Confessions of a middle-aged obsessive

[Roger B]

Hi there.

Firstly, a bit about myself, and my railway history. I spent my first couple of decades in Gloucestershire, moving up to Manchester about 35 years ago.

My railway interest was sparked by family holidays by train to Dawlish in the late sixties and early seventies, and this progressed throughout the seventies, the schools I attended being conveniently sited next to the railway. If only I still had my notes from this period, but unfortunately my records only begin in '75, and are incomplete for the following few years.

In the late seventies, inexplicably I became more interested in young ladies and motorbikes, and I took hardly any notice of railways until the mid eighties. I so regret this - I missed a few deltics, more than a few 25s & 40s - and many shunters, dmus, emus, etc scrapped in the early eighties. I’ve seen a poster on a school notice board saying "relationships come and go, but qualifications are for life". Replace qualifications with railways, and I think it's pretty much spot on.

I got the idea for this thread from searching for 66 790 – which led me to palmersears’ thread – Palmersears’ Jaunts, which I really enjoy. And being just a little on the OCD scale (me, that is – although I suspect I’m not alone!) – I was immediately attracted by his use of the apostrophe – top man.

Palmersears has “little interest in going out in the cold to wait around for a couple of required units”. I'm exactly the same concerning the dark, damp and colder months - perhaps it's my age! But you just don’t get the same vibe as you do in the light. I’ve met so many interesting people as I’ve travelled around, and love chatting with other guys, swapping info and tips for tracking down elusive rolling stock.

Standing alone in the dark, one’s extremities slowly (or not so slowly) freezing off, just doesn’t have the same appeal. Although some might say that masochism is at the heart of our ? – I was going to write ‘hobby’, but it’s so much more than that. I don’t want to overdo use of ‘obsession’, but it is the closest fit.

So what are my current obsessions? I want to:
1. See every locomotive, every multiple unit (including changes to formations of coaches I’ve already seen), every loco hauled carriage, and departmental carriage registered to run on NR metals, and all ex-BR carriage Internal Users.
2. Travel over every NR line over which there is a regular passenger service, in each direction (if there’s a service in both directions.

These are my main obsessions, although I’m also trying to:
3. See all track machines registered to run on NR metals.
4. See all items of ex-BR rolling stock that still exist, either preserved or in industrial use.
5. Travel over all NR routes – including those only used by passenger trains only for diversionary purposes, or for special trains (eg Belmond Pullman), and those solely for freight use (other than passenger ‘specials’).

In this thread I'll record:
· My progress on the above, and related triumphs and frustrations,
· Some of the highlights from my travels, what I think are unusual sightings / workings,
· General railway musings.

I hope you enjoy reading, and I'd be very glad of any feedback - and help in tracking down elusive items of rolling stock.

Happy hunting!

 

[Roger B]

So, where am I up to re obsession #1? (See every locomotive, every multiple unit (including changes to formations of coaches I’ve already seen), every loco hauled carriage, and departmental carriage registered to run on NR metals, and all ex-BR carriage Internal Users)

At the start of the year, I needed for sight (by year of introduction into service):

1969 (yes, really – still not seen yet – FIFTY ONE! years later):

977969 (ex BFO and Royal Train). I just can't seem to find this one anywhere. I think it's part of Ultrasonic Test Train 2 - but never seems to be at Derby RTC / Grove Park / Tonbridge West Yard or other departmental haunts when I visit. Very frustrating.

1999:

96604 (seen previously as 96156). This is hidden somewhere in the depths of Derby RTC – and doesn’t seem to be visible from passing trains.

2015:

68 018 It's always somewhere else when I visit Crewe / Carlisle / Westbury / Edinburgh, etc, or wherever 68s often hang out. Becoming a bit embarrassing really – nearly five years old and still not seen.

2016:

230 001 I think this is generally stored at Long Marston. I've not visited for the past ten years or so - I understand there's no access now, and I’m reluctant to take a trip (especially by car - I take the train whenever I can) if there's little chance of seeing it.

2017:

70 817 - Similar story to 68 018 above - somewhere else when I visit Cardiff / Westbury / Eastleigh / Crewe / Barnetby / Carlisle, etc.
221s. 143 - 144. I've not seen these formations (although I've seen all cars previously). I only recently noticed they were reformed back in '17 (oops).
9506. Departmental carriage. Seen previously in capital stock. Now parked-up at Carlisle Depot most of the time. I reckon I've probably seen it a fair few times as I've passed on the train, but just don't seem able to see it's number, and as there are a few of these, I can never be quite certain it's there or not when I pass. Again quite frustrating.

2018:

230 002. See 230 001 (2016 above)!
802s. 006 / 010 / 021. Waiting for 802 021 to be back in service following its repair, and I'll knock these off.

2019:

This is a bit problematical, as I’m not sure what had been accepted into service by the turn of the year, and what was outstanding. But my best guess (from info gleaned from other threads) is that of those I've not seen yet, the following had been accepted into traffic by the end of 2019:

158. 749 / 767 / 769. Seen originally as two-car units, then also seen in 3-car units, but not seen again since reformed as two-car units in August '19.
195s. 002 – 006 / 008 – 020, 104 – 105, 107 – 108, 110 – 113, 126 – 130.
331s. 001 / 003 / 006 – 007 / 010 – 013, 015 - 020, 103 – 104 / 110.
345s. 7-car 020 / 038 / 052 / 055 – 057 / 059 / 063 – 064. 9-car 027 / 034 – 035
378s. 206 / 209. Seen previously as 4 & 5 car units – but not seen since fifth car re-instated post service on the GOBLIN.
385s. 002 / 040 – 042 / 046, 102 / 121.
397s. 001 / 012.
710s. 256 / 259 / 260.
755s. 327 / 330 – 336 / 338, 402 / 404 / 407 / 409 – 416 / 418 / 420 – 424.
800s. 202 / 207 – 210.
801s. 107 / 109 / 111, 203 / 205 / 207 / 211 / 213 / 217.
802s. 201 / 203 / 206 / 209 – 215 / 217 / 219, 301 – 302.
TPE Mk 5s. 11506 – 508 / 511 / 513, 12710 – 12712 / 12717 / 12719 – 12724 / 12731 – 12733 / 12737 – 12739, 12807 – 12808, 12811, 12813. I really struggle finding / reading the numbers on these. I frequently pass sets on Longsight, but can I get the numbers – nope.
CS Mk 5s. 15001, 15102, 15301, 15302, 15336. Of these 15102 is a Fort William day coach, and the other four have not been used in service yet.

So let's see what I can knock off in 2020 - plus 2020 new build, of course.

 

[DarloRich]

wowsers - good luck! that is some task you have set yourself

 

[xotGD]

So of all the locomotives in existence in Britain, there are only 2 that you have not seen. That is impressive.

I guess once you have seen them both you can start all over again...

 

[Roger B]

So of all the locomotives in existence in Britain, there are only 2 that you have not seen. That is impressive.

I guess once you have seen them both you can start all over again...

Many thanks xotGD. I've not yet seen 66790 - 66792 either, but I've not included them in the 2019 list because they're not in service yet.

I definitely will NOT be starting again. And I don't think I'd take it up today. Too much uniformity. No thrill of - wow - a Stratford split headcode 37 (which were very rare in Gloucester in the seventies). And part of it was hanging out with my mates, kicking a ball around, or riding our bikes (bicycles) round an improvised rally cross circuit next to the railway line. And travelling to other places to see different kinds of trains - like the class 06 / 26 / 27 in Scotland. I loved going round depots, when you'd get a whole bunch of different classes there at once. Very happy days - sadly not repeatable today.

I occasionally go to Nuneaton and Doncaster, where there are people who have year books (ie what they've seen so far this year), but I know that if I started down that route, I'd have to try to see them all, to fill in any gaps. It would make November and December very stressful - and very expensive. It wouldn't do my health or my family any good, and I'd be spending the family holiday money to get the job done - that way madness lies! Although, in fairness, Lisa, my dear and long-suffering wife, considers that I'm well down that road already.

 

[Roger B]

wowsers - good luck! that is some task you have set yourself

Thanks DarloRich. Actually, now I've got to this point, apart from the oddballs I've listed, it's becoming a little easier - although there have been more than a few challenges along the way.

I'm pretty relaxed about objective #1. With stock so highly utilised these days, and not languishing in the back of works for months on end, it's not nearly so difficult to chase down most of it. For instance the SWR 701s, when they've all been delivered, should only take a few trips to Clapham Junction to see the lot, whereas chasing down the EPBs, VEPs & CIGs in the 70s and 80s was an entirely different matter.

Objective #2 is more challenging, but in a different way. I only really started this in earnest about four years ago (although I had travelled around a fair bit before then). In the early days, it was quite easy to knock off route miles. But now nearly half of what I haven't travelled over yet are unusual lines - or PSULs (Passenger Service over Unusual Lines - see http://www.psul4all.free-online.co.uk/2020.html). An example is Hest Bank to Bare Lane Junction. I've done it in one direction, but the route is now only covered by passenger trains in the other direction, the sole daily train (SuX) being the 05.30 from Lancaster to Morecambe via Carnforth.

In my younger days I've done all-nighters on Crewe, Carlisle, etc, but in those days, there would be a few other blokes to pass the time with. Today, the idea of doing one on my own on Lancaster or Carnforth doesn't appeal at all. But one day it will have to be done (unless the timetable changes).

 

[DarloRich]

Thanks DarloRich. Actually, now I've got to this point, apart from the oddballs I've listed, it's becoming a little easier - although there have been more than a few challenges along the way.

i wouldn't have the time or the patience for it! I might buy a combined stock book and see how many trains i have a picture off

 

[Romsey]

Thank you for helping my sanity. I gave up recording numbers (unless as paid work) after 8 hours walking around a large siding complex checking wagon numbers for TOPS data integrity checks. That was well over 40 years ago.
The only time I note vehicle numbers now is for photographic records or when logging timekeeping and incidents as part of railtour operations.

 

[Roger B]

So what’ve I been up so far this year. Not a lot, the weather not really being conducive to hanging around at platform ends. And if I’m going to travel for pleasure, I like to make a full day of it, and it just hasn’t the same appeal in the dark – when you can’t see anything out of the train window, or much from the platform either. Bring on the longer days.
________________________

My first trip was down to London on 13th January. On this occasion I took a bus to Piccadilly, and caught the 09.55 (1A21) to Euston, which was 390047. This is my preferred train, because whilst the 09.35 is the first off-peak train, it is usually rammed, and the 09.55 goes via Crewe – which I much prefer to going via Stoke, which feels as though it takes much longer (even though it doesn’t in reality).

I boarded early (before the 09.35 had departed), and managed to get a forward-facing seat at table in coach C, as this is the only unreserved carriage on a 9-coach pendo.

A fairly uneventful journey followed, passing 397004 and 68031 with a rake of Mk5s on Longsight – I just can’t seen to find the numbers on these from a moving train, never mind read what they are.

92018 was stabled adjacent to the Locomotive Services Limited depot (on the site of the old Diesel Depot). I was very pleased to see 221143 (not seen previously in its current formation) in this sticking out of the Carriage Shed, and a couple of 397s stabled in the carriage sidings, one being 397001 (a cop!). All going very well so far.

66547 was stabled at Rugby, as was Plasser 73947. There were a few 350s in the carriage sidings at Bletchley, but this time there wasn’t one of the 230s in the station platform. I was hoping to see a 710 at Watford Junction, but 378014 was on duty.

Wembley Yard hosted a selection of locos, including 66421, 66587, 90020, and 67021 and 67024 – the 67s being in Belmond Pullman livery. Then we descended into Euston, passing another plasser, 73923, in the CE siding, and Willesden depot – but no 710s on view today!

My next train was from St Pancras, and I did what I usually do – a quick walk along Euston Road, with a scout around Kings Cross first. I was rewarded with 800202 (another cop!), and 180112.

I then nipped across to St Pancras, boarding 395007 (again) for the 12.27 (1C80) departure, which left punctually, depositing me at Stratford International right on time.

________________________

I returned to Manchester the following day, taking the 13.14 (1J33) from Stratford International, courtesy of 395017. Very unusually this was running a few minutes late – although doubly frustrating, as I’d missed the previous service to St Pancras by less than a minute. That’ll teach me (perhaps).

An uneventful journey to St Pancras, followed by a brisk walk to Euston (omitting King’s Cross this time), to board 390125 forming the 13.40 (1H68) to Manchester. It was good to see 710263 as we left Euston, then past Willesden depot (378219 and 710103 on display), and Wembley holding sidings and yard – observing 66716, the two Belmond 67s, 66723 and 700007.

Rugby provided 90029 and 90034 double-headed on a freightliner, with 57309 stabled. And on to Crewe, where I was delighted to see my final 397, 397012 stabled in the carriage sidings. Although it means that whenever I see a 397 from now on, there will no longer be the same sense of anticipation. And then in Crewe station I was delighted to see 331103, the only four-car 331 on the west side I hadn’t yet seen.

IH68 pulled into Piccadilly a couple of minutes late, so I had to dash over to platform 13 for the 15.51 to Gatley. Fortunately, it was also running late, and whilst I was waiting I had the pleasure of seeing 70020 roll through with a freightliner from Trafford Park, and also copped a couple for 331s – 331007 and 331013. And then I boarded 158149 on 1P74, which departed Piccadilly at 15.59, passing 68031 on Longsight (again couldn't make out the numbers on the TPE stock), alighting at Gatley.