The Easterling 9/10-1/17
My first trip of 2017 and I've named it after an old named train that served some of the places that I visited on this trip. Also my first trip from my new residence in Sheffield, which was quite exciting. Sadly, my first trip post railcard too.
9-1-17
It was a civilised get up at 0600 for this trip, followed by a short and easy drive to my new local station, where I'd already had a scouting visit to see if there was any viable on street parking, which there was. I was aiming for the 0742 but I'd left time to check the layout at this station and get a ticket. I walked up and bought a ticket to Sheffield from a brace of RPI huddling in the waiting shelter. Just as the new ticket machine printed me a ticket longer than an A4 piece of paper, the 0712 turned up.
0712 Chapeltown-Sheffield. Northern 2 car 144. Anytime return £4.70.
I and quite a number of commuters promptly boarded the already full and standing service. There was a fairly equal exchange of passengers at Meadowhall and then we pulled into Sheffield. A very bearable first journey from my new station as it's pretty quick so standing isn't a problem.
At Sheffield I proceeded to buy an Anglia Plus Day Ranger (APDR) at the ticket office, which wasn't too hard and at around £18.50 is good value if you ask me. I then killed time on the main concourse to keep warm, while I awaited the first through service of the day bound for Norwich. Upon the trains arrival I made sure to be in the correct part of the train as this service splits at Nottingham.
0835 Sheffield-Norwich. EMT 2x 2 Car 158. Sheffield-Thetford Advance £18.50, then APDR at £18.50.
This was my first time on an EMT 158, which is rather shocking really. I was quite impressed by the interior and the seats were quite comfortable too. But, most of all I was impressed with the ride quality, lack of noise and generally improved ambience compared to their Northern counterparts. And then between Chesterfield and Alfreton with me contemplating just what EMT had done to make their units so nice, half the saloon lights went out and it clicked with me, that the reason this was such a comfortable ride was because the engine in this unit had burst. That also explained the slow-running and 5 minute delay. At Nottingham, a unit swap occurred and we were shifted onto the rear unit to continue on to Norwich while some EMT management scratched their heads looking at the first unit. I was quite happy with the unit swap as my allocated seat was poor, so I was able to upgrade to a table of four as all reservations were now rendered defunct. The poorly 158 went off to the depot at Nottingham and off we went towards Grantham. Nottingham-Grantham was new coverage for me, the first of 2017. A DBS class 60 passed us shortly after Nottingham on a tanker train. The ECML was in chaos due to a fatality, but we were unaffected. We passed a GC HST and then a number of stranded VTEC 91 sets that were stacked-up waiting to proceed Northwards. It was an interesting change of pace taking the ECML at a sedate 90 (and probably not even that fast tbh) and it was actually quite nice to get to see a bit more of the scenery. We'd regained 'right time' status by Peterborough, where I was back on to new coverage for the rest of the journey. Ely seemed a very nice place and as we reversed out I swapped seats to remain facing forwards. On leaving Ely, I was shocked to see a trio of 442's sat in a field, or perhaps they were just a mirage. At Thetford I said goodbye to my advance ticket and I was on to my APDR from here. Nothing much happened after that, but we somehow ended up 6 late into Norwich at 1217, where I was glad to find a number of loco-hauled sets on the blocks. The minor delay made me quite grateful to be on a ranger, as most of my trips are on advances, so it was nice and relaxing to travel and not to worry about making connections. Overall, a pleasant journey although it dragged a little towards the end. I didn't ever imagine I'd write a paragraph this long about a journey on a 158, but there we go. Almost as long as the journey itself, well done for reading that!
I hadn't formulated a plan from here. I had a few objectives, loco-haulage was my first priority, with new route coverage coming second. Thus, it was straight onto the first LHCS set that I could bag.
1236 Norwich-Great Yarmouth. Greater Anglia TNT 37's. APDR.
I took a very quick picture before boarding:
The lead coach contained a number of other enthusiasts and it was a nice thrashy journey due to the number of speedlimits and stations, which was much appreciated. The scenery was pretty nice, with lots of wildlife, waterways and a few nice looking pubs around. This journey was all new coverage.
At Great Yarmouth, I swapped ends again (as did a couple of others).
1317 Great Yarmouth-Norwich. Greater Anglia TNT DRS 37's. APDR.
Unfortunately, it started raining quite heavily on the return trip. 37422, in plain DRS blue with no logo's, decided to have a shortlived breakdown just after Whitlingham Jct, but after about 5mins the driver managed to breath life back into the old machine. We subsequently arrived into Norwich 8 late, where I then spotted my next move.
A quick shot of 37419 at Norwich
1405 Norwich-Yarmouth. Greater Anglia TNT DRS 68's, 68025 leading. APDR
A quick snap of 68005 as I rushed to board.
Again, I took up a seat in the lead coach with a number of other enthusiasts. This was new coverage for me again after Brundall down to Lowestoft. The guard then came through checking tickets, followed shortly afterwards by an on train cleaner. The guard took up a position at the lead window to do the doors for Brundall. Shortly after this, a young lad approached the guard asking what time we got into Lowestoft, just from looking at him I knew he was trouble. On passing through the carriage he decided to join me at my table of 4, and told me how he'd just got out of prison after 12 years for punching someone once, he then showed me his electronic tag and told me that it was his dads funeral the day after, all in a fairly intimidating manner as if I should be scared. Eventually he asked me for 50p to use the payphone. I wasn't going to give him any money whatsoever, and I didn't believe half the stuff he said- I think it was just a story to try scare me into giving him money. All the while I could see the guard watching from the vestibule. Once I told him I wasn't giving him any money he disappeared back up the train the guard asked me what he was after. The on train cleaner then got re-roled into acting as a security guard and shadowing him up and down the train for the rest of the journey. The 68 thrash was alright, but obviously not as good as the 37's.
At Lowestoft, the train emptied, including the miscreant and me and a couple of spotters changed ends again for the journey back. There was a Greater Angla 170 in the opposite platform at Lowestoft, the first time I've seen one of those I believe.
1457 Lowestoft-Norwich. Greater Anglia TNT DRS 68's. APDR.
This was a fast run calling only at Oulton North Broad. As we got towards Norwich, the inclement weather signalled the prematurely impending end of daylight which concerned me as I only count daylight coverage. Time was running out for today. We arrived at Norwich 8L.
There were some delays at Norwich that were causing very short notice platform alterations, which meant the service pattern, passengers and traincrew were all over the place. Next it was onto a unit to try and get some more new coverage in.
1545 Norwich-Sherringham. Greater Anglia Class 156.
This was my first Greater Anglia unit for haulage. I thought it was very smartly turned-out internally and very clean too. By the time we'd reached North Walsham at 1615 it was definitely dark, frustratingly ending what I can count as my new coverage. As I type it's 1708 in Sheffield and the light is only just fading. Bloody weather. On a clear day I could have cleared the entire line. I will now have to revisit at somepoint. At North Walsham a load of 6th formers/school kids got on and filled the train up, but they were all very well behaved and slowly emptied out as we made progress. The train reversed at Cromer, but I didn't bother swapping seats for such a short journey.
1652 Sherringham-Norwich. Greater Anglia 156.
Nothing much to report on this leg, other than a lady refused to watch my suitcase while I went to the toilet as we were slowing for a station at the time and she said I could be leaving it. She was technically correct, so I waited for the train to restart before relieving myself- I thought it a little OTT on a virtually empty DMU on a rural branchline, but oh well. This train again ran fast on the way back, omitting a number of stations.
Back at Norwich I finally got some food at WHSmiths which kept me going for a bit.
1804 Norwich-Great Yarmouth. Greater Anglia TNT DRS 68's.
I got this service as it opened up another slightly productive move for me. Unfortunately, this service had another undesirable on it who seemed quite volatile, at one point he stormed off into the toilet for 5 minutes shouting. It was a bit weird and I did move back a row as he was behaving very unpredictably. There were just me and two other blokes in that half of the carriage, but the lad in question was quite small so I did feel like he could be contained if necessary. I've never really felt unsafe on trains before, but today had produced two 'characters' already.
1847 Great Yarmouth-Reedham. Greater Anglia TNT DRS 68's.
So this move took me through Berney Arms, which would have been new coverage if it was daylight, but I suppose it gave me initial 'pre-coverage.'
The 68's made a racket as they departed over the flatlands, leaving me at an awfully cold and windswept Reedham, complete with horizontal rain. I crossed the footbridge and occupied myself reading the graffiti on the station building and then paced up and down under the canopy to stay warm. I felt like the only person for miles, apart from the signaller in the box just down the line. A few semaphore's were raised and dropped, producing a sound I don't hear too often these days. Reedham doesn't need its PIS screens as the sound of semaphores being raised and the sound of class 37's arriving are a more than adequate substitute. I could literally hear the 37's a full five minutes before they arrived. Absolutely amazing sound, and I can only imagine what it must have been like up on the hills in Scotland when they were ten a penny. Just before the 37's arrived a young couple arrived on the platform from a side gate that I hadn't even noticed. I wasn't the only person for miles after all. It just felt that way.
1921 Reedham-Lowestoft. Greater Anglia TNT DRS 37's.
Once again I boarded the front coach, where there were some enthusiasts preparing to film our departure from the droplight. The guard greeted me warmly. An obnoxious young lad assumed the spotters had left the train and was calling them 'the dross of society' very loudly to impress his girlfriend, despite one of the spotter group still being in the carriage. I just glared at him. The guard later came to him and explained in a friendly way about the age of the 37's and the noise they make and why people film them, which did actually seem to impact a little. The night time 37 thrash was even better and I loved the journey to Lowestoft.
At a virtually deserted Lowestoft, I then got a taxi to my Premier Inn. It was outside of the town centre and cost £8 to get there. I'd got a discounted Premier Inn through work (£22). I had a meal and pint at the adjacent Brewers Fare which was nice and then after a long day it was time for bed. It was a nice, comfortable, quiet night and the receptionist had booked me a taxi for the morning.
10/1/17
In the morning I got my taxi as planned and then grabbed a quick coffee at McDonalds before heading to the ticket office. I was initially a little worried as the ticket office was closed despite saying it should have been open at that point and the self-service ticket machine was broken and displaying an error message. Eventually a clerk appeared and she sold me a ticket.
0727 Lowestoft-Westerfield. Greater Anglia 156. Lowestoft-Felixstowe Anytime Single
This was quite a nice journey through pleasant scenery. The train filled up as we approached Ipswich. It was all new coverage. Me and one other guy got off at Westerfield, which appears to be in the middle of nowhere, to make the same platform connection to Felixstowe. The other gentleman was very friendly and spent the 10 minutes explaining the intricacies of the the Norfolk transport network to me.
0903 Westerfield-Felixstowe. Greater Anglia 153. Ticket as above.
Again, this was my first time on a Greater Anglia 153 and I was impressed with the decor and upkeep of the unit. The branchline was average but seemed to be quite high-speed, which I assume is down to its utilisation by frequent container trains meaning it is well kept by Network Rail.
The guy I had previously being talking to was a bit confused when I didn't get off at Felixstowe. I had time to if I wanted to, but it didn't look very inspiring.
0928 Felixstowe-Ipswich. Greater Anglia 153. Std Advance Felixstowe-London £9.
Routine journey. New coverage Westerfield-Ipswich.
153314 At Ipswich
I had an hour to kill at Ipswich which I spent, visiting Greggs and watching freightliner 66's and 86's shunting around the very cold station.
1109 Ipswich-London Liverpool Street. Greater Anglia Class 90. Ticket as above.
90005 Arrives into Ipswich.
I took up my reserved seat, which was backwards facing, but I stuck with it as I know these trains can get quite busy and I didn't want any grief. Our train was delayed by 9 minutes leaving Ipswich due to a broken down train at Manningtree, so I was back to being worried about my connections again. We got moving eventually and then proceeded slowly. At Colchester we caught up with the offending train- an AGA 90 set whose passengers we were now going to pick up. We dropped more time and ended up 17L into London eventually, but that wasn't too bad and didn't cause me any problems.
I then got the tube over to St Pancras which was pretty easy. At St. Pancras I did a quick 1st class lounge raid before heading onto the platform. There were 2 222's in the same platform and a lot of Sheffield bound muggles were getting into the rear unit by accident, where they were slowly turfed out by the onboard staff.
1326 London St. Pancras-Sheffield. EMT 222. 1st Class Advance c£20.
A pretty routine journey back up to Sheffield. I got a poor seat again with a view mainly of plastic, but I've seen the view enough times before so it didn't concern me all that much.
At Sheffield while waiting for my next train, there was a bit of a commotion on another platform where a broken pacer bound for Lincoln had trapped the Northern 158 express service to Leeds in a bay. It kept me entertained, and we ended up departing before both those two services.
1606 Sheffield-Chapeltown. Northern 3-car 144. Anytime Return, return portion £4.70.
A busy service.
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Overall a productive trip with some great LHCS and plenty of new coverage. So a good start to the year.