For those of us who value and respect rail staff and view passengers as the meat and drink of the system the generositty of rail employees like this one is appreciated but personally Id rather pay up as without my money how can the system run and improve? Having said all that Id have gladly not paid for my next journey, Wiggan to Carlisle on a late and busy 10 car Super Voyager (why does this seam to happen on my way home)? Reached CAR 5 Down and met my Wife whod traveled from home on 1 of the many diverted EC Services and we headed for a pub meal in the excillent but overcrouded Griffin just opposit the station, returning for the 19:23 VTEC HST which was very quiet and rant to time. It was nice to have an HST out of Carlisle again but I was shattered by now and P8 at EDB was for once not a problem as it provided easy access to Market Street and the Private Hire Taxi Id booked. Home reached at 20 past 9, 25h20 after Id left it for what was a great trip both in terms of what was done and the company. Id gladly do it again, but will maybe get some sleap 1st?
