10-12 Feb 2016. Well off we go again. 2017s first propper trip and whilst not long or particularly special it does cross off a number of things on the bucket list and provide badly needed theropy. Badly needed as Im now sadly Wifeless and catless after she decided to move North again and didnt extent the invite to me, not that Id have gone anyway as it holds no attraction. Whilst I respect her decision and feelings it does hurt a lot, more so as she admitted to not being aware of just how much it would hurt. Anyway onwards and maybe upwards, I will post a link at the end of this report that some help would be appreciated with but for now lets get on shall we?
It was proposed a good while back that a forum circular tour round Kent on a 395 would be a rather nice thing to do and the idea soon grew into the above plus the Gravesend Tillbry ferry and a run back to London with C2c. This was duely arranged and I was dead set on going despite the quiet time of year work wise plus the events mentioned abovemeaning money was/still is very tight. Id spent the afternoon keeping a check on the 15:30 off the Cross in the hope of a drop of loco haulage on my positioning move to Glasgow. I was booked on the National express coach to London from there as it was a good bit cheeper than going from Edinburgh and sadly departure time was just a bit to early to make using the XC HST, far and away my favourite EDB GLC train in the book a viable option. I was certainly glad when it reported from Newcastle at about the time it should have done as whilst 91s arnt the most exciting things out there its still a loco in amongst a sea of voyagers and 170s and various classes of unrefurbished sprinters with dodgy seats. Granted theres 334s but the A to B in the evenings is a slow and painful experience and not worth the hassle of Glasgow on a Friday night. Resolving to take the electra if it got in on time and the 900 Citylink if it didnt I headed out into the traffic ridden hell that is Edinburgh on a Friday night. Having reached the East end of Princes Street by 19:45 I checked on the progress of my train and finding it still largely behaving itself I made my way down stairs just in time to observe a very enthusiastic driver departing P20 with the empties from the evenings Fife Circle turn. Onwards to P8via the cashpoint, booking office and of course Burger King and at 20:17 was off. On time arrival at Central and it was out and over to the other side of Gordon Street to the 24hr Newsagent for a bottle of water, pack of bickies and a huge and as I found out later delicioustuna baggette and then into a cab across to Bucannon Bus Station. Not long to wate here before I borded the NX588 service, departing on shedule at 22:30.
Its Scottish half term this week and as I was later to learn much of the rest of the UK was also off so in addition to the usual smattering of students and vaguely insane budget travelers that usually populate overnight NX runs there were also quite a few young families making for a generally friendly atmosphere as we headed off into a grim Scottish night with a snow and ice warning in place for much of the distance to London. Picups at Lockerbie and Penrith woke me briefly and then it was Keel services just after 3am in gently falling snow, followed by a further stop just before the M6 tol at Norton Keyns. Only downside to this was quite a few of the kids didnt really sleap and some were understandably a bit grumpy about this! I dozed again til we dropped off someone at Milton Keynes Coachway and then it was London, as I texte to a couple of people, my happy place! I must remember to email NX and point out just what a fantastic driver we had, just the right mix between safety chritical PSV holder, customer service ambasedor and standup comedian! 20 down at VCS due to weather and lots of weekend roadworks and having decided what I was going to do for a time waisting couple of hours I took a black cab (yes I know very chingy when I could have walked) to Green Park Station.
There has been 1 relatively short, and as I soon found out really rather boring branchline in the way of clearing the Pic line once and for all, that being Uxbridge and so after a 10 minute wate for a through service I was off. The train was vertually empty most of the way and towards the end freezing cold but at 9 minutes to 9 exactly it was done! next job was a run on an S stock set at speed as had been wanting to try this for a while. Despite the fact it was warm, accellerated well and felt cumfy during the faster running I still cant get to really liking these trains but theres no doubt that theyr fit for purpose and will be a good fleat for LU. Due to engineering works the Met was only running to Baker Street and its was nice to have that little bit from the mainline into there ticked off too meaning now I just need Cheshom, Ammershom and Watford to complete this line too. I made a bit of a mistake here as I took the Bakerloo onwards to Charing Cross, totally forgetting that theres no direct access to the NR concourse just now and that taking the Jubilee to London Bridge would really have made much more sense. This cost me my train of choice, the 10:09 Gillingham service meaning I had to take the 10:23 Gravesend via Sidcup terminater instead. I made the booking office clark very happy here as he clearly doesnt sell many BZ6 tickets and enjoyed something different. Turns out that Starmill bought the exact same there 10 minutes after I did so if he happened to get the same chap then he'll iether have been delighted or more likely wondered just why 2 people wanted to go to Gravesend on a cold snowy Saturday!
The reason, had he wanted to know was that this, for some of us anyway was the start point for a Gravesend to gravesend circular trip, via HS1 and for me at least knocking a good chunk of required track on the head whilst providing a quick fix for my HS addiction. Only 2 things id say here that is on the ticket we used about which Il write later we had to change at Ebsfleat and were unsure about opening the barriers but the opperative let us through the first set and the 2nd lot worked fine. Off and runnimg om the main run of the day having collected a good number of forum members in addition to the Gravesend 3, nameyly Me, Starmill and Yorkie and here comes the 2ndthing with tickets, if in a group or solo at least 1 should book online through SET's website and get an itinarry as this was, after some head scratching what made the OBM accept them, having said in a generally unconcerned manner that we were going the long way round! I and indeed everyone I think enjoyed this run a lot and I would gladly do it again and might well do later in the year. 2hrs or so later we all baled at Gravesend with the acception of a few that didnt want to join in the fun of the Gravesend Tillbry FerryC2C moves after. I and a number of others headed on a 5 min walk to the peer and borded streight away. Its 3 quid for a return on this service which seams popular but very much run on a shoestring and perhaps a little unloved. Its certainly a long time since I had an old style Wayfarer issued ticket, once so common!
At the otherside the group split, some wating for the bus to Tilbry town from what still appears in the system as Tilbry riverside and if bought correctly can be covered by a rail ticket. I noticed later that the bus departures are in fact announced at the rail station. You do get a grand (if thats the word) tour of Tilbry, just as well as Im unliekely to return as part of this and after just missing 1 train we got eh next one at 16:27 with the others joining us at a couple of points having done a combination of walking and training as they chose. All off at Limehouse for a DLR bash accept for forum member LRD who was off home and baled at West Ham. The rest of us which was now me, Yorkie, Starmill, BB21 and OxtedL did the DLR to Stratford via Canary Warf then Woolwich via Stratford International, as you do! Starmill then had the mad idea of taking a bus to Welling Station which if Im honest I didnt enjoy with the acception that it made for the days most unusual shack score, the others of course being Uxbridge LU, Ebsfleet Int, Tilbry Riverside/Town and later in the evening Gants Hill LU. It did however provide a bonus 465 in addition to the 1 Id got earlier from CHX and I appreciated this a lot. The 1 in the morning incidentally had been made 2020 compliant, my first such Networker. Starmill and Yorkie had gone ahead chasing a connection at STP and on arrival at Victoria LU the rest of us split and I now headed for the Park Hotell Illford, my now long overdue bashers rest, reached by Victoria and Central Lines and then a cab curtacy of Mayflower whos office is just outside Gants Hill. In the room by 20:45 and warming up with Dads Army on the telly and later my book, plus a delicous Chicken Shish Kebab and Onion rings curtacy of Salamis Kebab and Pizza House who delivered within 35 minutes. I would have given this hotel full marks as it met my needs despite warnings of bad beds from Techniquest who previously has used it but I was far from amused when the hoovering, collecting of dirty cups and rubbish and such started at just before 07:30 on Sunday, wakening this tired basher! Will post this now as its been a fabby outing and nothing interesting now awates accept a day in norm land and a coach journey. Cheers for reading and thanks to Yorkie for his orgonisation of yesturday, Im also glad to have finished the Pic at last!
