How difficult is it to arrive or leave at all timetabled platforms. 5 year project to achieve this.

[Kite159]

there doesn't appear to be too much rare track to do at the station itself but Bethnal Green Junctions seem to offer more of a challenge.

Without checking my maps, I guess that is the connection to the Hackney Downs lines, which doesn't go via the platforms at Bethnal Green?

A productive day in London with all the Lizzy Fast lines

As for Liverpool Street, I suspect it will be 'easy' to do compared to some of the London terminals as most GA services call within the zones (either Tottenham Hale or Stratford).

 

[All platforms]

A productive day, well done with that connection at Marks Tey, took me 3 attempts to do it staying overnight in Ipswich

The randomness of things not happening as they are supposed to can be frustrating at times - well to be honest its always frustrating, but you have to be a bit Zen about it if you wish to keep blood pressure/negativity etc under control.

Without checking my maps, I guess that is the connection to the Hackney Downs lines, which doesn't go via the platforms at Bethnal Green?

As for Liverpool Street, I suspect it will be 'easy' to do compared to some of the London terminals as most GA services call within the zones (either Tottenham Hale or Stratford).

In essence yes, but i have also been targeting rare/unicorn crossover opportunities in new areas and trying to combine these with the main goal. I take the view that if i am in the area anyway i may as well have a go at some of the unusual stuff as a bonus at the same time.

 

[All platforms]

I've still been reading your trip reports over the past year or two without commenting. They are always very interesting. That last trip sounded very good especiallythe people watching side of things. Well done for completing so many platforms. I've yet to do the Ilford Down Passenger Avoider. It's one of my top four targets left but rarely seems to come up at a suitable time of day.

I'm aiming to do Gas Factory Junction - Bow Junction in December. This rarely comes up in daytime so maybe one to watch out for.

My January trip which I'm aiming for is Laverstock Junctions near Salisbury which seems to come up once a year or so. This year though its available in December and January.

Keep up the really interesting trip reports and hope things pick up at home.

Cheers for the kind words.... at least a few folk are reading my scribblings.

Dunno why but the Laverstock Loop has always intrigued me, and until recently i hadn't seen it in use at remotely civilised times - or it clashed with something else on my calendar. I really want to do it in daylight and it looks like there are quite a few opportunities in the next 2 months so i will see if i can make this happen. Thanks for letting me know about this..... The downside of course is that the TOC will be Cross Country and the strong possibility of an overcrowded train or a deformed seat thats worn down to the canvas as it were.

Yes, i already have the Gas Factory Junction opportunity marked up for 10 December, though i may have to defer to the 17 December option. To be fair i haven't scoped it out yet and me being me, i know i will want to have a full day out as part of that.

I do note that the Ilford Down passenger avoider is making an appearance in the schedules on 10 December with departures from Liverpool Street at 8.15 and 8.45 on the Southend Victoria Service, so that may be of interest. Hmm, i think i need to move a lot of moving parts to ensure i keep 10 December free and do this and the Gas Factory Junction on the same day.

I am also tentatively scoping out the Temple Mills Lines West of Stratford, but that might be a January thing. A fair chunk of the enjoyment of all this is the planning of course - if only i had more time haha.

 

[Kite159]

And remember on the 10th December sees the new Brent Cross station opening .

For the Temple Mills Lines at Stratford, keep an eye on engineering works for whenever Hackney Downs is closed.
Best time to do the Laverstock Loop will be early morning with a Reading XC starter as those can be quieter.

 

[All platforms]

Day 305: Monday 20/11/2023 - Watford Junction/London Day Travelcard Zones 1-6 - £28.50 - Anytime. Boundary Zone 6 to Audley End - £12.30 - Super Off-peak Return. CP Cheshunt £10.00.
Total time today 741 mins - time on trains 270 mins and time waiting 471 mins. Stations completed today 13. Total completed 1585. Platforms completed at completed stations 3647.

"A satisfying amount of stations completed today"

Today was a good day with nearly everything happening as planned. To be fair Greater Anglia have always been pretty good at keeping to timetables if you discount the outlier that is Norwich. My first journey was an extravagent one to Stratford purely to ride the small stretch of track from P11 Westwards there, and yet another turn at Hackney Wick back again. I do like an early morning bit of rare track - its sets up the day nicely.

My next focus was the main through platforms at Northumberland Park, Tottenham Hale and Meridian Water, which is not as easy as it seems with trains to Cheshunt skipping one or more of these in both directions for the most part, but i did find an acceptable wait pattern and another 3 stations and 9 platforms were successfully negotiated, the P2 platforms having been negotiated the previous day of course.

There will no shortage of places to stock up on supplies today but decided to go for the mid morning option at Cheshunt before boarding the Overground Service South to make a start on the Seven Sisters Line. Everything i would do here would be based on how best to do the awkward platforms at Enfield Town which has a one a day service on P3 and a very underused P1. I will still have to come back another day to complete this and the Chingford line of course.

So, White Hart Lane, Edmonton Green and then Silver Street all had the benefit of my steely gaze for a short amount of time before arriving as planned in P3 at Enfield Town. Definitely the pick of todays moves, but at least it does seem to be a consistent one. A reversal at Bruce Grove saw me back up to Enfield, this time arriving in P1 so just leaving P2 for another day. I wish i could have stayed longer to do this but i also had another goal today, which was to complete missing track at Bishops Stortford and Stansted, as well as pop north to Audley End, thus completing another long section.

To get there it took a number of stages - Cheshunt, Bishops Stortford and then Stansted Airport. Here i was waiting for a specific service going North from P2, as it promised to use the crossover onto the Up Arrival to cross with an incoming service. Incidentally, my own inward service was packed and fully justified the use of a 10 car. Thankfully i would be travelling with GE not XC on the trip to Audley End in order to tick off an errant missing station. By leaving the Airport from P2 this would tick off another station and also the loop line to/from the North. The promised cross did not occur due to a late incoming service but we did the rare crossover anyway. Not many of these per day for sure. I had also been trying to work out in what circumstances the crossover to the Down arrival gets used and from being there on the platform and seeing the layout i could cross reference much more easily to RTT. Basically nothing happening for many hours. The reason for telling this is that i decided to return direct to Cheshunt rather than via the Airport again and this would save about an hour on the day.

I really wanted to complete the Line through Tottenham Hale today and rather unusually, due to skip patterns the three remaining stations were done by an out and back from Cheshunt. Brimsdown, Waltham Cross and then Ponders End made it 13 stations for the day and 31 platforms added to the total too. I hadn't remembered seeing a bridge at Brimsdown so wanted to be off and scoot across the level crossing because turnarounds were tight, only to see there was a subway on set down! Doh...

Very pleased with todays outcome to be honest, and arriving home right on beer o'clock was a bonus. Really not sure if i can spare time this weekend but possibly Sunday. Also my micro crawl of the line to Whitby will continue with a very unexpected few days away in that part of the world again this time next week. I have some of the easier stations left to do so hopefully not much standing around in the freezing cold compared to my last 2 visits.

Cheshunt	Depart	6.04​	*****	GE			stations	platforms
Stratford	Arrive	6.30​	P12	GE	wait 35m		completed	completed
Stratford	Depart	7.05​	P11	GE
Hackney Wick	Arrive	7.08​	P3	GE	wait 11m
Hackney Wick	Depart	7.19​	P2	GE
Stratford	Arrive	7.23​	P1	GE	wait 41m
Stratford	Depart	8.04​	P11	GE
Northumberland Park	Arrive	8.19​	P4	GE	wait 37m
Northumberland Park	Depart	8.56​	P3	GE			1​	3​
Tottenham Hale	Arrive	8.57​	P3	GE	wait 47m
Tottenham Hale	Depart	9.44​	P4	GE			1​	3​
Meridian Water	Arrive	9.46​	P4	GE	wait 5m
Meridian Water	Depart	9.51​	P3	GE			1​	3​
Tottenham Hale	Arrive	9.55​	P3	GE	wait 15m
Tottenham Hale	Depart	10.10​	P4	GE
Cheshunt	Arrive	10.17​	P2	GE	wait 15m
Cheshunt	Depart	10.32​	P3	LO			1​	3​
White Hart Lane	Arrive	10.48​	P1	LO	wait 4m
White Hart Lane	Depart	10.52​	P2	LO			1​	2​
Edmonton Green	Arrive	10.55​	P2	LO	wait 18m
Edmonton Green	Depart	11.13​	P1	LO			1​	2​
Silver Street	Arrive	11.15​	P1	LO	wait 9m
Silver Street	Depart	11.24​	P2	LO			1​	2​
Enfield Town	Arrive	11.32​	P3	LO	wait 21m
Enfield Town	Depart	11.53​	P3	LO
Bruce Grove	Arrive	12.04​	P1	LO	wait 16m
Bruce Grove	Depart	12.20​	P2	LO			1​	2​
Enfield Town	Arrive	12.32​	P1	LO	wait 21m
Enfield Town	Depart	12.53​	P1	LO
Edmonton Green	Arrive	12.58​	P1	LO	wait 14m
Edmonton Green	Depart	13.12​	P2	LO
Cheshunt	Arrive	13.24​	P3	LO	wait 29m
Cheshunt	Depart	13.53​	P2	GE
Bishops Stortford	Arrive	14.27​	P3	GE	wait 20m
Bishops Stortford	Depart	14.47​	P1	GE
Stansted Airport	Arrive	14.59​	P1	GE	wait 37m
Stansted Airport	Depart	15.36​	P2	GE			1​	3​
Audley End	Arrive	15.50​	P2	GE	wait 20m
Audley End	Depart	16.10​	P1	GE			1​	2​
Cheshunt	Arrive	16.48​	P1	GE	wait 12m
Cheshunt	Depart	17.00​	P1	GE
Brimsdown	Arrive	17.13​	P1	GE	wait 4m
Brimsdown	Depart	17.17​	P2	GE			1​	2​
Cheshunt	Arrive	17.23​	P2	GE	wait 8m
Cheshunt	Depart	17.31​	P1	GE
Waltham Cross	Arrive	17.33​	P1	GE	wait 6m
Waltham Cross	Depart	17.39​	P2	GE			1​	2​
Cheshunt	Arrive	17.41​	P2	GE	wait 19m
Cheshunt	Depart	18.00​	P1	GE
Ponders End	Arrive	18.10​	P1	GE	wait 7m
Ponders End	Depart	18.17​	P2	GE			1​	2​
Cheshunt	Arrive	18.25​	*****	GE

 

[All platforms]

And remember on the 10th December sees the new Brent Cross station opening .

For the Temple Mills Lines at Stratford, keep an eye on engineering works for whenever Hackney Downs is closed.
Best time to do the Laverstock Loop will be early morning with a Reading XC starter as those can be quieter.

Christmas is coming early this year......

 

[Kite159]

At least the daily use of P3 at Enfield is a more social time when I did it in 2019 when it was a 06:30 arrival from London on a weekday morning (where I think I stayed overnight in the Travelodge near Hackney Downs/Central station)

Congrats with the mainline platforms at Meridian Water as well, as that one can be quite awkward. A productive day in the Lea Valleys area

 

[All platforms]

Day 306: Saturday 25/11/2023 - Newton-le-Willows to Manchester Piccadilly - £5.85 - Off-peak Return. Greater Manchester Rail Ranger - £8.20 - Valid all day at Weekends. CP Newton-le-Willows free.
Total time today 536 mins - time on trains 224 mins and time waiting 312 mins. No stations were completed today - just a few new platforms at an uncompleted station.....

"Memo to self - Don't go playing out on a Saturday 4 weeks before Christmas" or "Finally - a return to Manchester Airport"

I have been distracting myself off and on since 2021 looking for the right opportunity to revisit Manchester Airport. What i needed most were the B platforms which were only seen very late in the evenings or the odd one early on a Saturday. I also kept an eye on platform alterations and cancellations as this messed up my earlier visits and sure enough there was never a time i could rely on things going to the timetable - or there was a strike - or i had rarer things to divert my attention - and so it got put down the priority pile - until today!! The other thing about the Airport which i could never quite square off in my own head was the insistence of them using A platform designations even when there were 5 or 6 car sets, which to all intents and purposes used so much of the platform there was no space to put another service in behind it so bringing the B designation into play. So, just to be awkward i am only counting A platform if there is a 4 car or less and a full fat platform if its a 5 or 6 car. Hmm that is very nerdy..

My favourite local starting point is Newton-le-Willows because it has a huge free Car Park and gives easy and frequent access to Manchester and Liverpool (and Chester). With a good amount of frost in evidence i arrived c4.15am and in good time for the first service which should hopefully supply a tick when it arrived at the Airport into P2b. Hurrah the system is working again here as it duly did what it said on the tin. i think i was one of 3 people on the service before it reached Manch Picc. Anyway, my internal happiness was called into question when the boards were seen to be advising my P4b departure would be going from P4a. Boo hiss. I had time to go have a look so i wandered up to Terminal 2 in a fruitless attempt to keep warm and when i returned the platform Gods had taken pity on me and reinstated the original P4b to Saltburn. Things were looking up...

The first of many returns to Piccadilly and this first wait was insufficient to impose any frostbite before returning. However it was a 6 car and so i was unable to claim a P3a victory dance as intended, but i did however grant myself an internal fist pump for the outgoing full fat P4 on a 6 Car going to Saltburn an hour later than my first service. A chunky wait in Manchester this time and only a few hours after i was there, i now have no recollection of how i spent those 50 minutes. Probably my brain shut down...

Eventually i was back onboard another Airport service, and this would be my last visit today. Another 6 car and a big tick for full fat P1 before having a Eureka moment as i could afford to spend more time here as i would have another hours wait in Manchester again if i returned immediately. The benevolance of the Gods was still in evidence as a 3 car TfW was due into P3a in 30 mins or so before returning to Llandudno via Piccadilly of course - so i did get my 5 targets here after all. All that remains is P1b and P3b now and that looks a lot better than it did yesterday.

I still had time on my hands and so i was now taking the opportunity to do some annoying bits of "normal" track left over from 2021 in the Manchester and Stockport areas. I am not going to list the darn crossovers in question but this is where the combo of Christmas Shopping and a Kickball jamboree err game served to make the next few hours reminiscent of commuting with your face pressed up against the glass. Full and standing is an insufficient phrase.... I did get to Levenshulme, Bredbury and Cheadle Hulme and without exception it was pretty dire. I did have a fourth lined up but a delayed freight train delayed all behind it and i would miss my connection back in Manchester so just got cold instead with an extra hours wait.

I did do both slow lines all the way to/from Adswood Road Junction South of Stockport for the first time so thats 2 decent stretches of track that can be put into the bag. I hope to be out tomorrow doing more conventional (London) stuff, but the to do list is long and it needs to be finished before i can contemplate that... so.. lets see...

Newton-le-Willows	Depart	4.29​	*****	AW			stations	platforms
Manchester Airport	Arrive	5.10​	P2b	AW	wait 30m		completed	completed
Manchester Airport	Depart	5.40​	P4b	TP
Manchester Piccadilly	Arrive	5.58​	P14	TP	wait 19m
Manchester Piccadilly	Depart	6.17​	P13	NT
Manchester Airport	Arrive	6.31​	P3	NT	wait 13m
Manchester Airport	Depart	6.44​	P4	TP
Manchester Piccadilly	Arrive	6.57​	P14	TP	wait 50m
Manchester Piccadilly	Depart	7.47​	P13	NT
Manchester Airport	Arrive	8.03​	P1	NT	wait 30m
Manchester Airport	Depart	8.33​	P3a	AW
Manchester Piccadilly	Arrive	8.52​	P14	AW	wait 14m
Manchester Piccadilly	Depart	9.06​	P8	NT
Levenshulme	Arrive	9.12​	P1	NT	wait 25m
Levenshulme	Depart	9.37​	P2	NT
Manchester Piccadilly	Arrive	9.42​	P8	NT	wait 6m
Manchester Piccadilly	Depart	9.48​	P4	NT
Bredbury	Arrive	10.04​	P2	NT	wait 49m
Bredbury	Depart	10.53​	P1	NT
Manchester Piccadilly	Arrive	11.13​	P2	NT	wait 25m
Manchester Piccadilly	Depart	11.38​	P5	NT
Cheadle Hulme	Arrive	11.57​	P2	NT	wait 29m
Cheadle Hulme	Depart	12.26​	P1	NT
Manchester Piccadilly	Arrive	12.44​	P8	NT	wait 22m
Manchester Piccadilly	Depart	13.06​	P14	AW
Newton-le-Willows	Arrive	13.25​	*****	AW

 

[Kite159]

All the Christmas shoppers, Saturday night drinkers & kickball supporters causing overcrowding.

Good news on getting some of those sub platforms at the Airport done

 

[All platforms]

Day 307: Sunday 26/11/2023 - Cheshunt London Day Travelcard Zones 1-6 - £10.65 - Off-peak. CP Cheshunt £5.00
Total time today 453 mins - time on trains 220 mins and time waiting 233 mins. Stations completed today 7. Total completed 1592. Platforms completed at completed stations 3661.

"A cheap day out in London" or "A day avoiding Kickball"

A bit of a bonus day really and one that was cut short (a little) as cold and dark are not a great combo. A very straight forward run down and another start from Cheshunt which is a decent base for todays activity. What prompted me to make an effort to travel was the promised use of the Temple Mills Lines West of Stratford as a couple of earlies from/to Audley End would be using P12 at Stratford (both ways) on its way to/from Liverpool Street. The line designations were not easy to translate from RTT to Track Maps to see the exact route but in reality there are only a few options when using Stratford P12 so i knew what to look out for as we made our way towards Liverpool Street. It travelled along Temple Mills Down to Signal 2134, then onto the Up Temple Mills then used the crossover at the end of this line at Signal 2120 onto the Up Main. Nice.

A P12 in and out to Liverpool Street and back to Stratford got me the whole of the Down Temple Mills on the return and alighting at P12 for the win. Next up was the Elizabeth line that actually goes into Liverpool Street and and out and back via P17 was the first of 2 moves, the second took me back there and into P15, and not P16 as promised. oh well, i still needed this. The tangle of lines at Liverpool Street are being methodically being ticked off and progress is made each time i visit. Perhaps i need a day dedicated to whats left and then see what remains.

A bit of dithering followed as i decided which service and which line to take of the Overground services (p1 to p3 mostly), as cancellations and delays were showing. Even at this early stage fans of the round ball were much in evidence and i resolved to keep away as much as i could from these err i am sure very nice people. I plumped for the service that promised to use P3 at Chingford so waited and boarded a P1 offering as a platform alteration. P1 is probably the least used of all the platforms at Liverpool Street, at least from my cursory glance some weeks ago so it was good to see it in action. It may be more difficult to score an arrival however....

No matter, i was in new territory and new track is always good to get under the belt, and it kept my attention as we travelled all the way to Chingord, and happily into P3. Just enough time for a few pics in the cold and then bnack on going 2 stops to Wood Street to meet a service promising a P2 arrival. The cancellations were coming thick and fast at this time so i was dancing to avoid these and keep some sort of progress going so i was constantly changing the order round to accommodate this - It would eventually get so tiresome i actually stopped a bit earlier than intended. With Wood Street and Chingfors P2 successfully negotiated i decided i could add a couple more at the top end of the line so Walthamstow Central and Highams Park allowed me to keep threading that needle to avoid the cancelled stuff. I did have a go for P2 at Liverpool Street but alterations were being seen there still and P3 is all i got.

More dithering followed before i decided to have a go at the top end of the Cheshunt line and just as the football traffic waned because of a 2pm start. I could do this whilst they were all ensconsed...... Despite cold weather apparatus being deployed in full it wasn't the greatest fun by this time so i wanted to be done and off. But which order was i to do these. I still wanted to avoid unnecessary time at stations re cancellations so the only way to make it work was to do Theobalds Grove, then Seven Sisters to avoid the crowds, then Turkey Street and finally Southbury. Arriving back at Cheshunt at dusk i was away and off before i had any time to reconsider anything else and straight onto the Car park known as the M25. Grrr.... Happily not delayed too long and a busy first hour dodging traffic before it settled down again.

I am now having a few days near Whitby for a pre-Christmas break but happily i will be also continuing my theme of doing the Esk Valley line, one station at a time whilst there. I can't wait for the promised sleet..... Looking further ahead London looms large for a few more visits, but i am keen to have a look at Hereford P4 3 December. No decisions made yet however.

Cheshunt	Depart	8.21​	*****	GE			stations	platforms
London Liverpool Street	Arrive	8.52​	P12	GE	wait 31m		completed	completed
London Liverpool Street	Depart	9.16​	P12	GE
Stratford	Arrive	9.25​	P12	GE	wait 6m
Stratford	Depart	9.31​	P5	GE
London Liverpool Street	Arrive	9.38​	P17	GE	wait 9m
London Liverpool Street	Depart	9.47​	P17	GE
Stratford	Arrive	9.54​	P8	GE	wait 28m
Stratford	Depart	10.22​	P5	GE
London Liverpool Street	Arrive	10.29​	P15	GE	wait 44m
London Liverpool Street	Depart	11.13​	P1	LO
Chingford	Arrive	11.42​	P3	LO	wait 6m
Chingford	Depart	11.48​	P3	LO
Wood Street	Arrive	11.56​	P1	LO	wait 9m
Wood Street	Depart	12.05​	P2	LO			1​	2​
Chingford	Arrive	12.13​	P2	LO	wait 10m
Chingford	Depart	12.23​	P2	LO
Walthamstow Central	Arrive	12.34​	P1	LO	wait 16m
Walthamstow Central	Depart	12.50​	P2	LO			1​	2​
Highams Park	Arrive	12.55​	P2	LO	wait 4m
Highams Park	Depart	12.59​	P1	LO			1​	2​
London Liverpool Street	Arrive	13.24​	P3	LO	wait 20m
London Liverpool Street	Depart	13.44​	P3	LO
Theobalds Grove	Arrive	14.22​	P2	LO	wait 13m
Theobalds Grove	Depart	14.35​	P1	LO			1​	2​
Seven Sisters	Arrive	14.52​	P1	LO	wait 11m
Seven Sisters	Depart	15.03​	P2	LO			1​	2​
Turkey Street	Arrive	15.17​	P2	LO	wait 19m
Turkey Street	Depart	15.36​	P1	LO			1​	2​
Southbury	Arrive	15.38​	P1	LO	wait 7m
Southbury	Depart	15.45​	P2	LO			1​	2​
Cheshunt	Arrive	15.54​	*****	LO

 

[Kite159]

A productive day in London, even with some cancellations on the Overground.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Have you done the North to East connections at Chislehurst? Looks like they are being used between 23 Dec and 2 Jan as Victoria South Eastern will be closed.

 

[All platforms]

Day 307: Tuesday 28/11/2023 - Grosmont to Sleights - £2.30 - Anytime Return . CP Front Street Grosmont - free
Total time today 46 mins - time on trains 15 mins and time waiting 29 mins. Stations completed today 1. Total completed 1593. Platforms completed at completed stations 3662.
Day 308: Wednesday 29/11/2023 - Egton to Grosmont - £2.35 - Anytime Return. Egton to Castleton Moor - £3.55 - Off-peak Return. CP Car Park just South of Egton Station - free.
Total time today too blooming long - err 192 mins - time on trains 51 mins and time waiting 141 mins. Stations completed today 2. Total completed 1595. Platforms completed at completed stations 3664

"Another crawl on the Esk valley Line in Sub Zero conditions"

Our last outing away from home this year and a bonus it was too, returning to one of our favourite haunts very close to Sleights just North of Whitby. Two early morning out and backs was my original intention to tick off two easy targets at the bottom end of the line and then ambition got the better of me by including a 90 minute wait back up the line. I get ahead of myself. Day 1 of 2 was a very easy jaunt to Grosmont which unusually at 7.45am was a hive of activity. It turns out there was a party of photographers that had descended on the NYMR and they would be wheeling out various bits of stock to give those photography chaps something a bit different to aim their shutters at. Something was in steam in the tunnel there but it didn't emerge till after i left on the normal BR service, going one stop to Sleights and back. It was very parky - or Baltic if you prefer but 30 mins is never a hardship and i did get to go across the bridge there and keep myself somewhat warm. No sign of any photographers on my return to Grosmont, but i did take the opportunity to wander over to the shed and revel in the scale of operations there. I will certainly be back in warmer climes.

The next day brought crunchy snow, sub zero conditions again, and a foolhardy attitude to driving to Egton which includes a 1 in 3 descent i was to find out about! The first leg was easy just going a few minutes to Grosmont and back, this time seeing one of the larger black engines ghosting over the level crossing in silence reversing into the main platform with a rake of light freight. I was around 4 0 yards away at the time and the silence of the scene and general atmosphere quite uncanny, all with the backfrop of snow on the ground. I also took my fill of pictures along with the photography party who had returned. I kept well out of their way though.

All too soon the service from Whitby returned and i was going to Castleton Moor which apart from Ruswarp, is the last station this side of Great Ayton on my list. 90 minutes of a freezing cold wait was my reward and i genuinely have still not warmed up properly from that experience. Yes there was a shelter, but no respite from the elements nontheless and i really really never want to experience that again (until next time of course!).

I was going to have a pop at Ruswarp this morning but the prospect of any time in the cold again persuaded me otherwise, and in truth, because i also need track to Battersby from the North, i may just have a run down to Ruswarp in the summer from Nunthorpe or similar....

No idea what happens next. Yes, Hereford P4 on Sunday is a possibility and other opportunities with C2C as an alternative, but real life needs some attention too for a bit.
Edit: Looks like Hereford is a bust as that service now shows as P3. I will have a look at Essex....

Grosmont - Tuesday	Depart	8.18​	*****	NT			stations	platforms
Sleights	Arrive	8.25​	Single	NT	wait 29m		completed	completed
Sleights	Depart	8.54​	Single	NT			1​	1​
Grosmont	Arrive	9.02​	*****	NT
Egton - Wednesday	Depart	8.15​	*****	NT
Grosmont	Arrive	8.19​	Single	NT	wait 42m
Grosmont	Depart	9.01​	Single	NT			1​	1​
Castleton Moor	Arrive	9.28​	Single	NT	wait 99m
Castleton Moor	Depart	11.07​	Single	NT			1​	1​
Egton	Arrive	11.27​	*****	NT

 

[All platforms]

Have you done the North to East connections at Chislehurst? Looks like they are being used between 23 Dec and 2 Jan as Victoria South Eastern will be closed.

Thanks for pointing this out. I was however successful with the Chatham Reversible Loop in the summer, though there are still bits of track around there i would like to complete.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Thanks for pointing this out. I was however successful with the Chatham Reversible Loop in the summer, though there are still bits of track around there i would like to complete.

Glad to hear it.

 

[Woolos 22]

2 new platforms open today for you at newbridge and llanhilleth

 

[All platforms]

2 new platforms open today for you at newbridge and llanhilleth

Many thanks - I knew there was going to have to be a revisit to South Wales at some stage with the ongoing work there. I will probably wait until 2025 when hopefully most of it will have been done by then and i can regain that lost ground. I also made a bit of a mess of Cardiff Central in 2022 when i last visited - yes i got the platforms but so much trackwork was left i may need a full 4 day Explore South Wales Pass just to cover it off properly. Lets see...

 

[gazr]

Do you still require St. Margarets (London) Platform 2 or Barnes Platform 4? If so, you may want to keep a watch on SWR if they are on strike again, as both were in use yesterday on the Waterloo-Feltham shuttles.

 

[Kite159]

Many thanks - I knew there was going to have to be a revisit to South Wales at some stage with the ongoing work there. I will probably wait until 2025 when hopefully most of it will have been done by then and i can regain that lost ground. I also made a bit of a mess of Cardiff Central in 2022 when i last visited - yes i got the platforms but so much trackwork was left i may need a full 4 day Explore South Wales Pass just to cover it off properly. Lets see...

An area on my list to revisit, not just for the platforms but for the new track. Probably will be a Saturday in the new year (weather permitting). Seems the times of the Cardiff - Ebbw Vale train has changed to be XX:0Y rather than XX:3Y which makes life a bit easier as it's a better connection to the train from Salisbury.

 

[All platforms]

Do you still require St. Margarets (London) Platform 2 or Barnes Platform 4? If so, you may want to keep a watch on SWR if they are on strike again, as both were in use yesterday on the Waterloo-Feltham shuttles.

Thanks for this. I do have Barnes P4 from last August and now just require the much easier P1 at some future stage there. St Margarets P2 is still required but i think its a fairly easy target on Sundays from memory (unless it changes in the new timetable) i do know there were a few weekday earlies as well so thankfully not a major hurdle. My major concerns in London right now (as always it seems) is the use of my remaining fast platforms with RTT not putting out platform data until after the event in a few key places. Grove Park, Elmstead Woods, Chislehurst and Petts Wood spring to mind and there are a few others. I have deduced however that there will be some fast line stoppage next week at all these named stations but of course late at night and i think almost exclusively on the Down Fasts. I haven't checked the detail yet just a reminder to myself to have a deep dive to see what is feasible.....

An area on my list to revisit, not just for the platforms but for the new track. Probably will be a Saturday in the new year (weather permitting). Seems the times of the Cardiff - Ebbw Vale train has changed to be XX:0Y rather than XX:3Y which makes life a bit easier as it's a better connection to the train from Salisbury.

Yes, with new platforms comes new track of course, and i think i mentioned when doing this line there were signs of redoubling prep work even back then. I am really looking forward to returning so i can get a true before and after comparison..

Speaking of oddball platforms i see that on the face of it a TP service is due to pull into the Marsden P3 loop early on 18 December and dwell 8 minutes to allow a nonstop TP service to pass on P2. 7.10 to 7.18am in fact. This does interest me......

 

[Kite159]

Although there is a big risk with it being TPE that one or both of those trains being cancelled.

 

[All platforms]

Day 310: Sunday 10/12/2023 - Cheshunt London Day Travelcard - £10.65 - Offpeak. Boundary Zone 6 to Southend Victoria - £9.30 - Super Off-peak Return. Southend Victoria to Southend Airport - £2.90 - Super Off-peak Return. Southend Victoria to Hockley - £3.85 - Super Off-peak Return. Southend Victoria to Rochford - £2.90 - Super Off-peak Return. CP Cheshunt £5.00
Total time today 552 mins - time on trains 236 mins and time waiting 316 mins. Stations completed today 6. Total completed 1601. Platforms completed at completed stations 3680. This includes 2 bonus platforms at Nottingham i had somehow missed on my master spreadsheet from last year.

"All the Victorias! - No, not that one"

I managed to wangle things so i had a free Sunday this week as there were 2 big targets on my radar today that are rarely used, so i was pretty determined to craft something interesting around these and bag some new track into the bargain. How did it go?

My starting chariot was due just after 7.35 at Cheshunt which seems to have become my default North London start point of late. A leisurely incident free potter down the M1/M25 was just what i needed but it was starting to get busy by the time i arrived. No matter, the 20 minutes or so journey into Liverpool Street got me back into relax mode and a new platform in the form of P7 was in the book on the stroke of 8am. So far so good and i was in time for the first of 2 early opportunities to do the Ilford Down Passenger Avoiding Line, and i would be taking the first of these.. To be honest i have mixed emotions about this because it didn't do the move as it stayed on the Down Main, but it did use the 2 crossovers immediately after Ilford P2 to gain the Electric Line which could possibly be just as rare a move. Of course the second opportunity did do the move as planned so the lady luck randometer was against me on this occasion, but i did get an unexpected bonus i guess - just not the one i was aiming for. It did depart Liverpool Street a few minutes late so perhaps this was a contributing factor.

Time for new track as i would be spending a good chunk of the rest of the day on a bunch of 720's in and out of Southend Victoria. I think the fact that the (so called) Ilford down avoider service was going to Southend influenced this decision (a lot) and i could keep the Greater Anglia grind going as i have put quite a lot of effort into this over the last 6 months or so. Win win i guess. It did take a bit of planning as not all platforms are treated equally at Southend, and i wanted to get all the track there today if at all possible. P2 and P3 are used the most with P1 and P4 more randomly, but there are enough of them to put an itinerary together.

I decided to do in and out using the same platforms so P2 P1 and then P3 were used in this way before a final visit arriving into P4 which i had to wait for as today there were only a few of these. I therefore visited Southend Airport first but at at this time of the day there was very little activity, but later on when passing back and to there were a few planes seen on the ground. No really long waits today thankfully, but lots of 20 minutes plus ones. It would have been a bit of a challenge if it was much colder so was very grateful to get out there, and without the promised rain too for the most part. My second trip was to Hockley which was my only single digit wait of the day. Not a day of exploring too much either wherever i was to be honest - am i getting lazy or was there not that much to go and see today....

My third trip out of Victoria was a bit longer as i was biding my time for the incoming P4 service after 1pm so decided to do Prittlewell as a linear hop before turning at Rochford and doing the other platform on the way back. This station is so close to Victoria you can see units in the station there from P2 so no surprise that its a 2 minute journey for the most part, even at the slow trundle it makes the journey at. I was very happy that we arrived in the promised P4 and my work at Victoria is done with all track options covered into the bargain. I still have the Southminster branch to consider as well as Shenfield to Rayleigh. Nothing too difficult to do but it will probably take a full day to do - or even longer perhaps. Certainly 2 days if i do it in Winter. The problem for my own particular requirements will be P4 at Wickford which is a rare engineering only platform - i will just have to bide my time with this one and nothing is on the horizon with this last time i looked. No matter i am generally patient with this sort of thing.

The trip back to Stratford got me a ton of track but still leaves me with the myriad of options at Shenfield to consider. Just how detailed do i want to get however?

Now for my other big target of the day which is the line between Bow Junction and Gas Factory Junction which was used all day by C2C who where alternating between using this line into Fenchurch Street or continuing into Liverpool Street. I wonder if i will regret not concentrating on Liverpool Street today with so many different services in play. To be honest i really haven't turned my beady on this station yet. ia m just seeing what organically turns up for now and with so many track variants here and at Stratford to consider i am not done here by any stretch. I am sure Cheshunt will be seeing many more times in the coming months. The line itself at Bow Junction is single line although the DLR does have a single line here also for a part of its length. With a view to doing as much new stuff as possible in the light of day, and with the need to be back home by 8.30 i decided to turn at Limehouse which has quite a few steps down to ground level and also co-located with the DLR (kinda). In hindsight i want to have another ride along this connecting line but for now i have missed my opportunity i guess. Not sure i took it all in with just the one out and back.

Not much of a wait for my ride into Liverpool St where i wanted a new platform which i got in the form of a P5 Departure back up to Cheshunt and thankully avoiding the kickball crowds into the bargain. All done before 5pm and back up the road before my cut off time. Busy but no holdups. Supplies were sourced at M&S for the most part. One might think they are a dear option, which is true, but in comparison to the other station outlets perhaps not. I also had time to visit Waterstones for a browse before my last train so an unexpected bonus book was sourced.

What's next? I do have my eye on a midweek return to London for some late night fast platform shenanigans but there are a lot of moving parts with this one not the least the weather/temperature on the day so its an aspiration not a given right now. I will probably be back in London next Sunday regardless.

Cheshunt	Depart	7.37​	*****	GE			stations	platforms
London Liverpool Street	Arrive	8.00​	P7	GE	wait 17m		completed	completed
London Liverpool Street	Depart	8.17​	P14	GE
Southend Victoria	Arrive	9.24​	P2	GE	wait 28m
Southend Victoria	Depart	9.52​	P2	GE
Southend Airport	Arrive	9.58​	P1	GE	wait 20m
Southend Airport	Depart	10.18​	P2	GE			1​	2​
Southend Victoria	Arrive	10.27​	P1	GE	wait 26m
Southend Victoria	Depart	10.53​	P1	GE
Hockley	Arrive	11.03​	P1	GE	wait 5m
Hockley	Depart	11.08​	P2	GE			1​	2​
Southend Victoria	Arrive	11.21​	P3	GE	wait 39m
Southend Victoria	Depart	12.00​	P3	GE
Prittlewell	Arrive	12.02​	P1	GE	wait 24m
Prittlewell	Depart	12.26​	P1	GE
Rochford	Arrive	12.30​	P1	GE	wait 14m
Rochford	Depart	12.44​	P2	GE			1​	2​
Prittlewell	Arrive	12.49​	P2	GE	wait 31m
Prittlewell	Depart	13.20​	P2	GE			1​	2​
Southend Victoria	Arrive	13.23​	P4	GE	wait 31m		1​	4​
Southend Victoria	Depart	13.54​	P3	GE
Stratford	Arrive	14.45​	P9	GE	wait 26m
Stratford	Depart	15.11​	P5	CC
Limehouse	Arrive	15.17​	P1	CC	wait 10m
Limehouse	Depart	15.27​	P2	CC			1​	2​
Stratford	Arrive	15.37​	P8	CC	wait 9m
Stratford	Depart	15.46​	P9	GE
London Liverpool Street	Arrive	15.52​	P11	GE	wait 36m
London Liverpool Street	Depart	16.28​	P5	GE
Cheshunt	Arrive	16.49​	*****	GE

 

[All platforms]

Although there is a big risk with it being TPE that one or both of those trains being cancelled.

That is always the risk though i don't think they are quite as bad as they have been. All relative of course....

 

[Kite159]

I would imagine you have missed the boat with platform 4 at Wickford as I don't think a 720 fits.

A productive day in GA land nethertheless

 

[All platforms]

I would imagine you have missed the boat with platform 4 at Wickford as I don't think a 720 fits.

A productive day in GA land nethertheless

Yes, Platform 1 was extended it appears to accommodate the new &20's on this line and i am pretty sure its now longer than the present Platform 4. Oh well...

 

[All platforms]

Day 311: Thursday 14/12/2023 - London Day Travelcard - £10.00 - Off-peak. CP Orpington £6.90
Total time today 619 mins - time on trains 217 mins and time waiting 402 mins. Stations completed today 9. Total completed 1610. Platforms completed at completed stations 3705.

"Late night shenanigans work out as planned - after a shaky start"

Today was planned late, and not as well as some recent outings, but i still achieved most of my goals despite a catalogue of silly errors early on. Lets see now - how many of these excuses were relevant today?
My itinerary had 2 moves missing. My printer ran out of ink so i couldn't get a printed corrected version. I misread my own itinerary - twice. I stopped longer than intended at Cobham Services. I left by the wrong exit at Cobham Services. The APCOA code at Orpington was missing so i had to buy my ticket at the ticket Office - and had to return to my car to place it inside. I bought a Day Travelcard without my Senior Discount applied. I missed my first train by less than a minute due to all that preceded. I missed 2 early unusual moves due to inattention at stations after a hurried adjustment and written down ambiguously. Well - they are all correct although i did swap out to a discounted Travelcard as i had time after missing the first service.

OK, lets move on.... It was a much later start than usual, because i had taken the plunge and committed to a late night and try for some of the very awkward fast platforms between Orpington and Hither Green, none of which you can search directly on RTT as platform info is missing at the planning stage - but is applied afterwards. You can search retrospectively but not in advance. Actually for Grove Park i think platfomr info is shown in advance but not for the others. They were in use Monday to Thursday late evenings this week but i could only make the last of these, It also gave me time to see if the first few days went to plan - which they did. The criteria i gave myself for this was twofold. Would it be raining? No - tick. Would it be above 5C? Yes - tick.

I had early morning commitments at home so it was not far off 11am before i hit the road, on a journey i had made before. I always get a bit twitchy about the M25 becuase there will always be a hold up, and there were a couple which contributed to my late arrival. No matter, i was on a train heading into London not long after 3pm and bagged my first bonus crossover on the line from P7 before adding track at New Cross A platform. Not tricky to do, but just missing from previous visits. A quick turn at London Bridge to get to St Johns (London) before turning there in an attempt at the B platform at new Cross on an approach from the East and a bit of link track not commonly used. I got a service at the correct time buit failed to notice it was running 2 mins late and missed this opportunity but did watch the correct one make the move 2 minutes after arriving at New Cross. I keep forgetting just how intensive the moves are in London. So 90 minutes in i had actually missed 2 opportunities, but i would gain a bonus one shortly and the rest of the day would run pretty much as intended.

I would return to Orpington next just for a bit of bonus track into the station before returning to London Bridge via another crossover out of Orpington P2 and another variant of reaching LB on the way there. So much track on this line its ridiculous the number of options, but i am still ticking stuff off on most journeys, so i guess my planning wasn't too bad. Lets move on to something more interesting which was to complete the stations to Bexley and the missing track on the line West of there. To start with a did a linear hop at Hither Green P6, which did actually gain me 30 minutes from my original plan. The awkward station on this line is Albany Park as not all stopping services err stop here so a quick visit was achieved next. None of the stations hereabouts have much to commend so i was happy enough just to bounce back and to and get them in the book without worrying i had missed anything important. Sidcup was next, then Bexley (track needed) Mottingham, New Eltham and Lee before a return visit to Mottingham whcih was needed to get back to Hither Green P5 for the win. I had previously travelled this line in the late summer into London so already had the link North of P5 and of course travelled this in daylight so not too concerned about what i may have missed in the dark.

All this messing about took me to 8pm and beyond, and my next party piece was to travel one stop to Grove Park and do the short branch line to Bromley North. I was still ahead of schedule so took the first available service which landed as nearly everything does in P1 there, before a short turnaround and then alighting at Sundridge Park where i was slightly non plussed by a team salting the platforms. My app said 5 degrees minimum this evening - i did ask whether they were expecting frost and they did say it was a surprise last minute call for them. i saw them later at Grove Park beavering away there too. I never saw the temp dip below 6C so who knows. Better safe then sorry i guess.

Sundridge Park has been extended to accommodate 8 car sets but i would be amazed if anything larger than a 4 car set ever used this very short branch line, and indeed signage was up saying trains do not stop beyond this point halfway along. There were a few passengers returning to Bromley North but i was the sole occupant travelling in the Grove Park direction on the two occasions i did. This takes me on to another big win, namely the use of P2 at Bromley North which for quite some time had been reduced to the first/last service of the day. The new timetable has an evening P2 tacked on and this is what i rode next. I knew ahead of time it was a go because there is an indicator at the end of the platform at Sundridge park lit up like a Christmas tree. Yay it worked, and another big win for this project. I will return at some point and do the line in daylight.

Once back at Grove Park i would return to Orpington 30 mins ahead of schedule and retire to my car for some kip, as there was now a 90 minute hiatus before the late night shenanigans. Suitably refreshed i returned to the platforms in good time on what was still a busy stations despite it being not far short of midnight albeit it being mainly returning revellers. For some reason the Sevenoaks train was scheduled for P4, whioch meant i could bag a pair of rarely used crossovers onto the fast line on the last stopper into London. I had looked at various permutations of which platforms to choose and decided to polish off Grove Park first so alighted there for a short wait on the island platform for the first of stoppers going South. 2 linear hops awaited and omitting Petts Wood as this station offers another opportunity with services via Bromley South as well. So, i alighted at Elmstead Woods to once again be a tad bemused to find a late night reveller sitting on a bench as my service departed. I thought nothing more of this until i noticed he had fallen into a deep sleep on said seat. How did i work this state of affairs out? He was snoring for England basically. It was the best part of a 30 minute wait and i was kept amused by his snoring and a thorough inspection of the platforms. Stll snoring as the trsin puled in and i shook him in what i would have been more than enough to wake him to no avail. still snoring in the same rhythmic pattern. after 5 seconds of shaking i had to leave and hop on. About 20 alighted as i boarded and one kind chap also tried to wake him. He was still at it as the train pulled away.... There was another one gong to Orpington but some 40 minutes later.

Whiling away the time at Chislehurst i did venure outside the station which looks to be in a leafy and pretty area only notable for the number of taxis gathered there for what would be the last service of the night albeit not quite yet. Not too cold yet either so no major traumas. I did ensure this last service was running before alighting at Elmstead Woods by the way, or i would have been in one of those taxis myself i guess. There was one last bonus move right at the end as 4 crossovers were traversed from the fast line into P7 at Orpington, the first of which was needed so in the end quite a successful day. 9 stations in the bag, new track and a bunch of crossovers not to mention 4 fast platforms which leaves 4 more at some other time. I was back in my car and on my way North just a few minutes later and i did manage to get halfway before the need for a bit of shuteye kicked in. I had to be in Bolton for a 10am meeting so no problems in making this and i reckon i got 4 hours in on the way back to augment the one at Orpington. I was also surprised to see just how busy the passing trains were whilst waiting at Elmstead Woods and Chislehurst. Standing room only on some of them, and i reckon more than 50 alighted at Orpington at 1.30am when i did...

What's next? Probably another trip to London on Sunday for a go at Liverpool Street and some more track outside there. I haven't scoped anything as of writing this so i better get my thinking cap on.

Orpington	Depart	15.11​	*****	SE			stations	platforms
London Bridge	Arrive	15.40​	P3	SE	wait 6m		completed	completed
London Bridge	Depart	15.46​	P1	SE
St Johns (London)	Arrive	15.53​	P2	SE	wait 5m
St Johns (London)	Depart	15.58​	P1	SE
New Cross	Arrive	16.00​	A	SE	wait 8m
New Cross	Depart	16.08​	C	SE
Orpington	Arrive	16.34​	P7	SE	wait 17m
Orpington	Depart	16.51​	P2	SE
London Bridge	Arrive	17.22​	P9	SE	wait 35m
London Bridge	Depart	17.57​	P2	SE
Hither Green	Arrive	18.16​	P6	SE	wait 11m
Hither Green	Depart	18.27​	P6	SE
Albany Park	Arrive	18.42​	P2	SE	wait 8m
Albany Park	Depart	18.50​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Sidcup	Arrive	18.52​	P1	SE	wait 6m
Sidcup	Depart	18.58​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Bexley	Arrive	19.03​	P2	SE	wait 4m
Bexley	Depart	19.07​	P1	SE
Mottingham	Arrive	19.17​	P1	SE	wait 8m
Mottingham	Depart	19.25​	P2	SE			1​	2​
New Eltham	Arrive	19.27​	P2	SE	wait 12m
New Eltham	Depart	19.39​	P1	SE			1​	2​
Lee	Arrive	19.44​	P1	SE	wait 8m
Lee	Depart	19.52​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Mottingham	Arrive	19.55​	P2	SE	wait 18m
Mottingham	Depart	20.13​	P1	SE
Hither Green	Arrive	20.19​	P5	SE	wait 24m		1​	6​
Hither Green	Depart	20.43​	P4	SE
Grove Park	Arrive	20.46​	P5	SE	wait 27m
Grove Park	Depart	21.13​	P1	SE
Bromley North	Arrive	21.19​	P1	SE	wait 4m
Bromley North	Depart	21.23​	P1	SE
Sundridge Park	Arrive	21.24​	P1	SE	wait 22m
Sundridge Park	Depart	21.46​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Bromley North	Arrive	21.48​	P2	SE	wait 5m
Bromley North	Depart	21.53​	P2	SE			1​	2​
Grove Park	Arrive	21.58​	P1	SE	wait 11m
Grove Park	Depart	22.09​	P5	SE
Orpington	Arrive	22.23​	P5	SE	wait 88m
Orpington	Depart	23.51​	P4	SE
Grove Park	Arrive	0.02​	P2	SE	wait 9m
Grove Park	Depart	0.13​	P3	SE			1​	5​
Elmstead Woods	Arrive	0.15​	P2	SE	wait 28m
Elmstead Woods	Depart	0.43​	P2	SE
Chislehurst	Arrive	0.45​	P2	SE	wait 38m
Chislehurst	Depart	1.23​	P2	SE
Orpington	Arrive	1.30​	*****	SE

 

[Kite159]

Christmas party season with busy late trains. A productive long day in South Eastern land

 

[sh24]

I do enjoy your updates. I'm on a much less complex all stations/all PSUL quest so reading your adventures is both enjoyable and makes me slightly glad not to have taken on any more!

 

[All platforms]

I do enjoy your updates. I'm on a much less complex all stations/all PSUL quest so reading your adventures is both enjoyable and makes me slightly glad not to have taken on any more!

Glad to hear it. It gets a bit intense at times but if i didn't really enjoy it i wouldn't be doing it. I am very interested to learn what the rules or guidance you have given yourself on your own quest/adventure especially the all stations aspect.

 

[sh24]

I am keeping it very simple - arrive or depart from each station. What I try to do (within limits) is walk between stations so that I get to explore some of the surrounding area. Works well in London, perhaps not so feasible in the Highlands.

First 2 weeks in January are looking good for some PSUl ticking off - Landor St avoider, Perry Bar east curve, Hull trains via the MML amongst others.