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Extremely successful day on the WAG-Ex

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4SRKT

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All in all the skips aren't as much fun as the filthy, claggy 57s, but it was a great and above all economical day. Set out from Holyhead and rode all the way to Cardiff behind 67003. Then rode out to Fishguard and back (in a 150 - ouch!), before taking skip 1 north to Chester and home. Nice to get a different skip in the evening; I guess they don't swap them over every day.

Basically this came about following my discovery a while ago of a £17 advance ticket from Holyhead to Fishguard using the WAG-Ex, and once I get hold of such a fact it is no longer good enough for it to remain as mere knowledge: it simply has to be tried out. Managing to find a date where all the other moves could be done on the cheapest tier of advances, the date kind of set itself.

On Monday after work I'd used 67003 on the northbound WAG-Ex as a positioning move from Chester to Holyhead, so I'd managed the full length of the return journey for a breathtakingly small amount of money. Bearing in mind I'm waaaaay too old for a railcard, the fares were (started at Morley and returned to Saltaire):

Morley > Huddersfield SDS £3.10
Huddersfield > Chester ADV £8.00
Manchester > Holyhead ADV £14.00 (double booking on 17:50 Piccadilly > Llandudno with Hudds > Chester advance)
Holyhead > Fishguard ADV £17.00
Fishguard > Chester ADV £17.00
Chester > Huddersfield ADV £8.00
Huddersfield > Saltaire SDS £4.90

Travelodge in Holyhead £29. Probably the grimmest place I've dossed down in a long while.

Not only a superb day-and-a-bit covering loads of miles (almost 500 of which loco hauled) through mostly lovely countryside, but the Cardiff > Fishguard train unexpectedly took the Landore north curve instead of the District Line, bagging me my last required 1/4 mile of passenger line in Wales, one which I'd previously had no idea how I would get. Result!
 
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Welshman

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Compared with some of your fascinating earlier reports, this appears to be just a precis of the delights you enjoyed, so I look-forward to a fuller report in due course! :) :)

By the way, you're never too old for a Senior Railcard!!
 

4SRKT

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I've given up writing the long reports this year. It was taking up too much time, and helped revive the practice of writing such reports to such an extent that I hardly need bother now! This was aimed more at being a Public Service Announcement drawing attention to the incredible £17 advance from Holyhead to Fishguard using the WAG-Ex, and that connects very well at Cardiff allowing a full day Holyhead > Fishguard > Holyhead for just £34.
 
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Welshman

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Fair enough - speaking selfishly, though, I used to enjoy reading your detailed reports.
 

4SRKT

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And I enjoyed writing 'em! Too much pressure of time with family at the mo. I hardly post on here at all these days TBF.
 

Ivo

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Sounds a good day :) I wish I could have gone, but...

The Cardiff > Fishguard train unexpectedly took the Landore north curve instead of the District Line, bagging me my last required 1/4 mile of passenger line in Wales, one which I'd previously had no idea how I would get. Result!

I know you wanted this badly, so well done on finally landing it. I can still claim to have managed it before you though ;)
 

4SRKT

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Sounds a good day :) I wish I could have gone, but...



I know you wanted this badly, so well done on finally landing it. I can still claim to have managed it before you though ;)


Technically I need never go to Wales ever again, but I think I may pop in for the odd visit as it's such a nice place ;)
 

Techniquest

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I got it before both of you years ago, and with D1015 so :p

Glad to hear you enjoyed the bash, which I forgot you were doing. I was so busy on my ALR I just never got time to go along and do the WAG. Quite, I never touched Wales and the only time I used ATW was on the first train of the bash up to Manchester!
 

ChiefPlanner

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Technically I need never go to Wales ever again, but I think I may pop in for the odd visit as it's such a nice place ;)

Well done - even the Welsh Valleys in good weather and daylight are rewarding -and the gems of the Cambrian Coast , Conway Valley and the Heart of Wales beckon (the latter for remoteness , if not cranking !) :D
 
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