Ey up gang, another trip report is ready! Possibly the penultimate one of 2016...
27/11/2016 - Tech Stops The Cavalry, Day 1
It's the Crazy Season, better known as Christmas, so it's only fitting I reference one of my 3 favourite Christmas songs! For reference, the list is: Jona Lewie's Stop The Calvalry, The Pogues' Fairytale of New York and Chris Rea's Driving Home for Christmas.
So how did this trip come about? On 22nd November I finally got my spending log for the pay period sorted, and when I discovered I had more money than expected, I got heavily into TPP Mode. I knew I couldn't go too crazy, but London and Manchester got looked at. With calculations made, London was cheaper so I went for it! Day 2 sees part of the journey done in style, but you'll have to wait and see what I mean. A lift into town is got in the morning and I get in place for the 1006 to Birmingham New Street, which on this occasion was an unusual pair of 170635+170516. By the time we reach Birmingham I'd need only 123 miles to clear 170516 for 1,000 miles! I've been waiting for the right journey or long fester to read Jeffrey Archer's Cometh The Hour, and today's endurance journeys were a good time to get started. I'm aware he has a newer one out, and I'll get to that in 2017.
It got very busy indeed on the 170s, apparently due to several large events on today in the Midlands. Good thing I'm heading the other way then! We arrive 2 minutes late and I immediately head upstairs for a PNB as there was no chance of fighting through the crowds on the 170s for a working lavatory. Joe's Coffee House was visited for a coffee, having been satisfied with my last visit and I was still happy with them today. I meet a guy from Western Australia by chance who's near the end of a year's holiday around the world, ever so friendly and my faith in the human race was restored. I head down early for the 1214 to London Euston, and eventually the inward working arrives. 350119+350124 were to take me to London until...
We head backwards and I realise the 350 further up the platform must have been getting attached to our pair. A 12 car train, on a Sunday, with LM? Now this I had to go and check out, if only for the fact I needed to know which one was on the back! Well I don't know why we went backwards at the Bat Cave, as we didn't actually bang onto any other 350s. Oh well, we left 6 down and after discovering the /1s were the only 350s in the set after all, I also discovered 350124 is already a Super Dud and now 350119 is only one coach away from that club! Just after Watford Junction, when even the front coach is rather busy all of a sudden, I'd got through another 80 pages. The stomach was now raging and more than ready for some food, so rather than bailing at Harrow and Wealdstone I continue to London Euston. I finally reached Euston 6 down at 1444, and my Burger King meal was more than well received!
After a quick supply raid in Sainsburys, I head down to the Victoria line, and I also manage to score 4 Northern line sets for sight before I score double winners for everything 11045+11046 for the trip to Victoria. The first goal now was to get to base camp, which on this occasion was easyHotel but this time at the Victoria site as it was a fiver cheaper than Croydon. Therefore it's a hotel score too! It takes just over 10 minutes to walk there, but oh my days how small is the room?! It might as well been a storage room, the bathroom is not much bigger than the lavatories on planes as well. I am far from impressed it has to be said, I won't use this one again, no lifts and steep stairs with a confusing layout as well. Croydon all is forgiven!
After dumping stuff off and quickly updating my books, I'm back on the station. Nothing of interest around, and I get double duds 377612+377625 to Clapham Junction. Going forward I score winner 377614 to winner shack Mitcham Eastfields, and going forward I get dud 455814 to winner shack Hackbridge. With no Thameslink service along this part of the line, I instead check out the next Victoria service. Good thing I did as it was winner 455822!
Naturally I'm in the motor coach for some noise, not that there's much of it on the leap to Mitcham Junction. I make a quick change onto Tramlink now, scoring 2553 on a leap to Beddington Lane. Winner 2547 takes me to Therapia Lane and I need to head towards town again so get on dud 2545 back to Mitcham Junction. Winner 377616 takes me to winner shack Carshalton, and fresh dud following earlier's score 377614 takes me to Balham. 65 more 377s to get for haulage, which I estimate will not be managed until the 2020s!
Another Northern line set fell for sight, but I was amazed how many duds for haulage I had to turn down. When you need 144 Northern line sets for haulage, turning down 3 northbound trains and multiple southbound trains too, that was a surprise. Double winners 51628+51629 turn up to take me to Stockwell, where I originally plan to use the Victoria line, however the next Northern run was double winners for everything 51714+51588 which were impossible to turn down! 140 more to go now, and off I go to Moorgate. I'm sure you'll be able to guess what I was up to now, those who followed the Live Trip Report will already know of course! No trains to Brimsdown, and I eventually spot a winner. It turns out to be double winners 360102+360119, happy days!
It's back to LU next with dud 91203 leading triple winners for everything 92190+92088+91141 on a leap to Mile End. Double winners 21312+21311 take me on a leap to Stepney Green for double winners 21462+21461 onward to Whitechapel. Double winners for everything 21528+21527 take me back to Stepney Green with double winners 21495+21496 back to Mile End. Dud 91053 led triple winners for everything 92116+92024+91067 back to Stratford. I stumble across winner 321433 to Liverpool Street and enjoy the motor coach noise, and oh good my luck is finally in with the 315s, as winner 315835 led dud 315824 for the leap back to Stratford. It's time now for food, and I visit Burger King in Stratford Centre for my usual choice of food here.
With the stomach pleased again, it was onto winner for everything 91323 which led dud 92048 with double winners for everything 92216+91239 on the back. I was heading west again as by now it was 2110 and the long day was catching up with me. In my defence, I hadn't touched any coffee since about 1230! Off once again at Mile End for double winners for everything 21562+21561 to Tower Hill. I got confused when the bay platform was still here, then I remember that was ripped out at Mansion House. Double winners 21470+21469 take me forward to Cannon Street, popping over to the former bay platform for a quick photo at Mansion House before jumping back on. Double winners for everything 21521+21522 take me to Blackfriars, from which I go to Temple on double winners for everything 21535+21536. Is it wrong I hadn't missed D stocks whatsoever?
Double winners 21366+31365 take me to Embankment next, and I was cursing festers of more than 2 minutes. It's a long time down here after all! Winner D stock 7032 led dud 7057 and by now I'd had enough as it was gone 2200 and I needed to rest. A walk to base camp and my horrible tiny room was up next to end the day. I got some books updated, and it's not long before I try to get to sleep. Try is the key word, as I had to sleep diagonally due to the lack of room around the bed. Then of course you had guests not closing doors quietly which was frustrating! So it was probably gone midnight by the time I got to sleep!
28/11/2016 - Tech Stops The Cavalry, Day 2
0500 and the alarm was going off much to my displeasure. I wanted to maximise my available time in London, hence the early rise. A thorough de-rancification was had first of all, and I'm out of there by about 0527 after the bag was packed. I won't be staying here again, not unless I'm desperate and even then I'll not be happy about it!
The day's moves start with double duds 11034+11033 from Pimlico, as it was about the same distance if not slightly closer to the hotel as Victoria. I was going to stay on to Tottenham Hale, but announcements insisted National Rail services from Tottenham Hale were suspended. That was yesterday, but I wasn't taking any chances, I bailed at Oxford Circus for the Central line. Winner 91101 led winner for everything 92136 with dud 92406 and winner for everything 91329 on the back on the trip to Liverpool Street. My original plan was to get a coffee going on, however this changed when I saw a winner! Dud 317665 led winner 317512 and I was on for the day's first shack score at Brimsdown.
Double winners 317503+317666 took me one stop down the line to winner shack Ponders End. Talking of, as I type this report hours later, I'm considering emboldening shack scores as well as winners. Any views gang? I didn't realise it would be a 35 minute wait here mind, and a look at the timetable reveals a complete mess of calling patterns. It must be a nightmare for train planners, and the sooner the line gets 4-tracking the better! Tech's Mobile Disco saves the day to fill the fester, and eventually I'm on the move again. I'd been here so long it was rather light now! Double winners 317506+317670 take me to Tottenham Hale, where a PNB is Priority Alpha by now. After which, 2 hours into the bash, I get a large coffee from Pumpkin which was more than welcome. As was the headache clearing up some time later!
Winner 317653 takes me to the world famous Angel Road for a shack score. Famous as it has an awful level of service. Not surprising considering there's almost no point having a station here! Work on the massive notebook update gets underway, all my notes had almost all just been in memo files on my phone at that point. Double winners 317650+317514 take me one stop down the line to winner shack Northumberland Park, where the notebook update is concluded for the time being. Fresh duds 317503+317666 are back to take me to my final shack score of the day at Lea Bridge, which cleared Liverpool Street and Stratford to Cheshunt for shacks. It's fresh duds, on their way back north after my earlier leap from Angel Road, 317514+317650 to take me back to Tottenham Hale. That bridge takes some doing to conquer on a tight connection!
Another PNB and another Pumpkin visit, this time redeeming my full loyalty card. Winner 379016 led dud 379012 to Liverpool Street and we pull in next to a pair of Overground 317s. I need them both, so off I go! Double winners 317729+317723 cart me off in a motor coach to Bethnal Green, a leap I can see happening often in the coming 12 months. Talking of, is 317722 actually active? If so which TOC could I find it with?
Dud 315804 takes me back to The Street, during the journey I see a RHTT with GBRf 66s which I couldn't ID, and more 317s I need are noted so on I get with double winners 317709+317888 back to Bethnal Green. A 315 I needed was noted heading to The Street, so I have an 11 minute fester for dud 315805 and winner 315802 for the trip to Hackney Downs, as more 317s I wanted were seen and didn't seem likely to be on a stopper. 17 minutes here saw me note more 315s [and getting annoyed with all those needed 379s! - Ed] I needed, which didn't get done in the end. The 317s turn up on an Enfield Town service, so I run over from the island platform to score what turned out to be double winners 317710+317719. I take them to Seven Sisters, amazed that the former Stansted Express seats were still in use.
Even full size tables still going! I decide now to head to the Victoria line, as I wanted to get under 2,000 needs before the end of 2016, not including new 387s still being delivered. When I checked later on it appeared my LU and light rail counts didn't look right, so a thorough examination of these will be needed now. On which note, I'm expecting to have a Bookwork Weekend this week, as I'm well behind. As usual, for anyone interested, follow the #TechsBookworkWeekend hashtag. Anyway, I manage to finally fix an error in my books and score winner 11025 to Finsbury Park on a very busy set. I probably had it with 11026 at the time, but my LU notes were poor back then and, as per my memo files, need examination of what I have on RailMiles. Case in point, I swear 11009 was dud on RailMiles but my notes say otherwise, so I score double winners 11009+11010 to Highbury & Islington. If there is doubt you probably haven't had it!
I spend 25 minutes on the southbound platform here and get no further winners, so I give up and join dud [obviously! - Ed] 313024 to Moorgate instead. Sound logic, as I would then be in a good place for the sub-surface lines. After getting some sunshine in, having been underground for just under an hour by then, I score double winners for everything 21555+21556 on a leap to Barbican. They're followed by my first S8 score in quite some time, double winners 21016+21015 to Farringdon. Just as well, as I score 700105 for sight here before joining double winners 21409+21410 to King's Cross St Pancras. It's 8 minutes before my next westbound winner, and I'm running low on time now. Double winners 21067+21068 take me to Euston Square, with me well and truely suffering Red Pen Fever!
Double winners for everything 21106+21105 take me to Great Portland Street, double winners 21493+21494 very shortly afterwards following to take me to Baker Street. I considered walking to Marylebone, however I was having none of it and headed to the Bakerloo line. Good call, as winner 3459 and dud 3241 took me the one stop to Marylebone. I finally get some food in, as I had not yet eaten and it was 1240 by the time I get it. A lamb and minted peas pasty [so gorgeous! - Ed] and coffee were sourced from West Cornwall Pasty Company which, unsurprisingly, went down really well. Much better than the awful thing Chiltern did to me...
The 1310 to Birmingham Moor Street is normally a Mainline Silver set, obviously 68 hauled, and I had looked forward to a quality journey. Ha ha ha, yeah umm no, Chiltern had other ideas! Not only did they turf out 172102 for the poor passengers on the 1305 to Oxford Parkway, but they screwed with my train too. I got 168004 and 168322 vice 68 and MK3s! If I had known this was to happen, I'd have passed and gone to Euston for the 1313 LM to Birmingham! So you can imagine I was rather irritated and tweeted Chiltern with my disgust! We even manage to leave nearly 2 minutes late, but at least I had a table and a power socket. I frigging hate 168s, the interior is better than LM 170s and the power sockets are welcome, otherwise there's no difference in how much I despise them. Most certainly so when I've been robbed of 68 haulage, which has happened way too often for me. "Tech, 168s have WiFi too!" I know you're thinking. It doesn't like me and my phone or tablet 99% of the time, so I don't bother trying to connect to it.
After High Wycombe I've got my books up to date so bang on Tech's Mobile Disco to drown out the droning of these jumped-up Flymos. We arrive at 1454, and I note a lot of construction work just south of Banbury. Is there a new layout here too, as it felt different? I seem to recall a new bay being mentioned way back. It's Midland Metro tram hunting time, but after 30 minutes at Bull Street I have seen none of the 3 I need so I walk down to the Bat Cave. A large Upper Crust Americano is sourced and I see the 1549 has 170510 on it. It was rammed, so I add the sugar to my coffee on the platform.
Thankfully 153356 arrives on an ECS from Tyseley depot, which standees on the 170 will have been glad of too no doubt. I get a table seat easily and I'm soon typing up more of the trip report. Note I make no mention of reading on the way home, this is due to having bookwork and this trip report to keep me busy! We leave 1 down and the DBT is most welcome following those 168s.
A required microgrice took me by surprise at Bromsgrove, as we used platform there. I didn't know it was available yet, and now until platform 1 and a couple of crossovers become available all my local track is dud again! I finish typing this trip report up just after Henwick level crossing, so it's then time for a PNB before I finish updating a couple of memo files. Of course, I also get started on checking those requirements memo files!
Hope you all enjoy the read, next trip is #TechsAntiFrothmas in 12 days time!
