Iskra's Odysseys

[Iskra]

Apologies for the delayed comment, several threads would not load properly last night and this was one of them!

However, good things come to those who wait and this trip report certainly proved that.

Those tilting trains on SJ, are they actually any good? Comparable at all to a British Pendolino? That breakfast box looks awful, I wouldn't have bothered and would have had loads of coffee!

Luton sounds awful right now, but good to hear the buses are easy to find. Is the ching reasonable/value for money? I intend to get my first flight out of Luton one day and planning various bits and bobs well in advance.

Very much enjoyed the read so far and I look forward to the rest when it's ready

No worries, I'm struggling to keep up with reports myself. I've just posted part 2 above this post and hopefully I'll get the 3rd and final part done tonight before I set off on my next adventure tomorrow (it's a hard life ).

The tilting SJ trains are pretty decent, you really feel the tilt on them. Obviously, they also benefit from a larger loading gauge so feel a lot more spacious than ours. The seats line-up with the windows too. They were a bit like a tilting version of a 91+MK4 set in terms of ride but with comfier seats and a partition midway down the carriage to contain noise. I was happy with them. The breakfast was pre-ordered over the internet and it was an insurance option in case the hotel breakfast was naff. I wouldn't get one again though.

I think the bus was about £3 and a return is valid for a long time, I'm sure Luton will be fine when it's finished.

 

[Iskra]

The delay had reduced my time at Narvik, but it was very cold, windy and at times snowing so not great weather for trundling around the town anyway. The bits I saw of Narvik didn't look too amazing anyway.

I watched the engine run around the train and also caught one of the iron-ore trains heading through Narvik station.

One of the iron-ore trains heading up to Kiruna.

The engine from the sleeper-train, having run-around, propels the coaching stock out of the station to be serviced.

On the platfrom I got talking to a bloke from Thailand who had been travelling Norway and was waiting for the train back into Sweden for a flight the next day. I then went and waited in the busy waiting room. Due to the late in-bound arrival and the train still needing servicing the Southbound departure was also now going to be late.

Delayed 15:15 Narvik C-Stockholm Central. SJ Night train. Train 93. 1st Class single berth. Arctic Circle Train. SJ Rc6 with LHCs.

In contrast to my coach the previous evening, this one looked rather smart on the outside:

My berth looked like this:

It was a two-bed affair, with the bottom bunk acting as a sofa. In the previous compartment the ladder was interestingly fixed to the wall on the opposite side to the bunks requiring an acrobatic display to enter. This time the ladder was parked up in the corner and it slotted onto the top bunk in the middle making access easier. On the left of the picture was a private bathroom with a shower.

The view leaving Narvik

Climbing back up the sides of the Fjords

Back in the hills.

At 6pm I went down to the restaurant car to get food. I bought a pepsi, a salmon and prawn cocktail thing which had some bread sticks in it, which I ate as a starter course and then I ordered a hot reindeer stew (when in Rome...). I paid using the small amount of Norwegian money that I'd taken with me but hadn't ended up using. The Reindeer stew was in what tasted like a Stroganoff sauce and came with rice. It was okay, I wouldn't rush to have it again, but you have to try these things. The train seemed to make slow progress on the journey back, perhaps because we were following the iron ore train up the hill?

19/4/17

I awoke at around 08:00 the next day. I had a shower in the bathroom in my berth. This time the shower was hot and quite powerful, so a pleasant experience. I then went down to the buffet, mainly to find out what time we would be arriving into Stockholm. The buffet car must have been changed overnight. The 60's affair from the night before had been replaced with a much more modern buffet car with an open plan counter and more seating, which was certainly needed as it was pretty busy. Once again, the coffee was free as the train was delayed. I then went back to my compartment and packed. The train arrived in around 11:45 so 1 hour 30 later, not that bad considering. I went and put my bag in a luggage storage locker at the central station and filled the day doing touristy things in Stockholm which is a nice city.

Stockholm Central Station

17:15 Stockholm C-Arlanda C. SJ. Train 282. 2x SJ X40.

This was a Swedish commuter train, I was in 1st class as it wasn't much more expensive. Swedish rush hour was very civilised. The unit was a modern double-decker multiple unit built by Coradia, it was very comfortable.

Back at the Skylounge at Arlanda I charged my phone and then made my way to terminal 2. Close to my departure gate I bought my one and only beer of the trip. It was a very fine pint of English beer, but it cost around £9.90.

EZY 2452 Easyjet A320. 2130 Arlanda-Luton.

Nothing interesting happened on the flight, it went quickly due to a tailwind. I did notice that the landings on Easyjet are so much less bumpy than on Ryanair. I assume this is something to do with the different undercarriage on the aircraft they use?

Luton airport security was very efficient, I used the e-barriers and had no problems. The shuttle bus was ready and waiting for me. While walking from Luton Airport PW station I got a phonecall from the Premier Inn asking where I was. I was about 5 minutes away, but apparently if you are after midnight you reservation gets wiped. Luckily that didn't happen this time. I then ordered a Dominos pizza to be delivered to the hotel and ate that before going to bed.

20/4/17

Having had a pizza late the night before, I skipped breakfast.

0949 Luton Airport Parkway - Leicester. EMT 222.

Bizarrely this was my first time in STD on a Meridian. I was quite impressed. I then changed at Leicester onto a different Meridian to Sheffield where I got an Uber home.

- - - - - - - -

So overall a busy but enjoyable trip, taking in somewhere a bit unique and some interesting railways. The section of line between Kiruna and Narvik is a must do in my opinion. Sweden was a really nice country with nice trains, I would happily go back and spend more time there. Everyone speaks English too so it's quite an easy country to travel in. Also, I got some delay repay to the tune of £130 into my bank account this morning too

I've got another foreign adventure coming up, departing tomorrow. So stay tuned. After that, it's time to start catching up on everyone else's reports. Thanks for reading.

 

[Techniquest]

Wow that was clearly an epic trip!

Thanks for the gen on the bus at Luton and about the SJ tilting trains

That old sleeper carriage sounds grim, and wow that berth really was high! All that festering in the freezing weather must have been proper horrid, is that where your Delay Repay has come from?

As for the landings, I don't find Ryanair to land all that rough at all normally. I think I've had 1 out or 18 flights that wasn't smooth, but that could have been caused by weather rather than the plane itself.

Thank you for sharing the epic adventure with us, and I look forward to reading about the next one!

 

[Iskra]

Wow that was clearly an epic trip!

Thanks for the gen on the bus at Luton and about the SJ tilting trains

That old sleeper carriage sounds grim, and wow that berth really was high! All that festering in the freezing weather must have been proper horrid, is that where your Delay Repay has come from?

As for the landings, I don't find Ryanair to land all that rough at all normally. I think I've had 1 out or 18 flights that wasn't smooth, but that could have been caused by weather rather than the plane itself.

Thank you for sharing the epic adventure with us, and I look forward to reading about the next one!

The old sleeper carriage was fine, it was clean, there was nothing wrong with it, but it was clearly older than all the other carriages. I was indoors for the festering, so the cold wasn't a problem it was just that I was really tired by that point that made it bad. Yes some of the delay repay is from that wait, and the other for arriving into Stockholm late. I've actually got more back in delay repay than I spent while I was in Sweden- I was surprisingly frugal on this trip I do expect delays when it comes to night trains, it's fairly normal with trains covering such long distances.

I fly with Ryanair at least twice every year and I'd say at least 8/10 landings feel pretty rough to me. Maybe it's where you sit in the plane that makes you feel it more or less?

 

[Cowley]

It looks brilliant over there Iskra. Really enjoyed reading about and the photos are great too. The suspension bridge being built is very impressive and that ski jump looks even more terrifying than a normal one.
The sleeper cabin looked nice and comfortable too.

 

[Techniquest]

The old sleeper carriage was fine, it was clean, there was nothing wrong with it, but it was clearly older than all the other carriages. I was indoors for the festering, so the cold wasn't a problem it was just that I was really tired by that point that made it bad. Yes some of the delay repay is from that wait, and the other for arriving into Stockholm late. I've actually got more back in delay repay than I spent while I was in Sweden- I was surprisingly frugal on this trip I do expect delays when it comes to night trains, it's fairly normal with trains covering such long distances.

I fly with Ryanair at least twice every year and I'd say at least 8/10 landings feel pretty rough to me. Maybe it's where you sit in the plane that makes you feel it more or less?

At least you were indoors, imagine being outside in that weather waiting!

Frugal until that £9.90 pint, I wouldn't have even considered buying one with that ching!

I don't fly Ryanair as often as you do, sadly, maybe once a year on average. I certainly covered a fair whack of air miles last year, now I've stopped to think about it. LGW-JFK-LGW, STN-EDI and LGW-VIE-LGW! I really must get some time off booked and go for some more flights...I generally sit in different places every time I fly, but as a general rule of rule I aim for a seat either over or just in front of the wings.

I am glad you liked Stockholm, I much preferred it to Norway it has to be said.

 

[JonasB]

Next it was down to the restaurant car for a coffee to warm up. I was greeted by another friendly host. I asked her- 'pratar du Engelska' and of course she spoke better English than me, like nearly all Swedes. I ordered a coffee. She explained that because the train was delayed all hot drinks were free. I could also have a sandwich or a cake too. I was becoming increasingly impressed with the SJ customer service. I wasn't actually hungry so I just enjoyed two coffees while sitting in the restaurant car and watching the landscape go by.

I have complained more than once about SJ's customer service, while on the other hand been very impressed by Scotrail and their customer service. So I guess that in some ways the grass is always greener on the other side…

 

[Iskra]

At least you were indoors, imagine being outside in that weather waiting!

Frugal until that £9.90 pint, I wouldn't have even considered buying one with that ching!

I don't fly Ryanair as often as you do, sadly, maybe once a year on average. I certainly covered a fair whack of air miles last year, now I've stopped to think about it. LGW-JFK-LGW, STN-EDI and LGW-VIE-LGW! I really must get some time off booked and go for some more flights...I generally sit in different places every time I fly, but as a general rule of rule I aim for a seat either over or just in front of the wings.

I am glad you liked Stockholm, I much preferred it to Norway it has to be said.

As far as I can tell all Swedish stations seem to have some form of indoor waiting-facility nearby to keep warm in.

I'm yet to do Norway properly, but I don't think I'll be rushing to do so based on your observations.

I have complained more than once about SJ's customer service, while on the other hand been very impressed by Scotrail and their customer service. So I guess that in some ways the grass is always greener on the other side…

The main issue with SJ seems to be because there are no staff at stations apart from Stockholm, but those staff that I did encounter throughout the network were all very good. Scotrail staff always seem a friendly bunch to me.

 

[Iskra]

I've been away in Europe for the last month or so, but I found time for some train travel, so here follows a report containing a very random collection of journeys.

A quick trip on Le Shuttle. It's not the first time I've done it, but its the first time I've done it at the controls (of my car, not driving the train). Boarding was all very efficient, I managed to get an earlier train than I'd booked at no extra charge. It does feel quite surreal driving down the inside of the train. Alighting was all very easy too at the other side. It's a very easy and stress free way of reaching the continent so I would definitely consider doing it again.

A quick photo while waiting to board.

On the way South we had a couple of days rest in Chamonix, in the French Alps. which is a very nice little town in the valley below Mont Blanc.

While there, I took the Aiguille du Midi cable car to the top of the mountain, which had some impressive views. I saw an avelanche on the way up too. It was however very cold at the top, so dress accordingly if you ever visit. The descent back down is 'interesting' in that there are several speedy drops, one being at the start the others after the pylons.

The view from the top.


My accommodation turned out to be very near Chamonix train station. I found the SNCF line quite interesting as it is third rail electrified which I thought was a bit bizarre. However, all services seemed to be replaced by rail replacement bus during my stay, so I wasn't able to take a ride. However, next door to the SNCF station there is another station that I stumbled across on an evening walk. This station belonged to the Chemin de fer du Montenvers- an electrified rack and pinion railway that climbs 871m in just over 5km and has its terminus at the Mere De Glace, a glacier. The following day I took a ride on this line.

It's primarily operated using electric railbus' but they do have some diesel locomotives too that look like shunters, it used to be steam-run back in the day.

At the top there is a hotel, restaurant, shop, viewing platform and a cable car that can take you down onto and into the glacier (sadly closed for repair on my visit).

The glacier looks like this, I assume it looks more impressive in the winter.

Mere De Glace

I then did a lot more driving and then ended up in Italy, where I managed to get a bit of time on the rails.

I firstly travelled from Locri to Catanzaro Lido in Southern Italy, where they have invested in some new fancy bi-mode railcars with PIS screens, multi-lingual announcements and all the mod cons. The final bit of this journey was new coverage for me.

New 3-car fancy bi-mode train, a bit out of place in this part of Italy.

My next journey was from Catanzaro through the mountains that run across the 'toe' of Southern Italy to Lamezia which is on the Naples-Palermo mainline. It's a nice scenic journey. This was on one of the old style railcars and it was all new coverage. At Lamezia I noticed a night train was showing around 3 hours late on the display screens.

Two of the more prominant old-style railcars stabled at Lamezia.

From Lamezia I had a run up the mainline towards Naples, but only as far as a place called Paolo which was about 30 minutes. This was on some LHCS.

I got lunch here, a 660ml bottle of Peroni and a large slice of pizza costing just over 3 euro.

The reason for my jaunt to Paolo was to catch a Southbound Frecciabianca High Speed service originating from Milan, which was new traction and now means I've travelled on all types of high-speed train in Italy. These are very similar to Pendolinos.

A Frecciabianca unit.

I alighted at Lamezia again. I then got a regional train down to Reggio Calabria which was new coverage. This was electric LHCS and I sat in the DBSO at the front. I had a bit of a wait for another old style rail car service back around the coast to complete the circle to Locri. It was a good wait though, Reggio Calabria station has to be one of the most interesting stations to wait at in the world- it's a fairly busy station in itself with lots of locos and shunters running around. It also has views out across the Straits of Messina so you can watch the ships going through as well as planes coming overhead to land at the nearby airport. On a clear day you can also see Mount Etna slowly erupting on Sicily across the straits.

8/6/17

It was back to blighty courtesy of Ryanair from Lamezia Airport to London Stansted. The flight was perfectly fine and it was on time so I had plenty of time to get back to Yorkshire via the route that would give me the most new coverage. I bought an anytime Via Ely ticket at the station- I didn't want to risk a delayed flight on an advance ticket.

1427 Stansted Airport-Peterborough. XC 2 Car 170.

I find XC 170's to be quite smart inside and I think they are good units (I know many on this forum don't agree, but when you are used to 14X & 150's on Northern they are definite step-up). Obviously, like all XC trains they need to be longer for the routes they run on. I felt a bit sorry for the guard on this train as he had plenty of difficult customers to deal with, including one who had 'lost his railcard in Spain' and 'only had a Spanish debit card,' the guard however pointed out his Natwest bank card in his wallet, before moving on to another set of lads who had lost part of their tickets. This train travels through quintessential British countryside which is especially alluring when you've been abroad for a while. I saw a few deer near Saffron Walden. This route was new coverage for me until Ely, where I really need to stop off for a pint sometime because it looks like a cracking little place. We'd somehow lost 8mins on route which was causing me concern for my desired 10min connection at Peterborough.

With a little running I and a few others made it just in time. This was a VTEC service running as far as York so I was hoping a class 90 might produce. Sadly, not this time, but I was happy with a HST instead of a 91.

1600 Peterborough-Retford. VTEC HST.

My first journey on a VTEC stopper. I stood in the vestibule as I wasn't on for long really and I'd spent a lot of the day sat down.

At Retford I made the very long walk to the low level station for my onward service.

1701 Retford-Sheffield. Northern 142.

A 142, what a way to finish! This was again new coverage until Sheffield, quite a nice little line actually and very rural.

The pinnacle of European rail transport.

 

[Techniquest]

I wondered where you'd been lately, sounds like a beast of a trip though! I'm told the north of Italy is far nicer than the south.

You did well food and drink wise, a 660ml bottle of Peroni would cost a fortune over here!

 

[Kite159]

Sounded like a good little trip, I shall have to re-read once at home as the pictures are not loading on this 159.

 

[alexf380]

Pretty sure I've been to Chamonix on a school trip to see the glaciers, as that view from after the ride on the red railbus looked incredibly familiar. A good sounding trip by all accounts

 

[Cowley]

A great trip. I love The Alps and have been a few times, never seen it in the snow though apart from a little bit at the tops of a couple of mountains. Stunning in all weather though.

 

[Iskra]

Thanks all for the comments, it certainly was a good trip.

I wondered where you'd been lately, sounds like a beast of a trip though! I'm told the north of Italy is far nicer than the south.

You did well food and drink wise, a 660ml bottle of Peroni would cost a fortune over here!

I should now be back for the foreseeable future and things are calming down after a hectic 9 months so I can now keep up with the Trip Reporting Community a lot better. I'm looking to do one trip a month going forwards as I have to balance other commitments.

I'm not sure about that to be honest, there are a lot of fantastic places in the South, it's a lot cheaper, the people are friendlier and it's real Italy if you ask me. Sure, it's not without its issues and the issues it has are complex, but it's certainly not a bad place to visit; Sicily and Naples/Pompeii in particular are well worth a visit.

A great trip. I love The Alps and have been a few times, never seen it in the snow though apart from a little bit at the tops of a couple of mountains. Stunning in all weather though.

Agreed, I got very lucky this time; while I was there it was 25C in the valley bottoms but still snow all around on the mountains, a few days later it was forecast to snow down in the valleys again which would have been grim for getting around in. I'd only visited the Swiss and Austrian alps before this, but I was really impressed with the French alps as well as France in general on this trip ...I can feel some TGV bashing coming on in the next 12 months

 

[Iskra]

A couple of quick write-ups as I have a small backlog

July

Sadly, the trip that I had planned for July was postponed, leaving me without a proper railway trip. But, I did walk part of an old railway line instead:

Woodhead station and tunnels

August

9/8/17

I took a triangular route as follows: Sheffield-Manchester Piccadilly-Holyhead (everyone's favourite)-London Euston-Stockport-Sheffield.

The main purpose at the time of booking was to get some LHCS along the North Wales Coast and try VTWC's 1st class on a Voyager, which is something I've never tried before.

Sheffield-Manchester was a 185 and it's a very scenic journey through the hills, so always enjoyable.

Sadly it was very dud 67022 on the North Wales Coast service, I believe that's the 3rd time this year. Still, the LHCS set is a fine way to travel and I like the sound 67's make so it was a great journey; another very scenic one with great coastal and mountain views.

67022

1st on a 221 is pretty comfortable and actually feels more spacious than on a pendolino IMO. The bigger windows are also perfect for enjoying the scenery. The loading was low so service was good, the food and drink plentiful. I rate the new VTWC ale- wreckless.

Views of the Welsh hills, heading East/South

Despite fantastic weather up North, on approach to MK we entered a blanket of cloud and by London it was chucking it down and cold. I spent a bit of time in the Euston lounge before heading to the local chippy (£8 for fish and chips ). Then it was back up to Stockport on a Pendo and over the hill on a quiet 185.

26/8/18 East Lancashire Railway

I was heading over from Sheffield to the Lake District for a social gathering, thus decided to call in at the East Lancashire Railway on the way across for something a little different. This was my first visit to the ELR. The terminus at Heywood is only a mile away from the M62, so very convenient and there is plenty of free parking. There isn't much at Heywood, but there is a ticket office, toilets and a buffet. I bought an all day ticket at £14.80 which lets you ride the line as much as you want- good value I thought.

First up was a trip along the full length of the line behind a newly refurbished LMS Hughes Crab in maroon livery.

LMS Hughes Crab at Heywood

The ELR takes you through an interesting mix of past and present industrial Britain before emerging into glorious countryside. Bury Bolton St station is wonderfully restored and still feels like a busy town station, it also has a real ale bar and a museum. What's great about the ELR is that unlike many other preserved railways, it serves 3 relatively large places, which means you can get off the train and explore and there is actually something there. I took the Crab to the end of the line at Rawtenstall. There were 3 locomotives operating today, all new traction for me, so the plan was to bag a ride on each. Thus at Rawtenstall, I watched the Crab depart and then went to McDonalds for the 40 minute wait for the next service. There is a bar on the station and a number of restuarants and cafes within a short walk from the station.

50015 Valiant Runs Around at Rawtenstall

Next up was my first trip on a class 50, Valiant looks amazing. The (limited, preserved railway speed) thrash did not disappoint. I was in the first carriage with some hardcore enthusiasts, but they were a friendly bunch. This was only a short trip to Ramsbottom, which is about 20 minutes. I didn't mind only getting a short trip as I've got more 50 action planned this year. Ramsbottom has two platforms and trains pass here, giving me a preview of my next locomotive. Again, there are good amenities at Ramsbottom to pass the time here.

City of Wells

City of Wells is a West Country class locomotive, that belongs to the KWVR which is somewhere I've spent a lot of time. City of Wells has had a long overhaul so I've never actually travelled behind it before; it was nice to get to do that finally. I took City of Wells all the way back down the line to Heywood and then got in my car and headed off.

The East Lancashire Railway is a great line, good value for money, there's much more to it than your average preserved line and it's got a good variety of locomotives and operational interest, so well worth a visit.

I've got 2 planned and 1 potential trip for September, which I will be sure to do full reports for. Thanks for reading.

 

[Kite159]

That gives me an idea for this coming Saturday

 

[Iskra]

Glad to have given you some inspiration! Where are you heading this weekend?

 

[Cowley]

Looked like an interesting few trips there Iskra. I bet the walk along the Woodhead route was interesting, how much of it did you walk?

 

[Kite159]

Glad to have given you some inspiration! Where are you heading this weekend?

I'm in Manchester this coming weekend. I will research timetables for the ELR as it will be a nice break from metrolink tram hunting

 

[Iskra]

Looked like an interesting few trips there Iskra. I bet the walk along the Woodhead route was interesting, how much of it did you walk?

From Woodhead to Crowden this time, I have previously walked further though.

I'm in Manchester this coming weekend. I will research timetables for the ELR as it will be a nice break from metrolink tram hunting

Great plan, Bury Bolton St is very close to metrolink so yes, well worth a visit.

 

[Techniquest]

I'm glad to see you're still about on the scene, and I agree the ELR is good fun. I did it on a diesel gala a few years ago, I really must get back there as I still need one of the shacks.

Hmm, there's a thought for the as-yet unplanned days off in October. I've no idea why I didn't think of that before...Preserved line bashing! I'm sure there's going to be something happening on the many lines I need! Good sir I am very glad I came across your trip report thread this morning, the brain is now wide awake and is in planning mode! This could be my return to the UK rail scene!

 

[Kite159]

From Woodhead to Crowden this time, I have previously walked further though.



Great plan, Bury Bolton St is very close to metrolink so yes, well worth a visit.

Alas I got bowled out by the Bury line being closed yesterday. ELR can wait until I can reach Bury by tram rather than a probable slow all-stop bus

 

[Iskra]

The Great Way Round- 07/09/17

I had an early start at around 0430 for this trip. The main objectives were to get some more GWR track that is required, gain more HST mileage before they start getting vaporised and enjoy some of the nicer hospitality that is currently around before that gets cut too. It was a short trip to my local station, where I picked up a Chapeltown-Sheffield return ftom the ticket machine, all my other tickets for the day were already collected. On arriving at the station, I saw a EMT HST whizz through on an ECS. They don't work on this route in passenger service normally, so that was a surprise.

0538 Chapeltown-Sheffield. Northern 142.

The sun was only contemplating rising on what was a pretty chilly morning while me and a meagre handful of hardy souls awaited the inevitable pacer to bounce us down the line to our final destination. It was only a small blow when a 142 squealed into the station rather than one of the usual stalwart 144's that are normally provided, but it was still a blow nonetheless and one that had me wondering whether it was going to be 'one of those days'. Nevertheless, the 15 minutes into Sheffield passed quickly with only one thing on my mind; the need for coffee.

At Sheffield, I made a quick trip to the first class lounge to source that precious caffeinated commodity, which instantly solved all problems in the world. Well, in my world at least. I picked up a copy of The Times which reminded me of all the problems in the world again, so I needed another coffee to cure this situation. Then, it was over to my platform. All indications were that this was going to be a HST, so I would get my full breakfast, the day was looking suddenly better. While at Sheffield 3x66's passed through. A short while later, a HST did materialise.

0629 Sheffield-London St. Pancras. EMT HST

EMT HST arrives at Sheffield

I like HST's and I like EMT HST's even more as they sound better than their MTU cousins. This service had originated from Leeds and there were a handful of passengers onboard already. First was lightly loaded to start with but loadings improved as we headed South. The first class offering is very good with EMT if you book onto one of the specific breakfast services. This means you get a proper full english including black pudding, cooked by a human being. They even do it silver service for some reason, although at this hour in the morning it seems like unnecessary pontification to me. They also come around with pastries and toast, more than once. It's a very pleasant offering and a good way to the start the day.

EMT Breakfast, minus the bits I didn't want.

At Chesterfield, a Class 70 was sighted on a tanker train. At Derby, class 50008 'Thunderer' was spotted in the Network Rail sidings which is unusual, also unusual was a dark coloured HST power car tucked away at the back and a couple of GWR Mk3's. The run South was pretty routine after this, although we did arrive late for some reason, but it wasn't going to upset my plans today.

At St. Pancras, I made for the underground, which carried me to Paddington, where I emerged and sought out the first class lounge. The offering in this first class lounge is always improving. On this visit there were pastries available as well as the usual 'pop & crisps' arrangement and some genuinely interesting reading materiel.

1022 London Paddington-Hereford. GWR HST.

GWR HST preparing for departure at Hereford

It was pretty standard running out of Paddington, the only difference to the norm being a call at Slough. I did see a 59 after Slough. At Reading, it started chucking it down. At Didcot a GWR Prairie was seen in steam at the heritage centre. After Oxford we diverged onto winning track. The line between Oxford and Hereford is quintessential British countryside, which is very attractive but there does not seem to be any remarkable stand-out features on it until the Worcester-Great Malvern-Hereford area. It's quite a slow run, so not for those in a rush. I'd got a cheap advance in 1st, so was kept happily plied with coffee and snacks. I particularly liked the section of line around Great Malvern, the scenery being a step-up on the previous sections and it seems like an interesting place to visit. The stations are also all in very good condition on this line too, some very nicely restored. Eventually we arrived at Hereford.

I had about an hour to wait at Hereford, a pleasant enough station, I went to the station exit to have a look to see if there was much around that I could walk to, but all I could really see was a Morrison's. I subsequently took a pew on the platform. A FL 66 soon drew in on a coal train and occupied the centre-road. Shortly after I heard a distant engine roar, but couldn't quite put my finger on what loco it was. About a minute later two class 68's rounded the corner with the driver taking power, providing some great thrash. They were on a diverted nuclear flask working, so quite an unusual sight in Hereford I believe.

1433 Hereford-Cardiff. ATW 3 car 175.

I find 175's have very comfortable seats, but these units are well overdue an internal refresh- the internal paintwork and panelling looks very grotty and is letting these otherwise good units down.

At Cardiff, I again went to the 1st class lounge, which for the first time ever was pretty busy inside. I was travelling on a ATW premier service ticket so don't think I'm technically allowed in the GWR lounge, but they always let me in for which I'm very grateful.

1716 Cardiff-Chester. ATW Class 67 LHCS- 67016.

On the platform, I was concerned when the PIS said this was formed of 3 coaches. This usually means you're going to end up stuck on a rammed unit with no catering. Alas, my lack of faith was unfounded on this occasion. As 67016 (which I believe is a winner) rolled-in, having taken over from 67022 which has had a very long stint on this train. The PIS was correct in that the train was short formed, being missing a Mk3 TSO. Boarding was subsequently chaotic, with the train being full and standing with the aisles blocked until Newport, where the first class aisles were unblocked of standard passengers and the meal service could begin. There was a good loading in first on this trip. I selected smoked salmon and prawn roulade for starter which was fantastic, then it was seabass with veg which was nice for the main course- the sauce especially so. Sticky toffee pudding with ice cream crowned a great dinner as we sped through the Marches. I also managed 3 of the Celtic ales which are very nice too. I'd still recommend a trip on this train to anyone who hasn't managed it yet. Sadly, I had to alight at Chester, where we had arrived a little early, allowing me to make an unofficial (but very beneficial) connection.

2004 Chester-Stockport. Northern 142.

Despite this being a very long and usually tedious pacer journey via middle earth, Narnia and anywhere else you could think of, this was still the fastest way to Stockport and it would allow me to get an earlier TPE across the hill to Sheffield, meaning I would get home earlier. With the aid of my musical ear-defenders, this journey actually passed pretty quickly.

2128 Stockport-Sheffield. TPE 185

Another journey through the darkness that seemed to go pretty quick, without anything remarkable occurring.

2241 Sheffield-Chapeltown. Northern 144.

This was the service destined for Huddersfield and it soon had me back at Chapeltown.

A long but enjoyable day, with new coverage Oxford-Hereford, two great first class services enjoyed, two HST services enjoyed and a winning (I think, I'll check shortly) 67 on a LHCS service. Good day as far as I'm concerned

 

[Iskra]

I'm glad to see you're still about on the scene, and I agree the ELR is good fun. I did it on a diesel gala a few years ago, I really must get back there as I still need one of the shacks.

Hmm, there's a thought for the as-yet unplanned days off in October. I've no idea why I didn't think of that before...Preserved line bashing! I'm sure there's going to be something happening on the many lines I need! Good sir I am very glad I came across your trip report thread this morning, the brain is now wide awake and is in planning mode! This could be my return to the UK rail scene!

You've retired from the UK rail scene? When did this happen and why?

Alas I got bowled out by the Bury line being closed yesterday. ELR can wait until I can reach Bury by tram rather than a probable slow all-stop bus

Shame! Some of the ELR stations are served by the express Pendle Witch bus service from Manchester, which is well-regarded. It's a route with leather seats and wi-fi I believe.

 

[Kite159]

Sounded like a good little round trip

 

[Techniquest]

You've retired from the UK rail scene? When did this happen and why?

I have and I haven't retired. I just can't find the enthusiasm for UK bashing at the moment. Been like that since I got back from Milan. Euro cranking is very possibly the future for me!

I am however looking at making a return to British bashing next month. However the temptation to have a day at Heathrow plane spotting is incredible!

EDIT: Loved your trip report, although that EMT breakfast plate didn't appeal to me. I'd only be eating the bacon, sausage and hash browns off that!

If you had told me you were coming to Hereford I'd have given you the lowdown on what's where, the city centre is less than 10 minutes walk away from the station. However it worked out well for you, as flask trains are not at all common up this way so very nicely done!

 

[Iskra]

I have and I haven't retired. I just can't find the enthusiasm for UK bashing at the moment. Been like that since I got back from Milan. Euro cranking is very possibly the future for me!

I am however looking at making a return to British bashing next month. However the temptation to have a day at Heathrow plane spotting is incredible!

EDIT: Loved your trip report, although that EMT breakfast plate didn't appeal to me. I'd only be eating the bacon, sausage and hash browns off that!

If you had told me you were coming to Hereford I'd have given you the lowdown on what's where, the city centre is less than 10 minutes walk away from the station. However it worked out well for you, as flask trains are not at all common up this way so very nicely done!

Yes, it is slightly problematic when you dip your toes on the continent, as there's a lot of interesting stuff that's a lot more widely available than we get here. Please keep us up to date with your wanderings

I have previously visited Hereford city centre in around 2009 when Leeds United played Hereford United there one Tuesday night, I just didn't realise how short a walk it was from the station which feels a bit remote. Perhaps I can explore it another time should I have more time there.

(A trip report is brewing...)

 

[Iskra]

16/9/17 The Torbay and Dart Explorer

This was a re-dated Pathfinder Tours trip originally planned for July. Due to the traction and destination, this was a trip I'd been awaiting eagerly. It was also my first time travelling with Pathfinder, so I was interested to see what they were going to be like to travel with. I awoke almost before I went to bed at 0245 which is a new record! There aren't many tours originating in Yorkshire, so as normal I'd have to travel to the source of the tour, which was Burton-on-Trent today, somewhere I've never been before. Due to the drive into the unknown and the possibility of overnight road closures for roadworks, I decided to set-off very early to avoid any unexpected delays. The drive turned out to be problem free, quicker than expected and parking was easily found right outside the station for a fantastic £4 all-day. Amazingly, I wasn't actually the first person to arrive at the station for the tour. I'd arrived about an hour early, so I napped in my car until the station was unlocked.

It was a surprisingly chilly morning as we awaited our train on the platform. Our train arrived a few minutes early at around 0605; A smart-looking Riviera trains rake mainly of BR Blue/Grey Mk2's, with a couple of ex-Anglia Mk2's and a couple of Mk1's one in Brown/Cream and another in Blue/Grey. At the head of the train was a DB class 66 still in EWS livery (number unknown), which would be our traction as far as Worcester. The carriages were a little cold at first and we had no lights for the first ten minutes of our journey. I was sharing a table with a very talkative gentlemen who claimed to be a driver for Freightliner, who was quite interesting and made it a very sociable trip. I was travelling in 'First Plus' today which meant a first class seat plus unlimited tea/coffee plus pastries in the morning and cake in the afternoon- a nice compromise between first class and premier dining. I opted for a sausage sandwich early-on, which was very nice and served at my seat. At Bromsgrove a second gentlemen joined us. He was a former teacher and very knowledgeable about GWR things and the railway geography of the South West, which I really appreciated being a solid Northerner. We ended up leaving Bromsgrove 30L due to 'crewing issues' ie DBS had forgotten to send a driver. All things considered this was resolved very quickly, so fair-play DBS. At Worcester Shrub Hill, we traded our 66 for something infinitely superior; 50049 Defiance and 50007 Hercules and the fun really began.

As soon as we re-joined the mainline we were straight up to speeds of 100mph, which was pretty consistent and helped us recover time. From now on there were plenty of photographers in the fields as this was the first mainline class 50 run for a number of years. Plenty of normals were stopping and having a good look too. There is plenty of good youtube footage around. We had a brief stop at Bristol Temple Meads, from where it would be non-stop down to Paignton. I was happy with non-stop through Exeter station as that is pretty rare. The great coastal views began as we approached the estuary before Starcross, it's a truly fantastic piece of line this and the weather was fine although slightly ominous as we charged through Dawlish, but the edgy gloominess of distant and impending rain on the horizon added nicely to the atmosphere. We diverged at Newton Abbot down towards Paignton which now meant I was on new track, with the rain holding off but it was noticable that we were heading straight towards big black rain clouds. Torquay seemed a very nice place as we whizzed through. Definitely somewhere to visit in the future. At Paignton we dropped off some of our fellow-travellers. It was thus time to leave Network Rail metals and onto the track of the Dartmouth Steam Railway.

The Dartmouth Steam Railway is interesting in that it is not run by a charitable trust, but is a company seeking to make a profit, and no doubt it does as this is a very popular area with tourists. It's a very finely preserved line with some spectacular coastal views and some interesting gradients. The terminus of the line is at Kingswear, which is quite a sizeable station. There's not much at Kingswear itself, but immediately next to the station is the jetty for the ferry over the River Dart to Dartmouth. This was included in our ticket price today.

Dartmouth is a charming little town worthy of a visit. By this point I was pretty hungry and fancied fish and chips, so I googled it to see which chippy had the best reviews: I have no time for mediocre fish and chips in life. I then walked back towards the sea front. Actually, I'm not sure if it was the sea. It could well have been a river. Who knows. I took a seat on a bench, to eat my fish and chips. Unfortunately, a number of the town's seagulls decided that they too fancied fish and chips. So what followed resembled a WWII Battle of Britain dog fight. These seagulls are pretty clever. They operate in pairs. One distracts you from the front, while another then tries to get you from behind. I'm sure they learnt their trade from the pickpockets of Naples. I adopted defensive tactics of keeping my fish and chips covered apart from when I was diving in with my pathetic plastic fork. A momentary lapse of concentration saw me concentrate on the bait seagull rather than the real threat, resulting in a giant seagull literally landing on my cunningly closed fish and chips from behind. I shooed it away empty-talon-ed with my arm. At this failure, there was a palpable sense of disappointment amongst the Dartmouth seagull community, who like a sub-standard football team started in-fighting before changing-tack to bother a couple who were crabbing instead. There are many theories regarding the best tasting fish and chips, but I can confirm that they taste best after fending-off a small army of seagulls with just one hand. Iskra 1 Dartmouth Seagulls 0. Victory tasted sweet.

I then went for a wander around the town, discovering a newly built Costa where I bought a Hazelnut Hot Chocolate. The staff thought I was bonkers having travelled from Sheffield for the day. I then went for a walk towards the Britannia Naval College as I'd seen a Royal Navy Minesweeper moored there. The heavens then opened-up which made me abandon that plan and take shelter in the beer garden of a hotel. I did get a good view of the Class 50's running around their train though while this was happening. It was then back over to Kingswear.

The ferry. The ferry appears to be the bus of Dartmouth. It's a bit like Venice, but cold.

I'd hatched a cunning plan which gave me the opportunity for a ride on one of the Dartmouth Steam Railway's services to Paignton on some new traction.

Lyndham Manor took me back to Paignton in some unusual carriages. They were Open but each set of seats had its own door and droplight, which I liked.

I then had a quick trip around Paignton, which wasn't quite as nice as Dartmouth, before returning to the station to wait for the train home.

On boarding, I asked the the gentleman opposite on the way down if I could sit in the unoccupied seat next to him so I could face forward, for reasons that I don't understand he got a bit funny about this, before saying yes. I then went to stand at the vestibule for the next three or so hours until it got dark, listening to some great thrash out of Paignton. We got a couple of dodgy signals on the way back- one appeared to be a track circuit failure the other an unknown red, but the restarts just gave me even more brilliant thrash. On the return we went via Westbury and Bath. The area around Bradford-upon-Avon and Bath is simply stunning. It was here that it got dark and I returned to my seat.

The locomotives were swapped at Worcester again, back to the same 66 as before. We were talking as we approached Birmingham New Street, I thought the interior of our train was being reflected in the windows, but then it changed speed- it was another railtour. Our service and a railtour with Tornado and MK1's were arriving at New Street at exactly the same time as each other. What are the chances. It was strange (in a good way) to see two proper trains in the same place as the same time. We both departed at the same time too sparking a 'race' before Tornado diverged. It was then back to Burton, to a 24-hour McDonalds for some food and then back off to Sheffield. Great day. ...I've already booked another Pathfinder Tour. Excellently organised with friendly staff who are happy to try and accommodate all-types of guests.

 

[Cowley]

I've got a couple of photos for you then.

The 50s returning through Exeter.


The seagull that stalked us in the same place while we ate our chips a couple of years ago .



Those carriages on the Dartmouth Steam Railway are old DMU centre trailer cars from something like a 116/117 etc. They've had them for at least thirty years. I think it's one of the most scenic railways in the country.
The water you were next to is the River Dart. It's navigable all the way up to Totnes which is a lovely journey if you're ever down again.
Paignton - a bit seaside tatty really...

 

[Kite159]

Sounded like a good little day trip