Bit of a mammoth update...
1 September 2016: East Midlands Rover Day 2
With another day free it was time to get back on the rails with the East Midlands rover. As per the last time I'm starting at Stoke-on-Trent, with
390002 doing the honours down to Nuneaton. We're delayed on arrival into Nuneaton which means my initial plan to head back up and scratch Atherstone is quickly thrown out the window. Instead it's onto 170108 to
Hinckley, before catching
170639 back to Nuneaton. A short wait sees
107106 arrive and I hop on, staying on all the way to
Oakham.
I spend a little time looking around this lovely town and pick up some lunch supplies before heading back to the station to board
170103 back to Leicester. It's then onto
222003 to Derby, and then
153319 to
Tutbury and Hatton. The usual short wait follows before
153384 shows up to take me back to Derby. Here it's onto
156404 for a run up to
Matlock, allowing me to finally add this little branch line to the coverage map.
It's then 156404 back down to Derby. It was now time to start thinking about heading back. But with 40 minutes before the next train to Stoke-on-Trent I decided to use the time to get one of the more trickier stations. And so I set off on a walk through a rather dodgy-looking industrial estate (not recommended in the dark!), eventually arriving at
Peartree. With tales of woe from rg177's report about this station last year I was somewhat apprehensive whether pressing the intercom to release the gate to the platform would work, but it did and I even got a "have a pleasant journey" message from the guy on the other end of the line, which is always nice
On the platform there are about 10 other people waiting for the train, which is 153319 again. Seeing an opportunity I bail at
Longton.
Fortunately my legs are spared the trek as there's a stop nearby where I can pick up a bus to take me into Stoke, where I can pick up another bus to Newcastle and then yet another bus home.
3 September 2016: East Midlands Rover Day 3
Today's little adventure was part of the forum trip to Skegness - I'd later have to head to London too to it promised to be long but interesting day. It's an early start today and so I can't rely on public transport. Instead I manage to get a lift to Alsager station. There it's onto
158813 all the way to Derby. I would be meeting up with other forum members in Doncaster, but there was enough time before the next train there to get a cheeky shack scratch in. So it was onto
153383 which had attached itself onto 158813, down to
Long Eaton. The platform switch is performed allowing me to get on
170397 back to Derby. There's still enough time to pick up a coffee and some breakfast provisions before getting on
222015 to Sheffield. The presence of a required 142 on the platform opposite is too good to pass up, so it's onto
142018 for the short hop to Meadowhall, and then onto
185126 to Doncaster. There's still some time before meeting up with the others so it's time for another cheeky shack attack, with 158849 taking me to
Kirk Sandall.
It's then 144005 back to Doncaster. Because I've got nothing better to do for 20 minutes I head to Kirk Sandall again! Although there's no luck on the winners front as it's 142070 there and 158816 back. I now meet with the others at Doncaster, and we all hop onto 185102 to
Barnetby. There's bit of a fester here and the rather wet weather doesn't make it particularly pleasant, so we all take shelter under the ramped footbridge before 142090 shows up. This being a Saturday I finally get the Brigg line onto the coverage map as we enjoy the long haul to Sheffield. There's time for provisions here before getting onto
158866 + 158770 down to Nottingham. And then it's time for the main event as
43045 + 43049 roll in to form the Skegness train. We sit in declassified first class to make the most of the journey, eventually arriving in
Skegness.
With the station operating a queuing system we decide to stay on the train to keep our prime seats before 43045 + 43049 head back towards Nottingham. The journey back avoids Grantham so gets another little bit of PSUL marked in the book. The others are staying on as far as Derby, but as I need to head to London I bail at Nottingham. I manage to make it onto
43064 + 43075 for a short run to East Midlands Parkway, before hopping onto 156415 down to
Loughborough.
With a bit of time to spare I head out of the station to see if I can find a bottle of water, but to no avail as all nearby shops are closed. So it's back to the station and then onto
222010, where I pick up an overpriced drink from the buffet shop thing. I get off at Bedford as that's as far as the rover will get me and I have an advance ticket for the following train. This turns out to be
222022 and I'm on all the way to St Pancras. From here it's time to make my way to the overnight accommodation. So it's down into the underground to pick up Victoria line duds LU11029 + LU11030 up to Seven Sisters. It's then up to the mainline platforms to pick up 315807 to
Edmonton Green.
I'm staying in the local Travelodge, but check in is a faff as despite turning up at 11pm my room still isn't ready. I'm quite tired so the 40 minute wait to get in my room is most unwelcome. Still a follow up complaint sees the cost of the stay refunded. Anyway, despite the accommodation faff it's been a great final day of my East Midlands rover!
7 September: Clearing the Lea Valley
Having spent most of the week stuck at a conference in London, I decided to skip the last day and get back on the rails. I was staying in Mile End so it was to Mile End tube station to buy a day travelcard and then onto LU91215 +
LU92148 + LU92042 + LU91057 for one stop to
Bethnal Green for a two minute wait, and then onto
LU91155 + LU92008 + LU92450 + LU91019 down to Liverpool Street. It's then up to the mainline platforms and onto
321364 + 321447 for a run to Stratford, and then
360101 + 360120 back again. Back at Liverpool Street it's then onto 379012 +
379022 for a run up to Tottenham Hale, where a short wait is had before catching
317663 + 317508 to
Enfield Lock.
There's enough time to purchase the obligatory caffeine hit before getting onto
317656 + 317504 back down to Tottenham Hale. Another short wait produces
317658 for a hop to London's newest station,
Lea Bridge. The platform switch maneouvre is performed, putting me onto
317669 back to Tottenham Hale. It's into the tube now, boarding
LU11075 + LU11076 to Seven Sisters. Back above ground it's
315801 to take me to
Cambridge Heath. A mad dash under the tracks and onto the other platform means I manage to get on board 315808 just as the doors are closing, staying on to
White Hart Lane.
Here it's onto
315812 to
Stoke Newington, and then
315816 + 315810 to
Enfield Town.
To make the most of the fester here I head off for a walk to the previous station. It's a hot day, but I reward my arrival at
Bush Hill Park with an ice cream from the corner shop. The ice cream is devoured on the platform while I wait for 315816 + 315810 to return and take me to
Bruce Grove.
It's then
315814 to
Turkey Street. It's over 20 minutes before 315814 arrives again to take me to
Southbury.
The usual platform switch puts me onto 315803 back up to Turkey Street, where another 20 minute wait is had, only for 315803 to return, but this time to take me to
Silver Street. It's walking time again, and I set off this time to
Angel Road.
It's one of London's least used stations and it's easy to see why, with nothing much going in the surround industrial estate and compounded by its relative inaccessibility and hidden location. The sun is still blaring down and so I walk to the end of the platform to take shelter under the road bridge while I wait for
317507 to show up and take me back to Stratford. It's then back on the central line and onto
LU91081 + LU92262 + LU92004 + LU91047 up to Mile End so I can pick my bag up from where I've been staying. It's then back up to Stratford on
LU91011 + LU91327 + LU92212 and something else I didn't quite catch. Here it's onto 317669 to
Northumberland Park.
By my reckoning that's all of Abellio Greater Anglia's shacks in the London Zones cleared, as well as all shacks on the Lea Valley lines in the London Zones. With that achievement under my belt it's time to head back to Euston to catch the train home. So it's on to
317650 to increasingly familiar Tottenham Hale and then down into the underground for LU11053 + LU11054 to Euston. I'm in for the long haul as I'm booked on London Midland up to Crewe, so a stop is made to buy the necessary provisions to make the long journey bearable before hopping onto
350110 + 350374 for the journey home. 350374 is dropped at Northampton, with 350110 taking me the rest of the way to Crewe.
25 September 2016: Clearing the Watford DC and Bakerloo lines
The previous day had been spent in London with Mrs crehld. We stayed overnight but as I had to catch an early train to Brussels the next day I would be staying an extra night (it didn't make sense to travel up to Crewe, only to have to travel back down the next day).
The day started in Feltham (where we were staying) and onto
458517 into Waterloo. Because we were feeling lazy we headed over to Waterloo East to pick up
375917 + 375827 to Charing Cross. Much of the morning is spent walking around London doing this and that but eventually it's time to say goodbye to Mrs crehld. I head to up Euston from Green Park on
LU11015 + LU11016 to wave her off. I then decide to spend the afternoon doing something about the outstanding shacks on the Watford DC line. So first up it's onto
378229 to
Headstone Lane, and then onto 378255 to
Stonebridge Park.
Here it's onto
LU3552 + LU3242 back up
North Wembley, followed by
378231 to
South Kenton.
It's then
LU3557 + LU3255 to Harrow and Wealdstone where 378229 shows up again to take me to Kenton. It's back up to Harrow and Wealdstone again, this time on LU3555 +
LU3251, and then
378219 to
Hatch End. Arrival here is slightly delayed which means I miss the next train down and I'm subject to a longer than anticipated fester. Eventually though 378231 shows up and takes me down to Harlesden. By my reckoning that's all the Watford DC line stations cleared, on both national rail and London Underground trains. With that achievement I decided to turn my attention to clearing the remaining Bakerloo line shacks. So at Harlesden it's onto
LU3263 + LU3553 all the way down to
Edgware Road.
I know I need one station between Paddington and Queen's Park, but I can't quite remember which one it is, so for safety's sake I opt for a linear bash, starting with
LU3558 + LU3262 from Edgware Road to Warwick Avenue, then
LU3556 + LU3266 to Maida Vale, and then LU3532 + LU3238 to
Kilburn Park - which it turns out was the required station and the last required Bakerloo line shack.
From here I'm continuing north on LU3555 + LU3251 to Willesden Junction. By complete chance I spot an opportunity to get a bit of tricky PSUL in. With bits of the north London line closed, London Overground are diverted via the hold Primrose Hill station. This is an opportunity too good to pass up so it's onto
378255 for the ride along this new track to
Homerton. The platform switch maneouvre puts me onto
378204. I arrange to meet up with a couple of friends and so bail at
Camden Road and join them for a drink.
Eventually it's time to head back to Feltham. This means it's down into
Camden Town tube station and onto
LU51661 + LU51662. I get off at the next station,
Mornington Crescent, for another cheeky shack scratch.
It's then
LU51705 + LU51609 to Waterloo. Above ground I board
450076 + 450553, but bail at Twickenham. This allows me to get
455852 + 455901 to
St Margarets for one last new shack of the day.
From here it's
458514 + 458528 back to Feltham.
26 September 2016: an early morning bash
As I mentioned in the report for the day before I was off to Brussels this morning. However I didn't sleep very well the night before and ended up getting up much earlier than anticipated. It was clear there was no way I was going back to sleep so decided to use the time to get a few more station in on my to St Pancras.
At Feltham I picked up
450032 + 450081 to Richmond. From here it was on to
LU21373 + LU21374 to
Kew Gardens. There's a short wait on the platform for 378204 to arrive. I stay on as far as
Kensal Rise for another shack attack.
Another short wait follows until
378209 shows up to take me to
Caledonian Road and Barnsbury.
From here I decide to make the walk to St Pancras, mainly to save money on the horrendous Zone 6 to Zone 1 Oyster fare. The usual Eurostar check in and security procedures are performed and it's good news as I find winners
373009 + 373010 are taking me to Brussels.