gazr's microgricing / shack attack reports (part deuce)

[gazr]

Long time since my last report; so long in fact that the previous thread is locked. I got a bit mythed with the forum as I asked to change my username a while back and was told this is a no-no except for 'exceptional circumstances'! It's also against forum rules to create another account apparently

So, this past week saw me take advantage of a budget hotel having a very cheap nightly rate in Ipswich, so 6 nights were booked back in November with the intention of making the most out of my Exeter S.D. - Exeter Central Gold Card on two 3-in-7 day Anglia Plus Rovers. The price increase this year was offset by the fact I could use Ipswich buses from the station into town and back each day.

Day 1
As always, I never seem to plan ahead and usually 'wing-it' or make some semblance of a plan the night before. Today was getting from London to Cambridge to where the rover kicks in, and then making my way to the hotel whilst it was still daylight. First port of call that I needed all time was to Cambridge North, and more specifically the bay platform. If you want to make it to the end of the platform, any class 700 should do this. Other classes formed of 8 cars or less stop short.

Returning to Cambridge, it was another bay (Platform 5) that I needed to scratch and the train to Norwich took me as far as Thetford. Next was a hop back to Brandon. Whilst waiting here, a stone train stopped beyond the crossing waiting for the gates to drop. It's destination being Brandon DGL for a reversal back into the yard. Even though the driver crawled through the station at 5mph, stone dust flew everywhere and pretty sure some of it ended in one of my eyes as it was quite sore later on. Ho hum.

Brandon scratched, it was off to Norwich and onto Cromer. The last time I did this line was in September 1995 with 150237 doing the honours according to my notes! The same day I had 31407 to Great Yarmouth and 4 86/2 on the London-Norwich's. If you switch 86's for 90's and a 31 for T&T 37's, it doesn't seem all too bad in this part of the world!

Roughton Road and West Runton were the next two station to be marked off, and it was time to head towards Ipswich and a good nights rest after visiting the local Spoons

Day 2
I had a couple of must do's for this trip. First was the Felixstowe line before it gets redoubled in part (which looks to be coming along nicely). Secondly was Waterbeach station, with talks of it being repositioned once development starts in the area. Lastly, with news a week or so before leaving about Sherringham station to be completely rebuilt, a visit to the coast. So with this in mind, the first stop of the day was Trimley on the Felixstowe line. All the new trackwork looks complete here except for removing the old crossover and connecting the new line up. Trimley back to Ipswich and on to Bury St. Edmonds. The station here is quite striking to me with it's twin towers- something that wouldn't go amiss in a LOTR film! Then it was a day of going back and forth on this line visiting the shacks of: Newmarket, Dullingham and Thurston. Quite dismayed at the state of Newmarket given it's history in the racing world.

Thurston was the first station of many I visited this week that had a foot crossing between platforms, but the only one to have a siren warning of oncoming trains. Also has a nice little Co-op next door Back in Ipswich and there was still enough daylight for me to visit Felixstowe. So onto a Lowestoft Service to Westerfield and across the level crossing to the opposite platform (quickly I may add as there was only a 3 minute gap!) to take a scud rocket down to Felixstowe. Westerfield being an odd station in the fact the Felixstowe platform is bidirectional. Again, I know I've been to Felixstowe before, but I only have notes and no photographic proof and at a time when Baker level was the done thing. Decided to let the train go at Felixstowe and look around for a hour. Well, that was a mistake. Can't say there is much of anything going for this town. I lazily opted for having a pint in the small pub in the arcade which if the line continued on through the parking lot, would go straight through.

I'll leave the report here. I have plenty of photos but they need editing/size reduction to put online. I'll try and include some soon. No promises

 

[Kite159]

Was the budget hotel the recently opened Ipswich branch of the Easy Hotel by any chance?

There was me thinking you were going to be using the 07:44 Cambridge - Ipswich service which I believe is the only booked use of the loop at Dullingham. Well done for getting one of the few Lowestoft services which calls at Westerfield.

 

[gazr]

Was the budget hotel the recently opened Ipswich branch of the Easy Hotel by any chance?

There was me thinking you were going to be using the 07:44 Cambridge - Ipswich service which I believe is the only booked use of the loop at Dullingham. Well done for getting one of the few Lowestoft services which calls at Westerfield.

Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Say no more, say no more Funny you should mention Dullingham. Whilst I was there, the signalman came out of the box to use the private John on the station platform. I asked nicely if he could have the next train towards Ipswich go via P1, but he said he couldn't. I don't blame him, and he was nice about it... If you don't ask He did tell me the only train booked is the one you mentioned. I actually booked another week in Ipswich in April (which I probably won't use all the nights as I need to prepare for the Scottish BLS trip a few days after!), so I will wait until then when hopefully it'll be good daylight by 07:40... Although I'll have to pay a Anytime Single to get out there! Now I'm down to less than 10 stations for the area, I can plan accordingly.

 

[Kite159]

Would you recommend that branch of the Easy Hotel chain?

I guess for Dullingham it will be both a trip to Newmarket to cover the loop in full and another trip to Dullingham to score platform 1

 

[gazr]

Would you recommend that branch of the Easy Hotel chain?

I guess for Dullingham it will be both a trip to Newmarket to cover the loop in full and another trip to Dullingham to score platform 1

It's a EasyHotel! It's a good 10-15 walk from the station (going uphill) if you don't use the buses. It's 1.10p for a single fare if you don't have a Anglia Plus (1 or 3-in-7 day) ticket. I used the bus stop over the road and down a bit from the station where buses 12 and 13 stop. Located right next to a massive church, but even on the second floor could barely hear when the bells rang. Best of all, 3 pubs within spitting distance (and a MickeyD's)... although I stuck to the Spoons, especially as it's good for breakfast and right across from the bus station. Can easily eat and get the 08:30 bus to the station in time for the 08:44 to Norwich (one of the time easements).

Back to Dullingham...Pretty sure I covered the loop on this tour! http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/90s/96081033.htm Not completely sure...Think I was napping at this point

 

[gazr]

A mini report of a trip to Plymouth to cover the Aish x/o and SLW to Totnes was booked when the dates were announced; happily coinciding with a Travelodge sale and SWR sale, which made it more palatable to my wallet.

03/03
I decided to head down to Exeter from Waterloo on a Sunday as this would coincide with Sunday only services from Exmouth which terminate in bay platform 1 @ Exeter Central. Arriving at Central after what seems like a good long time (3h 30m or so), it was 150244 that proceeded to take me down to Digby & Sowton, before catching the service back to Central bay platfrom 1 on 143611. The train had a booked 3 minute turnaround and it was a couple late, so a quick snap was taken before reboarding (I cover track directionally!) back to Newcourt.

Looking ahead at the timetable, I noticed some diversionary trains from the SW were booked to reverse in P3 @ Exeter. RTT, etc then showed them going through P3 @ Central which is not possible. Backtracking to Exeter St. Davids and then down to Newton Abbot to intercept one of Paddington trains was in order to see what would happen. 43180 and 43189 turned up on the 1A87. This indeed did reverse in P3 @ St. Davids, which meant going up the reversible line to Central (P2) (without stopping) and on to Honiton (P2). Some other enthusiasts bailed with me and walked up to the bridge overlooking the station to take pictures (I have a cracking shot, but don't know how to put them on here yet).

As I had a little time here, it would be rude not to check out the local Spoons, so a short walk down the road and what a nice little Wetherspoons it was. Back on P1 @ Honiton for 43156 and 43018 to take me down to Plymouth in style.

03/04
The weather for this trip can be summed up in one word...WET. Storm Freya(?) luckily did not cause any damage, but it did half rain at times. I've been up the Gunnislake branch twice; once when trains terminated short at Calstock (was it a temporary platform?) due to a landslide that closed the section to Gunnislake for some time. I had not visited any of the stations en route however, so first calling point was Bere Alston. Unfortunately, the weather was constant rain here, so never left the platform for the entire 40 minutes, but did get talking railways to this older chap that came along after about 20 minutes of solitude. Then came Bere Ferrers. Had just over a hour here, so decided to walk down to the town and the River Tavy. Unfortunately, it was too early for the one pub in town to be open. Luckily the rain had stopped by this point, and I spotted a lady putting up posters for a fate or some such local event. I asked if there were any shops open, and she pointed me to place I had already walked past and not noticed it.

After walking along the footpath by the Tavy a short distance, I decided to retreat back towards the station before it decided to chuck it down again. I made it to the shop I had missed on the way down before this happened. I say 'shop' because I think it was a home with a shop extension on it...and it also trebled up as a hairdressers! When I walked in, there was a lady getting her hair cut and a gentleman sitting down having a cuppa. In desperate need of caffeine, I asked if they served coffee? Being a small friendly town, the lady doing the cutting of the hair (and by accounts owner) said sure and proceeded to make me a cuppa in a proper mug I sat down feeling a little rude for interrupting someone's hair cut, but was glad for the coffee and glad by the time I had finished it the rain had stopped. Honestly, top little village.

Back at the station (and what a station!), had some time to take a few more pictures and look around before the journey on to Calstock. Weather was still playing up so decided to not walk down the steep path to the river below the impressive viaduct here...maybe come back another time. Back on the train and onto Devonport. Not much to say about this place. The misnomer of a shelter (quite an large metal structure, but no windows!) did not help with the constant wind gusts. Situated in a cutting on the Plymouth end, it would have been a good station to visit on a sunny day. The same 150 I started the day with returned yet again for the short trip on to Dockyard; a station which sees limited daily usage, and as such I didn't have a good connection to get back to Plymouth. Thank goodness for Google maps which directed me to the nearest bus-stop; although didn't pay attention as the stop was right outside a school playground and it was recess! Loud would be a word I would use to describe my time waiting for the 33 bus to take me back to Plymouth.

Next was a trip from Plymouth up to Newton Abbot with the highlight of coming down this way; the rare Aish emergency crossover and SLW working to Totnes (P1) before retaking the Up Main. Had time to scratch off Torre before returning to Plymouth for some much needed rest.

Not much happened the following day TBH. Visited Dawlish for first time and was the last station I needed in that little stretch. Also visited the café on Teignmouth station which had bread pudding servings the size of a brick! Good stuff. Also visited the Spoons in Newton Abbot to kill some time and warm up.

Thanks for reading... Not the best at this (like Kite!), but hope it passes muster.

 

[Kite159]

I had my fair share of the stormy weather on Saturday when on the Cambrian Coast, standing around attempting to get out of the wind & horizontal drizzle which meant the seats within the shelters were wet.

Although I was toying with the idea before hand of heading down towards Plymouth to sample the novelty of a HST/IET via Honiton, but in the end decided to head to Wales