Going Notty
Wednesday the 19th of July was going to be the next day of my FOSS but plans changed. Mum had decided to meet up with a friend in Nottingham and, as I had some unfinished business with the Nottingham tram shacks up there I decided to join her. I'd also be able to direct her in the car to Clifton South to save her getting lost and ending up in Chesterfield (mum once needed to drive to Mansfield and ended up close to Sheffield by accident
.) I'd also be able to get a couple of runs in on EMT trams, of which I'd only had two for the year (and they were EMT hire in powercars too, so I hadn't been on a true East Mids HST since 2016.)
We set off from home on the Wednesday morning at about 08:45 and the traffic was completely fine (as were my directing skills) so we ended up at Clifton South tram stop just under an hour later. I got our tickets (a day ticket on the trams for mum and a 'Robin Hood day ranger' for me, which is just the new, fancy name for the Kangaroo.) A tram was already in the platform but wasn't going anywhere so we had to wait for the next one to arrive.
Clifton tram by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
This was, thankfully, a new one and was formed of
217, a dud because I'd already cleared the NET trams. We got seats up front for the journey into town and I left mum at Nottingham station so I could do the first of my tram spins to East Mids Parkway. I told mum where to get off (Old Market Square) and how many stops it was before heading off to the heavy rail station where
43089 and
43054 were patiently waiting to form the 10:32 St Pancras. Well, I say patiently waiting. They're the closest HST powercar on the mainline to a Paxman Valenta and they always sound like they're going to explode if they don't start moving any second
. Time for some VP185 thrash!
089 was a winner for 100 but, with only 8.25 miles to East Mids Parkway, wouldn't be cleared. 054 was already well over that hallowed position so was nothing special for me there except a winner for the year. All through the run to East Midlands Parkway I was sorely hoping I'd make the -1 onto the tram back to Notty, which always seems to miss. I was very lucky this time round as it was running a couple of minutes late so I had just enough time to get over the footbridge and get a photo as winner for 100
43052 rolled in with dud for 100
43050 on the back.
43054 by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
43052 by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
43050 by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
Like 089, 052 wouldn't be cleared for 100 on the run back to Nottingham but it was good to get another couple in the book for the year.
After getting to Nottingham I decided that it was time for my tram shacks on the Toton line. I wanted to start at Beeston by getting a heavy rail unit out there but it was 10:55 and the next was a 222 at 11:05. I had no desire to get the 222 so it was decided that I'd wait and get the 11:20 Matlock instead, popping into Notty 1st class lounge first, which was a winner one (sad I know - I don't really do lounge scratching *crosses fingers*
.) Before 12:30 this lounge has an attendant inside (instead of just showing your ticket to a camera) so I was warmly greeted before helping myself to a couple of mini macaroons.
The time passed quickly and I soon had to leave the lounge and head to the platform for the 11:20 Matlock. I was pleased to see that this was winner
156414 and, looking at RTT, noticed a fairly tight plus at Attenborough onto the service back to Beeston. I gave dad a call to ask if he could check how to change platforms at Attenborough as I had a feeling it was a level crossing (in which case it wouldn't be worth the risk.) He called me back after checking to say that there was a footbridge for pedestrians so I decided to go for it. That was until we left Nottingham 2 minutes late so I decided that it wasn't worth the risk with a +2. Beeston it is.
I had researched the walk to Beeston Centre a while ago so knew where to go. It was simply out the station via the footbridge and turn left. I was at the tram stop within minutes and had no problem at getting onto tram
231, which was heading towards Toton.
There was a run between stops that I really wanted to try. The two stops seemed so close together and had a pavement right alongside so I wanted to try getting off at one and running to the other just to get on the same tram. The two stops were Bramcote Lane and Cator Lane so I got to the front of the tram at shack score 1, Cator Lane, for the sprint to the next one. It was very hard going but there was luckily someone at the next stop to hail the tram and I just managed to get back on tram 231 forward from shack score 2, Bramcote Lane. Everything from here to Toton was already cleared so I just got off at an appropriate stop for a tram back towards Beeston: Inham Road.
Inham Road by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
I wasn't waiting here long before
220 arrived to take me to shack score 3, Chilwell Road.
234 was then along to take me to High Road Central College for another shack score before
231 took me to Middle Street for another shack score. I still wanted to score Attenborough so decided that it was time to make my way over to Beeston for the Matlock service.
227 was conveniently arriving at the island platform of Middle Street at the same time as us so it was simply onto that one stop back to Beeston Centre where I retraced my steps to Beeston railway station. Well, I say retraced. That is true but first I took the wrong way out from Beeston Centre and did a long loop to end up back at the tram stop. This meant that I had less time to take the correct route but I still had enough time and ended up on an on time winner
156498 one stop to Attenborough.
I took this to Attenborough as planned and quickly popped across the footbridge. It took a moment when I got to the bottom to work out where the heck I was meant to go to get onto the Beeston bound platform but I found out in time to get onto the platform and onto double winner (yay)
153381 and
153302. A couple of minutes later I was back at Beeston.
Instead of heading straight back to the NET I waited at Beeston for a couple of minutes. I had a good reason for this though as a minute after bailing 43045 and 43058 raced through on their way to St Pancras. Vote. Now let's go and continue with those tram shacks.
Once back at Beeston Centre it was onto tram
227 a couple of stops to winner shack University of Nottingham. I then changed platform and got onto
220 back one stop to University Boulevard.
Tram 220 by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
Here I encountered my first old tram for the day,
207. The new ones are so much better on the old ones so I decided that I wouldn't stay on this for long and bailed at shack score 9 (including Attenborough), Gregory Street.
I wanted to be on the 13:32 Nottingham-St Pancras out to East Mids Parkway and that time was quickly approaching so I'd need to head back to the city centre before completing the Toton line shacks. I had time for one more though with
222 taking me to QMC (Queens Medical Centre). This are both elevated platforms (as in elevated from normal ground level) so I had to go down loads of stairs and back up another load before
230 took me to Nottingham station. Time for some more EMT tram action!
43048 was at the London end and I was very pleased to see that it was
43081 on the back as that one had only ever been had from East Midlands Parkway to Nottingham. Time to double its mileage me thinks! I got on board and found a comfy bay of 4 and an announcement was made 4 minutes before booked departure to say that there was a fault with one of the coaches that requried attention so we may be slightly delayed leaving Nottingham. This was bad news for me as my connection back at East Mids was running a couple of minutes late so would be just about doable if we were on time. I had my fingers crossed that we'd end up on time and we eventually left Nottingham just under one minute late. Excellent!
The connection made (twice in one day - score!) although it was a crazy sprint across the footbridge along with one other guy to be able to get on
43064 and
43043 back to Nottingham. I was happy with this pair becuase even though 43064 was one of the two powercars I'd had to Leeds earlier in the year, it would be cleared for 500 on this run. 43043 was low mileage and needed for the year so was a good one to get.
I was soon back at Nottingham where my EMT tram bashing was over for the day. My required shacks on the NET were now only 3: two on the Toton line and one on the Hucknall line. The Hucknall line shack may give a couple of problems as there was an engineering block on the trams between Basford and Wilkinson Street so nothing was running. I didn't know where trams were running to and from (if at all on that stretch) but I decided to try and get it anyway as there was a suitably timed EMT out to Bulwell. Winner
156470 took me away from Nottingham and on the fairly slow ride out to Bulwell where I was delighted to see that trams were working between David Lane and Hucknall. This would mean I could get my last shack on this line and, with a little luck, get back to Bulwell in time for the cart back to Nottingham. The first tram along heading towards Hucknall when I got there was
236. I got on and was soon alighting at Butlers Hill where another tram was in the other platform. I'd have to be on that to make the heavy rail one back at Bulwell so I was glad to get on
208 even though it was an old one. I was soon back at Bulwell with just over 5 minutes until my EMT back to Nottingham.
I wasn't too pleased to see a 158 approaching on this service becuase I've had almost all of the EMT ones compared to having had only a handful of the 153s and 156s.
158863 was one that I'd already had but it still got me back to Nottingham in one piece.
158863 by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
After arrival at Nottingham I was really hungry so decided that my last two shacks, the two closest to Nottingham city centre on the Toton branch would have to wait until I'd got something to eat. I knew that there was a Tesco Express right next to the platform at Lace Market so I hopped on tram
227 one stop to Lace Market. It was then into Tesco for a meal deal before going back out onto the platform and finding out that it was over 5 minutes for the next one to Toton but the next one towards Old Market Square was approaching. I got on
237 down the hill to Old Market Square where there was minimal waiting time for
219 on the Toton. This was taken to one of my two required shacks, NG2, where I was only waiting for two minutes for the next one. This was
224 and took me to Meadows Way West. NET cleared 100%
Tram 224 by
fishquinn1, on Flickr
I got a photo of 224 after bailing to signify my last shack and it was lucky that I did too because I forgot to write it down and couldn't for the life of me remember which one it was 10 minutes later. I'd received a call from mum while here to ask when I'd be free to meet up so I said that I'd be back in town in about 15 minutes. As a fill in move before my tram I got
227 back to NG2 as it was a decent connection onto
225 out to Old Market Square, where I met up with mum and her friend. We stayed chatting for a while and got on
233 after about 25 minutes for the ride back to Clifton. It was an uneventful journey and we were soon bailing and heading to the car.
Traffic was fine on the way back and it only took us about an hour to get home after a fun day out, finally managing to complete my NET shacks.
Bradford by fishquinn1, on Flickr
43197 by fishquinn1, on Flickr
Around the bend by fishquinn1, on Flickr
Worse for wear by fishquinn1, on Flickr
Heading for the Cross by fishquinn1, on Flickr
From the coach by fishquinn1, on Flickr
Around the curve by fishquinn1, on Flickr
20118 and 132 by fishquinn1, on Flickr
20118 and 132 by fishquinn1, on Flickr
20118 and 20132 by fishquinn1, on Flickr
66075 by fishquinn1, on Flickr
Peterborough 20s by fishquinn1, on Flickr
Peterborough 20s by fishquinn1, on Flickr
