TheSlash
Established Member
Well, a fair few of us have been up the GCR today for the CIG weekend.
My day starts at 06:00 when the alarm goes off. In 41 minutes my train leaves Havant station, so a quick shower, get dressed, then into the car and drive to Havant station
An uneventfull trip to London Waterloo, i exchange a few 'update' texts with Albert Mutton, who i will be meeting at St Pancras
Arriving at Waterloo, i follow the crowd into the tube and have a pretty quick journey across London to St Pancras. As i walk along the platform of the tube, i spot Albert and catch up with him.
Coming up the esculator from the Victoria line, we see that the layout in front of us has changed, AGAIN. So we find our way to St Pancras mainline station.
As we enter the station, Albert explains that the layout has been changed here aswell, the station is really taking shape for the Eurostar project.
After buying some food and drink, we are joined by Jules and we make our way to the train, a 4 car Meridian, shame it wasn't the HST on a near-by platform
We discuss Southern Electric preservation all the way to Loughborough Midland.
We find our way between Loughborough Midland and Loughborough Central with more luck than judgement.
Walking down the steps onto the platform, we see Blackfour, Nick and Paul Parkin {not sure on his username}
Then the thing we've come to see, rolls in. Fratton's finest, {41} 1393. We find seats in the CEP TSO, and put our bags down, before wandering off for a look through the unit The motorcoach is in a poor state of repair
We ride to Rothley before getting off to try our luck at a look in the carriageshed.
We start by examing the wheelsets outside the shed, and window frames, it becomes clear they once belonged to Southern EMU's, to the point that we can tell some window frames belonged to 1401.
A knock on the door of the shed and we are invited in. We chat to the volunteers about restoration techniques and painting.
About 15 minutes later, we reform with Blackfour, Nick and Paul, on Rothley platform in time for the train to Leicester, hoping for some food.
The buffet was busy so they stopped serving food....
I joined Nick, Blackfour and Paul for a chat in the coach end on the way back to Loughborough
At Loughborough we spy Tomnick with James66526 accompanying him.
We join the CIG for another ride, where TheSlash chats to somebody co ordinating a friends group for the unit. This prompts a trip to the guards compartment for some technical enquiries, but TheSlash is way-laid by a rogue parcel door with a defective lock. TheSlash is assisted by Jules in making a temporary repair
TheSlash and Blackfour disembark at Rothley to chat to the signalman. The next we catch is crewed by Jamie, we ride this to Leicester then back to Loughborough. Blackfour changes trains at Quorn to chase a steam engine, so TheSlash makes his way to Loughborough as the man up the box has promised him a good cup of tea
As TheSlash enters the box, an unscheduled RailUK meet is in full swing with TomNick, Nick, Paul, Chaz and James66526
No sooner has the kettle boiled, the evil signalman decides to unneccessarily delay a light engine move by creating a points failure. The box empties out abit, leaving TomNick, Chaz, TheSlash and James66526. Chaz makes helpfull and productive suggestions, prompting TheSlash to suggest the evil bobby throws him out the window.
Cup of tea drank, TheSlash wanders down for his last train of the day, a full round trip to Leicester with the CIG, which has now developed a leaking toilet tank. TheSlash has his attention drawn to numerous defects and spends the return leg of the journey draining the toilet tank on the affected coach and trying to isolate it to prevent re filling.
Arriving at Loughborough central, TheSlash and friends make they're way to the box to say they've goodbyes, the good signalman has now returned and everything is running smoothly.
From there we just went and got the train home, i was totally knackered by now as i'd had about 6 hours sleep since waking up Friday morning.
My day starts at 06:00 when the alarm goes off. In 41 minutes my train leaves Havant station, so a quick shower, get dressed, then into the car and drive to Havant station
An uneventfull trip to London Waterloo, i exchange a few 'update' texts with Albert Mutton, who i will be meeting at St Pancras
Arriving at Waterloo, i follow the crowd into the tube and have a pretty quick journey across London to St Pancras. As i walk along the platform of the tube, i spot Albert and catch up with him.
Coming up the esculator from the Victoria line, we see that the layout in front of us has changed, AGAIN. So we find our way to St Pancras mainline station.
As we enter the station, Albert explains that the layout has been changed here aswell, the station is really taking shape for the Eurostar project.
After buying some food and drink, we are joined by Jules and we make our way to the train, a 4 car Meridian, shame it wasn't the HST on a near-by platform
We discuss Southern Electric preservation all the way to Loughborough Midland.
We find our way between Loughborough Midland and Loughborough Central with more luck than judgement.
Walking down the steps onto the platform, we see Blackfour, Nick and Paul Parkin {not sure on his username}
Then the thing we've come to see, rolls in. Fratton's finest, {41} 1393. We find seats in the CEP TSO, and put our bags down, before wandering off for a look through the unit The motorcoach is in a poor state of repair
We ride to Rothley before getting off to try our luck at a look in the carriageshed.
We start by examing the wheelsets outside the shed, and window frames, it becomes clear they once belonged to Southern EMU's, to the point that we can tell some window frames belonged to 1401.
A knock on the door of the shed and we are invited in. We chat to the volunteers about restoration techniques and painting.
About 15 minutes later, we reform with Blackfour, Nick and Paul, on Rothley platform in time for the train to Leicester, hoping for some food.
The buffet was busy so they stopped serving food....
I joined Nick, Blackfour and Paul for a chat in the coach end on the way back to Loughborough
At Loughborough we spy Tomnick with James66526 accompanying him.
We join the CIG for another ride, where TheSlash chats to somebody co ordinating a friends group for the unit. This prompts a trip to the guards compartment for some technical enquiries, but TheSlash is way-laid by a rogue parcel door with a defective lock. TheSlash is assisted by Jules in making a temporary repair
TheSlash and Blackfour disembark at Rothley to chat to the signalman. The next we catch is crewed by Jamie, we ride this to Leicester then back to Loughborough. Blackfour changes trains at Quorn to chase a steam engine, so TheSlash makes his way to Loughborough as the man up the box has promised him a good cup of tea
As TheSlash enters the box, an unscheduled RailUK meet is in full swing with TomNick, Nick, Paul, Chaz and James66526
No sooner has the kettle boiled, the evil signalman decides to unneccessarily delay a light engine move by creating a points failure. The box empties out abit, leaving TomNick, Chaz, TheSlash and James66526. Chaz makes helpfull and productive suggestions, prompting TheSlash to suggest the evil bobby throws him out the window.
Cup of tea drank, TheSlash wanders down for his last train of the day, a full round trip to Leicester with the CIG, which has now developed a leaking toilet tank. TheSlash has his attention drawn to numerous defects and spends the return leg of the journey draining the toilet tank on the affected coach and trying to isolate it to prevent re filling.
Arriving at Loughborough central, TheSlash and friends make they're way to the box to say they've goodbyes, the good signalman has now returned and everything is running smoothly.
From there we just went and got the train home, i was totally knackered by now as i'd had about 6 hours sleep since waking up Friday morning.