Cheshire Day Ranger v2.0 (Part Two in Comments)

[_toommm_]

WARNING - This is a long read, starting (officially) at 8:45am and finishing at 1:00am the next day - This is only part one

No late start for me today - up bright and early for some initial bashing round South Yorkshire (nothing too interesting really - I just wanted to go on a train via Conisbrough to see the damage caused by the vandalism and the lineside fire) until my bus comes.

My first proper journey of the day will be the 8:45am 65 from Sheffield to Buxton - obviously not included in the ticket price. It's recently been took over by High Peak, so I wanted to sample their Optare Versa's. My opinion... expensive - £5.30 for me to go from the last stop at which I can use my travelmaster (Fox House) to Buxton. Nonetheless the buses are nice. Now, to the trains

There was a tight turnaround at Buxton, with only 12 minutes to get to the train station. Luckily Sheffield issued my day ranger no problem this time (the lady just asked if I knew it wasn't valid from sheffield), and on I go to get 150133+150226 for the 10:24am Northern service to Piccadilly - they seem incredibly spritely compared to the 150s Sheffield get. I've part-done this route before with a Derbyshire Wayfarer (as far as New Mills Newtown), so I wanted to finish the route while I could.


Onto my next journey, the 12:07pm CrossCountry service to Stoke-on-Trent. It's quite a nice contrast to be able to get a seat in a nice place on the train, versus when I use them at Sheffield (my local station) where it's full to the brim even at midday. Sadly nothing worth taking photos of at Piccadilly, expect seeing the same, and only 175 I've ever been on (175009 - although that could change later; I'm writing this section on the Merseyrail train so I could get another 175 later)


I just had time to listen to 323225 depart Stoke-On-Trent (I really do love the sound of them, and being from South Yorkshire, I dont get much chance to see/ride on EMUs, other than the 321s/322s, and of course the 91 locos, at Doncaster) before backtracking a little bit now, joining the 1:02pm London Midland service to Crewe. I quite like the 350s, and from my (admittedly small) experience of LM, I'd say their trains are clean and on time. This short journey in particular I love as Alsager (with its 'rockery') is an interesting station. I'd love to one day travel on more of their services, hopefully before the franchise transfers.

London Midland again, for the 1:33pm service to Liverpool Lime Street. While the work isn't substantial at Lime St, I really wanted to see what had (and hasn't, with the way of British building and engineering projects) been done. A very packed 350107 did the honours, and I had a nice view of the APT and a Deltic at the Heritage Centre (although I didn't want to shove my phone into people's faces in order to get a photo). Obviously the below photo isn't a 350 I had no time to take a photo of it (curse you never working Merseyrail ticket barriers) so here's a nice photo of 185102 running alongside me into Lime Street


Blurriness in photos normally equals speed, but TPE are still always late


Down underground next (no time to stop at M&S either, argh), for a hunger-filled Merseyrail 508115 to Ellesmere Port. I've only ever done Merseyrail to Ormskirk (where I hope to go to uni), and fron Chester in my last trip report so it'll be a new line for me. Gotta say I do like the bell sound the guard gives the driver and vice versa.

'Change here for services to Chester'

A wild 508 peeks round the corner


This left me with a half an hour wait at Ellesmere until my next ride (it was either that or a 2 minute connection. I wouldn't risk that when my next connection isn't exactly regularly timetabled). I struggled to find anything like a port though. Must've took the name too literally I guess.

In my last trip report, I was told my trip wouldn't be complete without a pacer, so luckily I didn't have one for the next leg of my journey. Refurbished 156482 took me to Helsby, and I had a whole DMU to myself nice to see some cheery conductors too in the old, nicer uniform.


'Change here, for nothingness'

 

[_toommm_]

And here comes part two, and I start off with the lovely Helsby station:




From here, I go back to Piccadilly courtesy of Arriva Trains Wales' 3:58pm service, and doing the honours is 175113. I can't tell you how gorgeous this station is, with the signal box sitting between platform 2 and 3, the original station building on platform 1, and the (what looks like) original platform slabs.

I decide to perch myself at a table, and thank myself it's a three-coach 175 as it's clearly home time for a lot of folk. They're a little bit shakey too (the train, not the passengers); not Pacer-level by no shot of the imagination but they vibrate. Let's just say that. And the automated announciator is so polite: 'The next station is Runcorn East. Thank you'



The semaphore signals really remind me of the Hope Valley line near where I live



And we're having engine trouble between Bank Quay and Earlestown by the sounds of it. It keeps revving up and down without actually picking up speed. These trips never go well

Only 4 minutes late total so not too bad, and after a quick stop at M&S, where everything is always priced up wrong, and thanking the lord that I have staff discount because it's SO expensive, I jump on the 5:13pm service to Hadfield, where I leave at Denting. I would've loved to have taken a lot of photos at Denting (the photo on Wikipedia of the viaduct is what attracted me to the station) but it's currently pitch black. I'll have to see how well my camera copes as to whether I get anymore photos of the quaintness.

 

[Kite159]

Sounds like a good day so far

 

[_toommm_]

Part 3:

No more photos tonight (apart from the odd one or two at Piccadilly where it's light).

323224 is my unit for the 6:06pm from Dinting to Piccadilly, calling first at Glossop and Hadfield. Nothing really interesting out of the window at this time of evening as most of the route is pitch black - just lots of 323s and some more 323s.

At least the delay will cut down my wait at Piccadilly, where I'm meeting Arriva Trains Wales again for their 7:30pm service down to Whitchurch. I did this route in v1.0 of the day ranger, but I quite liked it so I'm doing it again. Between this trip, the one before here on this forum and a trip before that, it means I've pretty much cleared every station on the whole ranger. I only need the route down to Rose Hill Marple, and some of the opposite end of the map extremities, such as New Brighton and West Kirby.

No journey on ATW is complete without a fare dodger (and a subsequent post on one of our sub-forums asking for advice). This time it features someone who's fallen asleep, quote unquote, and lost their ticket, again quote unquote. How convenient.

A 45 minute wait at Whitchurch is good by me, as I quite like the little village, and it means I can visit a proper takeaway (something which there is a distinct lack of in Ecclesall in Sheffield).


This service only goes as far as Crewe - I like ATWs 158s and Crewe station but I'd prefer a relaxing non stop journey with a better chance of a seat.

With chip shop style fish and chips in tow, I board the 9:13pm service back to Piccadilly, this time formed of 175009. Stinking out the train isn't a favourite pastime of mine, but I haven't eaten in a while so what needs must.

I've been up 18 hours now, so tiredness starts to kick in as I wait for my penultimate journey of the night: the 10:40pm Transpennine service to the airport, formed of 185132 - it looks like this service has decoupled from another 185 earlier in the day as the coaches are labelled D E and F, as opposed to the standard A B and C. I'm only really using this service as a time filler, with my train to Sheffield not due until 11:53pm - I'll join the train at the airport to stop me having to wait over an hour at Piccadilly.



And my final train of the night - Who knows? The severely delayed Preston train is in on our platform, and my TPE service isn't showing up.

I normally like this particular service as it normally goes via Huddersfield, and the freight only line beside the Supertram network. However, it's down tonight as a Variation on RTT and going down the Hope Valley line, passing through Stockport but not calling at. Anyone know why?

That's the end of my long trip report, but it still isn't the end of my journey as I'm currently waiting to get out of Manchester Airport. I've only been on the go 19 hours...

 

[Kite159]

However, it's down tonight as a Variation on RTT and going down the Hope Valley line, passing through Stockport but not calling at. Anyone know why?

As you mentioned it goes via Huddersfield so I suspect it doesn't call at Stockport as it normally doesn't go that way.

Whitchurch (Shropshire) is a nice little village

 

[_toommm_]

As you mentioned it goes via Huddersfield so I suspect it doesn't call at Stockport as it normally doesn't go that way.

Whitchurch (Shropshire) is a nice little village

I was implying why is it going via Stockport, and not via Huddersfield?

 

[Kite159]

I was implying why is it going via Stockport, and not via Huddersfield?

Line via Huddersfield closed for engineering works?