Iskra's Odysseys

[Kite159]

Sounded like a good tour at the posh end of the train, I know a few of the more seasoned bashers prefer paying extra for 1st class for the extra space and better seat.

Certainly on a long tour I've done the same if the premium isn't too much extra

 

[Cowley]

Great report Iskra. The 20s are great machines when they get a chance to stretch their legs.
The excitement shown by some of your fellow passengers at seeing an 08 and a pair of 57s made me chuckle.

 

[Iskra]

Some of you may have noticed that I've been absent from the trip reporting community for a while, here's why:

4/6/18-26/6/18- Some European Travels.

On Monday the 4th of June I made my way from Sheffield to Stansted Airport. First, it was an Uber down to Sheffield station.

1229 Sheffield-London St Pancras. EMT 7 Car Voyager. 1st Advance.

After quickly making use of the first class lounge and grabbing a paper, I then caught the 1229 down to London St Pancras, which I had a cheap 1st advance for. It was a 7-car 222 which I find adequate but uninspiring units. I'd been allocated one of the seats at the very front of the train which has a view entirely (emphasis added for those who complain about 390's and Voyagers) of plastic. Probably great for crash resilience, but less so if you want to write up what you saw out of the window to post on the internet at a later date. I therefore changed seats to the only one that I could safely occupy throughout. It was a fast journey down the MML, my first on the new timetable and I did enjoy the fast-seeming journey without frustratingly stopping at seemingly random stations. It was a very pleasant journey down the MML in very warm weather. As we whizzed through Bedfordshire it had me reminiscing of how a similar journey in the early 2000's involved passing through many fields of burnt out Vauxhall's dumped by local miscreants. Burning out cars has obviously gone out of fashion since then. On arriving at St Pancras, I was eyeing up the Eurostar Class 374's thinking I fancied a ride on one of them. Not today though, I was going underground for now.

I emerged at London Liverpool Street for my train to the plane.

1510 London Liverpool Street- Stansted Airport. Greater Anglia class 379. Off peak single.

This was my very first trip on a class 379, which I was very impressed with. The interior is very nice and maintained well. It was also new track for me until the approach to Stansted Airport itself. The train got very busy and especially so with aircrew at Bishop Stortford. The line was one of great contrasts with ultra-urban being replaced by rural surprisingly quickly.

Once at Stansted I headed to the bus station where I got the shuttle bus to Premier Inn for my flight the next morning. I highly recommend this Premier Inn although it isn't the cheapest due to its location.

The next morning it was onto a Ryanair flight to Lamezia Terme, Southern Italy. Stansted airport's transformation into a shopping mall has now been completed. The flight was nice, crossing the Alps and then heading down the dramatic coast of Italy until very quickly turning towards the beach and landing just beyond it at Lamezia airport. It's a flight I make often, so I'm quite bored of it but this time it was nice. The Italians were very efficient at getting me through the airport. A Guardia Di Finanza (customs) man did approach me as I passed through and ask me if I had any cigarettes, I said no, he took my word for it and left me alone. Aside from the complete lack of thoroughness in his check- why would anyone want to import British cigs to Italy, when they are much cheaper in Italy anyway?

It was then on to a shuttle bus which takes you to the railway station, which is about 5 minutes away. For those that don't know it Lamezia Terme is the Oxenholme Lake District of Italy. It's a tiny place next to a bigger town, but it boasts an international airport and a mainline train station, while the bigger town only has a relatively sparse service on a branch line. I had plenty of time as I'd included padding in my itinerary just in case the flight was delayed. I therefore had a couple of beers and a couple of slices of pizza from the cheap bar opposite the station and watched the world (and trains) go by. One of my observations was that there were an abnormal amount of coaches using the station.

I sauntered over to the station to look at the status of my train, to see that it wasn't running and instead it just said that dreaded word 'bus' next to it on the screen. I didn't even know they did Rail Replacement Buses (RRB) in Italy. One RRB turned up at the time my train was supposed to leave, but there was some issue with it and after unloading it drove off empty. Another one did turn up shortly afterwards and we were on our way. It's a nice ride, we stopped at only two stations as we drove through the mountains and valleys before arriving at Catanzaro Lido having crossed from the North coast of the foot of Italy, to the south coast. I did sleep for quite a bit of the way as I was very tired at this point.

At Catanzaro Lido I then changed onto a train (yay) for the journey down to Locri, Calabria. The train was a single car railcar. Unlike its British counterpart it has a first class section, air conditioning, comfortable seating and was built to last. They don't look much on the outside, but I quite like them. They are slowly being replaced by modern bi-modes.

A photo I'd taken on a previous trip of one of the Italian railcars at Locri station.

Locri is the end of the line for this local shuttle service. It's a medium sized station with 3 platforms, with slow and fast services to the regional capital Reggio Calabria as well as a daily Intercity service in each direction between Reggio Calabria and Taranto that takes a very long time. Locri is mainly known for it's ancient Greek heritage (yes, Southern Italy was Greek before it was Roman) and features a ruined Greek town and an archaelogical museum as well as a beach and the usual collection of bars, restaurants, ice cream shops, piazza's and churches, but notably not a castle like most other Italian towns. I got a lift from Locri to my accomodation.

Here ends part 1. That was the less interesting part, so well done on getting this far. Orginally, I did have 'abridged edition' in the report title- I've just revoked that comment now

 

[Kite159]

Agreed with some of the first class seats on the 222s being a rubbish view

 

[47403]

Just caught up on here, Some Great reads there Iskra.
Well jealous of the 73s and 92 on the sleeper. I need a ride behind a Dyson myself, the Cally EDs are certainly on a must do, sooner, rather than later list.
The far North line is supposed to be stunning in the summer months, never done it myself.
Imagine what it must've been like getting a 37 or a 26 over that line instead of a 158, someone on here must have done it.

 

[Iskra]

Rubbish is an understatement Kite!

Thanks 47403, yes better to do them while they are still running with stock that has droplights.

 

[Iskra]

European Adventures- Part 2

Eventually, it became time to return to England and as I previously mentioned I'm quite bored of the Ryanair flight that forms the only reasonable flight between the two places. So instead, I decided to get the train. I had to set off back on Sunday 24th of June. There was train from Locri to Reggio Calabria Centrale station in time for my connection, but it was too tight to risk on what is quite an unreliable branch line, so I drove to the regional capital instead. The journey was pleasant and I arrived in good time.

Reggio Calabria is one of my favourite stations in the world to wait at- a bold claim- but it has views of the slowly erupting Mt Etna on Sicily, views of the shipping heading through the straits of Messina, aircraft landing over the top of you at the near by airport, plenty of rail operations and some interesting abandoned rolling stock knocking around.

Some ex Intercity Units, I believe they were tilting. I think they look cool and wish I could have travelled on them! That's Sicily in the background.

Some of the loco's that seem to randomly manoeuvre around the station. Italy is a bit of a throwback to what rail operations must have been like in England in the 80's and 90's. Also, notice the water tower still there for steam trains.

My Intercity Train to the North. The trains have slowly been painted into Red/White over the last few years, which I think makes them look a bit Germanic. That's a Frecciabianca unit on the right.

1010 Reggio Calabria- Rome. 9 Euro's.

Yes, a mere 9 Euro's for around 8 hours travel! I've travelled on Italian IC trains on this route before, but previously in 1st. This journey left me wondering why I bothered paying for 1st last time. I was in standard, but the seating was 2+1 and I was in a single seat with generous leg room, a plug for charging my phone, air-conditioning a comfy seat and a nice view out of the big window- perfection if you ask me!

This journey is a must-do. You wind your way along the beautiful coast before heading in towards the mountains later. On the coastal sections you could see specialist boats for catching swordfish which is one of the regional delicacies. The line passes Scylla which has a prominently sited ruined castle and is a touristy place with great views of the straits and a nice beach, it also features in The Odyssey after which this thread is named, it's worth a visit in my opinion. At Bagnara the line climbs then moves inland until Gioia Tauro where we meet a ruined-looking narrow gauge line (although Wikipedia says it is actually in use, but I'm not convinced- perhaps I may have a visit to clarify this) and a number of its ruined metre gauge railcars. Gioia Tauro is not worth a visit and is most famous for being the port where 80% of Europe's cocaine is smuggled in through and having the 2nd busiest container port in Europe with the local organised crime syndicate creaming off 1 Euro per container. The line then climbs onto Vibo Valentia and Pizzo which is another nice tourist place which features a rare, intact castle with a museum and again some nice beaches. It's then downhill onto the coastal plain at Lamezia where the airport is located on a rare bit of flat ground. The line then hugs the coast for a while before moving inland into the mountains, constantly crossing valleys and rivers.

A typical bit of scenery.

In these mountains we ground to a halt at a station just before a single line section of track through a tunnel. We ended up waiting here for quite a while, for a Frecciabianca (the 2nd fastest type of express train in Italy) to come the opposite way. Still we waited. A Frecciarossa (the fastest type of Italian high speed train) came through not long behind, which didn't make much timetabling sense really. Now 29 minutes late we proceeded. This was a concern as I had a 30 minute connection in Rome. I wasn't that worried as I knew the train was due a long turnaround in Napoli which could perhaps be shortened to make up time. Automatic announcements then started up announcing the delay and telling passengers with onward connections to seek assistance from the guard. I did just that when he passed through, only to find that he didn't speak a word of English. My Italian doesn't stretch to the intricacies of their Conditions of Carriage regarding delays. His body language was very relaxed and he didn't seem at all bothered about the delay. At Salerno the true high speed network starts, but we wouldn't be using it on this train. We went through a very long tunnel and then Mt. Vesuvius came into view. The way this Volcano dominates the landscape in an imposing fashion, it's explosive legacy and the fact that is about due for another eruption always makes me slightly on edge when I'm in its shadow. Perhaps I'm just a bit paranoid. Possibly because I've previously visited the ruins at Pompeii. We then crawled through some of the less glamourous suburbs of Napoli into the absolutely vast station. People boarded here trying to sell random things, pairs of socks winning the award for most unusual item this time. Napoli is a terminus station so we had 15 minutes here while the engine at the front is detached and another is added to the rear to continue the journey to Rome. I thought they might attempt to rush this to get the train back on time, but no. That's not how things are done in Italy. We continued, still 28 minutes late. Progress was slow out of Napoli. This was new line for me now on the 'classic' lines to Roma. The driver did start to thrash the train now which gave me hope but it was an intense approach to Roma. I made sure to be close to the door and spotted a Frecciarossa unit on one side of my train. I then rushed down into the subway and headed in the direction of the fast-looking red train for my next journey. Luckily it did turn out to be my train and I got on it with a few minutes to spare, the driver having got our delay down to about 20mins.

18:xx Roma Termini-Milano Centrale. Frecciarossa.

The train was very busy when I got on with pretty much all seats being taken and lots of luggage everywhere. Italian inter-city and high speed trains are reservation only though so I was guaranteed a seat. This was my first time in standard class on these trains, which again is pretty nice although a bit more cramped than my previous train. It was a 3 hour run up to Milano in the evening sun which was an enjoyable trip although there are a lot of tunnels. Remarkably you still get phone signal and 3G signal in these tunnels, which is nice! The train came to a crawl for the junction just North of Florence station (which we didn't stop at as it requires a reverse) and we continued to make slow progress until Bologna. At Bologna we then diverged onto new track for me for the route to Milano where we picked up speed again. Arriving into Milan, I saw something I never thought I'd see in Italy- a working steam train complete with historic carriages in steam at a depot. As much as I love them, the Italians often don't look after their history, so this was great to see. We arrived into Milano around 20 minutes late.

Milano Centrale is one of the finest stations on the planet. It's like a Cathedral with a railway station attached as an after thought. On the concourse I sought out my hotel on google maps before heading off down the grand staircase and across the city for what was roughly a 20 minute walk. I've visited Milan before and I wasn't that impressed but crossing the city by foot gave me a new perspective and my impression became a lot more positive. My commute was complicated by having to cross under a railway station, but it was being renovated so the real walking routes didn't match the theoretical ones provided by google. I managed though and found my hotel in the end.

I'd arrived quite late at the Marriot Hotel AC Milano. The restaurant had closed but they directed me to a nearby restaurant where I picked up a takeaway pizza and a bottle of artisan beer and took it back to my room. The room was amazing by the way and being on the 13th floor featured excellent views of Milan at night.

To be continued. Yes, really.

 

[Cowley]

Please continue Iskra. I’m enjoying reading about one of my favourite countries in the world...

 

[Iskra]

Thanks Cowley, I wrote up my report in the notes section on my phone as I travelled. I've now found out they get deleted after 40 days, which I'm sure didn't used to be the case. Anyway, I will continue, using my memory and pictures...

Day 2- 25/6

I started the day by taking photo's of some retro trams out of window, noting a train station nearby, before heading down for breakfast. The breakfast was just okay, but the only uninspiring thing about the otherwise great hotel.

After a quick check-out, it was then time to head off and catch my train. It was only at this point that I realised just how close the hotel is to the Porta Garibaldi train station. There is a subway within sight of the hotel doors, and that's the station. If you're requiring an overnight stop in Milan and transferring between the two main stations, this is definitely the hotel for you. Porta Garibaldi station is less inspiring than Milano Centrale, it's modern and mainly a commuter station. I had a brief worry when I couldn't see my train on any of the departure boards on the subterranean concourse, so I decided to simply choose a random platform to surface on, see if I could see my train and then change to the correct platform, this worked out well and I soon found my train.

0845 Milano Porta Garibaldi- Paris. SNCF TGV. 1st Classe 40.00GBP

This was my first time on a TGV and SNCF which I was excited for. I couldn't turn down first class for a fare of 40GBP for a 7-hour journey. I was slightly disappointed with the TGV interior to be honest, it was a bit 90's and worn. They also had a bizarre seat numbering system that changes depending on which direction the train is moving in, so the seats have two sets of numbers. Appropriately for an international train, I'd been put in seat 61. I ended up opposite an Australian couple. Northern Italy always seems to be full of Australians and Americans in my experience. Progress out of Milan was very slow. Even when we got out of the city things didn't get much faster. The route starts in very flat farmland and is a bit dull really, the most interesting thing was two rusted steam locomotives parked head to head under a bridge. Things changed quite quickly at Turin, where the train filled up, including a group of Americans. The scenery then becomes very mountainous very quickly, this obviously means there are a lot of tunnels to pass through too and the buildings start to take on an Alpine look which is different to the rest of Italy. I noticed one end of a tunnel was being guarded by the Italian army and then when we emerged out of the other side we were in France. At the first border station there was a full passport check, one gentleman was removed from the train by French officials. We ended up being delayed by 25 minutes. From here the scenery only improves and it was a very enjoyable trip through the alps, one that I would recommend as a very civilised way of travelling through Europe. Once we left the mountains a group of people with guns entered the carriage who started shouting at everyone. They weren't wearing uniforms, apart from a small armband that said Douanes on it. It turns out they were just enthusiastic customs officials wanting to make sure that no-one had put any suitcases of drugs on the train and once they realised that people were only ignoring their instructions due to not speaking French, they were okay and polite (and spoke good English). I noticed a scrapyard with partially destroyed TGV's in it. Some were in the same livery as the train I was on, so I'm guessing the original TGV's days are numbered.

At a provincial station I noticed a Loco-hauled passenger service and took a terrible photo of it, just in case I didn't see any others:

After that the journey sped up significantly and even more so when we moved on to the high speed tracks.

At a rather chaotic Paris Gare Lyon, I bought a ticket for the underground, which was also chaotic. The underground trains were a little strange. They are really just double-decker overground trains that just happen to run in tunnels through the centre. The trains were pretty packed, it was warm and quite uncomfortable. Luckily it wasn't a long journey to Gare du Nord, which seemed a little less chaotic.

I made my way to the Eurostar departure area and spent a bit of time on the balcony watching the trains. I got talking to a Burnley fan from Kent, about Eurostar and Brexit and its implications.

It was then my turn to join the long security queue and board. I was initially hoping for one of the new velaro trains, but it wasn't to be on this case.

1904 Paris Gare du Nord-London St Pancras. Eurostar class 373.

Despite being initially displeased with getting a 373, I decided I really liked the new livery on it and I was impressed by the internal refurbishment. This was my first time on a 373 through the tunnel, my previous experience of 373's was in their GNER days between Leeds and Doncaster. I've been through the tunnel before a few times on the vehicle service but this was the first time on the passenger service. The line from Paris to the tunnel was new to me. It was quite interesting to see the large amount of domestic services that share the route North until close to the tunnel. You can tell when you're getting close to the tunnel as the security goes from 'none' to 'Fortress' very quickly, with soldiers guarding the stations and very big fences. On emerging from the tunnel I got a strong sensation of being glad to be back in Britain after such a time away. Europe is great, but it lacks fish & chips, proper beer, curry, brown sauce and baked beans amongst other things. It was also novel that Britain was just as warm as mainland Europe. On arrival, security was swift. It's a bit annoying how far you have to walk to get to the domestic platforms considering you arrive right next to them. Despite my delight at being back in Britain, I decided to avoid the Betjemen arms as I wasn't sure what time it served food until and instead opted for Carluccios, you can't go wrong with Italian... I like this chain as the food is always good, it's freshly prepared and when in London it's good value as I believe they charge the same prices nationally. After a nice pasta and a few beers it was time for my final train of the day.

2220 London St Pancras-Sheffield. EMT 2x222. 1st Class 16.15 GBP.

Another first class fare that was too good to refuse. I'm glad this train exists, but it stops at every single station so it becomes painful very quickly. We also suffered a 20minute delay waiting for an OTM to come in the opposite direction and there was an insufferably loud passenger in the compartment who was suspiciously visiting the toilet every 10 minutes. Luckily I had my headphones with me and they got off at Derby.

A trip to Cleethorpes

I would normally have done a full report but as mentioned above I lost the notes I made.

New line covered: Doncaster to Cleethorpes and Barton-on-Humber.
There's a decent real ale pub on Cleethorpes station.
Great chippy on the pier.
Downside: I found out that when the North sea warms up, it makes the East Coast foggy and cold. Despite it being 25 and sunny in Sheffield, it was 16 and foggy in Cleethorpes which I wasn't expecting!

Lightning strike

I would normally have done a full report but as mentioned above I lost the notes I made.

A simple trip from Sheffield to Newcastle for the weekend got interesting due to lightning hitting York signalling centre. The only trains leaving Sheffield were for London or Manchester, so after asking permission I headed off the very long way around.

I did:
Sheffield-Manchester on a 185
Manchester-Carlisle on a 350
New pub at Carlisle station.
Carlisle-Newcastle on a hot and cramped 156.

As an enthusiast and not being in a rush I enjoyed the long journey and I obviously got delay repay so no harm done.

I've got a mini trip planned and then a 3 dayer in the pipeline so will do reports for those and post them in a timely fashion to avoid them getting deleted!

 

[Kite159]

At least you reached Newcastle, even if going the long way round

 

[Cowley]

I’m a bit (probably a month) late reading the rest of it but really enjoyed it.

 

[Iskra]

Thanks for the comments gents.

The return of the Northern Newspaper Offer 26/9/18

Firstly, apologies for the slow trickle of reports this year, I've been promoted at work which means my responsibility has increased 100% and I'm still in that phase of working out how to manage my new workload, so haven't been able to commit to booking 2/3 day trips away that I normally book months in advance due to the risk of having to cancel them. I've also gone deeply back down the football rabbit hole doing limited away games as well as being a season ticket holder, so spare time has been scarce. Anyway, a random Wednesday off work and the return of the Northern Newspaper offer saw me back on the rails. I'm trying to slowly cover all of the railway lines in the UK, so as much as I like whizzing around in first class, the gritty reality is that you need to spend a lot of time plodding around branchlines to achieve this, this trip was going to be all about that.

I nipped down to Meadowhall the day before to do the token exchange, which was painless. It was a pleasant morning as I drove down to Chapeltown station, it looked as if it was going to be sunny but I had packed a coat just in case as I would spending the day in and around the pennine hills. A new Costa franchise has replaced the KFC in Chap since chicken-gate, so I gave that a try, it was nice enough and then headed over to the station. There was a delayed service so I was able to catch that before my own train was due.

0915 Chapeltown-Sheffield. Northern 3 car 144.

This train had originated from Huddersfield and was well loaded with commuters and students. It's a short journey down to Sheffield calling only at Meadowhall which saw a big changeover of passengers. On arrival I let everyone else get off before alighting as I wasn't in a rush.

It was then over to platform 2C for my next train. This would be the first time I've ever used this platform. It's one of those strange bay platforms that is one track but has platform at both sides so you are never quite sure which side you are meant to be on. Shortly afterwards a modest crowd started gathering, mainly older types with many ramblers amongst them.

1014 Sheffield-Manchester Piccadilly. Northern 2-car 150.

Limited to Northern services only, this was the quickest way of getting across the pennines. The 150 was a newly refurbished type and I took a bay of 2. Although the train looked smarter and felt more solidly constructed (ie less rattly), it was incredibly cramped in terms of leg room. I'm not the tallest but I was required to sit diagonally when that was possible. I actually enjoyed the slower run as you tend to see more, and this really is a wonderful route, especially on a sunny day with the leaves turning on the trees. After Chinley we diverged and I was on to new track until Ashburys. This was a very interesting line, with lots of industrial heritage evident. Appropriately, Man In the Corner Shop-The Jam came on from my Spotify playlist as we passed former factory after factory intertwining with the canal system of old. The train started to busy up again by Romiley. We arrived into Manchester Piccadilly Right time and luckily we'd pulled in right next to a delayed train waiting to head off to my next destination.

1111 Manchester Piccadilly-Buxton. Northern 2-car 150.

After taking a seat on another newly refurbished (but already disintegrating) 150, the guard soon announced that this train would be running express to Buxton due to being delayed 40mins by way of a trespass incident. Meanwhile a different Buxton service was cancelled. While sat at Piccadilly it felt very strange to hear my hometown station of Batley listed on the calling points for TP services over the tannoy. Running express suited me just fine, as the train emptied out and then got me to my destination faster. At Longsight I noticed some of the new TP stock tucked away at the back of the depot. We were on familiar territory until after Hazel Grove. The line becomes very rural very quickly after Disley and it's a nice run up to Buxton, which really is in the middle of nowhere. My 150 joined 4 others at Buxton, so if you're hunting such units, that's where they all are.

I walked into Buxton for a bit of lunch, it's a nice, bustling spa town. I enjoyed my first visit, despite it being a brief one.

Some 150's at Buxton

I then headed back up to the station, paradoxically ahead of my planned itinerary due to delays.

1302 Buxton-Manchester Piccailly. Northern 2-car 150.

This was the same unit that I arrived on I believe. This time we called at all the stations we were supposed to. It was a steady run back down to Manchester which was now clouding over. On the way in I noted an impressive 14 cranes constructing things in the city centre. Also noted, was just how scruffy Ardwick station is looking these days. Another fortuitous arrival time saw me arrive conveniently opposite a delayed 323 to Hadfield, which was my next port of call.

1359 Manchester Piccadilly-Hadfield. Northern 323.

I took a seat right at the front. I don't often use 323's so this was a rare treat and this one was giving off some great motor noise. The superior acceleration compared to its diesel counterparts was evident and enjoyable. After Guide Bridge I was once again on to new track. Despite being surrounded by dramatic pennine scenery, this line still has a decrepit feel about it due to being relegated to a backwater after the closure of the Woodhead line, you can clearly see its legacy and remains of some of the infrastructure, for example at Dinting. I think I personally find it sad as I live very close to the Woodhead line in the Sheffield area. Progress, I suppose.

1440 Hadfield-Manchester Piccadilly. Northern 323.

It was straight back down the line here.

1539 Manchester Piccadilly-Rose Hill Marple. Northern 142x2.

In truth, I'd done well to get this far without a 142, so I can hardly complain. This journey was covering recently newly covered line until the very last bit which I needed. Between Romiley and Rose Hill Marple, the pacer gave off the worst most ear piercing pacer squeal that I've ever heard. At Rose Hill Marple, it was mission accomplished. All of the commuter lines out of Piccadilly were now covered.

A 142 at Rose Hill Marple

From here, the initial plan was to head back to Guide Bridge and then catch a train to Huddersfield, have a pint there before getting the Penistone line stopper back to Sheffield. As I was now well ahead of time, I wasn't prepared to spend a long time waiting at Guide Bridge for a circuitous trip home, so I headed back to Romiley and had a great pint of Blue Moon in the nice pub by the station before waiting for the direct train back to Sheffield. All the trains up to now had been really quiet, but this soon changed.

1606 Romiley-Sheffield. Northern 150+142.

This was a full and standing combination of an ex-FGW 150 and a Northern 142. The train emptied out after Chinley and it was an enjoyable run towards home in the evening sun from there. It was another rarely used platform for me at Sheffield, bay platform 7 this time.

I killed some time chatting with colleagues before catching my train to Chapeltown;

1735 Sheffield-Chapeltown. 3 Car 144.

Another busy service. Otherwise unremarkable.

So a productive day clearing the commuter lines out of Manchester Piccadilly. That leaves me some lines around Liverpool, the lines West of Preston and a couple of oddities on the East side before I've cleared the lines operated by Northern. Think I'm going to nip out and buy a few more papers...

 

[Kite159]

A productive day in Manchester

 

[Iskra]

I've not posted much of late due to being very busy, not getting onto the rails as much as I would like and frankly when I do, I seem to spend a lot of time covering frequently covered ground. There are only so many times I can write about travelling down the MML/ECML or on a pacer to Leeds and it be vaguely interesting. I'm now going to do a couple of updates.

Every year, one of my rail targets is to cover the West Highland Line. This was the year I finally managed it.

The West Highland Line, 28-31 January 2019.

Bizarrely, I'd ended up double-booked for this week so would be starting at snowy Scarborough for this trip.

0600 Scarborough-York. TP 185. The last time I travelled this line was behind 4472, I do like the refurbished 185's, but they aren't quite the same.

York is currently a hive of activity for the introduction of the new TP fleet.

A pair of 68's and a Scotrail liveried Northern 170 at York station. There was also a FGW 150 ready to work the Harrogate line. Plenty of interesting liveries to be found around Yorkshire at the moment.

At York I went to the signal box Costa. I find that very cool. A coffee shop in a signal box. While waiting in there, a 68 set came through with a MK5 rake which was exciting as I'd not seen one in motion before. The carriages looked good inside. Lots of men onboard with laptops.

0737 York-Edinburgh. LNER HST.

This is the Leeds-Aberdeen service. I was in 1st and was happy that the breakfast offering has recovered a bit since the nadir under VTEC- black pudding has appeared, it was all well cooked and the staff seem happier. It was a cracking journey, with the sun rising as we covered 'the racetrack' North of York. The train filled up at Darlington. I was sat on the right to get the best coastal views.

1030 Edinburgh-Glasgow Queen Street. Scotrail 385.

This was my first trip on a 385 and my first trip since electrification on this line. I was very impressed. They are fast, quiet, smooth and have a good interior.

I had a bit of lunch in the vicinity of Glasgow QS before my next train.

A Scotrail HST:

1220 Glasgow Queen Street-Fort William. Scotrail 156.

The set arrived late into the station and joined to another 156. This lateness and the inability of the normal passengers to understand alphabetical order when applied to train carriages caused a mad scramble for seats. A lady tried incorrectly kicking me out of my seat, but I was not giving up my forward facing window and table seat for a 3 hour journey that easily. It was all a bit silly as there were plenty of seats to go round. Thankfully this was a refurbished 156 so was adequate for the long journey. Once the journey commenced it was all new track for me from Cowlairs junction. The Glasgow suburbs were looking nicer than normal, possibly due to the sunshine. As we progressed alongside the Clyde we raised a police boat (we won) and passed many a distillery. After Garelochead the scenery becomes very impressive. Perhaps due to the dusting of snow it blew anything else I've experienced in this country out of the water. Scandinavian levels of impressive. Even better when some jointed track was thrown into the mix. I tried taking some photos from the moving 156;

We got some light snow as we approached the horse shoe curve. I really enjoyed this part of the line, it is very impressive. I saw loads of deer after Bridge of Orchy. Sadly, as we descended into Fort William the snow turned into quintessential British rain, giving a grey and dreary arrival. 73969 was on the sleeper at Fort William for that night.

I was staying in the Fort William Premier Inn as I get them cheap with work, which is within walking distance of the train station, so that was good.

Day 2

As I was on holiday, I had a leisurely start, enjoying a great value all you can eat Premier Inn breakfast. I decided I was going to walk from Inverness to Banavie. Snow was forecast but I had all the necessary clothing. As soon as I set off, the snow started. It was a great walk. Nice and flat too. All the locals I met coming in the opposite direction were friendly and said hi. I passed a WCRC 37, so thought it was rude not to take a photo.

I then reached Banavie station, I think the signalling staff were a bit bemused by someone turning up and taking photos in that weather, but even one of them stuck a camera out of the window and took a photo, so they clearly enjoy their work place.

Obligatory picture of Neptunes staircase:

I had enjoyed my walk so much that I decided to walk onto the next station at Corpach. Which again was a great walk, along the canal for the most part.

At Corpach, I still had a bit of time to kill so I considered walking on to the next station. This time, time would matter. I asked a NR man how far the next station was, he said about 3 miles. I had about 50 minutes and I'm a fast walker, so I went for it. There is no footpath to Loch Eil Outward Bound station, there is no pavement for most of the walk along the road either so I was walking along an A-Road in a blizzard. I obviously walked facing the traffic and most cars kindly gave me a wide berth, when that wasn't possible or a HGV was coming I had to step up onto the verge which impeded my progress. Still, I arrived about 15 minutes before the train was due, which I was very happy with. I was amazed that Loch Eil Outward Bound is not actually a request stop. There is a little shelter on the platform which I made use of to dry off a little.

1230 Loch Eil Outward Bound-Mallaig. Scotrail 156.

I'd be heading back to Fort William so I bought a Fort William-Mallaig return. After my impulsive route-march I took up my well earned place on an unrefurbished 156. I enjoyed my trip along the line, but I have to say I wasn't actually that impressed with Glenfinnan Viaduct. It's a bit drab and underwhelming. However, the views from said viaduct are phenomenal.

I am sorry for bombarding you with pictures.

There isn't too much to do in Mallaig in January. I walked down to check out the harbour, watched some cars struggling on the hill in the snow and then went to a gastro-pub at the top of the hill. I didn't want to have a beer or food, I sat by the log fire and had a coffee. Yes, I'm getting old. As there really wasn't much to be done in Mallaig I decided I would walk to the station at Morar. This was another great walk, but did involve hills this time. You start on a B-road before joining the A-road which does have a nice footpath along side it.

Morar has no inside waiting facilities and the nearby hotel/pub was undergoing refurbishment so it was a bit of a cold wait for the train back to Fort William, the 1612 Morar-Fort William.

Day 3

I retraced my steps back to Crianlarich on a Scotrail 156 on the 1141 service. There had been more snow on this part of the line, giving a comparable feel to when I did the Arctic Circle Express from Stockholm to Narvik.

I had a bit of a wait at Crianlarich, but it has toilet and a small heated waiting room. I then took the 1418 Crianlarich-Oban which was another 156 and had quite a few tourists on it. It's another cracking journey. I also saw a salmon farm, which unbelievable is the first I've seen in Scotland.

Well, Oban is a wonderful little place. My first port of call was to ascend McCaig's Tower, the Scottish Coliseum. This was no easy task with my full hiking rucksack and lots of steps.

It was then back down the hill to the best rated fish and chip shop that I could find. I don't believe in mediocre fish and chips. After that, I went to Wetherspoons. It's a great modern spoons and it must have some of the best views from any Spoons, looking out onto the harbour.

It was then back to the station for the 1811 Oban-Crianlarich, for some more time on a Scotrail 156.

At Crianlarich, I had some time to kill and the temperature there that night was due to get down to -12 so I went down to the Best Western hotel in the village. I had a fantastic pint and ordered a dessert which sadly wasn't up to the same standard. It's not a bad little place to spend a couple of hours. I then went back up to the station and waited in the heated waiting room. While waiting on the platform you can actually hear and then see The Deerstalker coming around the valley which is quite a sight. It was winner 73969.

On boarding, I was greeted by name which is a first (and great service). Onboard I had the traditional cheeseboard and a couple of the Avalanche Real Ale's. This was the best presented Caledonian Sleeper cheeseboard yet. It was a very quiet night in the lounge, but it was as out of season as you get really.

I stayed in the lounge until past Helensburgh Upper but then retired to my cabin. I did however stay awake to see which route we took from Glasgow Queen Street. I was happy as it was new track from Glasgow Queen Street Low Level to Edinburgh via Airdrie. Sleep was a bit 'meh' as the heating would only do hot or cold and nothing in between.

Day 4 31/1/19

Breakfast (salmon) was okay on a cold and frosty morning, I enjoyed seeing the flash of the pantograph which happens a lot more on icy mornings.

I was wondering what was up front. It turned out to be a 90. It was a winner though so that was good- 90041. On alighting I went to the busy Virgin Lounge and had a shower, coffee and read the paper.

It was then over to Kings Cross for the 1000 HST which I believe continues to Aberdeen. I was on as far as York. I was in 1st so had another breakfast which was quite nice.

It was then back to Scarborough on a 185 through a frozen landscape that only cleared when we neared the coast.

Well done to anyone who read that! It was a brilliant trip so I hope that came across.

 

[Cletus]

Fantastic trip and pictures, having never been further north than Aberdour, I'm quite jealous.

I always try to walk between stations where possible, but that walk from Inverness to Banavie would too much for me

 

[Iskra]

Fantastic trip and pictures, having never been further north than Aberdour, I'm quite jealous.

I always try to walk between stations where possible, but that walk from Inverness to Banavie would too much for me

Thank you for the comments. I would heartily reccomend a trip North of Aberdour as Scotland is a stunning country.

Haha, there is a bus

 

[alexf380]

Your photos come close to doing that scenery justice but nothing beats the real thing. A great read though, thoroughly enjoyed that trip.

 

[Kite159]

Sounded like a good trip, I bet the wilds of Rannoch moor looked spooky covered in snow

 

[Techniquest]

Wow those photos are stunning fair play! I think Cletus is pointing out the walk is said to be from Inverness to Banavie, whereas of course it should say Fort William to Banavie

Really want to re-visit the WHL, far too many years have passed since I last went!

 

[Iskra]

Thanks all for the comments!

Wow those photos are stunning fair play! I think Cletus is pointing out the walk is said to be from Inverness to Banavie, whereas of course it should say Fort William to Banavie

Really want to re-visit the WHL, far too many years have passed since I last went!

Haha, thanks for pointing that out! That’s probably because my next report is about a trip to Inverness

Good to see you’re back

 

[Iskra]

A while back I made a journey from Sheffield to Newcastle for a stag do. It was the day York IECC was struck by lightning. I got there. Eventually. Via Manchester and Carlisle. I claimed delay repay for a full refund and to be honest I quite enjoyed taking the scenic route. A couple of weeks after this I received a mysterious email from LNER from an actual person, apologising for the debacle (for which there was no need really, it was an act of god afterall). They also said, email back if you would like a small gesture of goodwill. Email back I did. I was expecting a voucher for a cup of tea or something, but no they very generously decided to send me two free first class tickets to anywhere on their network, to be used whenever I wanted.

Naturally, I went in to trip-planning overdrive. I wanted to maximise my journey (it's not every day you get a free first class ticket given) and HST mileage before they disappear from the LNER network. Logically then, it was going to be Aberdeen or Inverness. I've been to both before, but I'd never done the full route of the Highland Chieftain before as I have previously boarded at York. It's something I've always wanted to do and it is the longest HST journey in the country, so that pretty much decided it.

The Highland Chieftain 13/3-15/3

To do a full run on the Chieftain, I'd have to get to London. I booked a 1st advance on an EMT HST to do this.

0701 Chapeltown-Sheffield. Northern 144.

On reaching Sheffield I killed time in the first class lounge, where the host was explaining to some dismayed passengers that our train wasn't one of EMT's breakfast services. There was also some disruption on the Penistone Line due to high winds- the weather is always bad when I'm due to travel. I do love an EMT breakfast, but all the breakfast services now appear to be run by class 222's and as this trip was about HST's, so HST haulage it was.

0746 Sheffield-London St Pancras. EMT HST.

I really enjoyed my trip down the MML in the swaying comfort of one of EMT's armchair first class seats, I sure will miss those seats when they go (whenever that is). The MML was its usual self, nothing too exciting but it gets you there.

On reaching London I spent a bit of time in the LNER 1st class lounge, then went to the Leon on the concourse for a bit of food in case the train catering was suspended. This was my first time in a Leon establishment and it was quite decent to be fair. I then joined the masses waiting for the platforms to be announced. Kings Cross has now got as annoying as Euston at this.

1200 London Kings Cross-Inverness. LNER HST.

The train was quite busy from the outset, mainly with tourists and retired folk who were travelling to Edinburgh. I need not have worried about the catering, a full offering was available. I'd had all the other food options on the menu so I went for the vegetarian chilli for a change and my first of many beers. The chilli was tasty and with the crisps and plenty of cake it did fill me up. I'm not going to do a fuil description of the ECML as it's a well travelled route by me. It was a great journey although we were delayed around Peterborough due to trespassers on the line. At Prestonpans we passed A1 Tornado which has been doing some excursions between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, which I think will do well with Edinburgh being very popular with tourists. We left Edinburgh just a few minutes late for the run up the Highland Mainline, which was a pleasure as ever especially as the days are getting longer now. The Inverness crew were as on the ball as always, helping me achieve a new record of 10 beers, and I did turn down at least one. It's also great that LNER have a special North of Edinburgh menu with a slightly improved choice in recognition that some of the journeys are pretty long.

At Inverness it was over to Premier Inn just over the river, I've stayed there before and it's a good one.

I had one full day in Inverness as I can only take 4 days off at once without using any holiday days from work and I had other plans on the 4th day. The obvious activities for the rail enthusiast in Inverness are a trip to Kyle of Localsh or up the Far North Line but I have done both of these fairly recently. Instead, I decided to head out to Fort George to indulge one of my other interests, history. Fort George is a rare and impressive Star Fort, worth visiting because it is still in one piece, it has a couple of museums and is also a working military base. To get there from Inverness you need to take a bus out to Ardersier which takes about 35 minutes but it's a scenic run. From Ardersier you then walk about 2 miles along the stunning coast. It's a big fort so you can't really miss it. The weather was a bit of everything today, but I was well wrapped up.

The Fort has an interesting audio guide, indoor and outdoor exhibits, the regimental museum, a decent cafe, stunning all-round views and apparently you can watch dolphins from the ramparts too.

Being on an LNER ticket, I had to use their trains only which leaves you with only one choice each way when it comes to leaving Inverness.

0755 Inverness-London Kings Cross. LNER HST.

Another good breakfast was had onboard on a dreary morning. We passed 67013 on the Northbound sleeper as we headed South, which had changed over from 67007 that night. There was snow on the ground around Aviemore and I was keeping a good look-out on the way South for Scotrail HST sets of which I saw a surprising amount. There had been some disruption around Newcastle due to a train fault, so we picked up a large number of passengers here and we made an additional call at Durham. At York, Flying Scotsman was in steam in the sidings next to the NRM. Other than that it was a routine trip.

In the First Class Lounge at Kings Cross a lady was giving out massages. Plonking me back in London just before the evening peak, the Chieftain trip gave me an opportunity to do something else I've always wanted to do- one of the LNER proper evening meal services.

1803 London Kings Cross- Doncaster (Skipton). LNER Class 91.

I was hoping this leg might produce a class 90, but sadly not. I'd booked the best seats in the house on this leg of the journey; the ones in the middle of a Mark IV set where the seating is 2+2 with a really wide aisle ('the dancefloor') and away from the bogies. Evening meal was salmon and very nice it was too, it was quite filling and you even get proper desserts too, I chose sticky toffee pudding which was also really nice.

At this point an LNER staff member came up to me, looking really concerned (I thought I'd done something wrong) and asked me if I wouldn't mind moving seats to accommodate another passenger. I was cool with that and happily moved to an empty 4 at the front of the carriage and I was only on until Doncaster anyway. As a thank you he gave me an extra sticky toffee pudding which was gratefully received.

At Doncaster, my XC 220 back to Sheffield was delayed, but there was plenty of railway stuff going on at Donny to keep me entertained- an 08 was moving pristine Scotrail MK3's around the yard and an Azuma came into the station. Once onboard the friendly host was a bit taken aback when I declined her offer of more freebies, but I was very full by this point.

I'm now caught up with my reports. I've still got one more free LNER first class return to use, do I go to Aberdeen or do I do one of the first public runs of the Azuma trains from Hull or Leeds?

 

[Kite159]

Nice on getting the LNER freebie ticket and making good use of it

 

[xotGD]

10 beers!

I guess you need to get your money's worth. Oh, hang on - it was all free anyway!

 

[Iskra]

10 beers!

I guess you need to get your money's worth. Oh, hang on - it was all free anyway!

On an 8 hour journey, 10 small cans is not really all that much. I’ve definitely paid enough into the EC/VTEC/LNER franchises to be able to enjoy myself on them. Perhaps you could call it a loyalty scheme

 

[Techniquest]

Hop On Board isn't it with LNER? I haven't had that for a long time, not since it was in bottles, so I'm glad to see it's in cans now. Keeps so much better that way! 10 330ml cans in 8 hours with a generous amount of food too isn't bad at all, I'd have easily sunk 10 of them on that journey too!

Certainly looked like a really good trip, and as for your next one I guess it depends on how long you have to use the tickets. Waiting for Azuma sets to enter service might not necessarily be a bad idea, but if they're like GWR 800s for First Class then expect to be disappointed. I'm certainly not rushing to do First Class on GWR these days!

Also, yeah I'm kinda back but not as much as I was. I've been trying to get back into the scene, but logging mileage, shack scoring and going for new track (at a micro-gricing level or Baker atlas level) still doesn't really appeal. I thought I might get back into shacks when I scored Heald Green last month, but I just can't find that enthusiasm. Indeed, the only stuff I log for new sights currently are GWR IETs, and that's only when I can be bothered! When new stuff arrives next year on WMR it may be different, but who knows? I was anticipating a London bash by now, for an epic red pen session, but that hasn't happened either. Mind you, I should check the forecast for my days off this week...

 

[Iskra]

Hop On Board isn't it with LNER? I haven't had that for a long time, not since it was in bottles, so I'm glad to see it's in cans now. Keeps so much better that way! 10 330ml cans in 8 hours with a generous amount of food too isn't bad at all, I'd have easily sunk 10 of them on that journey too!

Certainly looked like a really good trip, and as for your next one I guess it depends on how long you have to use the tickets. Waiting for Azuma sets to enter service might not necessarily be a bad idea, but if they're like GWR 800s for First Class then expect to be disappointed. I'm certainly not rushing to do First Class on GWR these days!

Also, yeah I'm kinda back but not as much as I was. I've been trying to get back into the scene, but logging mileage, shack scoring and going for new track (at a micro-gricing level or Baker atlas level) still doesn't really appeal. I thought I might get back into shacks when I scored Heald Green last month, but I just can't find that enthusiasm. Indeed, the only stuff I log for new sights currently are GWR IETs, and that's only when I can be bothered! When new stuff arrives next year on WMR it may be different, but who knows? I was anticipating a London bash by now, for an epic red pen session, but that hasn't happened either. Mind you, I should check the forecast for my days off this week...

I think my tickets expire in October, so no real rush just yet. I’ve still not done an 80X so they have a novelty value for me.

It’s difficult, I’m getting a bit bored of the mundane rail stuff but I’ve really enjoyed my last two major trips, so for myself I might do fewer but more exciting trips rather than many mundane ones. I can see my interest re-flaring with the new TP fleet and new routes too

 

[Techniquest]

Oh yes the new stuff on TPX is appealing to me too!

I could have gone for a spin after work today on an IET but I decided the better option was a few beers in Hereford instead. IET bashing is all fine and good but it doesn't have a big enough appeal for me! So like you I'm trying to go for more exciting trips but less of them rather than loads of mundane adventures. I'm also trying to clear my credit card, ready for next year's big adventure, but as was revealed to me yesterday I'm not having enough fun to balance things out. So I'm looking to book a mini adventure ASAP, no idea where I'll go but just a planespotting session tomorrow after work would be nice!

 

[Iskra]

7/5/19 Northern Newspaper Rover

The return of the Northern newspaper offer gave me the opportunity to clear a few branchlines for coverage in the North West at unbeatable value.

After pre-departure preparation I drove down the M1 to Meadowhall getting stuck in abnormal levels of traffic, however I still arrived with time to spare. I handed over my tokens and form at the ticket office (hence why I didn't use Chapeltown for this journey). I still had 10 mins before I could use the rover ticket, so I chilled out and contemplated which of the plethora of services to Sheffield I was going to use, during this time I observed that the Penistone Line was disrupted.

I opted for a service from Lincoln, thinking this might be less congested than the usually full and standing services off the Hallam Line. I was wrong. It was still full and standing.

0851 Meadowhall-Sheffield. Northern 142.

Well, full and standing it was, but I got on and it did the job. Due to being a slightly late running service, it whisked me into Sheffield without the usual delay while someone rummages around for a vacant platform. It also conveniently dropped me on the correct platform island for my next service, so that was good.

0914 Sheffield-Manchester Piccadilly. Northern 156.

Northern must have known I was coming today, providing a significant upgrade on the usual 142 or 150 for my journey across the Pennines. Sadly, someone had neglected to unfurl the red (or should it be a Northern purple-y colour) carpet for me, but you can't have it all. A nicely refurbished, only moderately loaded 156 provided a very pleasant ride across the Hope Valley, with its secluded valleys and bleak looking hills. More 156's to Sheffield please Northern. The train filled up from New Mills Central on the approach to Manchester. I do like the redundant mills and navigations around New Mills (should be called Old Mills), very impressive they are. This train was slightly delayed into Manchester, leaving me a long walk from P1 to P14 against the clock. I needn't have worried, Northern, having been informed I was travelling, had conveniently delayed all trains to my next destination, guaranteeing my connection. Top guys, Northern*.

*Please note, I have used artistic license in this paragraph, I'm not royalty or even slightly important. Northern don't bend to my every whim, either.

Due to all trains being delayed, I actually turned down a delayed, basically empty pair of pacers heading to my next destination on a slow calling pattern. My intended service wasn't far behind and could be something much more interesting.

1047 Manchester Piccadilly-Blackpool North. Northern 319.

I suspected a 319 could turn up, which is why I skipped the pacers. 319's may be considered boring, common, past-it EMU's in some parts of the country, but not in Northern Land. These are highly exciting, flagship Northern units. They have newly re-upholstered seats, that are loosely based on a 1990's cinema carpet. And PIS. They even have four carriages. In one train. Remarkable things. This was only my second trip on a 319, hence the excitement. The first trip was only Oxford Road-Piccadilly so this was my first real trip. I got a bay of 6 to myself and I was treated to a fast run to Wigan so the unit could stretch its legs a bit. It was a really nice journey. Like being in a nice, smoother riding-version of a 150, without the unrelenting throaty drone of a sprinter engine. The train filled up at Preston, from where I was on to new track. I then saw my first 195 in the flesh. Predictably, I then saw my second, third and fourth 195's in quick succession. I quite liked the line out to Blackpool North, for some reason I was expecting it to be in a cutting all the way, but no, it was a nice open line with decent views of the passing terrain. Blackpool North station was also much better than I was expecting; modern (ish), vast, open and light. I even took a photograph without being tasered by the authorities and the lady on the ticket barrier was friendly towards me as she let me through. This was not the Blackpool North I had read about.

I then started walking to the South. I stumbled across a place selling Fish & Chips with 'Yorkshire' in the name. It appealed. I went for it. It was a good deal at $4.95 (I actually paid in pounds sterling, but I have a foreign key board so please accept a dollar sign and my apologies as I've forgotten how to do a pound sign for the moment). I ate my fish and chips as I walked. They were alright. Blackpool has improved significantly since I last visited; I only saw only domestic argument spill-out onto the street in front of me this time. At this point I realised I'd accidentally lost my paper itinerary that I had diligently scribbled on a random piece of paper, earlier in the day. With a minimum of one hand required to eat my fish and chips, I was temporarily unable to check what time my next train departed Blackpool South and I somehow convinced myself it was sooner than it really was. I set speed to 'March 1' and course to the South, I walked on the streets just behind the front as they were less cluttered with people impeding my progress. The walk was actually okay. I passed Bloomfield Road, which was of minor interest. In my head it was a race between me and the incoming train now. As I rounded the last couple of corners towards Blackpool South I felt a bit like Jeremy Clarkson at the end of one of his long Top Gear races, when you don't know if you've won or you're going to have to painfully watch the guard close the local door on a pacer with a grin instead. Dramatic times. Anyway, as it turned out, I'd arrived with 10 minutes to spare and Northern had arranged for this train to run late too, so I need not have worried. My punishment for carelessly losing my paper itinerary and mis-remembering the departure time was a ten minute wait at Blackpool South Station with the local scallies. That was a long ten minutes. One of them approached me, and then asked the time. I told him and he gave me 'respect' for doing so. 'Asking the time' is an old-school football hooligan technique to trick someone into revealing their accent, from which you can deduce what team they support and then unleash gratuitous violence if you so wish. Luckily, this chap didn't seem that clever and then he left me alone.

Blackpool South

1315 Blackpool South-Preston. Northern 142.

I wander if the guards on this branch get danger pay? Interestingly, I did note there were two of them on this train. I was convinced the scallies weren't going to pay up, but after trying to claim they had a rail warrant that they couldn't actually produce, they did eventually cough-up the fare. The run out of Blackpool South is quite nice. This one especially so, as I now have no reason to ever visit Blackpool again. To be fair, you do get to some nicer looking places before rejoining the mainline. At Kirkham & Wesham 3 more ruffians boarded (one was genuinely wearing a padlock and chain around his neck), and decided they were going to inflict their music upon their fellow travellers with a mobile speaker. At Preston, they got off and ran down the underpass. I'd never been down the underpass so I followed. Waiting at the end was a revenue block, which aforementioned ruffians just ran through. The RPI's just gave a few choice words of advice.

On P3 was a class 68 & MK5 set. I waited around for this to depart and had a good look inside the carriages for a glimpse of what the future would bring, I thought it would sound good under the roof as it left and it did. I do like a 68.

It was then down to platform 3C for my next bit of new track.

1426 Preston-Ormskirk. Northern 142.

The Humble 142, was the defining traction of this trip, so I couldn't leave one out of this report.

Another 142. Well, they are going soon (maybe) so I suppose I should enjoy them while I can. The clientele on this trip was much more refined than on the last journey. Mainly through my ignorance of the area, this journey surprised me a lot. I was expecting something like the Newton-le-Willows line- in cuttings, semi-urban. No, none of that here. It's like a quaint country branch line. It's got token blocks, jointed track, sleepy stations and nice scenery. I will admit to enjoying the sound of the 142 on the jointed track. At Ormskirk, I stayed on the same train.

1501 Ormskirk-Burscough Junction. Northern 142.

It was a quick journey one stop back down the line for my next station.

It's quite a nice little station, in a pleasant little town, which I walked through to reach my next station.

1524 Burscough Bridge-Southport. Northern 142.

Again, more unexpected rolling countryside.

At Southport there was a pleasant surprise in store. We attached to another 142. Yes, more pacer action.

1547 Southport-Salford Crescent. Northern double 142.

After Burscough Bridge it was back onto new line. This was a train destined for Blackburn the very long way round via Rochdale. There were a lot of school kids on this train, but they conducted themselves impeccably. Some of the stations on this line have seen better days though. I alighted at Salford Crescent with the intention of catching a different train to Blackburn via required new track, however I stepped onto a station in disarray. A unit had broken down on the line towards Bolton, which was where I was hoping to ahead. Basically there was lots of chaos and delays. So, I abandoned my itinerary (this time my imagined one, as the paper one was of course already long lost). A train pulled in in the opposite direction heading for Rochdale. Rochdale has much going for it, but the main thing that made it useful for me is that it has direct services to Leeds.

1700 Salford Crescent-Rochdale. Northern 150.

This train also appealed because it wasn't a 142 and was an interesting 150, being an ex-FGW example. It had nice seats too. At Manchester Victoria this train became rammed until Mills Hill. At Rochdale, I only had a short wait for a Leeds-bound train, thus vindicating my trip to Rochdale.

1739 Rochdale-Leeds. Northern 156/142 combo.

I sat in the 156. Another 156 sneaking into Yorkshire, I'm guessing this is to do with the 158's moving to Newcastle. It had been a while since I travelled this line in daylight and I'd forgotten just how good the scenery is on this route, until Halifax at least where it all starts to go a bit downhill. This train was via Bradford Interchange, more track that I've not covered for a while. I considered a trip to Lincoln to cover that line, but I was tired and my phone was dying by this point. I had a tight connection onto a fast service to Meadowhall at Leeds. Predictably, we pulled into platform 1. My train was 17. I did however, make it with a few minutes to spare.

1903 Leeds-Nottingham. Northern 158.

The evening crowd was now coming out so things got a bit loud and it started to rain (those things are not linked). Other than that, an uneventful trip back to Meadowhall. I was grateful I didn't have to endure it on the stopper at this point.

All in all it was a productive trip, covering 4 new lines. Sadly, I couldn't get the 5th required line but I did both need and appreciate the earlier trip finish time it gave me due to being at work at 7am this morning.

 

[Techniquest]

Certainly a varied day there! A 156 over the Hope Valley definitely sounds good, although I'm quite happy with a 185 on it too.

Sounds like you love Blackpool there too! I have 3 trams to do up there, and one day the new extension when it opens, but I'm not rushing!

 

[Kite159]

Sounded like you had good use from the northern newspaper ticket with a varied day