cactustwirly
Established Member
Sounds like a good few days in my patch, on my favourite traction.
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Juliano's World Frenzy/Tech's Trip Reports
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Far north 37
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Great reports loved reading them well written and greatly detailed given me some inspiration to go bashing instead of just spotting and getting numbers mind you im already annoyed for not recording all the trains ive travelled on now
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Glad you enjoyed the read and that my style is appreciated
Nice to know I've inspired you to join the League of Haulage Enthusiasts! I regret not logging my moves properly for the first few years, always will as well. It's just one of those things sadly.
I look forward to hearing of your future adventures!
Cactuswirly: Glad you enjoyed the read, a future installment in my autobiography of bashing will see me down your neck of the woods again, although the date of it is still unknown at this time.
heart-of-wessex
Established Member
Could have sworn you did Thatcham and all that yonks ago, but I'm probably wrong though.
Well done on the shacks though especially clearing Padd - Plymouth. It's still bugging me that I need Tilehurst to clear Padd - Penzance. It's been like that for a few years now!
Very enjoyable read though! Can't have many 450s left?
Well done on the shacks though especially clearing Padd - Plymouth. It's still bugging me that I need Tilehurst to clear Padd - Penzance. It's been like that for a few years now!
Very enjoyable read though! Can't have many 450s left?
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Thatcham's been dud for years aye, as is Newbury, but the others I just couldn't fit into the time available back then.
Tilehurst is easy to get, you need to make a move and get it done!
53 450s left to get, the same number as the 455s!
Tilehurst is easy to get, you need to make a move and get it done!
53 450s left to get, the same number as the 455s!
As always, excellent stuff.
As for
Join the club!
I think it's the same for most of us, I didn't record any haulages when I first became an enthusiast.
Then, after doing loads of stuff in the early 80s, I started properly recording locos and stayed that way for nearly thirty years before adding units to my records a comparatively short time ago.
By eck, do I regret that now.
As for
Join the club!
I think it's the same for most of us, I didn't record any haulages when I first became an enthusiast.
Then, after doing loads of stuff in the early 80s, I started properly recording locos and stayed that way for nearly thirty years before adding units to my records a comparatively short time ago.
By eck, do I regret that now.
Techniquest
Veteran Member
17/10/2016 - Tech's October Fest, Day 1
For those of you unaware and on Twitter, the hashtag for this trip continues to be #TechsOctoberFest where the Live Trip Report shall be found!
Thank fudge this trip finally arrived, it's been a long 4 weeks since my last adventure! Bookwork Weekends, lack of funds and other circumstances all played a role in this rather long wait. Stand by for more Bookwork Weekends as 2016 draws to a close...
So the trip title and hashtag, I'm sure most of you will have heard of the infamous OktoberFest. I'm not entirely sure what does and doesn't happen during it, having never been and never Googled it, but the name sure came in handy for this 6 day mega bash! Yes that's right, SIX days of pure heaven laid in wait and the red pen was to be wielded, having been hardly used for a month! As was the green highlighter for many shack scores! I went into some detail on my TPP Discussion thread, some months ago now, on what I was getting up to but here's the rough plan:
Day 1: Carlisle for some 37 action, possibly more
Day 2: 37s and Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, as well as a social
Day 3: Tyne and Wear Metro shack clearance (hopefully!)
Day 4: Peterborough and forward to Anglia, hopefully some 37s and 68s
Day 5: Part 2 of the Anglia Plus rover
Day 6: Part 3 of the Anglia Plus rover, heading home from Cambridge via London in First Class
As you can see, it's lined up to be one amazing time! It won't surprise you to learn I jumped out of bed and got moving pretty quickly today, this caged lion was finally being let out! I booked myself onto the 0954 and not the 0908 as I usually do, so I was festering in Hereford for quite some time. A supply raid in Waitrose was had before an urgent PNB then a takeaway coffee from Spoons. Morrisons ends the supply raid, and I get my tickets before creating an observation file. The fester passes surprisingly quickly, thanks to Tech's Mobile Disco, as it turned out before I join 175112 to Crewe. I was finally on the move and the 6 day mega bash was underway!
Four months of receipts were finally dispensed with today, and my moves book is finally back up to date, with my latest spending log finally sorted out too. Time after Shrewsbury to get some tunes on, which come off just after Nantwich in preparation for sighting 68s. 68019 is observed but dud for sight, as is a 37 numbered 37558. I get the gen via Twitter it is really 37424, a winner for sight, thanks! I assist a blind passenger off the 175 at Crewe as her booked assistance had not produced. Once she's safely in Upper Crust, I pop off to do some spotting, which results in some limited 68 thrash from 68019 on a light engine move. One can no doubt imagine the big beaming smile on my face when that happened! After sourcing a cheap coffee from WHSmith, I investigate the assistance for the lady, apparently they'd been looking for her. Not very hard obviously then! Thankfully it turns up eventually, although my help still proved useful as one VT lady turned up with someone else already with her. That was clever!
We're all on 390008 eventually, leaving 15 minutes late and it's rather busy on here. The door is jammed open on the lavatory in coach B too, ridiculously helpful. Not my best VT journey so far to be honest! Lunch time after Wigan North Western, my ham sandwich from home is devoured now as it has been 6 hours since breakfast. Now bring on the epic scenery and tilt! Finally a table seat by the window becomes free, and now I am Bound For Glory, as I can charge my phone! I had forgotten how gorgeous the scenery is as we charge up to Shap Summit with some excellent tilt, the difference to a journey a decent seat can make!
Arrival at Carlisle is 17 minutes late at 1418, and the scale of the roof works really hits home. It'll be some time before it's finished, clearly, and after purchasing a day return to Wigton for £4 I rush over and join dud 37409 on the 1435 to Barrow in Furness, scoring the DBSO as well. The thrash has been much missed, having not had a 37 since July 2015! It's fair to say I'd looked forward to this move all day, and a rather nice cider sourced earlier from Waitrose [the other nice cider was consumed after lunch on 390008 - Ed] and it went down beautifully. Brew number 552 that one was too, and I intend to bump up that number as the week progresses, as I want to hit 600 before the year ends!
Double duds 153307+153363 were on the next Barrow service,no thanks I'll head back to Carlisle as per the plan. Good thing I did, as it was winner 156484 back to Carlisle! 5 Heaton 156s to go, happy days! Back in Carlisle, I couldn't decide between festers off winner 156s, both of which were quite significant. Haltwhistle was a reasonable plus I think, but £8.50 for a day return, so flagged. I decide instead to head to the B&B to check in, but then decide to score two winner beers in the Lloyds No.1 [so in other words, a Spoons. Dud at that - Ed] which takes me to 554 brews logged on Untappd. The plan now changed to investigate the 37 later on instead! After checking into base camp, I'm soon back out and I score a winner Spoons as well as two more beers.
Back at the station, having met some lovely Northerners [so much better than most people from the South! - Ed], I pay the £7.30 ching for a day return to Maryport. Dud 142088 was on the 1728 to Newcastle, which had made the decision easier. After a PNB I discover it's 37402 on the 1737 to Barrow in Furness. No bother, I wanted 37403 but 402 is better known as The Beast. Why? It's just so loud and awesome! Tonight it proved to be just that, oh what a treat for the ear canals! I even score a winner for everything MK2, 5787, much to my surprise. It's rather nippy and quite dark in Maryport, so I don't fancy the risk of finding nothing worth having for tea here, and join 156479 back to Carlisle, turning it into a Super Dud in the process. My stomach was raging by now, as all I had eaten today was a bacon sandwich around 0645 for breakfast and a ham sandwich around 1300 for lunch. When I typed this up it was 1846, so you can imagine I was rather, well, starving. A triple headed 40 working could pop up working over the Tyne Valley and I would flag it in favour of food by this point!
Little Chippy was visited in the end, a jumbo sausage and chips with gravy for £3 was considered a bargain. Some more winner beers in celebration of a great first day of the trip were then had before heading back to base camp. So that was Day 1, Day 2 promises to be good fun and bring it on!
For those of you unaware and on Twitter, the hashtag for this trip continues to be #TechsOctoberFest where the Live Trip Report shall be found!
Thank fudge this trip finally arrived, it's been a long 4 weeks since my last adventure! Bookwork Weekends, lack of funds and other circumstances all played a role in this rather long wait. Stand by for more Bookwork Weekends as 2016 draws to a close...
So the trip title and hashtag, I'm sure most of you will have heard of the infamous OktoberFest. I'm not entirely sure what does and doesn't happen during it, having never been and never Googled it, but the name sure came in handy for this 6 day mega bash! Yes that's right, SIX days of pure heaven laid in wait and the red pen was to be wielded, having been hardly used for a month! As was the green highlighter for many shack scores! I went into some detail on my TPP Discussion thread, some months ago now, on what I was getting up to but here's the rough plan:
Day 1: Carlisle for some 37 action, possibly more
Day 2: 37s and Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, as well as a social
Day 3: Tyne and Wear Metro shack clearance (hopefully!)
Day 4: Peterborough and forward to Anglia, hopefully some 37s and 68s
Day 5: Part 2 of the Anglia Plus rover
Day 6: Part 3 of the Anglia Plus rover, heading home from Cambridge via London in First Class
As you can see, it's lined up to be one amazing time! It won't surprise you to learn I jumped out of bed and got moving pretty quickly today, this caged lion was finally being let out! I booked myself onto the 0954 and not the 0908 as I usually do, so I was festering in Hereford for quite some time. A supply raid in Waitrose was had before an urgent PNB then a takeaway coffee from Spoons. Morrisons ends the supply raid, and I get my tickets before creating an observation file. The fester passes surprisingly quickly, thanks to Tech's Mobile Disco, as it turned out before I join 175112 to Crewe. I was finally on the move and the 6 day mega bash was underway!
Four months of receipts were finally dispensed with today, and my moves book is finally back up to date, with my latest spending log finally sorted out too. Time after Shrewsbury to get some tunes on, which come off just after Nantwich in preparation for sighting 68s. 68019 is observed but dud for sight, as is a 37 numbered 37558. I get the gen via Twitter it is really 37424, a winner for sight, thanks! I assist a blind passenger off the 175 at Crewe as her booked assistance had not produced. Once she's safely in Upper Crust, I pop off to do some spotting, which results in some limited 68 thrash from 68019 on a light engine move. One can no doubt imagine the big beaming smile on my face when that happened! After sourcing a cheap coffee from WHSmith, I investigate the assistance for the lady, apparently they'd been looking for her. Not very hard obviously then! Thankfully it turns up eventually, although my help still proved useful as one VT lady turned up with someone else already with her. That was clever!
We're all on 390008 eventually, leaving 15 minutes late and it's rather busy on here. The door is jammed open on the lavatory in coach B too, ridiculously helpful. Not my best VT journey so far to be honest! Lunch time after Wigan North Western, my ham sandwich from home is devoured now as it has been 6 hours since breakfast. Now bring on the epic scenery and tilt! Finally a table seat by the window becomes free, and now I am Bound For Glory, as I can charge my phone! I had forgotten how gorgeous the scenery is as we charge up to Shap Summit with some excellent tilt, the difference to a journey a decent seat can make!
Arrival at Carlisle is 17 minutes late at 1418, and the scale of the roof works really hits home. It'll be some time before it's finished, clearly, and after purchasing a day return to Wigton for £4 I rush over and join dud 37409 on the 1435 to Barrow in Furness, scoring the DBSO as well. The thrash has been much missed, having not had a 37 since July 2015! It's fair to say I'd looked forward to this move all day, and a rather nice cider sourced earlier from Waitrose [the other nice cider was consumed after lunch on 390008 - Ed] and it went down beautifully. Brew number 552 that one was too, and I intend to bump up that number as the week progresses, as I want to hit 600 before the year ends!
Double duds 153307+153363 were on the next Barrow service,no thanks I'll head back to Carlisle as per the plan. Good thing I did, as it was winner 156484 back to Carlisle! 5 Heaton 156s to go, happy days! Back in Carlisle, I couldn't decide between festers off winner 156s, both of which were quite significant. Haltwhistle was a reasonable plus I think, but £8.50 for a day return, so flagged. I decide instead to head to the B&B to check in, but then decide to score two winner beers in the Lloyds No.1 [so in other words, a Spoons. Dud at that - Ed] which takes me to 554 brews logged on Untappd. The plan now changed to investigate the 37 later on instead! After checking into base camp, I'm soon back out and I score a winner Spoons as well as two more beers.
Back at the station, having met some lovely Northerners [so much better than most people from the South! - Ed], I pay the £7.30 ching for a day return to Maryport. Dud 142088 was on the 1728 to Newcastle, which had made the decision easier. After a PNB I discover it's 37402 on the 1737 to Barrow in Furness. No bother, I wanted 37403 but 402 is better known as The Beast. Why? It's just so loud and awesome! Tonight it proved to be just that, oh what a treat for the ear canals! I even score a winner for everything MK2, 5787, much to my surprise. It's rather nippy and quite dark in Maryport, so I don't fancy the risk of finding nothing worth having for tea here, and join 156479 back to Carlisle, turning it into a Super Dud in the process. My stomach was raging by now, as all I had eaten today was a bacon sandwich around 0645 for breakfast and a ham sandwich around 1300 for lunch. When I typed this up it was 1846, so you can imagine I was rather, well, starving. A triple headed 40 working could pop up working over the Tyne Valley and I would flag it in favour of food by this point!
Little Chippy was visited in the end, a jumbo sausage and chips with gravy for £3 was considered a bargain. Some more winner beers in celebration of a great first day of the trip were then had before heading back to base camp. So that was Day 1, Day 2 promises to be good fun and bring it on!
Kite159
Veteran Member
An excellent first day
An excellent first day there Tech. Your first train of the day 175112 is notable for me because it was the first Class 175 unit I ever travelled on, so that brought a smile to my face. Fond memories of that journey!
The chippy meal sounds really good value too.
The chippy meal sounds really good value too.
Blindtraveler
Established Member
Agree entirely on the 40s. Looking forward to a good old 37 bash myself tomorrow and reaquainting myself with the R and ER.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Oh and good writeup, that chippy sounds good and might be worth sampling on the road North tomorrow.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Oh and good writeup, that chippy sounds good and might be worth sampling on the road North tomorrow.
An excellent time and i'm incredibly jealous of Wigton as it's currently forming a hole in my shack clearance between Carlisle and Green Road 
Hopefully the 37s will continue to impress before you get yourself over here and I can reintroduce you to the love hate Metro system
Hopefully the 37s will continue to impress before you get yourself over here and I can reintroduce you to the love hate Metro system
adrock1976
Established Member
A good warm up session there for the first day.
Seeing your plans, it has reminded me that I have not got round to doing the Tyne & Wear Metro yet - something I've been intending to do since 1990.
Seeing your plans, it has reminded me that I have not got round to doing the Tyne & Wear Metro yet - something I've been intending to do since 1990.
Techniquest
Veteran Member
That was a good first day, but there is one thing. I am 100% certain that a triple headed 40 working popping up over the Tyne Valley would mean you flag the food!
Oh no I wouldn't, not without a decent break for food first! Yes I really was that hungry! I could have eaten a large doner meat and chips and still found room for pudding.
I went to Asda, the plan being to stock up on snacks, and what do I get? Beer and flavoured water, no snacks!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
An excellent time and i'm incredibly jealous of Wigton as it's currently forming a hole in my shack clearance between Carlisle and Green Road
Hopefully the 37s will continue to impress before you get yourself over here and I can reintroduce you to the love hate Metro system
I remembered you needing Wigton, couldn't possibly be part of my reasoning for getting it...
If I get 37402 again tomorrow I'll be more than pleased, it's my second favourite 37 ever! I seem to remember enjoying the Metro on previous visits so I hope that stays that way on Wednesday afternoon/Thursday morning!
Thanks must go to everyone else who took the time to comment, hopefully I'll get around to responding to you all as the week goes on. Time here for a kip, as the alarm is set for 0600. That allows time to de-rance and have a good breakfast before heading to the station and finally meeting up again with my good friend Blindtraveller!
Iskra
Established Member
Sounds a great first day Tech, all tractor thrash is good thrash. I like how you've gone a bit quiet on us but then returned with 6 full days of activity! You'll be wanting a day-off by the end
I'm looking forward to your reports, enjoy your trip.
I'm looking forward to your reports, enjoy your trip.
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Sounds a great first day Tech, all tractor thrash is good thrash. I like how you've gone a bit quiet on us but then returned with 6 full days of activity! You'll be wanting a day-off by the end
I'm looking forward to your reports, enjoy your trip.
Not through choice was the lengthy gap in trip reports!
Got 2 full days to recover after the trip, then back to work for a day. Two days off after that due to needing to attend my godmother's funeral in Stamford. I also have the dentist the afternoon after that, then a full day of work before normality returns. When my next trip after this one is to be I have no idea, but it could be a while.
AJM580: Thanks for the 68 and 37 gen, most appreciated!
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Glad you've all enjoyed the read so far, here's Day 2:
18/10/2016 - Tech's October Fest, Day 2
Having had to pop back to Asda last night for snacks, foolishly thinking I'd be fine without them, I eventually got to sleep after a catch up on the forum. It wasn't a bad sleep, and at 0600 the alarm is sounding. It's up and at 'em straight away and the de-rancify was welcome too. A full review of Roadhouse B&B will follow on the accommodation reviews thread of course, I anticipate doing that with the reviews for the other base camps I have this week, so most likely this will be done next week.
With preparations for Day 2 complete, I head downstairs for breakfast which was most welcome. After which, it's off to the station to do some spotting before Blindtraveller and his wife arrive. You have to feel sorry for them, starting the day on a pair of 221s! Once I meet up with them, having scored 68021 for sight on a northbound freight beforehand, I get the tickets for our group in. A coffee from Pumpkin is sourced, and we join The Beast, also known as 37402, on the 0842 to Barrow in Furness, as far as Ravenglass for us. I didn't realise quite how far it is from Carlisle! After an almost epic fail, thinking we were at Ravenglass when we were actually only at Drigg, we finally arrive and make our way to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. This is my first visit to the line, and we get coffee etc before joining the 1125 to Dalegarth, with winner for everything Douglas Ferreria on it.
It's a rather wet day, so we make our way into the cafe for lunch and hot drinks, slowly of course to kill time for the steam hauled working at 1350 and letting the diesel go back at 1250. Winner for everything River Irt takes us back along the scenic line in much drier weather, and after a wander around for 50 minutes, including the complicated route to the northbound platform, it's good news. Winner 37403 has replaced 37409 since yesterday, so you can imagine I was super happy about this!
It's a thrash filled run, especially through Whitehaven Tunnel, during the journey Blindtraveller and I start planning our annual Anti-Frothmas bash. It was starting to take shape well, and I score 37116 for sight on a test train in the sidings at Carlisle. We arrive 4 up at Carlisle, causing me to run after a Freightliner 70. Sadly it wasn't one of the two I need, instead it was 70004. We pop to Tesco for a couple of bits, then to Little Chippy for Mrs BT's tea while we popped into Top Stop next door for pizzas. Wow wasn't that doner meat pizza hellfire, I'll have that again! We return to the station to eat tea in the waiting room, then after seeing off Mr and Mrs BT onto 390045 I head to Spoons for a couple of winner halves of beer.
An Asda visit was called for again for snacks, as I also needed cash to pay for my stay at The Roadhouse. Returning to the room, I finish typing this up and start prepping for tomorrow's departure, all too soon sadly. The first two days of this trip are over way too soon, and as I prep I open a beer from last night's Asda visit. If the last two days have been good, and let's face it with epic 37 thrash that was guaranteed, I suspect the next 4 days will also be amazing!
18/10/2016 - Tech's October Fest, Day 2
Having had to pop back to Asda last night for snacks, foolishly thinking I'd be fine without them, I eventually got to sleep after a catch up on the forum. It wasn't a bad sleep, and at 0600 the alarm is sounding. It's up and at 'em straight away and the de-rancify was welcome too. A full review of Roadhouse B&B will follow on the accommodation reviews thread of course, I anticipate doing that with the reviews for the other base camps I have this week, so most likely this will be done next week.
With preparations for Day 2 complete, I head downstairs for breakfast which was most welcome. After which, it's off to the station to do some spotting before Blindtraveller and his wife arrive. You have to feel sorry for them, starting the day on a pair of 221s! Once I meet up with them, having scored 68021 for sight on a northbound freight beforehand, I get the tickets for our group in. A coffee from Pumpkin is sourced, and we join The Beast, also known as 37402, on the 0842 to Barrow in Furness, as far as Ravenglass for us. I didn't realise quite how far it is from Carlisle! After an almost epic fail, thinking we were at Ravenglass when we were actually only at Drigg, we finally arrive and make our way to the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. This is my first visit to the line, and we get coffee etc before joining the 1125 to Dalegarth, with winner for everything Douglas Ferreria on it.
It's a rather wet day, so we make our way into the cafe for lunch and hot drinks, slowly of course to kill time for the steam hauled working at 1350 and letting the diesel go back at 1250. Winner for everything River Irt takes us back along the scenic line in much drier weather, and after a wander around for 50 minutes, including the complicated route to the northbound platform, it's good news. Winner 37403 has replaced 37409 since yesterday, so you can imagine I was super happy about this!
It's a thrash filled run, especially through Whitehaven Tunnel, during the journey Blindtraveller and I start planning our annual Anti-Frothmas bash. It was starting to take shape well, and I score 37116 for sight on a test train in the sidings at Carlisle. We arrive 4 up at Carlisle, causing me to run after a Freightliner 70. Sadly it wasn't one of the two I need, instead it was 70004. We pop to Tesco for a couple of bits, then to Little Chippy for Mrs BT's tea while we popped into Top Stop next door for pizzas. Wow wasn't that doner meat pizza hellfire, I'll have that again! We return to the station to eat tea in the waiting room, then after seeing off Mr and Mrs BT onto 390045 I head to Spoons for a couple of winner halves of beer.
An Asda visit was called for again for snacks, as I also needed cash to pay for my stay at The Roadhouse. Returning to the room, I finish typing this up and start prepping for tomorrow's departure, all too soon sadly. The first two days of this trip are over way too soon, and as I prep I open a beer from last night's Asda visit. If the last two days have been good, and let's face it with epic 37 thrash that was guaranteed, I suspect the next 4 days will also be amazing!
D841 Roebuck
Established Member
A couple of.good days there, with some high quality locos. And the usual high quality write up. Looking forward to the rest, although I hope you find different food. Sorry, but doner meat pizza is just wrong...
Sorry, but doner meat pizza is just wrong...
Absolutely. One or the other surely?
I agree with you there too.Sorry, but doner meat pizza is just wrong...
Well I can say in Tech's absence that he's having one hell of a time on our fine Metro, despite the locals being themselves [emoji38]
Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk
Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk
Techniquest
Veteran Member
Sorry gang, it's been too busy a day to do all of Day 3's trip report yet. As Richard posted, it's been a beast of a day! I aim to do the trip report on the way to Peterborough in the morning, now I've had a catch up on the forum I need to prep the bag for departure. Alarm is set for 0600 and I'm nowhere near ready yet!
Look forward to reading your report - it'll stave off boredom at work. By the way the 68s have changed since my last post. Apparently a defective wiper on 68002 has seen it swapped for 68004 today. Other than that, its as you were loco wise.
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